A very recent decision of mine has been to move away from non-paying markets and to submit only to those which will provide a return (even a small one). This is a tough one I’ll admit and will definitely be more of a challenge in terms of getting published as the market is so competitive but if I want to make any headway into turning writing into a career path, it is one I must do. And writers, just like any other profession, deserve to get paid. Having said that, there are instances where I will happily ignore this rule, perhaps someone starting up a venture (for example, Oleg Hasanov’s work with Horrorscope Press over in Russia) and very definitely the world of charity.
Steve Dillon at Things in the Well Press has created Trickster’s Treats 3, a charity Halloween magazine, themed around the Seven Deadly Sins. All proceeds will go to charity: water and help those who are not as privileged as so many of us to gain access to good, clean water. Make sure you pick up a copy when it comes out. Edited by Marie O’ Regan and Lee Murray it’ll certainly be a good read.
I subbed to this and this month received an acceptance for my flash story The Devil Inside which fits into the deadly sin of sloth. I was particularly pleased with this tale as it got through as a blind submission (much like my HWA Poetry Showcase sub). A method which I like as I feel it validates a person’s writing. All preconceptions and knowledge of an author are removed and the words have to speak for themselves.
As an aside, I have actually noticed that the horror industry is very active in charitable fields, much like the heavy metal genre in music and despite appearances I’ve found these are often the nicest, friendliest and most accepting of communities of which you could be part. \m/
Stephanie Ellis 
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