Events

Deadline: December 31st 2024 Payment: $5-15USD depending on word count. Theme: Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, and Horror Short Stories We are seeking FANTASY, SPECULATIVE FICTION and HORROR short stories. Holly and Broom (Hawthorn & Ash Vol 6, 2024) Past volumes are: Hawthorn & Ash 2019, Rowan & Oak 2020, Alder & Ebony 2021, Ivy & Sage 2022, Willow & Rose 2023) Word count : Between 100 and 500 words, excluding title (Maximum of 1 500 word story and 5 drabbles per author) Reprints : No Simultaneous Submissions : No Multiple Submissions : Yes. Each story must be in a separate attachment. Publication : Print and digital formats for publication in an anthology. Online via our blog. Submission Window : January 15th 2024 – December 31st 2024 Author Compensation : $5-15USD depending on word count. The Fine Print : We ask for non-exclusive rights on these pieces so that we can: Keep them online indefinitely Publish them in a ebook and print anthology to help fund the site How to Submit :  See our submission guidelines for further formatting details. Send your story as a .doc or .docx format to : [email protected] Your email title should read: Hawthorn & Ash – – Please include a short (100 word) bio in third person and up to THREE links. Via: Iron Faerie Publishing.

Submission Window: December 14th - 31st, 2024 Payment: 8¢ per word for prose, $50 per poem or drabble Theme: Nostalgia Horror Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved and Insane: Nostalgic Terrors Edited by Wendy Dalrymple and Grace R. Reynolds What We Are Seeking A pinch of poetry, a dash of drabbles, a frisson of flash fiction… mix well together in a cauldron of nostalgia and what do you get? A recipe that's dastardly, delectable, and pure poison. Welcome to Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved and Insane, an anthology like no other designed to inspire, soothe, and satisfy the dark hearts of Horror lovers everywhere. The genre stirs a sense of nostalgia for us all, through vintage television hits like Tales from the Crypt and Elvira’s Movie Macabre, to famed comics such as Adventures into Terror and Weird Tales. Give us your nightmares, your childhood frights, your sleepaway camp mysteries. Tell us how Clive Barker tricked you into a ride on The Midnight Meat Train or which episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? made you sleep with the light on. When you stare into the shadows, what do you see? What whispers and caresses your ears with shadowy tendrils? Where does your mind go as you conjure unimaginable apparitions just beyond your reach? We want to know… when did Horror take root for you? Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved, and Insane: Nostalgic Terrors is a collection of original fiction, poems, and essays where new and seasoned horror writers recount their first experiences with the genre. A mix of terror, inspiration, comfort, and reassurance, this anthology offers a powerful experience for those who seek to create and consume stories that transcend the page. Submission Window December 14, 2024 - December 31, 2024 The email address will be updated...

Submission Window: November 1st - December 31st, 2024 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Stories that take place within the Our Dust Earth mini-RPG We are seeking submissions for an anthology to be titled Our Dust Earth which will collect stories that take place within the Our Dust Earth mini-RPG (see the RPG section after Submission Guidelines in the linked PDF) world. This anthology is to be published in early summer of 2025 by the Air and Nothingness Press. Stories will be based upon the RPG - Our Dust Earth, which is a "Dying Earth" era game. Please see the attached RPG pages for details on the world, types of characters and classes of beings, along with a small map of cities and areas encountered by players. The RPG will be published in the anthology as well. We would prefer Science Fiction genre stories for this anthology, though if you are familiar with Jack Vance's Dying Earth, M. John Harrison's The Pastel City, or Matthew Hughes's Archonate Series, you may know there is a thin line between SF and Fantasy in those narratives. All stories are requested to be between 1000 and 3000 words in length. Submission Dates Submissions open: November 1st, 2024 Submissions close: December 31st, 2024 Reading/Review begins: January 1, 2025 Reading/Review ends: February 28th, 2025 All authors will be contacted by: April 15, 2025 Download the complete OC submission PDF here. (Some Details listed below.) General Submission Information We like to seek out new authors and book ideas ourselves rather than be contacted directly because we are a small, self-funded press, and only publish 4-5 books a year. We usually offer open call submissions on anthologies we decide to do, or we contact authors directly if we have particular needs. We pay $0.08/word for the stories we publish. Most of our books are limited editions of...

Cover artwork by Ben Baldwin. Submission Window: December 1st - 31st, 2024 Payment: 10 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Dark holiday horrors Silent Nightmares will be open for submissions the month of December, 2024. This anthology of dark holiday horrors will be co-edited by Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Bailey, who will be eagerly sifting the slush for Haunting Stories to Be Told on the Longest Night of the Year. If you want to play along, send a submission using the guidelines below between 12:01 a.m. on December 1st (your time zone) through midnight on December 31st to be considered. Submissions sent before or after that window will go unread. A portion of the anthology will be filled by invited writers, but submissions open to the public in December. Expect nothing but the best. The list of personally invited writers is incredible, and both Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Bailey want to showcase your work alongside them. GUIDELINES Manuscripts must include contact information on the title page, as well as author name (or pseudonym) and page numbers on subsequent pages; 12pt font, double-spaced; there are no hard guidelines for auto-rejections, but understand the basics of professional manuscript formatting. Original fiction: up to 5,000 words. Payment: $0.10 / word (ten cents per word) capped at 5,000 words, and a contributor copy of each edition published (hardcover, paperback, eBook, and potentially audiobook and a limited collector’s edition). For collaborative works, payment will be split equally between collaborators. Rights: First World Rights in English, and audio rights; all print rights revert to the writer immediately upon publication, although 12 months exclusivity is requested, except for inclusion in a personal or “best of” collection. All other rights remain with the author. Submission window: December 1st – December 31st, 2024 (31 days, ending midnight your time). This gives you from now until the end of...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 Payment: Contributors copy Theme: Vampire Visions We are excited to announce the submissions period for the annual anthology from Storm Dragon Publishing! The title of the series is Muses of Mythology (MoMa for short). Each yearly anthology will have a specific theme. This year’s title is Vampire Visions. Historically, vampires have been portrayed as monsters. However, that perspective has shifted considerably and often in the last forty years or so. The opportunity of this anthology is to showcase vampires with an eye toward unique perspectives. Because interpretations of the blood drinking undead have been so diverse in recent years, this will be especially challenging but hopefully fun for writers. The collection will include both short stories and poetry. Below you will find the instructions for submission for both the short story and the poetry. Submission Periods This year’s MoMa collection will have an initial submissions period of October 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. If the collection selections are not yet complete, a second submission period will take place from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. Projected publication of Vampire Visions will be Autumn of 2025. Short Story Submissions Short story submissions should be between 1000 and 5000 words in length. Submissions should be an email attachment in Word Document format with one-inch margins, double spaced, and utilizing Times New Roman 12-point font. Pieces should be original with no previous publishing history. Submissions not following these instructions will not be considered for publication. Blended genres with unique perspectives on vampires are welcome. While scenes of intense description around topics of rape, torture, or other sensitive topics will not necessarily disqualify a piece for consideration, please keep in mind that this is a fantasy genre anthology, not horror. That’s means that vampire stories should border on...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 Payment: 5 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Jonathan Harker Issue 6: Jonathan Harker(To Be Published May, 2025) What happened on the way from the castle to the hospital in Buda-Pesth? What happens after the story ends? What is his relationship with his son? Jonathan is often perceived and portrayed as impish and weak, but he might just be one of the bravest characters in the book. Submissions open November 1, 2024-December 31, 2024. 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. As with every publication the best way to get a feel for what we like is to read what we’ve put out in the past. 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. Reprints will be considered. Reprints should be at least 10 years old. Compensation is $55. 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_suitors or “lastname_title_jonathan” 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...

Submission Window: November 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024 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,...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 Payment: Contributor's copy Theme: The stories must be 'trashy' in some way (ideas below.) Deadline for submissions: midnight, 31 December 2024 We are excited to invite submissions for a new anthology of trashy fiction – TRASH TALES – due to be published in August 2025! All profits (after expenses) will be donated to literacy charities in the UK and US. The full submission guidelines are available below. The collection will be produced by me (CriminOlly) and Alex from micro press Kilter and Rammel. Check out Kilter and Rammel’s site here. We’re looking for short story submissions, no longer than 5000 words and previously unpublished. It can be in any category or genre you like, as long as it’s what we might all consider of a trashy nature! Some ideas (this list is non-exhaustive): Naughty nurses and sexy shifters: spicy or sweet category romance One man armies: men’s adventure The Wild, and sometimes Weird West: westerns Trashy Tales of Terror : cheesy horror fiction featuring creepy kids, killer animals, mutants and monsters, etc. Science Fiction Shenanigans: Alien invaders, technology gone haywire Crime, Pulp, That Sort of Thing: Gritty detective fiction, real world or with an added twist of the supernatural/paranormal/occult Mystery-solving Moggies: Cosy crime involving animals, baked goods and such like Level Up: LitRPG (Literary Roleplaying Game) stories. So get thinking up those trashy stories, and we look forward to seeing what you’ve got for us to read! If you have any questions about submitting, or about the project in general, please email us at [email protected]. TRASH TALES Submission Guidelines Stories selected by Olly Clarke, Alex J Gardner and the editorial team. Edited by Alex J Gardner. To be published by Kilter & Rammel Publishing in August 2025. How to Submit: Send a PDF of your story to [email protected] by midnight on 31...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 Payment: 1 cent per word for short fiction up to 10,000 words (or $100) and a flat rate of $10 for works under 1000 words. Theme: Stories that evoke a sense of confinement, lack of breath/oxygen, and the desperate need for escape. Note: Kind of a sour taste on this one, submitters must be subscribed to their newsletter (free version available) to be able to submit. Storyletter XPress Publishing is opening its official 2025 submission window for our upcoming anthology, “Take a Breath: A Collection of Claustrophobic Horror.” We will purchase notable works capturing this theme from talented, independent authors and publish the collection as a book in hardcover, paperback, and digital eBook. In our previous iteration, 24 authors (mostly from Substack) came together to contribute to “Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel.” The published hardcover book—along with other goodies—was shipped to annual paid subscribers and contributing authors in our XPress Book Box. The ebook is delivered in our Welcome email for both monthly and annual members. The XPress Book Box will be available to a maximum of 100 annual subscribers due to supplies, time, and shipping reasons. Secure your spot today! This year, we’re delving into the deepest and darkest locations with a focus on stories that evoke a sense of confinement, lack of breath/oxygen, and the desperate need for escape. “Take a Breath” will have you turning the pages faster and faster, not only from the desire to discover how each story ends but because you’ll be holding your breath. We hope this theme will summon the terrific horror writing community on Substack and beyond. We’re accepting submissions until the end of 2024 (December 31). Must be subscribed (free or paid) to be eligible. SXP is eager to work with writers of all...

Submission Window: December 1st - 31st, 2024 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story 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 choosing. Best of all, it is...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 Payment: An unannounced signing bonus (not to be deducted from royalties), and royalties are set at 40% to the author Theme: Horror fiction between 17-40k words LITTLE GHOSTS is open for Novella Submissions! Little Ghosts Press will be open for novella submissions from Oct. 31- Dec. 31st. Please submit with:  your name or pseudonym a short (50-100 word) author bio a synopsis of the piece for submission, up to 1k words. Tell us about the characters, the setting, the plot and tone of the novella. We are looking for horror fiction at a finished length of 17-40k words. Priority will be given to LGBTQA+ stories and BIPOC authors. Little Ghosts Books will only be accepting TWO novellas for this call. As a result, please know that we will receive more exciting pitches than we can take on. A pass on your pitch is not reflective of the quality of the work, but rather the limitations of our submission call. A chapter sample will be requested by January 15th if we are interested in your pitch! All acceptances and passes will be sent by Feb. 1st. Simultaneous submissions are welcome.   Little Ghosts is an imprint of Little Ghosts Books Little Ghosts Books was established in 2022 with the vision of showcasing new and indie horror that lacked a platform in major bookstores. Little Ghosts hosts community events, book clubs, author Work in Progress Nights, and more. In a move to give back to the community that enthusiastically came out for Little Ghosts, we began in 2023 by publishing anthologies- offering pro rates for short stories to authors both established and brand new. 2024 was the first year of the novella, and to date we have published 4 novellas & 3 anthologies- plus a flip book in...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 Payment: 1 cent USD per word Theme: Eco-horror with a sexy or erotic spin Note: Only open to BIPOC authors Z. K. Abraham (she/her) is a writer and psychiatrist. She has been published in Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Fantasy Magazine, FIYAH Magazine, JMWW, and more. She will be a Royal Literary Fund Reading Round lector for 2024-2025. She is represented by Carleen Geisler at ArtHouse Literary Agency. Read Abraham's interview here! Eco-horror explores the idea of nature becoming the source of terror; in an article for MUBI, Danielle Burgos describes eco-horror as “nature becomes uncanny and maliciously turned against man.” In a Teen Vogue article “Ecosexuals are Queering Environmentalism,” musician Peaches describes Mother Earth as a lover. “Sex-ecologist” Annie Sprinkle amusingly reflects on how “all this wood here is very sensual.” Ecosexuality might include, “masturbating with water pressure, using eco-friendly lubricant, or literally having sex with a tree.” Nature as setting or character contains so much possibility for the sensual and horrifying. Nature is inherently physical and erotic; we are stripped down to our most grounded, raw selves in nature. We can experience the tactile and sensual when we touch plants, bark, earth, when we smell flowers, when we feel the shift in temperature or moisture in the air. However, nature contains decay as well as growth. Shadows move between distant trees, while legends and folktales come to life in forests and valleys and deserts. In nature’s beauty, there is a sense of power beyond our grasp, an awe-inspiring terror, as well as a delicate intimacy. With this anthology, we are looking for stories between 1500 to 4000 words (firm) that explore eco-horror with a sexy or erotic spin. Please note that for this call, we will only be considering submissions from BIPOC authors. Additionally, while a portion of...

Deadline: December 31st, 2024 (Apologies for the short window!, just found this one!) Payment: Royalties Theme: Science fiction stories inspired by Bon Jobi Announcing the latest anthology by Alpha Mercs Press: A Bon Jovi music INSPIRED anthology. Inspiration: After listening to way too many Bon Jovi singles performed by hundreds of different cover bands I was suddenly hit with the idea of Bon Jovi in space and how well the songs lend themselves to science fiction. After watching Sam Robb take Jethro Tull to the stars, I decided it was my turn to launch the music I love throughout the galaxy. What I'm Looking For:Without using any of the characters from Firefly or any of the lyrics from Bon Jovi, I'm looking for stories that feel like those two things combined. I want a western meets science fiction meets 80s rock story. I'm looking for more character driven stories as opposed to heavy science, although it should be clear that this is science fiction and not just a drama set on a random planet. Story length will be between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Please include the name or names of the songs that inspired your story just under the title of your story. Dates: Open immediately with the final entry being accepted Dec 31st, 2024. The contracts will be sent out Jan 31st, 2025. The anthology will be published Feb 28th. If there are enough awesome stories for more anthologies, you will be informed as to which one you will be included in and when it will be published.   Payment: Payment will be done through Pubshare and will be royalty based.   Rights: I will require the English text exclusivity for one year. You will be paid past the first year, but you can then publish it on your own at that point....

Submission Window: November 1st to December 31, 2024 Payment: $25 and a contributors copy Theme: Music of Blue Öyster Cult SUBMISSION CALL ALERT: Inspired by the success of "Dismember The Coop," a horror anthology inspired by the music of Alice Cooper, I am putting together an anthology of short stories inspired by the music of Blue Öyster Cult. It's tentatively titled "Stories On Flame". These are intended to be dark/horror fantasy and sci-fi stories, which is a consistent theme throughout BÖC's music. Think of songs like "Black Blade," "Monsters," "Godzilla," "I Love The Night," "Sole Survivor," "Take Me Away," "E.T.I.," and so many more. Note that if you base a story on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," it better be a killer because many other people probably will too, if the flood of stories based on "Welcome To My Nightmare" for "Dismember The Coop" was any indication. I will only accept one story for a particular song, so the more creative and deep catalog you can go, the better your chance of acceptance. Presuming it's a good story, of course. Also, "Astronomy" is already spoken for. Sorry. 😉 Also, though I mentioned it above as an example, you should avoid a story based on "Godzilla," as that's another copyright pitfall waiting to happen. What I expect is to take a song and use it as just a germ of an idea to spin a complete tale from. I don't want simple prose retellings of songs, as that's not creative at all, and they will be summarily rejected. If you need an example of how to do this successfully, check out "Dismember The Coop" on Kindle Unlimited. Note that lyrics cannot be used in these stories. The copyrights on those can be a convoluted maze, and we don't want to go down...