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Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: $30USD Theme: Terrors on Distant Planets Title: Strange Sunsets: Terrors on Distant Planets Theme: Science fiction stories that take place on another planet. There must be an element of horror. Gore and splatterpunk is welcome, but may not be a first choice. Word Count: Preferred 2500-7500. Hard cap on 10,000 words for exceptional stories. Payment: $30USD Rights: First time publishing rights for one year after publication. The author is free to publish the story elsewhere afterwards. Reprints: No. Original stories only. Multiple Submissions: Welcome. Simultaneous Submissions: No. If you do not hear back within eight weeks, you may submit the story elsewhere. How to submit: Email manuscript to [email protected] attached as a Word (.docx) document. In the subject line, please write Sunsets_Your_Name. In the body, please include a few sentences summarizing the story. Via: War and Whiskey Publishing.

  Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy (US Authors) Theme: Story must include a character named Jessica and mention both Flint, Michigan as well as a non-human character named Winona Submission deadline is July 1, 2022. JESSICA’S RECURRING NIGHTMARES GUIDELINES Thank you for choosing to submit to the seventh annual Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers (GLAHW) mini-anthology. We are looking for horror fiction, between 2,000 and 5,000 words, along with the following requirements. 1. A character named Jessica. The character can be the protagonist, antagonist, monster, victim, friend, etc. As long as he, she, it, or they play a significant, if not pivotal, role in the story. 2. The story must make a reference to Flint, Michigan, AND a non-human character named Winona. Whether it is the setting of the story, part of the backstory for a character, or a passing reference, the city of Flint and Winona should have some importance to the story. We will be editing the stories, but we will not make any changes without first discussing them with you, the writer. We’re writers, too, and we know what it’s like to have our stories altered without our consent. We won’t do that to you. Having said that, however, we will try our best to make each of the stories in this anthology the best they can be. So, if we give you notes, we’d appreciate it if you’d consider them carefully. We’re not saying you have to agree with us (We’ve had plenty of writers argue with us, and sometimes, we see their point and concede the edit). Just that you listen. The cover art for Jessica’s Recurring Nightmares will be handled by the talented Steve Bejma SUBMISSION Please submit all stories to [email protected]  The subject line should read Submission: Jessica’s Recurring Nightmares. Stories should be submitted as an attachment...

Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: Poetry - $10 USD, Flash - $15 USD, Short Fiction - $35 USD and a contributor's copy. Theme: horror set in the Old West Timber Ghost Press is proud to present Along Harrowed Trails, an anthology of horror set in the Old West. We are seeking well-crafted stories and poems that are creepy, disturbing, and weird that embrace the Old West aesthetic from around 1800-1900. For inspiration, you can look to Bone Tomahawk, Ravenous, Hostiles, The Wind, Appaloosa, Tombstone, Blood Meridian, Deadlands, Quick and the Dead, etc.  We anticipate an early 2023 release. Accepted authors will receive payment according to the pay scale below, plus a contributor's copy of the anthology in both print and electronic format. Deadline: August 31st, 2022 The Following Categories are Open for Submission: Poetry Flash Fiction: 1000 words or less Short Fiction: 1001-6000 words Payment: Poetry - $10 USD Flash - $15 USD Short Fiction - $35 USD What We Do Not Want: Timber Ghost Press may outright reject stories that contain the following: ​​Pedophilia\Rape\Child Abuse Animal Abuse Extreme Violence or Gore Just for the Sake of It ​ Multiple/Simultaneous Submissions/Reprints: You may submit up to three poems and/or once in each category. For example, you may submit three poems, a piece of flash fiction, and a short story if you like. Regarding simultaneous submissions, we don't mind as long as you let us know if your story gets accepted elsewhere. No reprints please. Submission Format: Please submit your manuscript in either .docx, .doc, or .rtf following Shunn format. You can find the form to submit your story in the link below: Via: Timber Ghost Press.

Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: Original Stories: $25.00, Reprint Stories: $15.00, Flash Fiction: 1 cent/word to $10.00 maximum, Poems: $5.00 (for minimalist poetry such as scifaiku, etc., the rates for Scifaikuest apply), Illustrations: $7.00 Theme: “Bed” is not limited to an actual bed. It can be a futon, a sofa, a chaise lounge, a recline, or anything you can reasonably sleep on. Note: Reprints Welcome IT CAME FROM UNDER THE BED is a paperback anthology of stories, poems, and art, and will be published by Hiraeth Publishing. Editors for IT CAME FROM UNDER THE BED are Terrie Leigh Relf and Marcia Borell. IT CAME FROM UNDER THE BED is open to submissions as of 1 April 2022. We expect to close on 31 August 2022. We expect to publish on 1 January 2023. IT CAME FROM UNDER THE BED wants original stories with plot, tension, suspense, conflict, and character development. Remember, if readers do not care what happens to your main character(s), they won’t read the story. The narrative should maintain a sense of wondering what’s going to happen next; of what’s lurking just around the corner. Showing is better than telling. Frex, instead of telling the reader that it’s cold, show your character shivering, stomping feet, or having ice form on beard or hair. The inner thoughts and emotions of your character(s) are just as important. IMPORTANT NOTE: “Bed” is not limited to an actual bed. It can be a futon, a sofa, a chaise lounge, a recline, or anything you can reasonably sleep on. If you’re looking for inspiration, think Roger Corman and what he might have done with this. Stories submitted to IT CAME FROM UNDER THE BED should be between 3K and 8K words long. Longer or shorter stories will be considered; however, anything less than 3K will be a difficult sell. Anything 2K...

Submission Window: June 1st, 2022 to August 31st, 2022 Payment: Between $0.05 and $0.08 per word Theme: Bold, imaginative fantasy, horror, and sci-fi sculpted to thrill and entertain readers with the bizarre or delve into the shadows. Arise – appear, emerge, come to light, surface, befall, ensue, stand up, transpire, etc. Inkd Pub is excited to announce a submission call for Hidden Villains: Arise opening June 1, 2022. We hope to have this project completed and published in spring 2023. Theme: Hidden Villains Arise – Bold, imaginative fantasy, horror, and sci-fi sculpted to thrill and entertain readers with the bizarre or delve into the shadows. Arise – appear, emerge, come to light, surface, befall, ensue, stand up, transpire, etc. Express yourself as the theme moves you. There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story as long as the genre falls within Sci-Fi, Horror, or Fantasy. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. Submission Period: June 1, 2022 to August 31, 2022 Submissions: 1 per author; no simultaneous submissions; Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: 7,000 words Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi Anticipated Pay: Between $0.05 and $0.08 per word for accepted stories Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be the spring of 2023; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works. Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not...

Submission Window: July 1st through August 31, 2022 Payment: $25 and a contributor's copy Theme: A charity horror anthology of stories inspired by the music of Alice Cooper, both the group and solo. "Dismember the Coop" is a charity horror anthology of stories inspired by the music of Alice Cooper, both the group and solo. The proceeds from sales go to support the Solid Rock Foundation, an organization setup by Alice and Sheryl Cooper that benefits the disadvantaged youth in the Phoenix area. To learn more about it, go here: https://www.alicecoopersolidrock.com/ Note that although this is a charity anthology, authors and artists will be paid. I don't like giving my work away for free, and I suspect most other professionals don't either. Submission guidelines: Stories should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words with payment being at $25 USD, plus an e-book or paperback copy, your choice. Payment will be upon acceptance, with distribution of books following publication. I don't really care about the format, font, etc., since I'm a geek and a lot of that will be sorted out in the editing process, but just be consistent, eh? No explicit sexual content just for the sake of having it. No racism, hatred toward marginalized groups, animal cruelty, or violence just for violence’s sake. No reprints. Some notes about the stories: You can base your stories on song titles. You can base it on characters referenced during a song. *** You CANNOT quote lyrics in your story. *** Doing so creates so many copyright headaches it's not even funny, and this will cause your story to be rejected outright, regardless of quality. Alice has a huge catalog of songs to choose from, going back over 40 years. Try to be creative and go deep catalog. If you submit a story based...

Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: $5 Theme: Let’s Get Weird A Literary Journal with Some Art and Analysis Thrown in for Good Measure As Quarter Press continues to grow, we’re adding another coin to our pocketful of change. We want to offer a space for shorter works to mingle with art and other bits of nonsense, so we bring you The Quarter(ly): It just makes cents. Each issue will be themed; however, we will consider any interpretation of said themes. 2022’s Themes and Deadlines: Other Voices (NOW AVAILABLE!) Myths, Fables, and Folklore (June 30) Let’s Get Weird (Aug. 31) Ends (Nov. 30) What’ve you got to show us? Stories and / or Poems For Stories: We’re open to micro works all the way up to 10,000 words. Just keep two things in mind: We want to be engaged and the submission must be completed (no pitches, please!) For Poems: We’d love to see up to five poems from you, but you can always just send one, too. Art As long as it has some tie to the current issue’s theme, we’re open to see any art created in any medium at any time. Just know that it will need to “work in print” and—might—be presented in black and white. Graphic Stories Show us your comic strips or complete short works; we’d love to see them all! Please try to keep submissions to 20 pages or less. Feel free to also send a collection of comic strips / one shot comics, as well. (Please note that our publication size / dimensions might change between issues. Our “Norm” is 6x9”). These must be COMPLETE works. Analysis / Interviews / Reviews As long as it is tied to the theme in some way, we’d love to see any and all media analysis (film,...

  Submission Window: July 15th, 2022 – August 31st, 2022 Payment: $25 Theme: Nocturnal Animals The Quiet Ones is a tri-annual e-zine that centers LGBTQIAP+ and women’s voices in the subgenres of quiet horror and intimate dystopian fiction, both for YA and Adult audiences. New installments of The Quiet Ones are released on the last Thursdays of October, February, and June, and are available for download on our website. We are exploring other avenues for distribution and will update accordingly as The Quiet Ones becomes available by other means.   “Quiet Horror” applies to atmospheric, unsettling stories that rely more on mood and rhythm than on shock and gore. Examples of quiet horror include: classic ghost stories and shorts like The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, modern moody masterworks like The Walls Around Us by: Nova Ren Suma, and films such as The Exorcist III or Pontypool where so much of the horror is left to the viewer to imagine as opposed to horror films that bombard their audience with scenes of excessive gore and jump scares. “Intimate Dystopia” is all about scale. We’re looking to zoom that lens in – show us the personal, everyday impact of living under totalitarian regimes, or heavily restricted environments – anything from haunted houses to run-down clubs or playgrounds – anywhere upon which the larger trappings of dystopian visions apply. For post-apocalyptic stories, give us small, contained spaces which explore life in the ruined world. Examples of intimate dystopia include: Speech Sounds by Octavia Butler, Wool by Hugh Howey, and films such as Quarantine (or ), or Tale of A Vampire. Accepting: Short Stories up to 3000 Words Flash and Micro Fiction up to 1000 Words Poetry Author Compensation: $25.00 (USD) per piece Rights: We request first worldwide and digital rights for four months...

Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: A small advance plus 50% of net royalties thereafter on both e-books and physical books. Also, 5 contributors copies. Theme: Horror, Gothic, and dark fantasy. OPEN JULY 1ST – AUGUST 31ST We are open from July 1st – August 31st 2022 to general submissions for novellas (roughly 20,000 – 40,000 words) and novels (roughly 40,000 – 100,000) aimed at an adult audience. What We’re Looking For: We’re looking primarily for horror, Gothic, and dark fantasy. We love genre mixing, works that stray from the well-trodden path, or that offer a fresh perspective on existing tropes. We’re particularly keen to see work from BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and non-Western authors, and stories with elements of the following genres: Horror-romance / erotic horror Historical and Gothic horror Folk horror Hauntings, supernatural, and the occult Sorry, but we’re NOT currently interested in: Science Fiction or high fantasy YA or childrens’ fiction Short story collections Series’ Rights and Compensation: We ask for exclusive first publishing and electronic rights for a set period of 2 years following publication. Thereafter, all rights revert to the author, although the contract can be extended if both parties are happy to do so. All copyright remains with the author. We offer a small advance plus 50% of net royalties thereafter on both e-books and physical books. Authors will also receive 5 free paperback copies of their book and the option to purchase further copies at cost price. Exact details of the contract will be negotiated with individual authors, but we are happy to send you a copy of our sample contract on request. What We Offer: We provide full developmental and copy-editing, formatting, cover design, and a marketing plan for your book using social media, newsletters, advance-release copies, and industry contacts. Our 2022 releases have appeared...

Submission Window: August 1st to 31st, 2022 Payment: ¢1 per word CAD Theme: Horror stories involving water Water: Elements Book 3. Open August 1 - 31. Stories of horror with the theme of 'water' - Rated R welcomed Water deities - Drowinings - Sea Accidents - Storms - Flooding - Draughts - Welcome to our four-book series, dedicated to horror from the elements.   Each quarter has been assigned an 'element'. Please review the elements and open submission windows below. Each quarter submission window is only one month, so please make sure to submit during that specific time period Patreon members will be allowed to submit one week early, and be given a one-week extension to each quarter call. Although there can be some fantasy elements tossed in there, the overall feel of the stories must remain in the horror genre. Aim to scare. ​ Each part will be approximately 70,000 words and have its own ebook and paperback. Once all four sections are complete we will release a 'collection' containing all four books in ebook, paperback and hardcover form.  ​​Word count: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: Flat rate payment ¢1 per word CAD after approved edits. Reprints? No ​ Multiple Submission? No 💀 Only one submission per author per theme/quarter. (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) ​ Formatting:  Please use 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, set auto-indent new paragraphs. Add the story title to the top of the manuscript. Do not include your name or email in the manuscript. These stories will be read "blind" by our reading team. Title your manuscript "Title of Story - Theme"  example "The Ruin - Earth" Please make sure the title of the story and the title on the manuscript match. ​ How to submit? Submit via the FORM - Which will open on the start of each quarter. (A button will...

Submission Window: August 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre of short story Note: Reprints accepted Changing the world, one story at a time Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars? Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that. What does the timeline look like? Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout. Where do I send submissions? [email protected] What are the rules for submitting? 1. No Fees 2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form 3. Any genre 4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway's famous 6-word story "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn." 5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack - You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers. 7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. What do I get for subscribing? One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting. Anything Else? Yes! Analytics will be published monthly in terms of subscribers, the number of submissions, and anything else that might be relevant. There is also...

Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: Trembling With Fear was designed as a way to give back to Horror Tree. Since it’s inception we now offer an optional $5 payment on short stories to be paid by the time our yearly anthology which contains the story will be released. At this time, drabble are still considered donations to the site. Moving forward, as our Patreon levels grow, this will change for the better in both areas. Theme: Summer-themed horror Who wants summer to last longer? We do at the Horror Tree! This year, we've extended our Summer Specials submission period by an extra month so that we can collect even more hellishly hot and campfire creepy stories. Send us your tales of horror about backpacking, road trips, glamping, beach adventures, summer camp... anything summer-related goes! You may even want to write a drabble as a summer vacation postcard as a "wish you were here" . The submission window is open until August 31st to submit drabbles of 100 words and short stories up to 2500 words. Themed Calls Please note in your submission if it is for a specific theme and not a standard Trembling With Fear call. As a side note, going forward these will likely be collected in a secondary collection each year. Summer Holiday Special (to be published in August). Submit from February to end of July. Horror on the beach, at a B&B, on a cruise, backpacking, road trips, glamping, end of the pier. Why not even write a drabble as a holiday postcard: Wish you weren’t here? For special editions, we also do take longer work and Unholy Trinities. ‘Trembling With Fear’ is a new ongoing outlet for creatives that we’re trying out on Horror Tree. We’re going to be opening for submissions on drabbles and short...

Deadline: August 31st, 2022 Payment: 10 cents per word, $200 for artwork Theme: Killer Instinct Note: There is ALSO a contest with the same theme that pays $3,000 though that one is a pay-to-play scenario. Do you feel safe? Do you believe doors and locks will protect you? They won’t, but lies are necessary to distract us from the terrifying truth – killers are everywhere. Life is full of danger. The wilds are home to fearsome predators. Sharks smell blood, and other territorial animals will rend you with tooth and claw for the misfortune of crossing their path. But urban spaces might just kill you quicker. Humans have the propensity to kill one another six times higher than the average mammal. Born killers and those brought to it by chance and fate, the true predators of the world wear familiar faces. Sharp teeth lurk behind kind smiles and watchful eyes. History is full of atrocities and bloodshed, and stories of our future suggest more to come. Even good people suffer intrusive thoughts, visualizing horrendous acts for a split second before recoiling. Beware strangers, but keep a closer eye on friends. All new writers 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. Each issue of the magazine is themed according to our monthly prompt. The prompts are designed to inspire ideas but leave room for you to tell the story you want to tell. You can always write in any genre. This month’s prompt can be viewed here.  We do host a monthly contest using the...

  Deadline: August 31st, 2022 (reported on Facebook) Prizes: 1st place: $100 via Paypal Author Print Copy, Author Interview published on all WTP socials and website. , 2nd Place $50 via Paypal, Author Print copy, 3rd Place $20 via Paypal Author Print copy Theme: A story about a nemesis There is no fee to enter. All entries whether they place or not will be considered for publication. ​What is Nemesis? The inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall. A long-standing rival; an archenemy. A person’s undoing. Theme Trope: Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Allies, Enemies as Lovers/Friends 1st place: $100 via Paypal Author Print Copy Author Interview published on all WTP socials and website.  ​ 2nd Place $50 via Paypal Author Print copy ​ 3rd Place $20 via Paypal Author Print copy ​ Working Title: Nemesis ​ Premise: Sometimes great loves begin with great fury. These are such tales of passion and partnership that ignite somewhere closer to hate.  Warriors on opposite ends of a battlefield align to oppose a greater evil. Sworn enemies become bound brothers for the greater good. Whatever it is that puts them at odds, it's no match to the power of what binds them together.​ ​ Genres: Keep it speculative. Romance on some level is preferred, but not required—passion, emotion, fierce bonds are what we are looking for. We’re also hoping to see a lot more #OwnVoices pieces, female authors, LGBTQA+ stories, but all are welcome to submit!​ ​ Encouraged Tropes:  Enemies to Lovers Foe Romance Subtext (But skip the sub and make it TEXT!) Belligerent Sexual Tension The Only One Allowed to Defeat You ​ Pairing Examples:  Beauty and the Beast Buffy/Spike Rey/Kylo Negan/Maggie (Enemies to allies) Nina and Matthias (Six of Crows) Batman/Joker (In fanfiction) Grindelwald/Albus Dumbledore (In fanfiction) The Doctor/ The Master...

Submission Window: August 15th - 31st, 2022 Payment: .01 per word and .005 per word for reprints Theme: Flash fiction featuring military and law enforcement science fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Troopers is a magazine of flash fiction featuring military and law enforcement science fiction. All stories in Troopers must feature a fictional military, paramilitary, or law enforcement entity in some meaningful way. Your main character doesn’t need to be a soldier, pilot, or future cop necessarily, but there must be elements of military or law enforcement present in the story. Your character doesn’t need to be human either, sentient space ships, robots, aliens, and the like are more than welcome. Paramilitary characters or groups are also welcome, such as mercenaries, space pirates, cartels, organized corporations with private militaries and/or guards, and other similar entities. We like stories with cool tech and that pack an emotional punch. We have a preference for stories that have a dark and gritty atmosphere and tone as well. We’re looking to push the boundaries of military sci-fi in the flash category and we can’t wait to see what you come up with! Submissions will be open August 15th-31st. See below guidelines for details. Submission Guidelines Troopers publishes flash fiction stories of 1,000 words or less. We publish science fiction. Every subgenre of science fiction is acceptable but the science fiction element must be present. We will have set reading periods each year. Submissions will only be read in those reading periods. Stories sent outside of the reading periods will not be read unless they were specifically solicited by the editor. We pay .01 per word for original fiction, paid on publication of the selected work. Reprints are accepted and paid at .005 per word, half that of original fiction. We accept simultaneous submissions. Just please let us...

Submission Window: August 1 – Aug 31, 2022 Payment: $0.01/word Theme: Horror of all types One new short, published on Mondays, for at least 45 weeks of the next year. We are hoping to begin posting these short stories on February 6th, 2023. “Two-thousand Word Terrors” will be the name of the featured column hosting these stories. Because this call is not specific to Strangehouse Books, all writers are welcome to submit. The theme should be, simply, Horror. What kind of Horror is up to you. Go nuts. One submission per author. Payment: $0.01/word. NO multiple submissions NO simultaneous submissions NO reprints. Submission Length: approx. 2,000 words (a little under is OK but do not exceed 2000) The submission window will be open from August 1 – Aug 31, 2022. Submissions sent outside of this time frame will be deleted. Responses should take no longer than 3 months. Due to the anticipated volume of submissions, there will not be individualized feedback on declined stories. Send submissions to: [email protected] with name and story title in the subject line. Don’t stress about the cover letter! Just get those stories attached and sent. Please do not send PDFs. Emails with PDFs attached will be deleted immediately. Manuscript formatting should follow the Shunn style, which can be found HERE (or you can copy/paste this link: https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) We will try to notify everyone of acceptances and rejections by December 1st, 2022. Accepted stories/authors will be announced in January 2023. A QUICK WORD REGARDING REJECTIONS: Rejections are not personal. Under no circumstance will we be opening/reading responses to rejection notices. Responses to rejection notices will be deleted, unread. Thanks in advance for your understanding. Best of luck to everyone who submits a story! We look forward to reading. Via: Rooster Republic Press.