THE ICE PICK

2006 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Cincinnati : Writer’s Digest Books. ISBN 1-58297-397. 650 pages. $24.99.

Aimed specifically at those of us who write fiction, whether long or short, N&SSWM lists non-paying markets as well as those that pay, with over fifteen hundred listings for literary agents, book and magazine publishers, conferences and workshops, and contests and awards.

Book publishers and magazine markets are listed alphabetically, with magazines divided into literary, small circulation, online, and consumer magazines. There is a general index in the back to help you locate a specific market by name and an extensive category index to help you find markets that take the kind of story or novel you have written. And fantasy, horror, and science fiction are not combined, but are listed as separate genres--a nice touch for us.

There is also a category index for the approximately two hundred literary agents listed in N&SSWM.

In the back of the book, conferences are listed by region and indexed by date. Under "Resources," publishers are listed with all of their imprints, along with notes for Canadian writers. And a glossary of printing and production terms is included along with a more general glossary.

In each market section, new markets, paying markets, and those seeking or accepting new writers are clearly marked, as are Canadian and non-North American markets, and for book publishers, those accepting only agented submissions.

As with its sister publication Writer’s Market, the magazine listings in Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market explain the kinds of stories the editors want, minimum and maximum lengths for your manuscript, how many manuscripts they receive per month (to give you an idea of the competition you face), and payment rates, as well as tips from the editors. Entries include information on how to obtain guidelines and/or sample copies, submission guidelines, response times, e-mail addresses, rights acquired, and whether payments are on acceptance or not.

Entries for book publishers give details about how to obtain guidelines or order a catalog, along with subjects published, and recent titles. They also tell the number of first-time authors published in the last year and the publishers’ policies on simultaneous submissions, on response time, on how long it usually takes to publish a book, and on royalties, advances, etc. The all-important contact information, including names of editors, is given, as is advice from the publishers.

About two hundred literary agents are listed with recent sales, terms of payment, the kinds of books they represent, and the writers’ conferences they attend, if you’d like to meet them.

In addition to the market listings there are articles on "The Writing Life," "Craft & Technique," and "Getting Published," plus interviews with authors and editors, including Gordon Van Gelder and Mel Odom, and a list of resources for SF/F/H writers.

In addition, if you buy the book, it includes a coupon code for ten dollars off the regular $29.99 year’s subscription to their online service, which gives recent updates and market changes, as well as a host of other services.

I think you will find this annual market guide indispensable if you want to sell your work, and I recommend it very highly.

{Published in SF and Fantasy Workshop Newsletter,Nov. 2005.}