Status Update
Congratulations to K. G. Jewell, whose flash fiction piece, "Like Tides Upon the Sea," was selected for Progress Report 2. You can read it here.
We have selected a second flash fiction piece, which we will announce shortly.
We are still working through the longer fiction pieces; there were more of them and they're longer, so it's unfortunately taking longer than we'd hoped. (Also: life happens.) Thank you for your patience.
Submissions are now closed. Try us next year starting on July 15. Thank you!
BayCon is a science fiction and fantasy convention in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our 2012 convention will be our thirtieth.
BayCon will consider fiction from any writer anywhere in the Solar System who meets our criteria (as outlined below). We consider works solely on the basis of merit. You do not have to be a member of BayCon in order to submit or be published.
We are especially interested in submissions from authors whose works have been critiqued in our Writers’ Workshop over the years.
Payment
We intend to become a SFWA pro market when we are able. Thus, we will be paying SFWA professional rates.
Payment will be five cents per word, minimum $50, at the time of publication (Memorial Day Weekend for the program book; when the Progress Report is printed for the flash piece). This payment will cover the progress report or program book publication, as well as the electronic book.
Additionally, we will offer author memberships to BayCon for the year of the authors’ story publication, and reading and autographing opportunities. Transportation to or from BayCon is not provided by the convention, nor is room or board.
(While we are not seeking reprints, we will pay one cent per word for any we choose to publish.)
Story Length
We will publish two pieces of original fiction per year: 1) a flash fiction piece no longer than 1,000 words that will be published in one of our Progress Reports; 2) a short story no longer than 4,000 words that we will publish in our program book at the time of the convention (Memorial Day Weekend). We will also publish both stories in our annual electronic book. Therefore, we require non-exclusive electronic publication rights for a period of at least one year.
Story Content
We are looking for works of science fiction or fantasy. We will consider slipstream if there is a clear speculative fiction element. BayCon is a family convention, and the program book and progress report are read by people of all ages. Therefore, submissions should be no more adult than PG-13 in content, meaning mild swearing (at most), and no explicit sex or violence. We welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation. However, we are an English-language market only.
While it is not required to use the convention's theme in submissions, it is encouraged. The theme for 2012 is: 30th Anniversary Pleasure Cruise.
Qualifications
We are also trying to put together a convention, so we do have some minimum and maximum qualifications.
Minimum Qualifications
At least one of the following:
- At least one semi-professional (minimum 1 cent/word) or professional sale in the field of science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Duotrope's listings of semi-pro markets can be used for reference.
- Previously workshopped a story at BayCon's Writers' Workshop. It need not be the story submitted.
- Attended any of the following workshops: Clarion, Clarion West, Clarion South, Odyssey, or Viable Paradise, or other similar sf/f workshops, e.g., Milford and Gunn's CSSF workshops.
- Have completed a degree program (Bachelor's degree or higher) in either a popular fiction writing program, e.g., Seton Hill's MFA or Stone Coast's MFA, or a mainstream and/or literary writing program.
Maximum Qualifications
We are also looking to encourage up-and-coming writers, so if you qualify for active SFWA membership, you are ineligible.
Timing of Eligibility
We've had a few people ask questions about timing of eligibility. If, as of the day submissions open, or at any point before submissions close, you're qualified, then you can submit. So if you sell your third pro sale after July 15 but on or before September 15, you can still submit.
Because this is our first year and some pro workshops are in the fall, if you have been admitted to one of those before submissions close, you're still qualified for this year.
Miscellanea
Some people thought they needed multiple qualifications. One will do.
If you have questions, or think you have substantively similar experience, please write us.
Other Requirements
- No simultaneous or multiple submissions. To clarify, only one piece, either flash or a short story, may be submitted per reading period. If we discover that an author has violated this clause, then we will not accept future submissions from that author.
- We are looking for original (not reprint) fiction. We may, at our option, contact prior BayCon panelists for additional reprints for our annual electronic book.
- We are not currently soliciting poetry, artists, book reviewers, or editorial content.
- Works must be written in your own universe with your own characters.
- Works must be standalone.
Response Time
We will not accept or reject any submissions until after the end of the reading period (see below). We expect that we will narrow down submissions to a short list within two months after the close of the reading period (e.g., by mid-November). We expect to send out acceptances by the end of the calendar year.
How to Submit
We will be open to submissions from July 15th to September 15th of each year. We will be accepting submissions only via our on-line form. The submissions link will appear at the top of this page on July 14th.
Submissions must be saved in Microsoft Word (.doc, not .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) or HTML (.html) and be in standard manuscript format. If you’re unfamiliar with standard manuscript formatting, please read this article.
If you have additional questions that are not covered by the guidelines above, please email fiction at baycon dot org.
Thank you!
Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Submissions Editor