Deadline: February 16th, 2020
Payment: 04 per word for original work, $0.01 per word for reprints, and a contributors copy
Theme: Fairytale related-stories based on non-mainstream characters
Note: Reprints welcome
Inverted Fairy Tales & Folklore (Title Pending)
We’ve all heard the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, the Princess and the Pea, and other faithful classics. We’re sure that more than a few are familiar with the mythology of ancient Greece, Egypt, and others.
Great! That’s NOT what we’re looking for, with a few exceptions.
We’re looking for folklore, mythology, or fairy tales from other places, and fantasy stories that invoke these. Have a story about Baba Yaga? Toss it over here. One about Raw Head and Blood Bones? Sure, would love to see it! We want tales that have been lost to time, but we want you to twist it into being your own story. Give us something new and imaginative!
What we DO NOT want:
Explicit Gore – You’ll have a much better shot at being selected if we can make it through your story without feeling physically ill. Horror without explicit gore is more than fine.
Explicit Sex/Erotica – Not that kind of anthology. Romance or alluded intimacy among characters is fine, but nothing that would require us to use a brown paper covering. The intended audience for this is 14+, so if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with a 14-year-old reading the story, don’t send it in.
“Zipperbacks” (meaning characters that are animal-people, and the fact that they are part animal has no significance to the story) – Some examples of what you can do to avoid having “zipperbacks”: if your story has wolves in it and they don’t engage in canine behavior (the occasional scratching, boundless energy, a fixation on scents, etc), then they might be an issue. If you have a cat character, maybe sometimes it grooms itself when it’s bored during a conversation. If you have an otter, maybe it has an affinity for water and is extremely athletic. Animal-people may have different social customs (like they worry about shedding in fancy places), or their clothing might be unique to their species and has to be hand-made. Please make your fuzzy animals do fuzzy animal things so we know that they’re not just humans playing at being animals.
Thor, Loki, Odin, Horus, Osiris, Anubis, Zeus, Hades, Apollo, etc. We know these guys are a big part of culture, but their mythology is over-represented. We’re not completely against Greek/Roman, Egyptian, or Norse stories, but just not these guys, and they need to be stories that aren’t all over western pop culture. There are some lovely myths and fairy tales from these cultures that are often overshadowed, and we want to bring them to the front.
Any Disney princess ala Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel or etc., with a few notable exceptions, are also over-represented and are not what we’re looking for.
Dull, listless characters – Our editors both really prefer stories that feature unforgettable characters that make us love or hate to love them. If there’s nothing memorable about your character or their exploits, chances are there won’t be anything memorable about your story.
What we DO want:
First and foremost, we want fantasy and fantastical elements. We want a sense of wonder, enchantment, and thrill at being immersed in the world that you’ve created. Please find the stories that need to be told and submit them. We love seeing diverse characters in diverse settings, so keep that in mind too.
One of the biggest goals with this anthology is to bring the stories from other cultures to the forefront. If you have a specific question, think, does this celebrate/give a voice to a nonwhite culture/a marginalized group of people? If it does, there’s a good chance that some of these story guidelines may bend (such as, we may consider an original story written in the style of a fairy tale/folklore).
The Twists:
Like we said, we want stories that feature folklore, fantasy, and mythology, but not just a rehashing of the original tale (unless it’s a retelling of story totally unknown to western culture, and then we MIGHT be willing to take it. For example, we would be willing to take a “Vasilisa the Beautiful” retelling, especially if it features a location that isn’t a derivative of western civilization, versus a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”.) We’re especially fond of fairy tales or folklore that have twists within them. Good surprises and memorable characters are quick sells with us. If you have questions about what this all means, please use our query form with the subject “submissions” and mention this anthology. Our editors will give you their thoughts.
Themes:
Anything with wonder, amazement, mystery, intrigue, or the fantastical.
Submission Requirements and Formatting:
Submit your story using the form at the bottom of this page. ]Editor’s note: Take the link at the bottom of this post to get there.] Make sure that all submissions follow our submission guidelines for formatting. In the “How does your story fit the anthology theme?” field, please include the fairy tale, myth, or folklore story that you were inspired by in the body of the email (We may want to look it up for future reading). Failure to follow these submission guidelines may result in your story not even being read.
Submission Period: November 1, 2019 – February 16, 2020 (midnight PST) (Do NOT send your stories to us before or after the submission period)
Word Count: 1,000 – 8,000 words. This is a fairly hard limit, and stories outside of this limit will have a very low chance of being accepted. If your story goes off the rails and ends up over 10k words, we have a separate, standalone market for that. Don’t submit that to this anthology, as it won’t get read.
Editors: KC Alpinus and Sean Gerace
Payment: $0.04 per word (maximum of $100 for a story) for original stories, or $0.01 per word (maximum of $25 for a story) for a reprint. You will also receive a copy of the finished book.
Rights: We are asking for first rights on all original stories, exclusive for six months from the publication date, and then non-exclusive after that as long as the anthology remains for sale. For reprints, non-exclusive rights as long as the anthology remains for sale.
Multiple Submissions: Maximum two submitted stories per author. We will only be accepting a maximum of one story per author.
Response Time: Initial responses will be sent out by Sean within 48 hours of submission (please note that if you don’t receive a response in this time frame that your response may either be in your junk mail box, or your email has blocked our reply, so get in touch with @goalpublication on Twitter). Final responses should be sent out within eight weeks of the submission closing, by KC Alpinus.
Expected Release: Late-summer or fall. More details to come!
Resources:
Having trouble finding a myth or folklore to use as inspiration? Check out the following resources below.
The Myths & Legends Podcast – General Fairy Tales, Fantasy, and Folklore
Lore Podcast – Horror and Supernatural Elements (some are based on true stories)
Theme: We will consider one story per author per issue, and submission of original and unpublished work in any genre is very welcome. The only essential is that your story makes us want to read on.
General
If you’re not familiar with Structo, take a few minutes to read through some of our back issues. They’re free to read, and this is by far the easiest way to find out whether we might enjoy your kind of writing. If you’re not a fan of reading on screen, you could always pick up a copy. If anything isn’t clear—or if you have any questions—please do get in touch. As well as following the specific guidelines here, we would encourage everyone to take a look at this excellent article from The Review Review for some general advice on the best way to go about submitting writing to magazines.
Fiction
Short stories of up to approximately 3,000 words will be considered, both original stories and new translations of non-English language texts. We will consider one story per author per issue, and submission of original and unpublished work in any genre is very welcome. The only essential is that your story makes us want to read on. The ‘previously unpublished’ rule does not include personal blogs, so if you’ve published stories in that form that’s fine, but please let us know.
Poetry
We will consider up to three previously unpublished poems in English or new translations from other languages. The ‘previously unpublished’ rule does not include personal blogs, so if you’ve published poems in that form that’s fine, but please let us know. Visual poetry and other hybrid forms are welcome. Our first consideration is the merit of the poetry, then the quality of the art. There’s a higher burden of proof on the pieces because of this but we’d love to receive some.
Do you offer compensation for published work?
As the magazine is not-for-profit there is currently no payment for included work. Contributors will be sent a copy of the magazine before it hits the streets however, with the option of picking up any extra copies at cost. We also continue to support our writers long after publication. As Structo grows, more and more subscriptions are gifted to agents, publishers, anthologists and reviewers. We submit also work to the Pushcart Prize, Stack Award for Best Original Fiction and Forward Poetry Prizes. As one of our writers you have the option of joining our Structo Alum Facebook group, and are able to submit work for publication in our chapbooks. We’re also working on the cash thing.
What rights do you take?
To give you as much freedom as possible, all work in Structo is published under the protection of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales licence. Nothing in this licence impairs or restricts your individual moral rights as author.
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Yes. Please let us know as soon as a piece is accepted elsewhere.
Deadline: February 29th, 2020
Payment: Contributor’s copy and potential payout depending on crowdfunding.
Theme: The anthology will include all original stories centering around the idea of boys’ lives being disrupted in some way.
Anthologists:
Ronald Linson and Deidre J Owen
Genres:
Varied; previous volume (“Little Girl Lost”) included Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Crime Drama. See below.
Submissions:
Dec 1, 2019 – Feb 29, 2020
(or until anthology is filled)
Compensation:
Contributor copy (print & ebook); cents/word dependent on crowdfunding. See below.
LITTLE BOY LOST: MORE TALES OF YOUTH DISRUPTED will be a companion volume to our newly released anthology Little Girl Lost: Thirteen Tales of Youth Disrupted (released Oct 15, 2019). The anthology will include all original stories centering around the idea of boys’ lives being disrupted in some way. It could be through vanishing mysteriously, experiencing a life-altering event, or…? We are seeking well-written, imaginative tales that explore this idea to its fullest. Use your own interpretation as to the meaning of ‘lost.’ Surprise us!
Submissions period opens DECEMBER 1, 2019 and will remain open until February 29, 2020 at 11:59PM (EST) or until the anthology is filled. Submissions received outside of this period will not be considered.
We are seeking original, previously unpublished stories of the highest quality between 2,000 (hard minimum) and 7,500 words. We are willing to look at stories up to 10,000 words, although they are less likely to be accepted.
Genre: Your story can be in nearly ANY genre so long as it fits the theme of the anthology, with the firm exception of erotica/pornography.
Subjects we WILL NOT accept include (but are not limited to):
Erotica or pornography
Pedophilia or bestiality
Depictions of rape
Graphic depictions of child abuse
Sexual activity involving persons under the age of eighteen (18)
Deadline: July 5th, 2020
Payment: $50 and a contributors copy
Gothic Blue Books were short fictions popular in the 18th and 19th century. They were descendants of the chap book trade and are now a thing of the past. Burial Day Books is now open for submissions for Gothic Blue Book Vol. 6 to be available October 31st 2020.
What was a Gothic Blue Book?
Gothic Blue Books were abridgements of full-length Gothic novels. The subjects of these books fell into one of two categories; the first being set in a monastery or convent and the second being set in a castle.
In terms of the physicality of the book, they were three and a half to four inches in width and six to seven inches in height, with a page count of thirty-six to seventy-two pages.
These little pieces of terror were popular at the time because they were affordable, a sixpence or a shilling each. Their cost affordability led them to be nicknamed Shilling Shockers or Sixpenny Shockers.
What are we looking for?
Original Gothic Blue Books typically took place in either a monastery, convent or castle. In years past we have asked for short stories that take place in one of these locations, or a modern day location such as a morgue, haunted house or cemetery. This year, we have added a new theme – Krampus, Christmas, and ghosts / lore from the globe revolving around a major celebration. Christmas ghost tales have a history stretching back that includes Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL and more.
Please submit a short story or poem no longer than 3,500 words that follows one of the following: (more…)
Deadline: April 30th, 2020
Payment: US$20 and copy
Critical Blast Publishing is now reading for THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, an anthology featuring people’s different encounters with Old Scratch, Lucifer, Satan… in other words, The Devil. Stories can run the range from horror to comedy, and the best will be a blend. Is there a contract at stake? A random encounter? Do you win, lose, or call it a draw?
Entries should be under 9000 words. R-rated is fine, but do not submit porn.
Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2020. Send submissions in MS-Word format to [email protected].
Upon acceptance, payment is US$20 and copy. Discounted copies to authors available after publication.
Deadline: September 30th, 2020
Payment: Contributor’s copy and an original book cover
Note: I think I got to this call before it was fully formatted as some of the language in it is a bit awkward, unlike their previous call.
Theme: Western aspect mandatory, Science Fiction and Fantasy takes on this are quite welcome
Why are we doing this Anthology?
My father used to say Well said, O, Toothless One as one of those typical dad jokes.
When my dad for the second time with I knew I wanted to put something out into the world to celebrate my father. My dad is dyslexic like I am but he always supported me in my writing. I'm hoping he will get to see a few of these in the time he has left.
Those judging the entries will be my sister who is my editor and my mother who along with being my Alpha reader is also a writer herself. I will also be part of the judging process and along with my sister will edit the anthology.
When to submit?
Submissions are open from now to the 3oth of September 2020. on 11th November 2020.
What are we looking for?
The genre is loose but Science fiction or Fantasy would fit fine with what I'm looking for but I will accept other genres as long as it fits in with the tone of the Anthology. The theme for 2019 is westerns. in a typical wild west setting or in a new frontier.
If you can fit a nice guy winning and diversity those are things that appeal to me.
It will be my family who will the stories as we want to pick stories that either reflects our father or something that would amuse him. So dad jokes allowed. jokes encouraged.
Humour after in your piece.
Keep it PG 13. Swearing and sex can but . Gratuitous violence though action and adventure are perfectly acceptable.
word count anything under 10k is acceptable, though I won't quibble if it goes over a .
I'm not a fan of present tense but I will accept it if it .
I like romance but keep it PG and no love triangles.
Author benefits and rights
You keep all rights. You can also submit already published work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable and you can publish elsewhere as well with no restrictions. If you gain a place in the you will get a paperback copy of the anthology. You can also order paperback copies at price. Each author featured will also get a book cover for any of their own books they wish to self-publish. For longer pieces 5K or more they will get two book covers. We only ask for non-exclusive rights to any story and also remember that once that you are giving up your first publishing rights and since this anthology isn't offering actual you should keep that in mind. I am looking for reprints because of this, as reprints often pay little and it would be much better if you can get the best price for your story., a lot of work has gone into perfecting your craft.
Who will we accept submissions from?
As long as the story is primarily in English, pretty much anyone. The internet allows .
Submission requirements
Fiction up to 10k words though if it is we won't quibble word count
We do not accept poetry or non-fiction
You can only submit one piece
Work must be original and you have the rights to it. must be your own story and you all rights to the story.
Unlike other places I want it single spaced 12pt Garamond with an indent at the start of a paragraph
A title and your name should be in the header
Email to with the subject heading Anthology
No Fan Fiction
Include an Author Bio and a synopsis for your story
No PDF's.
Do not put the story in the , instead have it as an attachment or shared as a link.
Other things to know
I will be the editor. I have an English degree from Auckland University and a diploma of proofreading and editing.
of your acceptance in October. If you don't hear from us assume you .
This is not to solicit or sell you any other products. You will not get emails from us spamming you about our other services. EVER.
To check out our previous anthlogies please click on the image below.
