Short story contests

[Jerico]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this but I've been away from SFF for while and am back again

I thought it would be cool to get a list of short story contests going, especially if people have submitted to those particular markets before and have experience of them.

I'll start it off with the Fantasy Faction, word is they're going to be starting their second anthology call this year at some point. They had a lot of submissions back in 2012 and it will no doubt be another big contest if they go again!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Welcome back.

However, why bother with a blog doing vanity publishing, when we have Tickety Boo Press - a properly funded and run independent press - on our forum routinely publishing short and long fiction by our own writers?

 

[Jeremy M. Gottwig]

Welcome back.

However, why bother with a blog doing vanity publishing, when we have Tickety Boo Press - a properly funded and run independent press - on our forum routinely publishing short and long fiction by our own writers?

I did not know about this!

Going to go check it out now.

 

[Jerico]

Tickety Boo Press sounds good and that's excellent news that you have John Jarrold onboard. Loving the cover work for Gluttony. I do think that the short story contests out there are a good thing though and I'm not sure I'd class the FF anthology as vanity publishing.

 

[Zoe Mackay]

Which way does the money go?

 

[Remastered Words]

If you follow the link to Tickety Boo Press above it explains where the money goes there. I think that's what you were asking?

 

[Zoe Mackay]

How to tell if something is a vanity press - the money flows from the author to the publisher.

There are some exceptions (for example, paying for professional editing prior to submission can sometimes be useful), and self-publishing is a different case, but in general: The money flows to the author. If it doesn't, there's something amiss.

 

[Jerico]

I would say I agree to that in part. Vanity publishing does take a lot of money from the author but gives nothing in return apart from the book. Contests that take a small fee I believe are different as you generally get some form of prize and recognition from it as well as other things.

Incidently the Fantasy Faction submissions are completely free and don't cost a penny. I think they keep any profit from the sale of the anthology to help maintain the site but the winners get some prize money and the kudos of winning, having their stories appear alongside some big names in print.

 

[Brian G Turner]

And then of course there are various projects run by chrons members - Kraxon Magazine and now Woodsbridge Press, both of which are paying chrons authors for their short fiction:
Press Releases
Kraxon

And TBP:
Tickety Boo Press

 

[Jerico]

Brilliant thanks Brian, I'll check those out.