Events

Deadline: March 28th, 2021 Payment: $20 (for 2,000–5,000 words) // $30 (for 5,000–7,500 words) Theme: Horror that explores the prophetic nature of omens Where the carrion lay, the ravens will circle… The world has its messengers, its harbingers of bad tidings. Ravens, vultures, and untold creatures that roam between the many layers of reality. The air thickens with the danger of the thundering storm, and the world holds its breath, waiting for your next move. “The Omens Call” is an horror anthology exploring the prophetic nature of omens. Bad omens, nightmarish superstitions, ghastly premonitions, we want stories that speak the language that we cannot understand. We’re after atmospheric, moody, grim, dark tales of wonder, woe, death, and the inexplainable. Dare you heed the call? Submission deadline: Sunday 28th March, 2021 Word count: 2,500–7,500 words. Payment: $20 (for 2,000–5,000 words) // $30 (for 5,000–7,500 words) Submission Guidelines A submission Word template is available for download HERE. Stories slightly over or under the word count will be considered Stories must be saved as a Word document, PDFs will not be accepted Times New Roman Size 12 font 1.5 paragraph spacing Place your name, the title of the anthology for which you are submitting, and your preferred contact email address in the header of the document Sex, violence, and coarse language are accepted as long as they serve the story No hate speech or fan fiction One submission per author only, multiple submissions will lead to disqualification of all submitted stories.= Reprints will be considered Payment for accepted stories will be made within 7 working days of confirmation of entry Accepted stories to be held in a 2-year non-exclusive agreement with Devil’s Rock Publishing, Ltd. Failure to adhere to submission guidelines will result in immediate rejection from the anthology. Submit Your Story Via:...

Deadline: March 28th, 2021 Payment: $10 Theme: Pulp sword and sorcery stories. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS / WHETSTONE / Issue 3 (Spring 2021) Tuesday, December 16, 2020 WHETSTONE is an amateur magazine that seeks to discover, inspire, and publish emerging authors who are enthusiastic about the tradition of "pulp sword and sorcery." Writers in this tradition include (but are not limited to) the following: Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, Michael Moorcock, Karl Edward Wagner, David C. Smith, and many more. "Pulp sword and sorcery" emphasizes active protagonists, supernatural menaces, and preindustrial (mostly ancient and medieval) settings. Some "pulp sword and sorcery" straddles the line between historical and fantasy fiction; at WHETSTONE, however, we prefer "secondary world settings," other worlds liberated from the necessity of historical accuracy. Want to learn more about our aesthetic? Issues 1 and 2 are available as free PDFs on our webpage: whetstonemag.blogspot.com About the editor: Dr. Jason Ray Carney is a lecturer in the Department of English at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. He is the co-editor of the academic journal The Dark Man: Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies and is the area chair of the "Pulp Studies" section of the Popular Culture Association. He is the author of WEIRD TALES OF MODERNITY (McFarland) and RAKEFIRE AND OTHER STORIES (Pulp Hero Press) and the editor of SAVAGE SCROLLS (Pulp Hero Press). About the associate editor: Chuck E. Clark lives in Southern Wisconsin with his wife and four children. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Political Science degree, apprenticed as a jeweler, joined the navy, and now fixes laser microscopes. He has been published in WHETSTONE and The August Derleth Society's newsletter, SAGE OF SAC PRAIRIE. He loves collecting rocks, books, and whiskey. Length: We prefer compressed stories that are nevertheless cohesive...

Deadline: March 28th, 2021 Payment: €10 Theme: Stories about what makes heart beats faster Submissions are currently open for our second edition, Because That’s Where Your Heart Is, from February 14th to March 28th. For our new collection, we are looking for stories that respond to the prompt Because That’s Where Your Heart Is, and to the artwork selected for the cover. We want stories about what makes heart beats faster – it can be about romantic love, but also about friendship, dogs, cats, or a profound unexplained passion for paragliding! What we care about it the passion! You can also take inspiration from the artwork we’ve chosen to illustrate the cover, created by artist Pedro Vizioli, and write your piece as a response to the emotions brought on by the his work: We are not requesting any specific genres for this edition, so they are all welcome – sci-fi, literary, fantasy, romance, horror, noir, non-fiction – as long as they shine the brightness of passion on what might have gone unnoticed. THE RULES Any submissions have to be your own original work, in English, previously unpublished in both print and digital media; Applicants can submit up to 2 short stories, no longer than 4,000 words each. There is no minimum word count. Please attach each story in a separate file, with the title as the name. Make sure your name is not anywhere on the submission file; Stories must be typed, in Times New Roman 12, and submitted as .doc or .pdf with numbered pages and the title on the header; In the body of your email or in a separate file, send your name (and/or pen name), email, contact number, story title and a short bio (up to 150 words). This information will be removed so all readings are anonymous; Include the word Submission in your email...

Deadline: March 30th, 2021 Prize: US $1000 or £725 GBP Theme: When The Machine Arrived Dear Writer, Our first writing competition of 2021 explores the impact that technology has on our lives. The theme is "When the Machine Arrived" - you are free to interpret this in any way you see fit. You may choose to discuss the arrival of a new household appliance, explore a recent technological innovation, or discuss changes in how you work, study, or connect with others - it's up to you! The format is up to you. You can write fiction, non-fiction, or even a text designed for children. However, you must not exceed the word limit of 1500 words (all entries that exceed this limit will be deleted). Please submit only your own unique work that has not been published anywhere else. Multiple entries are accepted, and writers from around the world are welcome to participate. The judges will be looking for a clear and crisp interpretation of the Competition’s' title and stimulating original work that is thought provoking and enjoyable. By way of example, what happened when your first toaster, television, hair curlers or computer arrived? Or you could see the machine as being an organization’s apparatus or, of course, something completely different. That’s up to your imagination and the experiences you can draw upon. Entries will be evaluated by senior editors from Exisle Publishing and EK Books. The winning writer will be paid a monetary prize of US $1000 or £725 GBP. (One thousand US dollars or seven hundred and twenty five British pounds). The winner and up to three selected finalists will have their work published on ExisleAcademy.com. Standard entry is free, however you may choose to pay for an "assessed entry" meaning that, regardless of the outcome of the competition, you will receive detailed and...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Theme: Elements of sci-fi. Whether discovering aliens, space travel, or terraforming new planets are involved, the options are endless. Deadline – March 31st, 2021 Publication – June 2021 Word Count – 5,000-15,000 Theme – All stories must include elements of sci-fi. Whether discovering aliens, space travel, or terraforming new planets are involved, the options are endless. Publisher INFORMATION Company name:        Dragon Soul Press Anthology Submission Email: [email protected] Website:                    http://dragonsoulpress.com/ Facebook:                  http://www.facebook.com/dragonsoulpress/ Duotrope:                   https://duotrope.com/listing/26543/dragon-soul-press The Grinder:              https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Market/Index?id=9529   CHECKLIST Introduction of author                                                        This is not where the biography goes. Author Contact Information / Pen name MUST be included with real name. If real name is same as pen name, state so in email. Author Biography in Third Person in 100-200 words        Mandatory minimum of 100. Submission Word Count                                                   Also applies to poetry. Word count. Not line count.   Submission Formatted in Times New Roman 12 PT Font. One-inch margins. No indentations. No double-spacing. No extra spacing between paragraphs. No chapters. Only DOC and DOCX accepted.   Summary/Query Letter                                                      Summarized outline of all major events within the story. All emails should be addressed as “Dear Editor” Email subject and file name must be as follows – “Story Title by Author Name for (Name of) Anthology” All of the author’s social media links, including website if applicable Author must have an active social media account.   Important information Maximum of two submissions per anthology per author. Authors can submit to all anthologies simultaneously. Reprints from third party sources accepted IF author currently holds full rights. We will not publish duplicate stories within DSP. Authors get 30% Royalties for first year from date of publication. Afterwards, 30% of all proceeds go to a charity chosen by the Publisher. Story rights - The Publisher permanently reserves the right to publish the Work within...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: Royalties, starts at 1% per story of gross sales in both e-book and trade paperback. (not displayed on website at this time.) Theme: Each story must have a Pagan, Heathen, Occult influence that has a spark of truth in regards to the connection with the feminine aspect of the divine. DREAMING THE GODDESS: AN ANTHOLOGY Will be open for submissions from  September 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021   SUMMARY DREAMING THE GODDESS will be a collection of short stories between 2,500 and 20,000 words. Each story must have a Pagan, Heathen, Occult influence that has a spark of truth in regards to the connection with the  feminine aspect of the divine.  We are looking for stories that speak to the spiritual soul. It doesn’t matter in which aspect the Divine Feminine is portrayed–Maid, Mother, Crone, Dark, Warrior, Gender Fluid etc., are all welcome. Uplifting stories, inspirational  stories, dark tales, fantastic, written with truth or complete fantasy are all welcome. We are open and inclusive to LGBTQ2+ stories that meet the parameters of our main theme - the Divine Feminine in all Her aspects, which we believe includes LGBTQ2+ experiences. The main aspect is exhibit, in both fiction and nonfiction stories, the great breadth of how the Divine Feminine is portrayed across cultures and across interpersonal experiences. We welcome new authors and well experienced authors. Another goal for this anthology is to educate readers about the Divine Feminine, so including mythology, culture, politics, paganism, heathenism, Wicca, Witchcraft, geography etc., is important to the plot. If you pique your reader’s interest and get them looking up references to learn more about the Divine Feminine, you’ve done your job. The idea is for your reader to not only be entertained, but also to walk away from your story a...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: $500 and 25 contributors copies Theme: literary fiction Note: DO NOT SUBMIT prior to January 15th, 2021 One Story Submission Guidelines: Submission Periods: January 15th - May 31st | September 7th - November 14th What kinds of stories is One Story looking for? One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone. Does One Story pay? Yes. One Story pays $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author following publication. Does One Story accept previously published material? No. One Story is looking for previously unpublished material. However, if a story has been published in print outside of North America, it will be considered. Stories previously published online—on blogs, personal websites, online literary magazines, or forums—will not be accepted. Does One Story accept simultaneous submissions? Yes, but please notify us immediately if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere. What file types can I submit? We accept PDF, RTF, and TXT files that are less than 500KB. Please include the story title and all writer contact info on the first page of the submitted file. Will you send me comments on my story? No. One Story receives close to 100 submissions each week. Please understand that we do not have time to comment on individual stories. Can I change the story I submitted with an updated draft? No. Do you consider translations? Yes. Please include the name of the original author and language, as well as the name of the translator on the first page of your submission. How do I submit to One Story? We have an automated system for you...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: A physical copy and at least 30% royalties (negotiated prior to signing.) Theme: Horror, thriller, mystery, and fantasy/dark fantasy Little Demon Books has recently opened a submissions call for writers. We're looking for short stories, anthologies, novellas, and novels in the horror, thriller, mystery, and fantasy/dark fantasy genres up until March 31st. Give us your terror tales and scary stories! Little Demon Books is now open for all submissions! Give us your short stories, your anthology collections, your novellas, novels, and yes, even graphic novels! Whatever you’ve written, we want to see it! We’re hungry for books and authors to bring under our demonic wing. Please read the guidelines below and get your submissions to us by March 31st! Please allow time for our editing team to read through each submission. Best of luck and we cannot wait to see what you’ve got! Submit to [email protected] SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FORMAT: All submissions should follow proper manuscript format. Please attach all submissions in .doc or .docx format. We will not accept submissions embedded in the body of an email. Please adhere to standard manuscript guidelines (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spaced, word count, etc). EMAIL: Please send your submissions to [email protected], include what book your submitting, your name, and your story title. WHAT WE WANT: We are primarily interested in Flash Fiction or Short Fiction submissions but are open to novellas and novels. PAYMENT: Please understand that LDB is a very small publishing brand but because of that we put greater consideration into the stories submitted. Flash Fiction (1,500-4,000 Words) – FREE DIGITAL COPY Short Fiction (4,001-8,000 Words) – $5 + FREE DIGITAL COPY Anything larger than the Short Fiction format will be handled on a case-by-case basis. All contributors will receive a free digital or physical copy of...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: $50 Theme: magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. Misspelled Now Accepting Submissions. Legion of Dorks Presents: Misspelled – Magic Gone Awry is searching for short stories no more than 7000 words exploring the theme of magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. Submissions are open from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. Your story must be an original, never-before-published creation that centers around an exploration epic in scale. You must include some sort of adventure, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world. Otherwise, have fun and let your imagination dominate. A witch casts a spell to allow her cat to talk, but then it won’t stop. A love spell hits the wrong target. A down-on-his luck magician finds a real magic box, but where are all the objects going? The ideas are endless. We are offering $50 per accepted story. Fifty percent of all revenue after cost of production will be donated to Toys for Tots in conjunction with the Legion of Dorks December fundraiser. Email all submissions to [email protected] in standard short story format with the subject “Submission for Misspelled (last name).” One story per email please and no more than three submissions total. If you’re curious about the stories we like, check out the others in the series: Laundered – An Anthology of Monster Messes and Horizons – An Anthology of Epic Journeys. Manuscript Submission Guidelines: We are accepting submissions of complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all of the niche categories under those large umbrellas. We’re only considering full length novels between...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: A Queer Sword and Sorcery Romance Anthology open to all LGBTQIA+ stories set in adventure fantasy worlds Queer Blades: A Queer Sword and Sorcery Romance Anthology is a twice-yearly print and ebook publication open to all LGBTQIA+ stories set in adventure fantasy worlds, particularly stories of queer romance. Follow our Twitter: @QueerBlades. Submissions for the first anthology will be open from 1 December 2020 through 31 March 2021. If you miss the submissions window by a few hours, don’t worry! Editor: Rick Hollon (they/them). Adventure fantasy settings range a spectrum of secondary worlds—not just sword and sorcery, but also heroic fantasy, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, wuxia, “Old Mars” and “Old Venus” settings, fantasy westerns, portal fantasy, and Fae realms of all descriptions. If it’s a setting in which you might readily play a D&D campaign, it will fit right in. (Though please don’t submit stories set in Faerûn, Greyhawk, or any other trademarked, copyrighted IP.) Our preference is for pre-gunpowder, magic-heavy worlds, but run wild with your imagination and bring us fresh wonders! Sword and sorcery has a lot of baggage. Its classic stories are laden with racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry. Those elements, obviously, are not welcome here. We want to get rid of sword & sorcery’s awfulness and instead explore its potential for awesome. Be inventive with your adventures! All stories must feature LGBTQIA+ protagonists and storylines. Romance is preferred but not necessary. The romance could be a nascent crush or a long established partnership or anything in between. Aromantic stories could focus on the growth of a friendship. Let your characters’ relationships be as diverse as you are! Black, Indigenous, Trans, and similarly marginalized / historically excluded authors are especially encouraged. Content. No prejudice or bigotry of any kind is permitted....