Events

Deadline: September 1st, 2019 Payment: $20 “Turning words into art is unnatural. It begins with a contrary attitude. It says, I am unhappy with the way things are and desire to make things different. Rather than represent the world, I will make something wildly and savagely new. I will defy logic. I will invest in new perceptions. I will combine and recombine and fabricate and juggle until something that I have never experienced is experienced. The process is alchemical. The process is violent. It goes to the heart of creativity. It disrupts and shatters. It is splendid with provocation. It is an aggression against banality. It is sharp and loud like a janitor scraping frost from a window. The hectic bounce of steam on a street after a truck roars by. The anarchy of waters, the comedy of the face, dangerous feelings vented from a cage of skin.” ~ John Olson Poetry — We believe poetry is contrary by nature, always defying, always tonguing the tang of novelty. We look especially for plurality of meaning, for dual reverberation of beauty and concern. Contrary’s poetry in particular often mimics the effects of fiction or commentary. We find ourselves enamored of prose poems because they are naturally contrary toward form – they tug on the forces of exposition or narrative – but prose poems remain the minority of all the poetic forms we publish. Please consider that Contrary receives vast amounts of poetry and that we can publish only a small percentage of that work. Please submit no more than three poems per issue. Our poetry editor is Shaindel Beers. Fiction — We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button. Can your story stay that finger to the end? We have published long stories on the belief...

Deadline: September 1st, 2019 Payment: $15.00 to $20.00 and 2 contributors copies New century – New tech – New ways to defeat the monsters? Give us your take on the intersection of elder gods, old monsters and new technology Are the old monsters too far behind us? In this era where almost everyone can instant share to the web, where almost everyone carries in their pockets a powerful computer that can take movies, and record events, in a time when we are a few years away from colonizing planets — are the Elder Gods defeated? Quaint? A joke? Would you live tweet Dagon’s forces rising from the depth to put an end to your cruise ship special? Maybe vlog Shib-Nigurath tromping trough your city park? Or would they use the new technology to conquer this blue marble, corrupt social apps databases to elect unfit to serve, orange hued puppets. Would they alter vaccines or launch nuclear warheads? Darkness Wired, the anthology Unless specified otherwise, we’re looking for stories that are: 2000-8,000 words long,  original (No reprints) short story (if longer, ask first). Edited. Some minor grammatical errors will be accepted but if the submission requires major overhauls, it will be returned to you to edit before being accepted. You must use the information provided in this link. Grab one of the events and go to town! If accepted: Each author receives $15.00 to $20.00. Payment is based on story length and quality. Author copies: two paperback copies and a digital copy of the book. Register for details and upload link. Rights For this collection, we ask for exclusive first worldwide electronic and print rights for one year and nonexclusive rights afterwards. For reprints, we will ask for nonexclusive reprinting rights. Formatting First page should have: Your name: Your name and pen...

Deadline: September 1st, 2019 Payment: Contributor's Copy Thurston Howl Publications is now accepting submissions for its third volume of its HOWLERS series, Gruesome Games. Deadline: Sept 1, 2019 Word count: 2,500-8,000; a little above and a little below will be acceptable Games and horror create a delightful combination. Notable cases include the Running Man and The Long Walk (Stephen King), The Hunger Games (Collins), the Saw series, European thriller GAME, Barker's puzzle boxes, new film Escape Room, and even elements of Jumanji and multiple episodes of Dark Mirror. We want to see a collection of game horror at its finest. For this editor, game horror is best defined as horror literature whose premise hinges on the crux of an established and explicit game. I say explicit because I'm not interested in a horror story where one "could read it as a metaphor for chess." The characters need to be aware that this is a game with rules (whether they are broken or not). We will NOT accept: Racism, sexism, or discrimination presented in a positive light. If you are in doubt, ASK. Better to ask then to get a straight up rejection! If you are unsure, just shoot me an email at [email protected]. (restrictions borrowed from Voice: https://t.co/MWykJ6RY36) You can submit up to three stories, but we will only accept one per author (if any). Reprints are fine, but you have to own full permission of the work in order for us to consider it. We will not accept simultaneous submissions. Payment: Authors will receive a free copy of the print book. Send submissions in .doc or .docx format to [email protected]. Title your email with the story title in all caps. If you are sending more than one submission, send multiple emails instead of putting them all in one. We will inform...

ANTHOLOGY TITLE: The Killer Collection THEME: Horror focusing on the human elements of violence, murder, serial killers, wicked people. Nothing supernatural. We’re looking for stories that get to the nature of human evil. No stories that are rape or torture, no killing fantasy stories and no abusive or victimizing stories. Stories focusing on stalking, obsession, murderers or slashers are acceptable. A certain amount of gore is acceptable. As we want to cater to a wide audience use our judgment on making a story appealing to horror fans of all ages and genders. REQUIREMENTS: send a google doc or Microsoft doc to [email protected] with the subject line: SUBMISSIONS. Feel free to send multiple submissions however be aware that no more than 3 will be accepted unless they are of outstanding work. All documents should be no more than 3000 words, and written in .12 arial. Inside the email be sure to also include your preferred pen name. DEADLINE: we are looking to get this anthology filled by September 1st so that we can push for a Halloween release. PAYMENT: All authors selected for the book will receive 50% divided evenly amongst all authors of the sales accrued from Amazon and other marketplaces. (As an example if we have 20 authors and we make 200 dollars, then that would be 5 dollars each contributor per monthly sale) our goal however is to produce this anthology via Kindle Unlimited to generate higher sales so we ask you to please send only work that has never been published before. All work will remain exclusive to our publishing company for approximately 1 year. (A Contract will be sent out to you if you are chosen as a contributor of the collection detailing this and the royalty sales as well.) QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: Feel free to contact myself,...

Deadline: September 1st, 2019 Payment: Contributor's Copy CircleShow is currently interested in publishing the work of both known and unknown authors. Issues of CircleShow are posted online in free-to-read PDF format. Issues are also made available for purchase on-demand as trade paperbacks. Please note that while we do not offer monetary payment for accepted work, all contributors do receive a complimentary copy of the printed issue in which their work appears. We accept a select amount of poetry, short literary fiction and nonfiction pieces for each issue. To submit fiction attach a document (.doc, .docx or .pdf format) containing 1-30 pages of a completed work. Pages should be single spaced in 12pt Times New Roman font or similar. Include your name and email at the top of the first page. Include page numbers but no headers or footers. Title both your submission and the file name as "Fiction Submission-Your Name." We are open to many forms of fiction but do note that pieces intended for youth, dime store romance writing and erotica are hard sells for us. Thank you for choosing to send us your work here at SCP. We appreciate the opportunity and look forward to reading it. Click on the desired category below for specific submission guidelines. Please note that while you may submit to multiple categories at once, we do ask that you wait for a response before sending us more work in any one category. Response time is typically three months or less. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, provided you notify us immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. If you have question or concerns, feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected]. By submitting to SCP you are agreeing to our Online Copyright Policy. Please Note: Submissions for CircleShow Volume 20: Summer/Fall 2019 will close on September 1st. Via: Seven Circle Press.

Deadline: September 1st, 2019 Payment: AUD$50 Written submissions for Issue 28 are open from Sunday 11th August to Sunday 1st September. Invitation Birthdays, weddings, baby showers, funerals. This is in an invitation to your life. Gently peel open the envelope, what details shall be revealed? Is your life some great big hilarious theme, or in need of formal attire? Will it be something you throw away or keep framed in your home’s entry way? *  Ashley burst through the front door and dumped her schoolbag in the entryway. She threw her keys into the bowl on the end of the kitchen counter and sprinted to the family room. There was no time to waste. Months of pining over Toby at school had led to this moment; the stolen glances, the giggling at his unfunny jokes… all of it. He had given her his MSN Messenger username. “Message me after school,” he told her on the bus, with a cheeky wink. She nervously typed in his name, cursing as her shaking hands messed up the spelling a few times. And there he was, in all his floppy-haired, letterman-jacketed glory. And he was online! She took a deep breath and clicked add friend. Toby’s computer pinged. Ashley M has invited you to a private chat! *  Tea, coffee, whiskey or wine? Biscuits or pizza or cheese? Laugh, cry, chat, unwind. Door’s always open for friends in need.  * The white rabbit didn’t actually say ‘Follow me’, but she could so she did. The cake said ‘Eat me’ and she shouldn’t but she ate it. The jug said ‘Drink me’ and it wasn’t a good idea but why wouldn’t she? The Queen of Hearts invited her to play croquet with flamingos, and she did, even though she didn’t want to. Carroll took us...

Deadline: September 2nd, 2019 Payment: $30 DEATH'S STING is RBE's first anthology on immortality. Quite simply, we want Sword & Sorcery tales about immortals in the vein of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane, Barry Sadler's Casca, Steven Erikson's Rhulad Sengar and Kallor, and Dennis O'Neil's Rā's al Ghūl. Dark tales of those who return from death, victorious over death's sting -- or horrifyingly despite! Do not be writing horror though; think dark and low and gothic fantasies as you devise your S&S tales. Obviously - no matter how many times our protagonists die throughout your stories - they'll die to live another day . . . and perhaps see another RBE anthology on immortality. RBE is seeking stories for this anthology that most closely deliver the dark sides of S&S more than its potential for humor or lightheartedness. We will be accepting 13-15 stories, and stories should be 2k-9k words in length. Nothing shorter will be read, and our sweet spot is in the 5k-7k range. Don't hold back - wow us with good ol' heroic storytelling! Submissions will remain open until we find the stories we want or through the end of Labor Day Weekend 2019. Response time on your first 500 words should be less than a week, while response time after we receive your full story should be less than two months. There are always exceptions, but we will strive to keep all informed. Publication is intended for Christmas 2019. We will publish within months of closing, so depending upon acceptances, DEATH'S STING could appear any time before or after the target. Again, we will keep all informed. Payment of $30 flat per story shall be rendered after publication. Authors will receive electronic copies and permanent discount on print purchases. Via: Rogue Blades Entertainment Submittable.

Deadline: September 2nd, 2019 Payment: $25 RBE's first Western isn't simply going to be filled with dusty tales of cowpokes and gunslingers no matter how romantic. Oh no - you know better than that! REACH FOR THE SKY is all about cowboys and aliens! Recall that movie under the same name? Well, something like that is what we're after. We want good ol' fun tales of the Wild West filled with shoot-outs and war paint and gold rushes and stagecoach robberies and alien technology. Tales wherein sometimes the denizens of the West win and sometimes the invaders from darkest space triumph. When you think of visitors from the sky, naturally be thinking of predators, humanoid ducks, green lanterns, extra-terrestrials, and elephant hearts. This anthology is RBE's first foray into the scientific fantasies, and by rooting it in one of the oldest forms of storytelling the lone heroic figure, we aim to knock this title out of the galaxy! The requirements are simple: stories must be set in the American West (from the end of the Civil War to just before 1900), include some form of alien life, and employ the words "Reach for the sky" in some fashion. We will be accepting 13-15 stories, and stories should be 2k-9k words in length. Nothing shorter will be read, and our sweet spot is in the 5k-7k range. Don't hold back now - wow us with good ol' heroic storytelling! Submissions will remain open until we find the stories we want or through the end of Labor Day Weekend 2019. Response time on your first 500 words should be less than a week, while response time after we receive your full story should be less than two months. There are always exceptions, but we will strive to keep all informed. Publication is...

Deadline: September 2nd, 2019 Payment: $30 Slaughter is the Best Medicine: An Heroic Anthology of Mayhem & Mirth in Melee This one is exactly what it sounds like - pulpy battle royale with a smile! This anthology goes back to RBE's roots and seeks true Heroic Fantasy tales in the ways of Low Fantasy and Sword and -- well, any of the 'Sword and' genres (any questions on genre meanings, see RBE's handy reference list). There's only two requirements: edged blades are a must and three or more deaths must transpire in one fell swoop . . . or battle or ambush or melee . . . you get the idea, right? The more dead, the merrier, as they say. *OK, make that 3 requirements: don't omit the "& Mirth" bit of the subtitle. I am NOT looking for slapstick and silliness, but there must be a bit of humor, a touch of the tongue-in-cheek, at least the hint of a smile-jerker at some point in your tale. We will be accepting 15-20 stories, and stories should be 2k-9k  words in length. Nothing shorter will be read, and our sweet spot is in the 5k-7k range. Don't hold back - wow us with good ol' heroic storytelling! Submissions will remain open until we find the stories we want or through the end of Labor Day Weekend 2019. Response time on your first 500 words should be less than a week, while response time after we receive your full story should be less than two months. There are always exceptions, but we will strive to keep all informed. Publication is intended for Christmas 2019. We will publish within months of closing, so depending upon acceptances, SLAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE could appear any time before or after the target. Again, we will keep all...

Deadline: September 6th, 2019 Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem , Prose: $.10 per word (to a maximum of $500.) subTerrain publishes original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, essays, and commentary three times a year. Submissions must be previously unpublished material. (Note maximum number of submissions per issue in General Guidelines below.) subTerrain welcomes submissions from both emerging and established authors. We are happy to consider work from all corners of the identity spectrum, including works by underrepresented writers, including but not limited to writers who are indigenous, of colour, immigrants, women, LGBTQI+, low-income, no-income, and writers with disabilities. Submitters are welcome to state demographics such as race, age, gender, etc. in their cover letter if they so choose. WINTER 1984 Revisited (#84) — For our 84th issue we plan to pay homage to the dystopian world that was depicted in George Orwell’s novel 1984. A revisit and analysis of Orwell's world as depicted in his seminal dystopian novel, along with other complementary dystopian works and reviews, will form the over-arching theme for our Winter 2019 issue. In a time of growing uncertainty about the future, readers have been turning to dystopian classics. As reported in the NY Times, January 2017, “The Handmaid’s Tale is among several classic dystopian novels that seem to be resonating with readers at a moment of heightened anxiety about the state of American democracy. Sales have also risen drastically for George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984, which shot to the top of Amazon’s best-seller list. Other novels that today’s readers may not have picked up since high school but have landed on the top reading lists recently are Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel, Brave New World, a futuristic dystopian story set in England in 2540; and Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 novel It Can’t Happen Here, a satire about a bellicose presidential candidate who runs on a populist platform in the...