  Mystery
This week: Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Edited by: Jeff  
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"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
- Carl Sagan
Random Mystery Trivia of the Week: Prior to becoming a bestselling thriller novelist, Sidney Sheldon (Master of the Game, The Other Side of Midnight, Rage of Angels) was a successful television writer, created shows such as I Dream of Jeannie and The Patty Duke Show. His novels are known for suspenseful twists and turns that leave readers on the edge of their seats. Sheldon says: "I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down. I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter." |
| ASIN: B004PICKDS |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERY MAGAZINE
A few weeks ago, I stumbled across one of those rare places that both pays to publish mystery short stories, AND accepts submissions from unpublished writers without agents. I just picked up my first copy of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (EQMM)a few weeks ago, and I had to take this opportunity to share what I learned with all of you. 
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine is a digest magazine published monthly. Named after the pseudonymous mystery writer (and detective character) made famous in the 1930s and 1940s, Ellery Queen - and the mystery magazine - were the invention of Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee. Published since 1941, its continuously high publishing standards have ensured the magazine's survival over the past seventy years, and it continues to be one of the few publications that is both highly respected and willing to look at the work of unpublished writers.
In fact, they have the "Department of First Stories," which is entirely dedicated to reading, finding, and publishing stories by writers who have never had their work professionally published before. EQMM has only ever had three standards by which they measure material, from famous authors to undiscovered talents:
 Strong writing
Original and exciting plot
Professional craftsmanship
That's it. You don't need an agent, or previous publishing experience, or to have won any past awards or been published before. Anyone is free to submit their short stories to EQMM for consideration ... and getting published in EQMM is often a foot in the door, of which other mystery publishers and agents will take note.
If you're interested in submitting your work for publication, you can find their official writing guidelines here:
The broad strokes:
2,500-8,000 words, on average
Pays $0.05-$0.08 cents a word, on average
Accepts all kinds of mystery fiction (detective, psychological, crime, cozies, hard-boiled, etc.)
Can purchase a sample copy of the magazine for $5.00
No queries required; stories can be submitted directly for consideration
When it comes to getting published, what many aspiring writers need is that foot in the door; that first step that will showcase their talents and lead toward bigger and better things. EQMM has published stories from the likes of Jeffrey Deaver, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, A. A. Milne, W. Somerset Maugham, and P.D Wodehouse, among many others. If you're looking for a way to showcase your mystery writing, of getting attention for your mystery short stories, consider sending a submission to EQMM, a well-respected magazine that has taken great care to maintain its policies and image of being a mystery publication that accepts work from unpublished authors when so many others won't.
Until next time,
- Jeff
NOTE: To everyone who's enjoyed my mystery newsletters so far, I'm happy to report that I've accepted a staff editor position for the Mystery Newsletter, which means I'm in the rotation for a regular editorial assignment for you all. And to everyone who hasn't enjoyed my mystery newsletters so far, I regret to inform you that you're stuck with me... at least once every few weeks. 
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This week, I would encourage you to check out the following mystery items:
It was late, about eleven in the evening, but Steven knew his night was just starting. He stood in the middle of a crime scene that had been set up only minutes before, lit only by overhead lampposts that were old enough to cast pale orange light. Officers had been called to check out a strange body in the parking lot by the night janitor, who stood over by a squad car waiting for Steven to question him.
I lay on the sand with my eyes closed, I see the red of my eyelids against he sunlight. What happened to the time? I am sweating against the band of my wristwatch, but I still don't think that time exists. It was only a week ago that I had deadlines, appointments, meeting agendas, and portfolios to look at. But, none of that exists right here, in this space. This space is warm, white, and silent. No, not silent. I can hear the water approaching then curling on itself, I feel the coolness of the waves when they approach and the heat when they retreat.
| |  | Bred in Captivity (18+)
Floating through life, that's me, Eddy, living on the edge in NYC.. looking for a way out.
#1689920 by Mage  |
Okay, I often had attractive company, but I don't breed in captivity. It really pissed off the doctors that even what they took from me while drugged wouldn't be viable for their purposes, which ultimately led to my transfer in the first place.
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1703402 by Not Available. |
It wasn't long before some of the teens of the area became curious and decided that they would get to the bottom of this mystery. A pact was made at the local game room and several got together around ten at night on a Saturday and rode their bikes quietly over to Harold's and Judy's. Once there, they hid their bikes in the tall grasses along the road grateful that the couple didn't have any dogs that would alert them to intruders on the property. In no time at all the kids had climbed the fence that bisected the road and private property and made their way carefully through the mesquite and thick cedar to a point where they could see the pond clearly yet they were well hidden.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1597270 by Not Available. |
Once inside her car, Donna looked in the visor mirror and assessed the damage that the rage and tears did to her face. She dabbed her eyes and blew out a big breath. She wadded up the hurt and plugged the hole in her heart with it. She blinked her eyes rapidly, like a contact lens wearer, and said aloud, "She is not going to get under my skin. I love Brent. I'll have a fight on my hands, but he's mine."
After supper, when the last servant left the room, Cassie watched Lillian as she settled on the sofa next to her, cupping her brandy with her hands. Dressed in a black and white sarong, she looked like any typical rich woman, well-kept and groomed with an air of finesse about her. In her late forties, Lillian looked ten pounds lighter than the last time Cassie had seen her in LA together with Wang, Lillian's deceased husband, a gentle Chinese who had stumbled into the black pearl business.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1700951 by Not Available. |
It is a very strange place I find myself in. I do not remember how I came to this...world, or where it is. I still know who I am though, and I hold on to that. If I can keep remembering who I am, maybe I can ultimately return home.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1701629 by Not Available. |
It was about this time when he realized that he apparently couldn't turn and move if he wanted to. He was bound to a wooden, four-legged chair. Each arm had been strapped to an arm of the chair with leather strips while his feet appeared to be restrained with rope tied to a corresponding chair leg. It was a most unpleasant thing to discover to say the least.
His suit looked kind of old-fashioned and his tie was actually bow tie. He was charming and attractive...as a matter of fact, very attractive now that she observed him closely. Somehow her eyes felt better now. His voice was deep and he spoke carefully, pronouncing the words as if he didn't want to be misunderstood. I wonder where he's from, she asked herself with curiosity...
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1702852 by Not Available. |
Dane watched with more than typical interest the man in a hat and sunglasses as he walked past, his coat buttoned fast against a non-existent cold. He had seen him before, he was sure of it, but not here, somewhere else maybe. He had a sense that he'd seen this man, or men like him his entire life. In every town and city he had had the fortune, or misfortune to visit, it felt like there had been a man in a hat and sunglasses, the dress uniform of Britain's weird.
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In response to my last newsletter on life's little mysteries:
Adriana Noir  writes: "Great NL, Jeff! It brings to mind that old saying, "It's the little things in life that mean the most." You show how the common stuff in life can develop into some great mysteries readers can relate to!"
Thanks, Adriana! I'm glad you enjoyed the topic! |
| ASIN: B000FC0SIM |
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Mystery: September 01, 2010 Issue [#3943]
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