by Stuart Conover | Oct 15, 2018 | Events, Magazine, Reprints Allowed, Semipro, Token Payment
Deadline: November 15th, 2018
Payment: Unpublished Fiction: 3¢ per word, $150.00 max, Reprints: 1¢ per word
Note: Reprints Allowed
We are a literary magazine of dark fiction, both short stories and flash fiction. We want your best. But then, doesn’t everyone? No specific sub-genres or themes, just good stories. For inspiration, we suggest “The Twilight Zone”, “The Outer Limits”, and LampLight, Vol1 Issue 1 which is free.
We go for stories that are dark, literary; we are looking for the creepy, the weird and the unsettling.
(more…)
by Stuart Conover | Oct 9, 2018 | Anthology, Events, Semipro
Deadline: December 31st, 2018
Payment: 3 cents per word, minimum
Do you write words? Specifically, do you write English words that band together to form short fiction? Are you disabled, identify with disability, manage disability, or use some other way to describe how you relate to your disability or condition? If so, this call for submissions might be for you:
Not like your ableist patriarchal publishing monocultures,
with standard narratives that narrowly define
Here at the beginnings of our anthology we exist:
two mighty women with ideas that cannot be contained.
“Keep, traditional publishers and editors, your inspiration porn,
Your stories that objectify and demean,” we cry.
“Bring us your fabulous stories,
With diverse characters.
Bring us your Deaf heroes, your disabled, your neurodiverse,
Your characters breaking free from the shackles of normativity
Those who are not refuse, but fabulous
Send these your homeless stories, tempest-tossed to us,
We lift them up and celebrate them, at the gate of our anthology.
We are seeking short fiction for the Nothing Without Us anthology. All works must be fiction—fiction based on lived experiences is welcome. The lead character must be disabled, blind, Deaf, Autistic, neurodiverse, and/or live with mental illness. We do not expect all of these in one character, although we’re sure that character would be amazing. We are accepting fiction in all genres with the exception of hard-core erotica. We are also only interested in previously unpublished works. (Sorry, we’re not accepting poetry for this anthology.)
What we are not seeking
Inspiration porn. There’s already enough of it out there. Examples include but are not limited to: The Autistic person who overcomes their autism, presents as a quirky neurotypical, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after. The person who is in an accident, feels life is over, then overcomes it through work, a new love, and so on. The person blind from birth who overcomes their disability to be a success in mainstream culture “in spite of” being blind. These types of stories objectify the person and make their story all about their disability. We seek stories that show how we are people with complex and awesome lives.
We also do not want stories about the fetishization of disabled people, a person being in a relationship out of pity for the disabled person, or a character who solely exists for the benefit of the person without a disability.
Who can submit
We welcome writers across the disability, mental illness, developmental disabilities, neurodiversity, blind, and Deaf spectrums. We welcome those who manage invisible and visible disabilities and/or chronic conditions. We welcome those who count spoons! We’re just looking to have an entire work where we elevate the stories written by the folks in our community.
We welcome the communities that intersect with the disabled, neurodiverse, mentally ill, blind, and Deaf communities, such as the LGBTQIA2 communities.
We welcome POC and indigenous voices.
How to submit
Submission window: September 30 to midnight (EST UTC-5) December 31, 2018
This is the part that you likely jumped to without reading the other sections, especially those of us with attention-deficit fabulousness. If you did skip the first parts, please read them at some point before submitting, because following the guidelines will factor in how we chose stories for this anthology.
- Word length: 1,000 to 3,500 words
- A cover letter including:
- Title and word count in the first sentence, followed by where you live.
- A brief description of the work (one paragraph).
- Why you feel you and your writing would be a good fit for this anthology.
- One paragraph biography of yourself.
- William Shunn manuscript format with Times New Roman typeface at 12pt. Please, note, this, is, not, to, be, confused with, the William Shatner, format, that, requires, commas, after, every, word.
- Submit your manuscript to [email protected] as a .doc, .docx, or RTF file type. The subject line should be in the following format—Submission: (Title of your story)
- Please do not send by carrier pigeon.
Renaissance (our amazing publisher) currently offers 3 cents per word, but we will be launching a Kickstarter to try to raise the amount that authors will be paid for submissions. Rights purchased: First English-Language Rights & Non-exclusive Anthology Rights (print and e-book).
Canadian citizens (living in Canada and/or paying taxes in Canada) and permanent residents of Canada will receive preferred status.
No multiple submissions. If you received a rejection before the deadline, you may submit a new work. Once again, we are looking for original fiction only. No reprints, please.
We can’t wait to discover what kind of stories you’ll send us!
Via: Nothing Without Us.
by Stuart Conover | Oct 8, 2018 | Events, Online, Semipro
Deadline: October 25th, 2018
Payment: $0.50/word
To honor Halloween (no, not that one), Gizmodo and io9 are presenting a very special editorial package focused on death in its many forms—we’ll be running essays, investigations, and a work of short fiction on what goes on beyond the veil. And as part of it, io9 is announcing an open call for works of short, speculative fiction that interrogate what death might mean, or be, in the future.
Perhaps death has become a thing of the past—for some humans, at least. Maybe a newly sentient AI must decide whether to program some form of death into its universe. Whatever the premise, we’re looking for creative takes on what it means for an object or entity to cease to be. We’re most interested in futuristic and science fiction-infused tales; no gore or straight horror, please.
We’re looking for pieces under 2,000 words and the deadline for us to receive your submission is October 25, 2018. Our rates start at $0.50/word and authors will retain the copyright to their work, granting Gizmodo a right to first publication and a 90-day exclusive period.
To submit, please email a short summary (a few sentences will do) of the scope and plot of the story, as well as links to any other published work you’d like for us to see, to [email protected]. Please include your story as an attachment.
Via: io9.
by Stuart Conover | Sep 30, 2018 | Events, Flat Amount, Magazine, Reprints Allowed, Semipro
Deadline: October 18th, 2018
Payment: USD 3¢/word, minimum $5, maximum $25 for previously unpublished poetry or prose and a $5 flat payment for reprints.
Note: Reprints Allowed
For our Fall 2018 issue, Riddled with Arrows is seeking writing-related fiction and metafiction, ars poetica, essays, visual art and non-classifiable written objects that explore the physical manifestations of the written world: think books, paper, letters, writing implements, stone tablets, engraved jewelry, illuminated manuscripts, gravestone etchings, writing on skin, holy texts, ancient scrolls, etc. We are also interested in submissions that incorporate physical written objects (found poems, epistolary fiction, collage, paper art, etc.).
Remember: Riddled with Arrows exclusively publishes writing about writing. That is to say, all submissions should touch on writing as well as the “tangible” theme. Works that skimp on the meta- or writing-related part will be rejected. Not sure what we mean by “meta” or “writing-related”? Read past issues for examples of writers who got it write right. While you’re at it, pay close attention to our guidelines (below). We have particular tastes.
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter or
subscribe to our email list for updates, insider tips, and meta-shenanigans
You might also be interested in our interview with the “Six Questions For…” Blog or Sapling (Black Lawrence Press).
Guidelines for General Submissions
Please read all of this before submitting.
No, really.
Editorial Focus: Riddled with Arrows seeks (short) metafiction and metapoems, and writing that celebrates the process and product of writing as art. No restrictions on genre or form, so long as the work is about writing, or comments on itself (consciously or not) in interesting and meaningful ways.. (What is metafiction? We’re so glad youasked…) You might also want to read
Genre/Style: We prefer tight, clean (as in no typos), vivid, evocative writing. Spare the purple prose. We are open to all genres and styles. Literary? Yes. Fantasy/Sci-Fi? Absolutely. Horror? Ok. Experimental? Surprise us. In short, don’t be misogynistic, homophobic, racist, or a bigoted asshat of any kind. Please, no gratuitous sex or violence.
Fiction/Metafiction – Your fiction may be dreamily unaware of itself as a written artifact or gleefully and openly meta. All that really matters is that it be about writing, or be reflective of itself in some central and meaningful way. Fiction that simply features characters who happen to be writers doing nothing writing-related won’t cut it. We will consider microfiction as short as a few sentences (but are you sure that’s not really a poem?) and stories up to 1500* words (though the sweet spot is probably somewhere between 500-1000).
Max wordcount is FIRM. 1501 words is too many. Trim it, or we’ll reject it.
Poetry/Metapoetry – You may submit up to four poems at a time (two-page maximum length per poem, to a total of eight pages of poetry max per sub). As with fiction, poems may be overtly or subtly meta–though poems that merely use the words “poetry”, “poem”, or “poet” as metaphor are probably not meta enough. We crave poetry that celebrates (or grieves for, or rages against?) poetry itself. We are also interested in poetry that uses language, form, and other neat tricks to comment on itself, no matter the topic. We favor free verse but admire well-crafted formal and metric poetry. Rhyming poetry is fine, too, but for the love of Pablo, please be sure your rhymes are organic and interesting (as opposed to forced and clichéd).
Pro-tip: For an idea of what the editor looks for & loves in poetry, check out her blog-series
on the poems selected for issue #22 of Eye to the Telescope (edited by SCWinward).
Non-Fiction – Riddled with Arrows is primarily a market for poetry and fiction, but we will consider creative non-fiction and informative essays in keeping with our meta-aesthetics. We hesitate to define exactly what we’re looking for, but we know we DO NOT want how-to articles or personal essays that would be at home in any typical craft magazine or website aimed at would-be writers. We are particularly interested in non-fiction that plays with writing as culture, writing as art, writing as an evolving and even sentient thing. We want semantics and lexicons and discourse, philology, graphology, slang, libraries, magical tomes, alphabets, idiolects and interviews–go wild. Humor and oddity a plus. Max 1500 words (we’ll consider longer but please query first–fiction pay rates apply).
I-don’t-know-what-to-call-this – We will consider written work that does not fall easily into the above categories. Surprise and delight us. Check out these links for some of examples of things that have struck our meta-fancy lately.
Visual Art – We welcome and will consider all meta art* and art relating to the art of writing. Have a quirky comic panel about writing? Send it. A beautiful digital painting of your writing muse? Send it. A poem in elegant calligraphy? Send that too. Something that you’re not quite sure qualifies? Send it and let us decide. All artwork must be original and your own property – please do not share the art of others without their express permission (we’d much rather you point them in our direction if they have a piece you think fits RwA).
We want your art to look its best on our site so please submit JPG or PNG files that are high-resolution (3.7MP or higher) and have a title (preferably something other than untitled).
For examples of meta art, look here, here, and here.
Other Considerations
- Simultaneous submissions are fine, as long as you inform us immediately if your work is no longer available.
- Multiple submissions – no. We’re too busy for that nonsense. Please wait to hear back on your prose or poetry before submitting again. We will consider up to three submissions per author, per reading period. Any more than that will be kicked back to you unread.
- Submitting in more than one category – ok, fine, yes, as long as you follow all of the pertinent guidelines.
- Reprints are welcome, though preference will be given to work that is not available elsewhere (including your personal blog or Facebook page, etc). Please include previous publication details with your submission, and be sure that you retain the rights to anything you send us. Again, we’re far too busy for nonsense.
- Re-submitting – We cannot consider work that has been previously rejected, unless we specifically ask for it. Send us something new instead. Keep writing.
- Riddled with Arrows celebrates diversity. We are open to any writer who can slay us with words. We will make it our mission to remain inclusive and to broadcast ourselves as such. Please help us spread the word across the literary landscape, and do let us know when we fall short of our target.
Rights & Rates
Riddled with Arrows Literary Journal seeks First Electronic Rights for original work and Reprint electronic rights for previously published work. All work published in Riddled with Arrows will be archived for the life of the journal. Authors may request that their work be removed after six months.
We believe authors and artists should be paid for their work. We offer USD 3¢/word, minimum $5, maximum $25 for previously unpublished poetry or prose and a $5 flat payment for reprints. For original visual art, we offer a flat $10 payment.
All payments will be issued through Paypal upon publication.
Poetry/Prose Submission Formatting
–>Please post all poetry and prose submissions in the body of an email. If your work requires special formatting that is not supported by email, please query first for permission to send attachments.<–
This is Important: Please put the word SUBMISSION in the subject field of your email, followed by the genre of your work (poetry/fiction/non-fiction/other), followed by your name, like so: SUBMISSION: Poetry, [Your Name Here].
Cover letters are appreciated. Polite cover letters particularly so. Address your correspondence to Shannon Connor Winward, (no “e” in Connor, one “d” in Winward). Dear Shannon is fine, too. Dear Editor is okay, but shows you haven’t done your homework.
Include a brief bio with relevant publishing credits, if you have them, though we are more interested in your work than your pedigree. Add a snippet of something unusual or relevant or fascinating about yourself, if you so desire. We like unusual and relevant and fascinating people. We also like corny jokes. It’s true.
We reserve the right to delete unread any submissions that do not follow these guidelines. We also reserve the right to respond with snippy admonishments if we haven’t had our coffee yet.
Visual Art Submission Formatting
Please submit all artwork as a Jpeg (jpg) or PNG (png) file, with a size of 5mb or less. Include a cover letter and bio as described above, addressed to Ro Molina, Visual Editor.
Response Times
You should expect to hear back fairly quickly on the status of your submission. We may or may not send acknowledgments of receipt, but if you do not receive a response of some kind within two weeks, please query.
Did you read the guidelines?
Did you really?
Then SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO
submissions @ riddledwitharrows . com
Via: Riddled With Arrows.
by Stuart Conover | Sep 6, 2018 | Anthology, Events, Semipro
Deadline: December 24th, 2018
Payment: 2 cents USD per word and a contributor copy.
MACHINATIONS AND MESMERISM: A TRIBUTE TO E.T.A. HOFFMANN
Edited by Farah Rose Smith, “Machinations and Mesmerism” is an anthology of fantastic, strange fiction written in the vein of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, the oft’-unsung artistic polymath and writer of Dark Romanticism, Gothic Horror, and Fantastic literature.
E. T. A. Hoffmann was a Prussian lawyer, artist, composer, and writer. His stories are ripe with strange atmospheres and peculiar characters (including automata, madmen, and spectres), which would go on to influence the Gothic and macabre writers of the following generations including Poe, Gogol, Kafka, and Baudelaire. Though his writing lingered primarily within the parameters of German Romanticism, Hoffmann’s literature would also impact the fantasy and science fiction genres as well, as many of his works illuminate the struggle between science and magic. This carefully curated anthology honors the literary dance between mesmerism, mechanics, and magic through which Hoffmann explored issues of Romantic idealism and the self.
Our window will open on SEPTEMBER 1st and close on DECEMBER 24th.
ULTHAR PRESS is looking for strange, gothic, and fantastic fiction in the manner of E.T.A. Hoffmann between 2,000 – 5,000 words in length. Stories that merely graft his characters into a new story will not be accepted.
Fiction submissions: Email submissions to [email protected] with the subject line as follows: HOFFMANN ANTHOLOGY: [YOUR TITLE]. Please send in .doc, .docx, or .pdf file types, only.
We are not accepting reprints, multiple submissions, or simultaneous submissions.
We respond within 60 days or sooner, and ask that queries regarding submissions not be sent out until after this period has passed.
Payment: 2 cents USD per word and a contributor copy.
Via: Ulthar Press on Facebook.
by Stuart Conover | Aug 21, 2018 | Magazine, Ongoing Submissions, Semipro
Payment: 3¢ per word for the first 5000 words, capping at $150. We occasionally accept previously published work for a flat fee of $25
Word Limit: 500-5000 words, Longer stories may be serialized if fit.
Pay Rate: Original stories 3¢ per word for the first 5000 words, capping at $150. We occasionally accept previously published work for a flat fee of $25
Genres: Dark Science fiction, Horror, and Slipstream. Think of the Canyons as a literary Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, or Outer Limits—it’s Netflix’s Black Mirror.
Language: English (Translations are welcome.)
Rights: We claim first world electronic rights (text and audio), first print rights (author must be willing to sign copies) for nine month exclusive, and non-exclusive anthology rights for regularly released and special edition Omnibus anthologies.
Stories must be:
1. Written well.
2. Easily read on-screen.
3. Appropriate for audio.
Inquire HERE
Via: Tales from the Canyons of the Damned.
