erotica readers and writers association

Hello! Here’s a few small press publishers for you to explore. Some horror, some bizarro, some literary, stick your face in their sites and see which you prefer. I also advise searching websites Duotrope, Dark Markets, The Horror Tree and The Erotica Readers and Writers Association, if you like that sort of thing. Some of those below do poetry too. The list isn’t exhaustive, there are plenty more out there.

Raw Dog Screaming (RDSPress) – “fiction that foams at the mouth.”

Burning Bulb Publishing – all kinds of oddities.

The Strange Edge – absurdist, bizarro, weird horror and other oddities. Currently a website but branching out as a magazine

Kraken Press – horror and general darkness

Forbidden Fiction – paying erotica website

Shock Totem Magazine – horror

Eraserhead Press – strictly Bizarro

Starcherone Books – “independent innovative fiction”

Belladonna Publishing – “preferred genres are dark fantasy, urban fantasy, gothic, steampunk and fairytales.” They also do comics/graphic novels.

Weird Year – erm…weird stuff

Strange House Books – horror, horror porn and everything gross in between

LegumeMan Books – absurdist and strange

Coffee House Press – “non-profit literary publisher”

The Dalkey Archive – literary

Dzanc Books – literary

Jaded Ibis Productions – literary and ‘narrative arts’

Les Figues – literary and ‘narrative arts’

Spuyten Dyvil – literary

I was whiling away the day finding publications to send my comedy/fantasy short story to when I came across this. It seems like a great idea and is described thus far:

‘Word Crushes is a place where young adult authors, editors, and publishers of all ages can promote their short fiction, discover a new market, or simply find a good read.

Leave me a comment if you have market news, a publication you’d like to promote, or just about anything to do with teen short fiction.

I’m Erin Fanning, a writer and researcher but most of all a reader. For more on me, visit erinfanning.com .’

I found it while looking up a company called Sam’s Dot Publishing, who specialise in publications for sci fi, horror and fantasy. Each magazine does a different thing and for different ages so you need to read it all carefully, and their submission recommendations are very specific. If anyone has been caught drink driving by the police they may already have experienced something similar with the rigorous sobriety test.

Looks good though, but as I am going through an anti-story phase (ever since I read short story compilation ‘Love of Fat Men‘ by Helen Dunmore I’ve been obsessed with stories that are a snapshot of characters and events rather than a long haul of story, except I often do it humerously and probably not as well) I’m not sure if I’ll get in.The link is above though, for anyone who wants to try.

The Big Book of Bizarro is on sale on Amazon! Much cheaper, which is obviously better. It contains my short story ‘The Gathering.’ I only get published in things with the word ‘bizarre’ in the title, what does this mean?

I found the place to submit the story to on a website specialising in erotica publications, the Erotica Readers and Writers Association. Not only does it have submission calls but it offers advice too! Surely you are being spoilt.