Spotlight on Black Treacle
Featured Genres: Horror, Dark Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Length Requirements: 1500-5000 words
Submission Window: Rolling
Contributor Compensation: 25.00 CAD (Flat Rate)
Publication Schedule: Bi-monthly
Formats published: WWW, EPUB, MOBI
Why they started their journal: Black Treacle came out of some goals I set for myself after I started writing somewhat more “seriously” in May 2012. The idea was that publishing a magazine would ensure that I would always be doing something related to writing and that the editing & reading would help sharpen my own skills.
Base of operations: Cape Breton, Canada
What they are looking for: Original short stories in the genres of Horror, Dark Fantasy, and Speculative fiction. We are also open to non-fiction pieces directly related to our main genres.
What they are tired of seeing: The slush pile hasn’t made me salty as of yet but there are a couple of things that bug me:
- Submissions that don’t follow our guidelines, whether in word count or submission format.
- Stories that open with someone waking up or the weather. Neither of those events are particularly interesting or good hooks.
Tips for writers:
- Read the submission guidelines thoroughly for whatever market you are submitting to. Having a correctly formatted manuscript will put you ahead of the submissions that don’t.
- Make sure your piece is well-edited before sending. Don’t send your first or second draft– SEND THE FINAL! I can’t stress that enough. Yes, an editor is there to edit but you want to make their job as easy as possible.
- Read your story out loud. Sometimes, that beautiful sentence is only beautiful in the mind’s ear.
Additional Information: A Black Treacle podcast is in the works for 2014. It will feature stories we’ve previously published as well as new one. Keep an eye on our site for details.
The Speculative Craft 