Events

Taking Submissions: Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk & Eco-Speculation

Deadline: June 4th 2016 Payment: 6 cents USD for fiction, flat rates of $50 for under 2k and $100 for over 2k words for reprints, 6 cents or $15usd whichever is greater for poetry Submissions for fiction and poetry ARE OPEN until June 4th. Submissions for line art and coloring pages ARE OPEN until June 30th. Writers! We want your stories and poems for Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk & Eco-Speculation, the upcoming anthology of speculative fiction edited by us, Phoebe Wagner and Brontë Wieland. Set for publication in spring 2017, Sunvault will open to submissions following the funding of our Kickstarter project in April. We want this anthology to reach outside Western and Anglophone traditions of speculative fiction, showcasing the way environment and environmental issues are talked about and perceived in all parts of the world. We encourage and welcome submissions from diverse voices and under-represented populations, including, but not limited to, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, those with disabilities, and the elderly. Authors of all walks of life should feel encouraged to send us stories and poems celebrating these diverse characters and settings all around us. What are we looking for? We want short stories and poems that fall under the scope of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, weird fic, etc.). If you’re unsure, submit! We love to be surprised. The anthology will focus on times of environmental crisis and the people inhabiting these tipping points, fighting to effect change and seek solutions, even if it’s already too late. But these are times of hope, not just disaster! Turn your lens to those crucial moments in a world’s history when great change can be made by the right people with the right tools. Remember: hope can spark in even the grimmest of situations. Is there environmental SF...

Taking Submissions: DOA III

Deadline: June 6th 2016 Payment: 5¢/word “HORRIBLY BLOODY” “UTTERLY DISGUSTING” “INSANE, GRUESOME & TWISTED” These are a few excerpts from Amazon reviews of DOA II — our Extreme Horror Anthology. Are you ready for round three? Then we invite you to make extreme-horror history.  Our most infamous anthology series is back, and by now, you know what we’re looking for…and if you don’t, then check out Volumes I & II.  Make sure you’ve got a strong story and characters to back up your gore & debauchery. Remember, John Skipp has a new story in the one, and in Splatterpunk, there is usually a deeper subversive point to all the insanity. Submission: May 6th to June 6th 2016 – (Decisions will be finalized by September) Theme: Splatterpunk/Extreme horror/Bizarro – (no guts and gore for just the sake of it). Stories can range from 750-5000 words – (query for longer) Stories must be formatted in the following manner: 12 point font Times New Roman Double-Spaced Name and Contact email/phone in the upper left Submissions should be attached as a Doc or Docx file Payment:  All selected stories will receive 5¢/word Email: [email protected] Subject: DOA III: Story title – author name     Blood Bound Books is not currently open to novel submissions. Thank you for your interest! 1. We are looking for manuscripts of 45,000 – 90,000 words–query for longer 2. We are publishers of dark fiction. We are not fond of limitations so explore your darkest side. For more specific info, please see the category guidelines. 3. Submit your ENTIRE manuscript as a Word file (.doc or .docx). 4. Allow 3 months before you query about the submissions status Manuscripts requested should be formatted in the manner: 12-point font, Times New Roman or Courier New Double-Spaced Contact information in the upper left (name,  address, phone number,...

Taking Submissions: Grey Matter Monsters – Takers of Souls

Deadline: June 13, 2016 Payment: Contributor's Copy A Lycan Valley Press Charitable Anthology Mental illness, depression, suicidal thoughts, these are the monsters that lurk deep within the grey matter of our brains; the takers of souls. Sometimes people need to see it to believe it, but how do they see these demons of the mind? I propose we show them. Find an invisible illness of the mind and manifest it into a physical monster – something people can see and hopefully better understand. Make them feel what the sufferer feels. Help them understand the turmoil, the pain, and the frustration dealt with on a regular basis. Let's bring forth the monsters and make them a reality for the readers. Let us dig deep and make people aware, while we also help kids in need. Kids, who are dealing with monsters of their own. Guidelines: 12 point font, times new Double spaced First line indent .05 – no tab or space bar indenting please No headers, footers, or page numbers No double-spacing after a period .doc, .docx, .rtf only Please send only one story at a time, or 5 poems max Word count- 2500 – 10,000 max Poetry will be acceptable if it fits the theme (limited submissions for poetry will be accepted) Deadline- June 13, 2016 Expected publication date – August 25, 2016 Reprints are okay if you own the rights Send all submissions to: [email protected] In the subject line- Grey Matter Monsters/title/story or poem/last name Rights- first anthology rights, no exclusivity, for print and electronic anywhere in the world, English language, for as long as the publisher deems fit. All profits will go to Kids Help Phone. Payment – one electronic copy, and one print copy per contributor. Include your contact info, and a brief synopsis of your story...

Taking Submissions: Mythos for the Modern Age

Deadline: June 15, 2016 Payment: Authors recieve 40% royalties on short stories and novels. Anthologies pay a share of the royalties based on number of authors. Myths exist to expain the world to people. But the world has changed since the old myths were created. We know where rainbows come from now, and science has replaced mythology on many fronts. So now, we need new myths to explain new ideas. Examples would include Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Ananzi Boys or Harlan Ellison's Deathbird stories. Whether new stories with old gods or entirely new ones, give us your interpretation of deity in the modern age.  Pairing: None required (Non-erotic, though romance is fine). Happy Ending For Now required. Submission Guidelines Standard Manuscript Format --.5 indentation -- Double Spaced -- One Space after each period. -- Times New Roman, 12pt, in English. -- .doc format A Sample of Standard Manuscript Format may be found Here. ​ Name, Mailing Address, E-mail Address, Phone Number, and Word Count should be included on the front page. If your work is a reprint, please include the information indicating that the rights have reverted to you. ​ Manuscript should be sent to [email protected] Note: No hardcopies, .pdf, .rtf, or .docx submissions.  ​ ​ ​ We take fiction in the following genres:  ​+ Horror, including erotic Horror + Science Fiction, including SF Romance + Fantasy (High, Low, Urban, and Dark) + All the -punks (Steampunk, Bronzepunk, Clockpunk, Dieselpunk, Atompunk, CyberPunk, and post-Cyberpunk) + Erotica, any combination including menage. QUILTBAG stories encouraged. BDSM and multiple-partner stories also encouraged. + Non-fiction on a case-by-case basis. Craft books, cookbooks, and game source books welcomed.    + Christian Inspirational + Young Adult + Cross-Generational Incest as titillation. It may be a formative plot point for the...

Taking Submissions: Enter The Apocalypse

Deadline: June 15, 2016 Payment: Pay rate is a range of $0.01-0.08 per word (averaging close to $0.03 per word). People who have stories for each of the works accepted with the same world will receive a boost on each consecutive story. T ANSTAAAFL Press has an open call for short stories for the “Enter the…” series of anthologies. Guidelines: We will only accept those stories emailed as text in the email OR .txt, .doc, .docx formats. All attachements will be destroyed if not accepted. Email address is [email protected] We will not accept stories by mail or post. If we receive these they will be destroyed at once. All stories must be original and unpublished anywhere If accepted TANSTAAFL Press will take first english publication rights. Note that reprint rights are yours as are first publication in alternate languages, however the value of reprints is low as are the likelihood of getting anyone to reprint. This publication is likely the only location where you will likely be paid for this piece. Stories must be less than 8000 words. Stories considered for Enter the Apocalypse must be stories about the start and / or middle of any type apocalypse. Apocalypse can include (but isn’t limited to) nuclear, epidemic, supernatural, bioweapon, cosmic, aliens, etc. Stories considered for Enter the Aftermath must be stories about the burnout or shortly after any type apocalypse. Stories considered for Enter the Rebirth must be stories about the world coming back to a new stability after any type of apocalypse. TANSTAAFL Press will attempt to get to submissions as quickly as possible, but make no commitment to how quickly. We will accept submissions up until June 15, 2016 for Enter the Apocalypse, Sept 15, 2016 for Enter the Aftermath, and Dec 15, 2016 for Enter the Rebirth. TANSTAAFL Press will...

Taking Submissions: Be Careful What You Wish For

Deadline: June 15, 2016 Payment: $5.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties. With all the various labels we apply to each other – and ourselves – more polarization is taking place in the world. So we are challenging you to create a universe where two opposing groups (i.e., conservatives, liberals, or any others) have colonized worlds in the same solar system. They can be on the same planet, but geographically separated. The idea is adversarial groups have separated themselves and set up new societies along their own ideological lines. We're not looking for stories making an argument for a position. We want stories harkening back to the golden age of Speculative fiction. Stories asking, WHAT IF? What if ideologues are able to set up their perceived utopias?  What could go wrong? Here are some ideas: •        Now that the old 'monsters' are gone — who (or what) become the new monsters? •        What becomes of ideologues when they're responsible for running things? Not grand social issues, but mundane things (like getting parts for the sewer plant from the hated others)? •        What does your own ideology taken too far look like? •        When utopias turn into ‘private Idahos,’ do you try to fix or flee? Where's the decision point? •        What holes in ideologies were covered by conflict that — now the conflict is gone —society is left to deal with? Facing such problems, how to remain true to the ideology? Or, to remain in power, does it turn to lip service? •        Give the characters the utopia they want then put a monster (human or other) into the mix. •        How does the new utopia handle someone who violates its beliefs? •        Historically revolutions have been over control of established societies. How will the needs of...

Taking Submissions: Keystone Chronicles

Deadline: June 15, 2016 Payment: 3 cents per word A keystone is a central stone at the summit of an arch locking the whole together. It's something on which other things depend for support, the heart or core of something, the crux, or central principle. Anything keystone is fine, be it keystone species, pipelines, cops, beer, or ski resorts, as long as it's speculative fiction. Photo: Keystone with profile of man, Palazzo Giusti, Verona, Italy, by Paolo Villa (Wikimedia Commons). Reading Period: April 15 - June 15, 2016   Submissions are now open! Writer Deadline: June 15, 2016 Publication Date: August 15, 2016 If you’re interested in having your work read and getting paid a little something for it, then submit your story today. Third Flatiron Publishing are a specialist digital publisher and can help you distribute your work to a truly global audience. Via: Third Flat Iron.

Taking Submissions: Nightmare Magazine

Submissions Period: June 1 – June 15, 2016. Payment: 6 cents per word for original fiction, or 1 cent per word for reprints. Note: Reprints Allowed Note: We don't usually list submissions early but with the limited window and I know that many enjoy submitting here I felt that I would get this prepped early for you. Current Submission Period: Nightmare will be open to submissions June 1 – June 15, 2016. Instructions for submitting to Nightmare follow. Please read everything on this page and read the magazine before submitting. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES Instructions: All fiction must be submitted through our Moksha online submission system, located at nightmare-magazine.com/submissions. Please do not email your submissions. If one of the Submission Type options is grayed out, that means we are currently closed to that Submission Type. Guidelines: Nightmare is seeking original horror and dark fantasy stories. All types of horror and dark fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. You may submit one horror and one dark fantasy story once every seven days. Format: Submissions should generally follow standard manuscript format, though we prefer single-spaced instead of double-spaced. Your manuscript may be submitted in either .RTF or .DOC format. Word Count: We are open to stories of 1500-7500 words. Stories of 5000 words or less are preferred. Pay Rate: Nightmare pays 6 cents per word for original fiction, or 1 cent per word for reprints.  Rights: To see which rights we’re seeking, please view our contract template for original fiction or our contract template for reprinted fiction. Cover Letters: Your cover letter should contain the length of your story, your publishing history, and any other relevant information (e.g, if you send us a hard sf story about black hole clusters and...

Taking Submissions: The Dead Walk Volume 3

Deadline: June 30th, 2016 Payment: Contributor's Copy Submission Guidelines What are we looking for? We are looking for the macabre. We love horror, supernatural, paranormal, dark fantasy, and all things that go bump in the night. In addition to novel and novella length fiction, we also seek short fiction for horror anthologies. Short Fiction Submissions Guidelines: Our normal open submission period for short fiction varies on anthology and dark art genre. “The Dead Walk” Volume 3 – A collection of zombie tales to satisfy the hunger of any zombie (fan). DEADLINE: June 30th, 2016 Short Fiction submitted to be apart of our anthologies must be between 1,000 to 15,000 words. We pay in contributor copies. In the subject line of the email, please include the title of the anthology you would like to be included.  If not included in the subject, submissions may be lost or confused with other anthologies. Novel and Novella Submission Guidelines: Our annual open submission period is from October 1st to May 31st. We look for all types of dark art fiction. Works can be anywhere from 20,000 to 100,00 words (work under 80,000 words will be deemed novella and may become a part of an anthology for print publication)   We only accept email submissions. Please ensure that they are in .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf formats. Submissions can be emailed [email protected]. Please when emailing a submission, to please include a short cover email with synopsis, and a brief bio (including previous publication credits, if any). Via: FOF Publishing.

Taking Submissions: Matters of Perspective

Deadline: June 30, 2016 Payment: $10.00 ($5.00 per story) plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties. (you must submit 2 stories – with complete opposite narratives) In a world with ever increasing video surveillance and instant release of information it is easy to make snap judgements based on excerpts, sound-bites or some sort of attention grabbing headline. Without the full story it can be difficult to know the facts of a situation. As Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is credited as saying: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” Or as Obi Wan Kenobi said in Return of the Jedi: “…many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” Authors – here’s your chance to tell BOTH sides of a story. What we are looking for are speculative fiction stories that tell a story that when told from one perspective come across in favor of one narrative and when told from another perspective comes across in favor of another narrative. Watching a video of police interaction with someone that erupts into violence and someone being injured or killed. That part can be easy (depending on the narrative you want to support) - Now the hard part. Retell that story from another perspective – but it has to take the reader in the complete opposite direction and it has to ring true to the facts that would be KNOWN by the viewpoint character. Using the ‘police’ video for example – write one story showing the officer used excessive force, was targeting specific individuals, etc. Now for the second one – write a story again using the video as the basis and write it so the officer is 100 percent justified in their actions....