Events

Deadline: October 5th, 2020 Payment: $10USD Theme: Science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, or steampunk stories featuring pirates. Zombie Pirate Publishing is seeking short stories 2,000-7,000 words long for PIRATES OF THE EMPYREAN. Science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, or steampunk stories featuring pirates. Send us your tales of swashbuckling adventure set against space, sky, or sea. Submissions close 5th Oct 2020. Successful submissions will recieve $10USD, an ebook copy, and access to heavily discounted paperback copies. Send your stories to [email protected] No simultaneous submissions or reprints. SUBMIT YOUR STORY Submitting to Zombie Pirate Publishing is easy. Simply email your manuscript to [email protected] following the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page. We DO NOT accept reprints or simultaneous submissions. Your email should have your name, the story title, the word count, and the anthology you are submitting towards in the header and the body of the email. The attached word document should be labeled with this information as well. For example: 'Daddy-Adam Bennett-Full Metal Horror 2-6500 words.doc' Your submission should have a Word document attached to your email. Do not paste the story into the body of your email. Most programs including Google Docs will allow you to save your finalised work as a word document before submission. If you are unsure exactly what to do to set up your file correctly, download this document before you start writing. It is set up to be ready to go ASAP. Simply highlight the title, or author name or body of the document to replace with your own text. Google Docs version is available here for those without Word. Simply copy the document and change the name, and then click the 'download as' option in the file menu, and select word doc. This will save as a word document which you can then attach to your email.    ...

Deadline: October 7th, 2020 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Original fantasy and dark fantasy stories. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. 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. Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions: We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Please do not submit more than one set of poems at a time, more than one piece of flash fiction at a time, or more than one story at a time. You may, however, submit a single entry in each category at the same time: you can submit one batch of poems, one flash fiction piece, and one short story all at the same (or overlapping) time, and each category will be considered a separate submission. If we are already considering work in any given category, please wait until you have received an acceptance or rejection before submitting again in that same category. 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...

Deadline: October 8th, 2020 Payment: $10 Theme: Halloween! Tales from the Moonlit Path publishes dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition. Gore and explicit sex for the sake of visceral shock will not find a home here, though we are not opposed to it in general, if it belongs in the story. We are interested in character-driven stories more so than plot-driven, and we prefer dark fiction that makes us think, makes us feel, wraps us in its well-spun dream. Hard sci-fi and fantasy are a hard sell for us, but not impossible. Although we would love to publish fiction longer than 2,000 words, it is our experience that reading stories longer than that on a monitor can be tiresome and hard on the eyes. So please, fiction must be no longer than 2,000 words. Please include a short cover letter with your story, your name, email address, paypal information for payment, word count (please make sure an accurate word count is included in your short cover letter) and bio if we choose to publish your work. We accept email submissions only at [email protected]. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ATTACHMENTS. If your story is attached, it will be deleted unread. Please submit your story embedded within the email, with this format in the subject line: Your last name: Fiction-submission. We do NOT send received notifications for fiction submissions but feel free to query us after six weeks if you have not heard back from us for a status update. For poetry guidelines, please submit them to: [email protected] and embed the poetry in the body of the email. Please only submit 3-5 poems at a time. Please format your subject line: Your last name: Moonlit Path Poetry-submission. For full poetry guidelines, please...

Deadline: October 15th, 2020 Payment: $20 per story Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. Please don't query us about your story submission. We don't have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it's not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don't accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up front and tell us as soon as it's accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints, including anything...

Deadline: October 15th, 2020 Payment: $200 per poem and a complimentary print subscription Theme: Neurodiversity #71 – Spring 2021 – Neurodiversity Poetry: Our Spring 2021 issue will feature a tribute to neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is a concept that respects neurological differences as variations of the human brain and seeks to redefine these variations in a positive way, rather than stigmatizing them. ADHD, Dyslexia, Autistic Spectrum, and Tourette Syndrome fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity, to name a few. For the purpose of this issue, we encourage submissions from people with neurological differences who support, and/or identify with, the idea of neurodiversity. Poems may be written on any subject, in any style or length, but the poet must be a person with neurological differences. Our intention is to highlight a diverse and powerful community of writers that is often marginalized and mischaracterized. Please be sure to select the Tribute to Neurodiversity category. Artwork: We still need cover art for this issue and would like to use work by an artist who identifies as neurodiverse. To submit something relevant to the theme, use the artwork category on Submittable. Deadline: October 15, 2020 Via: Rattle.

Deadline: October 15th, 2020 Payment: 6 cents per word Theme: Secret identities and beyond UnMasked: Stories of Risk and Revelation   When the mask comes off, can you handle what’s underneath? When your secret identity is revealed ... When the hero comes out to play ... When the monster is unleashed ... Masks have existed throughout history, from the tribal masks of gods, to the iconic masks of tragedy and comedy, to the iron masks of prisoners. Villains wear masks to commit crimes, heroes wear masks to protect those they love, others wear masks to block disease. Some masks confer power; others rein it in. Does the true face hide beneath the mask, or is it the mask itself? What happens when the mask comes off? We want you to tell us. Perhaps your character is a mask collector who buys a mask that is more than he bargained for, or a coroner wearing a protective mask to perform an alien autopsy. The plague mask she inherited from her great-uncle seduces her to evil whenever she puts it on. We seek stories that explore the masks we wear, the mysteries they conceal, and the price we pay when they’re stripped away. Unmasking, whether literal or figurative, must be integral to the story. Funny or grim, unsettling or cozy, we expect the unexpected. Pull back the mask and reveal your insights, your character-driven tales, and stories that will make us think. Genre: Original short stories of unmasking, to include a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alien, magical, witchcraft, AI, and romance elements. Must be appropriate for a “PG-13” audience. Please, no copyrighted characters.  Length: up to 5000 words Rate: 6¢/word on acceptance. Rights: First Anthology Rights and audio rights; exclusive publication rights revert to author one month after publication; publisher retains non-exclusive right to include in the anthology...

Deadline: October 15th, 2020 Payment: $10 for fiction $5 for poetry Theme: Regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. War Monkey Publications, LLC, is pleased to announce open submissions for our upcoming anthology: FROM THE YONDER Volume II A horror, short-story collection of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. Our Staff so loved working on the first volume, we've decided to keep doing it.   We are seeking short story submissions (1000-7500 words) for this anthology. The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest). We are seeking stories in the horror genre. Inclusion of elements of other genres is welcome, so long as, overall, the story is an horror story. The subject of the story can be based on any legend, so long as it has a horrific flavor. Ghosts, hauntings, alien abductions, monsters, demons, spirits, witches, etc, all are acceptable, as long as the subject is based on an actual legend or tall-tale. We want an original story involving the legend. Don’t rehash the legend itself or write an essay on the tall-tale. Instead, for example, WOW us with a new fable of some poor unfortunate who finds out that legends are sometimes all too real. For more examples; read FROM THE YONDER; Volume I (published in February 2020) Please DO NOT: ~Extrapolate relationships that do not exist in the actual legends. Nessie can be a horrific monster, but she is not a servant of the Elder Gods (no matter how much we love Eldritch horror). ~Attribute characteristics or powers that do not exist in the actual legends. Jack-a-Lopes are cool, but they aren’t going to eat you...

Deadline: October 15th,2020 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Fill in the blank for your story title and the story HAS to be about it! Note: Reprints welcome Thurston Howl Publications is now accepting submissions for its sixth volume of its HOWLERS series, Attack of the Killer____. ​ Deadline: October 15,2020 Word count: 2,500-8,000; a little above and a little below will be acceptable. ​ If Stephen King has taught us anything over the past several decades, it's that we shouldn't trust anything in the world around us. Clowns, car, chattery teeth, disembodied fingers, St. Bernards, little girls, old people in their RVs, antique cameras, antique stores, and Kindles all have the potential for evil. This anthology challenges you to fill in the titular blank yourself! We welcome all flavor of horror stories: sci fi, erotic, campy, serious, body horror, Lovecraftian, Poe, King, etc. BUT the title of your story has to be what goes in the blank. For example, you could name your story "Sex Machine," implying your story could be read as "Attack of the Killer Sex Machine." We will take preference with stories that are unique. Don't just write another killer doll story or another killer dog story, unless your story genuinely has a unique take on the that trope. ​ 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 then to get a straight up rejection! If you are unsure, just me an email at [email protected] (restrictions borrowed from Voice: https://t.co/MWykJ6RY36) ​ Submit stories via Submittable at https://weaselpress.submittable.com/submit/163952/attack-of-the-killer ​ You can submit up to...

Deadline: October 26, 2020 Payment: $10 for every 1,000 words Theme: the creepy, the weird and the unsettling Note: This is an ongoing anthology series with 3 volumes already out Note: Out of print reprints accepted Scare Street is accepting submissions for short horror stories with a focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales. Short stories must be 3,000-7,000 words and will be included in our Night Terrors anthologies consisting of ~65,000 words each. These stories will be published in e-book, print, and audio formats in English within 6 months after the submissions close date. Based on reader reception, we may also publish them in e-book, print, and audio formats in German and Spanish. WHO ARE WE? Scare Street is a horror publishing company dedicated to helping fellow horror lovers experience sleepless nights. We’ve been around since September 2015 and have published 190+ e-book and paperback titles along with 140+ audiobooks (and counting!). WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? Get visibility from thousands of horror readers. We will promote your work on our email list (13,000+ subscribers), Facebook Page (19,000+ followers), Facebook Group (9,500+ members), Pinterest (500k+ monthly views) and the rest of our social media channels. Afterwards, thousands of readers on Amazon and other retailers will organically find your stories. Our first few volumes clenched the top 3 new release spots in horror anthologies category and continue to be found on the first page of various horror categories. Work with an experienced publisher. We’ve been publishing high-quality manuscripts, non-stop for 5 years. We’ve ironed out the kinks and know what it takes to bring stories to the masses, operationally. And we know a few things about getting your stories read, too! Distribution in e-book, print, and audio formats, in various languages. You’ll also receive a complimentary digital e-book and audio formats...

Deadline: October 30th, 2020 Payment: $5 Theme: Mezo-American/Latinx Authors and Stories Note: Reprints welcome In ‘Corners of the World’ collections we showcase writers and authors from all around the world, each collection focuses on a different subset of people from different cultures. Giving their unique voices and stories a chance to shine. For these collections, we want to bring the folk stories and societies to life in stark horror through the eyes of those who inhabit them. Theme – Mezo-American/Latinx Authors and Stories This year we are looking for Latinx and Mezo-American authors to submit stories that pertain to the legends, folklore, culture, and fears that exist within and surround the cultures of Central and South America, as well as those that have emigrated to North America bringing their stories with them. We HIGHLY recommend you pick up a copy of “Of The Book” our last volume. We are more interested in the authenticity of voice than the fear factor. Please note in your cover letter if you have your story in English & Spanish, only in Spanish or only in English. Currently Open – Will Close When We Have Enough Stories Violence, sex, and gore must be pertinent and interesting to the story. Rape is never acceptable. Anything too gratuitous will be rejected. Racism/Sexism/Bigotry of any form will never be accepted here. Double-check your grammar and spelling. Format your story correctly. Please submit all stories in DOC/RTF format. Reprints are ok. Please include a small bio that includes your own connection to the Latin-American people or culture. We retain exclusive publishing rights for 12 months. We pay $5.00 for stories Deadline is 10.30.20 –  We give this a long submission time due to the narrow nature of our search. Once we have all the stories we need we close submissions. Via: Madness Heart Press.