The dog who caught the car
Or: "Oh my god, I think this might actually work"
First: A huge, huge thank you to everyone who has subscribed, restacked, liked, or shared anything from Cold Caller during our first week of existence. Every point of engagement has done a lot to help expand our reach and further our mission: paying writers for crime and mystery fiction. Thank you.
I also want to say thanks to the Short Mystery Fiction Society, who very graciously let me post our call for submissions on their discussion page. If you’re a writer of short mystery fiction, please check them out and consider joining if you haven’t already.
Finally, to everyone who submitted work this week: Thank you. Cold Caller can’t exist without you, and I truly appreciate your willingness to take a chance on a new publication. I’m blown away by the response so far and can’t wait to start sharing your work.
What’s next?
If you’re a new subscriber, welcome! We’re currently in our open submissions period as we gear up to start publishing monthly. That will begin no later than July, so if you’d like to submit and try to snag that inaugural spot there’s still plenty of time.
As a reminder, all subscribers receive access to author interviews, Cold Caller updates, and “Stuff We Like” roundups. Paid subscribers will also have full access to all fiction published on Cold Caller (and trust us—based on what we’ve seen so far, you’re going to love these stories).
Purchasing a subscription also directly supports our writers. Right now, Cold Caller is entirely self-funded. We guarantee a base payment to writers of $125, and as our paid subscription base grows we’ll be able to increase that amount.
If you’re a writer and you’d like to contribute, please check out our updated About page, which includes more details about us as well as updated submission guidelines. That should cover most of the basics, but if you have any questions you don’t see addressed there please just drop us a line and we’ll add ‘em.
By the way: You kick ass.
Seriously. None of this would exist without you.
The first time I launched a publishing project, I was a nineteen-year-old with rudimentary HTML skills, a Blogspot account, and a printer. With that I launched JAKE Magazine, a hybrid print-and-digital zine that ran for a year from my bedroom.
Most recently, I served as consulting editor on Playing Authors: An Anthology from Old Iron Press, a project that culminated in a kick-ass book and my favorite launch party of all time to celebrate our contributors (they got sashes and everything).
What I love most about these projects is the chance to read great work, support other writers, and share stories I care about with a wider audience.
But none of that works without you: the readers and writers who make a project like this a reality.
After a week that absolutely blew away my expectations, I’m sitting here feeling a little like the dog who caught the car. I’m also feeling more energized and excited than ever. Thank you for your support. I can’t wait for you to see what’s next.