Events

Deadline: December 31st, 2015 Payment: 1 cent per word or 1 dollar per accepted drabble and a contributor's copy Guidelines A “drabble” is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words–but no more than 15. That’s a drabble. You have to count each word. Hyphenated words, such as tete-a-tete, count as one word. Don’t use your word count tool to count the words, because that tool will count . . . as three words, which really should be counted as one word. It will also count dashes as words, which is wrong. So count each word by sight, not by tool. Our drabble contests will have themes. For each contest, we will simply throw the theme out there. Whatever the theme inspires you to write, that’s what you write. The theme of this contest is: Confessions of a Shapeshifter. Basically, we’re looking for stories that are a bit off-beat, quirky, unusual. I mean, face it, what would happen if you went to bed with your lover and woke up next to an octopus…or a three-antennaed alien from Betelgeuse VII? And if you have a Little Green Man who somehow gets addicted to little blue pills, that could be cause for humor as well. This contest is open from 1 October 2015 through 31 December 2015. You have three months to write 100 words. Easy! NEW SUBMISSION ADDRESS: Ah, but once you have written them, where do you send them? You send them to the contest editor, Terrie Leigh Relf, at tlrelf at gmail dot com. You’ll have to combine that address–sorry, but we don’t want her to be spammed. Send your submission in the body of the e-mail, please. If...

Deadline: December 31st, 2015 Payment: We pay 2 cents per word or $20 per work, whichever is more Are you feeling inspired to write a short story but stuck for ideas? “Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things” is currently looking to purchase a themed submission entitled: “THE CARROT IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD” Scheduled for the Spring 2016 issue, the chosen story will bring to life the amazing cover which has been specially designed by by artist and illustrator Sean Greenberg. Deadline: December 31, 2015 Let your imagination go wild for this one! We want your best, most creative stories using the picture as inspiration, or even telling the story of the artwork itself – it’s up to you! Our submission guidelines for this piece are the same as always and can be accessed at http://emberjournal.org/submission-guidelines/. We are really looking forward to seeing your work! Surprise us. Entertain us. Make us forget that it’s a cold, wet, November out there and brighten up our lives with your scintillating wordplay and deft descriptions. Please send in your work by the end of December in order to make the publishing deadlines. NOTES FROM THE EDITOR: There is no special submission queue for this call. Submissions are made through our online submission form. You do not need to title your manuscript “The Carrot is Mightier than the Sword” but you should give your submission this title so we know it is in response to this call. We are primarily looking for prose for this call, but metered poetry will also be considered. AUDIENCE Ember is a semiannual journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for all age groups. Submissions for and by readers aged 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. HOW TO SUBMIT Submissions are managed through our Submission Manager, powered bySubmittable . If you submit by e-mail, we...

Deadline: December 31, 2015 Payment: 0.06 per word, to be paid out of the Kickstarter. As creators ourselves, we are planning on introducing stretch goals to further raise the word rate. Attention writers! Announcing the open call for submissions for the upcoming Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytellinganthology. This collection is edited by Monica Valentinelli and Jaym Gates, and will be coming in 2016 from Apex Publications. There have been quite a few discussions in science fiction and fantasy addressing the idea of tropes and cliches, from whether they’re good or bad to how they change over time. Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling is a collection of stories that aims to subvert many of the popular tropes and cliches to show them in a new light. Each story in our collection will be an author’s creative examination of a specific trope that is prevalent in science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Examples of tropes include some well-defined character tropes, but also storytelling tropes that lazily incorporate race, gender, religion, etc. Writers who have already been accepted to the anthology include Alyssa Wong, Nisi Shawl, Sara M. Harvey, Maurice Broaddus, Kat Richardson, Nisi Shawl, Michael Underwood, and many more wonderful authors. Hugo, Chesley, and World Fantasy Award-nominated artist Galen Dara will be providing the art for our cover. Tropes examined thus far include: Chainmaille Bikini The Magical Negro The Super Soldier Chosen One Guys Smash, Girls Shoot Love at First Sight Damsels in Distress Heroine Loves a Bad Man Yellow Peril The Black Man Dies First The Villain Had a Crappy Childhood The City Planet Prostitute with a Heart of Gold The Singularity will Cause the Apocalypse To be considered for Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling we ask that authors a) identify the trope and b) break, bend, twist, smash...

Deadline: January 1st, 2016 Payment: $25 usd For this anthology, we're going urban! We'd like you to spin us a tale of horror describing what lurks below in the city sewers. All sorts of creatures, both real and imagined, may wish to do those who live in the sunlight harm; covet their ability to exist in the brightness above; or perhaps they simply fight for domain of their own patch in the darkness! Whatever fantastically dark tale you come up with, please do not include zombies, homeless humans, or orphaned children. We want tales of true horror - not the horror of the human condition. So tell us, the next time we walk over a grate in a city sidewalk, or pass a manhole cover slightly ajar, what should we be terrified is watching us from below? Deadline: January 1, 2016 Word Count: 4,000 - 8,000 words All submissions MUST be submitted to: [email protected] Reading & Evaluation Period: Two to three months after close of the deadline NO REPRINTS WILL BE CONSIDERED Payment: Each story selected for inclusion will receive a one-time payment of $25US As per our standard guidelines, there will be no stories containing pedophilia, or graphic rape accepted. Anthology Submission guidelines:Submission Deadline - January 1, 2016Word Count: 4,000 - 8,000 words. Payment: $25US per story selected for inclusion. Copyright: First time worldwide copyright for a period of one year after publication. Reprints will NOT be considered. Graphic gore must be kept to a minimum unless it is integral to the story; absolutely no pedophilia, overtly descriptive and graphic rape scenes will be considered. Only stories previously unpublished may be submitted. Upon acceptance into the anthology, you agree that Sirens Call Publications holds exclusive publishing rights for twelve (12) months from the date of publication; after that date...

Deadline: January 1st 2016 Payment: 6 cents a word Reprints Allowed but must query first ChappyFiction LLC is now accepting submissions to its new science fiction/fantasy anthology on Time Travel (title pending). The anthology will contain new short stories centered around time travel. How does it affect our society, our humanity, or the characters? We want new stories. Create paradoxes. Make us laugh. Make us cry. If you have a killer reprint, query us first before submitting. Length: We prefer stories under 7,000 words. We will look at stories over that, but the longer the story is, the better it has to be. We want to include many authors, so shorter stories will have the edge. Format: We're not picky. However, standard MS format will communicate to us that you're professional. Pink text on a black background will make our eyes bleed. In a bad way. Send over a doc or docx attached to your email. In the body of your email, write a quick, short cover letter. List sales. Don't summarize your story. Put the word count and your contact info somewhere in the cover letter. In the subject line put "Submission: (title of your story)". Send email to chappyfiction at gmail.com. UPDATE: We will close the submission period on January 1st 2016. Our response times will vary but if you don't hear anything by February of 2016, please query. UPDATE! We accept simultaneous submissions. Payment: 6 cents a word. That's pro rates! Word! Upon acceptance, you'll receive an industry standard contract (6 months exclusivity, with the exception to year's best anthologies). What not to do: Do not submit stories that don't contain Time Travel! It'll be a waste of your time and our time. And you'll be black listed from future Chappy Fiction anthologies! Via: Chappy Fiction.

Deadline: January 6th, 2016 Payment: We intend to fund this project via Kickstarter. Authors are encouraged to provide backer rewards for the campaign, but that is definitely not required. The initial funding goal will provide for a flat $0.06/per word (US) for all stories. Read full post for details if the Kickstarter fails. Note: They aren't looking for straight horror but if you read through the prompt clearly you can get away with suspense if done right. What: No Shit, There I Was, an anthology of short speculative fiction sharing one common thread: each story begins with that immortal line. Where they end will be up to the writer. Why: The world is full of unbelievable, hilarious, and sometimes tragic no shit, there I was stories. Can speculative fiction writers rise to the challenge of creating something even more fantastical than the everyday product? Who We Are: Alliteration Ink is run by Steven Saus (member SFWA/HWA), focusing on anthologies and single-author collections, with over a dozen titles across two imprints. Rachael Acks is a writer, geologist, and sharp-dressed sir. In addition to her steampunk novella series, she’s had short stories in Strange Horizons, Waylines, Daily Science Fiction, Penumbra, and more. She’s an active member of SFWA, the Northern Colorado Writer’s Workshop, and Codex. Who: This will be an open call. All who read and follow the submission guidelines are welcome in the slush pile. When: Rachael wants stories no later than 6 Jan 2016. No exceptions will be made. The Kickstarter will occur after the table of contents has been set. What We Want From You: Stories 2,000-7,500 words long. Query for anything shorter or longer. All stories must begin with the line, No shit, there I was. It can be dialog or part of the regular prose. Stories must...

Deadline: January 15th, 2016 Payment: 6c/word Liminal is searching for stories of a particular tone and tenor, regardless of form.  We like stories that are strange and unsettling, sharp-edged and evocative.  Although we will consider any genre, we have a soft spot for weird fiction, magical realism, soft sci-fi, and those uncatagorizable stories that straddle the line between genres.  Liminal stories should linger in the mind and evoke emotion in the reader. We will consider stories up to 10,000 words, and pay 6c/word on publication. Liminal isn't a market for poetry, reprints, or non-fiction. We don't accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. Seeking Diverse Voices The editors of Liminal believe that fiction is enriched by diverse voices. We welcome and encourage submissions from writers of every nationality, race, sexual orientation, religion, and gender. How to Submit Send submissions in .DOC or .RTF format to [email protected]. Please use Submission:  as your subject line. Include your story's title and length in your cover letter. Don't stress over what to call us. We'll answer to Editors, Shannon and Kelly, or Ms. Peavey and Ms. Sandoval. Please use Standard Manuscript Format for all Liminal submissions. Response Time We try to respond to all stories within 30 days. Please query if you haven't heard from us. Use Query:  as your subject line. Via: Liminal Stories.

Deadline: January 15th, 2016 Payment: $5 payment advance and will share equally fifty percent of the royalties received Tree-Lion Press is currently seeking submissions for an anthology of Speculative Fiction stories inspired by Long-Distance Running. BEFORE READING FURTHER, PLEASE TAKE NOTE.  We are seeking short fiction in the Speculative Fiction genre (by which we mean to be the umbrella term for the wide and varied range of Science Fiction and Fantasy subgenres).  The stories are to be inspired by (by which we mean drawn from, informed by, derived from) the act or concept of Long-Distance Running.  A very specific theme, yes, but one with infinite potential.  Go crazy with it. Word count and Deadline:  Between 500 and 10,000 words.  These are guidelines, not laws; if you have a great story that runs a few words short or long, go ahead and submit it. Genre:  We are looking for Speculative Fiction; We tend toward (soft) Science Fiction and Fantasy, but will also accept well-written Horror or Supernatural or Whatever, as long as it is Speculative Fiction and meets the other requirements stated here.  (Need more info on what qualifies as Speculative Fiction?  Check out the Goodreads entry that discusses the term.) Theme:  Long-Distance Running.  The hours of solitude.  The endorphin rush.  Other people looking at you as if you were crazy.  The pain.  The endurance.  The more pain.  The competition.  The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Authors:  The theme is Speculative Fiction inspired by Long-Distance Running.  You don't have to be a runner to write for this collection, but it would probably help. GENERAL SUBMISSION NOTES:  Please read the entire page before clicking through to the submission guidelines for a specific publication. Tree-Lion Press is now accepting submissions for ALL of the following Keeping Pace with Eternity ... Speculative Fiction inspired by Long-Distance Running (Deadline...

Deadline: January 15th, 2016 Payment: $20 We are currently accepting submissions. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. 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'taccept 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 front and tell us as soon as it's accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints, including anything that has appeared on a website. We pay $20 for each story we publish. We buy first-printing world exclusive rights for four months. Payment will be made shortly after publication using PayPal. We encourage our authors to establish a PayPal account if they don't already have one. We prefer to read submissions in traditional manuscript format. This means indented paragraphs instead of left justification, and Courier or Times New Roman font in 12 pt, double-spaced. Also, please include the title, your name, address, and word length on the first page of your story. To submit your story to Electric...

By Penny Dreadful Newspaper (Penny Dreadful Paper 1838) , via Wikimedia Commons Deadline: January 24th 2016. Prizes: First prize is a £50 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize Second prize is a £20 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize Third prize is a £10 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize I'm going old school again with January's contest image with a classic cover from Penny Dreadful magazine. I'm looking forward to seeing what stories you all come up with for this image! As always the stories can be of any genre. They just have to be inspired by this month's image and no more than 500 words. Entry to the contest remains free and there are prizes for the three winners. I will also feature any of the stories that don't win but I believe are worth showcasing on this blog. First prize is a £50 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize Second prize is a £20 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize Third prize is a £10 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize The money for the prizes come out of my own pocket, although I do make a little from advertising on this blog. So if you see something of interest then feel free to click on the links and purchase away! If you haven't tried my books yet then check them out at the top of the page, as well as buying a good read you'll be helping this contest. Please make sure to check your story for typos before submitting. I don't mind a few errors, but my enjoyment of a story is diminished if I have to wade through too many. I'll post the winning entries by Febuary 1st 2016. As with everything in life there are a few rules: Only one entry per person....