I am very curious to know what type of subjects are considered too dark for most publications. In the last few months I have been converting my nightmares into stories and some of them approach subject material that I would consider taboo or very dark in nature. I have done a little research and I have seen some literature that deals in these dark doings, but I am reluctant to try to submit my works. Perhaps I am being overcritical of my ideas.
Do any of you have any ideas on this topic or know of publications which have relaxed inhabitions? Publications which push the threshold?
Thanks, Finn
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
I believe it was in DANSE MACABRE that Stephen King said even he couldn't sell a story about a man surviving on a desert island with nothing to eat but himself, starting with his toes and fingers and working his way inward along his limbs.
I have heard that he actually did sell that story later on, though I don't know where. But, then, he IS Stephen King.
Posted by Wolfe_boy (Member # 5456) on :
Kathleen - that story did get published (well, I think it's the same one) in his short story collection Skeleton Crew, called "Survivor Type".
Are you using Duotrope? A search for horror markets followed by a scrutinizing of their guidlines should be helpful.
I too have written some relatively extreme stuff. Feel free to email me with more details or thoughts if you wish.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
Thanks, Wolfe_boy. I don't think I'll look it up, though.
<shudder!>
Posted by Merlion-Emrys (Member # 7912) on :
I've read it, it's not pretty.
As I remember the main character is a bit despicable anyway though so that softens the blow a little.
Posted by Phobos (Member # 8883) on :
Thank you, Merlion. I may take you up on that. I will attempt to compose a synopsis, discussing the theme and progression of the theme and shoot it over to you to see what you think.
And thanks Kathleen and Wolfe_Boy. I will look up that reference, but as you stated, Kathleen, it is Stephen King.
Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
How gross is too gross?
I wrote a poem about an alien beauty contest that ends with the other aliens (males) rushing the stage and eating the winner(female). Actually found a market for that and got it published. The first market sent me back a personalized rejection yelling at me for how awful the subject matter was.
I've got another story is WIP where a guy has to eat his wife in order to get her resurrected. Haven't had the heart (shock!) to finish it.
It all depends on who is willing to look it over. There are some far out markets out there. They may not pay much, but they publish.
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 18, 2009).]
Well, Piers Anthony used to complain that his short stories got rejected too often to suit him, which was why he shifted more to novels and novel-series---in the collection of his short stories I've got, they were dark and disgusting and gross and I enjoyed them very much, more so than anything in the Xanth series.
So I guess there is a market for that sort of thing out there---even if the publishers don't realize it.
Also...to a great extent, the dark / disgusting stuff that does get published, gets published under the name of well-known writers (like Stephen King, mentioned in the posts above this). Unknowns or lesser names might have trouble breaking through the editorial inhibitions.
(I found "Survivor Type" just a little unbelievable, not really that gross and disgusting...but it does stay in my memory, I've gotta give it that.)
Posted by Igwiz (Member # 6867) on :
Search in Duotrope under Suspense/Crime and Experimental as well. Often there are publications who say they want Dark, but they want milquetoast stuff.
Often the darkest stuff (human nature, not necessarily sci-fi) are in mags that talk about Noir and Hardboiled.
For paying markets, look at Drabblecast, Dunesteef, and Well Told Tales. All of those have some pretty... well... bleeped up stuff.
Posted by rich (Member # 8140) on :
I wrote a short story that was accepted by Dean Wesley Smith for some publication he was involved in many years ago, but the mag went under so the story never saw the light of day. Since then I've tried to send it to other markets, always with the notion of it being a long shot since the subject matter was waaay too dark for it to be published.
Then...I saw a call for short story submissions with the criteria being that it had to have been rejected before. The premise being that they would publish just about anything no matter the subject matter (as long as it was well-written, natch). I sent mine off. Got an almost immediate rejection with the reason my story was rejected: TOO OFFENSIVE.
By the way, "Survivor Type", by Stephen King is actually pretty good. Yeah, it's a bit unbelievable, but this is from the same guy that wrote about a laundry press that ate people (and even got up and walked away to eat people). If you can stomach it (he-he), it is a unique little tale.
As far as taboo subjects, I don't think there are any, but some mags feel a little differently.