It's already the middle of my 2nd submission period over at NT. The stories are coming in fast and furious, and I should probably be reading right now, but I've decided to take a break and offer up some observations. I've decided a "lessons learned" post might be getting ahead of myself a bit, but I think it's fair to point out some patterns I've noticed along the way.
1) Cannibal stories. We see a lot of those. Especially in our 100-word bite category. Not that we won't read them--and not that we won't ever accept another one--but writers thinking about submitting might consider trying something else. Just sayin'.
2) Ghost stories. Figure out a way to write an effective ghost story without a massive information dump that details the tragic backstory of the ghost, and you'll definitely have my attention.
3) If the word "mage" appears at any point during your tale, you've probably lost me. We do consider cross-genre stories at NT. However, 9 times out of 10, if someone identified as a mage shows up, I'm betting your story might have a better shot in a fantasy publication. That's not a knock against the stories themselves, but it does mean such stories have a lesser chance of ending up in my shortlist folder.
4) Just because your story features Lovecraftian beasts doesn't mean you have to write like you lived through the turn of the 20th Century. More generally, every writer who's serious about what they do should strive to develop his or her own unique voice. We all start off writing like someone else. The challenge is to practice enough that we develop our own style. I'm far from the first editor to point this out, and I know I won't be the last.
5) Even if they don't ultimately make it through to publication, some of the more engaging stories I've read come from those who have never been published. Even from those who might never have submitted a story. I've found that while they're not always technically well produced, they almost always hum with the unique energy given off by someone discovering the fun of telling a story. I try to recognize that in my comments whenever possible. At NT, we're about publishing a great horror magazine, but we're also about developing talent at all stages. I dig that.
On a side note, no love from Shroud. Bummer.
Until next time...
I am ever fascinated by the behind-the-scenes process of any publication. Interesting to know more about what the other side of the coin is like . . .
ReplyDeleteI'll get into NT one day...ONE DAY! *shakes fist like the bitter old man he is inside*
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, is there anything in particular you guys are looking for? I've gotten to the point where I'm shooting down every potential story before I even sub!
Martin--thanks for stopping by. I'm finding the process rather fascinating myself.
ReplyDeletePatrick--please don't get discouraged. Keep submitting. I'm hesitant to get too far into the details of what we do and don't want to see. Our other editors have different likes and dislikes than I have. They're probably picking up on patterns of their own.
In fact, I want to emphasize that the list in the posting above consists only of my personal observations and does not necessarily reflect the views of NT as a whole.
In the end, the best I can tell you is to keep writing and submitting. I know that's probably not very helpful. Good luck!
No worries, Doug, I understand. Besides, I don't give up that easy.
ReplyDeleteJust curious though; have the guys at NT ever thought of putting up a few sample stories/back issues online? Bobbie and I were discussing the benefits of publishers doing so the other day, and it really is a great way to help the writers better understand what they should send.