Announcements – Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher

Rural Fiction Magazine is Seeking Submissions

Rural Fiction Magazine, a sister publication of The Chamber, is seeking submissions. As with The Chamber, there is no pay except exposure, and, as with The Chamber, Rural Fiction Magazine (RFM) is endeavoring to reach a worldwide audience and is therefore seeking submissions from around the world. If you have something you think would interest an educated rural readership, please consider submitting it to RFM. Currently, the guidelines are essentially the same as The Chamber’s guidelines with few exceptions. For example, the word limit is 5,000 while The Chamber’s is 7,500, but with time RFM’s limit may increase.

What kind of material is RFM seeking? While The Chamber publishes primarily stories and poems of a dark nature, RFM hopes to publish works somewhat more upbeat. With RFM, as with The Chamber, genre is not important. RFM wants any material that might appeal to an educated rural audience.

RFM wants to rise above the long-held stereotypes of a rural populace being illiterate, uncultured, and narrow-minded and show that today’s rural populations tend to be educated and often very successful businesspeople. Rural people are no longer a lone farmer breaking the sod with a pair of horses pulling a plow over a few acres as they did 200 years ago. The rural landowner now operates combines and other equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over hundreds or even thousands of acres. Rural workers are no longer illiterate sharecroppers but often have advanced college degrees in a wide variety of subjects. And rural people are no longer only farmers but may work or own businesses in any of hundreds of industries from trucking to shrimping to commercial fishing to the oil industry to any of hundreds of other examples. These are the people to which RFM wants to appeal.

Works submitted to RFM do not have to concern themselves solely with subjects of a beautiful or dramatic nature. Any topic that would be of interest to an educated rural populace is welcome, whether it is drama, tragedy, comedy, fantasy, mystery, folktale, legend, myth, historical, ghost stories, or anything at all. If in doubt, send it.

Thank you for your time and please seriously consider submitting to RFM.

My Short Story “Letters” to be Published in Fiction on the Web on January 13

Just now, I received word that my short story “Letters” will appear in Fiction on the Web, a UK online magazine published by Charlie Fish, on January 13. Charlie has some impressive writing credentials (see the Fiction on the Web About page) and I am always honored to be published by him.

“Letters” is dark sort of love story, but I won’t say more than that or I will ruin the story for you. It is rather short (1,424 words), but I think it is powerful. I decided last week that I needed to publish a short story and while I was trying to decide which of my many drafts I wanted to finish, I hit upon the idea for “Letters” and wrote it in an evening. What you will see is the one and only draft. Had I gone back over it a few times, I could have improved the phrasing and details of the vocabulary, but I was eager to have something published. This is the first story I have had published in a long time.

I chose to publish it in Fiction on the Web, because Charlie Fish has been gracious enough to publish eight of my stories since 2015, and I thought this might be a good fit for Fiction on the Web. If you would like to read my other stories that have been published on Fiction on the Web, just go to the website and punch my name into the search bar.

What I like about being published on Fiction on the Web is the amount of comments I receive on my works. I have received several with each story and they all seem honest and straightforward and almost all are very positive. I have always enjoyed reading them, and I have learned a few things from their constructive criticism.

Thanks for taking the time to read my brief note and I hope you will return from time to time.

You might also want to check out my own online magazine The Chamber. The Chamber publishes a new issue on the first Friday of every month. It appears to be growing in popularity. As of October, The Chamber had had more views and visitors than in all of 2021.

Currently, I strive to publish at least 40,000 words of prose with each issue, so that each month my audience receives the equivalent of a small novel. I don’t include poetry in that word count. So, any poems are over and above whatever the prose count is for that issue.

Take care. Hasta luego.

Update: Progress on My Novel Shadows and Stars

For the last week I have been focusing on completing the final draft of my novel Shadows and Stars. Tonight, I reached the halfway point, page 165 of 330. The end is coming into view. After I finish this draft, I will start looking for an agent.

For the last week I have been focusing on completing the final draft of my novel Shadows and Stars. Tonight, I reached the halfway point, page 165 of 330. The end is coming into view. After I finish this draft, which should be in 1-2 weeks, I will start looking for an agent.

Then it is on to the next novel: Lycanthrope, whose first draft is almost complete. I may need to take it through another two to three drafts before it is finished.

I have more novels waiting in the wings once Lycanthrope is finished.

You are Invited to The Chamber Magazine’s Commemoration of Jack the Ripper’s Murder Spree (August 31-November 9)

Une rue de Whitechapel Le dernier crime de Jack l'Éventreur

In the spirit of the horror and true crime genres, over the next several weeks in its blog, The Chamber is commemorating the horrific murder spree of the infamous Jack the Ripper during the late summer and early fall of 1888. At 10:00 a.m. (US Central Time) on the anniversary of each of the five “canonical” murders (August 31, September 8, September 30, and November 9) , The Chamber will run a documentary on Jack the Ripper from YouTube along with a few other esoteric tidbits of information. So grab the tea or coffee of you choice and a light breakfast and join us for should be four intense yet fascinating mornings.

You are Invited to The Chamber Magazine’s Commemoration of Jack the Ripper’s Murder Spree (August 31-November 9)

Update August 7, 2022: Progress on Incommunicado-Second Draft Completed

Today, I finished the second draft of my full-length play “Incommunicado”. Hopefully, I will do only one more to tidy everything up and it will be ready to be submitted.

Phil Slattery, Arkansas Post National Memorial, 2019

This has been a great learning experience for me. The main challenge throughout this process has been to not only be diligent in progressing on it, but also to ensure that everything is tied up neatly and that the reader will know why anything happens.

The themes, if you can call them that, are honesty, personal courage, self-control, controlling one’s life, and probably several more. I am sure someone will see some that I do not.

I wanted to keep the cast at three characters, but I had to increase it to four so that there would be more action and tension by introducing a villain of sorts. Not a true antagonist who opposes the protagonist throughout the play, but a character that appears only briefly but nonetheless has a major impact on the storyline.

Anyway, I hope to have this completed before long and I will start submitting it around and maybe start looking for an agent. I am not certain what I will tackle next. I have two novels near completion, but I have the bug for writing plays at the moment, so I may resurrect my original full-length play called “Centaurs” that has been languishing in the background for a few years now. Having completed “Incommunicado” may give me some ideas on how to finish “Centaurs” which has a similar storyline.

That’s all for now.

Hasta luego.

New Advertising Tactic for The Chamber

I have developed a new, inexpensive way of advertising The Chamber.

Phil Slattery, Arkansas Post National Memorial circa late 2019

I am always for new ways to advertise The Chamber, especially if they are free. Over the last few weeks, I have been toying with one and it seems to be working. I haven’t noticed any significant increase in traffic yet, but I do get reports that people have been reading the so-to-speak ads.

For some time, I have had an account at Google Maps to review certain restaurants and other public venues I attend. Now and then, I get a note that someone liked my review. It dawned on me that if I create an account under The Chamber’s name, I will get a little free advertising for the magazine, especially when someone follows the link from my avatar to the website.

Advertising little mom-and-pop shops in south Arkansas will not garner me a lot of attention. However, I often travel between here and Midland, TX, passing through Dallas-Ft. Worth when I do. There are a lot of very big establishments along the route (think Buc-ee’s Travel Center). I also occasionally stay at La Quinta and dine at big chains. A lot of travelers check the Google Map reviews for info on these places.

Therefore, I review every place I can, but the larger the venue, the more I focus on it. Two people may read my review of El Toro Mexican restaurant in Dumas during a month, but 200 may read my review of Buc-ee’s along I-30 east of Rockwall, TX.

So far, I get notified now and then that someone liked my review. So I know people are reading them.

Stay tuned. I will provide updates on this strategy when something of note happens.

My Interview with Duotrope is Now Live!

My interview with Duotrope is now live!

At Arkansas Post National Memorial near Gillett, Arkansas, 2020

I was recently interviewed by Duotrope about my work on The Chamber Magazine. That interview is now live. Follow this link to read it.

If you are not familiar with Duotrope, they are a submission engine, i.e. they aid writers in finding magazines, book publishers, and agents to print their stories and poetry. The way they do this is by listing important data on magazines, which their subscribers can search. I have used them for several years and they are a very useful tool in finding publishers. They do charge a nominal fee of about $5/month. What you get out of the website is well worth that $5 many times over. If you are a writer, I recommend them highly. Even if don’t write and only read, they will still be very useful in finding the right magazines for you.

While you are there, check out The Chamber’s listing. It is a good example of how they run their website/database.

My Interview with Duotrope is Now Live!

My interview with Duotrope is now live!

I was recently interviewed by Duotrope about my work on The Chamber Magazine. That interview is now live. Follow this link to read it.

While you are there, check out The Chamber’s listing. It is a good example of how they run their website/database.

The Latest Edition of The Chamber is Out!

The latest edition of The Chamber is out!

Visit The Chamber Magazine.

Update November 15: Batesville Comic-con Invitation

This weekend I was invited to speak at the Batesville (Arkansas) High School ComicCon March 4-5. I will be speaking on my writing and on The Chamber Magazine and my second publishing endeavor, Rural Fiction Magazine.

Being invited to the ComicCon was a pleasant surprise. This is the first time I have been invited anywhere to speak on my writing. I am flattered.

I am looking forward to this opportunity to speak about three of my favorite passions.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Diabolical Giveaway

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that on every Friday in September (i.e. the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I will be giving away the Kindle version of my very small short story collection Diabolical: Three Tales of Vengeance and the Sorcerer Jack Thurston…

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that on every Friday in September (i.e. the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I will be giving away the Kindle version of my very small short story collection Diabolical: Three Tales of Vengeance and the Sorcerer Jack Thurston. Follow the link to get yours on any of those Fridays. Here is a quick synopsis from the book’s webpage:

“Jack Thurston is a retired professor of medieval literature and history. He is also a widower and father and a retired sorcerer who has returned to the black arts to exact horrifying revenge for the death of his wife, daughter, and brother. Jack has an intriguing position in the universe at a focal point of life, the afterlife, logic and reason, anger and hatred, the ancient and the modern worlds, grief and his attempts to escape grief through self-destruction. Though he wants to have the peace he once found with his wife, Agatha, he is pulled in many directions by circumstance and by his powerful negative emotions. These stories are included in the collection A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror.”

While you’re there, check out the other books I have available or go to Slattery Publishing to see what blank notebooks are available.

Check back on both pages frequently. I occasionally give away Kindle versions of my works. Unfortunately, Amazon won’t allow me to give away hard copies of my books, but I try to keep the prices as low as I can.

Although I am experimenting with different sizes, most of the notebooks are 6″ x 9″ and contain 200 lined, paginated pages with colorful covers. If you purchase one, please leave a review of it on Amazon, so that I can learn how to improve.

Diabolical Giveaway

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that on every Friday in September (i.e. the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I will be giving away the Kindle version of my very small short story collection Diabolical: Three Tales of Vengeance and the Sorcerer Jack Thurston. Follow the link to get yours on any of those Fridays. Here is a quick synopsis from the book’s webpage:

While you’re there, check out the other books I have available or go to Slattery Publishing to see what blank notebooks are available.

The Chamber Magazine is Seeking Essays

Diabolical Giveaway

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that on every Friday in September (i.e. the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I will be giving away the Kindle version of my very small short story collection Diabolical: Three Tales of Vengeance and the Sorcerer Jack Thurston. Follow the link to get yours on any of those Fridays. Here is a quick synopsis from the book’s webpage:

While you’re there, check out the other books I have available or go to Slattery Publishing to see what blank notebooks are available.

The Chamber Magazine is Seeking Essays

Diabolical Giveaway

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that on every Friday in September (i.e. the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I will be giving away the Kindle version of my very small short story collection Diabolical: Three Tales of Vengeance and the Sorcerer Jack Thurston. Follow the link to get yours on any of those Fridays. Here is a quick synopsis from the book’s webpage:

While you’re there, check out the other books I have available or go to Slattery Publishing to see what blank notebooks are available.

Update: The Chamber Gift Shop and Cover Art

Yesterday, I remodeled, so to speak, the Chamber Gift shop by eliminating all the dozens of individual items and installing six collections, which is a feature Zazzle has, in which merchandise is grouped around a theme. Now instead of having to scroll though scores of individual objects, a reader can choose one of the six collections (The Chamber Magazine Collection, Famous Authors Collection, Quotes from the Darkness Collection, Cyberpunk Collection, Steampunk Collection, and The Dark Collection) and go directly to the page for that them. Alternatively, he/she can just follow the link in read above the collections to the homepage of the The Chamber’s Zazzle page and peruse everything.

I also added a block below the collections to my books (both fiction and blank notebooks/ journals) on Pinterest. Clicking on a book will take you to the Pinterest entry on that book. Click on the Pinterest image and you will be taken to the Amazon page for that book, where it can be purchased. This is just a short, easy way for visitors to see the works available and to go to Amazon while I develop something a little grander and easier to use.

I also took all of The Chamber’s cover art, which is that widget in the upper right of the website, and collected it onto another page. Although I have fun creating these covers, it does take some time and effort and I hate to see each of these viewed by the public for only a week or two and then to disappear forever. So, I put them all in one page, which I will update periodically. I also linked this page to The Chamber, so they can be found there also.

Hopefully, I will be making a few more changes soon.

Introducing Slattery Publishing

So that I now have books on IngramSpark and Amazon and have created The Chamber Magazine and have some items on Zazzle and am constantly exploring other possible online businesses, I have decided to bring them all under the organizational umbrella of Slattery Publishing. Expand this article to read more…

I have decided to push Slattery Publishing a bit more as a business.

I created Slattery Publishing (not an official, established, incorporated company, just a one-man operation) to get a check in the box when I published A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror on IngramSpark. The form requested a publisher, so I gave them that name. Slattery Publishing also had a different logo originally. The current logo is another spur of the moment decision.

So that I now had books on IngramSpark and Amazon and was creating The Chamber Magazine and had some items on Zazzle and was constantly exploring other possible online businesses, I decided to bring them all under the organizational umbrella of Slattery Publishing.

As you know, I have published my works on Amazon and one at IngramSpark as well. Recently, while watching some YouTube videos, I became interested in publishing no or low content books as an additional line of income. They are relatively easy to make and may bring in another cash flow if handled right.

If you are not familiar with no/low content books, these are books like journals and diaries and blank books (no content) and coloring books and puzzles, etc. (low content books).

I have not tried to create any low content books yet, but I have created several on Amazon. They are fun and easy to make. I made a few test samples, which are at amazon.com/author/philslattery. These I made with no title or subtitle as those would be on the amazon page anyway and I did not want to limit possible buyers to a particular subject. A simple photo can be seen as representing many things, but once a title is added, those possibilities are narrowed considerably. But then, I found out that Amazon indexes by title and subtitles and it’s easier to recognize the purpose of a book if it has a title. Therefore, my next several books all had titles and subtitles.

Once I started creating these books, my creativity took hold and I found it was hard for me to stop creating these. I decided to start afresh with the journals and to keep them separate from my personal Amazon account, so that my few works of fiction wouldn’t be lost in the deluge of no-content books. Therefore, I created a separate Amazon account for Slattery Publishing.

I have created several notebooks so far. I am trying to make them incredibly beautiful and colorful, so that they catch eyes wandering over hundreds of notebooks trying to find the prettiest one or the one that best suits their philosophy or mood or whatever. Also, I now try to give them titles that reflect a certain subject, which is represented by the cover art. I also put a watermark related to the subject on each page and all the pages are numbered. Although most “blank books” don’t do this, I would find it useful if I ever wanted to jot down where I could find a specific note or create a table of contents or whatever. I also make them often in large sizes (8.5 x 11) with 200-300 pages so that the owner make copious notes. I also make some in a more convenient 6 x 9 size and I will experiment with other sizes as my creative side develops.

So, check out the notebooks at the links above and see which you think is the most beautiful and eye-catching. If you really like something, let me know, so that I can expand on that line. If you see something you don’t like, let me know, so that I can improve the marketability of my books and Slattery Publishing will be able to produce better books.

A few examples of the covers are below. you can find all at Slattery Publishing.

Be forewarned: as these are new, there may be a few glitches on Amazon’s part. I spot-checked one and it had someone else’s interior. All mine will have numbered pages and a watermark on each page. Nothing else at this point, though I will probably introduce lined pages soon.

More choices are available at Slattery Publishing.

The Chamber Magazine Seeks Submissions from Around the World

The Chamber Magazine would like to publish more writers from around the world, regardless of your country of origin.

The Chamber is seeking short, dark fiction and poetry and non-fiction articles on dark fiction, but I am open to more than those to formats. I am open to almost all genres, so long as it is dark.

The first criterion is that your work must be in English. It can a translation from your native language, but it must be in English, which is spoken around the globe.

For more information on what I am accepting and on the submissions guidelines, please go to my submissions page.

Please note that there is no pay for this other than a publication credit and exposure to the American and English markets. However, all rights remain with the author.