SUBMISSION INFO
WRITERS GUIDELINES
SCIENCE FICTION TRAILS
WRITERS GUIDELINES
Science Fiction Trails is an annual magazine featuring stories with science fiction content that are set in the Wild West era. Stories must take place during the time period 1850-1905 AD. All stories should have a strong connection to the western region of the United States. We very much appreciate historical accuracy. Don’t have states that weren’t states back then or people using the Pony Express in areas the PE did not serve, unless you provide a reason for it to be otherwise.
Stories need to have some type of science fiction content. This is a science fiction magazine. While we will consider cross genre works, there must be science fiction content in the story. What’s SF to modern man is SF in the Wild West. Another way of looking at it, people back then did not have the scientific knowledge we do today. That doesn’t mean they were stupid, they simply had never been exposed to technology. The difference isn’t in the science or technology, but in the way people respond to it. For instance, computers would be almost impossible for somebody in 1880 to comprehend. On the other hand, magazine articles of the day indicate a large chunk of the populous believed in life on other planets and, especially, life on Mars–far more than do people today.We like stories that have a sense of adventure. The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr, The Wild Wild West, and the short-lived Legend are examples of things we like. Not all episodes of these shows had SF content, but many did. The point is, they were fun to watch with interesting stories.
A few things that don’t really work are aliens in some mine or cave for some inexplicable reason or some clod goes back in time and doesn’t really belong there. Time travel, in general, is something the editor does not care for. That doesn’t mean we won't use it, simply that it’s an easy crutch for the writer to use and we tend not to like these type of stories.
Please do not submit stories about copyrighted characters you did not create. We liked Jim West and Artamus Gordon, but they are someone else’s creation and we won’t use them.
Submit stories as an attached file. We prefer WordPerfect or .RTF files. Send in Word if you must, but be warned we have problems reading some versions of Word. Please include a word count. Email to weirdwesterns@gmail.com . All terms by written contract. Payment for accepted stories is $10 and a copy of the issue the story appears in. This is a small press venture and is not expected to sell in large numbers.Before you submit, look over your submission. Have you included full contact info on the first page of the manuscript? That means name, address, email & phone #. Does your manuscript have a word count? If using an attached file, is the file name similar to the story name? At the end of your story, did you include the words "The End" or something similar so the editor is certain he has the entire story?
Stories should be from 1K-7K words in length. Snail mail to: David B. Riley, PO Box 8191, Avon CO 81620. Query if you need to, but the editor will not provide story ideas.
ART
We anticipate a very limited need for art, primarily front and back covers. Artists should query the editor and include your website, if you have one, where samples can be viewed.