by Stuart Conover | Feb 13, 2019 | Anthology, Events, Flat Amount, Royalties
Deadline: May 30th, 2019
Payment: $5, Equal share of 30% of the anthology profits
…no, don’t panic, we are not looking for lavatory-themed tales of terror – although should your short story involve the smallest room in the house, we’d be more than delighted to read it!
The theme for this anthology is short horror stories that will make an ideal sit-down read, just long enough for those extended stays at the convenience, and terrifying enough that they really are best read whilst over water….
This anthology will be compiled by the incomparable author and filmmaker Bret McCormick, so be sure to write to impress!
We have based story length upon the average time spent upon the convenience (10-15 mins) and the average reading speed (200-250 words per minute), so that the stories within this exceptionally unique anthology will be the perfect ‘per visit’ length!
NOTE: we will also accept a handful of shorter stories – ‘flush fiction’ – if the fit is right!
To submit, email your polished story to [email protected]
PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines…
* Word format saved in .doc, or .docx
* 12 pt times new roman
* Double spaced
* Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs!
* 2.5K-4K word count (although we are incredibly flexible for awesome stories!)
* Write ‘TOILET ZONE’ along with your name and story title in the header of your email
*The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter.
* The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email.
– Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you:
DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF)
Deadline: MAY 30th 2019 (for publication June 2019)
NO REPRINTS – ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY
Payment –$5 for first rights
Equal share of 30% of the anthology profits
Capped at 150K words in total
ViaL Hellbound Books Publishing.
by Stuart Conover | Feb 7, 2019 | Anthology, Events, Reprints Allowed, Royalties
Deadline: March 31st, 2019
Payment: Royalty Split
Note: Reprints Accepted
John Wayne Gacy. Pennywise. Juggalos. The Great Clown Panic of 2016. That birthday party you went to when you were four. Society is full of people being scared of clowns. But what are clowns scared of?
I’m looking for tales about that, tales where the clown in the room isn’t the real threat. From the high horror of an evil from before time to the tawdry prejudice of those who ‘know what sort of man likes playing with children’, give me stories about clowns with a reason to be scared.
Genre: Horror/Dark/Thriller/&c. Probably not literary; I want to see something creepy, weird, or unsettling, rather than a clown overcoming his fear of rejection.
Word Count: 1,000 – 10,000 words.
I don’t want to miss your story just because it’s a bit longer than the traditional short story.
Submission Window: 1 February — 31 March 2019.
Reprints? Yes.
If you have something that fits, I’ll give it equal consideration. Just let me know where it’s previously appeared.
Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
Please tell me if your story is accepted by someone else first.
Multiple Submissions? Yes.
Within reason. Please send each one in a separate email.
Payment: All successful contributors will receive a share of royalties paid via PayPal.
Submissions: Email the story as an attachment to [email protected] with the subject FEARS OF A CLOWN – Your Name – Story Name.
Stories should be a ODT/DOC/DOCX file. They don’t have to be in standard manuscript format but if I struggle to read them then they probably won’t be selected, so use a sensible typeface and layout (someone has already asked if I want them in Comic Sans; so, you’ve missed your chance to do that “joke”).
Cover letters are optional; feel free to write one if you want to practice, have any questions or information you want to share, or don’t feel right not sending one.
If you haven’t received an acknowledgement within 7 days of submission, please query to make sure your email hasn’t been eaten by my spam filter.
I intend to make final decisions by the end of April. If you haven’t received a detailed response by 12 May 2019, please feel free to query.
- What counts as a clown?
I don’t want to limit this just to the red-nosed entertainer of circus and children’s party fame, so I’m using two criteria to identify a clown:- People might plausibly call them a clown or mistake them for a clown
- Their “clown-ness” is relevant to the story rather than simply colour
For example, someone who was a major prankster at school and is still playing everything for laughs at forty is a clown even if they never put on a costume or make-up; whereas, someone who does children’s parties on the weekends but spends the entire story at their weekday job probably isn’t.
- Does the clown have to be a hero?
No. They can be a hero, but they don’t have to be a good guy or even a protagonist. Just as long as any bad clowns aren’t the real threat and they’re scared of whatever the real threat is. - Can I have more than one clown in the story?
Yes. The working title is based on Tears of a Clown, but you can include an entire pratfall of clowns if you wish. - What about bad language?
Fear isn’t tidy, controlled, family friendly; in fact, it’s the opposite. So, if a character would swear then feel free to write them that way. Remember, salty language is like real salt: some can add flavour, throwing handfuls in smothers the taste. - What about gore?
The goal is to inspire fear not merely gross readers out. But if your graphic descriptions of maiming and torture are also creepy then that could fit.
Via: David J. Higgins.
by Stuart Conover | Jan 29, 2019 | Anthology, Contributor's Copy, Events, Royalties
Deadline: April 23rd, 2019
Payment: Royalties and a contributor copy
Immortal Works (editor Holli Anderson) hereby calls for submissions for an anthology of MORMON STEAMPUNK to be called A MIGHTY FORTRESS.
Here is the deal:
1. The writer’s religious affiliation is completely irrelevant. We don’t care; we don’t even want to know.
2. The story does not have to be set in any particular world. The story must be in some sense “Mormon” and in some sense “Steampunk.” We’ll try to interpret those categories both broadly.
3. If your story is faith-promoting (Mormonism is “true” in the story), we’ll stop reading it. If it is mean-spirited (Mormons are all idiots), we’ll also stop reading it.
4. Stories should be at least 2,000 words long and generally no more than 8,000 words.
5. The deadline for submissions is April 23, 2019 or until filled.
6. Authors will not receive up-front payments. Authors will share in the revenues from sales of the book over time and will receive one (1) complimentary author copy.
7. Send submissions to hollia (at) immortal-works.com. Include the words “A MIGHTY FORTRESS SUBMISSION” in the subject line.
Via: Facebook.
by Stuart Conover | Jan 28, 2019 | Anthology, Events, Royalties
Deadline: April 30th, 2019
Payment: Royalties
A Murder of Crows—cozy to cozy-noir crime stories, set in any time, from dinosaurs to the present, using the collective names of groups of animals which includes mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, and insects. If your imagination goes beyond the scope of known collective names, you may create your own. Earth animals/birds only, none from outer space or invented animals. You can put your animals in jeopardy but animal cruelty or killing an animal is an automatic rejection. Choosing an animal/bird that is a little different may give you an edge on being chosen. We don’t want multiple stories using the same species! Your animals should be an integral part of the crime, not just a mention as part of the story.
Examples of collective names to use:
http://www.namibian.org/travel/misc/collective-nouns.html
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/99-strange-collective-animal-names
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/word-lists/list-of-names-for-groups-of-animals.html
Submission Period: December 17th – April 30, 2019
[email protected] and the name of your story in the subject line. Standard manuscript form, sent as an attachment. Your contact information on Page One.
Length: 2500 to 6000 words.
Four to five thousand words is a good goal. We expect the anthology to have approximately seventy-five thousand words, a mix of longer and shorter stories.
Payment: Royalty
Fifty percent of the gross royalties per calendar quarter will be distributed equally among the contributors. Contributor copies will not be offered. A limited number of review copies will be available.
We ask for the exclusive right to publish your story for one calendar year following contract signing, excluding publications of those previously published.
Title subject to change.
For additional information, please contact [email protected] or visit the website at http://www.darkhousebooks.com.
Sandra Murphy is the author of From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception. Her short stories have appeared in Flash and Bang, The Killer Wore Cranberry Four, Dogs and Dragons, Second Chance Dogs with other stories accepted awaiting publication in 2019.
Via: Dark House Books.
by Stuart Conover | Jan 28, 2019 | Ongoing Submissions, Online, Royalties
Payment: Royalties
Alsina Publishing is changing the way short stories are published. We believe in creating a global platform for authors with a transparent model that makes sense.
Publishing these days is about more than just the story: it is about the profile of the author, the marketing, and building an audience that knows about you. Alsina builds this into the model.
About our Product
Alsina builds LingoBites, an app for learning languages through story-telling. It delivers quality content to people all over the world that want to read and listen to interesting stories in order to help them solidify their language. Users can read or listen to your stories in their native language and the language they are trying to learn. If they like what you write, they can follow you and receive updates whenever you publish something new.
What we Offer Authors
Royalties. Every time someone finishes a story through the app, you get paid.
Your work is immediately translated into multiple languages, so you receive exposure to a global and multi-lingual readership that might not otherwise find you.
The built-in marketing tools mean that:
- Readers can easily find out more about you and the other works you write, directly from the app
- We link to your website, so within 2-3 clicks, readers can find more of your work
Playing with a couple of novel ideas? Submit 2-3 as short stories and see what users think of each one! Users can rate the stories that they read, so you get real feedback from real readers before you spend the time developing the novel.
About the Team
Alsina was founded by a team with expertise in publishing and in software development, so we bring you the best of both worlds in order to make something unique to the short story world.
Via: Alsina.
by Stuart Conover | Jan 24, 2019 | Anthology, Events, Royalties
Deadline: April 30th, 2019
Payment: Royalties
Beginning January 1st, Level Best Books will be accepting submissions for the seventeenth Best New England Crime Stories anthology. Seascape: The Best New England Crime Stories 2019 will be published in November and debut at The New England Crime Bake.
Please read all submission guidelines carefully before submitting stories. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines and procedures will not be considered.
Guidelines:
- Stories must be set in New England or be written by a New England author* in the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror from any time period (historical, modern day, future, etc.).
- Please indicate which New England state is featured in your story (this is especially important for non-New England authors)
- Stories must not exceed 5,000 words.
- Stories must be previously unpublished in print or electronically, including self-published works (to include author websites).
- Stories from both previously unpublished and published authors will be considered.
- The Level Best editors will consider up to two stories from the same author per anthology**
- Stories submitted previously, and not published in the interim, are welcome, especially those that have been revised.
- New England stories are set in the six New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. If you have questions about whether your story qualifies, please query us before submitting.
- We will not consider stories that feature graphic scenes of torture or sex.
- Submissions will be read blindly by the judges. Your story will be coded to insure anonymity before it is sent to the judges, therefore your name should not appear anywhere on the document.
- Level Best Books is a royalty paying and MWA approved publisher.
- You may simultaneously submit your story for consideration for the anthology and the Al Blanchard Award, which is judged separately.
*Please note: This is a change from previous years. Authors do not need to reside in New England to be eligible.
**While we will consider up to two stories by any author, only one story per author will appear in any anthology
How To Submit:
Submissions will be accepted from January 1 – April 30, 2019
- Please complete the form below. Emailed submissions to the editors will not be considered. Please use our submission form
- Please submit your story in Word .doc, double spaced.
- Please include page numbers on your document and story title in the header/footer (no author names, please)
- Please confirm no identifying information is contained in the Properties of your document
- Please type ## or The End at the end of your story
Via: Level Best Books.
