by Sybil Johnson
I mentioned in my last post that I was putting the finishing touches on a short story. It’s done now. The husband has read it. He said he enjoyed it and didn't give me any comments. This is very unusual. He usually tells me when he doesn't understand who is speaking, if something is confusing, if I have a typo, if a man wouldn't say that, etc. He does not hold back. The fact that he didn't have any of those comments is great, but I admit it makes me a bit uneasy. I mean, no short story is perfect. On the other hand, I did do a lot of work putting the finishing touches on it. Maybe I'm getting better at that.
I’m ready for the next phase: finding a home for my short story.
This story started as a possible submission to a Malice Domestic anthology. I didn't get it done by the deadline, but even if I had, I think it’s too long for their guidelines. This story features a retired police detective turned library volunteer who first appeared in my story "Fatal Return" that was published in the Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles anthology, "Angel City Beat". I hadn't planned on doing another story with her until I was on a short story panel at Malice Domestic and the moderator, Barb Goffman, (who, btw, edited the anthology) asked me if I planned on doing another story featuring her. I said no, but it got me thinking. Then I thought of an idea and here we are.
The story in a nutshell: Retired police detective turned library volunteer, Michaela Franklin, organizes a talk on scams targeting seniors that starts a chain of events with deadly consequences.
So now the search commences for a publishing home for this story. At 6900 words, it's on the long side. I've never written a short story that long, let alone looked for a market that would be interested in it. I don't think there's anything I can cut or want to cut. I believe that each story has its own natural length. For my cozy mysteries, 75,000 words is my sweet spot. Short stories, though, go all over the place.
AHMM and EQMM are my usual first thoughts. I haven't cracked those markets yet, but hope springs eternal. The problem with AHMM is that it can take a year to hear back. I don't submit a story to more than one market at a time. So my usual process is to try EQMM first since it has a shorter rejection time.
I'm a member of SMFS (Short Mystery Fiction Society) so I hear of submission calls through that. They also have a list of markets for members to peruse so I'll be checking those out.
Most of the markets I've sold to before aren't around anymore or are on their way out. Makes me sad because they were all great markets.
These days I prioritize paying markets over non-paying ones. I have certainly had my work published in online e-zines that don't pay. Especially when I first started writing. But I always made sure that they were well-respected. Another rule of mine: I won’t pay to submit a story for consideration. Doesn’t seem right to me.
I also have a shorter short story that I haven't submitted anywhere yet. I will look at places to send that one as well.
I've written half a dozen other short stories over the years. I've managed to place all of them though sometimes it took a couple years. Writing is not for the faint of heart!
If anybody has any suggestions about a market, let me know. Wish me luck!
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