tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post7821386595376472398..comments2024-03-28T15:01:21.285-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Behold a Black CatLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-79666423483546267282021-01-31T12:39:17.556-05:002021-01-31T12:39:17.556-05:00Thanks, Debra. Remember, though, I also get a lot...Thanks, Debra. Remember, though, I also get a lot of rejections . . . <br /><br />As for Michael, I think he's really one of a set of quadruplets and they're all running around writing stories under the same name.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-22106511215414737072021-01-31T11:19:29.098-05:002021-01-31T11:19:29.098-05:00Congrats on having so many stories published in BC...Congrats on having so many stories published in BCMM. I've been delighted to be able to claim a published BCMM story - but you and Michael amaze me.Debra H. Goldsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17533446284471717884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-47419529166819180432021-01-30T23:31:34.300-05:002021-01-30T23:31:34.300-05:00Pat, you are a true fan of the magazine! Many tha...Pat, you are a true fan of the magazine! Many thanks, on behalf of the writers and (I'm sure) the staff too. Glad to hear you've enjoyed all these stories.<br /><br />And thanks as always for your comment(s) here at SS.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-1590123809983487372021-01-30T22:26:49.522-05:002021-01-30T22:26:49.522-05:00I've read all 7 issues of Black Cat Mystery Ma...I've read all 7 issues of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. I love it. The stories are great reads whether long or short. I just finished issue 7 and issue 8 just arrived. Can't wait to start reading it. Thank you all for your wonderful stories and I thank the editors for all those lovely and cute black cats that pop up in each issue. Keep writing, you all.Pat Marinellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-65164689999632574952021-01-30T19:55:11.747-05:002021-01-30T19:55:11.747-05:00Ahh. Thank you.
Ahh. Thank you.<br />Steve Liskowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07107703903536520140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-48875408134780755152021-01-30T18:48:52.383-05:002021-01-30T18:48:52.383-05:00Thanks, Michael.Thanks, Michael.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83841639639746620402021-01-30T18:02:24.765-05:002021-01-30T18:02:24.765-05:00Steve, the guidelines are here: https://wildsidepr...Steve, the guidelines are here: https://wildsidepress.com/submissions/.<br /><br />You'll have to scroll down to mid-page.Michael Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072019804281421944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-81239792256650611092021-01-30T16:10:16.622-05:002021-01-30T16:10:16.622-05:00Barb -- Hi yourself. I'm pleased that you too...Barb -- Hi yourself. I'm pleased that you took time out from writing/editing/real life long enough to stop in here! Congrats on all your BCMM stories.<br /><br />Yes, anything around 10K can be hard to place. I've had only a few stories of that length published in Hitchcock and in the Strand; most others longer than 10K have been in anthologies, it seems, and even those are difficult sometimes. Most of my stories these days seem to run between 4 and 8, which is a more marketable length, and I still write a lot of them between 1 and 4, which are always easier to place.<br /><br />Again, thanks for the thoughts. Get back to work.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-45228095198100893112021-01-30T15:59:34.218-05:002021-01-30T15:59:34.218-05:00Michael, I love the idea of special issues, too. A...Michael, I love the idea of special issues, too. Are the guidelines for the cozy issue posted anywhere yet? I don't see them on the BCMM site, and you say above that they'll be for a "specific type" of cozy. <br />Steve Liskowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07107703903536520140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-41509719299394468922021-01-30T15:40:15.264-05:002021-01-30T15:40:15.264-05:00Count me in as another fan of BCMM. I was delighte...Count me in as another fan of BCMM. I was delighted when Michael accepted my story in the current issue. It's a cozy whodunit, nearly 10,000 words, and stories that long can be hard to place. I also had a story in the first issue, and I have another one coming up later this year. I'd love to submit for the cozy issue, but I don't think I'll have time to write one. In fact, I should be working right now, not commenting here, but I really just wanted to say hi, John. So ... hi!Barb Goffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16013123434790272424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-15001467472350952532021-01-30T14:35:05.739-05:002021-01-30T14:35:05.739-05:00Me too, Alan. It's good to place a story anyw...Me too, Alan. It's good to place a story anywhere, anytime, but when it's a top-notch magazine and you happen to be in the lineup with folks you not only admire but often know personally, that makes it even better.<br /><br />Do check those guidelines Michael mentioned, to that special upcoming "cozy" edition--I plan to do that also, and to try to come up with a story that fits.<br /><br />Take care, and stay in touch!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-83159828682368064622021-01-30T14:30:23.214-05:002021-01-30T14:30:23.214-05:00You're right, Liz--the best ones do.
It'...You're right, Liz--the best ones do. <br /><br />It's a special thrill when you have the editor's interest in a series, but I think it's neat that you ALSO are placing standalone stories there, in a completely different setting, genre, etc. Goes back to what we were saying earlier, about the variety that short stories offer, both to the reader and to the writer. <br /><br />Keep writing (and selling) those stories!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-88496286748766703772021-01-30T14:17:48.018-05:002021-01-30T14:17:48.018-05:00I've been fortunate to have two stories in BCM...I've been fortunate to have two stories in BCMM (#1 & 3), and I consider the magazine to be one of the better markets out there (for whatever my opinion's worth). I always feel honored to share space with so many great writers!Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-11314244830246071002021-01-30T13:40:14.082-05:002021-01-30T13:40:14.082-05:00John, My stories tend to be hard to place, and I l...John, My stories tend to be hard to place, and I love Black Cat because they've published three stories about my favorite character: Rachel Mendoza, that nice Jewish girl who works as a personal shopper to the harem of Suleiman the Magnificent in 16th century Istanbul (BCMM #s 2,5, & 8). They've also accepted two stories with cop protagonists, not quite procedurals, wildly different from each other, for future issues. I still think the bottom line is "Write the best story you can." I'm grateful for the magazines that leave it at that, and I think the best ones do.Elizabeth Zelvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13944424094949207841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-91039971552571304972021-01-30T13:13:02.607-05:002021-01-30T13:13:02.607-05:00Hey Michael. Thanks for checking in--it's goo...Hey Michael. Thanks for checking in--it's good to hear when Issue #9 is expected. As for a steady schedule, I'm sure that's tough anytime, but that it was especially difficult this past year.<br /><br />I love the idea of having "special" issues, and I'm pleased that you and John plan to continue to produce those in the future. Personally, I need to get to thinking about something for your upcoming "cozy" issue.<br /><br />Thanks again for the job you're doing, at the magazine!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3113933552769228962021-01-30T12:38:01.190-05:002021-01-30T12:38:01.190-05:00Thanks for your kind comments about BCMM, John. I ...Thanks for your kind comments about <i>BCMM</i>, John. I had stories in the first six issues—all accepted before I joined the editorial side with issue 5—and I'm currently editing issue 9, tentatively due out late March/early April.<br /><br />John Betancourt and I have worked during the past year to get the magazine on a steady quarterly schedule, and we've come close. Our goal is three general-interest issues each year and one special-interest issue. Our first special was the private-eye issue, the one for which we're reading submissions in March will be for cozies (read the guidelines carefully; I'm looking for a specific type of cozy!), and we've not yet decided on what our third will be.Michael Brackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01072019804281421944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-45057373855412932242021-01-30T12:24:23.794-05:002021-01-30T12:24:23.794-05:00Rob, Issue #6 is one of those I have not seen, and...Rob, Issue #6 is one of those I have not seen, and (as I said) I've not yet read the stories in Issue 7 either, so I look forward to reading both of those stories of yours. <br /><br />What a great review of "Worse Then Death"! Yep, that kind of praise doesn't come often, for any of us--congratulations!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-68610066017691166912021-01-30T12:14:29.756-05:002021-01-30T12:14:29.756-05:00I have been enjoying BCMM. I have also appeared i...I have been enjoying BCMM. I have also appeared in issues 6 and 7. Ben Boulden, in Mystery Scene Magazine, was kind enough to call "Worse Than Death," my story in 6 "brilliant... surprising and original." I don't get called that every day, lemme tell you.Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54856688269843972952021-01-30T11:57:37.653-05:002021-01-30T11:57:37.653-05:00Steve, I just saw on Amazon a moment ago that you ...Steve, I just saw on Amazon a moment ago that you and I are together in the upcoming issue of Mystery Weekly also. (With friend Brian Silverman, too.) Buncha stories to read soon!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-65980615388637867762021-01-30T11:47:36.115-05:002021-01-30T11:47:36.115-05:00Steve, congratulations on your upcoming BCMM story...Steve, congratulations on your upcoming BCMM story--looking forward to reading it. Michael said they'd be opening up again for general submissions in the not-too-distant future. As has been said by several of us earlier, I hope that magazine will be around for a long time.<br /><br />Take care, thanks for the comment, and keep up the good work!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-57991024154101923072021-01-30T11:34:19.823-05:002021-01-30T11:34:19.823-05:00That was a fine story, Eve--about the sorority hou...That was a fine story, Eve--about the sorority house. I remember it also had a LOT of dialogue, and a good story with plenty of good dialogue is always fun. Hey, I'm pleased to have been alongside you in one of the Tables of Content.<br /><br />I too missed one of the submission windows, I think. It's hard to keep up, even with the small number of mystery markets out there. <br /><br />Thanks for the thoughts! John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-7759442409193741782021-01-30T11:33:01.179-05:002021-01-30T11:33:01.179-05:00I've only read two or three of the issues, but...I've only read two or three of the issues, but I've thought they were all excellent, of a more consistent quality than some of the other remaining markets. I have a story in the next issue, too, and am looking forward to their opening for submissions again. <br /><br />Thanks for your isnights, John, always helpful.<br />Steve Liskowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07107703903536520140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-87794962057397081852021-01-30T11:20:18.727-05:002021-01-30T11:20:18.727-05:00I've had one story in BCMM, but that may be my...I've had one story in BCMM, but that may be my fault, because I haven't submitted to them in a while - I missed the submission window at least once. But it is a great market, and a great magazine.Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25240536816063140462021-01-30T10:38:13.384-05:002021-01-30T10:38:13.384-05:00Fifty-plus years!! Josh, you have been writing ex...Fifty-plus years!! Josh, you have been writing exactly twice as long as I have. I bow to you, o wise one. And I think that's remarkable about the longevity of EQ and AH. I never had a chance to submit anything to those other magazines, but I've read some old issues, and I loved 'em--especially Mike Shayne's MM. I too hope BC stays around a long time.<br /><br />I enjoyed your story in Issue #1, but--as I said before--I've not yet read the stories in the Special PI Issue. I'm looking forward to that. And, yes, all the BCMM staff has been wonderful. As for my publications, those streaks come and go. I've been especially fortunate lately. You take care, and keep in touch!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-16649114289127218652021-01-30T10:30:51.973-05:002021-01-30T10:30:51.973-05:00Hey Susan! Thanks so much. I'm looking forwa...Hey Susan! Thanks so much. I'm looking forward to getting this current issue also, and reading the stories. <br /><br />As for variety, I think that's one of the things that keep writers going. You and I and all of us who enjoy writing shorts can create one kind of story this week, a completely different one next week, something we've never before tried the week after, etc. It never gets old.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.com