Is it really June already? Time flies like an arrow, as the saying goes. Meanwhile, fruit flies like a banana. Just a little Dad joke to get you in the mood for Father’s Day ;)
Calls
You can find all the details for June (and the following months) over on the #TeamAndMore site. There are over two dozen open calls in June, and the vast majority of them are at the end of the month - so pick one or two, get cracking and get some stories out! You can find more details and links to the publisher’s sites over on the open call page at #TeamAndMore.
01 Jun - Crystal Lake Publishing - Dead Letters: Episodes of Epistolary Horror
01 Jun - Flatiron Publishing - Rhapsody of the Spheres
02 Jun - Space Cat Press - Into the Forest
04 Jun - Havok - Legendary People (flash fiction)
13 Jun - Grist - Imagine 2200 (contest, climate change)
15 Jun - Bayonet Books - Title TBD (MilSF Tank/Mech theme)
15 Jun - Cloaked Press - Fall into Fantasy 2023
15 Jun - Cloaked Press - Nightmare Fuel : Mind Terror
15 Jun - Sapiens Plurum - Short Fiction Contest (theme: ““Building Communities in the Face of Climate Change”)
30 Jun - Camden Park Press - They Hunt By Night
30 Jun - Belanger Books - Alone on the Borderland : Tales of Edwardian Dread
30 Jun - Belanger Books - Steel True, Blade Straight (charity anthology)
30 Jun - Atomic Carnival - Greater Than His Nature (mad science)
30 Jun - Atomic Carnival - Open All Night (horror/fantasy)
30 Jun - West Avenue - A Coven of Witches
30 Jun - Critical Blast - The Monster Next Door
30 Jun - The Fairy Tale Magazine - Flash Fiction Contest (fundraiser; small entry fee)
30 Jun - Worldsmyths Publishing - Written in the Wind – Fantastic Tales on the Power of Names
30 Jun - Pen & Paw - Meowgical Tales (charity anthology supporting animal rescues)
30 Jun - Siren's Call - Encountered (alien horror)
30 Jun - DBS Press - Beyond Stoker Issue 3: Lucy Westenra/Bloofer Lady
30 Jun - Hiraeth Books - The Drabble Harvest Contest (theme: "Space station duty-free")
30 Jun - Raconteur Press - Moggies in Space
30 Jun - Eerie River Publishing - Pentacles (Tarot-themed)
30 Jun - Hellbound Books - Happy Hellidays!
Site Updates
I’m really excited to announce that the #TeamAndMore site now has a list of freelance editors! This is in addition to our list of authors, publishers, open calls, etc.
“Wait - aren’t editors for books?” Nope. There’s many folks in that list that you can hire to look at your novel, sure. There are just as many who are willing to work with you on a short story or novella. If you submit a story to an open call and get picked up for the anthology, you will be working with an editor.
Here’s the thing, though - that happens after you place your story. Anthology editors frequently get a pile of submissions. Their focus is on finding the best stories that fit with whatever it is they’re doing. Which means that unless you get accepted, you’re probably not going to get any feedback from them about your story.
Freelance editors, on the other hand, work for you. If you ship then off a story (and a fat stack of cash money) then they will gladly look over your writing and give you the feedback you so desperately crave. If it helps, think of a freelance editor as a personal trainer for your writing. Depending on your skill and comfort level, you might find it useful to invest in your development that way.
There’s many types of editing. Developmental, line, and copy editing are all distinct phases of the editing process, as is proof-reading. If you are talking about a novel, different editors have different areas of expertise. If you self-publish, or work with a publishing house, you may find yourself working with different editors at different phases of your publishing process.
Short stories are short enough (typically under 10k) that a single editor will encompass all the disciplines. A short story editor should be able to help you with the story structure (developmental editing), author and character voice (line editing), and general spelling, grammar, and language issues. It’s an all-in-one package that can help you identify some of your weak points and help get your manuscript into shape.
If you have the time and inclination to learn from a professional - consider finding an editor to work with on a story or two, and see if they can show you how to take your writing to the next level.