Welcome to DEVIANT MINDS, a web-zine of dark fiction, humor, and personal views.

We want believable horror, something that could very well happen. If your story has vampires, or some other creature of the night, let them make the reader take a second look at their friends and neighbors. I’m a stickler for originality, which is why I want convincing horror. If you must use the same traditional characters, plots, and storylines at least twist them up a bit, make them dysfunctional or neurotic. Inject humor! Funny things can and do happen to frightened people—and antagonists! When something horrible strolls into a quaint, suburban living room and the mother runs from the room only to return in order to snatch up her infant from the middle of the floor…there’s something very funny about this. Dark humor is a sought-after, admirable quality here—just don’t go overboard, though, less is more. Keep it subtle. Think about what people really do in bad situations.

Sneak up on us! Reading a story is like eating Cracker Jack—there should be something at the bottom for the reader. I want to be able to say, "I didn’t see that coming!" Keep it short (that’s why they’re called short stories). Word counts around 3K words are optimal—query if longer. Grammar and spelling are quintessential! If I read more than 3 typos or grammar infractions on the first page, I’ll return it unread, simple as that. If you’re unsure about your manuscript, have someone vet it for you. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can see things you’ll miss every time. Sentences frags are permissible, but only if the passage warrants it.

Opinionated? Fantastic. Send us a query explaining your beef and you could have yourself a column. We’re also looking for reviews with a sarcastic edge, artwork, and poetry. However, DEVIANT MINDS is not a paying market, but the exposure you’ll get may be more valuable than any paycheck, believe me. We will gladly accept reprints of exceptional stories once successful elsewhere -- we only request One-Time Rights for a period of approximately 3 MONTHS (after publication).

All submissions at this time should be sent by e-mail (either in the body of the message or as an .rtf attachment) to southpa@hotmail.com. Also, please include a word count in your cover letter as well as a valid reply-to address. Response times should currently be no longer than 3 WEEKS at the very most (probably closer to several days). Thanks . . . and we look forward to hearing from other DEVIANT MINDS.

Darkly yours,

Joseph Miles/Fiction Editor

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