Is it l33t or is it Shakespeare?

Fan fiction, I condemn thee to hell! That was the fire and brimstone message of last week's column. But surely there must be some soothing balm of sweet salvation for aspiring writers desperate to waste the sum of their waking hours on the Internet. \nIndeed, there is. Rapture even ... sort of.\nThere is a splendid array of small, online publications ready to compete for your attention as both reader and author. Though many can afford only to compensate you with undying recognition in exchange for the chance to host your great American novella, there are a happy few who might well reimburse you with enough cash to cover your expenses at the laundromat. Some approach publishing with a fair share of panache, thumbing their noses at traditional print magazines. Others are happy just to be in business.\nFor starters, there are online magazines like www.thievesjargon.com and www.zygoteinmycoffee.com. They publish the sort of fiction communed to bartenders by people with strange vices and broken television sets. Neither publication pays, but Thieves Jargon is a weekly journal, which means a quick turnaround time for getting published. \nWww.Boundoff.com is a new publication and an innovative one at that. They convert fiction and poetry submissions into podcasts -- often narrated by the author. Their audio issues are not only easy on the ears, but Boundoff pays $20 for each accepted submission.\nThen there's www.cityofif.com. City of If tackles fiction from a whole different angle. Their idea of "storygaming" is a fusion between the old choose-your-own-adventure books and a role-playing game. The author of a story posts a chapter each month. Readers then take the role of the main character and respond with their ideas for where the story should go next. The process culminates in a vote, and the author continues the story along the course the readers determine. It's an interactive approach, and the site has been working to improve the quality of its content by bringing on a staff writer or two to craft a handful of tales.\nOf course, when it comes to online publications, tossing out a few names is like throwing a dart just to illustrate the size of the dartboard. Finding the right publication is often hit-or-miss, but they are out there. \nHaving a guide can help. Piers Anthony, the author of the popular Xanth and Incarnations of Immortality series, maintains a list of publishers on his Web site www.hipiers.com/publishing.html. His somewhat expansive directory includes everything from e-zines to print publishers, but Anthony's earnestness in helping aspiring writers makes wading through the list a worthwhile endeavor.