(If you can’t see the entire article, click on the title above this section.)

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Submission Guidelines for “HOW’D THEY DO THAT?”

Quick Version:

Notorious Press invites authors to submit short fiction to be considered for inclusion in the upcoming mystery/crime anthology HOW’D THEY DO THAT? (temporary title) edited by Jenifer Nightingale-Ethier. General theme is that all stories will center on quirky methods of committing or solving a crime. That’s right, the “quirky” part can be acts by either the criminals or the investigators, or both. This title will be a PoD trade paperback with a release date of early 2008. (Probably first available at the Left Coast Crime convention in Denver, Colorado, March 1-4 of 2008.)

Paying $50 for new stories in the 2,000 to 8,000 word range. Very limited number of reprints may be taken. Deadline to submit is October 21, 2007. Submit or query to the editor by email: editorjen@notoriouspress.com , or see the publisher’s website: www.notoriouspress.com

More Details:

CONTENT GUIDELINES:

Notorious Press seeks 10-15 stories showing how crimes are either committed or solved in unusual, surprising or quirky ways. Any sub-genre welcome - hardboiled, cozy, police procedural, historical, and more are all fine. Talking ferret detectives? Careful, please. When we say “Quirky Methods of Crime” we really want the plot and/or method of resolution to be unusual or unpredictable. We’re not looking to see how outrageously you can craft a bizarre character. Make the resolution believable, but have method in your madness, and vice-versa.

Yes, we want the unusual, so we expect that in many stories the setup or resolution will have twists. But if your tale involves deduction give fair clues, not just obscure data-points. Make it quirky because of actions planned or chosen by the characters, not just fact or coincidences that work out for them.

This anthology is a MYSTERY oriented book, but crossovers with other genres will be considered. The setting can also appeal to SF, fantasy, romance, western, or other genres as long as the central plot is clearly of appeal to mystery/crime readers.

We would love to have a variety of styles from very dark & violent to light & breezy. Still leaves plenty of room to play with the conventions. Protagonists can run the gamut from Private Eyes to Cops to Amateur Sleuths and way beyond, along with any kind of perpetrators and victims. Murder is not required - any old crime will do. The crime can even go unsolved, if the storytelling takes you there and the reader is in on the solution. But please, if using stock characters or situations, do include new twists .

No “fan-fic” or unauthorized use of others’ copyrighted or trademarked characters. No porn. Sexual content, if included, should be relevant to character development or needed to advance the plot. If explicit depictions of sexual matters are the main focus of the action we probably won’t use it in this anthology. (But the same story might still be right for one of our future projects.).

New stories preferred, along with older but never-sold stories. But we will also consider a few pieces already published elsewhere in limited exposure releases, in print or online. (Contact editor or publisher for limitations - but generally things that were in print or on-line in 2006 or earlier are OK, and things currently on-line but which can taken down for all of the year 2008 will be considered. You don’t need to remove things to submit, just if you are selected, to be determined in November 2007.) Might even take a reprint of an old “classic” tale from decades back if it is on target.

BONUS: Re-name this Anthology!

Let’s face it, the current temporary title for this anthology is a little soft. We know that. It works fine as a sub-title, and to help solicit on-target submissions, but we really need a sexier title for the finished book. So if you submit a story with a title we adopt (with your permission) for the overall book we’ll gladly pay you double. Even if you don’t submit a story, send us the winning title idea and get $25, credit in the book and 2 free copies if we choose and use your suggestion. (In case of multiple submissions of the same chosen title, first one wins.)

RATES & RIGHTS:

Pay is about $50 per story, maybe more for a novella and less for a short-short. (Haiku for $2?) Word counts are somewhat flexible to allow for variety, but most selections will probably be between 2,000 and 8,000 words. Contributors will also get 2 copies of the finished book. We’d prefer to pay by PayPal, but other options are possible. If the publisher sells over 1,000 copies additional bonus payments will be divided among all contributors.

Notorious Press has first publishing rights for new stories, and may keep the anthology “in-print” for a long while, as it is PoD release. We would ask that stories not be placed elsewhere until one year after HOW’D THEY DO THAT? is released, except in the author’s own single-author collections. After that one year period, all rights revert to the author for possible additional sales. (Author retains copyright in any case.)

HOW TO SUBMIT:

The editor strongly prefers e-mailed e-submissions, so query her first before you try any other method. As for format, please try to send the story as an attachment rather than in the body of the e-mail. (Ask first if you need to send the story in the body of an email.) Stories should be in standard manuscript format, (one-inch margins, double spaced, Times New Roman or Courier font), and attached to your e-mail in .rtf or .doc format. Probably wise to put your contact info (name, e-mail, story title) in both the body of the e-mail and in the attachment, just to make sure. Please send inquiries and submissions directly to the editor, Jenifer Nightingale-Ethier at: editorjen@notoriouspress.com

Unpublished as well as experienced pros are encouraged to submit. If you have them, please include your most relevant publishing credits. This publication will also solicit a foreword and/or afterword from each selected author to include in the final book. Putting a word-count in the intro would be nice, too.

TIMELINES:

Submission window is July 1 to October 21. To avoid disappointment, submit early or query the editor first if submitting in the last few weeks. We’ll try to acknowledge the receipt of all submissions within two weeks, but please don’t expect a final selection decision until November. Simultaneous submissions not accepted, due to the rather short submission window for this project. If you have more than one tale to submit, send you best one first, with a brief list of the other submission possibilities. The editor will let you know if she would like to see any of the others.

ABOUT THE EDITOR:

Jenifer Nightingale-Ethier is a book reviewer for several online mystery fiction sites. She has been a moderator and panelist at large mystery fiction conventions, and works as a freelance editor, “story doctor” and consultant. Jenifer created and ran an international online book exchange program, and has been a bookseller and music teacher. She lives near Vancouver, Canada, and welcomes all authors to begin the barrage of baffling tales. Submissions and Queries should be sent to: editorjen@notoriouspress.com

OTHER ANTHOLOGIES FROM NOTORIOUS PRESS:

Notorious Press is committed to producing at least 2 anthologies per year, along with selected single-author collections and reprints of forgotten works in the Mystery/Horror/Fantasy realm. See the website for other submission possibilities: http://www.notoriouspress.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Questions specifically about submitting to this anthology should be directed to the editor, editorjen@notoriouspress.com

But any other general or specific question about Notorious Press is welcome at: info@notoriouspress.com

THANKS!

The final Table of Contents for each project will be posted here when available.

Artists?

We’ll be looking at candidates for cover art starting in November.

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*    SORRY - this anthology closed to submissions on September 30, 2007.  It was open for more than three months, and got more that 375 subs.   We are leaving this page up as an “archive” post to inform others and remind ourselves about the details of this project.  (And as a hint about what to expect from future projects.)

- the publisher -

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Submission Guidelines for “HARDBOILED HORROR”

Notorious Press invites authors to submit short fiction to be considered for inclusion in the upcoming anthology HARDBOILED HORROR edited by James Van Pelt. General theme is that all stories will include elements of *both* the Horror and Mystery/Crime genres. This title will be a PoD trade paperback with a release date of early 2008. (Possibly first available at two conventions in March 2008 - the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah & Left Coast Crime in Denver, Colorado.)

CONTENT GUIDELINES:

Notorious Press loves fiction that crosses over rigid genre boundaries. Stories submitted for this anthology should include elements from both Horror and Mystery/Crime. How you blend the two camps will be an important factor in story selection. For example, it is probably not enough if the protagonist just stumbles into a situation and discovers that it is supernatural. That realization should come as a RESULT of specific detection - not accidental encounter. Or stories can also start as Horror, then add the classic “detection” elements - developing theories, following clues, etc. Protagonists can be mortal or not, as long as you are blending the styles. You may even submit tales that initially seem like they are destined to have a supernatural conclusion, but which are resolved in earthbound ways, debunking the supernatural. Works may certainly lean more heavily on one side or the other, but should include both genres.

We certainly don’t mean to imply that the plot and tone of all stories should be the same - not by a long shot. We would love to have a variety of styles from very dark & violent to light & breezy. Still leaves plenty of room to play with the conventions of each genre. Mystery elements can run the gamut from Private Eyes to Cops to Amateur Sleuths and way beyond, with plots motivated by solving the usual questions of Who-dunnit, How-dunnit or Why-dunnit. Horror elements can include any new or old manifestation of the field, including but not limited to ghosts, zombies, vampires, psychic phenomenon, or even plain old vanilla slashers. But please do include new twists if using stock characters or situations.

Please, no “fan-fic” or unauthorized use of others’ copyrighted or trademarked characters. No porn. Sexual content, if included, should be relevant to character development or needed to advance the plot. If sexual matters are the main focus of the action we probably won’t use it in this anthology. (But the same story might still be right for one of our future projects.).

New stories preferred, but will also consider work already published elsewhere in limited exposure releases. Might even consider an old “classic” tale from decades back if it is on target.

Multiple Submission? Sorry, there are a LOT of submissions in already, so only send one story. If you’re sure you have several that can fly, still send your best then wait for results on it first. The editor is reading submissions daily, doing ongoing short-listing, and letting folk know stratus within two weeks.

RATES & RIGHTS:

Pay is about $50 per story, maybe more for a novella and less for a short-short. Word counts are somewhat flexible to allow for variety, but most selections will probably be between 3,00 and 8,000 words. Contributors will also get 2 copies of the finished book. We’d prefer to pay by PayPal, but other options are possible. If the publisher sells over 1,000 copies additional bonus payments will be divided among all contributors.

Notorious Press has first publishing rights for new stories, and may keep the anthology “in-print” for a long while, as it is PoD release. We would ask that stories not be placed elsewhere until one year after HARDBOILED HORROR is released, except in the author’s own single-author collections. After that one year period, all rights revert to the author for possible additional sales. (Author retains copyright in any case.)

HOW TO SUBMIT:

The editor strongly prefers e-mailed e-submissions, so query him first before you try any other method. As for format, please send the story as an attachment rather than in the body of the e-mail. Stories must be in standard manuscript format (one-inch margins, double spaced, Times New Roman or Courier font) and attached to your e-mail in .rtf or .doc format. Probably wise to put your contact info (name, e-mail, story title) in both the body of the e-mail and in the attachment, just to make sure. Please send inquiries and submissions directly to the editor, James Van Pelt at: hardboiledhorror@aol.com

Unpublished as well as experienced pros are encouraged to submit. If you have them, please include your most relevant publishing credits. Notorious Press believes that readers of “small press” fiction have a far greater interest in the authors’ methods, techniques and inspiration than do average readers, so this publication will eventually solicit a foreword and/or afterword from each selected author. But please DON’T send it with your story. (This is a change since these guidelines were first posted.)

Putting a word-count in the intro would be nice, too. And we all about “nice”.

TIMELINES:

Submission window is June 15 to Sept 30, but that may change depending on the volume of submissions. To avoid disappointment, submit early or query the editor first if applying in the last two weeks. We’ll try to acknowledge the receipt of all submissions within two weeks, but please don’t expect a final decision until November. Simultaneous submissions not accepted, due to the rather short submission window for this project.

ABOUT THE EDITOR:

James Van Pelt is a veteran author with many short-fiction sales in both the Horror and Mystery genres, including such high-profile magazines as Weird Tales and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Additionally, he has one novel and two collections of stories published by Fairwood Press. James lives in western Colorado where he is a full-time writer and a full-time teacher. (Do the math!) JVP’s own website is http://www.sff.net/people/james.van.pelt/

OTHER ANTHOLOGIES FROM NOTORIOUS PRESS:

Notorious Press is committed to producing at least 2 anthologies per year, along with selected single-author collections and reprints of forgotten works in the Mystery/Horror/Fantasy realm. See the website for other submission possibilities… http://www.notoriouspress.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Questions specifically about submitting to this anthology should be directed to the editor, (see above), but any other question about Notorious Press is welcome at: info@notoriouspress.com

THANKS!

What next? Editor James Van Pelt has been “shortlisting” some of the submitted stories, and will likely have 30-40 final candidates left in the “hold folder” when submissions close. He’ll then take 3 to 4 weeks to make the final, painful cuts to get down to the final selections for inclusion in the book. Sadly, some fine stories that have been in the “hold folder” for up to several months may not survive that last hurdle. We’re looking at a goal of somewhere between 15 and 20 stories for the final table of contents, so about half of the “hold folder” gets that unkindest cut.

Major Thanks to all authors who submitted. If your work isn’t taken for Hardboiled Horror, please consider subbing to our other open anthology, HOW’D THEY DO THAT? That tome has about a month left in the reading window, and only has about 120 submissions so far. (Did I really say only 120? Must be because I don’t read them all.) Editor Jenifer Nightingale-Ethier is quite open to cross-genre stories, although the target market for that one is the standard mystery/crime reader.

We do not have any problem with you submitting to both anthologies, even with the same story. In the event that your tale is cut late from “Hardboiled Horror”, you’ll still have time to get seen at “How’d They Do That?”

Lastly, sorry that we had to turn off the “public comments” feature of this site. Commercial spammers have now perfected ways of submitting pseudo-comments that are really just links to their retail partners.  And since I already have plenty of Rolex watches, designer handbags, romantic interlude technology, and West African million-dollar windfall checks sitting around here now, and assume you do as well, we can all skip those comments together.  When the final table of contents is announced we will turn on the “comment” feature again for a while.

Thanks for your interest in Notorious Press!

Doug Wood,    the pub

Submission windows are closing soon for the two new anthologies, so send like fiends.  Both editors have plenty of submissions - well over 400 total stories between the two books.  But we just know with absolute  metaphysical certainty that some of the late subs will be keepers.

Sorry in advance to any authors whose work we couldn’t take for these projects, but you can see the kind of volume involved.  Watch for future anthologies and projects from these editors and other contributors.

- the pub -

* HARDBOILED HORROR will have stories combining elements of Mystery & Horror fiction. (Not just noir, despite the title!)

* HOW’D THEY DO THAT? features tales with unusual, unpredictable or downright quirky methods of committing or solving crimes.

THANKS!

Two early releases featured commissioned or recent work by two veteran authors, and several new anthologies are due in early 2008. (Authors - submission guidelines are up now for both HARDBOILED HORROR and HOW’D THEY DO THAT? )

Along with these “new” titles, watch for releases of classic, and often quirky fiction from the past. Pulp fiction from the golden age, and even “Dime Novels” from the 1800s! Many of these re-releases will include original introductions by todays authors who work in related styles or settings.

Authors! You must submit. Because if you don’t, we can’t publish your stories - kind of how the process works. Notorious Press currently has two anthologies on the schedule, along with other projects. (See link on the side, or if your browser doesn’t show the links, first click on the “title” just that says NOTORIOUS PRESS - NEW BOOKS… just above this paragraph, which might solve things.)

THANKS!