Events

Deadline: September 1st, 2014 Payment: An equal percentage royalty split of 50% of sales p.o.d. and e-book. Since the call for the last anthology was so specific, for the next one I wanted to run with an idea that I’ve been carrying around for a while. BLOOD RED WET DREAMS It’s not so much a concrete theme as it is an evocative phrase. A trigger to get your creative juices flowing. The only condition is that the stories must contain at least one of the themes suggested by the title of the anthology. BLOOD: The blood is the life. Feel free to interpret this in any way you choose. From paper-cuts to torrents of arterial spray. We’re not squeamish about gore, and will be particularly unsqueamish about it when considering stories for this anthology, as the mock-up cover will hopefully convey. RED: The color red. Potentially the most evocative color in the visible spectrum. In thematic perception tests and interpretation of art, red is interpreted both as suggestive of love and anger, as in “seeing red”. WET: I shouldn’t have to describe what wet means. A creeping water stain on the ceiling of an old house. A body of water that seems benevolent until it isn’t. There are many ways that an author can incorporate the theme of moisture into their work. DREAMS: Dreams for some, nightmare for others. The mysterious place that the mind is transported to when we close our eyes and give ourselves over to the temporary death of sleep. Since the call for this one is so wide, we want all new stories. Not that we won’t consider reprints of exceptional quality, but we feel that with the parameters for this call being as open as they are that we would like to see some work...

Deadline: September 1st, 2014 Payment: Two complimentary copies Submission guidelines: Ghost stories is interpreted in its widest sense for this collection. Tales do not have to be traditional ghost stories in the vein of MR James/Charles Dickens, nor do they need to be horror stories. Feel free to surprise us with something different – as long as it features ghosts as a central component. Stories should be no more than 5000 words, no minimum word count for this collection. Word count does not include title. Send submissions as a word attachment (.doc or .rtf) [email protected] with the subject line ‘GHOST STORY SUBMISSION.’ There is no particular preferred layout, as long as stories are presented tidily. Violence, swearing and sexual content and acceptable, provided that they fit the story – gratuitous usages or use for shock value will harm your chances of acceptance. Boo Books acquires first English language rights, and makes no limit on authors use of the story elsewhere. Copyright remains with the author in all instances. Authors will receive two complimentary copies of the anthology – there is no cash payment for acceptance in this anthology. If you have any queries on these guidelines, or the collection itself, feel free to email Alex Davis, editor and publisher, at [email protected] Via: Boo Books.

Deadline: September 5, 2014 Payment: 2 cents per word for each edited manuscript accepted into the anthology It’s said that music makes the world go around. But it also soothes the SAVAGE BEASTS within us all. For our next anthology of horror–working title SAVAGE BEASTS–we’re looking for dark and terrifying tales of fiction that have been scratched into the inside of your skull by the musical earworms to which you listen. Hundreds of authors report getting their inspiration for their dark tales from music. Whether that musical choice be metal, classic rock, country or the far more horrifying pop tunes that ramble in and out of your head, any source of inspiration will work. Whether a complete song, or a single lyric, as long as your inspiration is musical it will qualify your exceptional piece of dark fiction for consideration into SAVAGE BEASTS. As with our complete catalog of bestselling anthologies, we do not want to limit your creativity with a narrowly themed collection. Anywhere your mind goes, so long as it’s been taken there by some form of music, will work for your submission. But, as always, be prepared to scare the hell out of us. Please review our Complete Submissions Guidelines below, paying specific attention to the additional information we would like to receive regarding the source of your inspiration. Feel free to contact us here on the site with any questions with a message to [email protected]. We thank you for your interest in considering Grey Matter Press as a potential home for your work. *SAVAGE BEASTS is the working title for this volume. Grey Matter Press reserves the right to change the title as necessary. GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS WORD COUNT: 3,000 – 10,000 words DEADLINE: Friday, September 5, 2014 PAYMENT: $0.02 cents per word for each edited...

Deadline: September 10th, 2014 Payment: Exposure and Royalties Flash fiction & Short Stories (200 – 5,000 words) Poetry and re-prints will also be considered From where, when, with someone, without someone, coming back from –space, another country, another time, another dimension, coming back to… Dark fairy tales, bizarre, horror, surrealism, dark science-fiction and steam punk are all cool here. Submission guidelines: Deadline for submissions – September 10th, 2014 – or until full. Word Count: 200 – 5,000 words. Please submit your manuscript as a *.rtf, *.doc or *.docx file (all other formats will automatically be rejected. Contact me prior to submitting if this presents an issue for you.) Font and formatting: Loose No headers, footers or page numbers. Please check grammar. Upon acceptance into the anthology, you agree that Horrified Press holds exclusive publishing rights for six months from the date of publication; after that date has passed, all intellectual property rights revert to the author with the proviso that Horrified Press retains distribution rights in the format of the contracted anthology. This title will be available as an e-book and trade quality paperback. Dorothy Davies will be presiding over this anthology. Email your submission as an attachment to: [email protected] The email subject line must read “SUBMISSION – Coming Back – ‘your story title’” or your submission will not be considered for this anthology. Successful applicants will be notified before the deadline has expired. Via: Horrified Press.

Deadline: September 12th 2014 Payment: All royalties from anthologies will be split evenly between all authors. Bloody Kisses Volume 2 picks up where one leaves off, ruthless vampires taking what they want when they want it. Violence, sex, death, what real vampires are all about. No holds barred on this one, write it as it comes to you. Title is a work in progress may change it but for now we are going with this. Blurb Vampires, exotic creatures of the night, lurking in the shadows, waiting and watching their prey, striking hard and deep with a crimson kiss one will never forget. Ruthless, others heartless, all damned to walk eternity craving blood, lusting for sex, stealing not only your breath but also your soul. With their strength and power, they are ruled by the moonlight, some newborns, others centuries old waiting for their next victim to play the game. Blood Games continues the thirst that Bloody Kisses left lingering and will give you another set of tales of these beautiful creatures that will not only captivate you but also have you craving another taste. Guidelines Short Stories and Poetry/Prose accepted Min Word Count: 800 Words (if it is a bit short talk with me) Max Word Count: 7,000 Words (if you go over talk with me) Poetry does not have a word count Submit to [email protected] Word doc 12-14pt. Georgia or Times New Roman Editing will be provided unless author prefers their own editor Via: Phoenix Fire Publishing.

Deadline: September 15, 2014 Payment: Shared Royalties We are happy to announce that Angelic Knight Press is opening submissions for Tim Marquitz and Tyson Mauermann’s newest anthology, GRIMDARK GRIMOIRE. The Project will contain 12 -15 original stories of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and suspense. The book is schedule to publish in {Q4} November 2014. GRIMDARK GRIMIORE The antihero: love them or hate them, they tend to get the job done. Sorcerers, gunslingers, assassins, outlaws, et al, come together in twisted tales of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and suspense. When the end of the world is upon us, who will stand in your corner? The Grimdark Grimoire idea is to focus on the antihero. Sometimes they lend a helping hand and at other times they take advantage of the situation. What we are looking for is original fiction that takes place in unique and expansive landscapes and cultures that feature the antihero. We want adventure stories that don’t hold back and capture the imagination and run the gambit of speculative fiction. Please read over the following before submitting: Genre: Grimdark stories featuring Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and/or Suspense. Submission window: Now – 1 September 15, 2014 Submission length: 3,000 – 5,000 words Book Editions: Paperback and eBook Payment: Shared Royalties Format: .Doc or .Docx Response time: 15 – 30 days Policies: No reprints. The work must be 100% original and never published elsewhere in the past, including blogs, websites, self-published or any form of publication. No multiple submissions. If your first story is rejected you may submit one other story for consideration. Rights Sought: First worldwide print and electronic rights exclusive for 1 year from official publishing date. When sending your Manuscript make sure to include the following information in the body of your email: Full name Location: City, state, Country Story title, genre, and word...

Deadline: September 15, 2014 Payment: Royalties Ah, childhood. A time of innocence, wonder…and unbridled terror. Childhood fears. We all had them. Maybe it was clowns. A particular toy. Something under the bed? Or that creepy house at the end of the block. Admit it, there was something that scared you. (Or someone you knew.) I’m thrilled to announce an open call for submissions for a new, yet-to-be-titled fall 2015 horror anthology based on childhood fears. I’m open to supernatural or non-supernatural, historical or contemporary novellas. You can use ghosts, scary Santas, dark closets, vampires, homicidal maniacs, or almost anything your imagination can create. The main characters don’t necessarily have to be children anymore, but if they’re adults, they should be facing a fear from their childhood. The novellas must range between 25,000 to 30,000 words in length. Please note, only manuscripts that fall in this word count will be considered. Each selected novella will be released individually as an ebook in spring 2015 and together in print approximately six months later. Submissions are open to all authors, published with Samhain or aspiring to be published with Samhain. All submissions must be new, original material—previously published submissions will not be considered. Previously submitted manuscripts will not be considered either. Be aware that manuscripts submitted for this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from the editor. Please note: this is for the Samhain Horror line, not Romance. While a romantic subplot or element is fine, the main focus of the novella must be horror. To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include: The full manuscript (of 25,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Also include a letter of introduction/query letter. As well, when you send your manuscript, be sure to use the naming convention...

Deadline: September 15, 2014 Payment: 1/4 cent/word (subject to an increase). Digital copy + print copy. Discount for additional copies. Given the popularity of our first B-Movie anthology, we are pleased to announce this follow up featuring Alien Encounters. The aliens have landed! Are they friendly? Are they planning world domination? Are they looking to have us as allies? Or maybe their preference is to have us for lunch? DEADLINE: September 15, 2014 WORD COUNT: 2,500-10,000 words (query for longer/short submissions) PAYMENT: 1/4 cent/word (subject to an increase). Digital copy + print copy. Discount for additional copies. REPRINTS: No MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: No SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: No FORMAT: Left-justify only FONT: 12 pt Times New Roman. If text is meant to be italic, please use italic. Do not use underscore to indicate italic. SPACING: Double spaced, no extra spacing between paragraphs, and single space after periods. TAB INDENT: Please do not set a tab. Instead, use Word's paragraph formatting for first line, and set the first line indent to 0.3" PAGE NUMBERING/HEADERS: None First page should include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, word count, and pseudonym (if writing under one). Send submissions as a word attachment to [email protected] or [email protected]. Include ALIEN ENCOUNTERS, your last name, and submission title in the subject line. Via: Grinning Skull Press.

Deadline: September 15th, 2014 Payment: 5 prizes, 3 of which are monetary   In another impromptu Fiction Vortex Staff meeting over the phone, Dan and I (Mike) realized we had slacked. Dan: You forgot about the Horror Contest. Mike: Uh, what? Dan: The Horror Contest. You. Forgot. About. It. Mike: I don’t write horror. Why would I be in a contest for horror? Dan: Fiction Vortex has a horror contest! Mike: It does? When? Why didn’t I know about this? Dan:… … … Mike: Are you there? Dan: Are you? Mike: Uh huh. So… you forgot about the horror contest. Dan: click Mike: Dan? ONE WEEK LATER ON ANOTHER PHONE CALL Mike: I found a judge. Dan: Wha… A judge? Why? Mike: For the Horror Contest. Dan: Oh. Phew. Okay. Who is it? Mike: This really cool author that always wears tie-dye shirts and writes creepy paranormal books… wait. Why else would would we need a judge? Dan: Hmm? Mike: Why else would I need a judge? Dan: Oh. That. You don’t need to worry about it. Mike: Uh. What? Dan: So. Who is our judge? ANNOUNCING THE SECOND ANNUAL FICTION VORTEX HORROR CONTEST with Guest Judge Johnny Worthen  Five horror stories will be chosen for the October 2014 issue of Fiction Vortex (usual terms and conditions apply). Because it’s a special occasion, we’re also increasing the normal rewards and Mr. Worthen will be choosing the winners. 1st Place – $40.00 and a print copy of Eleanor (The Unseen) by Johnny Worthen 2nd Place – $25.00 and an e-copy of Eleanor (The Unseen) by Johnny Worthen 3rd Place – $10.00 and an e-copy of Eleanor (The Unseen) by Johnny Worthen 4th and 5th Place – An e-copy of Eleanor (The Unseen) by Johnny Worthen While regular submissions will continue as normal, the submission period for the horror contest will only be open from August 8th to September 15th. Please use the regular submission process, but put “Horror Submission” in the subject line of the...

Deadline: September 26, 2014 Payment: US $50 per story (Gender) Queered Space is an anthology of speculative fiction focused on characters who defy, transgress, toy with, subvert, or who reject or just plain don’t fit into the gender binary of cisgender (non-transgender) man or woman. Got a space opera starring a trans woman and her non-binary lover? A steampunk story with a genderfluid protagonist? A retelling of Snow White with a bigender Snow White? Show us! Characters can be any sexual orientation as long as their gender identity isn’t (at least primarily) cis male or cis female. Although we are particularly interested in stories by transgender, genderqueer, genderfluid, and non-binary authors, and all other authors who don’t fit into the male-female gender binary, authors of any gender identity are welcome and encouraged to submit. We are particularly interested in reading submissions about characters who are underrepresented in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and related genres. These include but are not limited to: people of color (particularly those who live in countries other than the US), disabled/neuroatypical people, working-class people, non-Christian people, immigrants, and people who live outside the US. Our interest in diversity also extends to authors. We are particularly interested in stories by writers of color, disabled/neuroatypical writers, working-class writers, non-US writers, non-Christian writers, immigrant writers, and writers whose primary language is not English but who have translated their stories into English. Stories should be 2,000 – 10,000 words long and should be sent as .doc, .docx, .rtf, or Open Office attachments to [email protected]. If you work on a Mac and are not sure how to convert, let us know. Standard manuscript format preferred. We are not interested in the following: Stories that denigrate transgender and genderqueer/genderfluid identities. This should go without saying, of course. Stories that denigrate any race,...