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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 Only stories previously unpublished may be submitted.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....

Deadline: January 25th, 2016 Payment: .03 per word We are currently open for submissions (hooray!) for Issue 2, to be published in April 2016. Submission Guidelines Farstrider is a fantasy magazine specializing in stories with a sense of humor along the lines of Terry Pratchett, Gail Carriger, or aGarrett, P.I. story.  Any and all sub-genre of fantasy will be considered, excepting those that by definition conflict with our desire for a light and fun tone (the obvious example being dark fantasy). Even though we are new, I assure you that we take this seriously, that we are here to stay, and that we will at least pretend to know what we are doing.  This means having a few house rules: We are looking for original stories only, meaning those that you have not published elsewhere before, including on your own personal site. We ask that stories be submitted to us in standard manuscript format.  If you are a fledgling writer and you aren't sure what that is, I recommend reading through William Shunn's excellent guide here. Please refrain from sending multiple submissions.  We will only publish one story from any given writer in each issue of the magazine, so make sure to select only your single best work rather than the entire buffet table. Please also avoid simultaneous submissions.  For the uninitiated, this means not to send the same story around to a bunch of different markets.  We know you just want the best chance to be published, but we promise to respect your time and give you a decision on your story as quickly as possible.  That way, if it doesn't work out with us you'll be able to move on to the next market without too much time lost.  We will strive to respond to every submission within 14 days.  This time frame...

Deadline: January 28th 2016 Payment: $10 Humor, horror, or utter psycho extremes please! InfectiveINk.com is interested in great fiction. Unless specified, we are open to all genres and styles, except erotica. We offer $10 per Short Story, payable via PayPal. We do not currently pay for Short Story submissions under 1500 words, or for any Flash Fiction submissions, bragging rights however, are priceless. Remember, InfectiveINk.com is a prompt-driven publication. Be sure that the story you're submitting corresponds to one of our prompts before sending your work. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] In the subject line please include the word 'submission', your last name, and the prompt you're submitting for, e.g. Submission, Fitzgerald, Monsters. The body of the email includes: Your name Your pen name, if you use one Your contact details (including the email address we would send your Paypal payment to if your story is 1500+ words) The word count An interesting bio that doesn't simply list your publications Your submission You are welcome to paste the submission in the body of the email, we also accept .doc, .docx, .txt, and .rtf attachments. Please replace any curly quotes with straight quotes, curly apostrophes with straight ones. Double and triple check for grammar and spelling errors, watch your possessives, take care with there/their/they're. Write to the prompt and HAVE FUN! These aren't the stories to devote months of intense effort toward. Let your creative juices flow freely (yeah, that sounded gross), and play fast and hard! Edit with a vengeance and submit. Please read over our Author Agreement before submitting. InfectiveINk.com is listed at Duotrope, don't forget to track your submissions! Questions? Need some help/guidance? Email us at [email protected] Via: InfectiveINK.

Deadline: January 31, 2016 Payment: $10 Reprints Allowed Anthologists: Laura Harvey and Sarena Ulibarri With Specter Spectacular III, we hope to expand on the previous volumes of “ghostly” tales and “deathly” tales by delving into the realm of “uncanny” tales. Many of these will be similar to what you’ve seen in previous volumes: ghosts, poltergeists, psychopomps, psychic mediums. But the idea of the uncanny opens up additional possibilities: creepy doppelgängers, too-close-to-human robots, changeling intruders, cryptid animals, jarring juxtapositions. Leave your clichés at the door and show us fresh and fascinating new tales. The essence of the uncanny is an unsettled feeling, a sense that something isn’t quite right, often coupled with an inability to articulate exactly why. Our tastes lean more toward the psychological than toward gore, especially for this volume. We’re looking for a wide range of interpretations and a balance of styles and tones (serious, humorous, modern, historical, futuristic, mythological, gothic, etc.). We aim for the same high quality of stories that appeared in Specter Spectacular I and II. Rights and compensation: Payment: $10 + paperback copy of the anthology. We will consider new and reprinted works in English. For previously unpublished works: Seeking first world rights in English and exclusive right to publish in print and electronic format for six months after publication date, after which publisher retains nonexclusive right to continue to publish for life of the anthology. For reprints: Seeking non-exclusive right to publish in print and electronic formats for life of anthology. Preference for stories which have not been anthologized previously. Open submission period: October 1, 2015 – January 31, 2016. Length: Under 10,000 words. Submission method: Paste the story into the body of the e-mail message. Include the approximate word count. Subject line: SSIII– . Send submission to: submissionsworldweaverpresscom. Simultaneous submissions = okay. Sending us many submissions at once = no. Previous anthologies in...