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Taking Submissions: Dear Leader Tales

Deadline: July 31st, 2020 Payment: 3.0 cents per word, contributors copy, $150 advance maximum on longer stories Theme: Fiction short stories and poetry in support of an election year theme “Dear Leader Tales” (DLT) anthology. We want stories of a humorous or satirical bent which illustrate or lampoon an emperor’s hubris (and lack of clothing). Note: Reprints allowed Theme:  We’re looking for original fiction short stories and poetry in support of an election year theme “Dear Leader Tales” (DLT) anthology. We want stories of a humorous or satirical bent which illustrate or lampoon an emperor’s hubris (and lack of clothing). In that spirit, we don’t want any real life current or past Dear Leaders named directly, but their known foibles are fair game. If you’re one of the oppressed, regardless of who’s in charge, this is your chance to deploy devastating humor, satire, wit, and sarcasm to bring them down a few notches. If nothing else, we can amuse ourselves in a trying time. Examples beyond the political include CEOs who constantly quote Sun Tzu or Machiavelli incorrectly, cats plotting to overthrow their human overlords, in short anywhere clueless oppressors operate. Rules: The stories can range from 1,000 to 5,000 words. First world rights are preferred. Reprint rights will be accepted if the story is good enough. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable as well, provided prompt notice is given should the story be picked up elsewhere. Stories may exceed the 5K word count limit, if it merits, however the advances are limited to a maximum of $150 per story. Schedule: Submission period is July 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, after which no further submittals will be accepted.The email address for submissions will only be active during that period. We plan to release the anthology in mid-September 2020. Team: The evaluation team will consist...

Taking Submissions: Happy Hellidays (working title)

Deadline: July 11, 2020 Payment: $0.08 U.S. per word Theme: Twisted Holiday Stories (any holiday!) Happy Hellidays (working title) Give us some twisted, unexpected holiday stories. Don't limit yourself to Christmas -- we're looking for all kinds of special occasions gone awry. Editor: Sandra Ruttan Submission Information Note: We will not process or respond to submissions sent to the wrong email address. Only submissions sent to [email protected] will be processed. Note: Each story should be submitted in its own email. Do not send a submission as a response to a rejection or email query. Do not send multiple stories in the same email. Pro Tip: Read Rigor Morbid: Lest Ye Become to get a sense of what the editor is looking for in stories. The tone is appropriate for Disturbia and Rigor Morbid 2. We welcome submissions from diverse authors. We encourage individuals to opt to include a bio (100 words, written in third person) and author photo that can be used with the publication when submitting.  *Diverse can refer to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or those that are specially abled Payment $0.08 U.S. per word We will not publish stories that are donated — all writers must be prepared to receive payment through one of our approved payment methods. All payments to U.S. writers will be made by check. All payments to international writers will be made by Paypal to a verified Paypal address that is in the writer’s name. Guidelines Stories should be 3000 words or less Stories should be attached as a .doc or .docx file Text in stories should be in black ink No underlined text in stories Use a standard font (Times New Roman or Courier) stories should be sent to the proper email address submissions should be addressed to Sandra Ruttan submissions should have the requested information in the subject line submissions do...

Twisted Anatomy

Deadline: July 11th, 2020 Payment:Flash: 250-1000 words – $5.00, Short: 1001-5000 words – $7.00, 5001-7000 words – $10.00 Theme: Body Horror Sci-Fi & Scary is pleased to announce that we are opening submissions for our first charity anthology, with a goal of publishing in mid-February, 2021. Proceeds will be split between: Pulmonary Hypertension Association  and National Domestic Violence Hotline Twisted Anatomy: A Sci-Fi & Scary Body Horror Anthology* *Tentative Title We blame Laurel Hightower. One innocent discussion about vagina tentacles planted a seed that very quickly took root. Body horror is perhaps one of the most disturbing kinds of horror. Our bodies are meant to behave in certain ways, and the corruption or mutation of that, of our own selves turning against us, in a declaration of war against an enemy we can’t fight because it’s in our own skin? Terrifying. Women in particular have so little control over their own bodies as it is in some areas. To have even more taken from us? No , thank you. But it’s fascinating, isn’t it? Body horror holds an unique allure, so we’re excited to invite everyone to participate in this anthology. What is Body Horror? Body horror or biological horror is a subgenre of horror that intentionally showcases graphic or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutations, mutilation, zombification, gratuitous violence, disease, or unnatural movements of the body. Wikipedia.com Specifically, we are looking for tales of mutation (think Vagina Monsters!)  and corruption, though other forms will be considered as well. We will not accept stories depicting rape, pedophiia, or espousing views that promote bigotry, racism, sexism, or homophobia. We will be including content warnings in this anthology as we believe in letting readers experience what they want without fear of stumbling over trauma-inducing...