Events

Deadline: May 1st, 2018 Payment: $.01 a word Folk Horror has emerged from the shadows of the late 1960s and early 1970s into a haunting subgenre of horror, fusing atmospheric and horrifying elements of cults, pagan sex, and human sacrifice. In the world of Folk Horror, the laws of God and Man are stripped away by secretive, provincial, surreal, and occult ritualism that subverts the established order in favor of a monstrous, all-consuming, elemental force of ancient evil. Nosetouch Press is proud to bring forth FIENDS IN THE FURROWS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF FOLK HORROR, a call for submissions that summon Folk Horror from around the world—from its deep roots in Britain and Ireland, to continental Europe, as well as North and South America, Africa, and Asia. We encourage writers to capture the essence of Folk Horror in new and terrifying ways above and beyond the cinematic "Unholy Trinity" of its origins, exploring the darkest of Folk traditions and weaving them into terrifying tales of Folk Horror. Send your best original Folk Horror stories of 5,000 to 10,000 words. Submissions that are chosen will be paid $.01 a word. No poems or reprints, please. Email entries to [email protected] .doc or .rtf  format • Please state “FIENDS” in the subject line.

Deadline: May 1st, 2018 Payment: Original fiction $.06/word; Solicited Reprint fiction: $.01/word; Podcast $.01/word This summer, award-winning author and editor Sheree Renée Thomas (“Aunt Dissy’s Policy Dream Book,” Apex Magazine, Volume 95 April 2017 and Volume 101 October 2017, Sleeping Under the Tree of Life, Shotgun Lullabies, and the Dark Matter anthologies) will guest edit a special Zodiac-themed issue. Sheree seeks short stories that explore the heavenly cosmos and unveil mysteries, tales that reimagine Zodiacal archetypes and/or throw them on their heads. As the stars align themselves above, write bold, fun, weird, scary, sensual stories that heal, frighten, intrigue, amuse. Length: 1500-5000 words Genres: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, interstitial, etc. Deadline: May 1, 2018 Email submissions to: [email protected] Payment:  Original fiction $.06/word; Solicited Reprint fiction: $.01/word; Podcast $.01/word (SFWA-certified professional market) No simultaneous submissions. No multi-submissions for short fiction. Publication: August 2018, www.apex-magazine.com

Deadline: May 1st, 2018 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Summer: "I wanted you to be the first to know," Rowan tentatively confided in me. Due date: May 1, 2018 We love the fact that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually two to three weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. (Also, we understand that writers may add our first line to a story they are currently working on or have already completed, and that's cool. But please do not add our first line to a previously published story and submit it to us. We do not accept previously published stories, even if they have been repurposed for our first lines.) One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the traditional sense. Fiction: All stories must...

Deadline: May 1st, 2018 Payment: 2 cents per word up to 8K words Note: Reprints Accepted General Details: We are always looking for dark fiction so please feel free to submit to our projects!  Below are all the projects that are in open submission periods.  We are taking multiple submissions for each project.  Please double check the guidelines before sending us your work.  If you are looking for payment compensation, then make sure you are submitting to a project that offers payment.   Each project is different and offers different compensation, so again please make sure you know what you're submitting to.   Below is an outline of our general guidelines. What we like: Supernatural horror (monsters, ghosts, witchcraft, ect.) Neo-noire (murder, conspiracy, mystery) Urban settings (not a must, but it catches our attention) Speculative Fiction (dark dystopian themes) Cyberpunk themes What we aren't looking for:  If your story utilizes any of these tropes then we can't publish it no matter how good it is!  It's not that we hate these themes, it's just not what we're looking to publish! No vampires No Werewolves No Zombies No Cthulhu Mythos Midnight Hour Volume 1 & 2 Strange things happen when the clock strikes twelve... Our flagship anthology is now open for submissions.  These books will be available on kindle, hardcover, paperback, and audiobook format.  The title page of each story will be illustrated.  We are looking for horror, dark sci-fi, dark speculative fiction, neo-noire, and cyberpunk themes.  Please read the general submissions for more details. Below is a little more about the project. Word Count :  1500-8000 words.  This is not a hard word count.  If you think you have a story that fits what we're looking for, but is a little long or a little short, send it our way. Payment:  We are offering 2 cents per...

Deadline: May 1st, 2018 Payment: 2 cents per word up to 10K words. Longer stories are welcome but the pay cap is $200. Note: Reprints Welcome There's no doubt that the Holidays are the most magical time of year, but that doesn't mean dark happenings aren't lurking beneath your Christmas tree as well. These books will be available on kindle, hardcover, paperback, and audiobook format.  The title page of each story will be illustrated.  We are looking for holiday related horror, dark sci-fi, dark speculative fiction, neo-noire, and cyberpunk stories.  We like stories with Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza themes.   Alternatively, they can simply take place during the holidays (like how Die Hard isn't really about Christmas) or even just involve wintery or snowy settings.  Please read the general submissions for more details. A word of advice:  If you plan on sending us a Krampus story, please make sure it's a great one!  We'll only have room for one in our collection and we're anticipating a lot of submissions so send something original! Below is a little more about the project. Word Count :  1000-10,000 words.  This is not a hard word count.  If you think you have a story that fits what we're looking for, but is a little long or a little short, send it our way. Payment:  We are offering 2 cents per word up to 10K words.  You are free to send us longer stories, but we cap payments at $200 per story for this project. Rights:  We are not asking for ownership of your story.  Just the right to print it. Reprints:  Yes, we accept reprints.  Beggars can't be choosers and we understand we're a fledgling brand.  If your work appears elsewhere, please make sure you double check with the other publication to make sure your story is eligible to print. Multiple Submissions :   Yes. Deadline :   May 1st Send...

Deadline: May 11th, 2018 Payment: Royalties Castrum Press is excited to announce that submissions are open for the Future Days Anthology The first of the Days Anthologies The Future Days Anthology is a short story collection that imagines where humanity finds itself in the future. Your story could be set tomorrow, next year, next century or in the next millennium. We are accepting stories in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror genres, all we ask is you take our readers on a journey into the future of the human race they will never forget. Your story must be between 7,000 and 10,000 words. Submission closes on Friday 11 May 2018. Your story must comply with our Submission Guidelines. The Small(ish) Print Successful submissions will receive a percentage of net profits following publication with the caveat that the stories will not be reproduced without the publisher’s consent for 12 months following publication of the relevant anthology. We can only accept one submission per anthology per author. We automatically reject submissions made after the closing date. All submissions must be original material, owned by the author, and must not have been published via any form of media before submission either free or paid. All submissions must comply with our submission guidelines. Featured image is (C) Copyright Duncan Halleck http://duncanhalleck.com/ Via: Castrum Press.

Deadline: May 13th, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word as an advance against a pro rata share of royalties and foreign or other sales. The reading period for Sword & Sorceress 33 will begin on MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018. It will end on SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018. If you wish to submit a story to the anthology, please follow the Guidelines below. Guidelines Stories should be the type generally referred to as "sword and sorcery" and must have a strong female protagonist whom the reader will care about. See Sword & Sorceress 22, Sword & Sorceress 23, Sword & Sorceress 24, Sword & Sorceress 25, Sword & Sorceress 26, Sword & Sorceress 27, Sword & Sorceress 28, Sword & Sorceress 29, Sword & Sorceress 30, Sword & Sorceress 31, and Sword & Sorceress 32 (or S&S 1-20) for examples. We do not want stories with explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or profanity. We are NOT a market for poetry, horror, or dark fantasy. We are willing to consider stories set in modern times (urban fantasy), but we don't buy more than one or two of those for the anthology. We always want something short and funny for the last story. No reprints. No simultaneous submissions. With regard to multiple submissions, do not submit more than one story at a time. If we've rejected your first one, you may send one more, as long as it's before the deadline. We have occasionally bought someone's second submission. We have never bought a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth submission. If you send us two stories, and we don't hold either of them, wait until next year to try again. Please do not re-submit stories we have already rejected (including stories rejected in previous years). If you have not previously sold to Sword...

Deadline: May 14th, 2018 Payment: 5 cents up to 3k word (story cap is 5k), or $25 flat for reprints Note: This one is for the ladies Note: Reprints Allowed This fall, Word Horde will be releasing Fright Into Flight, an anthology of horror stories by women themed around the idea of flight, edited by Amber Fallon. Whether you’re flying the unfriendly skies or safe on the ground, we think you’re going to enjoy this turbulent ride. Here’s a peek at the cover… — From the earliest depictions of winged goddesses to the delicate, paper-winged fairies of the Victorians, from valiant Valkyries to cliff-dwelling harpies, from record-setting pilots to fearless astronauts, women have long since claimed their place in the skies, among the clouds and beyond. Word Horde presents Fright Into Flight, the debut anthology from Amber Fallon (The Terminal, The Warblers), in which women take wing. In these stories connected by the unifying thread of flight, authors including Damien Angelica Walters, Christine Morgan, and Nadia Bulkin have spread their wings and created terrifying visions of real life angels, mystical journeys, and the demons that lurk inside us all. Whether you like your horror quiet and chilling or more in-your-face and terrifying, there’s something here for every horror fan to enjoy. You’re in for a bumpy ride..So fasten your seatbelt, take note of the emergency exits, hold on to your airsick bag, and remember that this book may be used as a flotation device in the event of a crash landing. — Amber Fallon has picked a great lineup of stories for Fright Into Flight so far, and we’ll be opening up preorders soon, but for now, we’re looking for a few more stories to fill in the gaps. As Amber says, “I want stories with wings and teeth, I...

Deadline: May 15th, 2018 Payment: Contributor's Copy (Charity Anthology) This is the call for submissions to the third anthology to benefit the Whittier Birthplace. Deadline for submissions is May 2018. This year's book will be nonspecific as to genre - mystery, horror, SF - as long meets criteria below. Criteria: Story must have connection to Whittier, be it through his life, his works, or a landmark. Previous stories have included tales set on the Whittier Glacier in Alaska, Whittier, California, and Mount Whittier, New Hampshire (all actual locations named after him) as well as his homes in Amesbury, Haverhill, and Hampton. Other stories have been inspired by his poetry. Your story does not to be set in Whittier's lifetime (unless he's a character, obviously). All stories are preceded by a related photo (provided by the Birthplace) with a caption that emphasizes the connection to Whittier - in other words, the connection to Whittier can be fairly subtle, the caption will cement the reason why it's in the book.  The story must also contain some degree of humor. We already have a whimsical ghost story in which Whittier deals with a blasphemous gardener, and a dreadful shaggy dog story set in Whittier, CA that leads up to a groan-worthy pun. In other words, the concept of "humorous story" is flexible. Aim for PG-13. Language, sex, and violence aren't really associated with Whittier - R rated is okay, but it's likely to affect final decisions. Word count is flexible. I prefer 2k to 7k range, but it's not a deal breaker to be under or over. Standard formatting rules apply. Submit stories to [email protected] with "Wittier" in the subject line. This is a charitable anthology with all proceeds benefiting the Whittier Birthplace Museum. Previous anthologies have attracted contributions from award-winning authors. Payment is a copy of the...

Deadline: May 15, 2018 Payment: Short poetry is $20.00. Payment for short stories is prorated as follows: $50 for stories up to 1,500 words, rising to a maximum of $150 for stories up to 5,000 words Alchemy and Artifacts (Tesseracts Twenty-Two) is an anthology of short fiction which examines the magic behind the history, the myths arising from the artifacts, the mysteries missed (or dismissed), but which lie at the root of world events. The editors want tales that explore laws magical as well as physical, the manipulation of reality in the past, resulting in the present. History, sorcery, alchemy, mystery. All with the sense of 'what if?' For example: What if a curse unleased by Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales? What if Egyptian hieroglyphics were incantations that moved pharaohs into the future instead of an afterlife? What if the terracotta army from the Qin Shi Huang dynasty were golem soldiers, waiting to be animated through magic What if Picasso's Guernica was a magical attempt to fight Franco during the Spanish Civil War? What if Paul Revere's silversmithing was a spell enacted to fight England during the American Revolution? What if Elizabeth I was a witch, employing Drake to find a forgotten, powerful artifact to grant her godhead? What if Haida totems animated and walked the coast? These are only a sampling of the sorts of story ideas the editors are looking for. Alternate histories will be considered, but we are inclined to choose work that considers actual world events and characters, and how some form of magic has manipulated history in a subtle way. SUBMISSION Guidelines (See details below):   Alchemy and Artifacts will reflect as broad a spectrum of stories as possible, highlighting unique styles and manners. The greater the magic or magical event and the subtler (yet dramatic) effect it has on history,...