Update 9 Nov 2021, we are full, submissions are closed, thank you everyone who responded and supported!

“If accepted, this would be my first pro-sale.”

We are going to take a new turn for the submissions. The criteria to submit will be as follows, the following statement must be true:

“If accepted, this would be my first pro-sale.”

And to make that true, we will be raising our pay scale to match:

6¢ (USD) per word (based on HWA guidelines)
5100 words MAX (firm)

Yes, this lowers the max word count, but that is to keep within budget. So this go-round, we will not take any stories over the word count. We’ve added a 100 word buffer, so target that 5,000 word mark as a max. (For this call, strong 1,500 – 3,000 word stories will fair best.)

One of the things we’ve loved over the years is finding new writers and showcasing them for the first time. These two issues are going highlight new writers and hopefully be just the first of many times you will read their work.

Now, since there will no doubt be some questions, here are some answers:

FAQ

Can I submit a story 5200 words?

No, 5,000 words is the max, with a 100 word buffer.

But what if you just don’t pay for those extra words?

Then it wouldn’t be professional rate, and would miss the intention of the issue.

What if my pro-sale was at a lower pay rate years ago?

If it was the professional rate at the time, it counts as a pro-sale.

What if I’ve had a pro-sale in another form / genre?

If this is your first short story pro-sale then you may submit, even if you’ve had, for example, a professional non-fiction release. If you have short story pro-sales in other genres, however, you are not eligible for these issues.

What’s a ‘Pro-Sale’? In this context?

LampLight is a horror market, so we are going by HWA guidelines for this. A ‘pro-sale’ will be 5¢ per word for a fiction piece, regardless of length. 

This was a flash fiction sale, not a short story sale…

The demarcations between fiction pieces, like flash, short, novelette, are to let the reader know how long they are, and aren’t really different categories. If it was pro fiction sale, it counts.

Submissions

In your cover letter, please add the following statement: “If accepted, this would be my first pro-sale.”

We open up 15 September, so there is time. We are looking for dark, quiet horror. Guidelines are posted here, good luck! We are excited to read your work!