September 2021 Submission Challenge Summary
September 1st – Todays markets were Fantasy Magazine who were open for short & long form (as well as poetry) or On The Premises who had a Monster Theme. I sent Fantasy The Man Who Borrowed My Clock & A Selection Of Fools Grails. Surviving A Lock-in At The Bloodied Pheasant went to On The Premises. 3 solid stories, a strong start to the event.
I also subbed The Recently Declassified History Of South Bend Flight School to Uncanny. They were open, but the info there was very confusing. I looked a few times & was going to list them, so that sub was very much last minute.
I did get 1 rejection today but as it wasn’t challenge related, I’m not going to list it here.
That’s a total of 4 submissions made.
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September 2nd – Todays markets were Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores (sent them Departure Date) or The Periodical, Forlorn who had a theme of Moonlighting, and I sent them I Hide Behind Cardboard Cliffs & Polystyrene Rocks.
I also applied for SFWA Associate membership under the hardship scheme. Got a couple of non-challenge related rejections. Sent out my novel to 2 places.
That’s a total of 6 submissions made.
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September 3rd – Todays markets were Flash Fiction Online or Micro Madness. The Hard Hundred went to FFO as that was a 100 themed call, Today Will Never End to Micro Madness.
Made a late stage sub and sent Muse to Felis Futura anthology.
Was accepted as an Associate Member at SFWA. Also sold a story. 17th sale this yr.
That’s a total of 9 submissions made.
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September 4th – Todays markets were Hexagon Magazine or Dark Moon Books. Sent Mission 334; Mannequin World to Hexagon, A Pale Imitation went to Horror Library Anthology (Dark Moon).
That’s a total of 11 submissions made.
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September 5th – Todays markets were Underland Arcana who got Pick A Witch or Clarkesworld, I sent them To Have, And To Hold – a very tongue in cheek fantasy piece.
Also signed & returned my contract with Jolly Horror for Executive Dread.
That’s a total of 13 submissions made.
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September 6th – Todays markets were Metaphorosis, I sent them Fairytales, And Lies or PseudoPod, I sent Death In Tunnel Three there. That wasn’t the story I had originally intended to send them, but it didn’t feel enough like horror so I swapped it for a later market. Also got a rejection from Clarkesworld.
That’s a total of 15 submissions made. 1 rejection.
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September 7th – Todays markets were Analog, I sent them The War Machines or ParSec, Simon Says went there. Got a no from Metaphorosis on Fairytales, And Lies. Stupefying were supposed to be open today, sadly they are closed due to family illness.
That’s a total of 17 submissions made. 2 rejections.
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September 8th – Todays markets were Titanic Terastructures, I sent a query there because that’s all they wanted. I also sent the same publisher another query for Grandpa’s Space Diner, so no actual submissions made there. My other market was Flash Point Science Fiction, I sent them Hush, Hush, The Princess Is Sleeping. I got a rejection from Hexagon, but they suggested a new imprint they are doing. I won’t be subbing there as the challenge is paying markets only & that wasn’t. I had thought Barrelhouse were open today but apparently I’m useless and managed to misread the date which is Sept 15th.
That’s a total of 18 submissions made. 3 rejections.
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September 9th – Todays markets were Silver Blade, who I couldn’t sub to as I was published there in July & their rules say no subs within 12 months of a publication with them. The other market today was Compelling, who aren’t listed as open on Submission Grinder so I can’t log a sub there either. My queries to Jayhenge were accepted so I sent Dragon’s Tower to Titanic Terastructures and Call Back, Any Time! to Grandpa’s Space Diner. Also got a non-challenge related rejection.
That’s a total of 20 submissions made. 3 rejections.
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September 10th – Todays markets were Escape Pod, who I didn’t realise were only open this month to stuff themed around Joy. As my writing is normally fairly dark & I generally don’t experince or write about joy, I was stuffed and couldn’t sub there – or so I thought. After a bit of digging I found Empty Chest & sent that to Escape Pod. The alternate market was Dream Of Shadows, I sent them My Trip Across The Border. I also managed to fuck up & sub to a market a day early, sending Mission 334; Mannequin World to Silence in the City tday, instead of tomorrow.
That’s a total of 23 submissions made. 3 rejections.
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September 11th – Todays markets were Shoreline Of Infinity, I sent them Play The Hand Life Deals You. The alternate market was Silence in the City, I subbed there yesterday by mistake.
That’s a total of 24 submissions made. 3 rejections.
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September 12th – Todays markets were F&SF I sent them Sixteen Tons. The alternate market was Dose Of Dread, sent them The Painted Beast At My Mother’s House.
That’s a total of 26 submissions made. 3 rejections.
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September 13th – Todays markets were The Future Fire, I sent them Scenario Twelve. The alternate market was Fireside Fiction, I sent them Lemmy Goes To Mars. I also sent Observation Log; Day Shift to Clarkesworld, Cardboard Cliffs to James Gunn’s & Hyperboy; Trinity to the Gravity Award.
Rejections from Cosmic Roots on Departure Date, Dream of Shadows on My Trip Across The Border, Underland Arcana on Pick A Witch. The Periodical, Forlorn cancelled their call so Cardboard Cliffs was withdrawn, this was NOT a rejection.
That’s a total of 31 submissions made. 6 rejections.
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September 14th – Todays markets were The Arcanist or From the Farther Trees. Both had closed early, so I had to scramble to get links for today. I bumped up Interzone, sent them Fluid State. Also took Underland Arcana up on their offer to sub again & sent them Playing For Time. A few hours later From The Farther Trees seems to be open again, I sent them Something Good To Eat for their Halloween theme.
Got 2 rejections but neither were challenge related.
That’s a total of 34 submissions made. 6 rejections.
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September 15th – Todays markets were Lamplight (couldn’t sub here, it’s currently for people who haven’t made a pro sale yet), Nature:Futures (who I’ve given up trying with, I’ve sent them all my best work which got rejected) or Factor Four, who I’m bumping into tomorrow. Instead I subbed to Barrelhouse (sent them A Pale Imitation) & Nightmare, who I sent The Ghost Of A Chance. I also sent Guarding The Ultimate Weapon to Dreams & Nightmares.
Got 1 non-challenge rejection and another from Interzone on Fluid State. A couple of later day rejections from ParSec on Simon Says & from Uncanny on South Bend Flight School. And an ever later day rejection from Clarkesworld on Observation Log; Day Shift.
That’s a total of 37 submissions made. 10 rejections.
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September 16th – Todays markets were Translunar Travelers Lounge who are currently only open to writers of colour until Sept 21st OR Nightmare Magazine, who I’d used a day early. I used Factor Four (sent them Edgar’s Spaceboot Shop) & Neo-opsis (sent them Junkie).
That’s a total of 39 submissions made. 10 rejections.
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September 17th – Todays markets were Interzone (subbed them Distant Drums) or the Perpetual Motion Machine newsletter, who I sent Father, Are You Sleeping? I also subbed Where They Fear To Tread to Jersey Pines Ink.
1 non-challenge related submission received today also.
That’s a total of 42 submissions made. 10 rejections. I also reached & passed 365 subs to paying markets today, more than 1 a day for a year.
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September 18th – Todays markets were Not One Of Us (Sent them Pick A Witch) or Frozen Wavelets, I sent Remembering Little Betty there.
Received 1 non-challenge rejection, also rejections from Factor Four on Edgar’s Spaceboot Shop & Horror Library Volume 7 On A Pale Imitation. No from Micro Madness on Today Will Never End. Also got a late rejection from F&SF on Sixteen Tons.
That’s a total of 44 submissions made. 14 rejections.
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September 19th – Todays markets were Bards & Sages Quarterly (sent them Total Immersion) or The Society of Misfit Stories, who, after a bit of searching I sent The Ripples Of Time. Also got a rejection from Dreams & Nightmares on Guarding The Ultimate Weapon.
That’s a total of 46 submissions made. 15 rejections.
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September 20th – Todays markets were Electric Spec (sent them One Night Stand) or Dark Moments, I sent them Season Of The Witch, I’d written that to order for them but it’ll fit any spooky/halloween drabble call if they don’t buy it. I also subbed to Starry Eyed Press, sent them Hot Dust.
Also finally got permission announce 2 outstanding sales.
That’s a total of 49 submissions made. 15 rejections.
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September 21st – Todays markets were Strange Horizons who had closed to catch up on their subs backlog or Freeze Frame Fiction. I sent Welcome To The Death Machine Factory Tour there.
That’s a total of 50 submissions made. 15 rejections.
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September 22nd – Todays markets were Brink (who were closed, they’d changed their dates since my last vistit) or Monstroddities. After a massive shake up I eventually sent them A Pale Imitation. I also subbed to CRAFT Literary, sending them Two Little Birds. Received a later day rejection from Interzone on Distant Drums. I don’t mind those, Andy is always quick and curteous, and he doesn’t mind me sending him several stories during a month. I’ll work out what he likes, one day, maybe.
That’s a total of 52 submissions made. 16 rejections.
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September 23rd – Todays markets were The Overcast (sent them The Bounty) or Three-Lobed Burning Eye, who I sent Madam Midnight Fucks Shit Up. A rejection from Neo-opsis on Junkie.
That’s a total of 54 submissions made. 17 rejections.
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September 24th – Todays markets were No Sleep Podcast (I already had work there so chose not to send another, though I may still change my mind before the end of the month about that) or Samjoko Magazine who I sent The Boys From Boot. Fusion Fragment had reopened for 2 days only so I sent them Sixteen Tons. Translunar Travellers Lounge were also open for general subs so I sent them Bodge Job.
That’s a total of 57 submissions made. 17 rejections.
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September 25th – Todays markets were The Common Tongue – I chose not to send them anything, nor will I be using them again as a market for myself in the future as they insist all stories are set within their own universe. I sent On Reflection to Mirror, Mirror, while it wasn’t written specifically for them, I think it fits their theme well.
Got a rejection from Samjoko on The Boys From Boot, and a later day rejection from The Future Fire on Scenario Twelve, also an evening rejection from Flash Fiction Online on The Hard Hundred.
That’s a total of 58 submissions made. 20 rejections.
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September 26th – Todays markets were The Colored Lens or Dark Recesses. I chose to bump both markets down as I was struggling for 2nd markets later in the month. I subbed A Wizarding World to Tiny Tales Podcast & It’s Not Over Until the Echo Sings to Weird Horror Magazine.
Got a rejection from Monstroddities on A Pale Imitation.
That’s a total of 60 submissions made. 21 rejections.
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September 27th – Todays markets were The Fuckening (sent them They Who Dare) or The Quiet Ones, who I didn’t have anything matching their “True Love Never Dies” theme which wasn’t already out to at least a couple of markets. In it’s place I sent Diversion To Fahla Bha’la to Dark Recesses. Received a rejection just before midnight from Freeze Frame Fiction on Welcome To The Death Machine Factory Tour.
That’s a total of 62 submissions made. 22 rejections.
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September 28th – Todays markets were Daily Science Fiction, I sent them Viskar Says Koklyev, or Etherea Magazine – I sent them Observation Log; Day Shift. I also subbed Praise The Lord to On Spec.
That’s a total of 65 submissions made. 22 rejections.
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September 29th – Todays markets were Swords & Sorceries Volume 3 – after a bit of looking I subbed Dragon Bait there or The Dread Machine who I hadn’t been able to confirm as open when I compiled the list. They were open but I chose to bump them to tomorrow if I need an extra market. Instead I chose to sub March Madness At The Murchison Mansion to Minds Eye and Scenario Twelve to Haven Speculative.
Rejections from Dose of Dread on The Painted Beast At My Mother’s House & from Fusion Fragment on Sixteen Tons. Also a couple of late day rejections from Electric Spec on One Night Stand & Three-Lobed Burning Eye on Madam Midnight Fucks Shit Up.
That’s a total of 68 submissions made. 26 rejections.
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September 30th – Todays markets were Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, I sent them Dragon Bait or Clarkesworld, I sent them Border Guards. I also decided to sub to The Dread Machine (sent them Volunteer To Be A Martyr) & The Colored Lens, I sent Observation Log; Day Shift to them.
That’s a total of 74 submissions made. 26 rejections.
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A new record high in terms of subs during the event. It’s now just a matter of waiting as answers come back from markets. I’ll either update this post as I get stuff back, or add info to next months round-up blog, which is sounds like a plan.
