Events

Deadline: January 28th, 2019 Payment: Authors will receive a share of 30% of ebook royalties and 8% of print royalties. Exact shares will be determined by the number of stories accepted and will be stated in the contract for selected authors. Between now and January 28, we’re accepting short stories in the Steampunk genre. We’re looking for stories between 3,500 and 10,000 words, and that cover a wide range of Steampunk topics. In brief, Steampunk began as a literary genre loosely inspired by the real or imagined cultures, events, and technologies of the Industrial Era. It can take various forms, from an alternative history, to a dystopian future, to a complete fantasy world untethered to our sense of time and space. In more recent times, Steampunk has leaped from the pages of books and into people’s lives in the form of special events, elaborate costumes, and dedicated “sports.” If you are looking for a more in depth explanation, you can check out this brief intro or all of the wonderful posts on SteampunkJournal.org. Though many of the works in the Steampunk genre take place in London during Victoria’s reign, don’t let that limit you. The steam era happened all over the world and with different consequences. The “scientific romances” of the 19th century are a wonderful place to get inspiration, and those stories take their characters into the center of the earth, into outer space, and through time. So get ready to spread your pneumatic wings and let your imagination fly! One of the amazing things about Steampunk is how it can be mashed up with a variety of genres. So bring us your horror, your romance, your adventure, and everything in between. All submissions must be submitted to [email protected] before midnight Eastern time on Jan. 28. Your submission email should include: Inquiry/SteampunkAnthology/Story title on the...

Deadline: January 30th, 2019 Payment: $0.01/word for previously published pieces, and $0.02/word for first run. All pieces under 500 words or 5 minutes are compensated at a $5 flat rate. Note: Reprints welcome. Note: LGBTQ+ authors only. Submissions of fiction, poetry, music, art, and more are typically accepted on a rolling basis. We are seeking just a few more submissions for Year 2, for which themes are listed below. Submissions for the remainder of Year 2 will close January 30, 2019. We will reopen submissions for Year 3 in Spring 2019. Submissions are compensated at $0.01/word for previously published pieces, and $0.02/word for first run. Music is compensated at $1/minute for previous released tracks, and $2/minute for music released through us. All pieces under 500 words or 5 minutes are compensated at a $5 flat rate. We consider all piece lengths, but generally have difficulty accepting pieces over 20 pages long or under a page. No ableist, racist, transphobic, homophobic, sexist or otherwise oppressive work will be accepted. Lastly, we only accept work by self-identified LGBTQ+ artists! Thank you! To submit content: Fill out the following form HERE to submit content to us. Please specify if you are submitting for a specific episode and whether you would like editorial feedback! To read/act for us: If you would like to be a volunteer reader or voice actor, please fill out this form HERE. We will follow up via email to collect further information for our directory. Episode 20 - Grave Meet us by the old cemetery at midnight... Face your mortality upon the ground where mortals may fear to tread. Episode 23 - Vengeance Vengeance is ours! Empower yourself. Exact ruthless justice this month. Episode 25 - Halloween III Our annual Halloween tribute episode returns once more! All pieces are welcome...

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: One penny Sterling per word Note: Reprints allowed. Clark Ashton Smith (CAS) is my favourite fantasy author. I’ve had the pleasure of publishing several stories in the vein of CAS’s works. I’m very interested in publishing an anthology of stories, poems and prose poems in CAS’s vein. Whether the stories are based in Averoigne, Hyperboria, Poseidonis, Zothique or anywhere else, as long as it fits CAS’s mode of storytelling, I’ll be more than interested. If your story, etc. has been published elsewhere, please let me know where and when the work was published. I will pay one penny Sterling per word, with a minimum payment of £10 Sterling for poems and very, very short stories and prose poems. For illustrations, I will pay £30 for ‘header’ illustrations to a story, £100 for full page illustrations and £200 for the cover illustration. All rights are reserved by the author or artist. I would like to have all the material in by January 31st, 2019 so I can publish the anthology by June 2019. Contact me by email ([email protected] or [email protected]) or by post to Jon Harvey, 56 Mickle Hill, Sandhurst, Berkshire, GU47 8QU, UK. Via: Atlantean Publishing.

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: Contest with $2,000 Prize Pool - 1st Place: $800 2nd Place: $400 3rd place: $300 4th place: $200 5th place: $100 6th place: $100 7th place: $100 - Each winner receives author copies: 1 signed hardcover, 5 paperbacks and a digital copy of the book. Note: You must be a subscriber to the Dark Regions Press e-mail newsletter to qualify which is free to join at darkregions.com/newsletter Announcing Black Labyrinth Anthology I : Possession - Open Submissions Free to Enter Writing Contest with $2,000 Prize Pool! Dark Regions Press is excited to announce our new open submissions writing contest for 7 stories in the first anthology in the Black Labyrinth imprint with a $2,000 prize pool! Featuring original psychological horror stories based on individuals possessed by internal and/or external forces, this new book will be published in 2019 as the first anthology in our critically acclaimed Black Labyrinth imprint that has published original novellas by Tom Piccirilli, Joe R. Lansdale and Ramsey Campbell each illustrated by Santiago Caruso. You can support this writing contest by participating in the early preorder of Black Labyrinth Anthology I : Possession on our website and/or sponsoring the writing contest on the same page. A note to collectors:Black Labyrinth Anthology I : Possession will be published in a Flood Black Signed & Numbered Hardcover format designed to match other Black Labyrinth titles and it is available for preorder now on our website. Thanks to everyone who supports the contest! BLACK LABYRINTH ANTHOLOGY I : POSSESSION WRITING CONTEST GUIDELINES THEME: Psychological horror story of one or more individuals possessed by internal and/or external forces. WORD COUNT: 10 to 10,000 PAY: Contest with $2,000 Prize Pool - 1st Place: $800 2nd Place: $400 3rd place: $300 4th place: $200 5th place: $100 6th place: $100 7th place: $100 - Each winner receives...

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: $.05 per word To Seoul, from the World Fiction Writers in Seoul is a creative writing community based in Seoul, South Korea. Since 2013, we have critiqued over 250 submissions by writers from all around the world. Though varying in themes and genres, together they represent a diverse voice of travelers and expats who have called Seoul their passion, their home. And now, our aim is to weave these stories into an anthology that promotes the unique perspective and creativity of the expat community in Seoul. How to Submit We are seeking unpublished short stories under 6000 words that are set in and/or about the city of Seoul. Writers are encouraged to interpret this broadly and freely; submissions of all genres are welcome. We are looking for stories that 1) provide a fresh and relatable insight into the city and its culture, and 2) are intensely engaging, with all the appeals of a traditional story. As a token of our dedication to quality, we will pay $.05 per word for accepted submissions. Please send your submission to [email protected] as an attachment. Multiple and simultaneous submissions are accepted, and there is no reading fee. Estimated response time is up to twelve weeks. The deadline is January 31st, 2019. Please note that the anthology will also be translated into Korean and pitched to traditional Korean publishers. Via: Fiction Writers in Seoul.

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy Death’s Head Press will be accepting submissions for an unnamed REVENGE anthology starting October 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019 Have you ever been done wrong and wanted payback BIG TIME? Remember when that driver cut you off on the interstate and you had to slam on the brakes, which resulted in you spilling hot coffee on your crotch, blistering your nether regions? Remember when that girl from down the street decided it would be just fine to sleep with your boyfriend? What would you like to do to these people? What would you like to do to any of those people who have ever screwed you over? We want revenge stories! Payback is the name of the game. What we’re looking for: Death’s Head Press is seeking short stories between 3,000 to 8,000 words. The short stories MUST BE ABOUT REVENGE. If it does not have an element of revenge to it, then, well, what are you doing? We will only accept one submission per author for this anthology. So, send us your best! Simultaneous submissions are fine, but let us know if another publisher picks up your story before us. This is a no-holds-barred anthology! We want to see how brutal your revenge can get. If you think you can offend us, gross us out, or otherwise make us wince at your story, give it a shot! How to submit: Email your submission to [email protected] with the Subject line reading REVENGE ANTHOLOGY. Consider the body of your email the cover letter. Give us a brief description of your work (3-6 sentences), list any previous published works, and tell us any relevant information about yourself. Attach your entire manuscript to the email in .doc, .docx, or .rtf formats. Use 12 pt...

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: $3 Haunted Waters Press seeks exceptionally small works of flash fiction to be showcased in Penny Fiction, a regular feature of the literary journal, From the Depths. Stories will also appear in the Penny Fiction Poster Collection. Tell us a story in exactly 19 words—no more, no less. Extra points will be awarded for those writers who adhere to the guidelines. Not really. There are no points. Just read the guidelines below and impress Penny with your ability to follow instructions. WORKS CONSIDERED We seek flash fiction stories told in exactly 19 words—no more, no less. Original fiction only. No poetry, taglines, or jokes. Please include a title for each story submitted. One active Penny Fiction submission per author, per reading period. Multiple stories per submission encouraged. One is fine. Four is cool. Twenty is borderline obnoxious...we like obnoxious! No previously published works. Need inspiration? Follow Penny Fiction on Facebook for tips and prompts. THE DREADED COVER LETTER Include one interesting fact about yourself in 13 words or less. Undertakers and cat herders earn extra points. If we do not find you interesting, we reserve the right to make you appear more interesting. No long lists of previously published works. No cut ‘n paste author bios. Confused? Check out The Lovely Penny bios from any past issue. COMPENSATION $3.00 per published piece. (That’s a professional rate of .15 cents per word— enough for a hot cup of coffee to sip on while you pen your next brilliant work of incredibly short fiction!) THE DETAILS Free to submit. Accepting submissions in the months of December/January, March/April, June/July Limited to 200 submissions per month. Submit early! Notifications to be sent as decisions are made or within 60 days of closing. Please review full guidelines prior to submitting,...

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: 6 cents per word Note: This market is only open to veterans TWO BIRDS WITH ONE DIAMOND Aftermath by Artist Ari B. Bernabei, San Diego, CA, Publisher, veteran, recovered alcoholic and substance abuser, James Musgrave, is looking for veterans of the United States Military to write stories about conquering post-traumatic stress. Each author will be featured inside this anthology with a tailored illustration by an artist (see featured drawing in this post). In addition, the author will receive a professional rate of .06 cents per word (up to 5,000 words maximum). Each vet author must provide a scan of his/her military ID or a copy of his/her DD214 discharge paper along with his/her submission. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this volume will be going to organizations that assist veterans in coping with their PTSD, such as suicide prevention, medical and psychological care facilities, and dog companion services. To get an idea of what the publisher is looking for in this volume, please read a copy of the title story at the author’s Google Doc website (you must join Google Doc to read–it’s free). Each author will also provide a short bio and photo. One of the giveaways at the Kickstarter campaign will be a signed copy featuring all the authors in the volume. The publisher is looking for stories that are realistic and human. The emphasis will be to show dialogue and the juxtaposed reality of how psychological “flashbacks” can enter the present and must be coped with to survive on a daily basis. As you can see in the title story, the pathos was fictionalized by using the dialogue between a vet on a suicide hotline talking to a veteran’s daughter who wants to join her father in death. PTSD...

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: $10.00 Description Animal-themed apocalypse stories. The apocalypse can be big or small (the larger scale the better), but it must include an animal as a major part of the story. The animal can be the cause of the apocalypse, the salvation from the apocalypse, or the pet that helps the one hero get through it all. It can even be from the animals point of view. Payment Information Accepted submissions will receive: Payment: $10.00 40% discount on paperback book purchases. E-book copy of the completed anthology. Protection from any animal related apocalypse in the next 20 years.* (*Protection not guaranteed in the case of bird flu, wolverines, dragons, or pretty much any other apocalypse situations*) Submission Period 10/20/2018 - 1/31/2019 Deadline:  38 days Multiple Submissions:  Yes Submission Requirements We are looking for animal themed apocalypse stories. The animals can be the cause of the apocalypse, the salvation from the apocalypse, or just the pet that really helps someone survive as the world falls around them. The story can even be from the animals point of view. We will be lose with the definition of apocalypse, but know that we prefer larger scale apocalypse stories for this anthology. The main key is that the story is amazing, compelling, with great characters, and is focused on an animal and an apocalypse of some kind.   Wordcount: 2,000 - 7,000 Content Restrictions: Keep the content at a PG-13 rating or lower. No explicit sexual content or gore, and minimal cursing (absolutely no "S" or "F" words). Formatting Guidelines: Use an easy to read font (Times New Roman, Calibri, Garamond, etc) (Do not use Courier New) 12 point, double spaced. No spaces for paragraph indents. No double spaces after periods. Extra Information: Please do not include your name or Author Bio in the manuscript to ensure that all submissions are read...

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: 6 cents per wrod Hidden Histories - A secret history (or shadow history) is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars. Your tale can be based in the real world, past, present, or future, as long as it has a speculative fiction element. We're not exactly looking for alternate history, but there can be a fork in the road timewise. Reading period: January 1-31, 2019 Writer deadline: January 31, 2019 Publication date: April 15, 2019 Third Flatiron Publishing is based in Boulder, Colorado, and Ayr, Scotland. We are looking for submissions to our (approximately) quarterly themed anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We want tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. Light horror is acceptable, provided it fits the theme. Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer. Role models for the type of fiction we want include Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, Vernor Vinge, and Ken Kesey. We want to showcase some of the best new shorts available today. For each anthology, we will also accept  a few very short humor pieces on the order of the "Shouts and Murmurs" feature in The New Yorker Magazine (600 words or so). These can be written from a first-person perspective or can be mini-essays that tell people what they ought to do, how to do something better, or explain why something is like it is, humorously. An SF/Fantasy bent is preferred. See the "Submissions" tab for preferred formats, etc. Continuing with Third...