Market Round-Up August 2007

© Jodi M. Webb – All Rights Reserved

 

 

We’ve all been to the book stores and seen stacks and stacks of mysteries. The idea of penning a mystery book, turning it into a series, and cranking out another book every year from a luxurious Italian villa is tempting (although a bit unrealistic). Before you block out a year to complete a book dip your toe in the ocean of mysteries with a short story.

 

When everyone else is bombarding the big two-- Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine—send a who- or how-dunnit to this magazine that often gets the surprised reaction ‘They publish mysteries?’ Yes, they do and the fewer budding Christies who know the better! Their guidelines are well hidden in cyberspace so here’s the info: 1000 words, not too gory, $500, SASE, replies in 2 to 6 months, no phone calls! Woman’s World Bauer Publishing   Woman’s World Attn: Fiction Editor/Mini-Mystery 270 Sylvan Ave   Englewood Cliffs ,NJ  07632

 

If you want to send your masterpiece to a group full of enthusiasm who occasionally have time to make comments on what they did/didn’t like (do people still do that?) send it here. The staff is full of ex-military and ex-law enforcement so make sure any gun info in your story is correct! Mouth Full of Bullets http://www.mouthfullofbullets.com/submissions_guidelines.htm

 

Does it make the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Then this might be the place for it. Cemetery Dance is definitely for your creepier creations. They also publish Grave Tales, a horror comic book, which leaves me saying, "Huh?" But if you can picture your latest mystery as a comic give it a shot—you’re just responsible for storyline; they provide the illustrator. Cemetery Dance http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/Guidelines#REVIEW

 

Maybe it’s just me but so many mystery pubs seem to look down on the cozies where Aunt Martha solves the murder in between meetings of her bridge club. But this next one welcomes just about every type of mystery, including cozies. Great Mystery and Suspense Magazine http://www.greatmysteryandsuspense.com/guidelines.htm

 

Jodi’s Tip: Sometimes it seems impossible to break into a new area of writing. Too often editors want experience—specific experience. More than knowing that you can write they want to know that you can write mysteries or health pieces or book reviews. Whatever it is you, want them to pay you to write. So if you’re thinking of adding another writing subject to your resume, adjust your salary expectations--temporarily. Accept less than your going rate just to get two or three jobs you can point to when you approach the big boys.

 

About the author:  Jodi M. Webb spent years writing articles for dozens of magazines such as Pennsylvania Magazine, American Profile, and Christian Science Monthly. But recently she’s been discovering a wonderful new market: business writing. Her new specialty includes catalog copy, customer newsletters, and press releases. You can also find her blog Readin', Writin' and Unravelin' at As We Are Magazine (www.aswearemagazine.com ). Like every writer Jodi feels she has a book (or two…or three) in her but she hasn’t managed to get an agent or publisher to agree with yet. Stay tuned for updates!

 

 

 

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