Events

Deadline: July 15th, 2023 Payment: $20 per story or artwork Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease don't query us about your story submission. We don't have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it's not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don't accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up...

Deadline: July 15th, 2023 Payment: $25 Theme: Stories blending dreamscapes and reality WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Stuck inside a dreamworld, stuck inside your head, terrors unfold. We are looking for stories that blend dreamscapes into reality, stories where nightmares come alive, where fears take shape, and we can no longer tell what’s real and what’s not. SUBMISSION INFO Submissions must be between 2,000 and 5,000 (Word counts are firm) Title, submitter's name, pen name (if different), story word count and author email address must be at the top of your submission. Submissions must be sent to [email protected]. Please include NIGHTMARE SUBMISSION in the subject of the email. AI cannot write submissions (Artificial Intelligence.) I will disqualify any author that submits work that is not written by them from submitting to Exploding Head Fiction in the future and all future anthologies. Submissions must be written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1" margins, double spaced. All scene breaks must be three asterisks, centered on the page, with no spaces in between (***) Submissions must be in .Docx or .Doc format. Submissions should be clean and edited to the best of the author's ability. Submissions must contain elements of horror centered on nightmares and/or dreams. Submissions must not have been published elsewhere before in any form. Authors may submit as many stories as they want for review, however, there will be a limit of one published story per author. Please include in the email's body any content warnings (if you chose to use them) Simultaneous submissions are allowed; however, we ask that you inform us immediately if another publisher picks up your story The Nightmare Never Ends will be released October 2023 Submissions must be in by July 15, 2023 Authors will be notified on whether their story was accepted...

Submission Window: July 1st-15th, 2023 Payment: $0.03 per word Theme: An Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right with a focus on "It Was All A Dream" What is your least favorite horror trope? Why? Has it been overdone? Is it predictable? Is it unrealistic? Here’s your chance to fix it. Open call submission window open July 1 - July 15, 2023. Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and marginalized writers open July 16 - July 22, 2023. The anthology will be a mix of solicited stories and stories selected from the open call submission period. What are we looking for? Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 1500 and 3000 words (firm limit) that take your least favorite horror trope and make it work. Take a trope that’s well-worn, overused, predictable, tough to swallow, and scare the hell out of us with it. Turn it on its head, or make it bizarre enough to still surprise. Really take some time to understand why your chosen trope often fails and how you can make it into a successful (read: scary, surprising, weird, shocking, heartwrenching, maybe even funny) horror story. This anthology is open to all writers, but we strongly encourage writers from the LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities to submit. What are we NOT looking for? Stories that deal with bigotry are fine, but bigoted stories are not. Graphic rape or sexual assault scenes will not be accepted. Any story that does not contain elements of horror, weird fiction, or dark fiction will not be considered. Erotic elements are fine, but keep in mind this is not a call for erotica so make sure it contains elements of horror, weird, or dark fiction. How to submit: Word format (.docx), in something approximating standard manuscript format (double-spaced, 12pt font, word...

Submission Window: June 1st, 2023 - July 15th, 2023 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Science fiction and speculative fiction Note: Open to writers that are marginalized members of the sci-fi/spec community GENERAL (i.e. non micro-fiction) GUIDELINES We are currently closed to GENERAL flash submissions. We will open June 1, 2023 for Volume 4 submissions and remain open until July 15, 2023. We want science fiction and speculative fiction. So long as it falls into one of these categories, we will happily read it. If other elements are present, that is fine, but it must include science or speculative fiction. No more than 1000 words. This is a firm limit. Please no queries about longer pieces. NO AI-GENERATED/ASSISTED STORIES Pay rate is professional - $0.08 US/word This is for marginalized members of the sci-fi/spec community—this includes people of color, the LGBTQ2S+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled and neurodiverse people. If you are not a person of color, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse, disabled, or of a marginalized gender, please DO NOT send us your work. Authors of all accepted pieces will have the option to include a short bio in the anthology. We understand the sensitive nature of gender identity and sexual orientation, so if you wish this status to remain unwritten and/or if you prefer to be anonymous, we will print only what you wish to be printed. If you would like your piece published under a pseudonym, please indicate this on your submission. If you would like your pronouns included, please indicate those as well. DO NOT send us anything hateful. No gratuitous violence, torture, rape, or any work that promotes an ideology unbecoming of an inclusive society – no stories supporting racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, or any other of the many forms of hate. Minutiae Please prepare your...

Submission Window: July 1st - 15th, 2023 Payment: $50 Theme: Stories that are "scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad" What We Publish At 34 Orchard, we like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad. We like things we can’t put down and things that make us go “wow” when we’ve finished. But our main goal here at 34 Orchard is to publish the stuff we like to read, and you’re not in our heads. So don’t over think it. Just submit. We are an international journal and welcome submissions from everyone, all over the world. As of our Fall 2021 issue, we have published work from Africa, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Word Counts Short fiction from 1000 to 7500 words Poetry any style or length When We Publish We publish two issues per year, one in the spring (April) and one in the fall (November). Issues are hosted on this site as PDFs. Reading Period Our reading period for the Spring Issue is January 1-January 31. Our reading period for the Fall Issue is July 1-July 31. We only accept submissions, therefore, during January and July. Anything submitted to us outside those months will be deleted unread, and no response will be sent. Simultaneous Submissions Yes, we welcome and encourage them! Just notify us at [email protected] if it’s been accepted elsewhere as soon as you know. Multiple Submissions No. We only consider one piece of fiction per writer at a time. Poetry: you may send up to three at once as three separate documents attached to one email. Reprints No. We don’t accept anything from our open submissions call that has been previously published. How to Submit  Pieces which do not follow guidelines will be rejected unread.  Shunn formatting for fiction or Shunn formatting for poetry .DOC...

Deadline: July 15th, 2023 Payment: $25 Theme: Ghost stories where the supernatural isn't explained Submissions open June 1, 2023 through July 15, 2023. Contact: [email protected] Estimated Publication Date: November 2023. Story Length: Between 2,000 and 3,500 words.  (Hard Limits. Nothing above or below will be considered.) Stories need not take place in December, but all stories must be ghost stories—no supernatural explained. (With apologies to Ann Radcliffe.) Fiction only. No gore, no rape, no gratuitous sex, no agendas, just your best chilling ghost story.  New stories preferred. Edits to style, story, and sentence structure may be required. If you're not open to considering edits, please do not submit. Reprints of exceptional stories will be considered. If your story is a reprint, please include its complete publication history. Please submit your story as a Word.doc or Word.docx file. Please include your name and story's name in email's title.  PLEASE USE INDENTS AND NOT TABS TO SET PARAGRAPHS.  Payment: $25 US (through PayPal or Venmo) per accepted story for worldwide publication, English language rights. (Author retains story copyright.) Apologies, but this anthology MAY be eBook format only, so no free author copies.  General Submission Guidelines: Word.doc or Word.docx format. Double spaced, New Times Roman font, 12 pt preferred. PLEASE USE INDENTS AND NOT TABS TO SET PARAGRAPHS.  If you're a published author, please include your publication history. If you aren't a published author, fear not. Curious Blue Press was created with you in mind.  Send your submission to [email protected]. You will not receive an acknowledgment of receipt, so if it's been more than six weeks without a response, please feel free to nudge.  (Seriously, the goal is to get back to you with an acceptance or nonacceptance within two weeks.) Regarding nonacceptance: Please don't take it personally. A nonacceptance doesn't mean you're a bad writer or...

Deadline: July 15th, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: Stories from writers living in Colorado and Connecticut. It’s that time again. PsychoToxin Press is issuing an submission call for our upcoming issue of Eidolotry Digital. We are looking for stories from writers living in Colorado and Connecticut.  Submissions should be between 2,000-10,000 words. Pay is $10 plus a digital contributors copy. Please include contact information both in your email and on the first page of your submission.  Our guidelines are pretty simple. No excessive gore or violence without a reasonable explanation.  No graphic sexual assault or violence against animals or children.  You must hold the rights to publish the submitted work. You wouldn’t want anyone stealing your work, and we expect the same honesty from all contributors. PsychoToxin Press does not claim to hold copyright over your work if chosen for publication, all we ask is that you don’t reprint the story anywhere for at least 3 months after publication of the anthology. All submissions must be submitted by July 15th to be considered for inclusion. All submissions should be sent to [email protected] with your name and title in the subject line. Thanks in advance and we look forward to reading your work. Via: PyschoToxin Press.

Deadline: July 15th, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Horror that showcases the sunbeaten land inspired by Arizona and the creatures and mysteries that dwell there SUBMISSION PERIOD: JUNE 15, 2023 – JULY 15, 2023 Any stories submitted BEFORE or AFTER the submission window (without prior consent from someone on the Aphotic Realm Team) will be deleted unread. Terrors that dwell in the spooky, haunted forest is a well-known horror trope and for good reasons—many of the most memorable stories take place in that setting. Although I do enjoy those stories, I’ve never related to them. Born, raised, and still residing in Phoenix, Arizona, I don’t make it out to the woods very often.  I’m not looking for westerns—historical, splatter, or the like. I want horror that showcases the sunbeaten land and the creatures and mysteries that dwell there. That doesn’t mean you can’t submit something historical but try to stay clear of the Western tropes. Think Gila monsters, scorpions, snakes, coyotes, and javelina. The abandoned copper mines. Indigenous folklore. The unbearable heat and the beautiful yet dangerous flora. The unsettling extraterrestrial activity and vicious monsoons… GUIDELINES We will accept unpublished short stories of any genre as long as they are dark, sinister, or eerie in tone. No gratuitous sex or violence for the sake of shock—the use must be integral to the story. Stories must contain a minimum of 1,000 words and not surpass 5,000 words. (3k to 4k is the sweet spot) Please submit all stories to [email protected]. In the subject line please write, “SONORAN: Title of your story”. In the body of the email, please include a 50-100 word bio about yourself and your contact information. All stories must be submitted as a .DOC or .DOCX file. All other file types will be deleted without being read. All stories must be formatted properly...

Deadline: July 15th, 2023 Payment: $20 for 5,000-8,999 words, $30 for 9,000-12,999 words, $40 for 13,000-15,000 words. Theme: Girls' coming-of-age horror stories - 5,000 - 15,000 words, soft limits but don't go nuts. - Pay is through PayPal: $20 for 5,000-8,999 words, $30 for 9,000-12,999 words, $40 for 13,000-15,000 words. - Only women authors, please. This is an inclusive term. - Stories must feature a girl as the protagonist. This is an inclusive term. - This is a call for coming-of-age stories in the horror genre. The Book Genre Dictionary describes this as  "the psychological and moral growth in protagonists from youth to adulthood." Horror is open to interpretation. - No full-on sexual assault. Implied or threatened assault is acceptable, but no actual rape or detailed descriptions of molestation. - A lot of people will be writing about girls getting their periods. I'd steer clear if you want to stand out. Or write the best period story ever. - I love unique, emotional horror that surprises you. I also love weird horror. Not a big fan of the slasher or zombies, vampires, and werewolves, but give them a try if you feel so moved. - Include your bio in the email. - Include on the cover page the title, your name, and the word count. - Stories should be cleanly formatted in a standard font. - No reprints. - Deadline July 15. Extended deadline for trans women and women of color, July 22. - Submissions should be sent as a Word document to [email protected] . Questions may be sent to the same address. Via: Ruth Anna Evans.