The Horror Tree

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

Category: Flat Amount

Events / Flat Amount / Online / Poetry

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Taking Submissions: The Wire’s Dream Magazine

Deadline: September 2nd, 2020
Payment: $5
Theme: Stories that expand our shared narratives of experience by recognizing and giving value to our greatest resource — each other

TWD Magazine accepts original, unseen creative work in the following categories:

  • Fiction
  • Creative Nonfiction
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Photography
  • Combined Work

Work must be original and unseen. Please do not send work that has already been published or is pending publication. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. There is no creative limitation on the style of work submitted. There are no fees for submission. No work submitted by a third-party (i.e. a public relations firm) on a contributor’s behalf will be considered without an authorized release affidavit signed by the represented party. No exceptions.

NEW: Accepted Contributors will receive a $5 payment for their work. A max of 2 Contributors per category will be featured.

General Guidelines

Submission Period:
January 1st to March 1st (Summer Issue)
Reading Period: March 2nd to April 30th
Tentative Digital Magazine Release: June 30th**

July 1st to September 1st (Winter Issue)
Reading Period: September 2nd to October 30th
Tentative Digital Magazine Release: December 31st**

**Dates are subject to change due to volume of submissions received; may be delayed by a week or two.

Cover Letter
Subject: Name of Category, Your Full Name (Or Pen Name)

Body: Brief introduction, short bio (300 words max) with publication links (if applicable). No bio picture. Please indicate if your submission is simultaneous and at what date it was first submitted elsewhere.

PayPal to Accept $5 Payment: If work is accepted, please be prepared to provide a valid PayPal email address where you would like to receive your payment. Until further notice, only electronic payments via PayPal will be made; no paper checks will be issued.

Complimentary Close: Your full name declares that your submission adheres to TWD Magazine submission guidelines.
Attachments: Please read specific category guidelines.

Specific Category Guidelines

Fiction
1 – 2 pieces per submission
300 – 1500 words each
Word document (.doc, .docx) or PDF only

Creative Nonfiction
1 piece per submission
500 – 2500 words
Word document (.doc, .docx) or PDF only

Poetry
1 – 3 poems per submission
Each poem must be no longer than 2 pages
Word document (.doc, .docx) or PDF only

Art
1 – 3 high quality images per submission
Please provide a 300 word project intent
Resolution 150 or higher
PNG only

Photography
1 – 3 high quality images per submission
Please provide a 300 word project intent
Resolution 150 or higher
JPG or PNG only

Combined Works
Works that are primarily visual, follow guidelines for Art or Photography
Works that are primarily text based, follow guidelines for Fiction

Electronic Agreement

All submissions are considered and read in the order in which they are received. By submitting, you authenticate that your work is your own. You also give the editor permission to use your work for future print, creative, and/or promotional purposes. NOTE: TWD Magazine works to promote YOU, the creator. Your voice and perspective are valued here.

Respect & Value

Please consider that all published work must adhere to The Black Lion Journal’s Credo. With this in mind, pieces that are explicitly construed as openly offensive, violent, sexist, racist, hateful, and/or hurtful to any person(s) or group(s) will not be considered and will be deleted.

NOTE: The editor reserves the right to amend and/or modify this page with any updates.

Via: The Black Lion’s Submittable.

Events / Flat Amount / Magazine

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Ongoing Submissions: From The Farther Trees

Payment: $10
Theme: All subgenres of fantasy

From the Farther Trees is a bimonthly, print-only magazine of fantasy fiction. We are open to original stories in all subgenres of fantasy, ranging from fairy tales to science fantasy, weird westerns to romantic fantasy, epic fantasy to urban fantasy, swords & sorcery to quiet character studies, and everything in between. Regardless of setting, stories should be centered on character and emotion (though the occasional thrilling adventure is welcome).

Content. No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, fascism, or graphic gore or sex. What makes modern fantasy great is its diversity of perspectives and its challenge to structures of power. From the Farther Trees exists to amplify the voices of new and diverse writers.

Length. Stories should be between 1000 and 15000 words.

Language. At this time, sadly, we can only consider stories in English. Translations of stories originally published in other languages are welcome. Please include the original publication details for translated stories.

Formatting. Use the standard short story manuscript format.

Submit through email. Email stories as .doc, .docx, or .rtf attachments to [email protected] Make your subject line Story: “[Title]” by [Your Name]. Please allow up to thirty days for a response.

No simultaneous submissions (in other words, do not submit a story here if you’re waiting on a response from another publisher). Only submit one story at a time.

Reprints. If your story was previously published electronically (not in print) and is no longer available online, you may submit it here. Translations of stories previously published in other languages are always welcome. All reprint submissions must make clear that they were previously published, and provide details on when and where they were originally published.

Payment. If your story is accepted for publication, you will be paid $10USD via Venmo or by mail (your choice). You will also receive one contributor’s copy of the issue in which your story appears. All submissions must include a valid mailing address. If you wish to be paid via Venmo, include your payment information as well.

Rights. All rights revert to the author upon publication.

Via: Farther Trees.

Anthology / Events / Flat Amount / Non-fiction

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Taking Submissions: A Vindication Of Monsters

Deadline: October 1st, 2020
Payment: $50
Theme: Essays on Mary Shelley’s work

I’m inviting 9 authors to contribute 5,000 (max) word essays on Mary Shelley’s work (not limited to Frankenstein), and her life. This can also include others in her life, for example her mother Mary Wollstonecraft, or her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, and how they influenced her work. I am also looking for internal artwork related to the theme (I’m hoping for 5 pieces to accompany the chapters).
Payment will be $50 per essay and per artwork, respectively. This will be a book similar to ‘The Body Horror Book’, in that I will compile and edit each chapter.
Submissions are open, and close October 1st; the book will be published in December. Contributors will receive an ebook and paperback copy. William Shunn manuscript format preferred. Please send any inquiries and submissions to [email protected]
Good luck!

Flash / Flat Amount / Ongoing Submissions / Online / Poetry

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Ongoing Submissions: Penumbric Magazine

Payment: $10
Theme: Work that constitutes the ever-moving edge of its kind, as a place between light and dark, consciousness and un, today and tomorrow; work exhibiting the strange, the bizarre, that which is not of the world we know, but more of a twilight realm or even altogether alien place.

In general …
I would love to see submissions representing not only multiple cultures but subcultures, exploring issues of race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, and many things I haven’t thought of. Does this mean you have to represent everybody and everything in 1000 words? Of course not. But be aware that we are creating a magazine that overall reaches and represents the true diversity of the world we live in.

In terms of genre, I am looking for work that constitutes the ever-moving edge of its kind, as a place between light and dark, consciousness and un, today and tomorrow; work exhibiting the strange, the bizarre, that which is not of the world we know, but more of a twilight realm or even altogether alien place. Not necessarily science fiction, not necessarily fantasy, not necessarily horror, and not necessarily not these things. In short, ideally edgy. Maybe even idealistically edgy. I am NOT looking for porn.

Penumbric generally accepts submissions in the following categories: fiction, poetry, illustration, graphic narrative, animation, music, or combinations of these (e.g., a spoken-word version of a poem). If you have something that fits some other category that can be displayed to advantage on the web, try me; I’ll take a look.

All works must be the creation of the author(s) submitting them, and must not infringe upon any right of any other person or entity. I prefer to buy worldwide first periodical rights (for one year from publication), but will buy reprint rights on a case-by-case basis. We are also buying the right to continue to display your work on our website for an indefinite period of time, and to publish your work in the annual print-available anthology (if it is selected). We also reserve the right to use your work when advertising the magazine (such as displaying the cover in an ad or on social media). All remaining rights stay with the author. See Payments, below, for more information.

There is no fee for submissions. Payment to the author is on publication.

All submissions should be e-mailed (if less than 10 MB in size) to [email protected]. Alternatively, we can make arrangements for submission via DropBox or Box for larger submissions, or if security is an issue. Penumbric is not responsible for submissions lost in the mail, electronically speaking.

Specific content
Fiction or poetry must be less than 10,000 words, double-spaced, typed (but can be arranged on the page as desired; eventual layout can also be indicated, if part of the art of the piece). Cover page must include author’s name, address, and phone and/or e-mail address. Each page thereafter must include a page number and the author’s name. Format: PDF, Word document, plain text, rich text format.

Illustrations are stand-alone art, color or black & white. Format: JPG, GIF, PNG, or PDF. Art must be accompanied by a cover page including author’s name, address, and phone and/or e-mail address.

Graphic narratives may be color or black & white. Format: JPEG, GIF, PNG, or PDF. They must be accompanied by a cover page including the author’s name, address, and phone and/or e-mail address. It is possible an ongoing narrative could continue over multiple issues, in which case the author will be paid for each issue in which the work appears.

Animation submissions must include the completed work and (separately) the author’s name, address, and phone and/or email address. Format: Anything web-playable as animation.

Music or other audio submissions must be accompanied by lyrics/text (if applicable), along with any other authorial notes on the piece. Format: Any sound file playable on multiple platforms (PCs, Macs, Android, iPhone, etc.).

Any combination submissions should follow the above guidelines as applicable to your combo.

Payment
Payment for first-time contributors is US$10 for non-exclusive worldwide periodical rights and the right to publish the work in the annual anthology (online and possibly in a “print” version to be available on Amazon through CreateSpace, and possibly other online venues). We are also buying the right to continue to display your work on our website for an indefinite period of time. If you are published in the anthology, you will be paid royalties amounting to a percentage of sales (that percentage determined at the time the anthology is created and based on the number of works in the anthology, but at least 2%). Note that this might not amount to much … but who knows?

Questions? Contact us at [email protected].

Via: Penumbric Magazine.

Flat Amount / Magazine / Ongoing Submissions / Reprints Allowed

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Ongoing Submissions: The Martian Wave

Payment: Original Stories: $25.00, Reprint Stories: $15.00, Flash Fiction: 1 cent/word, Poems: $5.00
Theme: SF & Fantasy original stories with plot, tension, suspense, conflict, and character development.
Note: Reprints allowed

The Martian Wave began with James Baker of ProMart Publishing back around the turn of the millennium. After his passing in September 2002, it was under the editorial stewardship of J Alan Erwine, now of Nomadic Delirium Press. In November 2019, it was handed over to Hiraeth Books.

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The Martian Wave is now published semi-annually, in March and in September, in print [and, eventually, as an eBook]. It presents original science fiction stories about the exploration and settlement of other worlds. It also presents one or two original fantasy stories along that same theme. Although it does consider darker sf/f, it does not present horror. It also presents a few original poems, again along the overall theme.

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The Martian Wave wants original stories with plot, tension, suspense, conflict, and character development. Remember, if readers do not care what happens to your main character[s], they won’t read the story. The narrative should maintain a sense of wondering what’s going to happen next; of what’s lurking just around the corner. Showing is better than telling. Frex, instead of telling the reader that it’s cold, show your character shivering, stomping feet, or having ice form on beard or hair. The inner thoughts and emotions of your character[s] are just as important.

Stories submitted to The Martian Wave should be between 4K and 8K words long. Longer or shorter stories will be considered; however, anything less than 4K will be a difficult sell. Anything 1K or less will be considered flash fiction. We will consider reprint stories, provided they adhere to the guidelines; however, they are difficult sells.

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Submit your stories as rtf or .doc attachments [NO .docx, please] to sdpshowcase at yahoo dot com [you must recombine this address for it to work. Sorry for the inconvenience. Blame spammers].

Please submit one story at a time, and wait for the response before submitting another. We hope to keep the response time down to two months. If you haven’t heard from us in three months, please query.

Poetry submitted to The Martian Wave should be from about ten to a hundred lines. Please submit no more than three poems at a time, and wait for the response before submitting more. Again, we hope to keep the response time down to two months. If you haven’t heard from us in three months, please query.

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Submit your poems as rtf or .doc attachments [NO .docx, please] or IBOE to sdpshowcase at yahoo dot com [you must recombine this address for it to work. Sorry for the inconvenience. Blame spammers].

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The Martian Wave also considers articles related to the exploration and settlement of other worlds. Articles include essays and reviews, as well as writing tips. Word count should be around 1K words, up to a loose 5K words. Please submit one article at a time, and wait for the response before submitting another. Yet again, we hope to keep the response time down to two months. If you haven’t heard from us in three months, please query.

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Submit your articles as rtf or .doc attachments [NO .docx, please] to sdpshowcase at yahoo dot com [you must recombine this address for it to work. Sorry for the inconvenience. Boil spammers; inexpensive vegetable oil works best].

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The Martian Wave is not considering cover art at this time.

Payment is made upon publication by check or Paypal as follows:

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  • Original Stories: $25.00

  • Reprint Stories: $15.00

  • Flash Fiction: 1 cent/word

  • Poems: $5.00

  • Articles: $20.00

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NOTE: If you live outside the United States, you will be paid via Paypal, or must make some other arrangement with the editor.

All submissions must include contact information. This means:

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  • Name [yours, not necessarily your byline name]

  • Address [street, city, country, and zip code or equivalent]

  • e-mail address

  • Paypal address

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If your address changes before the publication date, please let us know.

Queries should be sent to sdpshowcase at yahoo dot com [you must recombine this address for it to work. Sorry for the inconvenience. Grill spammers; the grillwork of a 1950 Buick or a 1953 Packard works best].

Via: Hiraeth Publishing.

Anthology / Events / Flat Amount

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Taking Submissions: Strange Holiday Mysteries

Deadline: September 30th, 2020
Payment: $10
Theme: A “strange mystery” about a holiday of your choice!

It’s tentatively titled “Strange Holiday Mysteries.”

Like most of our “Strange Mysteries” series, it will contain some 20 stories, each 3000 words. Submissions are open July, August and September, ending September 30. We hope to publish the book in October.

What’s different about this “Strange Mysteries” collection is that you writers choose which holiday on which you wish to base your story. As Associate Editor Arthur Sanchez says, “It doesn’t have to be a major holiday. If your favorite is National Taco Day, go with it!”

Send your submissions to [email protected] . Be sure to include your email address and 50-100 word bio on your submission. We are paying (the usual) $10 per story. We can’t consider submissions without a return email address.

Happy writing! (more…)

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount / Reprints Allowed

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Taking Submissions: Strange Aeon: 2020

Deadline: August 31st, 2020
Payment: $20 and contributors copy
Theme: Lovecraftian Tales

The guidelines are simple. The working anthology title is Strange Aeon: 2020 (Lovecraftian Tales). That alone tells you most of what you need to know. I want good, solid Lovecraftian stories. I specifically say Lovecraftian rather than Cthulu because I’d like stories across the entire Mythos including additions by the original group of Mythos authors like Robert Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. [1] Likewise, specific Mythos references are not as important as getting the right style and tone. For example, I would happily take Smith’s Seed From the Sepulcher over a Deep One tale. This style preference also applies to gore and sex: think early Weird Tales. Having said that, science fiction horror is strongly encouraged; this is not an anthology of period pieces. For this anthology I’m asking for non-exclusive rights and will happily take reprints. Simply tell me the publication history so that I can give proper copyright acknowledgement. Simultaneous and multiple submissions are acceptable (please do so in a professional manner.)

Though I am not especially interested in non-fiction or poetry, I will consider it. At most only one non-fiction piece and one work of (long) poetry will be used.

I’m not overly concerned about length. 2,500 to 10,000 words is preferable but I also know from personal experience that horror doesn’t always lend itself to a strict word count. I don’t care about submission formatting as long as it’s legible, clean copy. Electronically, I need the story either in the body of an email or an as RTF file. Please submit to the email address mkeatonauthor (at) gmail (dot) com with the word Submission in the header. The goal is a final book with about ten stories averaging 5,000 words apiece.

I be receiving submissions no later than the end of August (or until the anthology is filled.) I will update these guidelines and notify any already accepted authors if the release date has to be pushed back. All submission received before the end of August should have final confirmation of acceptance or rejection by the following week. [2]

What’s in it for the author? There will be a token payment of $20 and a compensatory copy for the author; but the really useful part is that each contributor gets a bio to promote their own stuff. (I would like to avoid a specific word limit on bios; please respect the reader and the fact that every additional page raises the cover price and I reserve the right to edit bios for space.) Copyright will be retained by the author. Payment will be upon acceptance with comp copy to follow release of the anthology. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, the anthology is cancelled, the author is, of course, to keep the $20. [3]

Important Notes:
1] Authors new to working in the Mythos may find this a bit confusing. Let me be clear: do not use characters, creatures, book names, or anything else from modern authors. Modern authors are under copyright. Lovecraft and the other members of his original “circle” are largely under public domain. Please, do not accidentally infringe on anyone’s copyright. Always check first. In addition, gaming rules and supplements are also copyrighted works and should not be used. If in doubt, only use Lovecraft’s own work as a source just to be on the safe side. Better yet, create your own. This is always important when writing but especially in the murky pseudo-shared world of the Mythos where the lines are more difficult to see. If you questions have or concerns about this, a quick internet search should tell you what you need to know.

2] This is not a plug for Amazon. My intent is to be as transparent as possible about the process, quality of the final product, and anything else involved that might be a consideration for you as an author.

3] Since any publication, the first time, in any form, is by definition a use of First Rights, if you sell an unpublished work, even on a non-exclusive contract, then you have used your First Rights. And once First Rights (North American, World, Print, E-, or whatever other form they may be) are used, it’s all reprints from there and most places are no longer interested. I would love to see your work but I don’t want you to lose out on another market because of confusion about the rights. As noted earlier, for this project, I am very, very interested in reprints for this project. One of the goals of this project is to help writers and readers with this specific genre interest discover each other. For this, reprints work very well.

Via: M. Keaton.

Events / Flat Amount / Magazine

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Taking Submissions: Electric Spec November Issue 2020

Deadline: October 15th, 2020
Payment: $20 per story
Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres.

Please don’t query us about your story submission. We don’t have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it’s not possible.

A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story.

Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary.

We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions.

February closes January 15

May closes April 15

August closes July 15

November closes October 15

Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time.

We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres.

We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don’t accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up front and tell us as soon as it’s accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints, including anything that has appeared on a website.

We pay $20 for each story we publish. We buy first-printing world exclusive rights for four months. Payment will be made shortly after publication using PayPal. We encourage our authors to establish a PayPal account if they don’t already have one.

We prefer to read submissions in traditional manuscript format. This means indented paragraphs instead of left justification, and Courier or Times New Roman font in 12 pt, double-spaced. Also, please include the title, your name, address, and word length on the first page of your story.

To submit your story to Electric Spec, e-mail it as an attachment in Rich Text Format (RTF) to submissions at electricspec (dot) com. Use the following subject line: SUBMISSION:Story Title by Author’s Name (Word Count). In the body of the e-mail, include writing credits, if any, and the word count of the story. With the proliferation of viruses on the Internet, we do not open attachments unaccompanied by a cover letter.

Because we are a quarterly magazine, it may take us up to three and a half months to make a final decision, but we will let you know if your story is being held for voting. Please note we do not send out messages upon receipt of stories.

If you want to withdraw a story from consideration, please e-mail us at submissions at electricspec (dot) com and include the word WITHDRAW in the subject line. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail us at our submissions address and include the word QUERY in the subject line.

Why Submit to Electric Spec?

At Electric Spec, we encourage authors to do their market research before submitting work. Electric Spec stands out from other markets because:

  • We pay for stories and artwork.
  • We don’t have slush readers. At least one of our editors looks at every story that comes in.
  • We’ve been around for over eleven years – and we’ve never missed an issue, deadline, or author payment.
  • We actually edit the stories we publish. Our experienced editors work with authors to make their stories the best they can possibly be. Many magazines out there don’t do that – and it shows.
  • While we do not acknowledge story receipt, we have a quick turn-around time regarding publication. We do not hold any stories longer than 135 days without contact. If you haven’t received an email with a ‘reject,’ ‘accept,’ or ‘hold-for-voting’ message something may have gone awry ==> you should resubmit.
  • We love authors because we’re authors, too. All of the editors are published speculative fiction authors.

Art Submission Guidelines

We are currently accepting art submissions for our issues.

Please do not submit the same artwork more than once.

Please submit artwork separately from stories.

We will consider any picture with a speculative fiction element for issue cover art. Look at previous covers to ascertain our tastes. We prefer energetic pieces that narrow the boundary between realism and fantastical, both in genre and style. Consider that our readers come to Electric Spec for stories; we want to see story portrayed by your imagery. Art may be re-sized to fit standard browsers; we will not crop or alter the piece without your permission.

No over-the-top sex or violence, or fan fiction characters or settings, please. Though we appreciate the form, we don’t use caricature or graphic novel style art for our covers.

We pay $20 for each piece of artwork we publish. We buy first-printing world exclusive rights for four months and non-exclusive rights thereafter. Please note this means we want art that has not been published elsewhere. Payment will be made shortly after publication using PayPal.

To submit your art to Electric Spec, e-mail it as an attachment to submissions at electricspec (dot) com. Use the following subject line: ART SUBMISSION: Title by Artist’s Name. We prefer standard electronic formats such as jpeg or gif files.

Unless you receive a note indicating otherwise, your work may be considered for any future issue. We have, rarely, commissioned original artwork for the cover; if we ask, please be honest about how fast you can work. We operate under tight deadlines for publication.

We respond to most submissions within a month. We do not send messages upon receipt of submisisons. Because we are a quarterly magazine, it may take us up to three months. For art work sometimes we consider submissions after the three months has passed, i.e. we consider art work for more than one issue. If we do not reject a piece, it is still under consideration. Of course, in the meantime, if you place it elsewhere, please let us know.

If you have questions or comments, please e-mail us at submissions at electricspec (dot) com.

Via: Electric Spec.

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