This month isn’t an official event. The list was given directly to those who asked for it. As few new people outside the official Facebook group took it (In Cat Rambo’s discord & The Dread Machine discord) I explained that the rules for everyone else were to sub to whatever markets they wanted. As always for me, to sub to at least 1 paying market per day for the entire month.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 1st – Todays listed markets were Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores and Hearth. I subbed Scenario Twelve to Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores, Bodge Job to Asimov’s to Hearth Stories. I also made a sale, not challenge related but my 14th this year.

Subbed=2. Accept=0. Reject=0. Hold=0

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 2nd – Just the 1 market today, Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I’ll deal with rejections first. No on Scenario 12 from Cosmic Roots. Probably one of the fastest rejections I’ve had from them in years, I must have really made a poor choice in my sub there if it was bounced so quickly.

I subbed Ode To The Blind Harpist to Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

Subbed=3. Accept=0. Reject=1. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 3rd – Today was another solo market, Fusion Fragment. I subbed Mission 334; Mannequin World to Fusion Fragment.

Subbed=4. Accept=0. Reject=1. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 4th – And back to 2 again, today’s markets were Hexagon Magazine or Apex Magazine. Obviously, I subbed to both of them, because this is me we’re talking about here.

Sent Witch Hunt to Hexagon & Assessment to Apex Magazine.

Subbed=6. Accept=0. Reject=1. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 5th – Another single market today, Flash Fiction Online. I’ll deal with rejections first, though. No on Mission 334; Mannequin World from Fusion Fragment.

I subbed The Insider Skinny On Your Best Dragon Restaurant Experience to Flash Fiction Online. That’s a quite new story, it hasn’t been anywhere else yet.

Subbed=7. Accept=0. Reject=2. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 6th – Just the 1 market again today, and it’s the toughest place on the planet to get in, Clarkesworld.

I sent 11 Walls In The World to Clarkesworld.

Subbed=8. Accept=0. Reject=2. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 7th – To let you know how tough it was finding markets open this month who also paid, today is also a single market day, it’s Asimov’s.

However, I’ll deal with rejections first, just the one, No from Hearth on Don’t Forget Your Potato!

I subbed Bodge Job to Asimov’s.

I’m also informed there’ll be news from another market today, but it’s not challenge related.

Subbed=9. Accept=0. Reject=3. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 8th – Today should have been 2 markets, Analog or The Colored Lens. However, I still have a piece at Analog so I couldn’t sub there today.

No on Egg Witch from The Colored Lens. That was VERY quick, but she said some nice things about it. Also a no on 11 Walls In The World from Clarkesworld.

At first I sent Egg Witch to The Colored Lens. Until someone told me Analog were okay with sim subs. So I sent Starliner Down to Analog.

Subbed=11. Accept=0. Reject=5. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 9th – Todays markets were Interzone or Planet Scumm. Rejections first, no on Bodge Job from Asimov’s.

Moon Walker to Planet Scumm.

I went completely insane due to the heat, I sent the wrong story there, and in the wrong format too. I expect that to be rejected quickly. I will sub to Interzone, just not today.

Subbed=12. Accept=0. Reject=6. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 10th – Todays markets were The Quiet Ones (The End theme) or StarshipSofa. It looks like The Quiet Ones closed early as they were a little overwhelmed with entries, so nothing went there.
Sent Hyperboy; Trinity to StarShipSofa.

Subbed=13. Accept=0. Reject=6. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 11th – Today, officially I only had 1 market, Etherea Mag. However, because I constantly keep my eyes out for anyone open, I also found Reckoning who were open, and after I’d had a look at what they wanted, I had a feeling at least one of my stories would fit there.
I also moved a few markets around. Because I missed out getting a sub to The Quiet Ones yesterday, I’ve shifted one market up several days and placed an always open market down into its place. I’ll explain more, when that day arrives.

Subbed The Adventures Of The Amazing Jill, And Otter Bob to Etherea & Volunteer To Be A Martyr to Reckoning,
Subbed=15. Accept=0. Reject=6. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 12th – Todays listed markets were Intrepidus Ink or Bourbon Penn. Because I’ve got another market closing very soon and I didn’t want to miss getting a sub there, I moved it up to today.

I sent The Safety Of Checkpoints to Intrepidus Ink & Return To Blood Cove to Crab Tales Magazine.

Subbed=17. Accept=0. Reject=6. Hold=0.

EDIT:- Got a late rejection, just before the end of the day. No on The Safety Of Checkpoints from Intrepidus Ink.
Subbed=17. Accept=0. Reject=7. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 13th – Today’s markets were Electric Spec or Shortwave Magazine. I decided not to select a story for Electric Spec because I was recently published there.

Scenario Twelve to Shortwave Magazine.

Subbed=18. Accept=0. Reject=7. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 14th – Initially, today was only going to be 1 market, Penumbric. I did actually find a 2nd, which I had to write a story specifically for, but I quite enjoyed doing that.

I subbed The Fight to Penumbric & The Secret Of Takeshi’s Castle to Apparition Lit Flash Fiction Contest.

Also logged another non-challenge related acceptance today which arrived a few days ago. Up to 15 this year now.

Subbed=20. Accept=0. Reject=7. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 15th – Today was initially only the one market, Archive Of The Odd but I got lucky during the last 2 weeks & another popped up which looked super tempting, IMAGITOPIA (who are focussed on fantasy reprints). Reading the guidelines, I realised I couldn’t sub my story to Archive Of The Odd as it needed to be anonymous & I’m a character in it.

So I subbed A Tooth Fairy Dreams… to Imagitopia.

Subbed=21. Accept=0. Reject=7. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 16th – Todays listed markets were Weird Horror Magazine or Silver Blade. I’m not sure if I misread the date on Weird Horror or they closed early but they’d closed on the 15th. Fortunately I subbed …And Yet So Far Away to Silver Blade.

Subbed=22. Accept=0. Reject=7. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 17th – Fractured Lit (Flash/Micro) elsewhere prize or Flash Point SF. I didn’t realise that the Elsewhere prize were charging to sub until I came to check the guidelines, so nothing went there, because I don’t pay to sub. The Last Survival Reality Show to Flash Point SF.

EDIT: Had a late rejection come in. No on The Secret Of Takeshi’s Castle from Apparition Lit Flash Fiction Contest.

Subbed=23. Accept=0. Reject=8. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 18th – Today was originally going to be just the one market, Pyre Magazine. Do you remember how I said I moved Bourbon Penn back on the 12th? Well, I bumped it down to here.

I sent Do Bears… to Pyre Magazine & Mother Knows Best to Bourbon Penn.

Subbed=25. Accept=0. Reject=8. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 19th – Today also started out as a single market, Three-Lobed Burning Eye. I’d looked a little further down the list and noted the 22nd had 3 markets listed so I was curious if I could possibly bump one of those up, it turned out I could, so I also had Myriad (Duel theme).

I sent The Bounty to Three-Lobed Burning Eye & Power Struggle to MYRIAD Dual.

Subbed=27. Accept=0. Reject=8. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 20th – Todays listed markets were Escape Pod or Radon Journal.

For whatever reason, I hadn’t preselected anything for Radon Journal so I had to do a bit of a hunt to find something.

I subbed Benchmark to Escape Pod & Shots Of Repatriated Bastard to Radon Journal.

Subbed=29. Accept=0. Reject=8. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 21st – Today was scheduled as two markets, F&SF or Crab Tales. However, for the 1st time ever during a challenge, F&SF closed. I had already bumped Crab Tales up to Sept 12th.

Fortunately for me, I had bumped another market, much earlier in the challenge, all the way back on the 9th. It’s not unheard to end up not subbing to either scheduled market, but it is quite rare.

I had a rejection arrive while l I was doing my sub so I’ll cover that 1st. No on Assessment from Apex.

I sent Egress to Interzone.

Subbed=30. Accept=0. Reject=9. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 22nd – Another weird and rearranged day. Today’s scheduled markets were Myriad (Duel theme) or Translunar Travelers Lounge. I had already bumped Duel up to the 19th so it was a matter of shifting stuff about again. I’ll deal with rejections first.

No on Egress from Interzone.

I sent Simply Surviving to Translunar Travelers Lounge & Some Enchanted Evening to Astrolabe.

Subbed=32. Accept=0. Reject=10. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 23rd – On the face of it, today was just one market, The Dark Magazine. However, my usual behind the scenes beavering found that Shoreline Of Infinity was also open.

I sent The Legend to The Dark & King Of The Mountain to Shoreline of Infinity.

Subbed=34. Accept=0. Reject=10. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 24th – Another day where it was initially just the one market, Seize The Press. More beavering and Dreamforge was found to be open.

I subbed The Safety Of Checkpoints to DreamForge Anvil & Into The Labyrinth to Seize the Press.

It’s surprising (even though it’s not only a weekend, it’s also Sunday) that over 24 hours later I still haven’t heard back from The Dark yet. I won’t read anything into that. Yet.

Subbed=36. Accept=0. Reject=10. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 25th – Yet another day where it seemed like it was going to be just one market, The Future Fire. Fortunately I’d also found that Tales from the Moonlit Path were open.

I subbed Something Good To Eat to Tales from the Moonlit Path and Inheriting Grandma’s House to The Future Fire.

Subbed=38. Accept=0. Reject=10. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 26th – Again, another day where it was initially just one market, Nightmare Diaries. The usual beavering, searching, and I found a horror market called The Dark Door. That spoke to me.

I’ll deal with rejections first. No from The Dark on The Legend. Damn. THREE DAYS? Unheard of. Of course, I did not think they were going to take that, but for a hot minute I thought it was close.

Fairytales, And Lies to Nightmare Diaries & Meat Is Murder to The Dark Door.

Subbed=40. Accept=0. Reject=11. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 27th – This is getting to be quite a groove. Another day where it seemed it’d be just one market, Andromeda Spaceways. My usual beavering found Amplitudes Anthology open.

I’ll deal with rejections first. No on The Bounty from Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Simply Surviving from Translunar Travelers Lounge & Simon Says from Space And Time.

I sent Transitional Period to Amplitudes & The Bivouac subbed to Andromeda Spaceways Magazine.

It turned out that The Dark now have the weekend off. My 1st 2 days weren’t anything special.

Subbed=42. Accept=0. Reject=14. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 28th – Still in that single market on the surface groove, today was Myriad (Necropolis theme). However, this little beaver also found that Crimson Quill Quarterly were open, and that looked damn fine to me.

As the script always goes the same way, we’ll deal with rejections first. It’s because it’s easier to deal with something negative then do something positive like submissions after to level or improve the emotional & mental balance. And you thought I was just sending them out for the money?

No on Benchmark from Escape Pod. I did get some feedback so I have a better idea of what not to send the next time. They don’t like twist endings.

After a bit of reading, I realised I don’t write the sort of thing Crimson Quill were looking for so I passed on subbing there. I eventually subbed On Common Ground to MYRIAD NECROPOLIS.

Subbed=43. Accept=0. Reject=15. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 29th – Wow, an actual two market day! The Midnight Labyrinth and Paranoid Tree.

I subbed Assessment to The Midnight Labyrinth & How We Overcame A Totalitarian Regime to Paranoid Tree.

Subbed=45. Accept=0. Reject=15. Hold=0.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sept 30th – Todays markets were supposed to be Little Bastards or The Dark Door. I’d already subbed to The Dark Door back on the 26th. Looking online I discovered that Little Bastards had been cancelled, no reason why. Which left me in a bit of a quandary. So I had a look to see what possibles I still had left. After a decent amount of searching, I settled on CreepyPod.

I subbed Ghosts Of My Past to Creepy Podcast.

Subbed=46. Accept=0. Reject=15. Hold=0.
________________________________________________________________________________
I’m happy with 46 subs. I did get 2 acceptances this month but neither were from challenge subs. I think 15 rejections may possibly be the least I’ve received since starting the challenge. The next will run during January of 2024, I have already started compiling markets for that. This has been the hardest challenge to find markets for since I started doing it, with a lot of places closed forever, or simply closed now/until further notice. I’m sorry to see Fantasy Magazine go under. Arley Sorg did an excellent job making it a market that people really wanted to read and get into. F&SF were also closed for the 1st time ever during an event. All I can say there is I hope they reopen to subs again soon.

Losing Daily Science Fiction as a reliable market was also hard. They were an excellent place to sub to, and I’m proud to have made it in there at least once before they shut.

A lot more people took the list, especially through Discord, folks from Cat Rambo’s group and from The Dread Machine. It made me happy to know others find this event useful, I look forward to hearing how they did, and hope they take part in the next official event.