I write short stories. The investment is light, the turnaround is fast, and with every story, I feel my writing improves. While many members of Speculative Fiction Writers are developing novel-length manuscripts, short stories provide an excellent creative break. It might be just what you need to get unblocked.
To support authors writing short form, a few of us have informally joined forces to simultaneously submit to the same publication, podcast, anthology, or online magazine. Call us the Submission Slammers.
Our de facto leader is Kelly Sanford. When Kelly’s not writing spine-chilling horror or organizing our workshops, she’s constantly on the lookout for publication opportunities. Many of our members have had success with short form. “It is a good way to put a published feather in your cap,” according to Kelly.
Origins
Submission slamming grew organically from Kelly’s Wednesday evening Writers Helping Writers workshops. After Marc Guillotte brought in “Aspics of Death” for feedback, it was accepted for publication in Tasteful, Cannibal Stories to End World Hunger, an anthology from The Horror Tree. Congrats, Marc!
Buoyed by Marc’s success, our klatch decided to slam the Writer’s Co-Op Rabbit Hole Anthology. Three of us met the April 30 submission deadline. Regrettably, none of our stories were accepted—a shutout.
Never Give Up
Often, editors reject perfectly good stories because they aren’t what a particular editor is looking for. The most positive way to view a rejection is as an opportunity to submit at a more suitable publication. Consequently, my rejected-and-revised entry is currently being considered at another market.
Submitting is a numbers game. The more you submit, the more likely you are to succeed. That’s the strength of submission slamming. More slammers increases our chance of success. When we succeed, we can celebrate together.
Finish Line
Success came with our second slam target, Punk Noir Magazine, an online literary and arts press seeking flash fiction less than 200 words with a theme of “Limbo.” Their submission window opened June 1 and closed after they had accepted 50 stories. That put the pressure on us to write fast and submit early.
Like all Speculative Fiction writers, the Submission Slammers are a supportive bunch. We reviewed each other’s work via email to ensure we were able to submit ASAP. It was a busy June 1 as our drafts and edits filled each other’s inboxes. Kind of nice to know you’re not alone, that your fellow members are right there at the keyboard with you, even if on the other side of the continent. And it was enlightening to observe how we all had vastly different takes on the “Limbo” theme.
Celebration
I’m thrilled to report that two of our submissions were accepted for publication—“A Tea Story” by Elaine Clark and my story, “Limbo Rock.” This success wouldn’t have happened without a group of like-minded, publication-focused slammers working together to hone and tighten each other’s stories.
Conclusion
Submission slamming is a great way to combat isolation and rejection. Our small group encourages and pushes us. When we get rejections, we share a laugh and help each other find other markets. More slammers means more fun–and better odds. But even one acceptance is a call for all to celebrate.
Our next slam target? It’s anyone’s guess.
Paul is a prizewinning speculative fiction author, technology blogger, and former punk rock drummer. His work is published or forthcoming at Uncharted Magazine, Amazing Stories, Creepy Podcast, and Punk Noir Magazine. At age six, he saw 2001: A Space Odyssey on the big screen, which lead him to a collection of Clarke’s short stories and a lifelong insatiable appetite for mind-bending science fiction. Originally from Flint, MI, Paul resides in Colorado, where he tries to avoid reliving his punk rock days. He is still trying to teach his cat to play drums.