Michael Knost

I have a nonfiction piece set for publication in the April issue of Coyote Wild Magazine. The article, Is Speculative Literature an Endangered Species?, brings into light America’s steep decline in reading literature, and how it could affect the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. www.coyotewildmag.com

Legends of the Mountain State: Ghostly Tales from the State of West Virginia

Publisher: Woodland Press

Editor: Michael Knost

Format: Trade Paperback

Payment: one cent per word (up to 2000 words and upon publication) plus one copy. Reprints will receive half a cent per word.

Story length: 1000 to 2000 words

No multiple or simultaneous subs.

Deadline: March 31, 2007

Email submissions only. We will accept .doc or .rtf attachments only. Do not copy and paste story into the body of your email--use this for your cover page information. Send submissions or inquiries to michaelknost@yahoo.com

Turnaround time should be 30 to 60 days. If you have not received a response after 60 days, send an inquiry…but only AFTER 60 days have passed since original submission.

Publication date: October 2007

Stories MUST create or expand a legend/ghost tale from the state of West Virginia.

We want stories about West Virginia legends/ghosts. You do not need to be a West Virginian to write the story, but you do need to keep the story (and legend/ghost) true to the State. All stories should include real towns and counties from the Mountain State. Do not tell us the biography of a legend/ghost, tell us a story with the legend or ghost at the plot’s center. Visit http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/westvirginia.htm for a few known legends/ghosts in West Virginia.

We are looking for tales with a solid plot and good character development. Stories should grab the reader’s attention quickly and hold it until the end. We want powerful and emotional tales--creepy, chilling, disturbing, and moody. However, we DO NOT want stories containing explicit language or content.

The most common reasons for rejection will be lack of originality, slow pacing, poor writing, and failure to follow the guidelines. Please visit http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html for the only manuscript format we accept.

We purchase non-exclusive Electronic Rights, First English Anthology Rights, and First World Anthology Rights, for publication in the English language anywhere in the world, and in clothbound, paperback, World Wide Web, reprint, Audio, and eBook editions of the publication. For previously published Work, we purchase non-exclusive Electronic Rights, non-exclusive English Anthology Rights, and non-exclusive World Anthology Rights, for publication in the English language anywhere in the world, and in clothbound, paperback, World Wide Web, reprint, Audio, and eBook editions of the publication.

If you have missed the new series on Showtime called Dexter, you really need to check it out. It is my favorite show on the tube. It’s the story of a charismatic forensics expert for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a vengeance-seeking serial killer. That's a guy I'd like to have a Guinness with...

I just bought a 20-inch flat panel monitor that doubles as a television for my den/office. I love it. It has a picture-in-picture feature that allows me to watch television while working on the computer simultaneously.

There is only one small problem--TOO MANY DISTRACTIONS!

What was I thinking? Why didn’t I just hire a speed metal band, a couple of strippers, and a monkey impersonator to come perform in my den while I’m working?

Hey, that’s not a bad idea--where the hell did I put that receipt?

My short story Freedom will be in Issue #2 (Scheduled for an April release) of Black Ink Horror magazine. To find out more about this new magazine, go to: http://www.blackinkhorror.com