CafeDoom's Sixth Annual Writing Competition -- Rules thread

[Grillmeat]

Really great job Ed.
Shock Totem is a cool outlet. Never cracked it myself but some good stuff there.

[Kenwood]

I came across this contest last year, but didn't enter.

I have one question that may sound trivial with the great prizes available.   With the stories being posted on the forum for us to vote on, will this make the story considered published for those who wish to send them elsewhere once the contest is over. You know, the one's that don't get picked for publication with Shock Totem.

Also, as an aspiring author, I'm always wonder what is necessary for your stoy to have a horror element. I've submitted to Shock Totem in the past, but have been rejected. Not sure, the stories may have not been scary enough. I'd enjoy hearing some thoughts on that matter.

We are a tough market, but that's only because we don't have one person picking all the stories. We have a team of five, and in order for any story to make it onto our pages three of those five have to vote to accept it. That may seem unduly harsh, but it ensures that all editors and (slush) readers have an equal say. Since no one gets paid to do this--and in fact we pay into it--there has to be incentive to continue doing so. That incentive is having a voice and a vote that matters.

So don't ever think your story isn't scary enough. Dark is perfectly fine with us. But yeah, we're a tough market. Sorry. =(

[delph_ambi]

Cherlynn, as far as I'm aware the stories won't be considered published as they'll be invisible to the general public. Only members of the forum will be able to see them.

[Ed]

Delph is correct . Because the forum the story will be posted on is password protected and search engines and the general public can't gain access to it, most places wouldn't count it as published -- it's little different to posting it in a crit group. However, that said, some places don't accept anything that's been posted anywhere online, even inside a crit group, so it varies.

[cherlynn]

We are a tough market, but that's only because we don't have one person picking all the stories. We have a team of five, and in order for any story to make it onto our pages three of those five have to vote to accept it. That may seem unduly harsh, but it ensures that all editors and (slush) readers have an equal say. Since no one gets paid to do this--and in fact we pay into it--there has to be incentive to continue doing so. That incentive is having a voice and a vote that matters.

So don't ever think your story isn't scary enough. Dark is perfectly fine with us. But yeah, we're a tough market. Sorry. =(

By all means, don't be sorry. If getting published was easy, everyone would be doing it and then well what would be the point.

[cherlynn]

Thank you all for commenting on the publication issue. I believe it will be worth the chance to try. Shock Totem is in my top 5 list of where I'd most like to see my work appear. Now I just need to decide which story would be the best to enter.

[LeeThompson]

Fantastic! The ST team is great! I'm gonna brew something wicked.
Very cool, Ed!

[tdaene]

  I have only tried submitting to Bloody Carnival as I am new to this.  Children's books kinda frown on this sort of thing!  This seems really neat!  I can't wait to see how all this works and read the other stories!

[Ed]

I'd say all the paying markets are tough, because they have hundreds, maybe even thousands of stories submitted to them during each reading period, out of which they have to select perhaps as few as four stories they love. That in itself is a very difficult task, and I think the mountains of slush each magazine has to sift through can get on top of some of them. Doorways springs to mins as one that might have suffered from that problem.

[Flirtybee]

Great news, Ed, been waiting for the comp again. It's my fave. Plus I have something kept back for just this ... needs a little honing, but as soon as I wrote it I knew what it was for

Best of luck all 

[Ed]

Cool -- looking forward to reading it, Flirty. Yours was one of my favourites last year.

[Robert Essig]

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring.  I just have to choose which story I want to submit.   

[Ed]

Good luck, Robert

[doolols]

Sounds a great comp. Ed. I don't think I've entered before, but then I've been asleep since the last one, and may have forgotten 

I have some ideas for stories, which I wrote down somewhere .... 

Gerald

[desertwomble]

Hmmmmm!

I may just have something in the works.

DW