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Taking Submissions: Alone on the Borderland

Belanger Books

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: Paperback copy, percentage of Kickstarter, percentage of first year of royalties Theme: Weird and strange fiction set between 1901 and 1919 Tales of Edwardian Dread SUBMISSION PERIOD: 1 FEBRUARY 2023 – 30 JUNE 2023 inclusive. GMT. CORE CONCEPT: An anthology of new weird and strange fiction set between 1901 and 1919 – from the death of Queen Victoria to the immediate aftermath of the Great War and the Spanish Influenza epidemic. Weird fiction is a mode of writing which includes the subversion of many standard tropes, or more imaginative interpretations, and has a strong psychological component, so please bear that in mind. “There are millions and millions and millions… with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they well be taught it in fire and bloody and anguish.” An Inspector Calls, J B Priestley (set in 1912) SETTING: The broad Edwardian period was a time of huge changes in society, including developments in science, religion, psychiatry, suffrage, class roles, labour, and the nature of warfare. Consider desperate attempts to cling to outdated ‘Victorian’ values, or a blind rejection of change — even an eager embrace of new concepts, with worrying results. Consider the worm inside this last ‘summer’ apple of grand houses and disenfranchised masses in Britain; remember the industrialisation of Japan and the growing revolutions in Russia. Hint at war to come, if you wish, or explore the weird through a war which changed many societies forever (please note, though, this is NOT...

Taking Submissions: Freeze Frame Fiction 2023 Call #1

Freeze Frame Fiction

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: A complete story in any genre What are we looking for? Good flash fiction is like a freeze frame—a snapshot of a real story about real characters. The word count is low, so many of the details are left to the reader to fill in, but they’re there. Flash fiction is neither a vignette nor a character sketch. Something must happen, and there must be an ending, whether explicit or implied. So first and foremost, we want a story. A complete, interesting story. 1000 words or less, any genre, no content restrictions. We want your science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, drama, literary works, satire, bizarre fiction, or anything else you can come up with or mix together. The more original, the better. The weirder, the better. The best way to find out what we’re looking for is to read what we’ve already published! Check out our current volume, free to read at https://freezeframefiction.com/. What are we NOT looking for? We are 100% okay with explicit content, so long as it serves a purpose to the story and/or characters. Profanity for the sake of profanity—or the same thing for sex, violence, or gore—does not impress us. Also, animal cruelty. Please just send that somewhere else. We do not publish fan-fiction, i.e., stories based in worlds or using characters created by other authors. All content must be original. The following things might be accepted, but will be a very hard sell: stories involving vampires, zombies, or werecreatures (read an exception here) pure romance with no other significant elements the now-ubiquitous young adult paranormal romance military fiction or stories of battles or wars stories with a religious message or theme We’re also pretty tired of reading about straight cis white guys, honestly. We get it; they’re everywhere. Give us some diversity,...

Taking Submissions: Happy Hellidays!

Hellbound Books Publishing

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $5 Theme: Holidays, with a pile of horror thrown in We all love the holidays, be it Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Hanukkah, Eid, the Solstices, Walpurgisnacht... the list is practically endless. We want your stories of of holidays (any holiday at all!) filled with terror and dread, blood and guts, ghosts, and demons most foul. Curated by the inimitable Theresa Scott-Matthews. PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 4K-10K word count * Write 'HELLIDAYS' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 30 June 2023 NO REPRINTS - ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Capped at 120K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.

Taking Submissions: Steel True, Blade Straight

Belanger Books

Deadline: June 30, 2023 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: Stories, poems, and scholarship inspired by and about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. Steel True, Blade Straight The Belanger Books Journal of Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Inspired Stories, Poems, and Scholarship 2023 Annual Description: This anthology will have stories, poems, and scholarship inspired by and about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. While the anthology will contain new Sherlock Holmes stories, the intent would be for at least 25% of the material to be stories and poems inspired by the life and non-Sherlockian writing of Sir Arthur. Another 25% of material would be scholarship on Holmes and Doyle. All proceeds from the Anthology will be donated to The Beacon Society, a 501c(3) nonprofit scion society of The Baker Street Irregulars (BSI), that serves as a link to other scion societies, providing teachers, librarians, children museums, and children theaters with local resources to bring the magic of Sherlock Holmes to life. Guidelines: Stories - 3,000 - 10,000 word submissions that connect to the writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These can be Sherlock Holmes stories, or stories connected to Sir Arthur’s additional writings (far too many to list here). Poems - format and length are open. The poetry submission would have to somehow connect to the life or work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Scholarship - 1,000 - 3,000 word submissions. Essays must connect to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or his writing (Sherlock Holmes or other work). Multiple submissions in the same or more than one category are welcome. Payment: All authors will receive a paperback copy of the anthology. Rights: All authors shall retain the rights to their submitted work outside of the anthology and may reprint their submission one year after the anthology’s publication date....

Taking Submissions: The Monsters Next Door

Critical Blast

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $20 and a contributors copy Theme: Monsters that live next door! The reading period is now open for our next anthology, THE MONSTERS NEXT DOOR. Theme: Exactly what the title indicates. The setting is real world, suburbia, inner city, farm country -- with the exception that there are monsters next door. We are open to horror, science fiction, comedy, tragedy, whatever your story needs to get it told, so long as it fits the theme of the anthology. Did Dracula move into the apartment next to yours? Does Cthulhu have a summer house in the country? Are there zombies on the cul-de-sac now? Word length: 2,000 min / 10,000 max Rights: First serial print and e-book Pay: Upon publication, $20 plus author copy. Authors can order additional copies at base printing cost. Deadline: June 30, 2023 Date of Publication: Sept 2023 Submissions should be sent in MS-Word format to [email protected]. If you use the William Shunn Manuscript format, you will have a much better chance of getting read. Via: Critical Blast.

Taking Submissions: Greater Than His Nature

Atomic Carnival Books

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $.03 per word and a contributors copy Theme: Short stories based around the theme of “mad science.” For Greater Than His Nature, I’m looking for short stories based around the theme of “mad science.” Cackling Victorian scientists, giant atomic monsters, and Cronenbergian body horror are all fair game. I’m even open to the right piece of nonfiction for this one. I’m especially interested to include stories from disabled and chronically ill writers. You don’t need to self-identify if you don’t want to or give me any information you don’t feel comfortable with; just know that, if you’ve got some medical trauma you need to work through with monsters and mayhem, I’m here for you. The Specifics pulp, bizarro, and transgressive writing are all a-okay; anything that could be a right-wing talking point is emphatically not to be clear, I’m saying that misogyny, sexism, racism, ableism, and/or homophobic and transphobic bullshit will not be tolerated pro-capitalism, pro-cop stances are also going to be a (very) hard sell no AI-generated anything up to 10,000 words, but between 2K – 6K is the sweet spot simultaneous submissions are cool, but please only send me one story per anthology at a time; if you’re rejected, feel free to try again submissions for both Greater Than His Nature and Open All Night will be open until June 30, 2023; I’ll try to respond to all stories within a month of receipt payment for accepted stories is $.03 per word and a paperback of the anthology you’re in the pay-rate will go up if we hit the stretch goals for our Kickstarter by submitting, you’re acknowledging acceptance of the above Kickstarter contingencies send your story as an attachment to electricalsweater gmail com, with the subject line Submission, questions and queries go to carnivalatomic gmail com Via: Atomic Carnival Books.

Taking Submissions: Open All Night

Atomic Carnival Books

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: 3 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Horror and fantasy that deals with the theme of "Open All Night" For Open All Night, I want horror and fantasy (and all and any assorted sub- and cross-genres) based around the theme of “open all night.” While not strictly necessary, I’ll definitely be looking for retail and service industry-based stories. Give me graveyard shifts, overnight inventories gone bad, and haunted diners, shit so sordid and spooky that even the most seasoned of waitresses can’t handle what’s happening. No nonfiction here, but if you want to deviate from the above genres, a little or a lot, that’s cool with me. I’m never going to turn down Clerks set in the commissary of a spaceship. Just make sure it sticks to the theme. The Specifics pulp, bizarro, and transgressive writing are all a-okay; anything that could be a right-wing talking point is emphatically not to be clear, I’m saying that misogyny, sexism, racism, ableism, and/or homophobic and transphobic bullshit will not be tolerated pro-capitalism, pro-cop stances are also going to be a (very) hard sell no AI-generated anything up to 10,000 words, but between 2K – 6K is the sweet spot simultaneous submissions are cool, but please only send me one story per anthology at a time; if you’re rejected, feel free to try again submissions for both Greater Than His Nature and Open All Night will be open until June 30, 2023; I’ll try to respond to all stories within a month of receipt payment for accepted stories is $.03 per word and a paperback of the anthology you’re in the pay-rate will go up if we hit the stretch goals for our Kickstarter by submitting, you’re acknowledging acceptance of the above Kickstarter contingencies send your story as an attachment to electricalsweater gmail com, with the subject line Submission, questions...

Taking Submissions: A Coven of Witches

West Avenue Publishing

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: £10 Theme: witches, or a witch All submissions must include witches, or a witch, as the main theme of the piece. Each author may submit up to three pieces for consideration. We accept short stories of up to 5,000 words and poetry of any length. Please email your submission as a Word document to [email protected] Submissions will close at midnight GMT on the 30th of June 2023. The list of successful authors will be published on our website no later than 31st of July 2023, so please do keep an eye out. Successful writers will receive a one off payment of £10. Writers will retain all copyrights for their submission/s.   Via: West Avenue Publishing.

Taking Submissions: Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue #3

DBS Press

Submission Window: May 15th to June 30th, 2023 Payment: 5 cents per word plus contributor’s copies Theme: Lucy Westenra/Bloofer Lady Issue 3: Lucy Westenra/Bloofer Lady: (To be published November/2023) What’s your take on Miss Lucy? Innocent and pure? Promiscuous Tease? How about her time as the Bloofer Lady? You can romance us or scare us, just be sure to intrigue us. Submissions open May 15, 2023-June 30, 2023. Submissions received earlier will be read and considered but will not be responded to until the window opens. We like stories that feel like they could be canon, but we also enjoy fun alternate takes and pastiche. Prequels, sequels, updates, divergent timelines - unleash your creative powers of darkness and show us something exciting . Stories should be 1500-5000 words. Poetry will be considered, but is not necessarily sought (We are hoping to have an all poetry issue sometime in the future). Compensation will be .05/word plus contributor’s copies. Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please notify us immediately if accepted elsewhere. Some stories may be chosen for the website, but not the publication. Please adhere to the Shunn format - https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ Please only send .doc, .docx, or .pdf Filename and email subject should be - “lastname_title_renfield” or “lastname_title_lucy” Include short 3rd person bio Email story submissions to: [email protected] Cover Art Submissions What we want Eye catching design. Think pulp paperbacks, Basil Gogos’ Famous Monsters covers, EC Horror Comics, Vintage Movie Posters. Originality. Homage is fun, plagiarism is not. Please make sure you own all aspects of your work. Knowledge and Love of all things Dracula. Hide some Easter eggs in there. Make it so that we keep coming back to find more to enjoy. Keep it clean. Sensual is fine. Erotica, not so much. Check out our previously published Covers. Parameters Format is...

Taking Submissions: Written in the Wind – Fantastic Tales on the Power of Names

Wordsmyths

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $20 Theme: Fantasy short stories that explore names Theme: What’s in a name? Is it a simple collection of symbols and sounds, or something more? A name is one of the first things we are given in this world, and is the first thing we give to others. But names hold power. They can define and divide, unite and reimagine. A name can truly change your fate. This collection of Fantasy short stories will explore names and the power they hold over us. Featuring stories from the Worldsmyths community, these tales will show you new worlds and open your mind to the power of names. What We Are Looking For: Stories that make the heart sing and the coldest soul melt, stories with exciting characters that make us feel for them. See our previous anthology wherever books are sold to get an idea of what we like. NOTE – Please send your most polished work, stories that have a clear beginning, middle, and end, where something changes by the end of the piece. Submission Period: Now to June 30th at 11:59pm EST Length: 2000-4000 words (+/- 250 wordS) Genre: Speculative fiction Pay: $20USD/story Rights: Exclusive right for a year, reprint right after Delivery Method: These stories will be serialized and released on several sites before being bundled on Amazon Reprints Accepted: Yes Simultaneous Submissions: No Who Can Submit: Anyone Where to Submit: See #publisher-info on Discord for the Google Form Via: Wordsmyths.

Taking Submissions: Alternative Truths, Southern Edition: Bless Their Hearts

B Cubed Press

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: A look at the south of the United States through the lens of speculative fiction B Cubed press is proud to announce our latest Open Call:  Alternative Truths. Southern Edition: Bless their Hearts (working title). Edited by K.G.  Anderson and Bob Brown and the next in B Cubed Press’s best-selling Alternative Truths series. This book will examine the South, a place where politicians and their followers compete to peg the outrage meter. Why—and how—are they turning the United States into a cauldron of bigotry and hate? They are banning books. They are controlling free speech (“Don’t Say Gay”). They have placed bounties on abortion seekers. They have declared war on Mickey Mouse. They promote state takeovers of local prosecutors’ offices, election boards, college governing boards, and school curricula. They think no one is too young or too unbalanced to have a gun and are In full retreat on gun-safety laws. They would make your gender identity a crime. It goes on and on. This book will look at the mindset behind these and other efforts to bring back the Old South, a mythical place and time when everyone knew their place. We want you give us stories that speak to the consequences of such a mindset and where it may be taking us as individuals and  as a culture. What, if left unfettered, would they make of America, the world, and the future. And more important, how will we fight to stop them.  What we are looking for: We are accepting stories, essays, and poems. When you write, go deep. You won’t sell us a story just by mocking the Right or by being Left. We want thoughtful looks at the issues. Hate doesn’t work for us. We like character-driven stories. We like...

Taking Submissions: Taking Submissions: Allegory Volume 44

Allegory Ezine

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $15 Theme: Speculative fiction, primarily horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Note: Reprints welcome Formatting Guidelines This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. EMAIL AND COVER LETTERS Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman SUBMISSION FORMATTING We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Test Format (.rtf) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult to open. Please note that we no longer accept "inline" submssions; that is, submissions with the stories pasted...

Taking Submissions: Haven Speculative 2023 General Submissions Call #3 (Early)

Haven Speculative

Submission Window: June 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word for fiction, $5 for poetry, 1 cent per word for non-fiction, $35 for cover art Theme: Speculative fiction It's our goal to publish diverse voices from around the world, and to do that, we are actively seeking stories, poems, and non-fiction pieces by authors from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in the science fiction and fantasy canon. Our submission cycle is therefore split into two categories, where every other month is explicitly reserved for submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. The interposing six months remain open to everyone. Guidelines for Fiction We are seeking stories in the English language up to 6,000 words by writers from around the world. We favor submisions that have not been published before (including on your own website), though we do accept a limited number of reprints not currently appearing anywhere online. For our two issues focused on the climate crisis, we're particularly interested in publishing stories from people displaced by or threatened by the climate emergency (see our themes below). For our other four issues, we're open to a wide variety of stories across the SFF and weird spectra. We pay 1¢ per word for fiction, and we try to respond to all submissions within ten weeks. We will also accept a limited number of previously published stories, so please indicate on the form if your submission is a reprint. All submissions must use the Shunn manuscript format (we prefer Courier New) and be either .rtf, .doc, or .docx. We like stories that are subtle in their telling and stick with us long after we've finished. We're more likely to buy stories that balance a sense of wonder with a bold plot and...

Taking Submissions: Short Story Substack June 2023 Window (Early Listing)

Short Story Substack

Submission Window: June 1st-30th, 2023 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. What if I can’t pay right now? That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your...

Taking Submissions: Year of the Tarot: Pentacles

Eerie River Publishing

Submission Window: June 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: 1 cent CAD per word Theme: Horror inspired by the Tarot: Pentacles Welcome to our four-book series, dedicated to horror inspired by the Tarot.  Does the story have to be about Tarot Cards... NO. Think cups, knives, wands, and pentacles. We are looking for the theme to be the element, not necessarily the card itself, although we would love to read that as well.  Chalice - Pentacles - Blades - Wands ​ **Patron Members get an extended submission window** ​ March 1- 31: Chalice  (Patron dates Feb 21 - April 7) June 1- 30: Pentacles (Patron dates May 23 - July 7) Sept 1- 30: Blades/Swords  (Patron dates August 24 - October 7) Dec 1- 31: Wands (Patron dates November 23 - January 7) ​ ​ Each book will have an overriding theme of a Tarot suit and be between 50k - 60k words in length. They will be stand-alone books but will make up a four-book series. ​ ​​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.  ​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" for example "Borderline Nuisance - Tarot Wands"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 appear) IF you have issues with the form, please email your...

Contest: The Drabble Harvest Contest

Hiraeth Publishing

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Prizes: $5 for first place, $2 for second place, all others accepted are $1 per drabble Theme: A drabble with the idea of: Space Station Duty-Free A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. That's a drabble. You have to count each word. Hyphenated words, such as tete-a-tete, count as one word. Don't use your word count tool to count the words, because that tool will count an ellipsis ( . . . ) as three words, which really should not be counted at all. It will also count dashes ( - ) as words, which is wrong. So count each word by sight, not by tool. Our drabble contests have themes. For each contest, we will simply throw the theme out there. Whatever the theme inspires you to write, that's what you write. The theme of this contest is: Space Station Duty-Free This should be self-explanatory. What would people/aliens try to smuggle in? Or out? ​ This contest is open from 1 May 2023 through 30 June 2023. You have two months to write 100 words. Easy! Ah, but once you have written them, where do you send them? You send them to the contest editor, Terrie Leigh Relf, at tlrelf at gmail dot com. You'll have to combine that address--sorry, but we don't want her to be spammed. Send your submission in the body of the e-mail, please. If you want anything italicized, please indicate by * before and after the word to be italicized. Pay for drabbles is 1 cent a word, which means one dollar per drabble. Pay for First Place is $5.00, and pay...

Taking Submissions: Space Brides, LLC

WolfSinger Publications

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $15 and equal share of 50% royalties split between authors Theme: Romantic Science Fiction that deals with... Space Brides, full details found below Tired of those lonely dark nights? No one in your settlement suitable? ​ We are here to help! We will assist you in finding the bride or husband to keep you company, raise your children, and be your partner building a dream together. ​ Contact us directly and give us your specifications. Success guaranteed. ​ Looking to settle off world? We have husbands and wives searching for you. Have children who need a second parent? They’re more than welcome. ​ Any children must be declared before the contract is signed and approved by the potential spouse/partner. This includes those seeking our services off world or anyone traveling. Failure to do so will require the child’s travel to be paid for by the party who did not declare the minor before being allowed to meet the contractor. If either party does not approve the child, then another candidate will be sought up to three times. ​ Onsite ministers at no charge available for immediate marriage or up to six months after your future spouse’s arrival. After that there will be an extra fee for our services, or you may hold a private ceremony with the official of your choice. Copy of marriage agreement/document required to be sent directly to us. This is to advertise our success rate and encourage others to use our services. If the imported spouse is not suitable after a two-week trial period, it is the contractor’s responsibility to find another potential candidate and annul the marriage, if there has been one. There will be no refund of the charged fee if this occurs. ​ Spouses sought for all legal...

Taking Submissions: NPQ – 2023 Climate Justice Magazine

Non-Profit Quarterly

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $500 for substantive science-grounded stories and $300 for short stories around 500 words. Theme: Science Fiction stories that deal with the climate crisis For NPQ’s fall 2023 climate justice edition of NPQ Magazine, we’re looking for climate fiction! Yes, we’re trying something new and want to hear from you! What are we looking for? Inspired by Janelle Monáe, Octavia E. Butler, and Ursula K. Le Guin, we’re looking for short climate fiction stories that spark imaginative visions of the future. Particularly, we want to see writing that is largely speculative in nature but scientifically grounded. In the midst of our climate crisis reshaping the way people live, our fall 2023 issue focuses on the question, Where do we find/how do we create home in the future? As such, we are interested in stories that speak to our intersectional lived experiences in the context of climate change and how these might play out, evolve, or even completely transform in your visionary future world. Stories can be utopian and apocalyptic or somewhere in between. We can’t wait to see what you submit! What you need to know Our submission period opens April 30, 2023 and closes on June 30, 2023. Please submit all entries as a Word doc to [email protected] with “Climate Fiction Call Submission” as the subject line. Story submissions should be between 2 and 5 pages and up to 2000 words. NPQ will pay $500 for substantive science-grounded stories and $300 for short stories around 500 words. We will respond to every story submission whether or not your story is selected for publication. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected] Via: Non-Profit Quarterly.

Taking Submissions: Make Your Presence Known: Stories of Seances, Conjuring, and Mediumship

Off Limits Press

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: 4 cents and a contributors copy Theme: Stories of spirtualism, contact, ouija boards, spirit conjuring and more! Submissions will open from June 1-June 30, 2023. Give us your best stories of spirtualism, contact, ouija boards, spirit conjuring and more. As always, we’re invested in diverse storytelling. We love Victorian settings, spooky mansions, and creepy cemeteries, but we love stories that celebrate diverse voices and ideas even more. Show us something new. Take us somewhere we’ve never been. Show us a new way of speaking to the dead. The anthology will be made up of a combination of invited authors and submitted work. Take a look below for submission details! Guidelines: Stories should be between 1500 and 5000 (Hard Limit) words. Selected authors will be paid $0.04 per word and will receive one contributor copy. Please send your stories to [email protected]. Submissions should be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman or similar font, size 12. Please send submissions as an attachment in .doc, .docx, or PDF format. Please include a cover letter containing a brief bio in the body of your submission email. Please include the name of your submission, your name (and pen name if applicable), as well as the total word count of your submission in the body of your email. For ease of sorting, please frame your email subjects: MYPK: TITLE, AUTHOR NAME Simultaneous submissions allowed. Multiple submissions not accepted. Additionally, though we think we shouldn’t have to say so, we will not accept any AI-generated submissions. We will be taking every precaution to weed those out and you will be required to sign a document stating the manuscript was in no way produced by AI programs if your story is selected. Via: Off Limits Press.

Taking Submissions: The Book Of Queer Saints Vol II

Medusa Publishing House

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: Stories where unabashedly queer villains, anti-heroes, and outlaws reign supreme by all writers who identify as LGBTQ+ The horror anthology where unabashedly queer villains, anti-heroes, and outlaws reign supreme. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: This anthology is open to all writers who identify as LGBTQ+ Simultaneous submissions are allowed. We just ask that you inform us if a story has been accepted elsewhere. Only one submission per person. Submission period: May 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023 Word count requirements: 1,000 - 4,000 words Accepted submissions will be announced on July 24 Anthology will be published in print and e-book format October 31, 2023 PAYMENT: Writers with accepted stories will be paid the Horror Writers Association pro-rate of $0.05 per word and receive one contributor copy in print upon publication. FORMAT: Standard manuscript format only. No columns or other experimental formatting and no illustrations. Send as a doc/docx attachment. Do not copy/paste your story in the body of the email. Include your first and last name, the title of your story, and word count in the subject line of your email. RIGHTS: Exclusive First Worldwide Publication, Print, and Electronic Rights for three months, and non-exclusive rights thereafter. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: Stories containing graphic depictions of sexual violence will not be considered. All stories must be original works featuring original characters. No fanfiction, although those who have written fanfiction but have not otherwise been published are always welcome. Writers who have never been published are strongly encouraged to submit. Please note: Lor Gislason will be acting as first reader for all submissions. Submissions that do not make it through the first reader may be rejected early out of respect for the writer’s time, usually because the story does not meet our word count or theme...

Taking Submissions: Synthemata June 2023 Writing Contest

Synthemata

Deadline: June 30th 2023 Prizes: $100 to the winner, $25 for accepted runner ups Theme: Any genre, as long as the work relates to Neoplatonism, polytheism, or animism. We are looking for short stories relating to Neoplatonist, polytheist, and animist traditions. We are particularly interested in stories that bring ideas and themes poorly appreciated in modern western countries into the light and leave the reader thinking about what they’ve read for many days afterwards. Submission window: June 2nd – June 30th 2023 Looking for: Original short stories of 2000 to 5000 words that have not previously been published. Genre: Any, as long as the work relates to Neoplatonism, polytheism, or animism. Language: English Prize: One short story will be selected as the winner and the author will be paid $100. Authors of other stories selected for publication will be paid $25. Rights: Synthemata claims English-language rights to publish selected submissions on our website and in a downloadable .pdf of the entries which will be freely available on our website. All other rights remain with the author. Please submit your entries by sending them to [email protected]. The text of the entry should be included in the body of the email. If your submission is successful, you will be emailed after submissions close on June 30th with confirmation and asked to send payment information (paypal is preferred). Publication is anticipated to take place in mid-July. Via: Synthemata.

Taking Submissions: The Red Lemon Review June 2023 Window

Red Lemon Review

Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $30 Theme: poems, visual art, and flash fiction pieces that depict the mundane through a unique lens We are currently open for submissions! Subs close on June 31. The Red Lemon Review aims to publish poems, visual art, and flash fiction pieces that depict the mundane through a unique lens. In particular, we appreciate works which give uncommon insight into common experiences. We pay $30 per piece, regardless of genre or length. Guidelines: Submissions are accepted through e-mail: [email protected] Title the subject of the e-mail with the genre(s) of your submission. EX: POETRY & VISUAL ART SUBMISSION   All submissions are READ BLIND. Do not include a bio. If accepted, a bio will be asked for.   Send up to four (4) previously unpublished poems or flash fiction pieces in one .docx file. There are no word count limitations for poetry submissions; however, flash fiction pieces must be under 350 words. Send up to five (5) previously unpublished pieces of visual art in any format.   Simultaneous submissions are permitted.   If no response has been delivered by fifteen days, please e-mail us a query.   Via: The Red Lemon Review.

Taking Submissions: Encountered

Siren's Call Publications

  Deadline: June 30th, 2023 Payment: $15 Theme: Alien Horror Note: Apologies for the short turn around, this only hit our inbox today! ENCOUNTERED Alien Horror SUBMISSIONS OPEN May 5, 2023 - June 30, 2023 This is a call for Alien Horror. Make your story brutal, vicious, or scary as all hell! Make sure there is at least one human and one alien involved. Beyond our don'ts listed below, go for it! No graphic rape scenarios will be accepted. No stories containing anything risqué with animals or pedophilia will be accepted. No happy endings. Cliffhangers are acceptable. This is a Horror call, not Science Fiction. Word count: 2,000 - 3,000 words Payment: $15 per story Best story gains a $50 bonus! Deadline: June 30, 2023 NO REPRINTS ACCEPTED NO WIPS ACCEPTED NO FAN FICTION ACCEPTED NO MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS NO SIMULANEOUS SUBMISSIONS All submissions MUST be sent to [email protected] For formatting instructions, please see the link at the end of the call. Thank you! Required theme: Alien Horror Word count & Compensation: Stories between 2,000 - 3,000 words will be considered for payment of $15.00 USD, an ebook contributor copy, and the right to purchase an unlimited number of print books at discount. The best story gains a $50 bonus! How to submit: Submissions MUST be sent to [email protected] with the following details included in the SUBJECT line of your email: SUBMISSION - - '' - Example: SUBMISSION - ENCOUNTERED - 'Green' - Lee Andrew Forman Submission deadline: June 30, 2023 Reading & Evaluation Period: Two to three months after close of the deadline. The following will not be considered: ** NO REPRINTS WILL BE CONSIDERED ** ** NO WIPs WILL BE CONSIDERED ** ** NO FAN FICTION WILL BE CONSIDERED ** ** NO MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS ** ** NO SIMUTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS...