Penumbra Submissions

Hmm, I know they're a fairly new venue. I believe their parent publisher is Musa Publishing. I don't have any experience with them myself, but I do know that the Absolute Write forums has a thread dedicated to Musa in their background checks section--and I think Musa's founder is a member of AW. That might be a good place to look for an answer.

I submitted to Penumbra though I have no idea whether they'd mind submissions to two issues.
Marina is right though, there is info about Musa on Absolute Write here: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221640. They arose from the ashes of another small publisher called Aspen Mountain Press that crashed and burned.
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/search?q=aspen+mountain
I only discovered all this after I'd submitted, got past the first reader and thought I should look into who on earth I had submitted to! I was a little alarmed at first, but they seem okay!

I guess none of this is much help though.

Thanks a lot, Marina and Elinor! All this was useful information.

I've decided to start writing the story now and submit it to them right at the deadline -- unless they finally reply to my e-mail and tell me that I shouldn't. Their themes are very broad, anyway, and stories written for them could just as easily be submitted anywhere, so even if I don't submit to them it will not be a total waste.

Thanks a lot, Marina and Elinor! All this was useful information.

I've decided to start writing the story now and submit it to them right at the deadline -- unless they finally reply to my e-mail and tell me that I shouldn't. Their themes are very broad, anyway, and stories written for them could just as easily be submitted anywhere, so even if I don't submit to them it will not be a total waste.

If I remember correctly, they normally make you wait three months if your story is accepted by them, which is why they may not take multiple submissions in general instead of per call.

You could always write the story and submit it, saying in the cover e-mail "I submitted X-Piece for your call ending Jan. 31." Then, the slush editor may get a faster response back to you. Worst case senario, you can't submit it there and you get to submit it somewhere else.

But, I believe a bunch of those rejections just came out, if I'm reading Duotrope correctly (the Jan. 31 call one, that is).

Well, I did get an e-mail from Penumbra this morning - in fact I got TWO e-mails.

The one was the answer to my question. It seems that they DO accept multiple submissions for different themes - but they also accept multiple submissions for the SAME theme, which I certainly didn't expect. They just don't want the same story submitted multiple times.

The second one was the announcement that my story was passed on to the next round of evaluation (final round, I hope) where a senior editor will review it for consideration. I am very excited about this, not only because it's the first time I get a response to a submission (and it's most definitely positive) but also because I was almost sure that this particular story would get a straight rejection from Penumbra as it seemed to me that it was not fit for the issue's theme. Which only goes to show that "you should never self-reject" is very good advice.

Ooh, congratulations, George! I hope we hear even better Penumbra news from you soon.

Thanks, Grayson! Not there yet, but it's a start, at least!

George, I got an e-mail like that for a piece I submitted to them in December. I still haven't heard back on that round!

Oh, I'm sure you will, eventually. And I expect I will, also. The main point is what we will hear.

But getting to round 2 is a big step, especially for me - since I haven't yet had a story either accepted or rejected, it's the best thing so far!

Well, I finally heard back from Penumbra about my fracutred fairy tale submission. A very nice personal rejection, too--almost as good as publication, right?

It was about what I expected, considering it was a story I'd already written, and that didn't entirely fit their call for publication...

(81 days, for anyone who's keeping track.)

Mine's been about 85 so far.

Well, I finally heard back from Penumbra about my fracutred fairy tale submission. A very nice personal rejection, too--almost as good as publication, right?

It was about what I expected, considering it was a story I'd already written, and that didn't entirely fit their call for publication...

(81 days, for anyone who's keeping track.)

That's a pity, Stewart! I wish you better luck next time.

I'd been about to ask you one of these days if you had any news about your submission and when you had actually submitted.
And I'd just seen you on Duotrope a little while ago (only I didn't know it was you, of course).
So you submitted on December, for the May issue. You made the final round, then--I saw two acceptances reported the same day, as well as two more rejections.
Meaning I still have one month to go, probably, having submitted for the June issue. Oh, well. So I'm waiting for three replies on March, three on April, plus WOTF some time in between.

It's nice knowing you made the finals and was almost published. On the other hand, it's not nice to have to wait so long. Plus the mixed feelings you always get about ALMOST making it. Well, I don't know if I'd take this advice myself, but try to look at it from the bright side.

Is that the Politics issue? I can't tell because they have the acceptances so sparced out.

If I get in, I hope it becomes a qualifying market. It would be good to sell now to a SFWA market.

Is that the Politics issue? I can't tell because they have the acceptances so sparced out.

The one of mine that they're holding on to is June issue (Greco-Roman Myths). Politics is July and the current theme is Dreams (August issue).
The acceptances were for Fractured fairytales (May issue).

If I get in, I hope it becomes a qualifying market. It would be good to sell now to a SFWA market.

Well, they're paying pro rates, so why not?

If I get in, I hope it becomes a qualifying market. It would be good to sell now to a SFWA market.

Well, they're paying pro rates, so why not?

Where do you see that, George? On the website, they say they offer no payment to authors.
http://www.penumbramagazine.co.uk/submit.html

Never mind -- different Penumbra, I see: http://www.penumbra.musapublishing.com/submissions.php

Yes, I know, two Penumbras and so a possible misunderstanding.

I was always referring to Penumbra (Musa Publishing), not Penumbra (UK).

They do, but they also need to meet the quals for getting into SFWA. As of right now, they're not listed.

I may also be working with McCourt at AE to try and get it qualified. 6 cents per word and at the current exchange rate, it's definately a pro market.

They do, but they also need to meet the quals for getting into SFWA. As of right now, they're not listed.

I may also be working with McCourt at AE to try and get it qualified. 6 cents per word and at the current exchange rate, it's definately a pro market.

I don't think Penumbra (Musa) has been around for long enough to qualify yet. Also, it's something like a 6-month process to get listed, IIRC. They definitely meet the pro-payment standard, though.

I think so, but don't they retrodate any publications during the fledgling state as long as the criterium are met?

I think so, but don't they retrodate any publications during the fledgling state as long as the criterium are met?

Criteria?

Yes. But they can only apply that once it does actually qualify. Until then, Bob's your writer.

Well, Penumbra didn't think my story for their "Lost" theme was a good fit. Oh well. I kind of already suspected that. The good news is, I just finished a new story for their "ocean" issue and I'm really happy with it. Hoping to enter early and increase my chances of acceptance. Not sure if entering early helps, but I've heard that it does.
Ocean, it's a good theme choice. Lot's of room to explore. Best of luck to everyone diving in. Meet you at the deep end!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Well, Penbumbra didn't think my story for their "Lost" theme was a good fit. Oh well. I kind of already suspected that. The good news is, I just finished a new story for their "ocean" issue and I'm really happy with it. Hoping to enter early and increase my chances of acceptance. Not sure if entering early helps, but I've heard that it does.
Ocean, it's a good theme choice. Lot's of room to explore. Best of luck to everyone diving in. Meet you at the deep end!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Sorry to hear that, Preston. I submitted one for the "Lost" issue as well, but got the same response. I'll probably skip the "Ocean" issue--I have too many other things to get done. Good luck with that one!

I hear you. My submission for the "Lost" call received a rather curt "this doesn't fit," where my submission for the "Space Opera" call received a delightful and profoundly encouraging "I enjoyed reading your story, and would be glad to read more of your submissions in the future..." (Or words to that effect.) Smells like a particular dislike for the "lost" content (and honestly, I did have my protagonist lost in the worst, nastiest, most vile place I could imagine...)

In either case, I'd kill a panda to find out if the rejections were due to technical, quality issues, or simply Content Vs. What We're Looking For. Ah, that New Writer's Dilemma.

Ok, I wouldn't kill a panda. But I'd at least say something cross to it perhaps, if I thought that would get me the level of feedback I need. (Pointless, I know. It would just look at me and continue munching bamboo.)

Unfortunately, I'm keeping my writing confined to one story-universe, so everything is either a seed-crystal for later events in the WiP, or backstory that helps me with current character development & worldbuilding. And very few of the rest of the year's theme calls cross paths with my story universe. It's a pity, because I rather like what I've seen about Penumbra, and Musa as a whole. It feels like they're just the place I'd like to my non-WoTF story's in the door. Ah well. Hopefully my storylines will wander to places they're looking for at some point in the future.

Well, back to the typing I suppose.

Well, Penumbra didn't think my story for their "Lost" theme was a good fit. Oh well. I kind of already suspected that. The good news is, I just finished a new story for their "ocean" issue and I'm really happy with it. Hoping to enter early and increase my chances of acceptance. Not sure if entering early helps, but I've heard that it does.
Ocean, it's a good theme choice. Lot's of room to explore. Best of luck to everyone diving in. Meet you at the deep end!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

I got the same response for my "lost" story, so it's good to know I'm not the only one that didn't fit their expectations for the theme. I took a risk with a more figurative interpretation of the word--a loss of hope rather than being literally lost in the woods. I got an "enjoyable to read" with my zombie submission, and I have an idea for the ocean issue, so I'm not giving up on Penumbra just yet.

Does anyone know what their policy is regarding multiple submissions? A couple times in the past, I've had two stories that could work for one call. I don't see anything in their guidelines against multiple submissions, so I wonder if I would be able to submit one story early, and then follow up with the other one if the first gets rejected before the deadline.

My 'Lost' submission was rejected--in under 14 hours! It's off to another market for that one.

As to multiple submissions:

Well, I did get an e-mail from Penumbra this morning - in fact I got TWO e-mails.

The one was the answer to my question. It seems that they DO accept multiple submissions for different themes - but they also accept multiple submissions for the SAME theme, which I certainly didn't expect. They just don't want the same story submitted multiple times.

Best of luck to everyone with the next issue

Just heard back from Penumbra. My little ocean-themed story has made it to the second round and is under consideration. Yeah! I'm super excited and very hopeful.
Good luck to all other submitters!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Just heard back from Penumbra. My little ocean-themed story has made it to the second round and is under consideration. Yeah! I'm super excited and very hopeful.
Good luck to all other submitters!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Excellent! Good luck.

Good luck, Preston!

Just heard back from Penumbra. My little ocean-themed story has made it to the second round and is under consideration. Yeah! I'm super excited and very hopeful.
Good luck to all other submitters!
Preston Dennett
(HM x 4)

Hey Cool and Niice.