Events

Deadline: February 5th, 2025 Payment: 3 (Euro) cents per word for original fiction and 1 (Euro) cent per word for translations of fiction into English. Theme: Campbellian hard SF with a focus on sociological, technological and indeed cosmic elements over characters **** Sci Phi Journal is currently OPEN for short fiction submissions, until Tuesday 5th February 2025, via Duosuma. For inquiries re: essay/article proposals, you may email us anytime at [email protected]. (Apologies, we do not accept fiction submissions via email, though.) ****   There are plenty of amazing print and online journals out there for ‘character-driven’ fiction, and we encourage you to read them. Sci Phi Journal (SPJ) is not one of them, though. Hence, we are not too keen on stories predominantly about the sentiments and subjective experiences of fictional people. We want hard SF that zooms out of the personal and lifts off into the structural, the systemic, the epic. We yearn for carefully crafted philosophical speculation that puzzles over the questions of the future and alternate pasts. And we have a soft spot for stories created as ‘artifacts’ (fictional, ‘in-universe’ non-fiction). So here are SPJ‘s quests: – Campbellian hard SF. Reaching back to the roots of classic sci-fi, these rigorous tales take themselves seriously and push the boundaries of our scientific imagination, scaling from the nano to the meta. The cast, if any, is functional and disposable. It’s the sociological, technological and indeed cosmic developments that sweep the reader up in an expanding sense of wonder. (For a contemporary long-form example that received mainstream attention, see the latter two books of Cixin Liu’s Three-Body Problem trilogy.) – Fictional non-fiction. The purest, most intimate form of world-building. A transcript of the last UN Security Council meeting before an extinction-level event. The dental bills of a cybernetic vampire. Interviews with eyewitnesses of a battle between Martians and archangels. (Epistolary fiction falls within this category, though...

Deadline: February 9th, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Wyrd/Weird combat stories Wyrd Warfare Edited by Christopher DiNote Combat! Arcane action! War and wizardry! More combat, but wyrd! Experience trench warfare with fixed bayonets, zombies, and arcane technologies. Discover why U-boats aren’t the only danger in the North Atlantic. Something stalks the jungle patrol. What happens when knowledge of things Mankind was not meant to know is used for war? Gasp in horror at Cryptid Combat! What was really unleashed during the Trinity A-bomb test? Make sure to do your homework! Opens: 12/07/24 Closes: 02/09/25 Contracts: 02/22/25 Publication: 03/21/25 Guidelines for all our anthologies (psst! this is important!): 5,000 to 8,000 words. Length and genre are negotiable, as long as the story fits the concept and is entertaining. Any submission must be in Times New Roman (preferred, but you can use Georgian or other readable font), 12PT, double-spaced, with your name, title of the story, and your email on it. Name the file as -—. Send it in a .docx format as an attachment—no links. Refer to the submission guideline graphic below for how to format your story—It has all the information you need! Feel free to download it for reference. Raconteur Press will hold the rights for one year after publication; after one year, the rights will revert to the author, but we continue to pay you as long as the anthology is selling. Authors receive an equal percentage share of the proceeds from the anthology, along with the Press, our editors, and administration. Yes, you read that right. We don’t take 80% off the top and split the 20% left over between all the authors. We’re all in this together. This is why our anthologies are limited to ten stories. IMPORTANT: PLEASE do NOT submit stories until the date the call opens. We don’t want to hang on to your...

Deadline: February 14th, 2025 Payment: A payment or a percentage of the profits from the book to be negotiated Theme: Horror novellas of any genre Horror Novellas: You guessed it. We want horror novellas between 25,000 and 50,000 words in length. The stories must be scary and can be on any horror subject. No specific type of story requested. If it’s a horror story, send it over. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment or a percentage of the profits from the book. OTHER STUFF: No poetry or reprints. No erotica. Submission Deadline: February 14, 2025. Email submissions to [email protected] with the story attached in Microsoft Word Format. We try to reply and let you know if we are not using your submission within 4 weeks. However, if you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of sending the email (check your Spam folder) then we did not accept it. Please put EXACTLY the following in the subject line: ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR HORROR NOVELLA. Via: Burial Books.

Deadline: February 14th, 2025 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: Unthemed horror Non-themed Horror Short Story Anthology: We are seeking great horror and dark fantasy short stories for our next anthology. Got a story that won’t fit into the narrow topics of other short story anthologies? We are preparing a general horror anthology full of scary stories that are not on a particular theme. Word Count: Anything at least 500 words and not over 10,000 words we will consider. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $10 along with a copy of the anthology once it’s completed. Rights: First Print and Electronic Publication rights, the non-exclusive rights to include the story in a print, audiobook, and digital book, and a one-year (12 month) period of exclusivity from the date of publication. All other rights remain entirely with the author. OTHER STUFF: No poetry or reprints. No novel extracts. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology (no more than two per author though) but please submit them in separate emails. Submission Deadline: We’ll stay open until February 14, 2025. Email submissions to [email protected] with a story either: 1) attached in Microsoft Word; or 2) with the entire story pasted inside the body of the email. Either one is fine. We try to reply and let you know if we are not using your submission within 4 weeks. Please put EXACTLY the following in the subject line: ATTN: HORROR.  Via: Burial Books.

Deadline: February 15th, 2025 Prize: First prize winner receives a cash prize of 400 BGN. (Currently that’s 200 Euro or 223 USD, but conversion rates fluctuate.) Theme: Gothic Stories About Extremely Cold Weather Writing Contest Without AI Why no AI? In a world dominated by bots and fakes, I value authenticity. I want to  encourage real writing by real writers with real skills. Real readers deserve real stories. The Theme: “Extremely Cold Weather” Whether the story unflds during a peaceful winter journey or a ferocious blizzard, whether the characters are trudging across a glacier or huddling around a wood stove, whether the temperature is normal for the season or caused by climate change, what matters is that the cold weather plays a significant role in the plot, and that you let the readers feel the chill. Genre: Any – but with a Gothic touch Your story can be of any prose genre – Romance, Horror, Historical, Western, Steampunk, Noir, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Humour,  Literary,  Mystery, Thriller...   as long as it has Gothic elements.  For ideas how to give your story a Gothic plot and atmosphere, see my blog post here. What does ‘NO AI’ mean? You may not use any Artificial Intelligence app, nor the AI tools of other apps, for any part of the story’s creation. Not for story prompts, not for plotting, not for structuring, not for writing, not for revising, not for editing. That’s the purpose of this contest: show how well you can craft a story. Not how well you can use AI. You may use a word processor and spellchecker. "But I like using AI for my writing!" Then enter contests for AI-assisted writing. "How do you know the story was not AI-generated?" As part of the submission process, each competitor has to formally...

Deadline: February 20th, 2025 Payment: $40 Theme: Cryptids! What stalks the shadows beyond our understanding? What ancient creatures still roam our modern world, defying explanation and documentation? "If I Die Before I Wake, Volume 10: Tales of Cryptid Chaos" delves into the terrifying realm of cryptozoological horror, where mysterious beings from global folklore emerge from myth into chilling reality.Join us for a collection of original tales that will make you question every unexplained footprint, every ripple in dark waters, and every unexplored corner of our world. These aren't just stories of sightings and encounters—they're nightmares that blur the line between legend and truth, leaving readers wondering what might really be watching from the darkness. ​ Please read submission Guidelines below. Submissions that do not follow guidelines will not be considered. What We're Looking For Step into the shadows where legend meets reality. We're seeking original horror stories featuring cryptids - those elusive creatures that lurk in the darkness of human imagination and perhaps... in reality. From the depths of murky lakes to the densest forests, from urban legends to ancient tribal warnings, we want your most terrifying takes on cryptid encounters. Theme Your story must feature a cryptid as a central element of the narrative. While well-known creatures like Bigfoot or the Mothman are welcome, we strongly encourage submissions featuring lesser-known cryptids from various cultures and folklores. The story must be firmly rooted in horror - we're looking for genuine terror, not just mysterious encounters. Guidelines- Word count: 4,000 - 10,000 words - Original, previously unpublished work only - See Submittable submission page for full guidelines What We Want- Fresh takes on cryptid mythology - Strong character development - Atmospheric horror that builds tension - Stories that blend folklore with modern settings - Cultural authenticity when dealing with traditional cryptids...

Submission Window: February 9th - 23rd, 2025 Payment: 1p a word to a maximum of £50 Theme: Folk-horror short stories Hiding Under the Leaves, to be published November 2025, will be an anthology of folk-horror short stories. Think curses and cunning folk; superstitions and the old ways; twisted rural landscapes and dark, creeping woodlands. Submissions will open 9th February 2025 and will close in the witching hour (midnight again!) 23rd February 2025. For both anthologies: Stories should aim to be 2-9000 words, and will be paid at 1p a word to a maximum of £50. Longer or shorter stories may be considered but will be a harder sell. FAQs: Please use standard manuscript formatting. Font TNR, Arial, Calibri, Garamond, or Calibri, 12 points. Double line spacing. Single spaces between words/following punctuation. Include page numbers in footers and name and title in headers. Also include a first page with name, title, word count. Use double quotation marks for speech. British English spelling preferred. Please send stories by email to donna at theslab dot press as an attachment. Include the word count, your name, and the title in the email too. Please include the anthology name and your name in the subject of the email. For example: Vivid Worlds STORY TITLE Joe Bloggs Reprints: No reprints from stories that have already been published in print in English, please, but stories translated into written English for the first time, or that have only been previously published in audio format are permitted. Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions permitted. Via: The Slab Press.

Deadline: February 23rd, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Think crime taking place in space Space Malfeasance Edited by Spearman Burke Ten Percenters in space, the dirtbags, the malcontents: they’ll be out there, goldbricking like they’re getting paid to do it. Stories about the E-4 Mafia, the Sham Shielders, Airman Schmucketelli, the Lance Criminals. Some are heroes, some are complete idiots. Y’know, all the reasons your First Sergeant is on his second liver. If the aliens only knew what was coming, would they have surrendered so easily to mankind? Stories your commander reads every morning in the military police blotter...in spaaaaccceeee!  Don’t forget to do your homework! Opens: 12/21/24 Closes: 02/23/25 Contracts: 03/08/25 Publication: 04/04/25 Guidelines for all our anthologies (psst! this is important!): 5,000 to 8,000 words. Length and genre are negotiable, as long as the story fits the concept and is entertaining. Any submission must be in Times New Roman (preferred, but you can use Georgian or other readable font), 12PT, double-spaced, with your name, title of the story, and your email on it. Name the file as -—. Send it in a .docx format as an attachment—no links. Refer to the submission guideline graphic below for how to format your story—It has all the information you need! Feel free to download it for reference. Raconteur Press will hold the rights for one year after publication; after one year, the rights will revert to the author, but we continue to pay you as long as the anthology is selling. Authors receive an equal percentage share of the proceeds from the anthology, along with the Press, our editors, and administration. Yes, you read that right. We don’t take 80% off the top and split the 20% left over between all the authors. We’re all in this together. This is why our anthologies are...

Deadline: February 24th, 2025 Payment: Contributor's copy and $10 Theme: Trans-erotica horror OPEN CALL: WE CAN ALWAYS TELL a trans erotica horror anthology Submission Dates: Dec. 1st 2024 - Feb. 24th 2025 ​ Wordcount: Up to 8k for short fiction, 3 pages for poetry Compensation: $10 + Contributor's Copy ​ Please use Shunn / Standard Manuscript Format when submitting. ​ Please format your subject line as SUBMISSION - - - ​ Submit as .doc or .docX to uncrownedtheseries gmail ​ Please do not inquire about the status of your submission until the reading period has closed.   THE LAUGHING MAN HOUSE IS A PUBLISHER specializing in horror and dark fantasy fiction. Our mission is to curate and showcase spine-chilling stories with unapologetically queer characters and themes. We take pride in offering a platform for talented authors to unleash their creativity and share their unique perspectives with the world. We set down our roots in 2022, and since then we have been on an extraordinary journey, making giant strides in a short span of time. Via: The Laughing Man House.

Deadline: February 25th, 2025 Payment: .02 cents a word, $20 per accepted artwork Theme: Found diary/journal entries from vampire hunters through out history. VAMPIRE HUNTERS: An Incomplete Record of Personal Accounts Submissions Open January 15 - February 25 on Query Manager Vampire Hunters: An Incomplete Record of Personal Accounts will be a collection of found diary/journal entries from vampire hunters through out history. There would also be illustrations, charts, anatomy sketches and pieces of articles texts ect. interspersed throughout. https://QueryTracker.net/query/SpecPub To submit to the query manager you need your complete manuscript, formatted in standard Shunn Format, (double spaced, times new roman ect) We want: 1000 - 5000 word Diary/Journal Entry type stories from vampire hunters throughout history. These can be based off real people and characters or entirely made up but the history should be more or less sound. Be mindful of copy protected characters and material. Stories should be formatted like a journal or diary, with a date. There can be one or several telling a story. We would also prefer a line or two (up to a paragraph) of context that would head each story in the anthology as to why this entry is included in the incomplete record. For example: Louis Bernard was well known for his trumpet playing all over western Europe, but few were aware he also hunted vampires until he disappeared in 1897. This was the last entry into his journal. Payment is .02 cents a word. Also looking for original art. Sketches, paintings, photos that would appear in a vampire hunter’s journal, such as charts, weapons, maps, anatomy. $20 per piece. NO AI ART OR STORIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. PLEASE NOTE: We have revised our submission standards. IF SUBMISSIONS DO NOT FOLLOW ALL THE GUIDELINES THEY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED WITH NO RESPONSE....