The Horror Tree Recent Markets, Articles, Interviews, and Fiction!

Events / Flat Amount / Magazine

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Taking Submissions: Contrary Summer 2021 Issue

Deadline: June 1st, 2021
Payment: $20
Theme: We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button. Can your story stay that finger to the end?

“Turning words into art is unnatural. It begins with a contrary attitude. It says, I am unhappy with the way things are and desire to make things different. Rather than represent the world, I will make something wildly and savagely new. I will defy logic. I will invest in new perceptions. I will combine and recombine and fabricate and juggle until something that I have never experienced is experienced. The process is alchemical. The process is violent. It goes to the heart of creativity. It disrupts and shatters. It is splendid with provocation. It is an aggression against banality. It is sharp and loud like a janitor scraping frost from a window. The hectic bounce of steam on a street after a truck roars by. The anarchy of waters, the comedy of the face, dangerous feelings vented from a cage of skin.” ~ John Olson

Poetry — We believe poetry is contrary by nature, always defying, always tonguing the tang of novelty. We look especially for plurality of meaning, for dual reverberation of beauty and concern. Contrary’s poetry in particular often mimics the effects of fiction or commentary. We find ourselves enamored of prose poems because they are naturally contrary toward form – they tug on the forces of exposition or narrative – but prose poems remain the minority of all the poetic forms we publish. Please consider that Contrary receives vast amounts of poetry and that we can publish only a small percentage of that work. Please submit no more than three poems per issue. Our poetry editor is Shaindel Beers.

Fiction — We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button. Can your story stay that finger to the end? We have published long stories on the belief that they succeed, but we feel more comfortable with the concise. We favor fiction that is contrary in any number of ways, but our fiction typically defies traditional story form. A story may bring us to closure, for example, without ever delivering an ending. It may be as poetic as any poem. Our fiction editor is Frances Badgett.
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Articles

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After You Try It, You’ll Be Hooked on Linguix!

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

We all know that both Grammarly and ProWritingAid have become the default for correcting our grammar in email, on Facebook, and so many other options. At least, those of us who have bought in have. However, what if you want all of the fancy paid features without having to cough up a monthly or yearly fee? Wouldn’t that be nice? Now you can, and at a very large steal with the current deal on Linguix! This new Chrome extension really puts the others out there to shame when it comes to their pricing model.

They’re running a lifetime deal at $59 compared to what would usually cost $360+ and at this discounted price is quite affordable compared to the leading options.

What are the high-level features?
– Works as a plugin for Chrome to fix your grammar on the fly!
– Automatically check grammar, punctuation, and style on your favorite sites with the Linguix browser extension
– Get context-appropriate writing recommendations, and speed up your process by up to 600% with intelligent snippets
– Best for: Marketers, non-native English writers, and anyone who posts looking to improve their writing as they go

We’re talking well beyond a standard spell-check here and the features blow away what you can find in free versions of the competition (and the price will have your savings account smiling that you didn’t spend more than you had to!) There are “over 2,700+ advanced grammar, spelling, and style corrections” which will easily help you find that typo or tense error before you send an e-mail to your publisher or send out a status update to social media. Ducking autocorrect, right?

No more of that as you transition to having everything you write just end up being better.

So if you want to pick it up, be sure to head to head over and order Linguix today!
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Events / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry

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Taking Submissions: THEMA – Watch the Birdie!

Deadline: July 1st, 2021
Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10
Theme: Watch the Birdie!

To download a PDF file of the guidelines, click here .

ALL SHORT STORIES, ESSAYS, POEMS, PHOTOGRAPHS and ART MUST RELATE TO ONE OF THE PREMISES SPECIFIED ABOVE.

NOTE: Previously published pieces are welcome, provided that the submission fits the theme and that the author owns the copyright.

The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. Fewer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages preferred. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover letter or on first page of manuscript. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with each submission. Rejected manuscripts unaccompanied by an SASE will not be returned. Response time: 3 months after premise deadline.  NO READER’S FEE.

Mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747.

Outside the US: email [email protected]

On acceptance for publication, we will pay the following amount: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display.

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Articles / Blog Tour / Guest Post

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Orange City Book Tour: How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Avoid‌ ‌the‌ ‌Rejection‌ ‌Blues‌

How to Avoid the Rejection Blues

Rejection and being an author go hand in hand. Fiction is very subjective so what one person may like, another may hate. I have had two novels published, one by the indie press, New Pulp Press, and the other by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s; but before that, I had three novels rejected over the course of a few years and a lot of rejections from agents before I landed with Sam Hiyate of The Rights Factory. There were many times I thought I wouldn’t make it as an author, but I’m stubbornly determined and driven, and I used the rejections to make my writing better so I wouldn’t be rejected the next time. 

The first set of rejections came from literary magazines until a few finally hit. Lit mags are a very smart way to start as a career as an author, since agents and editors and publishers will want to see some type of publications on your Writing Resume. It is guaranteed that more magazines will say no as opposed to yes. However, once one magazine accepts your work, you have a greater chance of getting another to bite, since you are beginning to establish yourself. The idea that you will be published in The New Yorker automatically will not happen, so forget about that. Begin with online journals and don’t worry about not getting paid, the exposure, even if it’s small, is better than a check. 

The same goes for agents. Most agents will reject you because they are flooded with submissions. They also want to shape a writer’s career so they want to believe in you rather than just your one book. Have a follow up ready. More importantly, take the advice that they give if you’re lucky to get notes. My agent liked the book I initially sent him, but had a lot of revisions before he could sign me on. I listened to everything he said. 
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Articles

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Publisher’s Weekly Is Hosting A Virtual Book Fair In 2021!

Though the pandemic seemingly rages on Publisher’s Weekly has given some hope and light to writers and readers alike. Publisher’s Weekly has announced that they will be hosting a new American trade fair May 26th -28th. How so? It will be run virtually. The U.S. Book Show will be limited to 5 hours a day to help with possible internet connection issues as well as time constraints since this will be available worldwide.

There will be exhibitors, presentations, and networking just like at the live event. Prices start at $35 (with a $3.77 fee) for librarians and booksellers, the Early Bird pricing is $89 (plus a $7.05 fee) and $149 (plus a $10.71 fee) for general admission (that starts on April 2nd). The tickets are all-inclusive so the purchaser has access to everything. The hard part will be to pick and chose what to do.
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Articles / Interviews

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WiHM 12: Quick Six Questions With Erin Shaw

Welcome to The Horror Tree, and thank you for participating in Women In Horror Month. First, tell us a bit about yourself and your interest in horror.

I came to horror early and late lol – I was 18 before my interest really cemented. I was into the romantic Anne Rice type vampire when I was a child but that was to escape from bullying into a place where I couldn’t be hurt. Though Rice is a type of horror, the first book to make me want to explore the genre was Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite. I followed up with their Exquisite Corpse and there was no going back. I felt alone in the world- I was female, bisexual, and very mentally ill. The world felt not built for me. Lost Souls gave me the character of Ghost – someone who is different in every tiny way possible but who has a special way about him that made him completely at ease with himself but also deeply compassionate and loving. I could work with that.

Why is Women In Horror Month important, and what do you say to someone who says ‘Oh, I don’t care if it’s by a man, a woman, etc., as long as it’s a good story’?”

I’d say that if their first priority is to read good stories then they will only achieve that goal by ensuring diversity in their reading habits. Every good writer has good stories but the richness of any particular author’s life experiences can never be replicated. If you don’t read books by women, POC, or LGBTQIA+ folks you will only hear the language of the straight white male. No matter how wonderful their stories are – and they are – you will never know the good stories that come out of women and minorities. So if you care about a good story, care about the stories of all people. And the fact that people make statements such as those are exactly why women in horror month is important.
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Articles / Interviews

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WiHM 12: Quick Six Questions With Loren Rhoads

Loren Rhoads is the author of a space opera trilogy, a duology about a succubus and her angel, and 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die, a cemetery travel guide. Her most recent book is a collection of short stories called Unsafe Words. Find out more at lorenrhoads.com. 

Welcome to The Horror Tree, and thank you for participating in Women In Horror Month. First, tell us a bit about yourself and your interest in horror. 

I fell in love with Count Dracula as a kid, watching Sir Graves Ghastly on TV on Saturday afternoons. My mom, who was a librarian, pointed out that a lot of the movie monsters I liked had started out as characters in books. I started reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula and never looked back.

 

Why is Women In Horror Month important, and what do you say to someone who says ‘Oh, I don’t care if it’s by a man, a woman, etc., as long as it’s a good story’?”
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Trembling With Fear

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Trembling With Fear 02/28/21

One of the hardest things about being a writer these days is the aspect involving marketing and self-promotion. You want to get your name out there but you don’t want to be ‘that’ person, pushing their stuff so much it becomes irritating. You have to get the balance right and that involves more than one platform. A new promotion platform has been created by Andrew Fow, otherwise known as the Book Dad. Reviewer and columnist, he has created Horror Oasis https://www.facebook.com/HorrorOasis/ a place to promote and support other creatives. Go over and check him out, sign up for his newsletter and give him a follow on twitter https://twitter.com/thebookdad.

Remember Horror Tree has its Indie Bookshelf weekly roundup. If you want your upcoming publication on the shelf, send us the link and we’ll add it. I usually create the post on Thursday and it goes out each Friday. This is a free bit of promotion although we give charity works and those who are patreons or sponsors a higher position on the page. We can also promote events, special offers and services – provided you let us know!

Now to some hopeful news on the personal front. I am one step nearer the grave, literally! We’ve found a house and had our offer accepted – it has a lovely view of the local cemetery. We saw some perfect little cottages with inglenooks and beams but they were too small at present when considering boomeranging children. All coming out or nearly out of uni, it might take them a little time to set themselves up elsewhere, especially with the after effects of covid on the economy so until then we’ve gone more practical than quaint. But one day …

Even better news was the signing of a contract with Silver Shamrock Publishing for 6 books over 3 years. They’ve published two of mine already (The Five Turns of the Wheel and Bottled) and have been great to work with and I’m really looking forward to continuing that relationship. If you have a novel or novella, Silver Shamrock are still currently open to submissions.  When my husband came to filling in the occupation part of our house documentation, it was the first time I felt able to put ‘writer’. Now I actually have to start …

This week’s Trembling with Fear starts with The Man in her Poem by Kevin M. Folliard. Kevin is a favourite writer of mine, he always manages to come up with prose which makes me quite envious. This time, he deftly shows how the imagination can take the writer prisoner and make something real – or is it? What is reality.

Plumber by Christopher Blinn gives you a tale of a couple perhaps not so blissfully married and adds another meaning to the term ‘handyman’.

The Return by Alyson Faye is a lovely ghost story, the last line so subtle it almost doesn’t register and when it does, brings with it a touch more tragedy.

Unmask by Mark A. Smith brings the chills with what lies behind the masks. A mask, whether a literal mask or an extra layer hinted at (beneath person or place) is a great way to build horror.

 

Take care

Steph

 

Stephanie Ellis

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Another year of Women in Horror Month has come to a close and we hope that you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have! Next year, things are going to be a little different when it comes to WiHM and I’ll be sure to reach out soon with the full details.

Before I move on, a big congratulations to Steph on her publishing news above!

Moving on to Trembling With Fear. I’d really like to suggest anyone who submits is sure to check out our Trembling With Fear Submission Guidelines. I can’t stress this enough. I believe only two of the fifteen+ short stories submitted in the past week have followed them properly and I don’t want to start rejecting stories out of hand but we might be getting to that point. As always, we’re currently primarily looking for drabbles and Unholy Trinities. Short stories are scheduled out quite a few months at this point so won’t have a quick turn around on being released on the website.

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

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