Events

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: Royalty Theme: Fantasy humor with grumpy old dragons Spring is coming and so, with spring, the thoughts of editors naturally turn to… dragons. Well, maybe that’s just us. It does mean that the time is finally here to introduce an anthology especially for those weird and wonderful draconic characters, that so many of us have held dear to our hearts since childhood. Did you grow up reading Patricia C. Wrede or Piers Anthony’s various books?  Ever wish you lived on Pern?  Then my friends, come on in and get comfortable, you are going to love writing for this anthology! We’re looking for stories where the dragon takes center stage (or at least steals the show). We’re open to any setting: maybe your dragon is disguised as a human and runs the local library and takes a very dim view of those who don’t return their books.  Perhaps your dragons took over the world in 1180 and the future now is kinda…dragon-shaped? We’re perfectly happy to get a pile of typical DND styled dragon stories, as long as you subvert our expectations and make us laugh hard enough to be a danger to ourselves and others. To be considered for the anthology, the story must contain at least one loveable ‘grumpy’ character – it can be the dragon’s human mentor, a disembodied ghost of a former dragon snack, or the dragon themselves.  Have fun with it and go berserk. We’d prefer the dragon to be the MC but will consider stories with the dragon as antagonist, if the twist leaves us with our mouths open, and our tongues lolling out. We have a distinct preference for clever characters that manage to get themselves into and out of deep trouble. If you give us sparkling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: $100 or $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is greater) and a contributor's copy Theme: Traditional Sherlock Holmes stories blended with one or more of Lovecraft’s tales. Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.P. Lovecraft Edited by Derrick Belanger & Brian Belanger Description: Imagine Holmes investigating the disappearance of a college student in the mysterious town of Innsmouth, matching wits with a man who can reanimate the dead, or using his deductive skills to help fight creatures from beyond the realm of time and space. These are just some of the stories which could be included in the new anthology Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.P. Lovecraft. The anthology will feature traditional Sherlock Holmes stories blended with one or more of Lovecraft’s tales. Belanger Books is calling for submissions from writers, new or established, which are between 5,000 - 10,000 words (it is okay to be over some). Guidelines: The stories must feel like traditional Holmes and Lovecraft stories. The stories should have the traditional Holmes and Watson working with the traditional characters, creatures, and/or gods of H.P. Lovecraft. Remember, there was a logic to the writing of Lovecraft, a rationale behind the otherworldly beings even if humans couldn’t conceive it, that should blend well with the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is GREATER) and a paperback copy of the anthology. Rights: Authors shall retain rights to their work. We only retain the rights to the story within the publication. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology. Send submissions in a word document to [email protected] with the subject line: ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR...

Blank bookcover with clipping path Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: horror/dark fiction Breakdown of content:   8 fiction pieces (approximate word lengths) – 1x 5000, 1x 3000, 1x 2500, 2x 1500, 3x 500 3-5 non-fiction pieces – 1 article, 1-2 briefs, 1 interview and/or review – Fiction:   We are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-5000 words firm. Common sense when submitting please. We do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors direct or implied. We are not looking for pure shock value. All components of your story should have merit. Gore for gore’s sake is not what we are looking for. Our pay rates 5 cents per word All payments are made in US funds via PayPal.   We accept submissions during the following reading periods , with an expected response time of up to 16 weeks. This way we are able to accommodate all the submissions we receive. If you have not heard back from us after 16 weeks, please feel free to send us an update query.   WINTER ISSUE: August 15 – November 15   SPRING ISSUE: November 16 – February 15   SUMMER ISSUE: February 16 – May 15   FALL ISSUE: May 16 – August 15   While not a requirement, we strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the digital magazine to help better understand the types of work we’re looking for. All submissions must be sent via e-mail to: [email protected] as an attached word document or .rtf with the word “Fiction Submission – STORY TITLE” in the subject line. In the body of the email include a word count. A short bio is welcome, but not mandatory. Please also include if you wish your story considered for both the quarterly print and the website publication. Note compensation rates are different for website so be...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: "A journey bestowed upon either from or seeking a mysterious entity with a theme of being “The Road Trip God”." PsychoToxin Press presents its first anthology title: “ROAD TRIP GOD” *** A journey can take many forms and serve many purposes. It can be a means of solace, of escape, or of discovery... But who is the one that sets each path? Who is the one that drives us to seek such an escape, and for what ends? Currently, only one of these questions may be answered. We all know him only as The Road Trip God! Who they are or why they do this, well, that’s for you all to tell! Myself and the ghouls of the newly fledged horror house, PsychoToxin press are seeking flash fiction stories (from 200-1,000 words; firm word limit) of any genre concerning a journey bestowed upon either from or seeking a mysterious entity with a theme of being “The Road Trip God”. *** Guidelines: Max word count = 1,000 words Original work ONLY — no reprints No simultaneous or multiple submissions — one story per author. We ask for first world print and digital rights for three months after publication, after which all rights revert back to the author. (We would appreciate, though, you crediting us as first appearance if you publish the story elsewhere) Stories must contain some mysterious entity (human or non-human) with a connection as “The Road Trip God” *(Note: entity does not actually HAVE to be named “The Road Trip God” — actually probably better if they weren’t — but needs to be SOME sort of interpretation of it.)* Stories must be your own! You wouldn’t appreciate having someone else rip off your work, right? Then let’s not do it to...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: ¢1 per word CAD Theme: Cosmic Horror COSMIC HORROR! A note from the curator and project lead - Tim Mendees ​ It's time to get weird and give us your sanity-blasting tales of cosmic horror. “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” ― H.P. Lovecraft The above quote by the father of the genre sums it up nicely. Cosmic horror deals with the insignificance of the human race in the face of an uncaring cosmos teeming with entities beyond our understanding. It is the things lurking in the liminal spaces between worlds. The hunger of a carnivorous universe. Give me your tales of Eldritch monstrosities, crazed cultists, subterranean terrors, and malign deities. I want a wide range of themes and abominations for this so think outside of the usual squid-faced suspects. Cosmic horror is more than just HPL. I will be looking for stories inspired by early practitioners such as Blackwood, Machen, Chambers & Hodgeson through the Lovecraft Circle to modern masters of the genre. For this anthology, I'm looking for the world as we know it and beyond. Historical, space & alternate reality settings are fine and encouraged but I'm not looking for fantasy (sword & sorcery) settings for this call. Think decaying urban landscapes, isolated communities, ancient ruins and lonely ships in orbit. Show me the unravelling of the fabric of society and the slipping mask of sanity. Above all, have fun with it. Take the brakes off and let your imagination run riot. Unleash the nightmare creations hiding in the dusty corners of your mind. Embrace the madness. Word count: 2000 - 7000 (Some wiggle room allowed - please let us know on the form, no need...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: $100 for each accepted print piece. $25 for each accepted online piece. Theme: Stories that take place in the western US. word west revue is a home for western-y writing and art and a whole lot more. a place to reimagine ‘the west’ and ‘westerns’ from new angles, overlooked perspectives, in both analogue + digital. we’re into subversion and surprise. we're into road trips and weird americana, ufos and cosmic country—from the mountains to the deserts to the beaches to the plains. go west-ish. hi, we're looking for writing and art and whatever else you've got that engages with and reimagines the 'west.’ ideally you or your work will have some connection to the western usa, but this theme is wide open to your interpretation (though our print issues will be more focused and western-y than online, which will be more free-wheeling). we like  intersections and echoes, mythos and symbolism, and perspectives not as often seen. we like road stories and weird americana. most of all, tell us a great story. show us something cool. something we can't help falling in love with. our goal is to remain open to the unexpected—to what surprises us, to what moves us, to what makes us see ‘the west’ in ways we haven't before. still unsure? tune into word west radio, or catch a flick at the westword cinemas. maybe you'll find some inspiration? yeehaw 🤠 no submission fees. 1 submission per submission window. submissions will be open twice / year: september 15 - november 15 & march 15 - june 15. pitches for online content (reviews, interviews, etc.) will always be accepted. sim-subs totally fine. just please let us know if a piece is accepted elsewhere. 5k words or less for prose. up to 5 poems for poetry. pieces are read for both online and print. we aim to...