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Deadline: May 31st: 2021 Payment: $5 and a contributors copy Theme: Poetry about body horror Note: Open to all poets who are women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes. To celebrate National Poetry Month, Black Spot Books will be publishing its inaugural Women in Horror Poetry Collection in April 2022: UNDER HER SKIN. This collection is open to all poets who are women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes. Submissions open March 2021 and will close May 30, 2021, with decisions made on a rolling basis. Poems to be included in the collection will be chosen by Black Spot Book's editorial staff and guest judges. The theme of the inaugural collection is body horror. This is a broad spectrum and poets are welcome to interpret the prompt in their own vision--so long as it's dark, unsettling, an on-theme. The showcase will feature a cover with hand-drawn illustration by respected horror artist Lynne Hansen and will be distributed in both print and ebook. Poems must be previously unpublished, though published poets are, of course, welcome. We accept submissions of poems up to fifty lines. Free verse preferred (please, no forced rhyme or clichés). We accept up to three poems per poet. Submissions should be submitted along with a brief bio. Each poem chosen for publication will be paid $5 and each poet will receive a copy of the collection upon publication. Poet will retain rights to any accepted poem, with first right of publication by Black Spot Books. Showcase Judges: For the 2022 collection the judges will be Black Spot Books president and award-winning author/editor, Lindy Ryan, and Toni Miller, a founding member of the Ladies of Horror Fiction (LOHF). Lindy Ryan is the president and publisher of Black Spot Books, an imprint of Vesuvian Media Group. She is an award-winning and bestselling author and editor....

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: £10 Theme: J is for Jack-o’-Lantern J is for Jack-o’-Lantern – Submissions open April 1st. Deadline May 31st.  Halloween in theme for these stories but the Jack-o’-Lantern must play a key role. We are currently calling for submissions for a series of horror anthologies – The A-Z of Horror. The series will be based on a variety of themes and will consist of twenty-six books in total. We are looking for short horror stories, between 4000 and 8000 words, on each of the themes listed below. You may submit to more than one book, but we will only include a maximum of one story from each author, in each book. Being accepted into one book does not guarantee acceptance into one of the others. The story must be your own work, to which you hold the rights. The story must not be available elsewhere and, if accepted, we will hold the rights to it for three months from the date of publication. After that time, you may use the story however you wish. Any sub-genre of horror is suitable, even extreme, so long as the story fits the theme of that book and does not include anything which may unnecessarily cause offence Payment for the story will be £10, to be paid by PayPal, as well as a contributor’s e-book of the finished book. Please send submissions in a Word document (ideally Times New Roman 12pt, single spaced) to [email protected] with the title of the book you are submitting to in the subject line. Please ensure you have included your name on the Word document. If you have any queries, feel free to get in touch using the Contact page. We aim to respond to submissions within 2 weeks of the deadline, but feel free to get in...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 (Original call had windows that has been modified to this date) Payment:CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints Theme: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality, Belief, and Practice Note: Reprints welcome As a special way to accommodate people developing stories for Strange Wars or Strange Religion, authors have the option of requesting to make late submissions. This is intended for authors who expect not to be able to finish writing and polishing their submission before the close of our submission window. If you think you will need any additional time, you can request to make a late submission here. Strange Religion: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality, Belief, and Practice Strange Religion thoughtfully and respectfully explores religious traditions and ideas through speculative fiction.  These are stories about the rituals, theology, and spirituality of aliens, AI, and the denizens of fantastic worlds depicted by scripture and religious folklore. How do Muslims on other planets pray and perform the hajj? How would AI worship or read scripture? How would interreligious dialogue change if shamanic magic turned out to be real? What would the Bible be like if it were written by elves? How would the Buddha get by today? Suppose the remains of Krishna were found—what then? What if prophets didn't only see the future but were from the future? These stories depict religion with the complexity it has in the real world, where gods aren’t just plot devices to create political tension or to give characters magical powers. They delve into the struggles of adherents of tomorrow’s religions and religions that might have been. Strange Religion fills a lacuna in the field of speculative short fiction, which often does not treat religion with sufficient depth and thoughtfulness. These stories reconsider theological topics—incarnation, reincarnation, revelation, miracles, and the like—through the lens of science fiction and fantasy.  They put...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 (Original call had windows that has been modified to this date) Payment:CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints Theme: Speculative Fiction of Coalitions in Conflict Note: Reprints welcome As a special way to accommodate people developing stories for Strange Wars or Strange Religion, authors have the option of requesting to make late submissions. This is intended for authors who expect not to be able to finish writing and polishing their submission before the close of our submission window. If you think you will need any additional time, you can request to make a late submission here. Strange Wars: Speculative Fiction of Coalitions in Conflict Strange Wars explores military conflict through speculative fiction. These are stories with an original take on organized aggression. For science fiction stories about war: What will warfare look like in a hundred years? How will technology reshape war? Will they still be fought on traditional battlefields, or will completely new frontiers open? Will the major parties to conflict change? Will wars between nation states be replaced by corporate wars, proxy wars, and insurgent conflicts? We are interested in stories that explore military implications of: drones, Lunar and Martian colonies (or expansion into space generally), cryptocurrency, privatized military forces, non-state actors in military conflict, 3D-printing, hacking, environmental catastrophe, renewable energy sources, artificial intelligence, and other themes. For fantasy war stories about war: How can magic, gods, parallel worlds, or otherworldly societies reshape our conception of war? Are other forms of organized conflict possible? Can such fantastic visions serve as thought experiments and expand our understanding of conflict? What kind of magic could make a world without war possible? If it's not possible, why not? If it is, at what cost? These fantasy stories explore war through speculative world-building, inventing fantastic premises and revealing their consequences through...

Submission Window: May 1st-May 31st, 2021 Payment: An advance and royalties Theme: Novel and Novellas that are literary; incorporating the fabulist, the uncanny, the dark, the weird, the horrific, the numinous, the surreal, the gnostic, the esoteric, and the avant-garde. Strange tales for strange times. It’s that liminal area where genre and literary fiction meet. WE WILL BE OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS FROM MAY 1, 2021 TO MAY 31, 2021 FOR NOVELS AND NOVELLAS ONLY. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Note - Manuscripts must be original and previously unpublished anywhere, in any format, on any platform. Please do not query about reprints. We are unable to return manuscripts. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please inform us if you place the manuscript elsewhere. Translated work is welcome as long as you are offering first English-language rights. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Undertow Publications only publishes a few books a year. Regrettably, then, we have to turn down good work. We publish in hardcover, trade paperback, and eBook, though not all projects will be published in all formats. So as to not waste your time and our time, please make yourself familiar with our books. Our aesthetic is literary; incorporating the fabulist, the uncanny, the dark, the weird, the horrific, the numinous, the surreal, the gnostic, the esoteric, and the avant-garde. Strange tales for strange times. It’s that liminal area where genre and literary fiction meet. We accept submissions from anyone—regardless of race, gender, or sexuality—and think it is imperative to promote new writing from a diverse cross-section of society. Agented and non-agented submissions are welcome. WHAT WE WANT: We currently have 2 open slots in our 2022 publishing schedule. NOVELLAS We are seeking previously unpublished standalone novellas, in English. Word count should be between 17,500 - 42,000 words. We offer a small advance against royalties. NOVELS...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: £50 Theme: Stories that involve the supernatural in connection with railroads, railways, or any aspect of rail travel or location. I hope to publish this anthology of supernatural fiction in the summer of 2021.   Submissions are invited. The closing date will be 31 May 2021.   WHAT I WANT: I'm looking for 10 outstanding stories of between 2.000 and 10.000 words that involve the supernatural in connection with railroads, railways, or any aspect of rail travel or location. The stories should be set at any point in the past and be historically accurate where appropriate.         WHAT I DON'T WANT: Badly written and constructed stories. To me, spelling and grammar are important. That doesn’t mean you can’t push the boundaries, but remember that you have to know the rules before you can break them.   Slasherfests that rely on violence and cliché to propel the stories.   Poor, badly constructed characterization whose only function is to drive the plot towards an unconvincing, or contrived conclusion.   Waffle that bears no relationship to the plot, but only serves to slow down or unnecessarily bulk out the story.   Excessive strong language that does not help to shape characters or events. If it’s necessary & appropriate: no problem.       CONDITIONS: The deadline is currently the end of May 2021 but may be extended if I require more submissions. I'm looking for stories of between 2.000 to 10.000 words. Word limits outside of this will be considered if the work is, in my opinion, exceptional. Please do not send simultaneous submissions. Send one story at a time.   No multiple submissions, please.     Payment for First British print and electronic anthology rights will be £50 for original, previously unpublished stories, payable upon...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: 0.01 USD per word Theme: Body horror stories by women Since the earliest creation myths, womens’ bodies have been a site of conflict, venerated and feared in equal measure. We’re looking for body horror stories by women writers that explore, celebrate and dissect (perhaps literally!) femininity and the female experience. There are no limits on content: gore and sexual content is fine. However, don’t feel your story has to be extreme. We always enjoy reading unexpected takes on our prompts, so feel free to interpret it as you wish. We would love to include as diverse a range of voices in this anthology as possible, and as such would like to encourage LGBTQ, BIPOC, disabled and writers of other marginalised backgrounds to submit. Length: Anything between 1,000 – 6,000 words. Publication: E-book and print. Deadline: 31st May 2021 Author Compensation: 0.01 USD per word, plus an electronic contributor’s copy. Rights: We request first worldwide and electronic rights for 3 months after the date of publication, after which rights revert to the author. All copyright remains with the author. We accept simultaneous submissions but no reprints please. Multiple submissions not accepted. Email your submission as a Word document to [email protected] with “Blood & Bone – ” in the subject line. Please see our Submission Guidelines for more information on formatting. Via: Ghost Orchid Press.

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Themes: Stories about slashers, animals, cannibals, torture, gore and violence | Stories about psychological horror | Stories about monsters Trail 2: The Death Trail – This trail is all about killers. Your story should be about slashers, animals, splatterpunk, cannibals, torture, gore and violence. Go ahead and let your imagination run wild; we are giving you a free rein. Trail 3: The Twisted Trail – This trail is all about psychological horror. Your stories should be about madness, paranoia, phobia… Trail 4: Trail of Terror – All your favourite monster stories go here. Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, Daayans, Chudels, Chupacabras, Oni, Penanggalan… you catch the drift, don't you? Rules: You can submit one story per trail. Word limit: 3000 to 5000 words. Please stay within the word limit. Any story exceeding the word limit will be summarily rejected. Last date for submission: 31/05/2021 midnight Q: What are you looking for? A: Fantastically horrific stories that blows our minds away. Q: Will you edit our stories? A: No. Other than general spell-checks and punctuation-checks, we will not touch your story. So, make sure you get your stories beta-read and edited properly. We are looking for the best story you can give us. If possible, get your stories edited professionally. Even a mind-blowing story might be rejected if it needs heavy editing. Q: Is there a fee for submissions? A: Are you kidding? No, The Hive is not a vanity publishing entity, and nor will we ever be one. Q: If I submit my story, what are the chances of it getting picked? A: No guarantees. We will subject your stories to a minimum of the two-level stringent selection process and only those stories that pass muster will be published as a part of Project#8. Q: Will I get feedback for my story? A: Unfortunately,...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Mythology II If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. (Vol 71.) Mythology II; deadline 31st May !!!NEW SUBMISSION PROCESS!!! SUBMIT YOUR STORIES USING THIS FORM If, this form isn’t working, then please email your submission to [email protected] as a last resort. But please let us know why as we’re hoping to use the form going forward. Title your email with the following syntax: SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982) It is important that your story complies with our Submission Guidelines. Any stories found not to be in compliance will be immediately discarded. Click HERE for details If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: • Stories must be 2,000 (10% tolerance +/-) • Save stories in a Word document - Times New Roman font, size 12 • Include a 1-2 sentence log line for your story at the end of the document • Ensure that your name and an email address are somewhere on the document • Stories must fit an upcoming theme • By submitting your story to us, you...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: 1 cent per word ($10 for every 1,000 words prorated, $50 for every 5,000 words prorated, and so on) + E-book and Audio format anthology copies Theme: Short horror stories that focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales Scare Street is now accepting submissions for its Night Terrors anthology. We’re looking for unpublished short horror stories that focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales. We want dark, creepy, weird, and unsettling fiction that are expertly told. Give us character-driven narratives with clever but logical twists at the end, creative and fresh takes on common horror tropes, terrifying monsters, and suspenseful tales. Gore and violence are fine as long as it follows our guidelines and it’s not just for shock value. Length: 3,000-7,000 words (we will consider stories that are slightly outside the word count range) Reprints: No Deadline: May 31, 2021 Payment: 1 cent per word ($10 for every 1,000 words prorated, $50 for every 5,000 words prorated, and so on) + E-book and Audio format anthology copies Read the full submission guidelines here: https://scarestreet.com/submissions Via: Scare Street.