Events

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2024 Payment: 1¢ per word Theme: Speculative fiction that explores connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. Reading periods/When to send Submissions will be open as follows: March 1st–31st (closing at 10pm PST on the 31st), for a June release September 1st–30th (closing at 10pm PST on the 30th), for a December release What to send Hearth Stories publishes speculative fiction (fnatasy & science-fiction in our case) slice-of-life stories with a focus on connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world (we love stories prominently featuring nature, as opposed to tech). We accept works from 1,000 words up to 10,000. However, the ideal length may be something in the 1,500-3,500 word range. We do not currently accept poetry, non-fiction, or non-speculative work (there needs to be a fantasy or science fiction element present in the work). Some things we like: Cozy, sweet, cute, kind, hopeful stories Caregiving, parenting, friendship, romance, and partnership stories Rural/pastoral life and less technologically advanced settings Works that take place in nature Stories involving food and cooking. However, we are vegan; stories that feature animal products may result in a pass on the story or a request for removal of the animal products Stories involving hermits, issolated places, or wandering in the woods Bonus points for stories backed by vegan, anarchist, eco-conscious, and anti-capitalist themes (while still fitting the above) You may notice that none of those things have anything to do with science fiction or fantasy. We would like speculative stories with the above themes and settings. We are very into slice of life stories, the ruralism of Richard Jefferies (ruralism in general, extending to so-called “cottagecore”), and stories in general that take place in wooded places. We like witches and magic, new world stories (usually terraformed planets), alien worlds, and the small...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 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...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2024 Payment: $0.03 per word Theme: Horror stories (and all sub-genres of horror) that include werewolves French Press Publishing is delighted to announce an open call for submissions to the STRANGE NEW MOONS anthology. If your short story is accepted, it will appear alongside the work of our invited authors, including such heavyweight timber alphas as Simon Clark, Mary SanGiovanni, Tim Lebbon, and Rebecca Rowland. We hope to hear from every writer ever born, so please share this announcement widely! Awoo! "No zombies, no vampires, and no werewolves."   If you haven’t seen a call for short stories ending with that sentence lately, then you probably haven't been looking very hard.  Trust us, it’s ubiquitous. Well, we here at French Press Publishing, ever the contrarians, say: fuck that. We want your werewolf stories.  Desperately.  Werewolves all day and all night.  Werewolves forever and ever, a million years, nothing but werewolves, super fuzzy bang bang. With one small caveat: Make ‘em different. Yeah.  It’s not that werewolfism is inherently a bad theme, it’s that it’s been done to death.  That’s the little torn cuticle driving most editors to decline anything having to do with our favorite loathsome lycanthropes.  So, give us something wild, strange, and new! The Strange New Rules: - Dates.  Please submit your manuscript between 12:01 am EST on September 1, 2024 and 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2024. - Length.  Stories should be between roughly 2,000 and 5,000 words.  This rule will not be strictly enforced, but expect to be rejected if you ignore common sense. - Payment.  Accepted authors will receive $0.03 tasty, tasty dollar bills per word. - Formatting.  Please submit your manuscript as a .DOCX, .DOC, or .RTF file.  Please format all manuscripts in 12 pt Times New Roman font, double spaced, with standard industry headers, etc. When in doubt, follow William Shunn’s Modern Manuscript...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2024 Payment: £12 per story or the equivalent in copies of the book Theme: Halloween must be a central point of the story The Halloween anthology will go ahead, opening for submissions on September 1st and closing on September 30th. The Halloween Anthology Submissions open mid-August and close mid-September. Watch the blog section of this site for specific dates as these will vary. Stories must have a Halloween theme. It does not have to be scary, but Halloween must be a central point of the story. Payment. Currently we pay £12 per story or the equivalent in copies of the book. If you are outside the UK we recommend you take the money (PayPal preferred) because postage to countries outside the UK will eat into your pay. Seriously. Normally it’s two or three copies per story depending on the final size of the book but postage can cost you a book. You’d be better off getting the cash and buying copies from your local Amazon. Copyright, contracts and rights. Leg Iron Books pays you for the right to use your story in the Anthology and (from 2019) also include it in the omnibus edition at the end of the year. We do not buy out copyright. We do not, at any time, ‘own’ your story. We only buy the right to publish it. Copyright remains with the author at all times. Once the story is published in the relevant anthology you can resell and re-use it all you want. You do not have to wait for publication of the end-of-year omnibus edition. It would be nice if you mentioned, upon re-use of the story, that it was published in a Leg Iron Books Underdog Anthology but this is not a condition of publication, it...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2024 Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for fiction and $60 CAD flat per poem Theme: Speculative stories that feature long-term relationships Note: Looking for writers who live or used to live in Canada We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years. Give us deep space, dusty frontiers, or dreamy fantasy. We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. While we are primarily looking for stories with happy endings (yeah, yeah), we also want endings that are earned. If things get a little teary or gory, that's ok. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules. Payment Payment is $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (1,000-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem. We are purchasing first publication rights, to revert back to the author after one year. Canadian Writers Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, refugees and displaced people living in Canada, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Heartlines welcomes submissions from writers of all identities. If you are comfortable, we encourage writers to indicate their intersections in their cover letter. Disclosure is not a requirement to submit, and we recognize that not all people are safe to disclose their identities. We are committed to addressing barriers and systemic discrimination faced by equity-deserving groups, which includes (but is not limited to): Racialized people People with disabilities LGBTQIA+ people Indigenous people Women Neurodivergent people Our goal for each...

Deadline: September 30th, 2024 Payment: .01 to .02 per word + Royalty share Theme: Speculative fiction anthology with a bass beat of a hidden villain and a tale involving the criminal. Submission Period: July 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024 Theme: Hidden Villains: Criminals – A speculative fiction anthology with a bass beat of a hidden villain and a tale involving the criminal. You could be chasing them down, victimized by them, or be the criminal; however you want to include them. Criminals – lawbreaker, offender, delinquent, malefactor, culprit, wrongdoer, transgressor, felon, thief, robber, burglar, fraudster, swindler, racketeer, gunman, gangster, outlaw, bandit, crook, con, jailbird, malfeasant, miscreant There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story as long as the genre falls within Speculative Fiction, including Sci-Fi or Fantasy. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story will rise to the top. Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. Submission Period: July 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024 Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions; Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used. Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi Anticipated Pay: .01 to .02 per word + Royalty share Each story will receive a share, as will the publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include: Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals; wholesales to authors; or retail sales through non-D2D retail outlets. Links to D2D outlets will be available for you to provide...

Deadline: September 30th, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: Horror, Dark fantasy, and related genres Note: Writers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia. HamLit recognizes a level of deep dark that calls to certain readers and writers. To honor that fertile space, we’re jazzed to spotlight a dialed in realm of twisty, grim, fleshy grit for our versatile and challenge-ready PNW community! Enter After Dark, our first annual special issue featuring: Dark Fantasy Dark Lit/Poetry Weird/Bizarro All Smut/Erotica (yep, pOrn) All Horror Plus, whatever other creepy crawly bits you can concoct! Never walked on the dark side? Stay tuned for forthcoming dank and dangerous prompts to break your writing mold This bi-annual local publication signals the changing seasons. Each themed issue will be available exclusively on our website. We plan to publish ten pieces per issue, though this may vary based on submission quality and quantity. Who We Seek Artists 18 years or older and a current resident of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia. Any and all identities. Every human-experience is welcome at HamLit. We are LGBTQIA+ inclusive. With HamLit you retain the right to feel safe and be seen. What We Seek High-caliber, unpublished short fiction and poetry Evocative exploration of issue theme Original genre fiction (fantasy, spec, mystery, horror, etc.) is welcome; fan fiction and novel excerpts are (unfortunately) not 5000 word maximum, per fiction submission; 2 page maximum, per poem If your submission(s) include(s) descriptions of rape, incest, self-mutilation, and/or ideations of suicide or other-harm please include a content warning. Graphic descriptions of child- and/or animal-harm will not be published. Two submission limit. Preferred formats: .doc or .docx. The Fine Print HamLit requires no general submission fee, though we do welcome donations. For published works, we offer honorariums of $5. Upon publication, you grant us First North American Serial Rights, Archival...

Deadline: September 30th, 2024 Prizes: First prize is 3 cents per word, second prize is 3 cent per word, and third place is 1 cent per word. Theme: Horrific Folklore Since author Derek Thomas won last month’s contest, he’s hosting this month’s theme: “I have long been fascinated with stories of spooky legends that have been passed through generations. Tales like Baba Lenka, La Llorona, The Headless Horseman and the Kraken send shivers up my spine. So September's theme is folklore. Give us your best stories featuring witches, curses, and creatures from the past.” Before we get to the submission guidelines, please know that only the top 15 to 20 stories will be posted on our Patreon page for our patrons to vote on. The winner will receive $0.03 per word, publication in an upcoming Hotel Macabre anthology, and an Author Spotlight on our newsletter and Patreon page. The second-place winner will receive $0.02 a word, and the third place winner $0.01 per word. The winner will also have the option of hosting the following month’s contest for an additional $50.   Submission guidelines: -Max 1,500 words -Submit your entry in the body of an email to [email protected] (no attachments) -The email subject line should be the story’s title and your author name / pseudonym -The deadline is midnight at the end of September, wherever in the world you may reside. -No multiple submissions (only your best story) -Reprints are allowed if they naturally fit the theme. -Put your bio below your story (max 500 words).   Please take note… You do not need to be a Crystal Lake Patreon patron to enter. This is a contest and only the top three placing stories receive payment. If you’re chosen as a finalist, our $5-a-month and higher tier patrons will read all the entries,...

Deadline: September 30th, 2024 Prizes: $100 for the winner, $25 for the three runner-ups Theme: Horror Drabbles It’s coming…and there’s nowhere to hide. Not that you’d want to, with a $100 prize on the line. Story Street Writers is proud to announce our first annual Hundred Word Horror fiction contest. The winner will be announced on October 31, naturally, and will pick up a $100 prize and publication in the Story Street Review online. The three runners-up will also be published, each receiving a $25 prize. The contest is open for entries from September 15 through September 30, 2024 (EST). So, you should still have plenty of time for NaNoWriMo prep while we read through all your wonderful story entries. You can add your entry on the Submissions Page. (See the complete list of contest details below.) Make sure to sign up for our Newsletter to keep tabs on contest updates and notifications of future contests! If you have any questions, please feel free to email [email protected] Submission Dates: September 15 – 30, 2024 (EST time zone) Winner Announced: Midnight, October 31, 2024 (EST) 1st Prize: $100 and publication Runners up (3): $25 and publication Word Count: 100 words maximum (no exceptions) (Title does not count) Limit 1 submission per person Contest open to first 1000 submissions only Must be 18 or over No purchase necessary We do not sell your information Only previously unpublished work will be considered Stories must be original NO A.I. generated stories, nor any story where A.I. was used in its making. Will result in automatic ban and you will forever bear the shame. Stories remain property of the writer In the case of winner or runners up, the only rights you grant are first publication for the results of the contest Family members of Story Street writers are not eligible Simultaneous submissions ok, but please...

Deadline: September 30th, 2024 Payment: $20 and a contributors copy Theme: Horror and weird fiction, as well as sci-fi and dark fantasy. Ideally hybrid works Broken Antler is a literary magazine and publisher of work that is dark, speculative, experimental, unsettling, and absurd. BAM Quarterly, Broken Antler’s online journal, publishes creative work four times a year (during the months of October, January, April, and July). Submissions for Issue Three open February 29 and close March 31. The Marrow, Broken Antler’s blog and home of our LGBTQIA+ creator series, is currently accepting pitches for interviews, reviews, and essays, as well as creative submissions of micro fiction, poetry, and art. And Broken Antler Magazine is our annual print publication, featuring creative and critical work from emerging and established writers, artists, creators, and individuals working within the horror space. What We Publish Broken Antler publishes horror and weird fiction, as well as sci-fi and dark fantasy. The editors are partial to a wide range of subgenres—body, cosmic, folk, gore, etc. (and our EIC likes any writing that screws with her sleep schedule). If your work fits into the horror genre, or is some version of fucked-up, send it our way. For poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid submissions, we’re looking for work that is haunting and monstrous, strange and bizarre. Extra points if your work is experimental or doing something unusual with form. Do NOT send us work featuring gratuitous sexual assault, violence against women and/or marginalized groups, or hate speech. Broken Antler is 100% run by women, several members of our editorial staff identify as LGBTQIA+, and we are committed to uplifting these and other previously silenced voices. NOTE: Submitted work should be previously unpublished, and we do NOT accept AI-generated content. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know if your...