Events

Deadline: August 14th, 2020 Payment: contributor's copy Theme: "The ultimate collection of robotic art and stories" When I was young, I spent a summer reading I, Robot by Issac Asimov, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. Those two books formed the foundation of my fascination with the Science Fiction genre, and with those wonderfully diverse creatures, we call robots. Through the years, I’ve enjoyed the myriad of depictions of robots in books, art, and entertainment. So, when the ArtOrder team sat down to discuss our next themed book - it was no surprise that I pushed heavily for a robot theme. I want When Robots Dream to be the ultimate collection of robotic art and stories. I’m looking for images and stories that get out of the typical clichés and offer the fans something unique and exciting.  Jon Schindehette ArtOrder llc Founding Member The Jury When Robots Dream will be a book filled with amazing stories and art! To help us deliver on that promise, we have pulled together a stellar panel of jurors. Jean-Pierre Jeunet Jean-Pierre is an award-winning French film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films mix elements of fantasy, realism, and science fiction to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations. A former animator, his movies are marked by quirky, slapstick humor, alongside surrealist visuals. Jean-Pierre’s work in notable films such as Amélie and City of Lost Children certainly endeared him to us, but his love of robots and sci-fi won us over. Neil Clarke Neil is the editor of the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning Clarkesworld Magazine and several anthologies, including the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. He has been a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor (Short Form) eight times, won the Chesley Award for Best Art Director three times, and received the Solstice...

Deadline: August 15th, 2020 Payment: $20 for the first 3,000 words, then a 1/2 cent per word + print contributor’s copy Theme: The Wendigo Hunger. Insatiable hunger. Hunger that changes you…consumes you…turning you into a nightmare version of what you once were. Denver Horror Collective is looking for stories of the Wendigo. The point of view could be a person becoming the Wendigo, from a Wendigo, pursued by a Wendigo, or a witness to a Wendigo-esque situation unfolding. Submissions may cover cannibalism, lust, plague, war, anxiety, greed, power, or any topic a person or animal could become obsessed with. Read the Wiki on the Wendigo at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendigo, then feel free to think outside the box and let your imagination run wild. Submissions do not have to have characters turn into a literal Wendigo. Character(s) must go through some sort of a transformation due to the “hunger.” You do not have to use the term Wendigo. We just ask that authors use the core concept of the Wendigo as inspiration for their story. Please take a moment to read the KEY NOTES and all submission information below to ensure your story content and format fall within guidelines. DEADLINE: August 15, midnight WORD COUNT: 3,000-12,000 words (lower limit firm, query for longer) PAYMENT: $20 for the first 3,000 words, then a 1/2 cent per word + print contributor’s copy REPRINTS: No SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: No MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: No (if you have more than one idea, you’re welcome to query as to which concept we would be more interested in) FORMAT: -Use the Shunn format ( https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ ) with the following caveats: -12-point Times New Roman, Courier New, or Arial font -Use paragraph formatting for paragraph indents. Do not manually tab or space in. -No headers, footers, or page numbers SUBMISSION: -Submit in DOC, DOCX, or RTF...

Deadline: August 15th, 2020 Payment: $15 for short stories Theme: Gothic fiction for the 21st century. What we’re looking for: We’re looking for previously unpublished short stories that embrace and reimagine Gothic fiction for the 21st century. Compelling plots with a strong literary bend. Eerie atmosphere is key. Stories with Weird elements are welcome. You can’t have Gothic without a little bit of terror & horror… that being said, we are not a horror fiction magazine. Our previously published works will provide the best indication of what we are looking for. Our past issue is available for free here. What we’re not looking for: Stories that contain gruesome violence, gore, or explicit sexual content. Fantasy. Strong science fiction. True Crime. Word count: 1,500 – 6,500 words (though we keep an open mind) Rights: We want authors to retain all the rights to their work. We ask for non-exclusive rights, meaning you are free to take your work elsewhere even after we publish it. Payment: Upon publication, we currently pay $15 for short stories we publish. In this early stage, we acknowledge that this payment is merely a token; however, as we grow, increasing our compensation for writers is our highest priority. How to submit: Please submit your work to [email protected], using the subject line (Submission-). In the body of the email please include a very brief cover letter with a 1-3 sentence bio describing your relevant writing background. Please, only submit one work at a time. We will not consider multiple works submitted at once. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere. Your submission should be: Double spaced In a standard font (Times New Roman) 12 pt. font PDF or .docx Word count on title page Timing: we do respond to submissions as quickly as we are able. Please allow at least five weeks for us to...

Deadline: August 15th, 2020 Payment: $5 USD Theme: "Most" Speculative fiction, read below for specifics. Note: Open only for women-identified authors. Simply follow the schedule below to be notified when we close and open for submissions. Criteria Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. We think women write awesome characters and really cool stories and we want to show it to the world. We will consider stories submitted by any woman writer, regardless of experience or writing resume. If you consider yourself on the woman end of the gender spectrum in any significant capacity, you’re welcome here! Stuff we want: Fantasy Science Fiction Space Opera New Fairy Tales (not retellings) Some creepiness Stories that explore the nooks and crannies of an original world Big events from the everyman perspective Unique settings and storytelling forms Well written stories with strong characters Stuff we don’t want: Anything biased toward any religion, race or moral preference Extreme gore or sexual content, in particular no explicit rape or sexual assault. (everything in moderation) Bizarro fiction Poetry Fan Fiction (original stories only, please) Bad grammar/punctuation (please proofread and watch your sentence structure!) Plagiarism A further note about sex and violence in submissions. Science fiction has a long-standing tradition of pushing boundaries and asking difficult questions. It is meant to challenge us and ask us to look at ourselves and how we treat each other and the world around us. That said, LSQ is centered on uplift and so any story that contains explicit sexual situations or violence especially toward women will be considered more carefully than other stories and the content must be justified within the story’s arch. Format and Details Stories should be 500 to 7000 words in length. We may publish longer or shorter works, but the greater your story is...

Deadline: August 15th, 2020 Payment: $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Theme: Potential (and hopefully positive) futures that involve alternatives to modern day policing. Note: Reprints Welcome After the brutal murder of George Floyd by the police, the world responded in righteous protest, with cries of “Black Lives Matter.” The police responded to these calls in large part with even more brutality, with video after video emerging that showed an assault on the public. And more cries came forth, with calls to defund the police. But what’s that mean? Science Fiction writers, this is your call to arms. Give us your potential (and hopefully positive) futures that involve alternatives to modern day policing. We want stories that replace the police entirely, dramatically reform them, or create parallel systems to refocus policing. We’re also seeking alternate concepts of rehabilitation and punishment as well, more emphasis on the carrot. In a world where police are perpetually brandishing their batons, I think we’ve all seen enough sticks.   SUBMIT TO NO POLICE KNOW FUTURE Now, We know it may be difficult to think of a world without the police. They have been there all of our lives, in meticulous uniform, reinforced by countless movies. We recommend this article https://lifehacker.com/lets-abolish-the-police-force-184392… and this infographic at https://www.reddit.com/…/what_do_we_mean_when_we_say_defun…/ for inspiration. Story length is up to approximately 4,000 words for original fiction. We’re not going to reject something that stretches this limit out of hand, but know that the longer it gets, the harder a sell it becomes. Reprints can be up to 6,000 words. Most veins of SF welcome, with the exception of steampunk, dieselpunk or other SF that nestles us comfortably in a previous era. We are here now, in tumultuous times, and cannot go back. Let’s face a possible, achievable future bravely....

Deadline: August 15th, 2020 Payment: £10 Theme: Open to: LGBTQIA and POC Note: Payment: £10 and ebook Theme: Dante’s Inferno Closing Date: 15th August 2020 Open to: LGBTQIA and POC Length: 3-5k The Infernal Clock is the side-project of Stephanie Ellis and David Shakes. After a year’s break, they are bringing it back with the Inferno edition. Stories have been by invite but we are opening up 9 spaces to members of the LGBTQIA and POC communities only in order to be more representative. The theme is Dante's Inferno and each story will be set in one of the circles or the passages to/between circles.  Whilst there are nine circles, there are a number of rings - or pouches - within each circle so there is a lot of scope. How you interpret your chosen circle/ring is up to you, eg it could be set below in the Inferno itself, it could focus on a particular sin, or you could recreate this hell actually on earth.  We are particularly interested in stories set in the Second and Eighth Circles as we do not have any of these yet, although you are welcome to write in the other circles as well. Stories need to be dark (but with the usual boundaries against extremes and gratuity) and 3-5k with flexibility, although we would prefer 4k. Stories must be submitted in standard manuscript format as .doc or .docx to [email protected]. No multiple or simultaneous submissions. No reprints. Payment will be by paypal on publication. If you have any queries please contact us at the above email address.

Deadline: August 16th, 2020 Payment: €20 and a contributors copy Theme: A story about an interruption When the internet cuts off, when the light goes out as you sit down to read, when the heart doesn't beat, when a heart doesn't beat for you, when the visa is rejected, when the binary breaks, when you fall in love, when two worlds collide, when — we pause this program for an important announcement — a dog barks (the autoplay ad starts) when the lightning strikes the picnic the stranger asks for directions the rain starts the statue of the slave trader hits the water when the the rain ends when a missile — Submissions to FU Review Issue 9 are open until August 16. *** ​ All published authors will be paid €20 and receive a print copy of Issue 9. ​ The FU Review publishes prose, poetry, nonfiction, and English-language translations. There is no word-count limit, but please submit no more than 5 poems or 2 prose pieces. Via: FU Review.

Deadline: August 20th, 2020 Prize: $100 and publication of the winning piece of flash fiction in that issue! Theme: Flash inspired by the art above WEIRD TALES FLASH FICTION CONTEST! This is the dynamic cover art by top artist Sam Flegal for Weird Tales #364 (our next issue, debuting in October). We’re announcing a contest: RULES: Submit a piece of original flash fiction inspired by that art. Submissions must no longer that 1500 words. No reprints. FORMAT: All submissions must be submitted as Word docs. Times New Roman font, 12-point, double-spaced, no extra spaces between paragraphs; 7-character indent on all paragraphs. No exceptions. SUBMISSION: Submit to [email protected] with WEIRD TALES FLASH CONTEST in the subject bar. DEADLINE: All submissions must be in by Noon (Pacific Time) August 20. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: Yes, sent separately. PRIZE: $100 and publication of the winning piece of flash fiction in that issue! Via: Jonathan Maberry's Facebook.

Deadline: August 21st, 2020 Payment: $100 and royalties Theme: This anthology is looking for stories set on or around Halloween Note: Reprints welcome Halloween: a night when the dead roam freely among the unsuspecting living; when the boundary between reality and fantasy, between this world and the next, is as thin as paper mache; when monsters both human and daemonic stalk the shadows, seeking easy prey… All Hallow’s Eve: a night to hide behind your best mask, lock your doors, and keep your Jack-o’-lantern burning till dawn. Because Something is knocking at the door, boys and girls… And it’s hungry. DEMON’S DREAMING PRESS PRESENTS: SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT Guidelines: What I’m looking for: Great horror, well written. Send me literary horror, pulp, dark fantasy, gore, magical realism – whatever suits you as a writer so long as your story is set on or around Halloween, or relates in some way to the holiday and its customs. Give me your Samhain-inflected stories of vampires, witches, werewolves, ghouls, zombies, ghosts, serial killers, aliens, revenge from beyond the grave, mirrors at midnight, etc. Or maybe something more personal, more idiosyncratic – experimentation and uniqueness are always a plus! For an idea of the sort of tone I’m looking for think classic E.C. Comics (Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror) Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside, Trick ‘r’ Treat, Monsters, The Twilight Zone, etc. What I’m not looking for: homophobia, racism, sexism, ableism or any other ism free of narrative context. No rape, excessive torture or sexual violence (especially toward children). How to Submit: Please send all submissions to [email protected] in either a .docx or .rtf file. Include the word Submission in subject, as well as your name and the title of your story. Include a brief bio in the body of your e-mail...

Deadline: August 22nd, 2020 Payment: $10-20 Theme: Cosmic horror that celebrate the ideas of H.P Lovecraft Sentinel Creatives has opened up for submissions for the "LOVECRAFT IN A TIME OF MADNESS" anthology. If you're unfamiliar with Sentinel Creatives, we're an indie publishing and production house based in Cape Town, South Africa. Though our focus is on books and ebooks, we also do audiobooks, and will be doing audio dramas in the near future! WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR As the title suggests, we're looking for stories of cosmic horror that celebrate the ideas of H.P Lovecraft! While it is not necessary for submissions to form a part of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, or other works, it is necessary for there to be some connection to the ideas and themes he grappled with in them. While Lovecraft is known for, among other things, his own particular writing style, we're not looking for stories that try to mimic his prose! Nor are we looking to play a game of "Lovecraft Bingo"! Rather, we're looking for stories that are faithful to the spirit of Lovecraftian horror. Show us to the dark corners of the earth, and the mind, but show us your particular take on it! These stories need not be set in our past, present or even our future. If you think you can do justice to a retelling of folklore or legend, go for it!  We'd love to see stories about King A'rtur'og and his knights of the non-Euclidian table, or Sir Gawain and the Eldritch Knight! Got a story about Anarchists v the Cult of Cthulhu in London during the industrial revolution? Let's see it! SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Send your submissions to: [email protected] with the subject "Lovecraft Submission". All manuscripts should be sent as a word document. Our preference is for Times New Roman, or another...