Events

Taking Submissions: Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror

Deadline: June 1st, 2021 Payment: $0.01 per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Stories must include menopause as the main plot point Sliced Up Press is looking for short stories involving menopause for its latest horror fiction anthology, Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror, edited by Nicole M. Wolverton. Menopause can be hell – so show us your demons, your darkest dreams, bloodiest crimes or scariest transformations. It’s called the change of life, but transitions can be deadly. What we’re looking for: Stories must include menopause as the main plot point We welcome and encourage stories from women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors, as we’re looking for a range of experiences to be represented All submissions must be in the horror genre, though we don’t want anything involving rape, etc. All submissions must be original. We will not accept reprints, or stories published elsewhere including on blogs, social media etc. Submit your best work in standard manuscript format, as an MS Word .doc or .docx attachment. Anything sent in a different format will be deleted without reply. Authors may submit one story maximum for consideration. Do not re-send rejected stories (including those rejected for previous calls to Sliced Up Press anthologies) No simultaneous submissions please. We are not looking for artwork submissions at this time. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & TERMS: Please email submissions to [email protected] using the following format in the email subject line: Submission for Bodies Full of Burning: – – . (so your email should look like this: Submission for Bodies Full of Burning: My Name – My Story – 1,500 words) In the body of your email, please include a brief author bio of 3-4 sentences maximum along with any social media links. Payment: $0.01 per word, plus 1 x paperback and ebook contributor copy. Length: Minimum 1,000 words, up to 4,000 words...

Taking Submissions: Enchanted Conversation: 2021 June Issue (Early Listing)

Submission Window: June 1st-3rd 2021 Payment: $50 Theme: Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk. Hi there! We’ll no doubt write more about this later in the next year, but for now, what follows below will tell you all you need to know. And the theme? It’s “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” (No more submissions are being accepted for publication in December of 2020–but we will be publishing stories that have already been accepted.) The following is relevant to all submissions for 2021, and the first submission window opens Jan. 1. More below.   Writing opportunities for 2021 include:   New Fairy Tales: Fairy tales that are almost or entirely new or are just new takes on old tales are all welcome. Mashups of existing fairy tales are welcome as well. Submissions must follow the theme below to be considered.   Essays: Nonfiction articles about any aspect fairy tales and folklore are being sought. The term “essay” just means you’ll be writing about fairy-tale related matters in a nonfiction article.  Creative nonfiction is welcome. You do not have to stick to the theme, but you can.   Poetry: Poetry inspired by fairy tales and that follows the theme is also welcome.   Please read the following in its entirety before submitting.   Want to know what is likely to get published here? There are well over 10 years of stories, essays and art on this current site. It’s the best place to start if you want to be published here.   HERE IS HOW YOU SUBMIT AND FORMAT   Only the kind of submissions outlined below will be accepted at EC in 2021.   * Writers will have a chance to submit fairy-tale inspired stories/essays/poems 11 times this year. Since we will be choosing four works per publishing month, there are 44...

Taking Submissions: Unleashed: Pandemic

Deadline: June 5th, 2021 Payment: $25 Theme: Pandemic Skywatcher Press is excited to launch our themed biannual anthology series UNLEASHED featuring top notch fiction by new and established authors.  We are seeking stories across the wide possibilities of the horror landscape. Our goal is to terrify readers, make their skin crawl, and keep them on the edge of their seats.    This anthology series is released biannually, so if your story doesn't get chosen, keep trying! Stories can be up to 10,000 words, and we will make exceptions for longer.  Once selected, pay will be $25 per story. We are eagerly awaiting your most twisted, nightmarish creations!  2021 Summer Release! Seeking stories with themes surrounding PANDEMIC. Submission DEADLINE is JUNE 5, 2021 HOW TO SUBMIT For consideration, please send submissions in .doc format to [email protected] All submissions must be original works of fiction, and we are seeking First Print Rights. If you have any doubt about professional manuscript formatting, here is a handy dandy guide to manuscript formatting: Via: Skywatcher Press.

Taking Submissions: Iron City Magazine Issue 6

Deadline: June 6th, 2021 Payment: 2 contributors copies Theme: Current/former prisoners may submit work on any topic. Prison volunteers, family, friends, and staff should submit only work on memories, perspectives, or insights related to mass incarceration. Note: This call is for current/former prisoners, current/former prison volunteers, family and friends of prisoners, and current/former prison staff Call For Submissions Submission Guidelines (Link to website) We are currently accepting submissions of short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, one-act plays, cartoons/comics, graphic stories, and art for Issue 6. Submission Deadline: June 06, 2021 Who Can Submit  We welcome submissions from current/former prisoners, current/former prison volunteers, family and friends of prisoners, and current/former prison staff. Current/former prisoners may submit work on any topic. Prison volunteers, family, friends, and staff should submit only work on memories, perspectives, or insights related to mass incarceration. How to Submit  To accommodate prisoners who do not have computer and/or internet access, we accept both electronic and mail-in submissions. Additionally, we accept both typed and handwritten work. There is no submission fee. Please see the guidelines below for each category. Please use the attached coversheet and include your entire submission in a single email or envelope. Manuscripts and art will be returned only with a self-addressed and stamped envelope or mailing tube. We prefer to receive digital images (jpg, png, pdf) of the original art rather than the art itself, but we will accept either. *In order to be considered for publication, cover letter/consent form must be completed in its entirety (Included in Submittable Electronic Form). If you do not have access to a copy of the cover sheet, please include a handwritten/typed letter with title, genre, consent to proofreading and/or structure edits, and incarceration status.  Payment/Gift for Accepted Work  Two contributor copies, prison policy permitting. *Arizona State Prison policy prohibits gifting or paying...

Taking Submissions: Fantasy Magazine June Window (Early Listing)

Submission Window: June 1st-7th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Original fantasy and dark fantasy stories. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. Note: This is an early listing to give you some time to plan ahead for next month or to remember to finish revising your story for the upcoming month! Note: We are trusting that the submission windows listed in the ongoing call are valid for this publisher. If they are not, please let us know and we'll look into revising accordingly. 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. 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...

Taking Submissions: If I Die Before I Wake Volume 6

Deadline: June 9th, 2021 Payment: $40 and a contributor's copy Theme: Horror deep under horror Do you want your story to appear in the next volume of the Better Off Dead Series? IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE: Volume 6 Submission Guidelines ​ Please read carefully. Submissions that don't meet the guidelines will be automatically rejected. ​ All submissions will be reviewed after the submission deadline and chosen stories will be published in IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE- TALES OF THE DARK DEEP - The Better Off Dead Series Volume 6, which will be released December 6th, 2021. Submissions must be between 5,000 and 10,000 words (Word counts are firm) Title, submitter's name, pen name (if different), story word count and author email address must be centered at the top of your submission Submissions must be written using American English spelling and terminology Submissions must be written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1" margins, double spaced with a special first line indention of 0.3" Submissions must not contain headers, footers or page numbers All scene breaks must be three asterisks, centered, with no spaces in between (***) Submissions must be in .Docx or .Doc format Submissions should be clean and edited to the best of author's ability Submissions must fit the theme of the Dark Deep and should be centered around bodies of water and anything connected to them, such as sea creatures, mysterious disappearances, pirates, the Bermuda Triangle, etc, and must be written in the horror genre. Submissions cannot contain graphic sexual or rape scenes Submissions must not have been published elsewhere before in any medium The number of stories published will depend on word count of the chosen stories, but will be no less than ten stories and no more than twenty Authors may submit as many...

Taking Submissions: Martian Magazine

Deadline: June 9th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word, 4 cents a word for reprints Theme: 100-word stories of science fiction General Submissions will be OPEN May 10, 2021 – June 9, 2021 Martian magazine publishes drabbles, stories of exactly 100 words (excluding title). Stories submitted of greater than or less than 100 words will be rejected. We use Google Docs to determine word count. We publish science fiction. Every subgenre of science fiction is acceptable but the science fiction element must be present. Submitted works must be stories. They must have a beginning, middle, and at least hint at the end. They may be 100 words, but we are not interested in thoughts or feelings without action or characters that don’t do anything. We will have set reading periods each year. Submissions will only be read in those reading periods. Stories sent outside of the reading periods will not be read unless they were specifically solicited by the editor. We pay .08 per word for original fiction, paid on publication of the selected work. Reprints are accepted and paid at .04 per word, half that of original fiction. We accept simultaneous submissions. Just please let us know if your work was selected elsewhere if we have not yet gotten back to you. We accept multiple submissions-up to three at a time, sent as separate emails. We will respond within two weeks with either a rejection or hold request. The rights we ask for are first-time world electronic rights for original fiction and non-exclusive reprint rights for reprints. We do not have an exclusivity period, you are free to sell your work as a reprint upon publication in Martian. We publish a yearly anthology gathering the work from the previous year. This anthology will be published in digital ebook and print. We also ask for the...

Taking Submissions: The Other Stories #72: Doppelgängers II

The Other Stories

Deadline: June 14th, 2021 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Doppelgängers 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 72.) Doppelgängers II; deadline 14th June !!!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 are...

Taking Submissions: Released

Deadline: June 14th, 2021 Payment: Contributor's copy Theme: something got out Note: My apologies for the short window, only saw the open call on it this morning No Bad Books Press is pleased to announce its first anthology call for submissions. We expect publication in September 2021. The name of the Anthology is "Released" and the theme is, "something got out." SUBMISSION DETAILS Submission Deadline: June 14, 2021 Word Count: 1,500-4,000 Guidelines: Please keep it into a speculative-fiction world or theme. Please don’t include anything that involves rape, violence for the sake of violence, erotica, abuse of animals or children. Explicit language is fine in moderation as are mild-sexual scenes. Author compensation: You will receive a physical copy of the anthology, an e-book copy, authors will retain the rights to their stories after 6 months, and receive our undying support and appreciation. Submit submission in the email body (no attachments) to [email protected] Via: No Bad Books Press.

Taking Submissions: Muddy Paw Press Speculative Fiction Contest

Deadline: June 15th, 2021 Prizes: 1st place: $700, 2nd place: $200, 3rd place: $100 Theme: Engaging and original stories in the Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror realm The Contest $1000 short story contest instructions: Deadline June 15th Deadline: June 15th Word Limit: 5000 words (if you're a few words over, that's fine). All genres accepted. Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror smiled upon. 1st place: $700 and publication in the journal. 2nd place: $200 and publication in the journal. 3rd place: $100 and publication in the journal. HOW TO SUBMIT: Email your stories to: submissions (at) muddypawpress (dot) com The subject of your email should read: CONTEST: title of story  e.g. CONTEST: The Dirty Dog . Include your name and contact information on page 1. No reprints. Original, unpublished work only. Guidelines We're not going to waste your time with obscure and lengthy guidelines, and we hope you won't waste ours by neglecting to read these brief tips. If it's not already clear, we're primarily seeking engaging and original stories in the Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror realm. That said, we're looking for fiction that has literary merit above all else. Share a story with us that's demanding to see the light of day. Give us a conflict that's cannot be ignored; give us a character that commands attention; give us a novel situation or a compelling predicament or a totally unique angle on a familiar trope. Send us a good piece of fiction and we'll figure out everything else later. Edit your manuscript. Gaping plot holes, typos, mistakes, and cliched writing is certain to be rejected. No idea is clever enough to overpower bad or unpolished writing. We cannot stress this enough: edit your manuscript. Hyper analyze your first page. Then, hyper analyze your first chapter. There's an overwhelmingly high chance that our editors will recognize within...