Events

Deadline: July 31st, 2020 Payment: 3.0 cents per word, contributors copy, $150 advance maximum on longer stories Theme: Fiction short stories and poetry in support of an election year theme “Dear Leader Tales” (DLT) anthology. We want stories of a humorous or satirical bent which illustrate or lampoon an emperor’s hubris (and lack of clothing). Note: Reprints allowed Theme:  We’re looking for original fiction short stories and poetry in support of an election year theme “Dear Leader Tales” (DLT) anthology. We want stories of a humorous or satirical bent which illustrate or lampoon an emperor’s hubris (and lack of clothing). In that spirit, we don’t want any real life current or past Dear Leaders named directly, but their known foibles are fair game. If you’re one of the oppressed, regardless of who’s in charge, this is your chance to deploy devastating humor, satire, wit, and sarcasm to bring them down a few notches. If nothing else, we can amuse ourselves in a trying time. Examples beyond the political include CEOs who constantly quote Sun Tzu or Machiavelli incorrectly, cats plotting to overthrow their human overlords, in short anywhere clueless oppressors operate. Rules: The stories can range from 1,000 to 5,000 words. First world rights are preferred. Reprint rights will be accepted if the story is good enough. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable as well, provided prompt notice is given should the story be picked up elsewhere. Stories may exceed the 5K word count limit, if it merits, however the advances are limited to a maximum of $150 per story. Schedule: Submission period is July 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, after which no further submittals will be accepted.The email address for submissions will only be active during that period. We plan to release the anthology in mid-September 2020. Team: The evaluation team will consist...

Deadline: July 5th, 2020 Payment: $50 and a contributors copy Gothic Blue Books were short fictions popular in the 18th and 19th century. They were descendants of the chap book trade and are now a thing of the past. Burial Day Books is now open for submissions for Gothic Blue Book Vol. 6 to be available October 31st 2020. What was a Gothic Blue Book? Gothic Blue Books were abridgements of full-length Gothic novels. The subjects of these books fell into one of two categories; the first being set in a monastery or convent and the second being set in a castle. In terms of the physicality of the book, they were three and a half to four inches in width and six to seven inches in height, with a page count of thirty-six to seventy-two pages. These little pieces of terror were popular at the time because they were affordable, a sixpence or a shilling each. Their cost affordability led them to be nicknamed Shilling Shockers or Sixpenny Shockers. What are we looking for? Original Gothic Blue Books typically took place in either a monastery, convent or castle. In years past we have asked for short stories that take place in one of these locations, or a modern day location such as a morgue, haunted house or cemetery. This year, we have added a new theme – Krampus, Christmas, and ghosts / lore from the globe revolving around a major celebration. Christmas ghost tales have a history stretching back that includes Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL and more. Please submit a short story or poem no longer than 3,500 words that follows one of the following: A single mention or setting in one of the original Gothic Blue Book settings: a) Monastery b) Convent c) Castle OR – A single...

Deadline: July 6th, 2020 Payment: Split of 20% of royalties between the authors Theme: Short stories revolving around the planet or God Neptune Note: Reprints accepted Starting in December 2019, Tuscany Bay Books will be releasing an 11-book anthology series: Planetary Anthology Series. First up is Pluto. You can pre-order the e-book edition now. On Dec. 5th you can get it for free if you are a KU subscriber on Amazon. Shortly after Dec. 5th you should be able to order the paperback edition as well. Next up is Luna and then Uranus. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Sol and Saturn should then follow. NOTE: Submissions are now open again for Neptune and Saturn. Payment is a split of 20% of royalties between the authors. For more info on what is required and how to submit, see this post: ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION CALL   Lord of the Sea. Ruler of Pisces. Exalted in Cancer. Mythologically, Neptune is associated with the sea, navigation, springs, horses, and racing. Astrologically, Neptune associated with idealism, dreams, dissolution, artistry, fluidity, illusion, and glamor. Astronomically, it is the beautiful sea-blue eighth planet. All these together tie into what we think of when we hear “Neptune.” Stories working with the genre conventions of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Weird/Pulp, or anywhere between will be considered. • Word count is 1,000 – 10,000 • Poems will be accepted • Reprints will be accepted • Stories may be connected to Neptune astronomically, mythologically, or astrologically, as you prefer Please submit to the editor, Jake Freivald, directly at [email protected] Subject line should appear as follows: Neptune Submission/Story Title/Author SurnameTentative submissions close date: You can submit until it’s no longer July 6, 2020 or earlier anywhere in the world. Via: Tuscany Bay Books.

Deadline: July 7th, 2020 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Original fantasy and dark fantasy stories. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. Note: This is listed on the site a day early, do not submit until the 1st. Fantasy is a digital short fiction magazine edited by Christie Yant and Arley Sorg. Instructions for submitting to Fantasy Magazine follow. Please read everything on this page and read the magazine before submitting. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES Submission Periods: Fantasy is open to submissions the first week of every month (1st-7th). Please do not query about submitting outside our open submission periods. Anonymous Submissions: Fantasy only accepts anonymous submissions. Do not include your name, address, phone number, or other similar identifiers on the manuscript. All original short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry submissions will be read anonymously on first read: moving out of slush depends on the merits of the story alone. Please make sure the title is on the manuscript. Instructions: All fiction must be submitted through our Moksha online submission system. Please do not email your submissions. If one of the Submission Type options is grayed out, that means we are currently closed to that Submission Type. Questions/Problems: Email [email protected] for all submission-related inquiries, or if you have any trouble using our online submission system. Please do not email your submissions to this address. All submissions must be submitted via our Moksha online submission system. Rejections/Response Times: Be aware that we expect to receive several hundred submissions during our submissions periods. As such, we cannot offer personalized feedback on each story. If we say “send more” it means we really do hope to see something else from you. Most rejections will be sent out within a few business days, while stories being seriously considered may be held for up to a few weeks. Please do not respond to rejection letters, even just to say...

Deadline: July 10th, 2020 Payment: $80 USD per piece Theme: Flash fiction stories from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) writers who re-envision the future For the rest of 2020, we’re asking writers to reimagine our world for the better. We’re looking for flash fiction stories from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) writers who re-envision the future. What were you imagining for 2020 when it began? What’s on your apocalypse bingo card for next month? Does it feel like tempting fate too much to ask if our current reality can get any worse OR any better? We invite you to fast forward and tell us how any or all of 2020’s chaotic plot lines resolve, get tangled, tied off, or cut. Write us some Alternate Endings to tell around the fire until we get there. Does the fae spell break at 00:00:01 on Jan 1, 2021? Is a free-roaming space colony in Andromeda still trying to wipe out a sentient mutated Covid-19 200 years from now? Show us our futures in evocative, speculative flash fiction (up to 1,000 words) that responds to what humanity is facing this year. Experiments with story form welcome. We are featuring BIPOC writers for this call and will select one story for each month through the end of 2020. Society needs new blueprints to build from. Show us your Alternate Endings. ​ Our Guest Editor for this call is Jamileh Jemison. Submissions will be open June 5, 2020 — July 10, 2020. We may open for a second call in September if we do not receive enough stories in June/July. What we want: Previously unpublished flash fiction (up to 1,000 words). You may submit up to 3 pieces. Speculative genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, or any interpretation of these that fits the theme. By writers of...

Deadline: July 11, 2020 Payment: $0.08 U.S. per word Theme: Twisted Holiday Stories (any holiday!) Happy Hellidays (working title) Give us some twisted, unexpected holiday stories. Don't limit yourself to Christmas -- we're looking for all kinds of special occasions gone awry. Editor: Sandra Ruttan Submission Information Note: We will not process or respond to submissions sent to the wrong email address. Only submissions sent to [email protected] will be processed. Note: Each story should be submitted in its own email. Do not send a submission as a response to a rejection or email query. Do not send multiple stories in the same email. Pro Tip: Read Rigor Morbid: Lest Ye Become to get a sense of what the editor is looking for in stories. The tone is appropriate for Disturbia and Rigor Morbid 2. We welcome submissions from diverse authors. We encourage individuals to opt to include a bio (100 words, written in third person) and author photo that can be used with the publication when submitting.  *Diverse can refer to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or those that are specially abled Payment $0.08 U.S. per word We will not publish stories that are donated — all writers must be prepared to receive payment through one of our approved payment methods. All payments to U.S. writers will be made by check. All payments to international writers will be made by Paypal to a verified Paypal address that is in the writer’s name. Guidelines Stories should be 3000 words or less Stories should be attached as a .doc or .docx file Text in stories should be in black ink No underlined text in stories Use a standard font (Times New Roman or Courier) stories should be sent to the proper email address submissions should be addressed to Sandra Ruttan submissions should have the requested information in the subject line submissions do...

Deadline: July 11th, 2020 Payment:Flash: 250-1000 words – $5.00, Short: 1001-5000 words – $7.00, 5001-7000 words – $10.00 Theme: Body Horror Sci-Fi & Scary is pleased to announce that we are opening submissions for our first charity anthology, with a goal of publishing in mid-February, 2021. Proceeds will be split between: Pulmonary Hypertension Association  and National Domestic Violence Hotline Twisted Anatomy: A Sci-Fi & Scary Body Horror Anthology* *Tentative Title We blame Laurel Hightower. One innocent discussion about vagina tentacles planted a seed that very quickly took root. Body horror is perhaps one of the most disturbing kinds of horror. Our bodies are meant to behave in certain ways, and the corruption or mutation of that, of our own selves turning against us, in a declaration of war against an enemy we can’t fight because it’s in our own skin? Terrifying. Women in particular have so little control over their own bodies as it is in some areas. To have even more taken from us? No , thank you. But it’s fascinating, isn’t it? Body horror holds an unique allure, so we’re excited to invite everyone to participate in this anthology. What is Body Horror? Body horror or biological horror is a subgenre of horror that intentionally showcases graphic or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutations, mutilation, zombification, gratuitous violence, disease, or unnatural movements of the body. Wikipedia.com Specifically, we are looking for tales of mutation (think Vagina Monsters!)  and corruption, though other forms will be considered as well. We will not accept stories depicting rape, pedophiia, or espousing views that promote bigotry, racism, sexism, or homophobia. We will be including content warnings in this anthology as we believe in letting readers experience what they want without fear of stumbling over trauma-inducing...

Deadline: July 12th, 2020 Payment: $25 and a contributors copy Theme: Original takes on vampires Note: Reprints Welcome Nightmare Press is open for submissions for our upcoming vampire anthology. The stories will be personally selected by the Vamp Man himself, Todd Sullivan, author of The Vampire Series of Extreme Horror: BUTCHERS and THE GRAY MAN OF SMOKE AND SHADOWS. - $25 if you are accepted - A free print copy of the book - You will be able to purchase copies at cost, which includes shipping. - Word Count: 1k - 5k - Deadline: July 12th - email stories to [email protected]; include the name of the story and your name in the subject line - Doesn't have to be an exclusive submission, just please tell us if your story is accepted elsewhere - One story per person - If it's been previously published, that's fine as long as you have the publishing rights back A little tip: We're looking for something fresh. If you've read Sullivan's work, you know it is a new take on the vampire genre. Nightmare Press personally recommends at least taking a glance at his work to get an idea of what we're looking for. Also, we would really like to see something other than your typical American or European vampire. It's okay to send those stories if you have something really good, but we'd like to see vampires that are unique. Nightmare Press looks forward to your submissions. Via: Nightmare Press's Facebook.

Deadline: July 15th, 2020 Payment: Split of 20% of royalties between the authors Theme: Short stories revolving around the planet or God Saturn Note: Reprints accepted Starting in December 2019, Tuscany Bay Books will be releasing an 11-book anthology series: Planetary Anthology Series. First up is Pluto. You can pre-order the e-book edition now. On Dec. 5th you can get it for free if you are a KU subscriber on Amazon. Shortly after Dec. 5th you should be able to order the paperback edition as well. Next up is Luna and then Uranus. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Sol and Saturn should then follow. NOTE: Submissions are now open again for Neptune and Saturn. Payment is a split of 20% of royalties between the authors. For more info on what is required and how to submit, see this post: ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION CALL   The most beautiful of the wandering stars, surrounded by a mysterious and remarkable series of rings, crowning the planet in glory. Jupiter may be the king of the planets, but Saturn is the progenitor, named for the powerful and terrible Titan that fathered the gods themselves. Saturn is the lord of Time, Age, and Endings. And when everything else disperses into a heat death and the cosmos is an empty void, it is Time that will rule over all. Bullet point form: Word count is 500-10,000 Poems will be accepted Reprints will be accepted Simultaneous submissions will be accepted Stories can be about the actual planet Saturn, time, age, and endings. The Titan Saturn may also feature.   Submissions should be in standard manuscript format, though please italicize instead of underline when appropriate. If the story is not in standard manuscript format, it may be rejected without being read. Seriously. I’m not kidding here. For that matter, ditto if the stories are under...

Deadline: July 15th, 2020 Payment: Contributors copy Theme: Tales through a zombie's point of view for middle-grade readers Chipper Press is looking for short stories from the point of view of the Zombie. Write your tales as if they are diary entries and tell our young middle-grade readers what daily life is like as a zombie. Tell them about Zombie school, going to the Zombie Mall, or a Zombie vacation. Where do they go camping? What are their holidays? Do they go to a grocery store? Submissions of both short stories and novellas to this anthology are welcome, please keep in mind the minimum word count is 4,500 and the maximum word count is 17,000. Dialogue needs to be believable, and please keep dialects/slang to a bare minimum if you must use them. No head-hopping or POV changes. Pick one point of view and stick with it. (Your submission will be declined if there is head-hopping.) Characters need to be fully developed and the stories need to be complete-not just a scene. This anthology is a great opportunity to showcase emerging writers and allow them to build their professional platforms. Submission Deadline: July 15, 2020, with a targeted release date of late September 2020. Submit your best work. Poorly formatted and unedited work will be turned down. Please use Americanized English spellings. We will be doing light editing as necessary to fit the standards we strive to maintain. Submission Guidelines: Any work under 4,500 words will be automatically disqualified for this anthology. The work must not have appeared in print or online anywhere before. All submissions must be in English. Each author may submit up to three (3) unique works—please submit them separately. Work must be in Microsoft Word or RTF, double-spaced, 12-point font-no headers/footers. All contributing authors will receive a free copy of the...