CLIFFHANGER is an amateur magazine dedicated to publishing Adventure Fiction. The scope of Adventure Fiction is broad, ranging from classic novelists like H. Rider Haggard and Harold Lamb, pulp characters like Doc Savage and Robert E. Howard's El Borak, the modern voices of Clive Cussler and James Rollins, and visual media akin to Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, and the Uncharted franchise. Adventure Fiction places emphasis on protagonists with agency, feats of daring, and the sense of discovery. These traits are not necessarily confined by time or place, though we are interested in fiction grounded to Earth as a setting. Neither does Adventure Fiction avoid conflict with science or the supernatural, so the weird is welcome. Ancient curses, weird science, the lost magics of fallen civilizations, are all there to find and celebrate in this genre.
At CLIFFHANGER, We encourage stories in the genre told by all voices, regardless of race, color, or creed. In fact, we welcome them as long as they play in the sandbox of hairsbreadth escapes, hidden secrets, astonishing daring, and wild action.
This is CLIFFHANGER's inaugural call for submissions. We hope to acquire six works of short fiction this round. We are also starting out with a bi-annual release schedule with the goal of eventually releasing quarterly (because CLIFFHANGER QUARTERLY just rolls of the tongue). Thanks so much for submitting you work to us, we look forward to reading!
Submissions: OPEN
Submission deadline for CLIFFHANGER Issue 1: Saturday, December 5th, 2020, 11:59pm
Editorial decisions: Saturday, April 3rd, 2021
Publication of issue: Saturday, June 5th, 2021
Length: We prefer short, fast paced fiction that tells complete and cohesive narratives. Word Count should fall between 5,000 and 7,000 words with the sweet spot being around 6,000. We do not accept Flash Fiction.
Style: We prefer stories that feature interesting characters finding ways into and out of dangerous situations at a rollicking pace. Gratuitous sex and gore is frowned upon, though we recognize that horror and romance have their place in Adventure Fiction.
Publication, payment, and rights: CLIFFHANGER will be published in Ebook and Paperback format via Amazon.com. If your work is selected for publication in CLIFFHANGER, authors will (1) be paid an honorarium of $10 and (2) will be asked to provide, by contract, "First North American Serial Rights." This means that copyright is NOT transferred. All copyright stays with you, the writer; however, you will have sold/transferred a form of "exclusive use rights" called "First North American Serial Rights" (FNASR). This is the right to publish your unpublished work for the first time, and ONLY the first time, no more. The important thing to remember is that some professional publications may ask for FNASR upon acceptance of a specific work; you are not legally permitted to provide those for that specific work after publication in CLIFFHANGER, for you have already rendered their use to us. In other words, once you publish a work in CLIFFHANGER, that works' associated FNASR have been sold/transferred. You CAN publish your previously published work elsewhere as a reprint but only as long as that publication does not require FNASR. This is a long way of saying that CLIFFHANGER is an amateur publication, meant for showcasing emerging talent for the consideration of professional markets. This is our professional way of saying: please, save your best work for higher paying markets!
Submit: Proofread standard manuscripts should be sent to the editor/publisher, L. D. Whitney and Z. S. Reynolds, at cliffhangermagazine [at] gmail [dot] com as .doc or .docx attachments. Include the following subject line: "CLIFFHANGER: [Last Name]." Please keep cover letters brief. A story title and a one- or two-sentence bio is sufficient.
For guidelines on the format of standard manuscripts, please look here: https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/
CLIFFHANGER promises to:
1. Read submissions with care and attention. Your hard work deserves it.
2. Provide PERSONALIZED feedback to aid your growth as a writer.
3. To publish the best works based on our impartial and aesthetic judgement.
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