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Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: 0.05¢ American per word Theme: A cryptid from legend or make one up, we want a strange, spooky, alluring, sweet, and/or funny story of emerging. Whether that's your cryptid coming out of hiding, a human being true to themselves, or a cryptid/human pairing falling in love, the heart of your tale is about rising, changing, growing. Cryptids Emerging: Tales of Dark Cheer Cryptids: they're sea monsters and tooth fairies, jackalopes and bigfoot. Cultures worldwide have stories of their own, from Ireland's fae to Puerto Rico's chupacabras, Scotland's Nessie to the Congo's Mokele-mbembe, cryptids are creatures from folklore, they're rumours, or in the case of this anthology…real. That's what our call for submissions is for: contemporary supernatural or historical fantasy about cryptids living with humans, or just at the edge of our vision, stories of what the world would look like if cryptids were real. What We Want Pick a cryptid from legend or make one up, we want a strange, spooky, alluring, sweet, and/or funny story of emerging. Whether that's your cryptid coming out of hiding, a human being true to themselves, or a cryptid/human pairing falling in love, the heart of your tale is about rising, changing, growing. We'd especially love LGBTQIA+, disabled, Black, Asian, neurodiverse, and other minority characters, as well as Own Voices, so if you're Latinx, for example, we'd adore a story set in Latin America. What We Don't Want Violence, pain, and misery. Yes there can be a whiff and whisper of those in your tale, but we don't want that front-and-center. We want just what the title says, dark cheer, which means creepy but kind, eerie but elegant, it means generally-positive stories of weird beings coming into their own. So we don't get four stories about Nessie, look at the links below for something...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Themes: Horror where "The key for us is suspension of disbelief. We want to be able to read your work, put it down and go “Did that just happen?”" Note: Only open to: Authors of Color, Authors who Identify as LGBTQ+, Authors with Disabilities, Current and Former Sex Workers Sinister Stoat Press is an imprint of Weasel Press. We’re the sly dogs of horror, unafraid to embrace the strange, the daunting, and mostly, the downright messed up world that encircles us. We’re a gang of strange travelers seeking out poets, fiction writers, and artists to help us form our new collective.  We look for stories that suspend disbelief. We want your unexplained phenomena, your aliens, your unknown creatures, blood-filled Halloween nights, and everything in between that keeps you up at night. We love things related to furry writing, secret government experiments gone wrong, found documentation of lost ghost adventurers, and much more!  We’re still gathering ourselves, and we have some submission calls listed below. In the meantime, check out our two publications we put out. The Haunted Traveler, and Dread: A Furry Horror Magazine. These projects will give you an idea of how twisted we are and how we started down this insidious journey of the unknown. Submission Guidelines Check our Facebook, Twitter for our updates.  Currently OPEN for submissions. We strongly recommend reading a Sinister Stoat book to get a better feel of what we want and look for in our authors. As of May 2020, Sinister Stoat Press is only seeking work from: Authors of Color Authors who Identify as LGBTQ+ Authors with Disabilities Current and Former Sex Workers In your submission, include a cover letter that addresses the following: The goal of your book Your target audience for your book A brief synopsis Possible...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Story must begin with: "Lena was raised on violin lessons and minimal parental supervision." We love that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually three to four weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. Also, we understand that writers may add our first line to a story they are currently working on or have already completed, and that's cool. But please do not add our first line to a previously published story and submit it to us. We do not accept previously published stories, even if they have been repurposed for our first lines. And, just to be clear, we do not accept simultaneous submissions. One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the traditional...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Not listed, last post on this stated: Poetry: $25 per page. Prose: $10 per page ($250 maximum). Translations $15 per page ($250 maximum) Theme: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations focused on the effects and realities of war and geopolitical violence SUBMISSIONS are welcome during the spring and fall reading periods: January 1—May 1 July 1—November 1 *Note: We no longer charge a submission fee CONSEQUENCE is an independent, non-profit journal, and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that publishes new content online throughout each month and a bi-annual periodical. We are interested in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations focused on the effects and realities of war and geopolitical violence. Each submission may be accepted for print and/or online publication. We’re pleased to announce we now compensate writers for their work. WRITERS whose work has appeared in the magazine include: David Abrams, Elliot Ackerman, Homero Aridjis, Peter Balakian, Jennifer Barber, Jerri Bell, Sven Birkerts, Kevin Bowen, Martha Collins, Martha Cooley, William Corbett, April Darcy, Stephen Dau, Jasmin Dzarnik, Ruth Edgett, Teresa Fazio, Max Frazier, Anne Germanacos, Jesse Goolsby, Tami Haaland, Lee Hancock, Bridey Heing, Jen Hinst-White, Fanny Howe, Daphne Kalotay, Mohammad Kazem Kazemi, Anne Korkeakivi, Phil Klay, Woody Lewis, Margaret Luongo, Christopher Lydon, Fred Marchant, Kai Maristed, Askold Melnyczuk, J. A. Moad II, Ruth Mukwana, Ed Ochester, Joyce Peseroff, Hilary Plum, Katey Schultz, Peter Dale Scott, Roy Scranton, Bob Shacochis, Tom Sleigh, Brian Turner, Barrett Warner, Julia Wendell, Afaa Michael Weaver, Nathan Webster, and Bruce Weigl. We no longer accept mailed or emailed submissions. Submitters whose work is accepted for online publication will be expected to provide a photo to illustrate the work. Fiction: Short story (up to 5,000 words), Flash (up tp 3 pieces or 1000 words), and Excerpts (up to 5,000 words) Nonfiction:...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: $15 for stories over 5K words and $10 for stories 5K and less Theme: Winter Wonders THEME - "Winter Wonders" Do you like to cozy up next to a roaring fire during a snowstorm? Does winter bring out the best in you... or the worst? Do you have a story of narrowly escaping an abominable snow beast, or finding romance during a blizzard in an enchanted cabin? Are snow-covered mountains the scenery of fabulous fables... or nightmares? Living snowmen, magical solstices, ice-crusted alien planets, whatever floats your iceberg. We want your stories that include “winter wonders'': stories of survival, interstellar adventures, or magical nights. Sci-fi, fantasy, weird-fiction, and everything in between—as long as your story has “winter” and “wonder,” we want you to share it with us. The submission window for Skullgate Media Presents: Winter Wonders opens March 1, 2021 and closes May 1, 2021. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS A short story matching the theme of “winter wonders” between 3,000-15,000 words. Send your story to: [email protected] as an attachment (.docx, .rtf, or google doc files) by May 1st, 2021 10PM EST. We will respond to all submissions regarding whether your piece has been accepted by June 1st, 2021. If you have any questions before submitting, send them to [email protected]. agraph PAYMENTS & RIGHTS We will pay $15 for stories over 5K words and $10 for stories 5K and less. Rights include 6 months exclusive English language rights in all formats (eBook, print, and online). If your piece is accepted, you will be expected to work on revisions with an editor. We do not accept previously published material or “simultaneous submissions” (stories sent at the same time to another publisher). Skullgate Media Presents will consider material submitted by any writer, previously published or not. Via: Skullgate Media.

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Advance and royalties Theme: Suspense/Thriller, Dark Fantasy and Crime/Noir Genres Grey Matter Press has been publishing exceptional dark psychological fiction for nearly a decade. Established in 2012 with a focus on producing only the highest quality volumes, work from our Chicago-based independent press has been embraced by readers and lauded by critics worldwide. Our submission windows are limited and do not open that frequently, but we’re thrilled to announce a few of our publishing needs for the remainder of the year. This submission window closes on May 1, 2021.   Seeking Fiction in the Suspense/Thriller, Dark Fantasy and Crime/Noir Genres In an effort to complete our publishing schedule for the remainder of 2021 and throughout of 2022, we are currently looking for submissions of exceptional long-format fiction in the novel and novella categories that comfortably fit within the suspense/thriller, dark fantasy and crime/noir genres. As a publisher that has established itself as a leader in the dark fiction category, we are not specifically looking for work in the horror genre, although your fiction may (but it’s absolutely not required) feature supernatural themes. We are only looking for work that has not been previously published anywhere via any venue whatsoever. We are unable to accept queries for reprints of any kind. Word count for novellas should ideally be within the 20,000-40,000 range, while word count for novels should be within the 60,000-90,000 range. We are not accepting short stories at this time. How to Submit Your Fiction Write a synopsis (500 words or less) that effectively outlines your novel/novella and provides us with a full grasp of your story’s plot from start to finish. Provide us with your publishing history (if any) that includes previous publications, recognitions or awards. Supply us with your complete manuscript in...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: $20 and a contributors copy Theme: Stories that feature assassin type characters that are also "extremely or utterly foolish or silly" or "of, relating to, or resembling an ass" Smart Rhino Publications is excited to announce that we’ll be publishing a new anthology, ASININE ASSASSINS. Publication is tentatively scheduled for late 2021/early 2022. The first two books in this series, UNCOMMON ASSASSINS and INSIDIOUS ASSASSINS, were well-received and reviewed. Most readers enjoyed the diversity of genres and styles in these books, and we’d like to continue that diversity with the new anthology. The graphic to the right is our early cover illustration by Austrian artist Georg Schultschik. The initial cover design was created by Ju Kim, who also handled the covers for Smart Rhino’s A Plague of Shadows and Green Tsunami. We hope you’ll consider submitting a story for our consideration. Deadline for submissions is May 1 or until the anthology is full. There is no guarantee of acceptance—we’re hoping for an abundance of submissions and competition is likely to be high. What We’re Looking For asinine adjective 1: extremely or utterly foolish or silly 2: of, relating to, or resembling an ass   Synonyms: absurd, balmy, brainless, bubbleheaded, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, fatuous, featherheaded, fool, foolish, half-baked, half-witted, harebrained, inept, insane, jerky, kooky, loony, lunatic, lunkheaded, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, senseless, silly, simpleminded, stupid, tomfool, unwise, wacky, weak-minded, witless   ASININE ASSASSINS seeks stories involving a character (e.g., assassin, gun for hire) with the above synonyms in mind. The "asinine" element must be critical in the plot—we particularly like dark humor, but we’ll also consider anything comedic, zany, or surreal. Stories can be any genre (although the focus is on suspense), but they must fit the anthology’s theme. We’re intentionally broad here. Stretch your imaginations and surprise us!   What We’re NOT Looking For While this is an R-rated anthology, please no stories involving graphic rape, child molestation, or animal torture. No gratuitous sex—if you include sexual content, make sure it is germane to the plot of your story....

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: £5 and a contributors copy Theme: food, hauntings, memory and consumption, both independently and combined. Please email all submissions to [email protected]. We accept fiction and creative non-fiction up to 1000 words on the topics of food, hauntings, memory and consumption, both independently and combined. Please do interpret our theme! We are also open for visual art submissions of all kinds! Please send up to five JPG or PNG files. We accept (and encourage) hybrid, experimental and creative-critical work. Unfortunately, we cannot publish poetry at this time. All accepted work will go through a brief, collaborative editorial stage. Please make sure your writing is double-spaced (where possible) and presented in a readable font. The email subject line should include your name and the type of submission, for example: – fiction. Writing should be sent as a word document and accompanied by a PDF if necessary. Tell us a bit about you in your cover letter, and include a brief bio of up to 50 words. Our submissions are open to everyone, and we particularly encourage marginalised and emerging writers to submit. We have reserved five spaces in our first issue for previously unpublished writers, so please let us know if you qualify! Upon publication, contributors will be sent £5 (via PayPal) and a print copy of the issue. Copyright remains with authors and artists, but we ask that you credit us if your work appears elsewhere. We only accept unpublished work. We encourage multiple (1–3) and simultaneous submissions, but do let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere so we can congratulate you! Our response time is currently less than a week, but please allow up to thirty days before querying. Plagiarism and hateful content will never be tolerated. Submissions close on May 1st. Thank you for your support! Via: The Hungry Ghost Project.

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Poetry: £15 per poem upfront payment upon publication + 0.5% revenue share scheme., Flash Fiction: £50 upfront payment upon publication + 1% revenue share scheme., Short Fiction: £100 upfront payment upon publication + 2% revenue share scheme. Theme: Elevate us, and share thrilling stories of horror and romance, betrayal and bloodlust. Wherever you go regarding genre or form, we yearn to read what great works have yet to be read. Currently, we're in the process of establishing our first publication - The Needle Drops... Whilst we welcome all submissions, currently we are only moving forward with those within the horror genre, to be featured in Volume One releasing in the Summer / Fall of 2021. The preliminary end date for submissions is the 1st of May 2021. However, we especially encourage submissions at any time from BIPOC and those from LGBTQI+ community, as it is important to prioritise underrepresented voices and experiences, especially within the publishing industry - something which has been dominated by the white cis experience.   The Needle Drops... features an illustrated comic strip, original soundtrack, curated design by our in-house team and more. Dive into our blog for more information. One contributor will have the opportunity to work with our composer on an original soundtrack piece that will feature in the OST, available physically in the Limited Edition of The Needle Drops... as well as digitally via our Urhi Supporter scheme.   Once we receive your work, our editor will take it onboard, considering how it could be placed in our current roster, and whether it is the right fit for us. If we are ready to collaborate, we will then get in touch, detailing the next steps on the process of publication. In the spirit of collaboration, all of our...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Fiction: $20. Flash fiction: $10. Poetry at $10 per poem. Full details below Theme: Mad Queens; mad, bad, and ready to murder Last Girls Club Summer Issue Theme is Bees: Mad Queens; mad, bad, and ready to murder. No more than two fiction or flash fiction stories per author per submission period. Fiction is limited to 2,500 words or less. Authors are paid $20 upon acceptance Flash fiction is limited to under 1,000 words. Authors are paid $10 upon acceptance. No more than three poems per poet. Poems are limited to 200 words or less for each poem. Poets are paid $10 upon acceptance. I prefer to use PayPal to pay authors, but will work with authors where PayPal is not available. Nonfiction columns will must be pitched to editor in chief before submission. Email your idea to [email protected] The Last Girls Club Magazine is a quarterly feminist horror magazine that publishes international short stories and poems from the female gaze. It is an homage to the scary comics and zines of the late 20th century. Please check on the website for the theme in detail. Submissions will be accepted from Jan 1-Feb 1, April 1-May 1, July 1-Aug 1, Oct 1-Nov 1. Final notifications will be Feb 15, May 15, Aug 15, Nov 15. No more than two fiction stories per author per submission period. Fiction is limited to 2,500 words or less. Flash fiction must be under 1,000 words, no more than two from an author. No more than three poems per poet. Poems are limited to 200 words or less for each poem. I prefer to use PayPal to pay authors, but will work with authors where PayPal is not available. Nonfiction columns will must be pitched to editor in chief before submission. Email your...