Author Guidelines 2005

Stories

We're looking for character-driven, well-plotted stories that show the dark side of human thought and belief, but that also entertain and catch us up in the plot. We prefer a supernatural element, but we have a weakness for good stories. Do it well, and we'll likely take it.

We need primarily horror and dark fantasy, but will take some science fiction, as long as it too, is dark. We particularly like 'hard' sf and 'cyberpunk,' particularly when it speaks to the human condition. We don't take too much mainstream, as that is not our target audience.

The story must center on the characters; otherwise, please find another market. And please, no 'High Fantasy.' Unless, of course, it's really damn good. Sex and extreme violence are OK if they are integral to the story. Blood and sex for their own sake don't tell much of a story, so we don't publish it.

Flash Fiction

Limit: up to 1500 words
Payment: $10 US per story

As far as "flash" fiction goes, I'm a bit leery. I'll take it, but send it email, rather than snail. Flashfiction is so easy to screw up that I tend to reject it. If you think that yours is special, talk to me. It has to be extremely well done for me to print it. I will warn you: Many have attempted to impress me, but few have succeeded. If you think you have a brilliant story, try me with it. I'm always open.

Articles, Reviews, and Interviews--

There is a real shortage of these, and we'd love to have some!

We really want articles on why people enjoy horror and dark sff, what it represents, how to write it. Scholarly papers accepted if they're readable. Also reviews of current books, movies, and music.

Short poetry

Poetry is also easy to mess up, but I will accept just about any poetry that speaks to me. Give me imagery I can see, more verbs and fewer prepositional phrases and make sure it's dark. I want to see lots of fear, pain, unfulfilled needs or desires and the like.

I have a weakness for "epic" poetry, the Robert Service/Rudyard Kipling/Edgar Allen Poe kind of stuff that tells a story in metered verse while still showing some kind of downside of the human condition. If you've got one, I'd sure like to see it.

If you write teen angst poetry, please submit it elsewhere. We were all young and it was hard for all of us, and we had enough of it then and don't need to be reminded.

Rights

Blood Rose buys first internet rights. Spelled out, we mean we buy exclusive rights to publish the story on the site for approximately six months. Following that, we would like nonexclusive rights to publish it for at least nine months. After that, all rights revert to the author, and we will take the story down if the author should request it. Alternatively, if the author would like, we'll archive the story indefinitely.

I have found I now prefer email submissions in ASCII format or as attachments in MS Word or .rtf. to

this eddress

DO NOT send submissions in MS Works format, WP format, or any other format not specified above. Manuscripts imbedded in he email are okay, but no LONG ones this way, please. And if it comes out as gibberish on my end, I do not take responsibility. RTF attachments are always best.

Snail submissions are also acceptable, but generally do not go through the pipeline as fast. . Send all such submissions and other correspondence to: