September 2022 Submission Challenge

Here is the market list. Any bracketed notes are relevant to the preceeding market. If it’s open all Sept, if it can’t be bumped, if it can’t currently be confirmed as open.

This list may be subject to change from now until August 31st. I’ll try not to change it too much but I will perform a 2nd check in about 2 weeks just to ensure everywhere is open.

Basic Rules
Submit 1 story to a paying market every day for a month. You don’t have to do this. If you don’t want to sub to a market for ANY reason, don’t. The every day rule is for me, unless you want the full experience.
Every market has been checked (and unless otherwise stated) and will be open on the day I’ve listed it.
As markets can and do close at short notice, I try to provide alternates. That’s not always possible for every day of the month so I’ve noted which markets can potentially be used any day.

There is the additional market list under the main one, these are there in case you want to sub somewhere else, but I don’t guarentee these as open, merely paying.

Basic Advice
Read the guidelines ahead of time. Ideally have all your stories ready before Sept 1st, all formatted & ready to submit. The reason I post the list early is to give you the time to select the right story for each market. You’ve got 3 weeks. Plenty of time.

Basic Expectations
Failure, and nothing. Expect a lot of rejections, that’s part of what this challenge is for, get you used to subbing, having to do stuff at short notice and dealing with failure on a regular basis. There are no sure things. While we’ve had sales (which include at least 1 pro sale), like life, nothing is certain.

I’ve removed the hard part of submissions, finding the markets. Merely select a story, and sub it.
And of course, good luck!
If you feel moved to blog your experience during or after the fact, do drop a link in the comment below, I always enjoy reading about other people’s experiences of the challenge.
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01 – Split Lip https://splitlipthemag.com/submit OR Dark Recesses https://darkrecessespress.com/submissions/
02 – Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/
03 – Clarkesworld http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/submissions/ OR The Dread Machine https://www.thedreadmachine.com/submit/
04 – Andromeda Spaceways https://andromedaspaceways.com/submissions-manager/#fiction [open all Sept]
05 – Taco Bell Quarterly https://tacobellquarterly.org/submission-guidelines/ OR Interzone https://interzone.press/submissions/
06 – Chrome Baby http://robindunn.com/chrome-submit.html OR Flash Point SF https://flashpointsf.com/submissions/
07 – Asimov’s https://www.asimovs.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines/ OR Tiny Tales Podcast https://www.tinytalespodcast.com/submissions [DO NOT BUMP]
08 – Analog https://www.analogsf.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines/ OR Fractured Lit (Flash/Micro) https://fracturedlit.com/submit/
09 – Starship Sofa http://www.starshipsofa.com/submissions/ OR Tales From The Radiator https://strongbranchproductions.com/tales-from-the-radiator/ [Open all Sept]
10 – Neon Mag (Machines Theme) https://www.neonmagazine.co.uk/guidelines/ [Open all Sept] OR Archive Of The Odd https://archiveoftheodd.wordpress.com/submissions/ [Not confirmed open]
11 – Shoreline Of Infinity http://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/ OR Whetstone https://whetstonemag.blogspot.com/p/submissions.html [Can’t be bumped]
12 – World Unknown Review https://lsengler.wordpress.com/submissions/
13 – Electric Spec https://www.electricspec.com/Submissions.html OR The Dark Magazine http://thedarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/
14 – Penumbric https://www.penumbric.com/subs.html [Don’t bump beyond 15th]
15 – Riddlebird https://www.riddlebird.com/submission-guidelines OR Flash Frog https://flash-frog.com/submit/
16 – Flash Fiction Online http://flashfictiononline.com/main/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/
17 – Cutleaf Journal https://cutleafjournal.com/submit/ OR Etherea Mag https://ethereamagazine.com/submissions/
18 – Pyre Magazine https://www.pyremagazine.com/submissions [Don’t bump!] OR Dream Of Shadows https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/submission-guidelines
19 – Three-Lobed Burning Eye https://www.3lobedmag.com/submissions.html OR Escape Pod https://escapepod.org/guidelines/short-fiction/ [Open ALL Sept]
20 – Kaleidotrope https://kaleidotrope.net/guidelines/ [Open ALL Sept]
21 – F&SF https://www.sfsite.com/fsf/glines.htm OR Hexagon Magazine https://hexagonmagazine.ca/submit/
22 – Translunar Travelers Lounge https://translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/ [Open here for rest of month] OR Dreamforge https://dreamforgemagazine.com/call-for-submissions/
23 – Mythulu (Symbiosis) https://mythulu.submittable.com/submit OR Crack In The Code (Mocha Memoirs) https://mochamemoirspress.com/write-for-us/
24 – Bump In The Night (Timber Ghost Press) https://www.timberghostpress.com/submissions.html
25 – The Future Fire http://futurefire.net/guidelines/fiction.html
26 – Nightmare Magazine https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/nightmare/guidelines OR Seize The Press [Open ALL Sept] https://www.seizethepress.com/submissions/
27 – Weird Horror Magazine https://undertowpublications.com/weird-horror-magazine [Open ALL Sept] OR tdotSpec (SF Tarot) http://tdotspec.com/submissions/
28 – Radon Journal https://www.radonjournal.com/submit [Open ALL YEAR]
29 – Interzone Digital https://interzone.digital/submissions/
30 – Planet Scumm https://www.planetscumm.space/submit [Open ALL Sept] OR Chestnut Review FLASH ONLY https://chestnutreview.com/submissions/ OR NewMyths (but not for me) https://sites.google.com/a/newmyths.com/nmwebsite/submissions/sub-2

NOT CONFIRMED OPEN. MERELY ALTERNATE MARKETS WHICH MAY BE OPEN & DO PAY.
34 Orchard https://34orchard.com/guidelines/
Allegory https://www.allegoryezine.com/submissions
Amazing Stories https://submission.amazingstoriesmag.com/guidelines/
Anotherealm http://anotherealm.com/faq/submit.php
Apex Magazine https://apex-magazine.com/submission-guidelines/
Apparition Lit https://apparitionlit.com/submissions/
Bards & Sages Quarterly https://www.bardsandsages.com/contact_us/fiction_submission_guidelines
Centropic Oracle http://www.centropicoracle.com/mainpages/subguide.php
Compelling Science Fiction http://compellingsciencefiction.com/guidelines.html
Cosmic Horror Monthly https://www.cosmichorrormonthly.com/submissions/
Cossmass Infinities https://www.cossmass.com/submit/
Dark Void Mag https://darkvoidmagazine.com/submissionguidelines
Dose Of Dread 1k flash, horror https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/#dose-jump
Giganotosaurus http://giganotosaurus.org/submission-guidelines/
Infinite Worlds https://www.infiniteworldsmagazine.com/submissions
Metaphorosis https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/guidelines/
Mithila Review https://mithilareview.com/submission-guidelines/
Mythaxis https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html
Mythic Magazine https://www.mythicmag.com/p/submissions.html
Not One Of Us https://not-one-of-us.pub/about/guidelines/
No Sleep Podcast https://www.thenosleeppodcast.com/submissions
One Story https://one-story.com/write/submit-a-story/
Sci Phi Journal https://www.sciphijournal.org/index.php/submission-guidelines/
Strange Horizons http://strangehorizons.com/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/
Tales from the Moonlit Path http://talesmoonlitpath.com/submissions/
The Arcanist https://thearcanist.io/tag/submission-guidelines/
The Dark City http://www.thedarkcitymysterymagazine.com/submissions.html
The Mesozoic Reader https://farthertrees.wordpress.com/mesozoic-reader/
The No Sleep Podcast https://www.thenosleeppodcast.com/submissions
The Other Stories https://theotherstories.net/submissions
The Periodical, Forlorn https://www.periodicalforlorn.com/submission-guidelines
Tree And Stone https://www.tree-and-stone.com/submissions
Underland Arcana https://www.underlandarcana.com/submissions/
Unnerving Magazine https://www.unnervingbooks.com/submissions

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So This Was July 2022

I’ve made 216 submissions. 190 rejections. 10 acceptances. 2 stories being held.

SALES & ACCEPTANCES:-Sidekicks was accepted by A Hero Of A Different Stripe, Oct 6th ’21.
Bag Of Bones was accepted by 206 Word Stories, Feb 12th ’22
Madam Midnight Fucks Shit Up was sold to Synthetic Reality Magazine, Feb 15th ’22
PROVISIONAL SALE IF MARKET GOES AHEAD, TO BE LOGGED.
Father, Are You Sleeping? was sold to Dark Recesses Press, Mar 5th ’22.
Dragon Bait was sold to Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Mar 20th ’22.
Unannounced sale to redacted market, Apr 3rd ’22.
Dawn of Time Episode 1, Time Flies With Time Pies (Co-Author) was sold to Stupefying Stories, Apr 8th ’22.
Dawn of Time Episode 8, When things look dark…. was sold to Stupefying Stories, Apr 8th ’22.
A Fine Body was sold to The Lorelei Signal, May 9th ’22.
Ask For Slim was sold to HyphenPunk, May 17th ’22.
Unannounced sale to redacted market, Jun 22nd ’22.
A Monster Under Every Bed was sold to It Came From Under The Bed, Jul 15th ’22.
Unannounced sale to redacted market, Jul 17th ’22.
Unannounced sale to redacted market, Jul 23rd ’22.

CAVEAT:-Be aware, I am now adding stubs for titles which have sold, but I’ve not yet received official permission to announce as sold yet. These are just an aide memoire for me, and my increasingly terrible short-term memory.

There are currently 43 stories out in submission:-

PUBLISHED THIS YEAR:-
Stranding Room Only was released at Abyss & Apex, Jan 1st ’22.
Bag Of Bones was released at Bag of Bones – 206 Word Stories: A Horror Anthology, 26th Feb ’22. (POEM)
Father, Are You Sleeping? was released at Dark Recesses Press, 16th Mar ’22.
Dawn of Time Episode 1, Time Flies With Time Pies was released at Stupefying Stories, 8th April ’22. (Co-Author)
Call Back, Any Time! was released at Grandpa’s Deep-Space Diner, 20th Apr ’22.
Dragon Bait was released at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, May 2nd ’22.
Dawn of Time Episode 8, When things look dark… was released at Stupefying Stories, May 27th ’22.
Ask For Slim was released at HyphenPunk, Jun 15th ’22.
A Fine Body was released at The Lorelei Signal, Jul 3rd ’22.

LESSONS LEARNED:-(This is a new segment, I’ll be adding tips for myself for future blogs.)
Add sales as stubs as soon as those are received. Temp entries until announced then replace with official info.
Add releases when info is received to Shape Of Things To Come, so I don’t forget.
Add stubs to Shape Of Things To Come for unannounced sales.
Create entries for the Submission Challenge each day, as they come in or go out.
I chose to remove the Stories On Hold section as I didn’t want any markets to feel pressure to buy stuff.
I moved the entry for Tuck & Roll because I’m tired of working around its constant delays.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME!
Where They Fear To Tread will be released in Jersey Pine Ink’s Trees Anthology, Summer 2022. (DTBC)
Unannounced sale to future market, late 2022. (DTBC)
Unannounced sale to market (not listed in sales yet, possible late 2022. (DTBC)
Potential sale to future anthology, late 2022. (TBC)
Unannounced sale to future market, Oct 2022. (DTBC)
Madam Midnight Fucks Shit Up will be released in Synthetic Reality Magazine, Issue 9, Late ’22. (DTBC)
Tuck & Roll will be released. (DTBC).
Sidekicks will be released in A Hero Of A Different Stripe, Feb 2023. (DTBC)
Unannounced sale to future market, June 2023. (DTBC)
A Monster Under Every Bed will be released in It Came From Under The Bed, 2023 (DTBC).

There’s some other stuff coming, I can’t officially talk about it yet. Just know it IS coming.
When I get more solid dates on the date to be confirmeds, I’ll announce them.
Publication of Madam Midnight was pushed back due to illness of the Synthetic Reality Mag editor. That may be delayed by at least 2 months.
I upgraded my SFWA membership to Full, because they did it for free. I don’t know if I’ll be keeping it next month.
Yes, I am waiting to announce a few sales. I’ve been asked by 3 markets to say nothing until they do. The other one, I’m waiting for permission.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS:-

I wrote 4 new stories this month, a total of 2005 words. It’s been a tough month, my head has been in a weird place, I was really struggling to get anything creative done, as you can see.