Events

Deadline: July 15th, 2021 Payment: 8¢ a word for original work, 4¢ a word for reprints Theme: Visions from a Gender-Inclusive Future Note: Trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer artists and writers Note: Reprints Welcome About Issue 1: Visions from a Gender-Inclusive Future Inclusive Future Magazine is an anthology of speculative prose, poetry, and art in the guise of a pop culture  magazine from the future. IMAGINE: It’s the year 2068, and we’ve achieved gender equality in the broadest sense. Not only are  genders outside the binary widely acknowledged and accepted, but people of all genders are paid equally for equal work, have equal opportunity, are included in scientific studies, and are marketed to equally. You are writing and making art from this future, roughly fifty years from now, and you are submitting a piece of work to an international culture magazine whose target audience includes English-speaking adults of all genders living anywhere in the world.    What does this gender-inclusive future look like? What language do we use around gender? In what ways have our societies been reshaped in order to include people of all genders? How might inclusion look different in different cultures and systems (including religious ones)? How might advancements in science and technology change our perceptions of gender? What challenges might trans, non-binary, and genderqueer people still face and be fighting to overcome? ​ While your submission does not have to be about gender, it definitely needs to contain elements that make it gender-inclusive. A simplistic example: a pop science article about Mars colonization that uses pronouns beyond the binary. Via: Inclusive Future Magazine.

Deadline: July 15th, 2021 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 work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. 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...

Submission Window: July 1st - 15th, 2021 Payment: $25 Theme: Horror/thriller stories that take place in or near the woods. The Cellar Door - Issue #1: Woodland Terrors Compiled and Edited by Aric Sundquist Submissions: July 1 - 15, 2021 (EST) opening soon The Cellar Door is a biannual digest of dark, speculative fiction. Each issue will contain 8 to 10 stories based around a specific theme and will include a brand new story from a featured author. The majority of the digest (80%) will be filled from the open submissions. Title: The Cellar Door - Issue #1: Woodland Terrors Theme: Horror/thriller stories that take place in or near the woods. Type: Creature feature, thriller/suspense, gothic/ghost story, serial killer, witchcraft, cult, cosmic horror. Featured Author: Daniel Barnett Word Count: 2,000 - 7,500 words. Payment: $25.00 + digital copy. Rights: We are seeking first time rights for 1 year after publication. After that time all rights revert back to the author. The publication will appear in both print and digital formats and will eventually be reissued in The Cellar Door Compendium. Reprints: None. Previously unpublished only. Multiple Submissions: None. Simultaneous Submissions: None. Please wait until you hear back from us before submitting your piece to another market. File Format: Include your story as an attachment in MS Word, LibreOffice, or Rich Text Format. Manuscript Format: Use the Modern Shunn Format. Include a short bio in the body of your email. Your subject line should read, WT Submission: ("Title") by (Author's Name). For Example, WT Submission: "To Build a Fire" by Jack London. Attach the story as a separate document. Response Time: 3 - 4 weeks after submissions close. Submission Period: July 1 - 15, 2021 (EST). Stories sent before or after will be deleted unread. Send Submissions to: darkpenpress (at) gmail (dot) com Influential Movies: The Evil Dead, The Ritual, Dog Soldiers, Here Alone, The Edge, Wrong Turn, The Blair Witch...

Deadline: July 15th, 2021 Payment: $25 Theme: Fun stories about horses, magic, and magic horses—unicorns, winged horses, horses, donkeys, zebras… basically anything in the Equus genus will do. Untethered will be filled with fun stories about horses, magic, and magic horses—unicorns, winged horses, horses, donkeys, zebras… basically anything in the Equus genus will do. And, as the name suggests, I want the stories to be a little untamed, a little wild. I’m looking for whacky, whimsical, funny or feisty stories to bring a little levity to some tricky times. That is not meant to imply you shouldn’t explore real conflicts and issues, but all stories should have happy endings. Open for Submissions: June 2021 Extended to July 15, 2021 Expected Publication: Spring 2022 Story Length: up to 7,500 words Payment: $25 USD + electronic contributor copy Simultaneous submissions = okay. Multiple submissions = no. Previously published stories will be a tough sell but I’m willing to consider them. Please include the details of when and where they were originally published in your cover letter. Submit here: https://niteblade.submittable.com/submit/195708/untethered via: Rhonda Parrish.

Deadline: July 15th, 2021 Payment: $10 Theme: Horror with a blend of fun themes Thurston Howl Publications is now accepting submissions for its seventh volume of its HOWLERS series, Fearful Fun. Deadline: July 15, 2021 Word count: 2,500-8,000; a little above and a little below will be acceptable In the past, our HOWLERS series played some Gruesome Games, but we were thinking about other ways people could have fun. A carnival. A circus. An escape room. An amusement park. A haunted house attraction or corn maze. And each of these has its own history in horror. Movies like FREAKS, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and ESCAPE ROOM. The Legend of McKamey Manor. Remember those times we were all scared of killer clowns? Or the urban legend of the person who actually killed someone in a haunted house attraction? Sometimes fun just isn't so fun, huh? Sometimes, it's more fearful fun. We will take preference with stories that are unique. Don’t just write another killer clown story or a basic demonic carnival story, UNLESS your story genuinely has a unique take on 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 To submit, please use this submittable link! If you are in doubt, ASK. Better to ask then to get a straight up rejection! If you are unsure, just shoot me an email at [email protected].(restrictions borrowed from Voice: https://t.co/MWykJ6RY36) You can submit up to three stories, but we will only accept one per author (if any). Reprints are fine, but you have to own full permission of the work in order for us...

Deadline: July 16th, 2021 Payment: 40% royalties for net eBook sales with a chance to increase to 50% should a specific threshold of sales be met. Sales on the print books will be paid 25% Theme: We are seeking high-quality, stand-alone novels, novellas and potential novella series in HORROR. Submission Window:  June 16 - July 16   Hello! We are excited to announce that Eerie River Publishing is opening for non agented manuscripts in horror!   We are an inclusive company that accepts submission from anyone regardless of race, gender or sexuality. We accept agented and non-agented submissions during our submission window. What are we looking for? HORROR We are seeking high-quality, stand-alone novels, novellas and potential novella series in HORROR.  At this time we are not interested in short story collections, erotica, strictly religious fiction, YA Fiction, or poetry.     We want unique, well-crafted worlds with compelling plots, exciting adventures, entertaining characters,  for mature audiences. Most importantly we want to be scared! Give us your grim, heart-wrenching twist. The perfect story would balance the light and the dark pieces of the storyline with humour, alongside the emotional twists and turns. In essence, if you can evoke a gambit of emotion throughout the story then we will be hard-pressed to say no.   Manuscripts should be written in good taste, and be aimed for a mature audience. As this is horror we expect the scary and horrible, and we encourage a step toward darker, more horrific tones within the storyline. We won't shy away from some use of violence and gore. However, we will not be accepting any manuscripts with detailed rape scenes, pedophilia, sexual torture, or untoward behaviours regarding animals of any kind (you know exactly what we mean).   Novel submissions should be under 100,000 words.  Novella submissions should be approximately 25,000...

Submission Window: July 1st – 17th, 2021 Payment: $0.02/word or $25/story, whichever is greater. Theme: Horror (unthemed) Heads up, Horror Fans! Crone Girls Press will be opening soon for submissions for our third (and last!) volume of Stories We Tell After Midnight. The submission window will be July 1 – 17, 2021. (Please do not send any submissions until the window opens or we will regretfully delete them without response.) Here is what we’ll be looking for: Name: Stories We Tell After Midnight, Volume 3 Genre: Horror (unthemed) Deadline: Submissions open July 1 and close midnight, EDT, July 17, 2021. Release Date: October 7, 2021 Word Counts: * Flash Fiction (500-1,500 words) * Short Stories (3,000-6,000 words) * Novella (12,000-25,000 words) Pay: $0.02/word or $25/story, whichever is greater. Editor: Rachel A. Brune, she/her Send submissions to: [email protected]; Subject line: SWTAM3 “Title” Wanted: Send me your chilling horror, your stories that are set firmly in the genre, tagging the tropes and atmospherics of things that will cause you to have nightmares and not be able to escape the dark, even when you pull the covers over your head and sleep with the light on. Scroll down for the full list of submission guidelines. General Submission Guidelines Submit a .doc, .docx, or .rtf that adheres to Shunn manuscript format. No other formats, please. Follow submission guidelines and use the Crone Girls Press Style Guide if you have any additional formatting or style questions. If you have any questions, a good place to get a feel for who we are is the Crone Girls Press Facebook Group. Come on in. We won’t bite. Most of us won’t, anyway. Cover letters should include: a logline, story title, and word count. For Midnight Bites, include the theme or potential theme. We publish debut and established authors, so I prefer not to see...

Deadline: July 30th, 2021 Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00, Up to 5000 words $15.00, Above 5001 words $20.00 Theme: Dark Fae and the fairy world, a LGBTQIA+ Dark Fantasy anthology Submission Open: June 1, 2021 Submission Close: July 30, 2021 - End of day, last place on earth Publishing timeline: 2022 Title and Cover to be determinded LGBTQIA+ Dark Fantasy anthology ​ Theme: Dark Fae and the fairy world ​ Eerie River is, and forever will be, inclusive in every way. We are looking for LGBTQIA+ characters to be featured within the story itself. Who can submit? This anthology is open to everyone. ​ Bring us your foolish humans, your dark flesh-eating fae. Entice us with your magic and let us feast on the carnage you create. We are looking for unique character-driven stories with a strong fantasy storyline. Happy endings not required. Rated R stories welcome. ​ Although some romance is welcome, please note we are not looking for a romance story. Dark fantasy tends to delve heavily into the grim, with dark themes throughout. We are not looking for erotica, but will not shy away from a sex scene or two if it is necessary to the plot. We are not looking for a retelling of a classic tale or fan fiction. ​ Word count: 2000 - 8000 Some wiggle room allowed above the limit. ​ Compensation: Flat rate per story (after approved edits)     - Up to 3000 words $10.00     - Up to 5000 words $15.00     - Above 5001 words $20.00 We are also hoping to be able to offer a bonus payment should the sales reach a specific target profit after expenses. This detail will be outlined within the contract ​ ​ Formatting guidelines: Please read carefully ​ We are reading these stories blind. Do not add your...

Submission Window: July 1st -July 30th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Note: You must identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. We’re especially interested in writing and art that explore some aspect of migration, whether explicitly (themes of immigration, colonialism, etc.), metaphorically, or with a sly nod and a wink. Most importantly, we’re a new magazine and we’re still finding our identity: therefore, please don’t self-reject because you’re not sure if your work is a good fit. We won’t know until we see it, so please give us a chance to look! See submission requirements & how to submit at the following pages: Fiction Non-fiction Art Voice actors Who can submit? khōréō is dedicated to diversity and amplifying the voices of immigrant and diaspora authors and artists. We welcome, but do not require, a brief description of the author’s/artist’s identity in their cover letter. We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced...

Deadline: July 30, 2021 Payment: 1 cent per word ($10 for every 1,000 words prorated, $50 for every 5,000 words prorated, and so on) Theme: Unpublished short horror stories that focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales. Scare Street is accepting submissions for short horror stories with a focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales. Unpublished 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 200+ e-book and paperback titles along with 150+ 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 (12,000+ subscribers), Facebook Page (30,000+ followers), Facebook Group (12,000+ members), Pinterest (nearly 200k+ 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....