Events

Deadline: January 31st, 2021 Payment: $25 per thousand words Theme: Weird westerns set in the world of 'The Widow’s Son' (a link to details below for those who haven't read it. Malahas Press will be publishing a Weird West/Western Horror anthology of short fiction titled A Fistful of Demons from both debut and established authors in the Fall of 2022. We are based in the US, and welcome submissions from around the world. If you’re interested in submitting a short story to A Fistful of Demons, please read the following guidelines. Note that there is no submission fee for this anthology. Zero, niltch, nada. How to submit your story All short story submissions should be made via email to [email protected]. This helps us keep track of the submissions we receive as efficiently as possible. Submit your story as an attachment to the email. DO NOT PASTE YOUR STORY INTO THE EMAIL BODY. Please include only your name and story title in the subject line, e.g. “BOB SMITH – THE DARK RIDER.” Please don’t write to that address with general questions, as it won’t reach the right people. If you have a question you can contact the editor. What we’re looking for A Fistful of Demons is a Weird West/Western Horror short story anthology set in the aftermath of the novel The Widow’s Son. For more details on the setting please read this. It is not necessary to have read the book to submit. Details on the world and setting are provided in the link above. We are looking for stories about adventure in a Wild West beset by supernatural forces and fantastic steampunk technology. While we will accept stories with a romantic narrative, we will not accept erotica. Please note that we do not consider novel excerpts, non-fiction, poetry, or anything with illustrations or photographs. Word Count We’re looking for...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: 1 cents per word Theme: Diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. MYTHIC is seeking diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. We publish both new, original fiction. Authors are encouraged to submit their stories during the specific reading periods listed below. Reading Periods June 1 through July 31 December 1 through January 31 Guidelines Works should be between 2,000-6,000 words. (No wiggle room above or below.) 1.) Submit in Standard Manuscript Format We prefer Times New Roman or Courier and 12 point type. Double-spaced pages. Do not have tabs in your manuscript; please set first line indents. Please include your name and contact information at the beginning of the story. Submit in .doc, .docx, .rtf format. 2.) Please NO simultaneous or multiple submissions. Rights Purchased: For NEW/UNPUBLISHED FICTION, We are purchasing World English Rights Following an exclusivity period, all other rights revert to the author. MYTHIC retains a nonexclusive right to keep stories in the issue they appear for as long as the issue remains in print. Compensation: At this time, we PAY $0.01 CENTS A WORD for NEW short fiction. We provide authors with one free copy of the issue in which their story appears. Payment made upon publication via PayPal. (We are not responsible for any transaction fees). To submit fiction: Send all stories to [email protected]. Your story should be attached. Put “New Submission: Title of Your Story” in the subject line. Please include your name, title, word count, and contact information in the body of the email. Note on nonfiction: All articles and other content are chosen in-house. Please do not submit queries at this time. If you have further questions, use the contact form.   Thank you for your interest in MYTHIC. Via: Mythic Magazine.

Submission Window: January 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: 35% royalty on print books/45% royalty on ebooks and 10 author copies Theme: Gothic novels and novellas With its emphasis on a sublime atmosphere of picturesque scenery, extraordinary and exotic locations (period or contemporary), mystery, and horror, Gothic Fiction carved an indelible impression in the literary world. Beginning with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto in 1764, the Gothic has stalked the literary shadows for centuries, delivering tangled and tortured narratives of family trauma, psychological distress, and terrible secrets. The terrifying appeal of the Gothic lies within its ability to invoke a pleasing and memorable dread. Nosetouch Press is excited to open a call for a Gothic novel (60,000 words+) or novella (35,000 words+), encouraging writers to delve into the darkness and send us their best work. Previously unpublished work only—no reprints. No YA, poetry, or short story collections. Diverse voices are welcome. We will not consider stories with excessive gore, splattercore, cosmic horror, exploitation/trauma adult content, romance/erotica-centered plots, or child abuse-driven fiction. Starting January 1, 2022, please email your complete manuscript as an email attachment in .doc/.docx format to [email protected]. Please list GOTHIC FICTION CALL and the author name in your subject line. Please include a cover letter containing the word count, a short description of the work, and an author bio. Submissions sent prior to January 1, 2022, will be discarded. The call ends at MIDNIGHT PST, January 31, 2022, unless an extension to the call is announced via our social media channels. Please expect a 3-4 month reading period for all submitted works. Nosetouch Press will notify all writers of acceptance or rejection by email. Good fits for Nosetouch Press are carefully read and reviewed. We greatly appreciate your patience and understand that we have great respect for writers, and will let you know as soon as we’ve reached our final decision. Thank you for...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: 11 US cents / word Theme: Horror that represents you by marginalized authors Quick Specs: Looking for: Short stories Word count: 1000 to 7000 Payment: 11 US cents / word Open to: Mainly marginalized authors; see specifics below Audience: Adult Genre: Horror Subgenre: Horror that represents you Status: Unpublished Simultaneous submissions: YES Multiple Submissions: NO Poetry: Only if it’s a vehicle for a narrative; will be judged as a story first What's it gonna be? This horror anthology comes courtesy of a collaboration between editor Alex Woodroe and the publisher CatStone Books, and will hopefully be the first out of a series of yearly anthologies aiming to give voice to marginalized authors and their stories. CatStone Books is a 501(c)3 nonprofit publishing company that believes in promoting diversity in speculative fiction. This anthology will benefit from CatStone’s full support and resources, and would be released with fanfare in Q4 2022. The total 75.000 words available will mostly come from this open submission call, with a small handful of stories requested from leading voices in the genre.   What We're Looking For: Submissions from marginalized authors: but you get to decide what that means. Does the world need more stories from the daughters of migrants? More authentic Appalachian horror? More women, more nomads, more veterans, more neurodiversity, more non-native English speakers? More thoughts from people who have gone through your experiences; been in your shoes? Then this call is open to you. Horror that represents you: but you get to decide what this means, too. Is it a favourite trope you want to keep alive? A story inspired by your regional myths? Something pulled directly from your family? A personal fear? Something mainstream media has never done justice to? Then this call is open to it. Don’t impose limitations...

Submission Window: January 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $25 and a contributor's copy Theme: Forbidden Magic Compiled & Edited by Aric Sundquist Short Story Submission Call: January 1 - 31, 2022 (EST) CLOSED The Cellar Door is a biannual digest of dark, speculative fiction. Each issue will contain 8 to 12 stories based around a specific theme and will include a brand new story from a featured author. The majority of the digest (80%) will be filled from the open submissions. Title: The Cellar Door - Issue #2: Forbidden Magic Theme: Horror stories featuring forbidden or taboo magic. Must include some form of spell casting, necromancy, or alchemy. Type: Supernatural horror, voodoo, witchcraft, cosmic horror. Word Count: 2,000 - 7,500 words. Payment: $25.00 + digital/paperback copy. Featured Author: Gwendolyn Kiste. Accepted authors (so far): JC Martínez. Rights: We are seeking first time rights for 1 year after publication. After that time all rights revert back to the author. The publication will appear in both print and digital formats and will eventually be reissued in The Cellar Door Compendium. Reprints: None. Previously unpublished only. Multiple Submissions: None. Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but state in your email that it is a simultaneous submission, and please email us immediately if the story is sold elsewhere. File Format: Include your story as an attachment in MS Word, LibreOffice, or Rich Text Format. Manuscript Format: Use the Modern Shunn Format. Include a short bio in the body of your email. Your subject line should read, FM Submission: ("Title") by (Author's Name). For Example, FM Submission: "Witch War" by Richard Matheson. Attach the story as a separate document. Response Time: Two weeks after submissions close, if not sooner. Submission Period: January 1 - 31, 2022 EST. Stories sent before or after will be deleted unread. Note: Any stories submitted to our previous submission calls (Negative Space 1 & 2, Violent Vixens, Woodland Terrors) will have already been considered. Please try...

Submission Window: January 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $1 per accepted piece Theme: horrorku, horror themed tanka, haibun, see below for details The Submission may include any or all of the following: · Up to seven (7) horrorku or horror tanka  · Up to three (3) haibun · Up to five (5) pieces of cover art All submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not under consideration by a print or web-based journal. Posts in closed, critique-oriented groups and social media sites are acceptable for submission, but public posts on forums such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not. By submitting a piece to us, you are guaranteeing that it is your original work and not under consideration or published anywhere else in the world. E-mail submission is required. Type poems into the body of the e-mail; no attachments of poetry will be opened. For art submissions, please include all five pieces in a .PDF file or send us a link to a private gallery. If we purchase an art piece for our cover, we will ask that you provide a 300 dpi version of said piece. E-mail: [email protected] Subject: Otoroshi Submission Please include a cover letter noting location in the world. Please include handles for Instagram and Twitter for promotional purposes. At this time, only one submission per issue will be considered unless the editors directly request a second submission. Submission periods are one month long: · January for the Spring Issue · April for the Summer Issue · July for the Fall Issue · October for the Winter Issue Acceptances will be sent shortly after the end of each period. Please note: Although most journals may publish your work as is, we are editors, too. This means we will make suggestions to your work as we see fit. This is to...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Genre-bending and tropes typically excluded from mainstream literary magazines Fiction submissions should be sent to [email protected] with the title of your story in the subject line. In your email, please include a short cover letter outlining past publication credits if any, a brief bio if desired, a word count, and which of our magazines you wish to be considered for. The story should be attached to the email as a word document or other common word processing file. Stories should be in standard manuscript format. We accept simultaneous submissions to other journals, but if your story is accepted elsewhere, please alert us immediately.  Please only submit one story at a time for consideration. While we encourage genre-bending and tropes typically excluded from mainstream literary magazines, elements of the fantastic and unusual in your work should not be used as a crutch. If your story is boring without fantastic elements, it is also boring with them. We’re looking for work by both veterans and those without a single byline to their name. We especially welcome stories in translation (if you have confirmed with the original’s rights holder that English translation rights are available), stories that draw on elements and modes beyond the European tradition, and stories from traditionally underrepresented groups. We have no hard rules regarding story length, but we do cap the whole magazine at 80 pages, so don’t send us more than that. A very long story will need to justify taking space that could have gone to other pieces. A short piece may be easy to squeeze in, but creating a coherent, biting story in 1,000 words is always trickier than doing so in 100,000. Our focus is exclusively on fiction. We welcome experimentation, but...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: $0.08/word Theme: Huge robots. Bodies fragile and powerful. General submission notes: Unless the editors are otherwise specified, you can address cover letters to “Dear editors” or “Dear dave.” Please avoid “Dear Mr. Ring.” If you joke about how straight white men are underrepresented in speculative fiction, it will not win you any points. Please query [email protected] if you aren’t sure if your submission went through. We’re happy to check. Thanks for thinking of Neon Hemlock for your work! Please don’t self-reject. Neon Hemlock Press is now open to submissions of short stories for Luminescent Machinations: Queer Tales of Monumental Invention. The anthology, co-edited by Rhiannon Rasmussen and dave ring, will include queer stories of dark speculative fiction across genres featuring mechas and mechs of all stripes. We running a Kickstarter to fund this project. The compensation level for original stories accepted to this anthology is $0.08/word. You can submit stories on Submittable until January 31st, 2022. Please contact us if there are any accessibility concerns for any reason and we’ll work with you. We are looking for: Wordcount: Under 6,000 words. 1-4,000 words is probably the sweet spot. Concept: Speculative stories focusing on queerness in the darker side of science-fiction, fantasy and horror: mechs, mecha and cybernetics as both extensions and perversions of humanity. What we want to see: Starships, piloted and unpiloted machines of war or industry, the occasional cyborg… mecha are a representation of war, of power and resistance, of transcending human limits, a representation of extension of the body itself. We are looking for stories about these machines and the people who interface with them through a queer lens, in the most inclusive definition of queer. Queer, trans, undefinable. We welcome a broad interpretation of speculative genres; give us living metal and...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: 8 cents/word and 4 cents/word for reprints Theme: Speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology Note: Reprints Welcome Open to fiction submissions each year during the months of January and July. Open to art submissions year-round. We are looking for speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology, and for artwork for this site. Fiction Guidelines Technical details Stories can be up to 9000 words (thanks, Patreon supporters!). This is a hard limit--our submission system will enforce it. We pay 8 cents/word for original stories (or original translations of stories that have not previously appeared in English), and 4 cents/word for reprints (thanks again, Patreon!). Authors are paid once we've agreed on edits and signed a contract, prior to earliest publication (generally on our Patreon page). We are seeking 6 months' exclusive worldwide publication rights for original works (with exceptions for established Best of the Year anthologies), and non-exclusive worldwide print and electronic rights thereafter for both original works and reprints. We want to publish your story online in our webzine and keep it there indefinitely. We're also acquiring the right to offer ebook versions of the stories we publish, as Patreon rewards or for purchase; and to publish a print and ebook anthology of all the stories that appeared in the webzine over a given 1- or 2-year period. For original fiction, we want to be the only place publishing it for the first 6 months; after that, you're welcome to publish it anywhere else in any format you like. No multiple or simultaneous submissions. If multiple writers co-write a story, we consider each distinct group of writers a different submitter. In other words, if two people co-write a story, and they submit the co-written story, and each of them also submits a story written...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: $35 Theme: Grim Fantasy with characters exploring the setting’s past while also being deeply involved with the setting’s religion. Hydra Publications, with Hydra fantasy author, Stuart Thaman, leading the way, is hard at work on our next anthology collection. Read the guidelines below and FOLLOW THEM. Submission guidelines: Genre: epic fantasy / sword and sorcery Tone: grim and bleak Setting: feel free to craft your own unique world exclusive to the story or write in one of your own previously established worlds from other books or series. Historical settings (any story that takes place on Earth) are not permitted. The technology level should fit with traditional epic fantasy. Any gunpowder use should be rudimentary. Steampunk settings are acceptable so long as the technology is not much more advanced than the musket age Theme: stories should fit the overall theme of characters exploring the setting’s past while also being deeply involved with the setting’s religion. Examples include characters hunting for religious artifacts, characters plagued by their previous actions while members of the setting’s religious order(s), religious war / crusade, fanatic proselytizing, etc. As long as your story has a heavy element of a unique and interesting religion, it should fit the theme Length: 6,000 – 10,000 words Submission: please email all submissions in the body of your email to [email protected]. Only completed manuscripts will be considered. You must put the anthology title, Ghosts of the Old Gods, in your submission subject line to be considered Payment: upon acceptance of your manuscript, authors will be paid $35 All authors featured in the anthology will be given one free paperback copy of the anthology after it is published All authors featured in the anthology will be given one full page (~225 words) after their story for an author bio and to advertise...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: Stories set in deep space and/or on alien planets, far far from Earth March 2022 Issue #22 To have your story considered for Issue 22 due out in March 2022, please submit it before January 31st 2022. Announcement! Since 2017, Alien Dimensions has been working hard to find its feet in the semiprozine world, while still covering costs. I’ve offered a token payment of $10 per story for stories accepted since then as, being a non-profit with no grants, that’s basically all Alien Dimensions can afford. Also, I volunteer my time to edit it. I’ve previously said that if sales increase, I’ll review that token payment. So, whether it was the double issue, covid, reduced number of issues being released, an increase in interest in space fiction worldwide, changing the release time limit from 1 year to 2 years, better advertising, a new algorithm from Amazon, or more people reading via Kindle Unlimited, or, most likely, Issue #21-#22 being just so good, Alien Dimensions has not only been successful in 2021 it has started recovering losses for previous years. As a result, with huge thanks to all the readers and writers, from 2022, payments for accepted stories will rise to USD$20 each. I know that is still far away from professional payments but, I plan to review that every year and increase it when possible. There’s been some contract adjustments for this to happen, too. Future issues will remain online for three years, and the minimum story length for submission is now 4500 words. Also, Alien Dimensions issues will be 200 pages rather than 100. Yes, lots of changes for 2022! So, do you have a space fiction story ready to submit? Submission guidelines Please read everything below to know what I’m looking...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: $0.10 per word Theme: Dire Days Theme: Dire Days Is the end of the world approaching? Some days, it sure feels like it. Many people worry about the future. Economies falter, wars rage, and environments are destroyed. It seems like every day brings news of a new disaster. And to top it off there are personal struggles. That sinking sensation in our gut as the world seems to crumble around us. When it feels like nothing is going our way and every bad thing that could happen does. Dire days indeed, when we feel like throwing in the towel and calling it quits. It’s easy to give up when times are tough, but it’s the people who keep fighting even when the odds seem insurmountable who are hailed as heroes. Those are the ones we write stories about. This call invites you to explore a dire situation, whatever that means to you. Mystery, fantasy, romance, crime. All genres are welcome. Anyone can submit work to the magazine. It’s free. We don’t believe publications should charge authors to be published. However, we have a specific submission process you must adhere to in order to have your work considered. Our submissions window opens on the first and closes at midnight on the final day of each month, just like our contest. The theme of each issue of the magazine is the same as the contest. All submissions to the contest are also treated as submissions to the magazine and are eligible to be published. In fact, we highly recommend submitting your work to the contest, as you could win $3,000 in addition to publication. If you cannot, or choose not to submit to the contest, you are welcome to submit your work directly to the magazine. You...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: 0.5 cent per word Theme: Hopeful stories that take place during winter in the following genres: fantasy, slipstream, magical realism, and fabulism Note: Apologies for the short window, this just hit my inbox. Iridescent Words seeks short stories between 800 and 5000 words for our upcoming anthology. Send us well-crafted, polished gems. Writing that is ethereal and dancing with imagery, evocative and enchanting. Stories that glitter with dark magic, exuberant, luscious, melancholic or hopeful. We accept: fantasy, slipstream, magical realism, and fabulism. ​ Send us stirring tales of mischievous creatures, elves, fae or trolls, spell-weavers, or ancient gods. Winter goddesses such as Cailleach, Khione or Skadi. Frost demons and snow sprites. Sugar plum fairies, ice dragons or frost giants. Use creatures, gods or characters from mythology and folklore or make up your own. ​ We would like the stories to be set in this world (though portals to other worlds can certainly be opened), and represent a range of cultures and locations. ​ Consider: What would happen in an encounter with a barbagazi in the Alps?  What kind of bargain could you make with a frost-sprite? ​ ​ Stories must be set at least partially during winter and include a speculative element. Something magical, however you choose to interpret it. ​ Stories should be suitable to read around the fire with your family. ​ Payment: We will raise money through a fundraising campaign, with the aim to pay writers minimum 0.5 cent/word. This will depend on how much is raised and could even increase if more money is raised. Funds will also be used to pay for original cover art. ​ What we do NOT want: -Stories with content unsuitable for ages 16 and up -Graphic violence, sex or foul language -Dystopian, grimdark or depressing...

Deadline: January 31st, 2022 Payment: Stories between 4,000 - 8,000 words will be considered for payment of $25.00 USD. Stories between 2,000 - 3,000 words will be considered for payment of $10.00 USD Theme: Horror in the woods Be it day or night, the forest hides its secrets from our eyes. Whether you find yourself alone or with others, its innocence can be deceiving, and its inhabitants deadly. What horrors await within the wooded land where nature reigns supreme? Be creative! Your story can be supernatural, otherworldly, creature-horror, or down-right evil. Deep in the Woods hides a playground for your imagination! Required theme: All stories must take place in the woods/forest and must be horror or dark fiction. Word count & Compensation: Stories between 4,000 - 8,000 words will be considered for payment of $25.00 USD, an ebook contributor copy, and the right to purchase an unlimited number of print books at discount. Stories between 2,000 - 3,000 words will be considered for payment of $10.00 USD, an ebook contributor copy, and the right to purchase an unlimited number of print books at discount. How to submit: Submissions MUS be sent to [email protected] with the following details included in the SUBJECT line of your email: SUBMISSION - - '' - Example: SUBMISSION - Deep in the Woods - 'Trees' - Lee Andrew Forman Submission deadline: January 31, 2022 Reading & Evaluation Period: Two to three months after close of the deadline. The following will not be considered: ** NO REPRINTS WILL BE CONSIDERED **Multiple submissions will NOT be considered. As per our publishing standards, stories containing pedophilia, or graphic rape scenarios will not be considered. Sirens Call Publications is open to everyone: fledgling writers looking to cut their teeth, indie authors, and authors of note - if you have a tale to...