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Taking Submissions: Hinnom Magazine (LIMITED WINDOW!)
July 15, 2018
Deadline: July 15th, 2018
Payment: $30 for stories under 3,000 words, $55 for those over 3,000 words
Greetings from the Valley of Hinnom,
With the amazing success of Hinnom Magazine during the year of 2017, we have decided to move onward with this publication and to make several big changes that will not only widen our reach to the darker side of literature, but will also benefit the authors. The issues will release bi-monthly, on the last day of every other month, starting in February 2018. We seek authors who have a unique voice, interesting writing styles, and unparalleled storytelling talents.
We also encourage prospective authors to read one of our previous publications to get a feel of the atmosphere and themes we favor. We know a lot of publishers say this, but there is good reason for it.
FICTION SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Whereas last year’s issues of Hinnom Magazine were a bit more lenient, the 2018 volume is going to be much more specific in our themes since we have found our voice as a publication. Below, you will find the genres and subgenres that we adore. Again, if you read our previous releases, you will likely develop a solid understanding of what Hinnom Magazine represents in dark fiction.
We are looking for stories that fit the themes of Weird Fiction and Cosmic Horror. Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy are all welcomed, as long as they fit in the realms of Weird and Cosmic. All stories must also be speculative in some way. What we mean by this is that we don’t want stories based in realism. While many great horror stories are plausible in modern reality, these stories are not for Hinnom Magazine. Thus, all horror MUST BE otherworldly or supernatural in some way. Science Fiction MUST BE dark and speculative. Fantasy MUST BE morally ambiguous and grim. Any combination of the above genres is fine. In fact, we encourage it.
RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR FICTION:
- Copyright remains with the author at all times
- First world electronic and print rights in English with exclusivity for 6 months from the date of publication
- If selected and approved to be republished in an anthology in the future, the author whose piece is submitted will be paid $45.00
RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR DIGITAL ART:
- Non-exclusive electronic, print, and reprint rights
- Ability to use the art for promotional and advertising purposes
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
All fiction must be submitted in proper manuscript format. If you have any doubts regarding what this is, click on this link.
STORIES THAT ARE NOT FORMATTED PROPERLY WILL BE REJECTED IMMEDIATELY! (THIS HELPS THE EDITORS DURING THE FORMATTING STAGE SO PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF THAT.)
ARTWORK: Artwork used for individual covers of online and print magazines, anthologies. Paid $75-$150 depending on project concerned. (We hope to up this pay rate as we move forward into 2018.)
FLASH/SHORT FICTION: 250 to 3000 words. Paid $30 per story accepted.
SHORT STORIES: 3001 to 5000 words. Paid $55 per story accepted.
AUTHOR COPIES: Each contributor will receive ONE (1) complimentary copy of the work in which they appear.
NO REPRINTS ALLOWED. FICTION MUST BE ORIGINAL AND UNPUBLISHED, UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUESTED.
All payments are made through Paypal on the day of publication. Fiction can only be sold as a reprint after publication.
WHAT NOT TO SUBMIT:
- Absolutely NO erotica or fan fiction.
- If vulgarity or obscene concepts are not integral to the plot, expect a rejection. The most taboo topics you can think of are okay, as long as they are executed in a professional and intellectual manner.
- No excerpts from novels or unfinished pieces. Stories must stand on their own with a beginning, middle, and end.
- No simultaneous submissions, though multiple submissions are okay, as long as you don’t exceed three during a reading period. Wait at least five days before submitting again if rejected.
- No reprints.
- Stories with numerous errors, including grammatical, syntax, and/or punctuation errors. We are proud of our professionalism at Gehenna & Hinnom Books and we hope to publish authors who share our professional outlook on the writing industry.
- If your story was rejected for a different publication from us, do NOT send it to one of our different submissions calls. If we thought your story would fit for a different publication of ours, we would have let you know from the beginning.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
- Send all submissions and inquiries to gehennapublishinghouse (at) gmail (dot) com.
- Manuscript must be properly formatted and edited before anything else. See format guidelines here.
- Title email as follows: Hinnom(Abbreviated Month of Reading Period Submitted)/(Title of Story)/(Name) Example: HinnomJan/Grau/Screamer.
- Attach properly formatted manuscript to email as either a DOC, DOCX, or RTF file. No others are accepted. Do not include story in body of email. This will be grounds for automatic rejection.
- Include in the body of your email, or as a cover letter to your manuscript, a short bio including any publication history, awards, social media links, etc.
- Artists, please send all artwork to us as either a JPEG or PNG.
RESPONSE TIME:
We are aware that your time is very valuable as a writer and that when rejected, your first move is to submit elsewhere. Because of this, we hope to respond to your submission within 30 Working Days of it being received, and usually, the first batch of responses will be sent out once the reading period ends.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE MAGAZINE PREVIOUSLY, PLEASE WAIT TWO ISSUES BEFORE SUBMITTING AGAIN.
(NOTE: Delays may occur if the submission volume is overwhelming. A receipt letter may be sent out if this occurs, just to notify the authors of the delay.)
READING PERIODS:
- January 1st-15th
- March 1st-15th
- May 1st-15th
- July 1st-15th
- September 1st-15th
- November 1st-15th
PUBLICATION DATES:
- February 28th
- April 30th
- June 30th
- August 31st
- October 31st
- December 31st
PLEASE SUBMIT STORIES DURING FIRST FIFTEEN DAYS OF THE MONTHS SELECTED AS READING PERIODS. STORIES RECEIVED AFTER THIS WILL NOT BE READ. ARTISTS CAN SUBMIT YEAR ROUND.
LEGALITIES:
By sending us your work you understand and agree that:
- You are the original creator and copyright holder of the work submitted.
- You are not prohibited by any prior agreement from the transfer of exclusive electronic & print rights in English, and reprint rights.
- All information submitted is accurate and truthful.
- You accept sole responsibility for any false statements upon rights not disclosed.
If you are under the age of 18, unfortunately, we cannot accept your submission. Hinnom Magazine is an adult magazine and because of this, we require all authors to be of legal age to read and/or submit to it.
Finally, if accepted here and then republished, you are required to add the volume and issue you were published in.
A FEW TIPS AND DOS/DONTS
1. A good rule of thumb, is to think of the first half of the story as the moment to catch the reader’s attention. Short fiction is difficult to perfect, since you have a limited window to tell a concise story. Think of yourself as a reader as well as a writer. This will definitely help with the loving but difficult process of crafting your narrative.
2. Our sweet spot for story lengths lies somewhere between 1000-2000 words for flash pieces and 3000-4000 words for short fiction. We do accept longer works, and shorter works, but generally speaking, this is what most of our published stories average.
3. Hinnom Magazine prides itself with the oddities contained between the front and back covers. By this, we mean that we like stories with a fresh take on things. Werewolves, vampires, ghosts, all of these are fine. As long as they are used in an original way. We love thematic material that we haven’t seen before.
4. EDITING. More stories are rejected due to editing than anything. Yes, we do have editors. But we also have deadlines, and we also expect a certain level of professionalism. We don’t want to see a work in progress. Read through your final product, fix any glaring errors, or send it to your editor (if you have one, if not, get a friend to read over it). It’s good to remember that publishers are investing in the writers, not the other way around.
5. Read some of our recent releases. We know every publisher says this, but there are only good reasons for it. In 2017, we found our voice as a publisher, and now we know exactly what we are looking for in stories. Doing your research should always be an essential factor in submitting anywhere. Know your editor, know your publication. This will always improve your chances. (On a side note, if you are curious of the magazine and really want to learn about it before submitting, ask. We are not stingy and see no problem sending you a complimentary e-book. Yes, we would prefer you buy it. But these are hard times for writers/readers with the saturation of the market, and having the stories read is much more important than financial gain.)
6. Always make sure to read the guidelines thoroughly. This goes for submitting anywhere. Our requirements are all there for a reason. With the small staff we have, and the increasing amount of submissions we receive every month, we set these guidelines the way they are on purpose. If you ever have any questions regarding the submission process, you can always email us. We are very proud of our punctuality when it comes to author correspondence.
7. Never take rejection personally. It’s part of being a writer. Narrowing hundreds of stories to 3-4 is very difficult and we have to make many decisions that are not easy for us. Always see a rejection letter as a sign for improvement. We also are always willing to give any advice or suggestions to the writer, and many times we do this in our letters already. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding your story, don’t shy from asking. We are here to help you. Writers are our specialty and primary concern, not the business aspects. If business was our priority, this site and company wouldn’t exist and you wouldn’t be reading this right now.
8. No bribing or gifts in exchange for publishing. We admire the audacity but we hold our etiquette above all else.
9. Finally, be brave. Take a risk. If you’re not sure about a story but you really want to send it in, do it. If the themes of a story are unorthodox and it hasn’t been accepted elsewhere despite it fitting the themes we seek, send it in. Rejection letter? Answer it with bravery and resolve. Persistence is key to any success. Don’t ever shy away from a challenge.
Thank you so much for your time and we cannot wait to read your fascinating works.
Via: Hinnom Magazine.
- About the Author
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Stuart Conover is a father, husband, published author, blogger, geek, entrepreneur, horror fanatic, and runs a few websites including Horror Tree!