“When someone you love dies, should you masturbate?” – Opening line, “Prescription for Grief”

I have to admit, as I have so many times before, that I am a sucker for covers. If I’m in a bookshop and I happen to spot, out of the corner of my eye, a title I am completely unknowledgeable of, and if this title has an interesting cover, I am quite likely to pick it up and inspect it. I may not walk out of the shop with that book dangling from my hand in a plastic bag, but it will have captured my attention, at least for a moment or two.

My first introduction to SUPERVERT followed that exact protocol. I was browsing the shelves at Barnes and Noble, spotted a slim black tome with stark, though minimalistic, white lettering and simple illustrations and immediately wanted to know exactly what it was I was staring at. I felt a bit stupid, as it was obvious from the title that the book was about necrophilia.  As a horror writer, I felt damn near compelled to buy it; as a somewhat productive (that can be called into question, I suppose) member of society and the kind of person who enjoys anonymity, I felt compelled to not be seen walking around the store with it. I was torn in two directions, and in the end, mostly due to not really having fifteen dollars of dispensable income at the moment, I left empty-handed.

I never did get that book out of my head, though. I searched it up on Amazon, where it wasn’t much less expensive and didn’t grant me the luxury of snagging it on the dirty cheap through a reseller. However, it did allow me to browse the book more than thumbing through a physical copy while trying to maintain its pristine binding at the bookshop permitted, and after I’d pored over those few pages I was convinced my initial reaction to the book was a bit misguided.

It wasn’t really about necrophilia at all.

A few weeks ago I found myself at the same Barnes and Noble, eager to pick up something new. I wasn’t in the mood for another horror novel, and yet I didn’t feel like picking up any anthologies, either, as I had a stack of those (some of which I made appearances in) at home to leisurely sift through. I wanted something completely different, something that would make me think long and hard about things I wasn’t normally prone to spending much time contemplating.

Suddenly I remembered the little black book I’d spotted on the shelf over a year prior, and I knew I wanted to at least look at it again. I couldn’t remember the name of it, though, and I wasn’t about to go ask the middle-aged woman at the information kiosk, “Hey, can you tell me the name of that book about necrophilia you used to have?”

Thank god for wireless access points.

A few minutes later and I was scouring the back wall, hoping they still stocked it. I have horrible luck finding things in brick and mortar stores when I have a real agenda, but this time I lucked out. It was still there.

I took my copy to the café and, as nonchalantly as I could, ordered a cold coffee and sat down to read my new purchase.

It didn’t take long for me to fall completely and irreversibly in love.

Necrophilia Variations, while certainly covering the idea of sex with the dead, is much more than just a book about corpse shagging. Sure, there’s a bit of it in there, but it’s not an attempt to shock or deliver cheap and twisted thrills. There’s a bit of that in there, too, by the way.

Necrophilia Variations is, at its core, a study on modern humanity, our self-imposed boundaries, what keeps us from pushing beyond them and, most importantly, what provokes us into throwing them aside. How can sex and death be so obsessed over, and why do we hold them so far apart from each other? What happens when we bring them closer together? Why do we react the way we do when confronted with death, and why do we occasionally eroticize it? What is perversion? Do corpses even care what we do with them? Would they prefer we find a way to enjoy them? Can the dead find salvation through the sexual whims of the living?

I could go on and on about the different questions this little book poses. In fact, I bought a Kindle copy just so I could mark up the various philosophical passages in order to meditate on them further. My digital edition now looks like a child playing in a meadow decided to smear buttercups all over it.

Despite the intent to bring uncomfortable questions to the forefront of the readers’ minds, the short stories in Necrophilia Variations stand well on their own as fiction pieces.  Although each is written in the first person viewpoint of a male protagonist, the individual tales contain a voice and idea all their own. In one, a man ponders the future of mourning as digital technologies become more complex; will we eventually be able to use the dead as a commodity for Internet voyeurs? In another, the idea of death junkies and suicide bombers is explored; would some young men strap bombs to themselves because it attracts groupies? In another, a quieter idea is brought up; is it possible for women to become more attractive when they are in mourning? Does grief amplify beauty and, therefore, a woman’s more erotic qualities?

My favorite piece is the aforementioned “Prescription for Grief.” When someone dies, their loved ones are expected to (and often do) mourn intensely, wailing and throwing themselves into fits or drowning in depression. Would it not be better for all involved if wakes and funerals were less morose and more sexually bacchanalian, complete with lewd inscriptions on headstones and mourners pleasuring themselves while memorializing the dead?

Every once in a while, I find a book that affects me so greatly that it lingers long after it’s been devoured and placed back on the shelf.  I have a feeling that SUPERVERT’s collection will be with me forever, worming its way deeper and deeper into my brain until its presence is untraceable. Still, the ideas will remain, possibly to my dying day, reminding me that despite the cessation of my flesh the pleasure may go on for much longer.

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• Zine: Often Inspired Magazine
• Editor(s): William V. Burns
• Pay Rate: Individual 2000-5000 word short stories from $25 to $100
• Response Time: One to two weeks after contest end or submission
• Reading Period: One week
• Description: Often Inspired is a magazine that celebrates the bond between writer and reader. We exist to encourage writers to improve their craft by showing examples, having fun, and constructively giving advice and counsel.
• Submission Guidelines: Editorial Guidelines | Contest Rules

NOTE: Horror author D.L. Snell conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.

THE SCOOP
1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?
John Steinbeck, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Rex Stout— they have in common just enough description to get the job done, precise dialogue, good solid plots, and colorful characters that pull you right into a story.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I enjoy: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction—unsurprisingly these are the submissions we accept.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
The mundane can be made fascinating by skillful writing, the exotic can be painted in your mind by a colorful author, real or fantastic, past present or future. If you bring me into the scene, that’s what I love.

Read the full interview at D.L Snell’s Market Scoops!

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No, really, looking for an agency can be really scary–and really frustrating for horror writers. So, in response to this nail-biting, heart-stopping nightmare, I have compiled a short list of some agents who are actually, truly interested in representing horror and are open to submissions right now. More to follow soon (if I can find them…)

Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich lit agency, http://www.dystel.com/submit.html

Jabberwocky Agency, http://awfulagent.com/submissions-2 UNTIL JULY 31

Adrienne Rosado, PMA Literary & Film, http://www.pmalitfilm.com/submission-guidelines.html

Richard Henshaw Group, http://www.richh.addr.com/Submissions.htm

Laurie McLean, http://www.larsenpomada.com/lp/pages.cfm?ID=9

The Literacy Group, http://www.theliterarygroup.com/submissions/submissions.html

Kirsten Wolf, Wolf Literary Services, http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/kmwolf/

Kimberly Cameron & Associates, http://www.kimberleycameron.com/submission-guidelines.php

Donald Maas Literary Agency, http://www.maassagency.com/submissions.html

Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown LTD, http://www.curtisbrown.com/submissions.php

Linn Prentis Literary, http://linnprentisliterary.blogspot.com/p/submission-guidelines.html

L. Perkins Agency, http://agentinthemiddle.blogspot.com/

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Website: http://www.thehorrorzine.com

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The theme is “supernatural terror that occurs in the light of day” — we’re looking for stories that are original in concept and solidly plotted, with coherent internal story logic and unusual or striking settings and/or characters. Stories that capture a sense of the unheimlich will be especially appreciated. We don’t want dreams, hallucinations, visions, virtual realities, or non-supernatural horror of any sort.

So, if you’ve been hesitating about submitting one of your works, or if you just finished a story that sounds like it might be exactly what we’re looking for, there’s still time — send it in!  Historical, fantasy, contemporary, steampunk or science-fiction — any genre is fine, as long as the plot revolves around Day Terrors.”

For more info go to The Harrow Press.

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I don’t send simultaneous submissions.

There are those who will tell you, yes, even though the guidelines say “no simultaneous submissions” professional writers do it anyway—and that’s fine if they want to say that. That’s fine if “professional writers” want to send out the same story to four different magazines and cross their fingers that they won’t burn in Speculative Fiction Hell for committing the sin of Literary Hubris.

This needs to be stated to establish the fact that, yes, I do respect guidelines, and yes, I do respect editors who spend a lot of personal time and effort in a labor of love that barely ever pays off in real cash moneys. These are valiant people who trudge through slush pile horror—which, I’ve heard, can be very emotionally damaging—in order to bring to readers fiction that will enrich their lives. Of course, that being said, here’s where I turn into a jerk:

Three months is too long to wait for a form rejection.

You know what you can do in three months? You can plant a garden, you can raise an army of the undead, you can write a freakin’ novel in three months. There are lots of things you can do in three months and, among those, is sending a quick form rejection for a story you know you don’t want.

Of course, I know editors are busy people. I know what its like to be busy. I’ve worked full-time secretary jobs while finishing college full-time and writing stories full-time and sleeping hardly any time at all. I’ve planted a garden while trying to raise an army of the undead, and thank God I haven’t had to wrestle with the time-sink that is children while doing it. (Soon, however. Soon, my mutant schnauzer baby I’ve got hooked up in the fish tank in the basement will spring to life and conquer the earth…and then when will I have time for classes?) So, yes; the fact that editors are busy is an important fact to consider.

But, consider this; the point of a form rejection is to save editors time. And, how often have we heard that editors will know if they want a story after reading the first page, or even the first paragraph?

Three months seems to be the industry standard across the board, so I’m not picking on any publication in particular. And, most of these publications get hundreds and hundreds of submissions a week, so I’m also not saying that rejections should be out within days. It’s totally cool if an editor wants to sit and consider a story for a while, or if they don’t want to deal with the monstrous crap that backs up in the slush pile more than once a month. I’m not charging up to the gates brandishing any pitchforks or torches just yet to these beleaguered heroes that make sure good fiction gets into print.

But, I am asking for two concessions.

First; if the three-month response time or more is what you, as an editor, truly need to respond to the masses, then it’d probably be respectful of those masses to allow simultaneous submissions.

I, personally, am one of those lucky writers who always have a handful of short stories to send out to different magazines each, but there are those writers—some of them maybe geniuses who you want to publish—who only have a story or two to send out at a time. And, asking for a three month turn around on that one precious, brilliant story before it can be rejected and sent off to another publisher is harsh. Really harsh. That means that story can wait years before it ever sees a page. Simultaneous submissions lessens this burden exponentially, and it keeps the good writers happy that they’re actually getting somewhere, instead of making them feel like they’ve been sitting with their thumbs up their butts since 1972.

And, second; if that story is just one you need to ponder for a bit before you’re comfortable rejecting it, just one little touch to that form rejection will make a massive world of difference. That touch is adding something like, “Thanks for your patience,” or “You made the shortlist, but…”

That’s all. I’m not suggesting a personal response be sent, or a long literary diatribe. I know you’re busy, but just a quick line added to those stories that made your shortlist to indicate that, yes, you thought on it for a while it but still had to pass will greatly, greatly increase the chances that the writer who you thought was pretty good will submit to your publication again. And that might make your slush pile look better. And your job easier.

At the end of the day, most people who gripe about the industry being “broken” are mostly butthurt that they’re not getting published. The industry isn’t “broken,” but these are things that I think might help it run more professionally. Of course, those butthurt folks often make it difficult for those reasonable people to give constructive criticism about the way the industry runs (and I’m a reasonable person. Dammit, I’m reasonable! *foams at mouth.*) So, feel free to lambaste me in the comments if you believe that what I’ve asked for here today is, in fact, unreasonable.

And then I will sick my mutant schnauzer baby on you, and you will feel the wrath of it’s nubby leetle teeth. But only one tooth at a time, because I respect someone when they ask to only be given one gruesome gnawing at once.

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• Zine: Basement Stories Magazine
• Editor(s): Carol Kirkman and James Dent
• Pay Rate: 1¢ / word (fiction and nonfiction), $10 flat (poetry)
• Response Time: Hopefully less than 30 days. Query if longer.
• Reading Period: Reading period for Issue 2: July 1 – September 1
• Description: A science fiction, fantasy, and horror ‘zine about the extraordinary in the ordinary, the wonderful, and the fantastic. (More in guidelines.)
• Submission Guidelines: basementstories.org

NOTE: Horror author D.L. Snell conducted the following interview to give writers a better idea of what the editors of this specific market are seeking; however, most editors are open to ideas outside of the preferences discussed here, as long as they fit the basic submission guidelines.

THE SCOOP
1) What authors do you enjoy, and why does their writing captivate you?
I am in awe of short fiction writers like Ted Chiang and Tim Pratt who, in a very limited space, are able to create memorable characters and settings while still saying something significant. The short story “Impossible Dreams” by Tim Pratt made me look at movies in an entirely different way. But I also like stories that are just beautifully weird, like anything by Becca de la Rosa, and some of Neil Gaiman’s short stories – that kind of thing isn’t necessarily sustainable over a whole novel’s length work, but in short doses lyrical madness is amazing.

2) What are your favorite genres? Which genres would you like to see incorporated into submissions to this market?
I’m a fan of all the subgenres under the umbrella of Speculative Fiction – cyberpunk, urban fantasy, space operas, whatever. The only genre I really can’t stand is Sword and Sorcery, or at least, those stories and books that seem to be copy/pasted from Mr. Tolkein. I don’t know if I wasn’t exposed to Lord of the Rings young enough or if I’m just too impatient to keep all of the different clans in The Game of Thrones straight, but S&S just never rubbed me the right way. I think there are ways to do great big, sweeping, epic fantasy right – examples would be N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, or Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora.

I’d really like to see – and I’m not entirely clear if this is a genre or not – more time travel stories, because I love love love time travel, as well as more hard science fiction.

3) What settings most intrigue you? Ordinary or exotic locales? Real or fantasy? Past, present, or future?
I tend to not like any fiction in historical locales, if only because I’m an amateur history buff and my inner know-it-all starts searching for historical inaccuracies, which can really impede my enjoyment of the story. By all means, though, give it a shot if you think you’ve got your facts straight.

Beyond that, I’m game for pretty much any setting. I love both fantastical and ordinary locales, set in both the present and the future, though I’m always really interested to see what people are going to do when they set their stories in the future. A concrete setting can really make a story feel richer and more exciting.

Read the full interview at D.L. Snell’s Market Scoops!

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The first thing we look at is your query letter. It must contain the following: genre, word count, a brief story summary, and author credentials. If it does not, the partial will not be reviewed. In addition, the partial will not be reviewed if the query contains more than a brief summary or extraneous information. For example, please do not suggest an actress to play the part of the heroine should the book eventually become a movie. Remember, authors, that a query is a first impression. If it does not follow our guidelines, it is not making a good first impression.”

For more info go to Medallion Press.

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Submissions go to the Dragon at editor@df-underground.com.”

For more info, go to DF_underground.

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Cast Macabre is a horror fiction podcast, but we don’t see horror as a genre, more as an effect. Your story should induce fear in the reader, or hold a light up to the darker sides of human nature. But if the story’s just a gratuitous description of violence with no point, or features a despicable character that doesn’t get his or her comeuppance, that’s not what we’re after. Horror stories should still be morally satisfying. Stories do not require a speculative or supernatural element, but we do like weird.

Writing Guidelines

We like a proper narrative structure and a unique prose style not laden with cliches and overworn idioms, but ultimately, you’re the writer, you know what works and what doesn’t, so we’ll trust your craft.

We accept reprints, as long as we’re allowed to use them. You may find that you can sell a story for more elsewhere first, so we encourage you to try that before coming here, but we most certainly do not value reprints more. The story is all that counts.”

For more info, go to Cast Macabre.

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