Why Stories Get Rejected

Over at Andromeda Spaceways you'll find "A Comprehensive and Totally Universal Listing of Every Problem a Story Has Ever Had" included with their submission guidelines.  And it is a most comprehensive list!

50-Word Stories - A Short Story Month Selection

Here's something different for today's short story month selection, 50-Word Stories.  Yep, every story on the site is only fifty words.  And they're open for submissions (non-paying market) if you're a flash writer.   

Mystery Short Story Contest - No Fees

Porfiro Press is the new mystery imprint of Zharmae Publishing Press.  At the moment they are calling for submissions for their first annual mystery short story anthology.  The call is set up as a contest with winners being published in the anthology.  They are looking for whodunits up to 7500 words.  The reading period is June 1 to September 1.  There's no mention of payment.  They're also looking for mystery novels of 70,000 to 100,000 words (details at the submissions link).  You can find the details for the contest here and links at the top of the page to check them out.

If You Live in Oregon

Forest Avenue Press has announced a call for short stories by Oregon or Southwest Washington writers to be collected into an anthology.  The reading period is June 1 to July 31 for shorts up to 6000 words preferably set in the state of Oregon.  Payment is two copies.  You'll find the announcement here.

And some FAQ's that were posted up today.

Stephen Crane - Short Story Month Stories

Most people associate the name Stephen Crane with "The Red Badge of Courage", but there is so much more that he's written for you to enjoy.  Check out his stories here where you can read them online or find links to Goggle Books where you can download them.

On Writing Short Stories

Interesting piece by Lou Antonelli on "The Art of the Short Story".

And another look at short stories by Paul Cook titled "Everything I Know, I Learned From Edgar Allan Poe".

Hat tip to sfsignal.com for the links!

The Thrilling Detective - A Short Story Month Link

The Thrilling Detective is a must read site for fans of mystery and detective fiction.  They have essays, lists of books and short stories written by nearly every author who has ever penned a detective story, and best of all is their fiction archive where you'll find stories by Ray Banks, Patti Abbott, Steven D. Rogers, Michael Bracken and Dave White, just to name a few.  Check it out here. 

Sad to say that they don't publish short fiction any more but they do keep the zine up for those who like to do research into the great past of detective fiction.  There's a rich history compiled on the pages of The Thrilling Detective.