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Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Theme: humorous science-fiction stories Laughs in Space – an anthology of humorous science-fiction stories. August 2024. Science fiction is often a very serious genre, but it shares something with comedy in that it can reflect the world back to us, inspire us, evoke our curiosity, and help us to appreciate human creativity and wit. Many of us find our route to a love of science fiction via comedy, too, be it through the books or radio plays of Douglas Adams, watching Red Dwarf or Doctor Who(or reading the books), or getting into the MCU. As an editor, I’ve been championing science fiction for many years. As a stand-up comedian, much the same! So naturally I wanted to bring out an anthology of humorous science fiction. What I’m looking for: Short fiction stories from 2000 words to 9000 words. I’m looking for great stories first and foremost, with relatable characters. They do not need to be riddled with dad jokes or puns. They do not need to be set in space! They do need to fit the broad remit of science fiction, but any kind of science fiction or humour is welcome, be it silly, generic parody*, grotesque, or black humour. No punching down in your humour though, please. * Generic parody is fine, but please, no utilising other people’s content for the sake of parody, regardless of whether that content has entered public domain due to age. No AI-generated content. If you are unsure whether a story will fit, you are welcome to send a query email. Submissions: please send stories between 1st March 2024 and 7th April 2024 only. Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Via: The Slab Press.

Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales about the sun Note: Reprints Welcome We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully as we’ve changed some of our guidelines and it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Folklore and Myth This will be a feast of modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales of the looming, life-giving, eye-burning solar entity that dominates our sky. The sun has inspired many stories – tales of its origins, in the myths and traditions of the ancient world, to modern storytellers who employ technology and deep space exploration to discover the many suns of the universe. For ancient Egyptians, the sun deity Ra was the first Pharaoh; in the ancient Vedic culture the sun, Surya, was guarded against the darkness by Usha and Pratyusha; for the Norse, the beautiful siblings Sol and Mani drove the sun ahead of the snarling wolf Sköll; for the ancient Chinese, it was a demon or dragon who threatened the sun and an eclipse was a sign of near success; for the Cherokee, the Sun was jealous of the moon because the people could only squint during the day, but looked adoringly at the pale moon light of the night. The Maori of New Zealand tell of the sun being ambushed by Maui, and for the Romans, Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, brought renewal and relief across the lands. Such stories reveal the foundations of humanity, with modern writers who explore the other worlds and many stars that dispense both life and fear to civilizations on our...

Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Theme: New interpretations and visions of moon-based fantasy, folklore or supernatural settings. Note: Reprints Welcome We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully as we’ve changed some of our guidelines and it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them. Supernatural, Fantasy, Folklore and Myth This collection will bring a potent mix of superstition and belief that reaches back to the gods of Babylon, Ancient Egypt and Greece. Khonsu, Innana, Artemis and Thoth are just a few of the deities who brought a mix of love, sensuality and war to the ancient perceptions of the world. In one tradition regarding the Ancient Japanese Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the moon, he was the estranged husband of the sun goddess Amaterasu, ever to chase her across the sky. From the Cherokee there are tales of the Moon being held captive, with Coyote hurling the moon each night out of reach of rescue, and for the Celts of Ireland the Moon Goddess Rhiannon was a symbol of rest and wisdom, the Queen of the Fairies. And of course the moon brings to mind curses, howling wolves, the wolf moon and the harvest moon, while offering a guiding light at night for the weary traveller. There are so many inspirations for the modern storyteller, whether ancient, gothic, fantastical or futuristic, to contribute to this intimate portrait of the seductive, powerful moon. Submissions can explore new interpretations and visions of moon-based fantasy, folklore or supernatural settings.  Submissions to: [email protected] Terms: Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails. Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology. For accepted stories...

Submission Window: April 1st - 7th, 2024 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Solidarity Forever – fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. (See below for specifics) The Solidarity Forever zine will be included with all preorders of The Nightmare Box and Other Stories by Cynthia Gómez placed through the Cursed Morsels store. Cynthia Gómez and Eric Raglin will be coediting this zine. See submission details below. Theme: Solidarity Forever – fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Word Count: up to 500 words Pay: 10¢ per word Dates: April 1st through 7th Send to: cursedmorsels@ericraglin1992 Simultaneous submissions are fine. No multiple submissions. Absolutely no AI submissions. FAQ Does my story/poem/nonfiction have to be horror? No. We welcome varied creative approaches to the theme. What does “solidarity forever” mean? It refers to the old union song of the same name. This song explores the workers’ struggles, triumphs, and collective power against oppressive capitalism when organized as a union. However, your submission does not have to be specifically about unions. It could be about all sorts of problems solved through collective resistance and people standing together. Cursed Morsels Press specializes in Weird, queer, often splattery horror with an anti-capitalist and anti-fascist spirit. Releases include No Trouble at All, Bitter Apples, Shredded: A Sports and Fitness Body Horror Anthology and Antifa Splatterpunk. Follow the press on Twitter or BlueSky @CursedMorsels and on Facebook or Instagram @cursedmorsels. For general inquiries, contact cursedmorsels gmail com. About The Nightmare Box: A young queer man finds love at a magical clothing shop—and the courage to stand up to the homophobic cops. A witch who makes custom nightmares wonders why all her victims are connected to the Black Panthers—and who she's really working for. A soon-to-be father encounters a mysterious hitchhiker who tries pulling him back to the days of his violent past. A brand-new vampire, freshly hired at the blood bank, delights in her heightened sexual desire and...

Deadline: April 10th, 2024 Payment: Royalties of 50% of profits Theme: Ideally, Horror Western, but will also read those in the Historical Horror subgenres Undertaker Books is seeking a novella for publication in August of 2024. Our editors are looking for a work between 15,000 and 30,000 words, preferably in the Horror Western or Historical Horror subgenres, but they will consider all submissions. The editor is not opposed to blood, gore, or erotic elements, but draws the line at animal abuse and depictions of sexual assault against children. Payment will be 50% of distribution payouts through our distribution channels. Submit a cover letter that includes your name, pen name, word count, and a brief bio along with a one page synopsis and the first twenty pages of your manuscript (in Modern Shunn format) to [email protected]. Please title your email “Novella-.” This call will close on April 10, 2024. Undertaker Books is a royalty-paying, full-service publisher. This means we do not charge fees to the author at any time. We pay a royalty rate of 50% of distribution payouts. This can mean you will earn different rates for books sold through different outlets. Our contracts are for digital and print worldwide English rights. At this stage, we do not provide advance payments unless specified for anthology calls. SUBMISSIONS ARE TO BE SENT TO: [email protected] Modern Shunn Format is preferred. Please review this website if you are unsure how to proceed. Submit the first 20 pages of your manuscript as a single .doc(x) file attachment. If submitting for general consideration, please include a one page synopsis of the plot (including the ending) with working title, category or subgenre, and word count. In the body of your email, please include a cover letter containing: a short author bio,your legal name, pen name (if applicable), social media...

Deadline: April 15th, 2024 Payment: Fiction: 2¢ per word for original, 1¢ per word for reprints. Poetry: $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints. Theme: Stories and poetry containing elements of science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, or dystopia. Note: Reprints Welcome Submission Guidelines Radon welcomes short stories and poetry containing elements of science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, or dystopia. ​We publish quality work every January, May, and September. Submissions accepted year-round. Simultaneous subs are welcome. Reprints taken if writer has rights. AI submissions are not allowed. ​ Please click below to submit your work through our no-fee Submittable: SubmittableWe kindly request a third person bio that is 100-words or shorter in your cover letter.Author rights: For original work, Radon asks for first English digital rights and non-exclusive, indefinite archival rights. ​ Authors published in Radon cannot be accepted into the issue immediately following, but may submit after this period. ​ Our reading periods are: ​ January issue: Aug. 16 - Dec. 15 ​​ May issue: Dec. 16 - April 15 ​​ September issue: April 16 - Aug. 15 Prose We accept flash fiction and short story submissions up to 3,000 words. Radon pays a semi-professional rate of 2¢ per word for original work and 1¢ for reprints. ​ For quicker processing, please use a submission style similar to the modern manuscript format. We ask that you utilize single-spacing. Please note that we do not publish fantasy stories and are looking for work that includes leftist social commentary. Poetry Please submit up to five poems in a single Word document. There is no line limit. Radon pays a semi-professional rate of $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints.We request single-spaced formatting using a standard 12pt font such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Lato. The poetry editor prefers free verse poems with narrative elements. Page and spoken word poems...

Deadline: April 15th, 2024 Payment: Split Payment from Kickstarter (Minimum of $50) and a contributor's copy Theme: Queer Halloween from authors who are queer/part of the queer/LGBTQIA+ community, in some way, shape or form. It’s that time of year—we’re carving pumpkins, installing ghosts in the front yard, and putting out the next Bikes in Space call for submissions. This time around, it’s for volume 13, which needed an appropriate theme. Fortunately, guest editor Summer Jewel Keown came up with one for the ages: Queer Halloween! Here’s the info: Please submit your original queer Halloween short fiction (in written or comics form) about bicycling from a feminist perspective. We’re looking for stories that give us a shiver or make us leave the hallway light on at night. Raise our hair and make our spines tingle. We’ll also consider Halloween-themed stories that aren’t as frightful, but they should still be infused with all things spooky season. Stories should be written by authors who consider yourself queer (in whatever way you identify), and should feature Halloween and/or otherworldly elements, and queer characters/themes, as well as feminism. All four elements should be intrinsic to the narrative: Halloween (or stories sufficiently scary or thematic enough to be read around Halloween) Queer Feminism (it is sufficient to simply not include sexist themes or tropes) Bicycles The genre can be anything fantastical—ghost stories, horror, hard sci-fi, comedic fantasy, slipstream, or anything in that constellation—despite the series title, stories need not be be set in space. No fanfic, poetry, nonfiction, or erotica for this series, please. Stories should not include extreme body horror or graphic violence. For this volume of the anthology, we ask that all authors be queer/part of the queer/LGBTQIA+ community, in some way, shape or form. We aren’t the queer police (which sounds both fabulous and like...

Deadline: April 15th, 2024 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...

Submission Window: April 1-14th, 2024 Payment: $.08 per word for fiction ($100 minimum), $40 per poem. $75 for for nonfiction, $100 for reprint cover art, $200 for original unpublished cover art, $50 for reprint interior art, $100 for original unpublished interior art Theme: All forms of Solarpunk, however, this issue is open to BIPOC authors only Solarpunk Magazine publishes hopeful short stories and poetry that strive for a utopian ideal, that are set in futures where communities are optimistically struggling to solve or adapt to climate change, to create or maintain a world in which humanity, technology, and nature coexist in harmony rather than in conflict. We also publish solarpunk art as well as nonfiction that explores real world, contemporary topics and their intersection with the solarpunk movement for a better future. Submission Guidelines for Solarpunk Magazine *Our nonfiction department is always open for submissions. If the fiction portal is closed and you submit fiction through the open nonfiction portal, your submission will be rejected. All submissions are done via Moksha. Any submissions received via email will be deleted without response. Please don't email us to describe your story and ask if it's something we'd be interested in before submitting. We appreciate the consideration, but its easier if you just submit the story here through Moksha. Additional guidelines for each specific submission category are available below. For fiction and nonfiction, please format your submission document as follows: double-spaced 12pt Times New Roman font indented paragraphs no extra space after paragraphs A cover letter is not required. However, we appreciate a brief paragraph telling us a little bit about yourself like where you're from and why you love solarpunk. There is no need to include a third person bio. We will collect that and other needed info if your submission is accepted...

Submission Window: April 1st - 15th, 2024 Payment: $35 per page of the adapted script, up to 12 pages, paid via PayPal, and a print copy of the issue. Theme: Scripts for comics in the style of Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, etc. Vault of Shadows: Issue 1 A New Generation of Horror Comics Wish your story could be adapted as a comic book? Here’s your chance to make it happen. Open call submission window open April 1 - April 15, 2024. Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and other marginalized writers open April 16 - May 1, 2024. Do you love old-school horror comics? Think Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, etc. We want to work with you to adapt your short story (original stories and reprints welcome) into a comic with artwork by the incredible Christopher Castillo Díaz (It Was All a Dream, It Was All a Dream 2 interior illustrator). If your story is selected, you’ll have the opportunity to adapt your story into an 8-12 page comic script that will be inked, colored, and included in the first volume of Hungry Shadow Comics’ Vault of Shadows. Only 3 stories will be selected for the first issue, with a fourth selected from an invited author (TBD). What are we looking for? Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 3000 and 7500 words (not really a firm limit - the final product will be the comics script, not the short story), that can be adapted into a comic book script of 12 pages or less. We want to read the story, not an already created script. The challenge is to adapt the story after it’s selected. Really dig in to your experience with horror comics. Visual stories full...