Author: Stuart Conover

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Semipro

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Taking Submissions: The Joining: Scenes of Wedding Terror

Submission Window: January 1st – March 1st, 2025
Payment: 2 cents per word and a contributors copy
Theme: Mixing horror and weddings

From Jacob Steven Mohr and Crystal Lake Publishing comes The Joining: Scenes of Wedding Terror, a new anthology set to debut (tentatively) September of 2025.

We’re looking for stories between 2,500 and 5,000 words in length concerning the rite of matrimony. Weddings are unusual events, bringing together masses of humanity that might never interact under any other circumstance, requiring them to travel great distances or take part in bizarre rituals ranging from the solemn to the frenzied and sometimes even dangerous…

But: stories submitted to The Joining need not concern only the event itself. They might take place at any time, so long as nuptials are central to the narrative. Imagine it: proposals gone wrong, literal bride-zillas, unsettling in-laws, bachelor parties that end in bloodshed—and of course, trips to destination weddings held just north of Hell itself…

We will be accepting 10-15 stories from this open call. Accepted tales will appear alongside original yarns from a cast of invited authors, including Gemma Files, Joe Koch, J.A.W. McCarthy, Gordon B. White, Jack Lothian, Rae Wilde, and Scott J. Moses… and one mystery guest, as all weddings should no doubt have!

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Flat Amount / Magazine / Ongoing Submissions

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Ongoing Submissions: Just Keep Up Magazine

Payment: $10
Theme: Science fiction and/or horror (preferably both)

Submissions should be sent to [email protected]

Submissions will be responded to within two to three months, if not sooner.

There are no reading fees.

Accepted pieces will be compensated as follows:

$10 a story

$10 a poem

Payment will be made upon publication and processed through PayPal, CashApp, or Venmo, whichever is preferred. Please include which method of payment you prefer in your submission. If you live in a country that does not accept these as forms of payment, we will attempt to mail you cash or a check.

Submissions are open to humans and other life forms of any nationality or planet of residence.

Stories should be science fiction and/or horror (preferably both) and 100-10,000 words long. Please send one story at a time. Please include the genre of your story in your submission.

Poems can be any length but the pieces you submit have to incorporate some element of science fiction and/or horror. Interpret this as you will. Send up to ten poems at a time.
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Anthology / Events / Semipro

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Taking Submissions: Memento Mori Book One: Relics

Deadline: June 1st, 2025
Payment: 2 cents per word for fiction, 3 words per word for poetry
Theme: The history and power of Memento Mori artifacts or relics

Memento Mori Ink Magazine, in collaboration with Crystal Lake Publishing has issued an open call for submissions to our 2026 anthology.
In this collection, we explore the power of Memento Mori artifacts or relics. We want ancient objects or seemingly mundane items which have the power to whisper to those who possess them.

We are looking for character-driven stories with a focus on the history and source of power behind their chosen object which must be tied to the afterlife, the passage of time, or the thin veil separating the living from the dead. As these objects reveal their secrets, characters must confront their deepest fears and the inevitable reality of their own mortality.
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Magazine / Ongoing Submissions / Semipro

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Ongoing Submissions: Fusion Fragment

Payment: 4 cents CAD per word
Theme: All science fiction but lean towards slipstream, cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, and anything with a little taste of the bizarre

What We Want

  • Science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 words.
  • Although any science fiction subgenre is fair game, our tastes lean towards slipstream, cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, and anything with a little taste of the bizarre. FF prefers character-driven stories, and often skews towards quiet, reflective pieces. If the primary tone of your story is one of high adventure or humour, it’s probably not the right fit for FF. That said, quality always outstrips genre preference in terms of importance, so feel free to send us anything that even vaguely resembles science fiction.
  • We’ll be publishing reprints, but no more than one per issue, so expect acceptance rates to be accordingly lower.
  • Work written by humans. We have no interest in AI-written stories.
  • We’re always interested in publishing work by marginalized voices. If that’s you, and you feel comfortable doing so, please call this out in your cover letter.

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Articles

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Writing Prompt Wednesdays: The Witching Hour’s Guest

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: The Witching Hour’s Guest

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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Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flash

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Taking Submissions: Trash Tales

Deadline: December 31st, 2024
Payment: Contributor’s copy
Theme: The stories must be ‘trashy’ in some way (ideas below.)

Deadline for submissions: midnight, 31 December 2024

We are excited to invite submissions for a new anthology of trashy fiction – TRASH TALES – due to be published in August 2025!

All profits (after expenses) will be donated to literacy charities in the UK and US.

The full submission guidelines are available below.

The collection will be produced by me (CriminOlly) and Alex from micro press Kilter and Rammel. Check out Kilter and Rammel’s site here.

We’re looking for short story submissions, no longer than 5000 words and previously unpublished. It can be in any category or genre you like, as long as it’s what we might all consider of a trashy nature!

Some ideas (this list is non-exhaustive):

  • Naughty nurses and sexy shifters: spicy or sweet category romance
  • One man armies: men’s adventure
  • The Wild, and sometimes Weird West: westerns
  • Trashy Tales of Terror : cheesy horror fiction featuring creepy kids, killer animals, mutants and monsters, etc.
  • Science Fiction Shenanigans: Alien invaders, technology gone haywire
  • Crime, Pulp, That Sort of Thing: Gritty detective fiction, real world or with an added twist of the supernatural/paranormal/occult
  • Mystery-solving Moggies: Cosy crime involving animals, baked goods and such like
  • Level Up: LitRPG (Literary Roleplaying Game) stories.

So get thinking up those trashy stories, and we look forward to seeing what you’ve got for us to read!

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Contributor's Copy / Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry / Pro

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Taking Submissions: Book Worms Horror Zine Issue #7

Deadline: December 15th, 2024
Payment: 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poems. Includes one contributor copy.
Theme: Space and Science Fiction Horror (must have horror elements, not just sci-fi.)

Seeking original short stories, essays, and poems for our Winter 2025 issue.

THEME: Space and Science Fiction Horror (must have horror elements, not just sci-fi.)

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024

PAYMENT: 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poems. Includes one contributor copy.

No reprints or multiple submissions, please. Exclusive rights for six months after publication.

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