WRITING: SUBMITTING TO THE 'ZINES

I enjoy submitting mysteries to the various print anthologies – and it *is* a thrill to see your name in print and to sign real books, not to mention party with other authors at bookstores and such. I love submitting to magazines, too – even though the time between submission and acceptance/rejection can be so long that I have completely forgotten the whole experience in between. Print magazines are a great way to actually make money from short stories. Sadly, these venues are shrinking, both in size and number. Woman's World for Romance and Mini-Mystery is still one of the best and most high-paying, while other print magazines like Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen offer prestige as well as professional pay rates.

But there's a place where you can experiment, get outside the usual restraints and find places to try out that gore-fest you've been writing, or that paranormal flash or maybe that thing that won't fit anywhere else. Cruise the ezines and find interesting places to place your work. Many of them even pay a small amount. Many of them submit to the prize committees, too. You also get exposure, critique and editorial advice opportunities. But remember, publication in an ezine counts and make sure you understand what rights to your masterpiece you are selling/giving.

As with any venue, be sure to follow submission guidelines. Obviously, a crime or mystery ezine is not going to be the place for your literary fiction or erotic romance. The best way to determine if your work is suitable is to read the 'zine and the guidelines.

Here are some marketplaces that list ezines:

Ralan's – This may be the best comprehensive list.

Spicy Green Iguana is a superb list

The Gila Queen's List is equally useful – and my condolences to Kathy on the loss of her beloved husband, Charlie.

The Writers Write Guideline Database is truly terrific.

Check them all out – and get those short stories out there.

TODAY'S BEAUTIFUL THING

An email from my friend Nancy Hoskins. Our friend, Seymour Rosen passed away, but he will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. Especially me - he was a true individual, an artist with a vision, a genuine human being with an infectious smile. For no one else would I have stood lookout on a desert rock at dawn in the middle of nowhere while he documented, then rescued a folk art site from destruction.

Thank you NarrowLarry for the lovely tribute.

I'll miss you, Seymour - you were one of the greats.