Events

Deadline: October 1st, 2023 Payment: Contributor's Copies Theme: Six calls set in different decades with different themes that all have 4 requirements that you can see below Most people would agree that technical advancements have made our lives easier or, at the very least, more entertaining. But, what about the flip side? What horrors were unleashed for the sake of creation? What monsters emerged as technology evolved? We invite you to travel back in time with us as we discover the dark side of six decades. Get creative with the themes. Bring us thrills and chills. Just remember to adhere to the basic guidelines. We can’t wait to experience it. Series Submissions Guidelines Applies to all individual calls for submissions listed below Word/Entry Limits: Only 1 story per person, per book (Feel free to submit one for each book in the series!) Short stories (English only) between 1,500 words and 5,000 words Original works only - no reprints Submit your story in the official entry forms (links below). Opens: June 1, 2023 Final Submission Deadline: October 1, 2023 (or until full) Reprints: No Multiple Submissions: No Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but please alert us and/or withdraw your submission if accepted elsewhere. While it will not affect an entrant’s chances of acceptance, those entrants who tip will receive a digital copy of each of the Dark Decades anthologies that they submitted to when it is released. (Example: If someone tipped when submitting to Listen and Capture, but didn’t tip when they submitted to Lurk, they would receive digital copies of Listen and Capture, but not Lurk. And each submission would be weighted/considered for publication equally, irrespective of tip status.) A word on response times: Having been on the receiving end of things, we know what it’s like to eagerly await word about...

Deadline: October 1st, 2023 Payment: 8 Cents per word Theme: Science fiction that feature and empower large gay/bi/queer men John Bear was a mesh of wire and silicone, of nanobot lace and rare gems unearthed from mines in foreign lands. He stepped out of the cryo-chamber, his large body pulsating with a green bio- luminescence, his head throbbing with a constant data stream being jacked into his frontal lobe. The lone light, a faint, dim sliver of faded yellow from a computer monitor a room away seemed blinding, seemed to radiate the force of a violent sun. John stumbled towards what looked like a door, banged his round belly on the control panel before sliding down the wall in a convulsing lump. The door swished open and standing before him was an onyx robot with dancing dreads that looked like guitar wires. “Kiss me,” the robot said with metallic timbre. John raised his head and admired the robot’s physique — round, carbon faced, barrel-chested, and a slick, smooth belly larger than his own. “Kiss me, remember me, understand me — and then we can both be free.” After a pause, the door closed — sssswiissshh — leaving John Bear alone in the dark, leaking fluid, drifting into the blackness of sleep. We here at the Afterverse have always wondered what a queer empowered sci-fi anthology would look like. We also wondered what would happen if those stories took place in the bear and chub communities, if they featured characters that could be our friends, partners, boyfriends, and lovers and if they featured larger bodies, fat bodies, chubby, hairy bodies! We are often left wondering what queer genre fiction — from fantasy to romance to even slice of life, would look like if we found the lead characters desirable and/or reflective...

Submission Window: August 15th - October 1st, 2023 Payment: $25 Theme: NIRVANA-inspired horror Celbrate 35 years with a collection of NIRVANA-Inspired Horror! For decades, our lives have been touched by the music. We’ve cried, screamed, laughed to the punk riffs and unique vocals. NIRVANA shaped us during our formative years and it shows. For that, we honor the mark they’ve made.    Now we sing dark, twisted covers of our favorite songs.     From Book Slayer Press and Roxie Voorhees, co-editor of MINE and READER BEWARE, comes a collection of NIRVANA-inspired horror.     Forming the ultimate playlist, the stories within showcase NIRVANA’s discography with a fear inducing twist.    NEGATIVE CREEP: A NIRVANA-Inspired Horror Anthology    GUIDELINES:  Please read carefully. Submissions that don’t meet the guidelines will be rejected.    Submissions will be accepted from August 15 through the end of September 30. Deadline is October 1st, 2023, at midnight IDLW time zone. Please submit to [email protected]. Open to any and all writers, both new and established.     What we are looking for:  20-30 stories inspired by NIRVANA songs, ranging their entire discography. All horror tropes are welcome. Genre-blending is highly encouraged. Queer retellings and gender swaps, historical horror, sci-fi horror, cults, and cannibalism are a few of our favorites. Writers should have a diverse representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, gender identities, disability, fat positivity, and neurodivergence. **Please note: Only one story per song will be accepted**    What we are NOT looking for:  Please, do not submit stories about Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Kurt’s suicide (mentioning is fine), anything that has to do with band members’ personal lives and not related to NIRVANA or its music.  Submissions cannot contain sexualization of minors (under 18, yes that includes “17 almost 18”).     Trigger warnings are encouraged and will be included in...

Submission Window: October 1st, 2023 Payment: One cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) Theme: Fantastic Fiction You really NEED to read the description below. The Cafe Irreal is a quarterly webzine that presents a kind of fantastic fiction infrequently published in English. This fiction, which we would describe as irreal, resembles the work of writers such as Franz Kafka, Kobo Abe, Clarice Lispector and Jorge Luis Borges. As a type of fiction it rejects the tendency to portray people and places realistically and the need for a full resolution to the story; instead, it shows us a reality constantly being undermined. Therefore, we're interested in stories by writers who write about what they don't know, take us places we couldn't possibly go, and don't try to make us care about the characters. We would also suggest you take a look at the current issue, archives, and theory (especially the essay, "What is irrealism?") pages on this web site. We accept unsolicited fiction up to 2,000 words in length. Translations are welcome. There is no minimum length. We accept only electronic submissions via e-mail at [email protected]. We cannot, due to the various computer viruses and worms, accept attachments anymore, so please paste your story into the body of the e-mail. Also include your name, address, e-mail address, and a short bio in the text of the submission; please put the word "submission" in the subject heading of the e-mail to ensure that your submission doesn't get lost among all the spam. We pay an honorarium of one cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) to buy first-time internet rights (the story will then be archived). Payment is made upon publication. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DON'T ACCEPT SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS and are only interested in reprints in unusual cases (e.g., the story has appeared in print...