Deadlines

I have been working on a project with a bunch of tight deadlines this summer. Phew. Deadlines are very challenging! They can cause a writer to prioritize and drop less important tasks. But they can also be great motivators to get things done.
We have started working on the awesome August 2024 issue of Electric Spec!

The most important deadline for writers is our submission deadline of July 15, 2024. Get those stories in!
Good luck!

Congrats to the winners!

The Science Fiction/Fantasy Association (SFWA) recently announced the winners of the 59th annual NEBULA awards:

• Nebula Award for Novel: The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
• The Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction: To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
• Nebula Award for Novella: "Linghun" by Ai Jiang
• Nebula Award for Novelette: "The Year Without Sunshine" by Naomi Kritzer
• Nebula Award for Short Story: "Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200" by R.S.A. Garcia

Congratulations to all the winners!

Huzzah!

Huzzah for the marvelous May 2024 issue of Electric Spec! We published five stories (as usual). They are:

• Beyond Storms of Hurt by Austin Jacques
• Draconic Academy by Rachel Ayers
• Gilmore by Caitlin A. Quinn
• Hatch, Beast, Fly Away by Anna O'Brien
• Maybe You'll Sleep In by MM Schreier

Which is your favorite?

Marvelous May 2024 Issue Live!

The marvelous May 2024 issue of Electric Spec is live!
Thank you, authors! Thank you to our artist!
Thank you to the whole Electric Spec team!

Thank you, readers!
We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did.

From May Author Ayers

We are pleased the author of "Draconic Academy," Rachel Ayers, in the marvelous May 2024 issue of Electric Spec sent us some comments about the story:

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I've always loved dragons, ever since I first picked up a copy of Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey. At some point I started to develop my own idea of what dragons are - less lizard and more air elemental, great spirits of magic and mystery. These dragons are hoarders, true, but also curators and archivists; their collections are specific and lovingly tended. They are shapeshifters, and choose to be somewhat humanoid in their dealings with humans, as that is more convenient for whatever meddling they want to get up to. They bring magic into the world by their very existence (in much the same way that good stories do).

Of course, dragons are their own mythology, and they are regarded differently throughout the world. In western folklore they are often seen as terrible beasts who steal virgins and burn crops and eat livestock. In eastern folklore they are more likely to be friendly or helpful spirits. In either case they come into the epic tale, bringing a might and magesty that you don't find with pixies or dryads or even unicorns, for the most part. Dragons have bigger tails, erm, tales. The Aurelian is a creature of epic battles, mischief, and an age of history beyond human scope... and yet she dips a wing into this handful of pages about Rukmini, who wants nothing more than a peaceful life as a librarian and researcher.

Stories, like dragons, can shift their shapes unexpectedly. But as humans, especially as authors, we also have choices in how we shape our own stories, whether we tell them as epic adventures or quiet reflections. We may not always control the narrative, but we can choose our focus, and sometimes the details we latch onto make all the difference between tragedy or comedy, laughter or tears, loss or learning. May you curate your library brilliantly, whatever shape your stories take.

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Interesting! Thanks, Rachel!
Readers, be sure to check out all the May 2024 stories!

From May Author Quinn

We are pleased the author of "Gilmore," Caitlin Quinn, in the marvelous May 2024 issue of Electric Spec sent us some comments about the story:

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“Gilmore” is essentially the product of a good prompt gone bad. I was participating in the NYC Midnight 500-word micro-fiction challenge, and the prompt called for a comedy that involved a dozen eggs and washing a dog. I immediately thought of how washing my own dogs is a chore—for all of us—and how, at times, I could swear they time their shaking to get me the most soaked. As a writer who is most comfortable in the speculative world, the idea came to set the story in a post-apocalyptic world on a spaceship. The narrator’s voice flowed somewhat naturally in my head, and I saw him surrounded by all these animals with differing personalities and idiosyncrasies. And then I thought, “The animals MUST be in charge. Because, truly, we are doing a crap job taking care of this planet.” Over time, I expanded the story from its original 500-words but still saw it as a flash piece. I have ideas for additional short pieces about these characters and this world. Maybe even a novel down the road. Who knows? Here’s to Laika and her revenge!

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Interesting! Thanks, Caitlin!
Readers, be sure to check out all the May 2024 stories!

From the May 2024 cover artist

We're excited about our cover art for the marvelous May 2024 issue of Electric Spec. The artist Barbara Candiotti was kind enough to send us some comments about it:

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The art piece "The Journey" depicts two riders in a deep desert canyon headed toward a sparkling city. The scene could be on Earth or another planet. Are the riders headed home or visiting, or is the town a mirage? Ultimately, it's up to the viewer to decide. What do you think? If asked to write a story about the scene would it be a fantasy, science fiction or speculative fiction story? Personally, I imagine the scene taking place on a fantasy world and the riders are bearing exotic wares to trade with the townsfolk ahead of them.

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Thanks, Barbara! Very interesting!
So, without further ado here's a sneak peek:

Tone

We had another successful Electric Spec Production Meeting! Huzzah! The marvelous May 2024 issue is well under way. All authors who submitted have heard, or will soon hear, from us. Lucky authors who got a 'Yay' also got a contract. Please return that ASAP so we can start editing. Thanks!

We had an interesting discussion at the meeting about tone. You may or may not have noticed the tone of Electric Spec. If not, feel free to read some of our many FREE stories! The bottom line is: Electric Spec has a specific tone and it is not Grimdark. In fact, it might be the opposite of Grimdark! Anyway, different markets have different tones.
Please submit your art appropriately--for your best chance of success!

We'll start blogging about the new issue soon. Stay tuned!

Phew!

Phew! We Electric Spec Editors finally finished the slush reading for the marvelous May 2024 issue! We got it done just under the wire. This means every author who submitted for this issue should have received an email by now. Said email might be a rejection or it might be we are holding a story for voting. If the former: Sorry! Better luck next time! If the latter: Stay tuned! Good luck!
If you didn't hear from us, your story might have gotten lost in cyberspace. This happens every once in a while. I'm not sure why...

Next week I'll tell you what happened at the Production Meeting.

Behind the scenes

The Electric Spec editors are working hard behind the scenes on the marvelous May 2024 issue! We have scheduled the Production meeting for the beginning of May. Food and drink will be involved!

We are reading the stories in the slush pile. Different editors have different processes. Some like to read a few stories every week. At the opposite extreme, some like to power through many stories in one sitting. Obviously, in the first scenario each story gets a lot of individual attention. In the second scenario, it's easier to compare stories with one another. In all scenarios your story will have a better chance if it grabs the reader right away.

Of course, editors have their own idiosyncrasies. Personally, I'm not excited about stories over 5,000 words because they're extra work for us in terms of editing and formatting, etc. Each editor enjoys different genres. I enjoy time travel tales and quantum fiction. But, don't worry, we all enjoy good stories.

Bottom line: if you submitted a story: Thank You! And Good Luck!

Give your story the best shot

Wow! We're excited about all the great stories we got for the marvelous May 2024 issue of Electric Spec! Submissions for this issue are now closed.
Since we get so many stories, there's an easy way you can give your story the best possible shot at publication: obey our submission rules. Recall, these submission rules are listed on our Submission page. The main items are:

• between 250 and 7000 words
• traditional manuscript format: indented paragraphs instead of left justification and double-spaced
• include the title, your name, address, and word length on the first page of your story
• attachment in Rich Text Format (RTF)
• subject line: SUBMISSION: Story Title by Author's Name (Word Count)
• include a a cover letter
• submit only one story at a time

Thanks for submitting! Good luck!

Grab the reader

The next submission deadline is fast approaching: April 15, 2024.
We've already received a lot of great stories for the marvelous May 2024 Electric Spec Issue!
If you've submitted: thank you!
Our large number of stories means we get to be very selective about which we ultimately pick. Competition is stiff. For authors, this means you will be better off if you grab the reader on the first page. You will be even better off if you grab the reader in the first paragraph. There are many ways to do this including unique characterizations, dialogue, and/or descriptions, dramatic problems, dialogue and/or settings. Make the reader wonder: what happens next? If the editor is thinking this, we are much more likely to buy the story.
Good luck with your story!

Gruesome murder stories

We, the Electric Spec Editors, have been hard at work on the marvelous May 2024 issue! This involves reading a lot of stories from the slush pile. I'm not sure why but recently I got to read several stories that featured gruesome, and/or bloody, and/or gory murders. Some of these were well-written stories. But it doesn't matter. We do not publish gruesome murder stories. Please send these stories to other markets!
Thanks!

Basking in the February glow...

Phew! We're still basking in the glow of the fabulous February 2024 issue of Electric Spec.
We're so proud to present our stories:

• "Artifacts" by Christian H. Smith--There's a secret way to bring wonders from dreams into the waking world, but some dreams turn into nightmares.
• "Family Roots, Family Thorns" by Brian D. Hinson--The heir apparent to a spacefaring agricultural dynasty faces the dangers of ambition, betrayal, and DNA splicing.
• "Neither Snow nor Rain nor Gloom" by Kathryn Yelinek--Delivering mail in faerie tale land takes muscle and determination... and a bit of sass doesn't hurt.
• "Wane and Wax" by Devan Barlow--A princess with long hair, a tower, and a handsome suitor. This time, it's not what you might expect.
• "The Howl of Darkest Night & Other Tales" by Alex James Donne--Horror stories are supposed to haunt us, though maybe not this much.

Which one is your favorite? I can't decide!

Announcing 2024 RMFW Anthology

Many of the Electric Spec editors have been, or are, members of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW).
We are excited about the 2024 anthology "Without Brakes, Fingers Crossed" which will be published September 7, 2024 and will include a story by the fabulous Paolo Bacigalupi!

Read all about it on the March 8 RMFW blog,

From February Author Hinson

We are pleased the author of "Family Roots, Family Thorns," Brian D. Hinson, in the fabulous February 2024 issue of Electric Spec sent us some comments about the story:

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A woman walks into a bar in New Taichung, Callisto…

Mirjana settled in at the Jammed Neck Ring, where a human bartender served. His braided red-blonde beard reached his belt. As she sat, he asked, “Perhaps you would like to try Quevedo Reposado Tequila?”

A group of New Mexico professional SFF authors, under the banner of Turquoise Apocalypse, meet once a month to critique. The quote above is from my novel that’s currently in search of a literary agent, but when it was under critique, Rebecca Roanhorse (Between Earth and Sky Trilogy) took issue with the scene above. “Would they really have tequila on the moons of Jupiter?”

Fair point. Tequila is made from blue agave, which takes an average of ten years to mature before it can be harvested for tequila production. It needs mineral-rich soil and a semi-arid climate that’s not excessively hot. The highest quality blue agave is grown in the state of Jallisco, Mexico where the altitude is around 5,000 feet, a major contributor to the necessary mild clime.

So, Rebecca had inspired me to write about the fictional Quevedo dynasty: centuries-long growers of agave and distillers of tequila. And Liquor Royalty. In the background of “Family Roots, Family Thorns,” the Quevedo family packed up the business when Earth’s climate made growing agave naturally beneath the skies impossible. Instead of going underground with climate-controlled greenhouses to scratch profit from a dwindling earth market, the Quevedos struck out for the Outer, where the market was untapped. Some genetic tweaking with the agave gave it maturity in two years.

And so the story begins with trouble in the dynasty, when the father chooses an heir to the fortune. And genetic engineering isn’t confined to the crop. It's employed in bizarre and contemptible ways during this brother-against-brother family war. And the effects stretch beyond what either brother predicted.

So, enjoy a shot of Quevedo Tequila, “…a little sunshine makes all the difference.”

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Interesting! Thanks, Brian!
Readers, be sure to check out all the February 2024 stories!

Fabulous February 2024 Issue Live!

The fabulous February 2024 issue of Electric Spec is live!
Thank you, authors! Thank you to our artist!
Thank you to the whole Electric Spec team!

Thank you, readers!
We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did.

From February Author Yelinek

We are pleased to announce one of our featured stories in the fabulous February 2024 issue of Electric Spec is "Neither Snow nor Rain nor Gloom" by Kathryn Yelinek. Kathryn was kind enough to send us some comments about the story:

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Back when I was in college, I studied French. Now that I've been out of college for a number of years, I wanted to pick up the language again. There's a magazine that specializes in easy articles in French for native English speakers. Each issue focuses on a specific region of France or overseas French territory. One issue focused on Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. It featured an article about the postal carriers. Because Réunion is so remote, the mail carriers there walk their entire routes, almost a hundred miles a week.

I found this fascinating. The article focused both on the rigors and dedication of the postal carriers as well as the natural beauty of the land and the connection the carriers have to the people they serve. Me being me, I immediately thought of Fairy and what a postal carrier in some of the wilder regions of Fairy might encounter. I also remembered the dedication of my local postal workers during the pandemic. I wanted to honor them with something a little lighter, because many of my stories focus on heavier topics such as loss or loneliness. I'm pleased with how "Neither Snow nor Rain nor Gloom" turned out.

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Interesting! Thanks, Kathryn! Be sure to check out all the new stories on February 28, 2024!

Feb 2024 cover sneak peek

In our upcoming fabulous February 2024 issue of Electric Spec we will feature "Jupiter Project" by UK artist and science fiction fan Andrew C. Stewart.
About his work, Andrew says: I am a airbrush artist based in Nottingham UK. I like to experiment with different Airbrushes. I like to use a Paasche 1934 vintage Airbrush. My work has evolved over the years and I enjoy experimenting different techniques with the Airbrush.

Without further ado, let's take a sneak peek at the piece:

Ambiguous Endings

At the recent production meeting we had a discussion on ambiguous endings. Some editors like everything tied up in a neat little bow. Some editors like readers deciding for themselves how the story ends based on the author's clues. It's actually not the first time the topic has come up. One of our retired editors often lobbied for stories that let the reader decide; she said it was more literary and sophisticated.

So, anyway one of our editors is currently working with one of our authors on a story ending. We'll see what they come up with...

What's your preference for a story ending?