The Horror Tree Recent Markets, Articles, Interviews, and Fiction!

Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry

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Taking Submissions: The First Line – Fall 2024

Deadline: August 1st, 2024
Payment: $25.00 – $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 – $10.00 for poetry
Theme: Story must begin with: “When she was eight, Alice Henderson briefly held the world record for filling her mouth with marbles.”

Fall:
When she was eight, Alice Henderson briefly held the world record for filling her mouth with marbles.
Due date: August 1, 2024

We love that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we’ve notified you as to our decision (usually four weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don’t want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line.

Also, we understand that writers may add our first line to a story they are currently working on or have already completed, and that’s cool. But please do not add our first line to a previously published story and submit it to us. We do not accept previously published stories, even if they have been repurposed for our first lines. And, just to be clear, we do not accept simultaneous submissions.

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Anthology / Events / Flat Amount

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Taking Submissions: You Meet in a Tavern

Deadline: July 1st, 2024
Payment: $10
Theme: Romantic fantasy that takes place in a tavern

Spring Submissions Open March 21, 2024
Theme: “You Meet in a Tavern”

One of the most well known tropes in table top roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons is beginning an adventure by meeting in a tavern. Taverns are a quintessential element to many fantasy stories as meeting places for not only fantasy adventures but also romance (only one bed tropes often go hand in hand with the tavern location). Give us your best Romantasy story set in the beloved tavern location!

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Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Semipro

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Taking Submissions: “Bite” Anthology

Deadline: May 31st, 2024
Payment: 2 cents per word and both a hardcover and paperback contributors copy
Theme: stories involving vampires.

We are looking for your stories involving vampires.

Open for Submissions: April 1, 2024 through May 31, 2024
Expected Publication: October 2024

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

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Artwork / Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry / Semipro

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Taking Submissions: Diet Milk Magazine Fall/Winter 2024 Issue Window (Early)

Submission Window: June 1st – July 8th, 2024
Payment: $15 per poem, $0.01 per word ($40 minimum) for short stories, and $50 per art piece via PayPal.
Theme: Gothic short stories, poetry, and artwork

Diet Milk Magazine is a biannual literary magazine devoted to Gothic prose, poetry, and art. Neatly genred or genre-bending, classically styled or modern, we want your prettiest, most pungent dread.

Give us withering romance, creatures that lurk and lure, families to be feared and houses that haunt; give us isolation and creeping, oppressive unwellness. Quietly thrill, terrify, and leave us wanting more.

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Articles

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Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Cryptid Chaos

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Trapped in a building in the middle of nowhere!

Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.

Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.

This week’s writing prompt:

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Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount / Novella

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Taking Submissions: Witchcraft in Your Lips

Deadline: October 1st, 2024
Payment: $750 and 5 contributors copies
Theme: Novellas to be released as a collection about lesbian-themed folk magic stories

A collection of lesbian-themed folk magic and witchcraft tentatively titled Witchcraft in Your Lips. For this book we’re seeking 3-4 novellas. Submissions should be between 20-30 thousand words in length. We are not interested in erotica or young adult stories for this book. Same-sex relationships should be presented as positive, as usage of folk magic. By this, we mean no self-loathing lesbians or witches (they can face external prejudices, of course).
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Events / Magazine / Semipro

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Taking Submissions: The Sengkang Sci-FI Quarterly #1

Deadline: May 8th, 2024
Payment: 5¢ (SGD) per word
Theme: Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Word Limit: 1000-10000 words

Pay Rate: 5¢ (SGD) per word (min-$100 SGD, max-$300 SGD). Payment via PayPal. (Other methods of payment may be discussed following acceptance.)

Deadline: Submissions are accepted on a rolling-basis; First issue submissions are due by the 8th of May.

Genres: Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Language: English (We accept the translations as long as the original author is the submitter or has given permission for the submission).

Reprints: English-language reprints will not be accepted.

Formatting: All submissions must go through our form and must be formatted in a standard manuscript format, and submitted as a .docx file. 

Rights: We claim first world electronic rights (text and audio). All rights are restricted to the English language unless specifically stated otherwise.

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