London, Spinetingler & the Spirit of Short Fiction

Janet Rudoloph, editor of Mystery Readers Journal, is looking for  Author! Author! essays for the next issue, which will focus on mysteries set in London. These essays are between 500 and 2,500 words, "first person, upclose and personal about yourself, your books and the London connection. Think of it as chatting with readers and writers in the cafe (or tea shop) or bar!" The  deadline is fast approaching, March 10th. If interested, let Janet know via e-mail.

Spinetingler Magazine has kicked off its 2011 fiction publication with Fred Snyder's story "The Colombian." Editor-In-Chief Sandra Ruttan also reports that, while the magazine has reopened for fiction submissions, she doesn't expect they'll be open for long, as several stories for 2011 publication have already been selected. She remains hopeful that fiction publication will increase as site revenue increases. 

If you have younger writers in your circle of family, friends and neighbors, point them toward the Spirits of Short Fiction contest, sponsored by Jon Jordan as part of this year's Bouchercon Conference in St. Louis. The hope is the contest will "encourage young writers to express themselves through fiction and possibly launch future New York Times bestselling authors."  The rules are fairly simple: you must be under 18 and unpublished, and the story must be less than 5000 words, take place in St. Louis and contain a mention of BBQ. Entries are due by May 1st.