A Head’s Up

Hey everyone;

I haven't completely fallen off the map and neither has 13Human Souls. I will be posting an update in the first week of August as to what is happening with the e-zine and the anthologies.I'm sorry I've kept everyone in the dark for so long but a lot has been happening and I've had to reassess a great deal to due with the publications.

Take care everyone.

Brandon Layng, editor

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Important 13HS News
Current mood: virginal

Well, I finally got back some real info from MySpace and I have found out that for the good of its users they have blacklisted all geocities links. 13Human Souls: Horror E-zine runs off of this same web host. Now don't be e-mailing MySpace tech help again. I understand their reasoning if not their methods. It's okay.

I found a way to make things easier for people.

Here's the gateway to 13HS and my own website (still under construction) to make things easier for MySpace users. click the link below and get reading!

http://www.freewebs.com/13humansouls

Dark thoughts and sadistic dreams to all,

Brandon Layng, editor
13Human Souls: Horror E-zine

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13HS Antho Guidelines
Current mood: breezy
Category: Writing and Poetry

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Ladies and Gents: As mentioned in a previous blog posting 13Human Souls will be putting out two anthologies this year; A New Breed of Serial Killer and Innards on the Outside. Their endeavors are to bring a new life into the horror genre, which has been a part of 13HS' mission since its start back in '07. This doesn't just mean new ideas but new voices as well. So if you're a writer who is new to the game with only a few publications under your belt or none at all, I encourage you to submit. What's very important to the novice and the professional alike -- read the guidelines and follow them closely! A New Breed of Serial Killer anthology The title says it folks, "a new breed of serial killer", is what I want. Do some research with this one. These killers should be like none the world has ever seen and it is going to be tough to come up with something like that. I have sitting beside me at this moment, the A-Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers and in my basement are about forty true crime books on everyone from Ed Gein to little known small town murderers. The underlying motive behind a serial killers actions is power, by causing pain they are exerting their need for power of the victim, which means I'm understanding if that motive is there in the story. What I won't be understanding of is if that is the main focus of your story or if you pick jealousy or greed as your overlying motive for your character. Remember the "Unabomber"? His overlying motive was Antitechnology. I think that's pretty creative (don't use it, as it has been done). I think you get the picture about motives. Weapons; so help me God you will be rejected immediately if I read that your killer is using a knife, gun, axe, chainsaw, machete or simply his bare hands. Unless you think it can be done in a way never heard of before. For instance what if he had an unusual malformation of his hand? Use your imagination. I want new ideas but don't forget the story and use this as an excercise to really try and get into these people's heads. This is uncensored -- with the exception of sexual situations involving children -- and you can feel free to be as graphic as you like, don't base your story around an excuse to write about intestines strewn out from open stomach cavities though. Lastly and more importantly: they have to be human, their victims have to be human and I want absolutely no, NO SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS. Innards on the Outside This one is for you horror writers that just love the supernatural stuff that goes bump in the night. People have been stroking themselves over Stoker's vampires for a long time. They've been electrified by Mary-quite-contrary's Frankenstein and felt the undead hunger of Romero's zombies while barking at the moon for more half-man/half-furball. What I'm saying is... No Vampires, No Frankensteinish Monsters, No Zombies, No Werewolves and no other monster that has ever appeared on film. Here is your opportunity to breath new life into the horror monster world with a brand new monster. To use a cliche: I'm asking you to think outside the box. Come up with a creature that is so surprising a reader will be astonished and frightened of new things in their lives. Don't just make that television possessed with the image of a dead girl who likes to kill people that watch her fall down a well -- make the television a living breathing hungry thing, with motive and purpose and a drive to kill. Be as graphic as you want. You have to be excited about this, right? I mean think of the possibilities now that you've put the old mainstays to the side. And don't think that if you can breath new life into one of them that I will accept it. Automatic rejection people. There are plenty of other places that want to publish those pieces. Lastly, keep these monsters in our world. In our cities, our towns, our basements and backyards. The Technical Part Format and Payment All submissions should be in an attached .DOC or .RTF file format and not in the body of the e-mail. If it comes in the body of the e-mail I will be friendly and send you a reply asking nicely if you could send it properly. The actual submission should be formatted as close a possible to the way it is described at the link below. This is how it is done right Mr. Shunn is a genius when it comes to presenting a manuscript for submission, I use his sage words myself. I still can't figure out how to make an em dash appears as to hyphens but we can sometimes only strive for perfection. Run your spellchecker, that's what it is there for. Read your work allowed off of the printed page whilst you hold onto your little red pen, searching diligently for parts that don't sound right, or grammar mistakes that ruin the flow of the story. I would like to suggest that if you don't already own a copy, buy Noah Lukeman's "The First Five Pages". It is the Bible of beating rejection, in my opinion. Keep in mind, I am the editor of these anthologies and as editor, well, I have to edit the stories that are accepted. I am not a tyrant though, so it goes like this: I will be making suggestions as needed to stories that are accepted, so these will be "suggestions", not orders. My purpose in making them is to ensure that your stories get the best possible reading by your audience and helps you to make the best possible representation of yourself. Word counts 2,500-5,000 words. Payment: will be one print contributor's copy and one .pdf copy. The .pdf copy will be sent at the time of the publication with the print copy within one-two months after publication, which depends almost entirely on how your post office is feeling that day. Other Info: I have managed to get ISBN's for these anthologies and I will be looking into getting barcodes as well. Which means your local library will not balk at putting them on their shelves and if I can figure out the particulars of how to do it, they could be sold through amazon.com and in other bookstores. They will be printed through lulu.com and if anyone has any helpful tips about that let me know. Where, how and when to send it by: Send your stories by e-mail to foxtat2@hotmail.com with the subject line of Submission: KILLER or Submission: INNARDS. Type it in exactly as shown otherwise it might not get read. REMEMBER TO ATTACH THE FILES NOT EMBED. The deadlines are as follows: A New Breed of Serial Killer -- July 13th, 2008 Innards on the Outside -- August 13th, 2008 If you have any questions you can message me here or at the hotmail address with the subject line "Query". Response times on manuscripts will be as they are read and depending on the volume of submissions but should be within a month of sending. Take care and happy writing, Brandon Layng, editor 13Humans Souls

Currently reading : The First Five Pages: A Writer'S Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile By Noah Lukeman Release date: 20 January, 2000

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New Anthologies from 13HS
Category: Writing and Poetry

13Human Souls is getting into publishing more than just online stories and this bulletin is to get your creative brains working. I'll be posting the guidelines soon. I'll give you a brief synopsis of both;

A NEW BREED OF SERIAL KILLER Anthology -- I'm looking for 13 stories that showcase unique serial killers. I want new methods of murder. Axes are out, knives, guns, etc. If you want to use these traditional items of death, be very, very creative about it. So not a butcher knife but maybe a butter knife. Not a tradional wood chopping axe but a survivalist's shovel/hatchet. But seriously think broader than that. Serial Killers on Mopeds who scalp people with authentic Tomahawks. You get the idea. Not just unique weapons though, we're talking behaviour and motives, even down to sex and race. Most serial killers are white males in their mid-twenties to mid-forties. Graphic content is essential. Leave a mark with your words. All Human characters.

INNARDS ON THE OUTSIDE Anthology -- Once again 13 stories that showcase something unique. This one needs new monsters. No Vampires, Werewolves, Mummies, Zombies or members of the traditional ilk. I'm looking for monsters that have never even been heard of. Remember the Family Guy episode where they made fun of Stephen King and made a joke that he could write a horror story about a possessed lamp? If he could write it why can't you? I think there are a lot of writers out there who could. How about a demon chair that devours the people who sit on it? A tree man, that pulls, people in and turns them into apples? See what I'm talking about?

I should be posting the guidelines by the end of the week and if you have any questions just send me a message. There will be a four month submission period and no problems with people submitting for both anthologies. Payment will be small and most likely will consist of discounted copies. Proceeds from the sale of the books will go towards 13Human Souls: Horror E-zine and hopefully will result in the ability to pay contributors to both future anthologies and the e-zine.

Take care everyone,

Brandon Layng, editor
13Human Souls: Horror E-zine

SUPPORT THE HORROR GENRE!!!!!!

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New Store
Current mood: excited
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping

13Human Souls has a store open now for you to snoop around and I'm sure you'll find something you'll like and while you're doing that you will be helping to garner funds for the contributors who will be involved in the year-end anthology. As many of the readers know, 13HS is a free non-subscription online magazine that doesn't even charge for advertisements! Which means it doesn't make any money either, and therefore it is also a non-payment 'zine. For every item purchased from the store the profits will go towards ensuring that it will be possible to give contributors a little something back for their efforts.

Check out the store;
http://www.cafepress.com/13HumanSouls

You'll find plenty of weird and unique gifts including DIY Divorce Kit t-shirts that will leave you rolling on the floor in fits of laughter. There is a wall clock that would fit on any office wall. And to show that you support your horror genre to those around you why not purchase a mug or beer stein that says just that?

Want more updates on what's happening with 13HS? Sign up for the newsletter.
Take care everyone and be sure to pass the word onto friends by reposting this.

Brandon Layng, editor
http://www.geocities.com/thirteenhumansouls/

P.S. Thank you extra special to everyone who voted for 13HS and Benjamin Bussey in the PREDITORS & EDITORS Readers Poll. According to the preliminary tally 13HS was ranked &035;9! And Benjamin's story "Little White Lie" finished at &035;11! It's because of so many great readers that we were able to get this far.

Currently reading : Mischief By Douglas Clegg Release date: 01 September, 2000

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Preditors and Editors nomination
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Writing and Poetry

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Preditors & Editors 13HS nom

Body:

13Human Souls has been nominated by some genrous individual, whom I'd like to thank, if they came forward. So if you have the time slip on over to the link below and cast your vote. http://www.critters.org/predpoll/fictionzine.shtml Also several of my friends have been nominated and I would appreciate while you are at the site, if you could cast votes for them too. Louise Bohmer: Best Anthology - The Unknown Guardian/Raw Meat Best Author Best Book Editor Best Publisher - Editor-in-Chief/Lachesis Publishing and LBF Books Jeremy Seffens: Best Book Editor Best Magazine Editor - The Bloodied Quill Best Magazine - Editor/The Bloodied Quill Best Horror Novel - David Greske/Anathema Best Publisher - Junior Editor/Lachesis Publishing and LBF Books Jodi Lee: Best Anthology - Clipped/Fried! Fast Foods, Slow Deaths and Copy Editor/Gratia Placenti Best Author Best Book Editor Best Short Horror - Thirsty/Night to Dawn Best Fiction Magazine - Submissions-CopyEditor/Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest Best Publisher - Junior Editor/Lachesis Publishing and LBF Books Naturally, we would like to see our families, friends and clients support us with their votes, so please feel free to pop on over there and make your mark! Also, many of our friends have been nominated as well (and we're probably missing a lot of you!): Kevin James Hurtack has been nominated in the Best Artist, Best Artwork categories. Bret Jordan has been nominated in the Best Artist, Best Book Cover Art categories. Jason Sizemore and Apex Digest have been nominated in the Best Editor, Best Anthology (Gratia Placenti), Best Sci-Fi Novel (Steven Savile/Temple), Best Artwork (Melissa Gay/HebrewPunk), Best Fiction Magazine and Best Magazine Cover categories. Brandy Schwan has been nominated in the Best Poet category. Lachesis Publishing, LBF Books, Graveside Tales all nominated for Best Publisher. MR Sellars/The End of Desire has been nominated in the Best Horror Novel category. David Wong/John Dies at the End has been nominated in the Best Novel category.

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Christmas Horror Stories wanted.
Current mood: chipper
Category: Writing and Poetry

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Christmas Horror Stories wanted

I need some submissions for the Christmas Present Edition of 13Human Souls: Horror E-zine. I already have one poem and I'd like to get another, 20 lines max this time though. This is a bit of a themed edition with the fiction and poetry centering around "a gift" of some sort. Some horrible thing, or wonderful thing given by someone horrible at Christmas. It can take place at a Christmas Party or in the Sewers of a city, where the yule logs all stink to high heaven and the Christmas tree is an old TV antenna. Try to stay away from Evil Santa plots though, unless he's dropping off the mutilated remains of Rudolph at the Children's Charity Banquet Dinner. In other words be really really creative with it. So get sending me your bloody, gut-wrenching, eviscerating little gifts so that I may share them with the world. Take care, Brandon Layng, editor 13Human Souls: Horror E-zine NO SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS. AUTOMATIC REJECTION! What I'm looking for: Stories no longer than 1,000 words and I mean it. Writing short fiction is difficult for a lot of writers, writing an effective piece of flash fiction is even harder. The story or poem should in some way be horror stories that involve the horrific aspects of humanity, I'm not talkiing about glorifying it by unnecessary and obscene imagery, if you spend over half of your 1,00o words describing how the intestines are wrapped around the victim's body like a python or something of the like, your not telling me a story you're describing a scene. As is often said, stories have beginnings, middles and ends. No inhuman monsters or people turning into mutations, like werewolves or vampires. Not every story has to end in murder or star a deranged serial killer. No overt abuse of children, in other words, if a child was abused, keep out the graphic details and state they were abused. I'm not a member of the Grammar Gestapo and I don't expect you to follow Strunk and White word for word. But I do expect you to do the best you know how. If re-writes are necessary but the story's sound I'll let you know. First Bylines: I completely encourage first time submitters or writers as yet unpublished to submit to me. I am unable to pay contributors and to be honest this thing costs me and I don't make a dime off of it. But it gets you, the first time author, a publishing credit under your belt which may help towards more professional level sales in the future. Reprints: I am open to reprints if the author has still retained the rigtht to do so. I only ask that if you can, pass along the name of the original publication so I can give them props. Rights: Technically I am not buying any rigtht because I can't pay you. I may want to do a print anthology in the future in which case I would approach the individuals to be included with payment and a contract since that is a potential money-making venture. For first time writers: Even though I am not buying any rights, this is still technically a publication and you might want to notify any future publications you submit the story to. How to submit: Start the e-mail off with your name and e-mail address so I can respond to you. In your little cover letter tell me about yourself, a brief bio in other words. Include any previous publications and any websites where people can read or contact you. Cut and paste your story into the body of the e-mail 12 point Times Roman or Courier font, double spaced. Subject line should read: Human Souls - Story or Poem Title. Send e-mail to foxtat2@hotmail.com Response Times: I do my best to respond within two weeks. If you haven't heard from me by then, query me.

Currently reading : The Demonologist (Leisure Horror) By Michael Laimo Release date: 03 May, 2005

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Free Advertisement for those in the Horror Field
Current mood: mischievous
Category: Writing and Poetry

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Free Advertisement for those in the horror field

13Human Souls: Horror E-zine offers free advertisement on the website to horror writers looking to promote a book, Publishers of horror wishing to promote books or magazines and other who may run websites pertaining to horror, i.e. independent horror movie companies etc. If you have a banner send it to foxtat2@hotmail.com with and description of what your book or company is about and a link that you would like added. Independant film makers do you have an html coded trailer? I can post these to the website as well. Take care, Brandon Layng, editor 13Human Souls: Horror E-zine

Currently reading : She Wakes By Jack Ketchum Release date: September, 2004

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Friday the 13th 13Human Souls: Horror E-zine launches
Current mood: excited
Category: Writing and Poetry

The unlucky number 13..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Of all the numbers, thirteen is the most ill starred. The prejudice against the number thirteen is almost universal and man people (who may be identified technically as "triskaidekaphobics")will go to considerable lengths to avoid any association with the number. As a result there are many streets throughout the Western world which have no house with this number, and many hotels which lack a room thirteen and even a thirteenth floor, going directly from twelve to fourteen. Witches' covens traditionally have thirteen members, and in tarot card decks the number thirteen is reserved for Death.

Most unlucky of all is the discovery that one has sat down to dinner at a table where thirteen people are present, a reference to the fact that there were thirteen people present at the Last Supper, where Judas Iscariot was the thirteenth. Superstition has it that the first person to rise (or otherwise the last person to be seated) will die within a year. The only remedy is for all to sit and stand together, or for one or more of the party to be seated at another table.

Equally ubiquitous is the fear that a Friday, itself an unlucky day that falls on the thirteenth day of the month is a day when anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Even in modern technologically advanced society, business will fall off whenever a "Friday the thirteenth" comes round as important deals are delayed until a more propitious date. New undertakings of many other kinds, including weddings and other events of a personal nature will also be postponed.

In reality, the prejudice against the number thirteen is of obscure origins, as evidence exists of it in Roman civilization long before Christ and the Last Supper, which is nonetheless usually cited as the source of the superstition. Perhaps significantly, the number thirteen was to the ancient Egyptians the last step of the ladder via which the soul reached eternity, though other authorities have suggested Hindu origins.

--Dictionary of Superstitions, David Pickering

Just got luckier

I was in high school when the concept of a magazine based on the terrible things that lie in the human soul came to me, I simply wanted to title it "Human Soul" and I would sit and doodle fake covers for it and attempt to design logos for it. I had grown tired of reading stories about supernatural creatures or being beaten over the head with movie serial killers that would not die, (mind you I enjoyed them, I'm in the process of collecting all of the Friday the 13^th  and Nightmare on Elm St. movies as I write this) it's just that I felt the horror genre was attempting over the many years of its existence to dislocate itself from the reality of the evil things people do to each other. Writers were forced to come up with horrifying and impossible monsters to comment on society so that their books could sell. Vampires, Lycanthropes, Mummies, Frankenstein's monster, Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and the ever present forever undying even after already doing it once, ZOMBIES!!!! They are all great. I absolutely love them. But every year there are probably a dozen vampire books released, most commonly now are mob-like vampire society based stories and the vampire versus werewolf concepts. Werewolves are having a recent decline while other lycanthropes are on the rise. More movies have been made about Frankenstein's monster than any other horror genre icon (specific character in other words). And in recent years thanks to George A. Romero (god bless his soul) Zombies are climbing out of their graves and pouring blood and guts onto the page with unprecedented numbers.

What's happened is now these creatures are being used in a manner unlike their original purpose, which was to comment on society. It has become about the shock value, the task of coming up with new positions and objects to beat the dead horses.

So when the roundabout way of making a point becomes too subtle or obscure the best policy is to be blunt and in your face.

Oddly enough "Human Soul" became "13Human Souls" (which actually is a better suited name) because Yahoo already had given away the humansoul e-mail address. Thirteen has always been a lucky number for me and proven thusly by the fact that my own birthday falls on the 31^st of the month (the reverse of thirteen) and my wife's falls on the 13^th of the month. I consider that pretty lucky. But not everyone feels that way, as you have read in the passage from "The Dictionary of Superstitions" passage I added on at the beginning of this spiel. For most people it is a very unlucky number because some people are Jesus and others are Judas, the first to stand and the last to sit down. Some people are unlucky souls.

I write a lot of human based horror myself and looking around I noticed that among all of the zombie and vampire magazines out there, there was no market available specifically to writers and readers who like their horror a little closer to home. Don't get me wrong some of the horror magazines publish these kinds of stories – I read a great one called "Grapefruit Spoons" by JT Petty in issue 55 of Cemetery Dance, it gave me chills and almost made me want to vomit so vivid and disturbing were the visuals) but with most of the publications who will print these stories you'll be lucky if you find one in every other issue.

Earlier this year I started to use my MySpace account quite actively (I originally started the thing because I read in a writer's digest somewhere that no writer could survive today without one! lol) and noticed by reading some blogs of other writers that there were a lot more people out there than I had thought who enjoy these kind of stories. So I tried to figure out a way that I could make this magazine happen. I'm broke so print editions were out of the question for now and I couldn't afford, because of the whole being broke thing, to have someone start a website for me, so it came to me that as I had done once before MySpace was the thing to go back to where I had originally showcased my work… Geocities. It's the perfect venue because I've been able to tailor the site to the stories that are posted to it. Images and artwork that I've done have been personalized to the stories and it's been a lot of fun doing it. My favorite has been creating the tongue for David G Montoya's "Fleeting" banner, my wife found it rather disgusting and very realistic looking. I've also had the opportunity to read some really amazing writing by both well known writers and some newer and obscurer (not a real word I know) writers. The hardest thing has been saying "no" to a story. Most of the time the story is great but focus is not enough of the horrors of humanity. There has to be some form of social commentary, that thing lost in the recycling plant of the genre.

David G Montoya's "Fleeting" – will open your eyes to life and the consequences of not enjoying it while you still have it.

Garry Charles' "Hello" – Shows us how damaging our busy work-to-live society can be to our families

Margie Cousins' "Grandma's Quilt" – I'll be honest and tell you this was one that really surprised me in the end. It weaves a message about how easily the needy and desperate can become prey to idle hands.

This is the purpose of horror, to point out where we go wrong, to provide warning signs and caution us to watch out for those dark parts inside of us and our neighbors. "13Human Souls" is about the mother who starves her daughter so she can win beauty pageants, the neighbor who torments the mail man with his dog and gets a semi-automatic special delivery one day, the kid who never has any friends and never talks to anyone because he spoke out of turn and his father cut off his tongue and it's about the government official who goes to sleep at night with a smile of his face after giving the marching orders to a platoon of fifteen-year-olds with holes in their boots and rifles that jam in the rain, cuddling up to his wife while they bleed out into the gully of some jungle.

13Human Souls: Horror E-zine  is about bringing horror back to reality.

Each story will only be available for a three month period and will not be archived so time is limited to read these stories and they are must reads. On the thirteenth of every month I will be adding three new stories and starting next month a poetry section will be available.

For the writers reading this, guidelines are available both on the website and the MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/thirteenhumansouls . If you're not sure what you've got fits in the parameters of the guidelines send it anyways. It doesn't hurt to try. If you have any questions send me a message. I'm still open to submissions for the September edition and I won't be closing to submissions unless I have a six month stock of stories and poems.

So stop in and read some of these great works of flash fiction by some amazing writers at

http://www.geocities.com/thirteenhumansouls/

Take care,

Brandon Layng, editor

13Human Souls: Horror E-zine

P.S. The fact that the launch of the magazine fell on a Friday the 13^th was coincidental, I actually didn't notice until the very end of June. I picked July simply because that's the month my birthday falls on. Life is strange sometimes.     

Currently reading : Red By Jack Ketchum Release date: August, 2002

7:07 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Submission Guidelines
Current mood: cheerful
Category: Writing and Poetry

SUBMISSION guidelines

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I'd like to start off by saying the name is Brandon, as clichéd as it is, Mr. Layng is my father, so when you e-mail me your stuff let's start off on a friendly basis.

What I'm looking for: Stories no longer than 1,000 words and I mean it. Writing short fiction is difficult for a lot of writers, writing an effective piece of flash fiction is even harder, it's an art form. They should in someway be horror stories that involve the horrific aspects of humanity, I'm not talking about glorifying it by unnecessary and obscene imagery, if you spend over half of your 1,000 words on describing how the intestines are wrapped around the victim's body like a python or something of the like, you're not telling me a story your describing a scene. As is often said stories have beginnings, middles and ends. No inhuman monsters or people turning into mutations (with the exception of achievement through self-mutilation or body modification). Not every story has to end in murder or star a deranged serial killer. Surprise me with what people are capable of. No overt abuse of children, in other words, if a child was abused in the story, keep out the graphic details and state that they were abused. I'm not a member of the Grammar Gestapo and I don't expect a full-fledged Strunk and White's Elements of Style approach. But I do expect you to do the best you know how. If re-writes are necessary but the story is sound I'll let you know.

First Bylines: I completely open to first-time submitters or writers as yet unpublished. As a matter-of-fact I encourage it. I am unable to pay contributors and to be honest I don't make a single dime off of this, it costs me time and that's about it. But it gets you, the first time author, a publication credit under your belt at least, which can sometimes be very important to get the ball rolling.

Reprints: I will consider a reprint providing the author has still retained the right to reprint. I would also appreciate it if you could send along the name of the original publication so I can give them credit.

Rights: Well I'm not paying you for the story so I'm not really buying any rights and all rights are retained by the author. For those who are new to submitting, even non-paying internet sites are considered a publication so if you send the story out later you will want to explain to the next editor that is has been previously published and where. Some editors show a little slack to Internet reprints. Not many, but some.

How to submit:  Start the e-mail off with your name and e-mail address where you can be reached, so I can respond.  In your little cover letter, tell me about yourself i.e. what made you decide to submit, what else you do to pay the bills or whatever you think might be worth saying and if you have any previous publications tell me those to. If you have a website put that in there too so I can post it with the story. Send the story in the body of an e-mail to foxtat2@hotmail.com . Make sure it is 12 point Times Roman or Courier font double spaced. Your subject line should read: Human Souls – Story Title.

Response Times: I will do my best to respond within two weeks. If you haven't heard back by then query me. Like snail mail, its electronic sibling is not always perfect and things get misdirected or fail to send. I always comment on rejected manuscripts.

Do your best and I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Brandon Layng

Currently reading : Forever Odd By Dean Koontz Release date: 31 October, 2006

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