With which publications does my work fit?

[Cory Swanson]

Like most folks, I want to build my list of bona fides before I try to sell my books to agents/publishers. Trouble is, I can’t seem to figure out where my work fits.

Everything I do is definitely speculative, but not heavily genre driven. Here’s some descriptions of stories I’m trying to sell.

Story one: about an orchestra conductor that has learned how to control the minds of the orchestra so the performances can be perfect.

Story two: about a man who can hear a mountain talking to him in the whistles of the wind in a cave and it warns him of impending doom.

Story three: about a group of graffiti artists who gain superpowers from being exposed to the fumes of a specific kind of spray paint.

Story four: about a painter who paints with a liquid essence that seeps from his body and how his lover becomes addicted to this substance.

I think I’m striking out due to submitting to places that are a bad fit, but I can’t seem to find what a good fit would be. Anybody able to point me in a good direction or resource?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Facebook has open call groups that put out requests for stuff and might be worth joining. Otherwise it’s just making contacts mainly. I sell pretty much all my short stuff through contacts and being approached than subbing.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Trouble is, I can’t seem to figure out where my work fits.

Are you reading a number of magazines to get an idea of what they already publish?

 

[Susan Boulton]

What Jo, said, also what Brian say as well, you need to read the the publications, ether paper, or ezine to get a handle on what they print. Also read the submission guidelines, quite often with anthologies, they give a broad, or sometimes detailed outline of what they are looking for. Sometimes it is a case of submit it and see. No short cut I am afraid.

 

[Tirellan]

Ralan.com is the best resource I know of for markets for SF/F/H short fiction

Story 1 sounds like a possible for Interzone Story 4 sounds like something Black Static might like.