The Horror Tree

Horror Tree is a resource for authors that lists open markets, articles, interviews, original fiction, and more!

Category: Contributor’s Copy

Contributor’s Copy Only

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount

Taking Submissions: Dead Lucky

Deadline: May 20th, 2020
Payment: $25 or $40 depending on the length and 3 contributors copies.
Theme: Stories that take place in the world of Adrian’s Undead Diary

The world of Adrian Ring welcomes you again.

Dead Lucky is the third anthology of short stories set in the zombie-ridden Adrian Ring universe and this is the call for submission.

I am looking for stories that feature strong main characters that are put into situations where luck rears its head. Call it the Jinx Fairy, call it good fortune, but all stories should feature moments where the storyline hinges on moments of good or bad luck.

Maybe your hero runs to the pickup parked outside the farmhouse with a horde on their heels, and when they drop the visor, the keys descend into the lap. Maybe those keys are for the mower.

Perhaps your character gets bitten, and when they get into their safe house, they realize they have one bullet left, so they can take care of themselves, and protect their friends and family.

Maybe your story features a pilot who has just enough fuel to put their plane down before they have to ditch in a zombie-infested city.

It’s your story. Tell it to me so I can help tell it to the world.

Dead Lucky will be divided into three sections that are AUD-universe timeline-based. The first section of stories will cover incidents on “That Day.” The second will cover the period of story between that day, and the conclusion of Book Eight. The final portion of the book will cover events after book eight.

I will be writing at least three stories, one set in each of the anthology’s time periods.

Dead Lucky will be released in eBook format on the Kindle, in print, and in audio formats in July or August. Stories should follow the general style and rules set forth in the ten books of the AUD universe. Your zombies should be slow, largely mindless, and make no noise. Please feel free to utilize existing characters, or have your story explain something in the AUD universe that has been unexplained thus far.

I am looking for first-rights stories (no reprints) that are unmistakably set in the world of Adrian Ring. Word length should be ~1,000 to ~7,000 words. If you’re under or over, better make it worth it. I will serve as the editor and curator. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but that’s weird, because if you’re story is set in the AUD universe, you ought not to be submitting it to other places. You may submit more than one story, but please try to have your stories occur in different sections of the book’s three timelines, and please try to limit your total word count across stories to 10k or less. I’d like about 18 stories, give or take.

Submissions that are accepted will be compensated with the following;

  • If less than 5k words, $25 cash payment payable via paypal within 30 days of final edit approval.
  • If more than 5k words, $40 cash payment payable via paypal within 30 days of final edit approval.
  • Two Audible audiobook codes
  • Electronic versions in both .pdf and .mobi formats
  • Three print copies signed by me, sent within 30 days of final print approval (US writers only)

Submissions should be in .doc or .docx format, with no tabs or indentations. Please send them as an attachment via email to: [email protected] Use the subject line Dead Lucky Submission (your name). In the body of your email, please write a very brief summary of your story, as well as its word count and title.

Submissions are open as of right now, and will close on May 20th, 2020 or earlier if enough high-quality submissions are received.

Good luck.

Via: Chris Philbrook.

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount

Taking Submissions: Sick Cruising

Deadline: May 20th 2020
Payment: $20 and a contributors copy
Theme: A global pandemic of “Red Lungs” is going on. This book tells stories about how the rich have gathered together to weather the storm. Only, one of them is infected

As a new virus rages on land the richest man in the world has invited over five hundred rich and privileged friends, acquaintances, influences and hangers-on to weather the sickness on his private luxury yacht.

But one of them has brought a guest along. You guessed it! The Red Lungs virus. It starts like a cold, becomes a raging fever, then floods the lungs with blood.

What we want:

Snappy short stories with a minimum of 2000 words using our provided writing prompts.

Punch everyone’s virus anxieties, fears; anger at inequality in the nuts with your contribution to this anthology! Use wit, gore, action or inaction, (of course, we always love us some good epistolary fiction) you can even throw some sharks in the mix if you want to.

What we DON’T want:

Torture porn, porn, racism, hate mongering, preachiness, bigotry of any kind, sexism, turgid writing.

What can help you:
Read Masque of the Red Death by Poe
And this helpful Pixar information on io9.Gizmodo.

Deadline: May 20 2020
Publication: June 20th 2020 at the latest
Payment: $20.00 on acceptance, one paperback copy, one digital copy, one audiobook copy.

Submission guidelines:

  1. Use our provided prompts
  2. Final submission must be edited
  3. Rights For this collection. Exclusive, one year; first worldwide electronic, audio and print rights for one year and nonexclusive rights afterward. For reprints, we will ask for nonexclusive reprinting rights.

Formatting

The first page should have:

  • Your name and pen name if you use your pen name.
  • Contact information: Email, phone
  • Title of story: Title of your manuscript 8.5″ × 11″ layout Times New Roman font. Headers: 18 points font size Body of text: 12-point font-size. Double-spaced

 

Submissions: books  at  nphzone.com

Via: NPH Zone.

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Semipro

Taking Submissions: Brewtality: Alcohol Infused Extreme Horror

Deadline: May 1st, 2020
Payment: 3 cents per word and a contributors copy
Theme: Extreme horror which involved alcohol

Some call it courage in a bottle while others perceive it as the devil’s cocktail. Alcohol comes in all shapes and sizes, bringing along with it the temptation of sin, the eagerness of confusion and the psychological bombardment on the mind and senses forcing us to play a game between life and death.

BREWTALITY will dive deep in the subconscious where the demons swim, blinding our judgment and guiding us to make bad decisions without revealing the consequences.

  • 3,000 word max
  • Must have elements of Extreme Horror.
  • NO REPRINTS
  • No simultaneous submissions
  • No violence/sex towards children
  • Pay: 3c per word paid through Paypal + (1) print contributor copy
  • 1-year exclusive rights
  • Send as a .DOC or .DOCX attachment to [email protected] with the subject line: BREW SUBMISSION: Title by Author Name
  • Do not copy/paste story in body of email.
  • Include a very brief bio just to break the ice.
  • Deadline May 1
  • Responses by June 1

Via: The Evil Cookie.

Contributor's Copy / Events / Magazine

Taking Submissions: Stonecoast Review #13 – Superstition

Deadline: April 15th, 2020
Payment: Contributor Copy
Theme: Superstition

ISSUE #13 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Stonecoast Review will be open for submissions from February 4th, 2020 to April 15th, 2020.

submit

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE SUBMITTING:

The theme of Stonecoast Review Issue #13 is Superstition. This theme can be as loosely defined as necessary. Some phrases to give you a sense of what we’re looking for are: good luck, bad luck, cursed places, cursed objects, strokes of luck, lucky breaks, significance, cultural superstitions, personal superstitions, myths, urban legends, cryptids, charms, tough luck, beginner’s luck, secrets, wives’ tales, doppelgangers, tall tales, folk tales, last chances, and wishbones. Don’t feel restricted by this list, if you have a different way of interpreting the theme, we would love to see it. We accept Fiction, Pop Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Dramatic Works, Experimental, and Visual Art. We can’t wait to see your best pieces!

Stonecoast Review offers feedback on 10% of declined submissions. Contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the issue in which their work appears. Stonecoast Review acquires First Serial Rights and First Electronic Rights for all work published in the journal. Rights revert to the author upon publication.

Our staff is a group of volunteers, all either current Stonecoast MFA Program students or alumni of the program. We rely upon donations to cover advertising, website, and printing costs. To support the Stonecoast Review, please purchase a copy from stonecoastreview.org!

GENERAL GUIDELINES

  • When submitting your work, include a short cover letter and bio (100 words maximum). Submissions are only accepted through Submittable.
  • Stonecoast Review accepts only blind submissions. Your name, email address, or any other identifying information must not appear anywhere in the document or submission title.
  • We accept only one prose submission, one poetry submission (of up to three poems), or ten pieces of visual art per author, per submission cycle.
  • Submitted work must be previously unpublished.
  • We encourage simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your submission immediately if accepted elsewhere. If you submit multiple poems and one is accepted elsewhere, please attach a note on Submittable identifying the poem that is no longer available.
  • Your work must use standard manuscript format: double spaced, 12 pt., Times New Roman font. Poetry may be single spaced. However, if a divergence from these rules is integral to your piece, we will still consider it.

GENRE GUIDELINES

Fiction: Limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer.

Creative Nonfiction: Limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer.

Poetry: Limit submissions to 3 poems, with no more than 50 lines each.

Dramatic Works: Limit submissions to 12 or fewer pages.

Visual Art: We seek visual images for the Issue #13 cover and interior. We welcome experimental and unusual art forms. We accept 2D digital images of all forms of fine art—photography, sculpture, painting, and mixed media. Please send high-res digital images (no lower than 300 dpi) in JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, or RAW file format. (NOTE: Except for the front and back cover of Issue #13, all accepted visual art will be printed in black and white.)

submit
Via: Stonecoast Review.

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount

Taking Submissions: If I Die Before I Wake: Volume 3

Deadline June 30th, 2020
Payment: $25 and a contributors copy
Theme: A strong female Main Character who will do whatever it takes to protect/avenge those she loves and must be written in the horror genre

Do you want your story to appear in the next volume?

IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE: Volume 3

Submission Guidelines Below
​
Please read carefully. Submissions that don’t meet the guidelines will be automatically rejected.

  • All submissions will be reviewed after the submission deadline and chosen stories will be published in IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE- TALES OF DEADLY WOMEN AND RETRIBUTION – The Better Off Dead Series Volume 3, which will be released in the fall of 2020

  • Submissions must be between 5,000 and 10,000 words

  • Title, submitter’s name, pen name (if different), word count and email address must be centered at the top of your submission

  • Submissions must be 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double spaced with special first-line indentation of 0.5″

  • Submissions must be in .Docx format with 1″ margins all around

  • Submissions should be clean and edited

  • Submissions must be have a strong female Main Character who will do whatever it takes to protect/avenge those she loves and must be written in the horror genre

  • Submissions cannot contain graphic sexual or rape scenes

  • Submissions must not have been published elsewhere before in any medium

  • The number of stories published will depend on word count of the chosen stories, but will be no less than ten stories and no more than twenty

  • Authors may submit as many stories as they want for review, however, there will be a limit of one published story per author

  • The deadline for submission is June 30th, 2020

  • Authors will be notified by July 31st, 2020 if their story was selected

Authors That Are Selected For Inclusion Will:

  • Have their story published in the anthology

  • Receive a one-time payment of $25.00 (USD) per selected story

  • Receive a free softcover copy of the anthology within 45 days following the release date

  • Have access to buy author copies of softcover and hardcover editions at publisher’s cost, plus shipping

  • Agree to sign a Memorandum of Agreement giving permission for the story to be used in the anthology

Continue to the page below to submit:

Via: Sinister Smile Press.

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events

Taking Submissions: The Debt Collector

Deadline: October 31st, 2020
Payment: Contributor’s copy
Theme: The afterlife’s bodyguard

A Sinister Collection of Short Stories

Zimbell House is holding open submissions for short stories from the point of view of the afterlife’s bounty hunter.

Your story must include: which side the debt collector works for, what the debt to be collected is, the consequences at stake, how the afterlife system works, and most importantly, be from the point of view of the debt collector. Does he/she love or hate his/her job? Is he/she up for a promotion, due for a vacation? What’s in it for the collector-is it just a job or something more sinister?

  • Please keep foul language to a minimum-it loses its punch if over-used.
  • Dialogue needs to be believable, and please keep dialects/slang to a bare minimum if you must use them.
  • No head-hopping or POV changes. Pick one point of view and stick with it.
  • Please show more of the action than just telling the reader what happens.

Submissions of both short stories and novellas to this anthology are welcome, please keep in mind the minimum word count is 4,500 and the maximum word count is 19,500.

This anthology is a great opportunity to showcase emerging writers and allow them to build their professional platforms.

Submission Deadline: October 31, 2020, with a targeted release date of early January 2021.

Submit your best work. Poorly formatted and unedited work will be turned down. Please use Americanized English spellings. We will be doing light editing as necessary to fit the standards we strive to maintain.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Any work under 4,500 words will be automatically disqualified for this anthology.
  • The work must not have appeared in print or online anywhere before.
  • All submissions must be in English.
  • Each author may submit up to three (3) unique works—please submit them separately.
  • Work must be in Microsoft Word or RTF, double-spaced, 12-point font-no headers/footers.

All contributing authors will receive a free copy of the book in softcover.  Authors that are chosen for the anthology will not be paid nor receive royalties for their submission. This is an opportunity to build your platform.

Submission Deadline: October 31, 2020.

submit

Via: Zimbell House Publishing.

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Semipro

Taking Submissions: Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror

Deadline: May 15th, 2020
Payment: $0.01/word + 1 print contributor copy
Theme: Short stories about summer vacations gone wrong

Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror

Grindhouse Press seeks short stories about summer vacations gone wrong for its upcoming horror fiction anthology, Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror, edited by Samantha Kolesnik. Summer vacation is often romanticized as a time of joy, but sometimes even the best laid plans go awry. Send in your horrifying tales for consideration in Grindhouse Press’s first-ever horror anthology.

Guidelines:

●All submissions must be in the horror genre.

●No simultaneous submissions. All submitters will be notified of acceptance or rejection by June 1, 2020 at the latest.

●Submissions must not have been previously published anywhere. This includes personal blogs and social media.

●Submissions must be in standard manuscript format and submitted as an attached MS Word document or Google doc.

●Only one submission per author allowed.

●We welcome fiction which is bold, risky and graphic if it’s in service of the story.

Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] with the name of the author and the title of the story in the email subject line. Please include in the body of the email a brief author bio (2-4 sentences), and submission word count.

Payment: $0.01/word + 1 print contributor copy
Length: 2,000 – 6,000 words
Deadline: May 15th, 2020 or until filled

Via: Grind House Press.

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events

Taking Submissions: The Last Elven War

Deadline: June 30th, 2020
Payment: Contributor’s Copy
Theme: How did the elves vanish?

A Collection of Short Tales

Zimbell House is holding open submissions for short tales about how the elves vanished.

Let your imagination roam and put our readers in the middle of the action. We want complete stories that explain the last war of the elven race. Who was it between? How did it start? Where did the elves go after the war ended? What realm was the war fought on? What was life like before the war, and then show us the after-effects.

  • Please keep foul language to a minimum-it loses its punch if over-used.
  • Dialogue needs to be believable, and please keep dialects/slang to a bare minimum if you must use them.
  • No head-hopping or POV changes. Pick one point of view and stick with it.
  • Please show more of the action than just telling the reader what happens.

Submissions of both short stories and novellas to this anthology are welcome, please keep in mind the minimum word count is 4,500 and the maximum word count is 19,500.

This anthology is a great opportunity to showcase emerging writers and allow them to build their professional platforms.

Submission Deadline: June 30, 2020, with a targeted release date of late August 2020.

Submit your best work. Poorly formatted and unedited work will be turned down. Please use Americanized English spellings. We will be doing light editing as necessary to fit the standards we strive to maintain.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Any work under 4,500 words will be automatically disqualified for this anthology.
  • The work must not have appeared in print or online anywhere before.
  • All submissions must be in English.
  • Each author may submit up to three (3) unique works—please submit them separately.
  • Work must be in Microsoft Word or RTF, double-spaced, 12-point font-no headers/footers.

All contributing authors will receive a free copy of the book in softcover.  Authors that are chosen for the anthology will not be paid nor receive royalties for their submission. This is an opportunity to build your platform.

Submission Deadline: June 30, 2020.

submit

Via: Zimbell House Publishing.

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