If your e-mail address is supplied, notification of acceptance will be e-mailed. Otherwise wait for snail mail. We will try to offer personalized rejections, but even an amateur magazine is pressed for time, and a form rejection may be sent.

Wumpus Tales publishes fiction in the fields of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction. Each should have a fantastical slant, dealing less with how a device works, or people debating the existence of werewolves. Fantasy, too, should not concern itself with descriptions of epic battles. We love stories about exotic aliens, vengeful corpses, and wizards who cheat at poker. If you have ever played a computer RPG from the 80's, or engaged in a humorous round of Dungeons 'n' Dragons, you'll have a good idea of what we print.

We will also accept stories which take place in the real world, with characters up against the most mundane problems. A tale about a coffee girl who can't brew the cinnamon blend because a witch's goblin steals it, or a high school student who discovers magical glyphs on the trees of his dog house, appeal to us.

Profanity and sex are discouraged, as we prefer humor to vulgarity. Real people and places will have a tougher time getting accepted. Above all else we value character. Without character even the most unique plot ideas fall flat. Readers care about the characters they read about, and they end up leaving the story feeling special for experiencing what that character went through. No matter how dull an idea, character can save it.

Some examples of what we would publish are:

Fantasy: A cribbage-playing gnome seeks berries to mix a potion for a sick ogre.

Horror: A scorned witch enchants a cabbage patch which turn rabbits into demons.

Science: A warthog alien bets a robot he can drink more brain juice before getting drunk.

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Some examples of what we DON'T want:

Fantasy: A band of scrawny warriors moan and groan over the superior onslaught of goblins which will attack them.

Horror: A butcher-turned murderer slashes customers, describes the gory meat, because carcasses in his freezer order him to. 

Science: A mysterious satellite enters Earth's orbit, scientists sit in offices discussing, conjecture on its origin.

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If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to query.

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Authors retain ownership of their fiction. Demetria Publishing/Wumpus Tales buys first printing rights as well as the rights to reprint fiction in anthologies, collections, etcetera.

-Meredith Sherman-

Fiction Manager