Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flash / Semipro

March 12, 2024

Taking Submissions: Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 9

Deadline: May 15th, 2024
Payment: 1 cent per word and 5 contributors copies
Theme: Horror stories based in Texas by Texas-based authors

DEADLINE: MAY 15, 2024
Starkweather Imprints is pleased to announce plans for the 2024 edition of Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 9.
Road Kill co-creator Bret McCormick will edit Vol. 9 of the series, which has featured the works of Joe R. Lansdale, Katherine Anne Porter, Stephen Graham Jones, Robert E. Howard, O. Henry, Russell C. Conner, Madison Estes, Patrick C. Harrison, E. R. Bills and others. McCormick is looking for original horror stories 1,500-10,000 words in length.
The stories must be written and submitted by Texas authors and must be set (based) here – hence the title. One cent per word and contributing writers will receive five free copies. Writer stipends will look something like this: 10,000 words – $100, 7,500 words – $75, 5,000 words – $50, 2,500 words – $25, 1,500 words – $15.
All payments will be made after official acceptance, and when acceptance is communicated, each author will need to send a short bio.
Starkweather Imprints will be requesting one-year non-exclusive rights. This means we will use your story in this anthology and we can print excerpts of it online and otherwise (for promotional purposes, etc), but one year down the road you can do with it what you like.
The Submission Period begins on February 5, 2024. The deadline to turn in stories is May 15, 2024, and our intent is to have the book printed and available by October 1, 2024, in plenty of time for Halloween. Please send submissions to: [email protected]

Anthology / Events / Flat Amount / Poetry

March 12, 2024

by Stuart Conover

Taking Submissions: Hemorrhaging Flowers: A Collection of 100% Femme Rage

Deadline: April 30th, 2024
Payment: $10 USD
Theme: Poems inspired by feminine rage. All speculative tropes are welcome

Opens: March 1s 2024, midnight EST

Closes: April 30, 2024, midnight IDLW

Compensation: $10 USD

Theme: Adult speculative poetry

Submissions must be under 50 lines

OPEN to any and everyone that identifies (now or in the past) as femme in the most inclusive of definitions.

Expected release: March 2024

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Anthology / Events / Flat Amount / Token Payment

March 11, 2024

by Stuart Conover

Taking Submissions: Fear’s Accomplice Volume 2

Deadline: June 1st, 2024
Payment: £5
Theme: All styles or horror, likes the types of tales you’d see in Tales from the Crypt, Twilight Zone, and similar

There is no theme. As long as your story is in the horror genre, I’m interested. Check out Fear’s Accomplice Volume 1 or Fear’s Accomplice: Halloween to get an idea of style. Think of Tales from the Crypt, Twighlight Zone, and similar. I want variation. Don’t be afraid of violence or strong language, though. You’re free to write any style of horror you choose.

Zombies, werewolves, vampires, etc, are more than welcome, but they are something of a hard sell. Make it unique or interesting.

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Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flash

March 7, 2024

by Stuart Conover

Taking Submissions: The Whumpboratory

Deadline: May 31, 2024
Payment: Contributor’s Copy
Theme: Whumpy stories that involve a laboratory

Whump, closely related to hurt/comfort, is a genre of fiction that involves hurting fictional characters. It often also involves the comforting of those characters, but not necessarily. It originated in fan fiction, but has now branched out into original fiction. If you are unfamiliar with the genre, make sure to familiarize yourself with it before submitting. Check out #whump on tumblr, or pick up a copy of one of our previous anthologies!

Calling all whump writers! The Whumpy Printing Press is looking for stories for its third anthology, to be published in paperback and ebook formats in 2024.

Theme: Lab whump. For this anthology, we’re looking for whumpy stories that involve a laboratory. Maybe your whumpee is a lab rat. Maybe they’re on the run from the ethically questionable organization that has been holding them prisoner. Maybe the whumpee has finally flipped the script on their whumper. As long as a lab is incorporated into the story in some way, it counts!

We take a broad view of whump- it can be physical or emotional. Your stories can be hurt no comfort or comfort no hurt, just as long as they touch on whump in some way.

Word Count: Up to 17,500 words

For this anthology, we are looking for stories in the following categories:

Micro-fiction: 250 words or less

Flash fiction: 251-1,000 words

Short Story: 1,001-7,499 words

Novelette: 7,500-17,500 words

Compensation: ebook contributor’s copy, one free paperback, and discounts on additional paperbacks

50% of proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to charity, with the remainder going to support future WPP projects.

Submissions Open: October 28, 2023 Submit Here!

Submissions Close: May 31, 2024 (hard deadline)

Expected Publication Date: October 2024

The Nitty-Gritty

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Anthology / Events / Flat Amount

March 7, 2024

by Stuart Conover

Taking Submissions: Cowboy Up

Deadline: July 31st, 2024
Payment: $20
Theme: Rodeo-themed, any genre

We are looking for stories up to 7500 words in length that feature the sport of Rodeo. They can be in any genre as long as the sport of Rodeo is a key part of the story.

Stories must revolve around the sport, the riders or the animal athletes involved in Rodeo and while being realistic to the sport must also portray it in a favorable light. We do hope to receive stories that cover all of the events in Rodeo: Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Tie-Down Roping, Steer Wresting, Team Roping, Steer Roping, Barrel Racing and Ladies Breakaway Roping. Stories can also feature Bull Fighters, Barrel Men, Pick Up Men, the medical teams (human and veterinarian) – or anyone involved in the sport.

Seventy-Five percent of all proceeds from this anthology will be donated to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund – an organization that provides help to injured riders and their families.

Break the story-writing rules if you want. If you use a tried-and-true plotline, twist it in an original and interesting way. Original stories are preferred. Query for reprints.

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Anthology / Events / Flat Amount / Royalties

March 1, 2024

by Stuart Conover

Taking Submissions: Unleashed Fall 2024 Release

Deadline: June 5th, 2024
Payment: $25 per story or royalty share
Theme: Slasher horror stories

Skywatcher Press launched the themed anthology series, UNLEASHED featuring top notch fiction by new and established authors.

We seek stories across the wide possibilities of the horror landscape. Our goal is to terrify readers, make their skin crawl, and keep them on the edge of their seats.

Stories can be up to 10,000 words, and we will make exceptions for longer.

Once selected, pay will be $25 per story or royalty share. This is determined by volume and will be discussed with author in advance.

We are eagerly awaiting your most twisted, nightmarish creations!
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Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flash / Poetry / Pro

February 29, 2024

by Stuart Conover

Taking Submissions: SpeKulative Stories Anthology Series

Deadline: November 30th, 2024
Payment: 10 cents per word for fiction and $2/line for poetry. Also, a contributor’s copy
Theme: Speculative short stories and poems that either include trains or aliens as their focal point

The purpose of the SpeKulative Stories Anthology Series is to showcase provocative and powerful tales related to a single theme. Following the publication of our first theme anthology, Automobilia, in 2024, we are now seeking short stories and poems for the next two anthologies in the series. The titles are Train Tales and Aliens Among Us. Publication is set for early 2025.

As each title suggests, a train or an alien (space aliens that is) should be such an integral part of your story or poem that if removed the story or poem collapses.

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Anthology / Events / Flash / Flat Amount

February 29, 2024

by Stuart Conover