Events

Deadline: March 1st, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Bravery and courage still matter. Genre: Speculative Fiction Theme: Bravery and courage still matter. Concept: Cruel enemies we have in plenty. Let’s remember that there are some things that still matter more than the cruelty of our enemies or the darkness of the hour. Come on in, grab a seat by the fire, and join us in telling stories where grit, bravery, determination and courage in the face of cruelty and darkness matter. We want kick-ass tales of brave knights and heroic courage. Nihilistic stories of dread and darkness without hope need not apply. And remember, not all knights wear shining armor; not all heroes are square of jaw and fair of countenance. Note: This is a two-volume anthology focused on hope, grit, courage and determination in the face of adversity. Genre: Any. Brave knights and heroic courage are found everywhere you care to look. Word Count: 5,000-10,000 Opening Essay by: TBD Edited by: David Hensley Anchor Author(s): TBD Due Date: March 1, 2025 Email submissions to: [email protected] with “Brave Knights” in the subject line. Payment: Stories selected for publication in the upcoming Anthology(ies), will receive a percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors. We are looking for amazing stories from any genre that are fun to read and will take us on an adventure of epic proportions. Please download our standards template by clicking here ***NOTE*** We publish genre fiction with aspects of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. If your work does not include one of these aspects, we are less likely to pick up the title unless it is of exceptional quality.   What we are NOT currently accepting: Poetry Single-author collections of short stories. Hard and fast rules of what not to send: Fan-fiction: Just simply don’t. It will be immediately deleted or tossed into the recycle bin. Gratuitous Sexuality: (i.e. smut, softcore...

Submission Window: January 1st - March 1st, 2025 Payment: 2 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Mixing horror and weddings From Jacob Steven Mohr and Crystal Lake Publishing comes The Joining: Scenes of Wedding Terror, a new anthology set to debut (tentatively) September of 2025. We’re looking for stories between 2,500 and 5,000 words in length concerning the rite of matrimony. Weddings are unusual events, bringing together masses of humanity that might never interact under any other circumstance, requiring them to travel great distances or take part in bizarre rituals ranging from the solemn to the frenzied and sometimes even dangerous… But: stories submitted to The Joining need not concern only the event itself. They might take place at any time, so long as nuptials are central to the narrative. Imagine it: proposals gone wrong, literal bride-zillas, unsettling in-laws, bachelor parties that end in bloodshed—and of course, trips to destination weddings held just north of Hell itself… We will be accepting 10-15 stories from this open call. Accepted tales will appear alongside original yarns from a cast of invited authors, including Gemma Files, Joe Koch, J.A.W. McCarthy, Gordon B. White, Jack Lothian, Rae Wilde, and Scott J. Moses… and one mystery guest, as all weddings should no doubt have! Submissions Open: January 1, 2025          Submissions Close: March 1, 2025 Length: 2,500-5,000 words Payment: $0.02 per word Format: Stories should be formatted in 12 pt. Times New Roman, double spaced. Rights: Exclusive First Worldwide Publication, Print and Electronic Rights for 1 year (from date of publication), and non-exclusive rights thereafter. Contributor Copies: 1 paperback and 1 eBook copy. Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed. But please promptly withdraw your story if it is accepted elsewhere. No reprints or multiple submissions. Contact: All submissions should be sent to [email protected] (Word files only, please...

Deadline: March 1st, 2025 Payment: short story, $25; nonfiction/essay, $25, short-short piece under 1000 words, $10; poem, $10; artwork/photography, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Theme: The Lost Sock Upcoming premises (target themes) and deadlines for submission : The Lost Sock (March 1, 2025) ALL SHORT STORIES, ESSAYS, POEMS, PHOTOGRAPHS and ART MUST RELATE TO ONE OF THE PREMISES SPECIFIED ABOVE. NOTE: Previously published pieces are welcome, provided that the submission fits the theme and that the author owns the copyright. The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the story, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. NOTE: Stories longer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages will not be considered. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover letter or on first page of manuscript. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with each submission. Rejected manuscripts unaccompanied by an SASE will not be returned. Response time: 3 months after premise deadline. NO READER'S FEE. Mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747. Outside the US: email [email protected] On acceptance for publication, we will pay the following amount: short story, $25; nonfiction/essay, $25, short-short piece under 1000 words, $10; poem, $10; artwork/photography, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Copyright reverts to author after publication. THEMA isn't for everyone. To find out why, click here. New to submitting manuscripts to journals? Click here to download a PDF file of a few basic guidelines. Unlike many publishers, we prefer works submitted by the authors themselves, without the involvement of an agent. Be sure to indicate premise and include SASE for each submission.  BE SURE to include a separate SASE for each premise. No handwritten manuscripts will be considered. NOTE: We do not accept e-mailed submissions EXCEPT from authors who live outside the U.S. For those living outside the...

Deadline: March 1st, 2025 Prize: $50 Theme: 1,000 word stories that tale with Folk Myth & Fairytales Unexplained noises from the house at the end of your street. Bizarre cryptids and forgotten places. Symbols that ward off evil. Places you dare not go. Words you dare not say. This year’s Tales to Terrify flash fiction contest takes us from the dawn of the spoken word to the darkest depths of modern day, with whispered tales of the terrors that have followed us down through the ages. Do your worst.   Contest Rules The story must have horror elements and relate to the theme of Folk Myth and Fairytales. How you choose to interpret that theme is up to you, but it must be central to the story. The image included on this page is for interest purposes only and not intended as a prompt. Deadline to submit is March 1, 2025 (11:59pm CST) It must be previously unpublished. Submissions must be in English, but authors from anywhere in the world are welcome to submit. A minimum of ONE winner will be announced on or before May 1, 2025. The top flash piece will be produced for audio narration on Tales to Terrify and receive $50 (USD). Up to four runners up may also be considered for production. Authors retain the rights to their submitted stories. Submission Format up to 1,000 words Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format Double spaced 12 pt. Courier New or Times New Roman font Please include author, title and word count on first page. Stories pasted into the body of an email will be rejected without being read. For further details on submission criteria and what styles/topics of horror fiction we look for, please check out our standard Submissions page. Enter Contest Via: Tales to Terrify.