CLOSED: Over My Dead Body

At the time of this update, Over My Dead Body is still an active deadline. However, the deadlines here were for a single year. We’ll be doing a yearly post for the market instead of an ongoing one.

Payment: $.01/word for fiction

Over My Dead Body! The Mystery Magazine publishes a wide variety of mystery-related manuscripts, from cozy to hardboiled and everything in between. We don’t discriminate on the basis of content, subgenre, or author recognition. Send us your best.

Submissions are open for fiction and nonfiction. All writers must query by mail or email before submitting manuscripts. Please indicate the type of story and length in your query. Thank you.

NONFICTION: We’re looking for mystery-related author interviews/ profiles and articles. Mystery-related travel pieces will also be considered. (For example: travel article about the Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame.) 500+ words.

FICTION: We want to see taut, absorbing, original work. Keep dialogue and narrative consistent with characterization (unless you’re using the discrepancy as a plot point). Don’t waste words, and don’t ignore facts to facilitate your plot. Most importantly, if you’re going to break the rules, do it well. 750-4,000 words.

We rarely publish stories over 4,000 words. If you submit a story longer than our stated requirements it will not be read.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL CONTRIBUTORSAll manuscripts (fiction and nonfiction) must relate to the mystery genre. We are not responsible for unsolicited material. Material received via U.S. Postal Service will not be returned unless accompanied by SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope).

PAYMENT: Nominal – $.01/word for fiction; $10-$25 total for unsolicited nonfiction. All contributors will be paid within 30 days of acceptance. We purchase First North American Serial Rights (FNASR). All rights revert to the author upon publication.

RESPONSE TIME: We respond within 8 – 10 weeks. (Faster, when we can.)

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATIONELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS: Query first. If manuscript is requested, send as Word attachment or ASCII text.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Simultaneous submissions must be clearly labeled. Unless you state otherwise, OMDB! presumes your submission is not simultaneous, that you are offering first time rights, and that the story, all or in part, has not been published previously either electronically or in paper.

Hint: Be sure to put your name on your manuscript!

We publish electronically on our omdb! website.

WHERE TO SEND MANUSCRIPTS: P.O. Box 1938, Auburn, Washington 98071-1938. Attn: Fiction Editor or Feature Editor, as appropriate.

Via: Over My Dead Body.