Events

Deadline: October 31st, 2019 Payment: $20 and a contributor's copy Trans people have not often had a voice. We have been ignored. We have been told by others who and what we are. We have been given a role to play in the world. But rarely have we had the power to make our voices heard – until only fairly recently. This anthology exists to allow the voices of trans individuals within the furry community to tell their stories through the medium of speculative fiction. Tales that are encouraged should be ones that address or challenge how gender is viewed and can be from any genre; urban slice-of-life, fantasy, science-fiction. Some examples may be: A teenager in school discovers a magical book that transforms them into the body they always imagined they could have. An android in the far future awakens to discover that the body it wears is inexplicably not right. An assassin takes one last big contract so that she can afford enough money to pay for her reassignment surgery. These are our stories. These are our voices. Make them heard. All story submissions must be "furry" in nature. Please note this is a pro-trans collection and anti-trans stories will not be considered. Erotic stories will be considered but please avoid stories that objectify or fetishize trans individuals. We will NOT accept: Racism, sexism, or discrimination presented in a positive light. Pedophilia or sex with characters under the age of 18 presented in a positive light. Rape, torture, dubious consent, forced seduction presented in a positive light. Snuff or Necrophilia presented in a positive light If you are in doubt, ASK. Better to ask than to get a straight up rejection! If you are unsure, just shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can submit up to three stories,...

Deadline:November 1st, 2019 Payment: FICTION, SHORT STORIES: 500-6,000 words — $10 The Literary Hatchet is a journal devoted to provocative fiction, poetry and prose. We are interested in well-written but digestible works in any genre (except erotica). We will consider previously published material but prefer original works. We accept short fiction, flash fiction, first-person narratives, speculative fiction, short stories, poetry, photography, art, cartoons, and illustrations. We’re interested in new angles on old ideas, or topics that don’t get covered frequently. We like to showcase articles that don’t just sum up some issue but make us think and make us want to read further. The above is not exhaustive. If you don’t have an immediate idea for a piece, but you’d really like to write for us, let us know and be prepared to show us work you’ve done. We can always think of subjects! WHAT WE DON’T WANT We do not accept erotica, either as articles or images We do not accept articles or images with excessive crude language or outlandish sexual humor We cannot consider partial or incomplete stories or essays We do not accept Haiku poetry, unless as a part of a collection of five or more GUIDELINES BY TYPE OF SUBMISSIONSHORT STORIES: We accept short stories from 500-6,000 words in length. Feel free to contact us with inquiries about the type of stories we might be interested in if you are in doubt. We appreciate the well-written work, and acceptance is determined by whether the piece grabs the editor and holds their interest. We consider works of general fiction as well as horror, dark subjects, detective fiction, and stories about monsters, either real or imaginary. POETRY: We are looking for high-quality extraordinary poems (both serious and humorous) that explore the darkness that resides in each of us. Personal...

Deadline: November 1st, 2019 Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Upcoming premises (target themes) and deadlines for submission : What a Strange Question! To download a PDF file of the guidelines, click here . ALL SHORT STORIES, ESSAYS, POEMS, PHOTOGRAPHS and ART MUST RELATE TO ONE OF THE PREMISES SPECIFIED ABOVE. NOTE: Previously published pieces are welcome, provided that the submission fits the theme and that the author owns the copyright. The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. Fewer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages preferred. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover letter or on first page of manuscript. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with each submission. Rejected manuscripts unaccompanied by an SASE will not be returned. Response time: 3 months after premise deadline. NO READER'S FEE. Mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747. Outside the US: email [email protected] On acceptance for publication, we will pay the following amount: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Copyright reverts to author after publication. THEMA isn't for everyone. To find out why, click here. New to submitting manuscripts to journals? Click here to download a PDF file of a few basic guidelines. Unlike many publishers, we prefer works submitted by the authors themselves, without the involvement of an agent. Be sure to indicate premise and include SASE for each submission. BE SURE to include a separate SASE for each premise. No handwritten manuscripts will be considered. NOTE: We do not accept e-mailed submissions EXCEPT from authors who live outside...

Deadline: November 1st, 2019 Payment: Contributor's Copy Submissions for issue 16 (Spring '20) of Bat City Review will open July 1, 2019 and run through November 1, 2019 with responses typically sent within two months of receiving a submission. We are interested in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, art, and cross-genre pieces that experiment with language, form, and unconventional subject matter. We also welcome traditional styles as well as translations. When submitting a translation, please include a copy of the original text and a note stating that you have secured permission from the copyright holder. Our staff changes every year, and a team of readers and a large editorial board evaluate each submission. In a recent interview with the Review Review, Nick Almeida, Editor-in-Chief for Issue 13, outlines who we are and how we work. Before submitting to Bat City Review, take some time to review our mission statement,  previous issues and featured content in order to familiarize yourself with our aesthetic heritage. Please visit ABOUT at the top menu to contact the appropriate or nearest-related editor with genre-specific questions. GUIDELINES: We only accept submissions through Submittable Please remove all identifying information from the submission document itself Students of the University of Texas at Austin may not submit. Alumni must have completed their studies at least three years prior to current open call Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please email the relevant editor immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Due to the volume of submissions, we ask that you please submit only once per genre per reading period Contributors receive two free copies of the issue in which their work appears. Individual rights revert to authors upon publication Via: Bat City Review.

Deadline: November 1st, 2019 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction To celebrate twenty years of publication, we're going to revisit the past. There are no new first lines for 2019. Each issue will be comprised of original works based on past first lines. Were you inspired by the fall 2008 first line (Roy owned the only drive-thru funeral business in Maine.) but didn't see the sentence until 2015? Or maybe you started writing a story for the spring 2005 issue (Life would be so much easier if I were a cartoon character.) but you never got around to submitting it. Or maybe you sent us a story that just missed the cut and you reworked it and want to try us again. Well, now is your chance to make up for missed opportunities. The following is the schedule/list of first lines for the 2019 issues (click the season to see the entire list of first lines for each issue): Spring 2019 All submissions must begin with one first line from Volume 1, Issue 1 to Volume 5, Issue 4. Due date: February 1, 2019 Summer 2019 All submissions must begin with one first line from Volume 6, Issue 1 to Volume 10, Issue 4. Due date: May 1, 2019 Fall 2019 All submissions must begin with one first line from Volume 11, Issue 1 to Volume 15, Issue 4. Due date: August 1, 2019 Winter 2019 All submissions must begin with one first line from Volume 16, Issue 1 to Volume 20, Issue 4. Due date: November 1, 2019 A few notes: Don't just resubmit a story we've already rejected. We will know. We have every story submitted to us on file and why we rejected it. Also, we understand that writers may add our...

Deadline: November 1st, 2019 Payment: $30, possibly more if stretch goals are met Note: Must be an Australian resident, ex-pat, or at the very least a member of CSFG The dragon on her hoard. The horror in its void. The word-spanning AI. The demon reaping souls. Too often fiction portrays the non-human as Other; as a threat to be destroyed, to be conquered… or to be “saved”, assimilated back into the teeming throngs of humanity. Not this time. This time, it’s the non-humans’ turn. What is life like, to be imperfect. To observe humanity from without? What does it mean to be seen as horrific, to be rejected… and to overcome that? Or embrace it? To embrace it or reject it? And what does our love of these stories tell us can we, as human readers, learn from that about ourselves? Unnatural Order is an anthology for strange days and grotesque beauty, as the monstrous seeps out from the dark, and makes the light its own. What we want Maws, paws, jaws, and claws! Fin and fur and fang. Tentacles, scales, steel. The weirder the protagonist, the more alien, the less recognizable, the better! Stories that explore humanity through the lens of the inhuman. What does it mean to be human from the perspective of something that isn’t? Does the question even matter? Romance, adventure, wanderlust, and strange and terrible beauty. The monstrous is just a hopepunk as it is grimdark! Diverse works from people with or without previous publishing credits. Unnatural Order is a chance to showcase stories that might not be picked up by more conservative markets, and we strongly encourage people not to self-reject! We’re much more interested in unique and interesting takes that might be a little rough around the edges than we are in more mainstream stories with “polish”. What...

Deadline: November 1st, 2019 Payment: $50 We seek deeply human work that will teach us something about life, but also about the craft of writing or visual art; work that is original in its approach and that in some way moves us. Publishing and celebrating a diverse range of voices is important to us, so please include in your cover letter a brief bio (100-150 words) as you would like it to appear on our Contributors page. For more on what we are looking for in submissions, read an interview with our founding editor here. We accept simultaneous submissions. However, please withdraw your work immediately should a piece you’ve submitted be accepted elsewhere. If you are withdrawing your entire submission, please log in to your Submittable account and click “withdraw.” If you are withdrawing only a part of your poetry or art submission, please add a note to your submission advising which piece(s) you are withdrawing. We strive to respond to all submissions within 2 months. You can track your submission with Duotrope. We also offer a feedback request service, which features written feedback from a senior editor for a fee. Please submit under the appropriate category. Work submitted to this service is not considered for publication. Writers are welcome to submit to Mud Season Review during reading periods. We do not accept mailed submissions, emailed submissions, multiple submissions, or anything that has previously appeared in print or online (including on your personal blog or website, artwork excepted). We accept flash fiction; please include two to three pieces in your submission. We do not accept translations at this time. If you have already been published in Mud Season Review, please refrain from submitting for one year after the date of the issue in which you were published. Please send submissions through Submittable only. Please use 12 pt font. For fiction and nonfiction, please double space. We acquire First North American Serial Rights (FNASR) upon acceptance...

Deadline: November 1st, 2019 Payment: Contributor's Copy Don't be afraid to throw in some genre with your literary works. Here be fans of speculative fiction. We dig the literary stuff too, don't let our fairy tales fool you. Please be sure your piece has some sort of speculative or fabulist element. Give us your briar patches and shady ladies, your heroes and literary tales. We will consider up to 2,000 words, but our happy place is right around 1,500 or fewer. Our fiction gnomes get upset when things show up without paragraphs or proper manuscript format. Flagrant lack or proofreading or a failure to observe legible typeface will likely lead to instant rejection. (Please stick to Times New Roman or Garamond.) Give us your decayed, sugar-crusted, little black hearts. Write to us about sun-warmed planks and hollow bones. Don’t be afraid to bury the grotesque right next to the beautiful. It’s the change we’re looking for, the surprise hidden just under the surface. We lean into work with a bit of folklore, fable, fairytale, or magic. Our cover letter is optional, but we do need the following information: name as you’d like it to appear in your byline & contact email brief bio (50 words or fewer) PLEASE SEND your original works, previously unpublished standard manuscript format Garamond or Times New Roman typeface preferred—no Courier submission in one of the following formats: .rtf, .doc, or .docx all works in one file; each piece on its own page for artworks or visual erasures, we prefer .jpgs POETRY We’d be delighted to sample 3 to 5 of your poems. We enjoy image-heavy work, narrative or lyric, experimental or grounded, and prose poems too. We look forward to leaping with you, discovering as you lead us along the page. We prefer to see...

Deadline: October 2nd, 2019 Prize: $50   It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Every horror lover adores Halloween. The love is multi-layered. It’s not just the dressing up and exposing your nerdy or slutty alter ego to the world, it’s also the Autumnal trance, that feel of a bitter winter coming, scary movies everywhere (and you don’t have to feel guilty about watching them in succession) and a general feeling of delicious fright and fear. What would make our Special Halloween Edition even more frightful and appealing? One story dedicated to Halloween in a way that makes us and our readers shudder with delight. We’re not talking about fake Vampire teeth or apples at the bottom of the bag… we’re talking about stories that keep us up at night. Where we want to stop reading to check behind us, and every word is an unexpected giant Snickers bar that satisfies… Interested?  You could earn $50 for the endeavor if your story is chosen King (or Queen) of Halloween. Rules and guidelines listed below: SPECIAL HALLOWEEN EDITION CHALLENGE GUIDELINES: Keep stories to under 2,000 words and please include word count in email. Must be themed around Halloween. Submit your story to [email protected]. Submission must be in the body of the email, no attachments please. Clearly label your submission “HALLOWEEN SPECIAL EDITION CHALLENGE: Last Name: Story Title”. You are welcome to submit a story for both the challenge and regular magazine content but please, just one challenge submission. Your challenge entry must not be submitted elsewhere. Challenge submission deadline  is October 2, 2019 for possible inclusion in October 15, 2019 issue. Special Edition Issue will run to November 15, 2019, at which time the Holiday Issue will be published. Honorable mentions will be published. Any challenge submission is your pre-approval of publication...

Deadline: November 3rd, 2019 Payment: 8 cents per word word and 6 cents for reprints A New Collection of Horror Stories Edited by Mark Morris ("...one of the finest horror writers at work today" – Clive Barker) After Sundown is an eclectic, vibrant collection of tales by contemporary writers, both established and new. Mark has approached an impressive range of authors (to be revealed at a later date...) but we've reserved space for four new stories from the online submissions. This is a prestigious anthology and will be published worldwide in hardcover, paperback, and later in a stunning, Flame Tree-style decorated edition. We're looking for thrilling stories of suspense, delving into the dark spaces of the night, ideally 4000 words. Our standard rates apply. Submissions will open 21st of October, and close 3rd of November - please send to [email protected]. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline. Via: Flame Tree Publishing.