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Deadline: December 16, 2016 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy What is Meet Cute? Meet Cute: A Collection of First Encounters is a collaborative anthology of micro fiction stories. A “meet cute” is a scene in which two characters meet in a way that is amusing, unusual, or otherwise entertaining. After submissions close, the best stories will be chosen and published in a physical book. This project will be fully crowd-sourced and crowd-funded. A Kickstarter campaign is forthcoming. Entrants whose stories are selected for publication will receive $10 and a free copy of the final published book. Please also contact themeetcutebookgmail.com if you are interested in contributing an illustration for this project. Submissions for Meet Cute stories are currently OPEN Deadline for submission is December 16, 2016 Rules: 1. The story must be your original, previously unpublished work 2. The story must be 1000 words or fewer 3. The story must be about two characters meeting (romantic, platonic, etc.) 4. Please include your name and the title of your story 5. Submit as .doc or .docx file Please send entries and questions to themeetcutebookgmail.com Via: Meet Cute.

Deadline: December 18th, 2016 Payment: 1p per word up to maximum of £50 per story. Note: Not particularly horror but seems a good fit for some of our authors. Note: Reprints allowed Print and Ebook anthology In 'Jane Eyre' Mr Rochester kept his mad first wife locked away in his attic. Inspired by this, 'Mrs Rochester's Attic' will be an anthology of gothic-tinted tales about mad love and terrible secrets. What awful things do your characters keep hidden away? We are interested in publishing well crafted, and beautifully written stories. We prefer work that has not been published elsewhere but will accept reprints if they are a strong fit for the collection. If you are based in the UK Midlands that is an advantage. We welcome stories with a historical setting and a ghost or two is always fun, but neither are essential. There doesn't have to be any connection to Jane Eyre (although there can be), but the story must contain a dark, dark secret and/or doomed love. Closing date for 'Mrs Rochester's Attic' submissions: 18th December 2016. We want writers to bring their own unique slant to the theme. We are looking for interesting voices and exciting, original ideas. All genres are welcome. Length: 1000-6,000 words. Previously Published? While we prefer new work for this anthology, we are willing to accept a small proportion of stories previously published elsewhere. Please inform us of any previous publication history and confirm the story is available for reprint. e.g. not restricted by any exclusivity clauses in a past contract. Multiple Submissions? No multiple submissions. Simultaneous Submissions? Yes. But please inform us if your story is accepted elsewhere after submitting it to us. General Submission Information To Submit: Click here to go to our submissions portal. There you will be required to create an account for submitting to this anthology....

Deadline: December 20th, 2016 Payment: $25 and digital contribut'rs copy Note: While not strictly a horror anthology, horror is welcome Admin and Legal The editors reserve the right to make or suggest changes to chosen manuscripts. Contributors will have to sign a contract granting Writing Piazza Press permission to use their work in the anthology, so if you are not 18 years of age you will need a parent or legal guardian’s permission, if your work is chosen. Payment Contributors will receive $25 and a digital contributor’s copy. All net profits from the book will go to the BFP (or a similar 501(c)(3) organization should BFP cease to operate as a non-profit). So part of your “payment” will be helping all those helpless animals! What we want We are looking for intriguing stories centered on animals that at some point were used in animal testing. We prefer stories that end in a rescue. So put on those thinking caps, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Genre is open: horror, sci-fi, speculative, literary, even comedy or romance. If it’s well-crafted and follows the theme, we’d love to consider it. (PHOTO IS FROM THE BEAGLE FREEDOM PROJECT’S SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT SHOWING A NEW BATCH OF BEAGLES BEING TAKEN IN TO USE FOR TESTING.)       Guidelines The stories should fall between 5,000 – 20,000 words. We will consider shorter stories if they are truly captivating. We will consider multiple submissions if they are substantially different, and we’re fine with simultaneous submissions. Just be sure to notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Winners will be notified by email so make sure to include your name and email address on the attached submission. Send submissions and any questions to [email protected] with “BFP Short Story Contest” in the...

Deadline: December 25th, 2016 Payment: 10% royalties, digital copy, podcast interview Whether you hate it or love it, Trump is the elected president of the United States of America. For some, Trump spells a rise of the alt-right and the racism and misogyny that follows. Some worry that Trump will lead to a dictatorship of hate and bigotry, and others fear that this hate and bigotry will lead to roaming deportation squads aimed at minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Whether you believe in the fears or find it exaggerated to the point of comedy, we will soon find out what a Trump Whitehouse will be like. Trump inauguration is January 20th, and I feel it would only be right to celebrate by exploring what a Trumpocalypse might be like. Deadman’s Tome Trumpocalypse will consist of six flash fiction satirical horror stories that feature Trump and sometimes Pence. Trump is to be a main character, whether antagonist or protagonist. keep the story under 1000 words. Deadline is December 25th, 2016. Submit submissions with Trumpocalypse as subject to [email protected] Via: Deadman's Tome.

Deadline: December 30th, 2016 Payment: $40 and a contributor's copy TRAGEDY QUEENS is an anthology that brings together two powerful muses: Sylvia Plath and Lana Del Rey. Sylvia’s voice haunts us from beyond the grave. Her words cut like diamonds—sharp, deadly, and forever beautiful. Lana Del Rey’s dark themes and enchanting vocals resonate with listeners from all around the world. Both of these artists explore taboo topics. They find the words to voice the things they are not proud of, the things that haunt them. It takes courage to do the verbal striptease. Let these two extraordinary muses guide you into your own heart of darkness. Themes and Topics: Bad Girls, Bad Boys, Sad Girls, Sad Boys, Self-Destruction, Self-Sabotage, Suicide, Addiction, Obsession, Hedonism, Paganism, Americana, Witches, Tarot Cards and Fortunetelling, BDSM, Crimes of Passion, Shameful Secrets, Blackmail, Deception, Decay, Madness, Fairy Tales Gone Wrong, Trauma, Depression, Alienation, Body Dysmorphia, Mythological Characters and Creatures, Greek Tragedy, Femmes Fatales, Lolitas, Monsters, Loss of Innocence, Loneliness, Dark Side of Hollywood, Bikers, Nazis, Cults, Voyeurism, Doomed Lovers. Submission Guidelines: Stories need to have clear plot beats and arcs. We want realism and logical causality even if the story is surrealistic and dreamlike. Characters must go through transformations, whether they self-destruct or they overcome their obstacles. We want catharsis. We want new perspectives on old themes and narratives. We want strong women, bad women, crazy women. This is a celebration of the dark side of femininity. The side that makes people uncomfortable. The side that scares men and threatens the social order. Pick your favorite Plath poem or Lana song/video as your springboard, or merge a Plath poem and a Lana song and see what comes out of their synergy. Pick a poetry collection or an album. Pick a theme or imagery that resonates. You...

Deadline: December 30th, 2016 Payment: $10USD Syntax & Salt publishes up to 13 magical realism pieces a season. We are open to general submissions from October 1 to December 30, 2016. Myths, Monsters, Legends, and Fairy Tales, our themed issue, is set for publication on October 30th. Here is how you win our hearts and minds: Magical Realism Stories that take up 3500 words or less Proofread, polished manuscripts Old stories told in a new way New stories told in an old way Sad endings that don’t rely on gimmicks or shock value Happy endings that hurt a little bit Beautiful prose and well developed plot Thank you, but no thank you to: Violence for the sake of violence We’re good with profanity, but it needs to fit the story Poetry – the thing is, we love it, but we’re not there yet Rape stories are vital stories. 1 in 4 women report being raped, and men are often silent victims of assault. However, many of the rape stories we’ve read in our careers as writers and slushers and editors do not explore the nuances of character available, and use the act of rape for shock value or to create a victimized character who can be saved. Here’s how you submit: We no longer accept email submissions. Please continue to read through the instructions here, then submit using our Submittable form.  For the sake of formatting, we do prefer standard manuscript formatting. You can find an example here. That does mean Times New Roman or Courier, 12pt., double-spaced. We won’t probably reject you out right for deviations, unless you submit in comic sans — that’s just not ok. We like cover letters — nothing crazy, just an idea of who you are, what you’re submitting, and the length of your submission. A third person bio can be...

Deadline: December 30th, 2016 Payment: 6 cents per word Note: Looking for female authors Announcing an open call for submissions for an anthology of dark and speculative fiction in the Women Up To No Good book series, co-edited by H.L. Nelson and Joanne Merriam, to be published by Upper Rubber Boot Books. Authors must identify as female, non-binary, or a marginalized sex or gender identity. Stories may be funny or serious, set anywhere on or off the world, in any time period, but must feature female protagonists. Word/page count: Up to 5,000 words/story. Payment: six cents per word. Publication history: Original stories only. Reprints may be submitted by invitation only. Multiple submissions: No. Simultaneous submissions: No. Deadline: Friday, 30 December 2016. We plan to reply within a month. To submit: Send to joanne at upperrubberboot dot com: (a) your complete manuscript as a .RTF, (b) a bio of 100 words or fewer, and (c) make sure you provide the following information: legal name (if different from the name you write under), mailing address, and word count. Put “WOMEN UP TO NO GOOD” in the subject line. If the work is a translation, please also provide a statement from the rightsholder that you are authorized to translate and submit it (both author and translator will receive full payment). Via: Upper Rubber Boot.

Deadline: December 31, 2016 Payment: $200 for short stories that are under 5,000 words and $500 for stories that are 5,000 words or longer How do you cure your Netflix (or Amazon, Google movie, or Hulu) addiction and return to your first love, reading books? You know you want to read more. You know you enjoy reading. You know you look forward to finishing a book because then you can start a new adventure. But how? How do you get into reading when the siren call of streaming movies becomes more powerful every year? A three-hundred page novel is daunting in the face of Netflix and friends’ wonders. It’s too easy to put on pajamas, pour a glass of wine, and offer your eyes to a TV, tablet, or computer screen until sleep summons you. Enter The Binge-Watching Cure: Fabulous Stories that Start Small and Grow Longer, edited by Bill Adler Jr. The Binge-Watching Cure will be an anthology of short stories of increasing size. The first story will be 100 words—anyone can read that. The next, 200 words. Then 500, then longer, all the way to novella length. By the time you’ve finished reading The Binge-Watching Cure, you’ll be able to tackle Joyce and Pynchon. Or at the very least, you’ll enjoy novels you hear about from friends and family. The Binge-Watching Cure will reignite your love for reading; it will better your life. Just as you enter a cold swimming pool one body part at a time, get used to drinking beer sip by foamy sip, or learn to enjoy spicy food in little, fiery nibbles, The Binge-Watching Cure gradually acclimates you to reading longer and longer stories, until a novel-length book goes down smoothly, tasting sweet, and making you want more. We want your writing.  We’re looking for stellar stories of various lengths for The Binge-Watching Cure. The stories must have strong characters and compelling plots. Genre fiction is...

Deadline: December 31, 2016 Payment: $250/story Word limit: 3000-6000 words. Pay rate: $250/story Genre: Science Fiction only (no Fantasy, Steampunk or Horror, although horror elements may be present in the story). Language: English (translations are welcome). Submissions open: August 1, 2016 Submissions close: December 31, 2016 Rights: We claim first world English rights (no reprints). For an excellent break down of what this means, please see Neil Clarke’s post here. When going somewhere dangerous, take a human. Humans are tough. Humans can last days without food. Humans heal so quickly, they pierce holes in themselves or inject ink under their epidermis for fun. Humans will walk for days on broken bones in order to make it to safety. Humans will literally cut off bits of themselves if trapped by a disaster. You would be amazed what humans will do to survive. Or to ensure the survival of others they feel responsible for.  That's the other thing. Humans pack-bond, and they spill their pack-bonding instincts everywhere. Sure it's weird when they talk sympathetically to broken spaceships or try to pet every lifeform that scans as non-toxic. It's even a little weird that just existing in the same place as them for long enough seems to make them care about you.  But if you're hurt, if you're trapped, if you need someone to fetch help? You really want a human.  (Thanks to Tumblr user iztarshi for the idea and the above copy. Used with permission) I am looking for stories that show diverse humanity in a positive light, as useful contributors to the universe. I want humans who build relationships and forge new paths, not humans that destroy or devastate those they meet. Submit stories with strong characters in positive stories that portray humans as useful and generally helpful to the universe....

Deadline: December 31 2016 Payment: $0.06 per word up to $500 As of August 23, 2016 Book Smugglers Publishing is currently open for short stories submissions for publication in 2017. General information and theme: We’re looking for original short stories from all around the world as long as they are written in English. Our goal is to publish at least three short stories, unified by a central theme. Each short story will be accompanied by one original piece of artwork from an artist commissioned by us separately. For the publication period between May and August 2017, the theme is: GODS AND MONSTERS GODS AND MONSTERS will be Book Smugglers Publishing’s fourth season of short stories, following Fairytale Retellings, First Contact, and Superheroes. When it comes to Gods and Monsters, anything goes. You – the author – should take the theme and run with it any way you want. It can be Gods VERSUS Monsters, or Gods but not Monsters, or Monsters without Gods. As usual, we encourage authors to subvert these sample themes, to expand upon what “gods and/or monsters” means, and adapt the prompt to other possible connotations and genres under the Speculative Fiction umbrella. What We’re Looking For: DIVERSITY. We want to read and publish short stories that reflect the diverse world we live in, about and from traditionally underrepresented perspectives. We more than welcome stories featuring LGBTQIA characters. Following Fireside Fiction’s recent report on underrepresented black writers, we more than welcome black writers to submit their stories. Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult audience submissions are welcome.Good speculative fiction is ageless! We are VERY keen on receiving Romance stories – or stories with strong romantic elements. We are VERY keen on receiving Horror stories – or stories with strong horror elements. Creativity & Subversion. We love subversive...