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Taking Submissions: Mythaxis October 2022 Submission Period (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 23rd-30th, 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: Science fiction and fantasy Mythaxis is published four times a year, and is open to submissions within the following periods: January 23rd-30th April 23th-30th July 23rd-30th October 23rd-30th Submissions received outside of these dates will unfortunately be lost and therefore not responded to. When open, we seek and offer the following: Length: 1,000-7,500 words. This is a firm limit. Generally speaking, the further a story goes beyond 5,000 words the more it will need to impress, but the door is not shut in advance. Compensation: $20 on acceptance and return of contract. Payment via PayPal only. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, please get in touch. We aim to accept or reject within 14 days of acknowledgment, but rl (real life) and rl (reading load) can get in the way. If you do not hear from us after 30 days, feel free to query. We require First Print and Digital rights with a six month period of exclusivity from the date of publication. We also ask permission to potentially include accepted pieces in future anthologies, in event of which an additional full payment and digital copy will be offered in compensation. All other rights remain entirely with the author. Simultaneous submissions are not only accepted, they are encouraged. Please tell us if you are, and we merely ask that you notify us of acceptance at another market as soon as possible. In the event that we accept first we would expect a positive confirmation, so we recommend sim-subbing to markets of equivalent status - we won’t want to wait for someone else you’d like better to turn you down… Please wait until receiving a rejection notice before submitting a second time. If a story has previously been rejected by Mythaxis,...

Taking Submissions: The World Unknown Review 2022 Window

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $15 and 3 contributors copy Theme: No genre, fiction, poetry, essays, art The World Unknown Review has taken an unexpected hiatus in the past few years, but we are proud to announce plans for it to return on a new schedule for a potential late 2022/ early 2023 release! The submission period for the World Unknown Review runs annually from January 1st to October 31st. We’re looking for a little bit of everything, so please send us your best fiction, poetry, essays, art, or whatever else in between. There are no genre, theme, or word limitations, although anything over 17,500 words will fall automatically into the novella competition. There is no entry fee, and writers may send in as many works as they like, though only one is likely to be chosen. Authors will receive $15 USD ($30 for the winning novella) and three contributors copies. Please send submissions or questions to [email protected] , preferably in .doc, .docx, or .rft form. Please, no PDFs. Via: L.S. Engler.

Taking Submissions: Step Into The Light

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £0.005 per word Theme: Daytime-themed horror This daytime-themed horror anthology is going to be absolute FIRE! We want your original, unpublished, short horror stories set in daylight. That's it. Go wild. Think Midsommar, The Wicker Man, Benchley's Jaws, IT, The Silence of the Lambs. All great storylines, all packed with daytime fear proving you don't have to be in the dark to be afraid. Sleeping with the lights on won't help you this time. Howl at the sun, create reverse vampires, solar-powered cryptids, photosynthesising swamp monsters, make it eco-horror if you like, create an alternate world where the sun never sets, it simply grows hotter and hotter, closer and closer... You could even write about zombies (but only if you've something new to offer-zombies have been done to death, excuse the pun). Write whatever you like as long as the bulk of the action happens in broad daylight and is horror-themed. Elements of sci-fi, fantasy, dark and speculative fiction are fine, encouraged even, as long as your story is creepy, dread-inducing, and/or downright horrible. We're giving you a long time for this one, time to get those creative cogs turning so you can squeeze out something truly awful for us. Deadline: October 31st 2022 (midnight, last place on earth, yes we know that's Halloween) or until full. To be published Spring 2023. We're looking for flash pieces (500-1500 words) and longer stories (3-5k) but if you've something somewhere in between, we'd still like to read it, send it in. You may enter up to 3 pieces of flash and up to 3 longer stories, if you wish. £0.005 per word (after edits). An anthology of selected stories will be published in print and as an e-book publication. See our 'Submission Guidelines' section for information on...

Taking Submissions: The World of Xonthian

Deadline: October 31st, 2022. Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: A shared-world Sword and Sorcery anthology based on Xonthian, a universe created by Daniel Dickinson. Fedowar Press is opening submissions for a shared-world Sword and Sorcery anthology based on Xonthian, a universe created by Daniel Dickinson. This is a world of magic and warriors with all the races you love: The world of Xonthian is thick with diversity and rich in history. From Xonthian City, where humans live their lives in a large city while the outskirts have some of the land’s richest crops and farms. Or the island of Juan’kij, where the elves have secluded themselves in the forests of Timilik. The Dwarves living peacefully under the Shadow Mountains, and the Atticatten, who have hidden away on the easternmost peninsula of Xecutran. Where Orcs, Ogres and darker races who live in long-forgotten jungles and swamps, or in the shadows of lost civilizations. To the undiscovered lands of the east, where magic, sword, and gunslingers travel desert vistas. This anthology is expected to release in mid-2023. Submissions will be accepted until October 31, 2022. Details Suggested Length: Between 7.5k and 15k words Region: Can take place anywhere in the Xonthian world Need more info on the Xonthian World? Take a look at it on World Anvil Want to chat with us about the world and your idea? Contact us on the Fedowar Discord Qualifying submissions must have never been published. Quick Start Guide Welcome to the world of Xonthian! A young medieval world filled with magic, sharp blades, and mysteries around every corner. From the world beginning, molded by the children of the cosmos, the gods see the world as a mortal plaything. Not every god however is invisible and sits silently by. Oblivious to the machinations of the elder gods, the world...

Taking Submissions: The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints and a contributors copy Theme: Mystery Stories Note: Reprints Welcome Send us your best mystery. We want excellent writing, evocative settings, intriguing characters, and most importantly, a clever puzzle complete with clues, red herrings, foreshadowing, and twists. We strongly suggest you purchase a copy of The Black Beacon Book of Mystery to find out what kind of stories we're likely to accept. 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. The preliminary deadline is the 31st of October, 2022. We regularly post news on our Facebook page. You can also get a feel for what we like by buying our previously published titles. Publishing quality fiction is an expensive passion, so the more we sell, the more we can publish. It's that simple. # Rates: Please note the rates quoted are not inclusive of transfer fees. The amount received may be slightly lower; typically 3%. We use PayPal to pay our contributors. If your submission is successful, you'll need an account. Alternatively, we can pay with an electronic Amazon gift coupon. Payment is made upon publication. 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Please read the full guidelines below before submitting. ANTHOLOGY GUIDELINES AND DETAILS Please only submit one story per publication. No simultaneous submissions for original fiction. The best way to get a feel for the kind of fiction we're likely to publish is to buy our previously published titles. This provides you with examples of accepted stories, demonstrates our high standard of editing, and helps finance future anthologies and increases the possibility of better pay rates. Languages accepted:  English and French / anglais et français Black...

Taking Submissions: Speculative Cats Anthology Volume I

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Speculative Poetry About Cats In 2021, 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats were estimated to be in the world. Cats were first domesticated in the ancient “Near East”  around 7500 BC, though it was long thought that cat domestication began in Africa, in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC. Speculative Cats is an anthology of speculative verse about the domesticated cat (Felis catus), edited by Akua Lezli Hope and LindaAnn LoSchiavo, to be published in 2023. Submissions open June 1- October 31, 2022 Submit no more than 3 unpublished, speculative poems to [email protected] Black and white illustrations also sought. Submit no more than 5 illustrations of speculative cats in .jpg or .png, with a minimum 400 dpi resolution. No previously published poems (see notes) Submission Format One-inch margins, 12 point or larger type. Name and e-mail address on every page of poem. Name of file should be your name and title of poem. Send each poem/image as a separate file. Send files as attachment in .doc or .docx to [email protected]. Illustrations should be in .jpg or .png format with a resolution of 400dpi or higher. Payment: all included will receive one copy of the paperback. (Estimated value, $25 including shipping and handling). The Speculative Cat Volume I will be published as a paperback and e-Book in 2023. ### Notes This anthology is focused on speculative verse about domesticated cats so no lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, pumas, cougars, etc. If you’re using any word other than English, include a notation. Please send only speculative poetry, no longer than 40 lines mere metaphor does not a speculative poem make mere simile does not a speculative poem make Possibilities include: alien cats, astro cats, cyber cats, ghost cats, cat familiars, magic...

Taking Submissions: A Darkness Visible

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £80 Theme: The inter-relationship between the postmodern and horror A Darkness Visible - Submissions due by Midnight GMT, 31 October 2022‍ Ontology Books is seeking submissions for its upcoming anthology A Darkness Visible focused on postmodern horror. Postmodern literature has often been an ill-defined concept. Critics have cited the deconstruction of narrative, inter-textual storytelling, and the subversion of genre conventions in attempting to define what “postmodern” constitutes. Others have noted the interplay of high and popular culture, dark humor, and literary experimentation as hallmarks of the postmodern. It is safe to say that “postmodern” is a slippery concept open to multiple interpretations and meanings. This anthology will explore the inter-relationship between the postmodern and horror. We are seeking short stories of between 3,000 and 8,000 words addressing this theme. Writers like Mark Danielewski (House of Leaves), Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), William Burroughs (Naked Lunch) or Thomas Pynchon (Gravity’s Rainbow) may be reference points, although thinking outside the box is welcome. Stories may be in the horror genre, or they may investigate horrific aspects of what Jean-François Lyotard called “the postmodern condition.” How you address the theme is up to you. Include a short cover letter with your submission in the body of the email citing any relevant writing credits or experience. A number of award-winning writers have already been contracted for the volume by invitation. We are now opening the call to public submissions, although spots will be limited. We expect highly polished manuscripts in standard Shunn formatting complete with contact information. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] and attached as a single document (.doc, .docx, or .pdf files are acceptable formats). Accepted contributors will be paid a flat fee of £80 and receive a contributor copy of the book. The editors expect to notify authors on the outcome of...

Taking Submissions: Otoroshi Journal 2022 Winter Issue (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 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...

Taking Submissions: Manor of Frights

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $10.00 USD Theme: A collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same horrifying house Imagine a Victorian house where every room is cursed with a frightful existence. Are monsters in the halls? Ghosts left to fester in the library? Or are the rooms themselves enchanted with malevolent energy? What was summoned long ago and what doorways were left open? Manor of Frights will be a collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same house. Stories MUST follow these guidelines: MUST be in 3rd person. No 1st person stories will be considered. The Manor of Frights was built in 1880. So, stories can take place between 1880-1980. Keep this in mind when writing. Is the house new in your era? Run down? Or refurbished? Has there been a fire? A flood? Are you writing about the homeowner? A guest staying at a BnB? Or maybe… You are writing about the architect renovating the place? Choose a room and write a horror story that takes place in it. 13 rooms will be picked from the submissions. Choose wisely. Be unique. You can write about the normal rooms in a house like bedrooms, bathrooms, or the kitchen, but some other ideas for rooms are: attic, conservatory, library, basement, study, billiard room, cellar, hall, parlor, boudoir, dining room, den, foyer, living room, nursery, dinette, hearth room, scullery, kit room, linen closet, landing, rotunda, nook, covered porch, widow’s walk, or maybe you have an idea of your own. The story must have an overwhelming sense of menace and dread. The KIND of horror is open to you. Is there a monster inside? Does it connect to a demon world? Has it been cursed? Is it haunted? Do vampires reside in the home? Scare us....

Taking Submissions: THE VAMPIRICON: Imaginings & Images of the Vampire (Early Listing)

Deadline: September 1st - October 31st, 2022 Payment: 1/2 cent per word for new, $10 for reprints, $10 for accepted new, not-previously-published poetry of 14 to 50 lines; One Dime/$.10 per line thereafter with a maximum of $15.00., $10-$15 for accepted new OR REPRINTED interior illustration, $25.00 for the Illustration/Art Theme: Stories containing vampires Our current Call for Submissions is for THE VAMPIRICON: Imaginings & Images of the Vampire. SUBMISSIONS OPEN FROM 1 SEPTEMBER THROUGH 31 OCTOBER (HALLOWEEN) 2022. The Vampiricon Must be directly relevant to the subject of THE VAMPIRE. Must contain at use of the word VAMPIRE in the text, OR be a work clearly on the topic of THE VAMPIRE, VAMPIRISM, etc., OR, if an illustration, must depict the VAMPIRE or have clear reference to THE VAMPIRE in some form. Short Fiction between 500 and 3000 words. Poetry between and including 14 to 200 lines (verse or free verse). NOTE: So-called "Prose Poetry" will be considered poetry, but the syllable count of the submission will be divided by 10 to compare to the number of iambic pentameter/10 syllable lines. Thus, a 2000 syllable prose poem will be the maximum length. Scholarly Articles, Essays, and Notes between 500 and 3000 words. Illustrations/Art can be line art, greyscale, or full color at 300 dpi. Except for the selected cover illustration(s), full color will be converted to greyscale for interior illustrations. BOTH NEW and PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED SUBS WILL BE CONSIDERED, provided the rights to the work are held by or have reverted to the submitter. RATES OF COMPENSATION FOR ACCEPTED WORK $10.00 for accepted previously published work [IMPORTANT: The complete MLA citation for the place or places of previous publication will be required. ADD this information at the end of the scroll of the document presented, or, if illustration/art, submitted along with the illustration file as a separate,...

Taking Submissions: Fairy Tales from the Rock

Deadline: October 31st 2022 Payment: $0.01 CAD per word Theme: Fairy tale short fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Over the last six years, the From the Rock series has become one of the preeminent anthology series’ in Atlantic Canada. We have been home to some amazing established talent and helped some new authors break through that have gone on to dominate their fields, becoming genre bestsellers in their own right. From the Rock is a title readers consistently ask for, review well, and is a great way for avid readers to get introduced to indie talent they might find interesting. Since 2018, each entry in the series has become a Canadian bestseller based on pre-orders alone! ​ We are currently accepting submissions for the tenth entry in this series: Fairy Tales from the Rock, to be available in Winter of 2023. Editors Ellen Curtis and Erin Vance are scheduled to return to helm the project. Many authors have expressed interest, but anyone can submit to be a part of this collection! Deadline is October 31 2022, but get your stories in as quick as you can, as it gives our wonderful editors more time to work with you and make sure it is as good as it can possibly be! We're looking for both fairy tales inspired by Newfoundland & Labrador culture, as well as new takes on popular fairy tales from the world over! What is the target audience? For this specific collection, we’re going for an equivalent of PG to PG-13. Rather than limit our authors creatively, we encourage them to write from the heart and allow us to work with them to fine-tune the work after the fact. What does it pay? Authors are paid $0.01 CAD per word, to an upper limit of 7000 words. Are there minimum/ maximum...

Taking Submissions: From The Yonder Volume IV

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $5 (USD) per poem and $10 (USD) per short story and a contributors copy depending on location Theme: Horror stories of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. Volume IV A horror, short-story collection of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. We've loved doing these, now it's addiction, so, we've decided to keep doing it. We are seeking short story submissions (1000-7500 words) for this anthology. The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest). We are seeking stories in the horror genre. Inclusion of elements of other genres is welcome, so long as, overall, the story is an horror story. The subject of the story can be based on any legend, so long as it has a horrific flavor. Ghosts, hauntings, alien abductions, monsters, demons, spirits, witches, etc, all are acceptable, as long as the subject is based on an actual legend or tall-tale. We want an original story involving the legend. Don’t rehash the legend itself or write an essay on the tall-tale. Instead, for example, WOW us with a new fable of some poor unfortunate who finds out that legends are sometimes all too real. For more examples; read our first three FROM THE YONDER Volumes. Please DO NOT: ~Extrapolate relationships that do not exist in the actual legends. Nessie can be a horrific monster, but she is not a servant of the Elder Gods (no matter how much we love Eldritch horror). ~Attribute characteristics or powers that do not exist in the actual legends. Jack-a-Lopes are cool, but they aren’t going to eat you in your sleep. ~Intermix legends that are...

Taking Submissions: Other & Different (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: Flat rate (likely listed October 1st when the call officially opens.) Theme: The theme of other and/or different - however writers wish to interpret that. ***THIS IS AN EARLY LISTING*** Not all details were available at the time of scheduling this post, we will update or enter a new post once full details are available. Other & Different will be the first print anthology from the Coup of Owls team.  ​ Encompassing a variety of styles and genres, Other & Different will feature stories focused on the theme of other and/or different - however writers wish to interpret that. This anthology will include only adult (18+) creators from marginalised and/or underrepresented communities or backgrounds. ​ Submissions open in October 2022. Publication will be in April 2023. ​ 1000 minimum, 4000 word maximum - hard limit Flat rate payment per story - TBC Rating up to and including R/18+ Reprints not accepted Full submissions information and cover art will be available from September 2022 ​ We will be donating the profits from both pre-orders and the first six months of sales from release will go to the North American non-profit Rainbow Railroad and UK charity Rainbow Migration equally.  Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps LGTBQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. In a time when there are more displaced people than ever before, LGBTQI+ people are uniquely vulnerable due to systemic, state-enabled homophobia and transphobia. These factors either displace them in their own country or prevent them from escaping harm. Rainbow Migration is a UK based charity that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the UK asylum and immigration system. Via: A Coup of Owls.

Taking Submissions: khōréō October 2022 (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word and $500 for custom cover art and $100 for cover art drawn from an artist’s existing portfolio. Theme: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Note: You must identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. We’re especially interested in writing and art that explore some aspect of migration, whether explicitly (themes of immigration, colonialism, etc.), metaphorically, or with a sly nod and a wink. Most importantly, we’re a new magazine and we’re still finding our identity: therefore, please don’t self-reject because you’re not sure if your work is a good fit. We won’t know until we see it, so please give us a chance to look! See submission requirements & how to submit at the following pages: Fiction Non-fiction Art Voice actors Who can submit? khōréō is dedicated to diversity and amplifying the voices of immigrant and diaspora authors and artists. We welcome, but do not require, a brief description of the author’s/artist’s identity in their cover letter. We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented...

Taking Submissions: Solarpunk Creatures (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: Fiction: $0.03 per word (USD) + contributor copy, Art: $100 (USD) for previously unpublished art; $50 for reprint art + contributor copy Theme: Storytelling that centers nonhuman characters and positive multispecies interactions Open for Submissions: October 1 – 31, 2022 Story Length: up to 7,000 words Payment: Fiction: $0.03 per word (USD) + contributor copy Art: $100 (USD) for previously unpublished art; $50 for reprint art + contributor copy To imagine and build better futures, we’re championing a new wave of inclusive storytelling that centers nonhuman characters and positive multispecies interactions. Whether the setting is urban or rural or a space station, we’re looking for stories and artwork that put human-nonhuman or even nonhuman-nonhuman relations in the spotlight. We encourage creators to imagine nonhuman main characters, and we welcome narratives that acknowledge the agency of multispecies actors, both in the worldbuilding and in the plot. Because this is a solarpunk anthology, stories that acknowledge the realities of climate change and address those challenges through uplifting possibilities will have the best chance. We’re defining “creature” broadly, so let us see your depictions of wild animals as well as domesticated ones, of intelligent fungi or plastic-eating bacteria, of lakes and rivers granted personhood. Reconsider the traditional tropes of alien first contact and sentient AI, and envision them in a way that doesn’t replicate the same old oppressions and assumptions of human dominance. We’re looking for work that acknowledges humans as one species in a larger ecosystem, for human characters who strive for cooperation with (rather than dominance over) other creatures, for settings that reflect a sustainable balance of nature and technology. This is a sequel-in-spirit to Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures, which reimagined our urban spaces as less anthropocentric. Read those stories to get a...

Taking Submissions: Alien Dimensions #23

Submission Window: October 1st and October 31st of 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: Short stories set in deep space and/or on alien planets from now on. Far, far from Earth! To have your story considered for Issue 23 due out in November 2022, please submit it between October 1st and October 31st of 2022. I’ll read and reply in November 2022. Announcement Jan 2022! 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, more people interested in aliens, 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 available indefinitely, from issue #23, and from February 2022, the minimum story length for submission is now 5000 words. Also, Alien Dimensions issues will be 200+ pages rather than 100. Yes,...

Taking Submissions: Short Story Substack October 2022 Window (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story 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. Via: Substack.

Taking Submissions: midnight & indigo Fall 2022 Window

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: General Fiction" $0.07 per word. Speculative Fiction: $200 for stories accepted in annual Speculative issue, $100 for stories printed on website. Essays: $100 Theme: Any genre. Character-driven stories that leave the readers something to think about. Note: Black women writers Deadline: October 31, 2022 at 11:59pm ET (short fiction – all genres and narrative essays) CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT! short stories. essays. melanin. Whether you’re an established writer or are just starting out, we want to hear from you! midnight & indigo, a new literary magazine celebrating Black women writers, has issued a call for submissions to review short stories and narrative essays. We publish content on our digital platform and in our literary journals (paperback/ebook/audiobook). In 2022, we will publish our first long-form anthology! Writers are invited to share their original, fictional, or personal stories. Stories can funny, entertaining, serious, or sincere. Stories must be character-driven and leave readers with something to think about. All genres are welcome! How to Submit: Format:  All submissions should follow proper manuscript format and Microsoft Word .doc format. We will not accept submissions that do not follow our guidelines. All stories must be submitted via Submittable — we will not accept stories via email. You may submit up to three stories at any time. Our average response time is 120 days. Word length:  Short stories: min. 1,500 words. Narrative essays: min. 1,200 words Please note:  Call for Submissions will be held on a rolling basis with deadlines four times per year: January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, and October 31st. Submission does not guarantee that your work will be published. All submissions will be considered for our long-form anthology. Genres: All genres and writing styles are welcome. It may be helpful to view our current short stories, essays, and literary journals to get a general sense of what we publish, but don’t...

Taking Submissions: Q is for Quantum

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: Science Fiction Stories Q is for Quantum – Submissions open September 1st. Deadline October 31st We’re looking for sci-fi stories, parallel dimensions, time travel etc but firmly set in the horror genre. We are currently calling for submissions for a series of horror anthologies – The A-Z of Horror. The series will be based on a variety of themes and will consist of twenty-six books in total. We are looking for short horror stories, between 4000 and 8000 words, on each of the themes listed below. You may submit to more than one book, but we will only include a maximum of one story from each author, in each book. Being accepted into one book does not guarantee acceptance into one of the others. The story must be your own work, to which you hold the rights. The story must not be available elsewhere and, if accepted, we will hold the rights to it for three months from the date of publication. After that time, you may use the story however you wish. Any sub-genre of horror is suitable, even extreme, so long as the story fits the theme of that book and does not include anything which may unnecessarily cause offence (glorification of child abuse, rape, etc.). Payment for the story will be £10, to be paid via PayPal, as well as a contributor’s e-book of the finished book. Please send submissions in a Word document (ideally Times New Roman 12pt, single spaced) to [email protected] with the title of the book you are submitting to in the subject line. Please ensure you have included your name on the Word document. If you have any queries, feel free to get in touch using the Contact page. We aim to respond to submissions within 2 weeks of...

Taking Submissions: Propertius Press 2022-2023 Anthology

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: Contributors Copy and Royalties Theme: The Natural World NOTE: PLEASE ENSURE YOUR SUBMISSION IS INTENDED FOR THE SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY. DO NOT SUBMIT IN THIS CATEGORY UNLESS YOUR SUBMISSION IS A SHORT STORY. Submissions in erroneous categories will be rejected, and those with repeated infractions may be blocked from further submissions. The theme for our Fourth Annual Short Story Anthology is The Natural World. Stories should take place predominantly outdoors or in some natural context, with nature a defining aspect of the work. Man-made environments and situations should take a backseat in the characteristics of landscape, plot, and other elements of your submission.  Merriam-Webster defines "the natural world" as "all of the animals, plants, and other things existing in nature and not made or caused by people." We would love to see stories that explore how interactions with nature cause tension, excitement, wonder, and/or increase the knowledge of the reader and characters in the story. Reconnecting with the natural world is vital in these times of pandemic, resulting in working from home, avoiding crowds, being cooped up in enclosed spaces, away from each other. How can we maintain our humanity without nature?  How often should we try to be outside, in nature? What can happen because of it? Without it? ANNUAL SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS: Short stories submitted in this category will be evaluated for inclusion in the annual Anthology. For stand-alone collections, please submit in the other Short Story category. Please tell us in query form the length, as well as the theme, working title, and upload the complete short story in .doc, .docx, .txt., or .rft format. Please do NOT upload a .pdf of your story. If your story is illustrated, kindly state this in the query, and we will contact you regarding these if...

Taking Artwork: Split Skull Media Horror & Dark Art Calendar 2023!

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: "Contributors Copy" (Copy of the calendar + a t-shirt) Theme: Photographs must depict horror in any type of twisted, macabre, and evil images of dark artwork, soaked in whatever vile media you choose to delve into Greetings Cadavers! We are pleased to announce the 2023 Horror & Dark Art Calendar is underway! Last year's 2022 calendar was a killer success, and we were able to help float a couple of names out into the horror ether. For 2023, we are looking for much more bloodlust! Once again we are seeking photo submissions from all you independent horror artists to showcase your vile creations! There are some guidelines below that must be followed, and yes, a photograph release (a necessary document to keep everyone honest), has to be submitted. Other than that, if you have captured art in some evil form and you want to showcase it in our calendar (it's free by the way, no entry fee!), take a photograph (digital) and send it to us for consideration. We will wade through the rivers of blood to choose just the right ones. But there is more. If your photograph is chosen for a monthly wall, you will be awarded: One free calendar One free Split Skull Media T-Shirt One free Death Certificate (yup, these are back, too!) Photo credit and website listing Huge bragging rights If we use your photograph on/inside the grid (smaller photo): Honorable mention on the calendar Please understand that every entry cannot be a winner. These artworks are painstakingly viewed and reviewed. Choosing the right ones is difficult and we hold no biases. When the photos are finally chosen, we have become mere shadows of our former selves, slinking deep into our coffins in a whirlwind of self-inflicted madness... but we wouldn't have...

Phantom Wine Ghost Story Contest 2022

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Prizes: Grand Prize: $5,000, writing credits on a video of the story. Theme: Original Ghost Stories Note: Must be 21 to enter. Bogle Vineyards’ Phantom Wine Ghost Story Contest is gearing up for another year of original ghost stories with the winner being produced into a short film with a cash payout! REQUIREMENTS OF CONTEST ENTRIES: Contest Entries may not contain, as determined by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, any content that: • Is sexually explicit; gratuitously violent; derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group; profane or pornographic; • Promotes alcohol abuse, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing); promotes any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous; promotes any particular political agenda or message; • Is obscene or offensive; endorses any form of hate or hate group; • Appeals to children or minors or promotes underage drinking; • Appears to duplicate any other submitted entries; • Defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies; • Contains trademarks, logos, or trade dress (such as distinctive packaging or building exteriors/interiors) owned by others, without permission; • Contains any personal identification, such as license plate numbers, personal names, e-mail addresses or street addresses; • Contains copyrighted materials owned by others, without permission; • Contains any materials embodying the names, likenesses, voices, or other indicia identifying any person, including, without limitation, celebrities and/or other public or private figures, living or dead, without providing legal releases for such use in a form satisfactory to Sponsor; • Contains look-alikes of celebrities or other public or private figures, living or dead; • Communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which Sponsor wishes to associate; and/or • Violates any law. By submitting a Contest...

Taking Submissions: Full Moon Chronicles

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 10.00 for each short story, $5.00 for each poem, article, and flash fiction piece, and $2.50 per cartoon/Comic Strip. Theme: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Time Travel Fantasy, Grimdark, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal, Bizarro Full Moon Chronicles Submission Guidelines We will be open to submissions September 1, 2022, through October 31, 2022 Quick and to the Point: Send us your submission in a .doc or .docx attachment in an email to [email protected]. Subject line, “FMCSubmissions” otherwise, your submission may not make it to our editors. Submissions sent to any other email address will not be considered. Include in the body of the email, Story Name (your title) Author (your name/pen name) Genre (in your opinion) Word count (the number of words in your story) Your story (Please leave a single blank line in between each paragraph of your story.) Please make sure you read and understand the guidelines as outlined above before you do so, especially the part about properly spacing your paragraph breaks. Who We Want We are eager to accept submissions by published authors and unpublished writers. What We Want All fiction, (for ages 18 and up) FANTASY, DARK FANTASY, HISTORICAL FANTASY, TIME TRAVEL FANTASY,GRIMDARK, HORROR, THRILLER, PARANORMAL, AND BIZARRO. (For other fiction not mentioned, please send a 250-word pitch for consideration.) Short Fiction Length: 2,500 to 4,500 words Flash Fiction Length: Up to 1,000 words (Flash fiction should never be more than 1,000 words.) Poetry Poems should be no more than a page, (approximately 225 words) or less. Subject matter to follow the above genres, and you may submit up to two poems per submission with triple spacing between them. Articles Pertaining to authors, genres, coming releases, distribution outlets, and so on. Cartoons / Comic Strips Original works only. (See “What We Don’t Want” below) What We...

Taking Submissions: Metastellar October 2022 Window

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 9 cents per word Theme: Speculative Fiction The submission window for the fall 2022 flash fiction submission cycle is October 1 to October 31. Authors will be notified in mid-November about whether their stories have been accepted for publication. Stories will be published under a non-exclusive license, at a rate of 8 cents per word. The author will retail all original copyrights. Stories must be under 1,000 words in length and fall under the genres of science fiction, fantasy or horror. Please submit only one story per cycle. Simultaneous submissions to other publications is allowed. Meanwhile, we are also accepting reviews, essays, reprints, and book excerpts for publication on this site. MetaStellar is an online publication focusing on horror, fantasy and science fiction, launched in September 2020, founded by a dozen speculative fiction writers, editors and artists from around the world. Via: Metastellar.

Taking Submissions: Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy: Volume Two

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $0.005/word up to 7500 words. Minimum of $15 Theme: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Note: Reprints Welcome We are currently open to SHORT STORY submissions for Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy: Volume Two to be published in the Summer of 2023. All stories must be submitted before our deadline of October 31st, 2022. We ask for the following: 1) We are looking for great Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Don’t overthink it! Just write an incredible story and you will find yourself in this anthology. 2) Submit your work in the Shunn Standard Manuscript Format. We only accept documents in DOC, DOCX and RTF formats. 3) We accept work in the range of 1500-7500 words. Anything outside this range will be automatically rejected. 4) Payment for original fiction is currently $0.005/word up to 7500 words. Minimum of $15. Reprints paid at full rate. We retain no rights to your work. 5) Worldstone Publishing encourages submissions from writers of all races, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, etc. We want and value diverse voices. Saying that, we make editorial decisions strictly based on merit, and we do not collect any information that might clue our editors to any of these attributes other than your name, email, address, and cover letter before any decisions are made regarding your submission. 6) Ready to submit? Then send an email directly to [email protected] In the subject line, please write “Anthology Submission: “STORY TITLE” or your story will be automatically rejected. 7) No multi-submissions. We try to respond to all submissions within 30 days. Via: Worldstone Publishing.

Taking Submissions: Elegant Literature October 2022 Window

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 10 cents per word for fiction, $3000 for pay to play contest, $200 for cover artwork Theme: A haunted place, and silver. Note: There is also a contest with the same theme that you can enter, which IS pay to play with big rewards. However, it is not required to enter in order to submit to the magazine. Do you tremble from the chill? As the weather cools and leaves scatter the ground, can you be sure it’s not something… else. Which scares you more, the darkness or your own thoughts? Certain places are known to be haunted. Asylums, crypts, and old creaky houses. The striped-tent circus turns sinister at night. You wonder what lurks inside the fog as the mist rolls through town, as the rain blankets the manor home, as lighting illuminates the deep woods. Where do you hide when the panic sets in? Surely not that cave, hotel, or empty church. An isolated cabin in the forest? Run farther, to a station among the stars, where the echoes you hear are definitely human. Perhaps you’re haunted by memories, of things you’ve done and people you’ve lost. How do you escape the voices in your head, conversations replayed ad nauseam until you scream with guilt? Chased by ghosts—real or imagined—where do you hide? This contest invites you to explore haunted hideaways, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome. Submissions close October 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers. WHO CAN ENTER? Anyone can submit work to the magazine for free, but you must be an Elegant+ Member to enter the contests and win prizes. Membership is $10/month and includes over $250 in exclusive discounts from our partners like Scrivener, ProWritingAid, Novel Factory, and more. SIGN UP NOW...

Taking Submissions: Under The Stairs

Deadline: February 1st, 2023 (DEADLINE EXTENDED) Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: Homebound Horror Ever felt like you weren’t alone in your own home? Like eyes were watching you through the walls and ceiling vents, or that if you just listened hard enough, you could hear footsteps creaking from the ceiling above you? Home is where you’re supposed to feel safe. But what happens when that safety is violated? When something malignant - living, dead, or something that never lived at all - enters our most sacred of places and begins twisting it to use that safety against you? You tell us. UNDER THE STAIRS wants your most horrific stories about what happens when one’s sense of home is lost. How you interpret that is up to you. We want supernatural stories and stories that deal with strictly human horrors. We want stories about stalkers, psychopaths, ghosts, monsters, urban legends, the mortician who built your home and parked his hearse in the driveway, where he used to let the bodies sit overnight. But what we want most are the stories that you are scared to tell. The splinters of painful terror from the deepest recesses of your heart. The ones that make you stop short of stepping over that threshold - whatever, or wherever “that threshold” is. Surprise us. We’re looking for original stories no more than 3,000 words. This is a hard limit. Submission Window Submissions will be accepted from August 1st-October 31st 2022. Any story submitted before or after will be deleted unread. Response Times We will try to respond to every submission within 60 days of submissions closing. Rights We are setting a 1 year, print and digital submission right to publish for submitted stories. Payment Sure, this is a passion project for us, but we wanna...