Events

Taking Submissions: Fantastic Detectives

Deadline: December 30th, 2021 Payment: $20, royalties, and a contributor's copy Theme: Detectives in the fantasy genre that will do whatever is needed to solve their case Call  for  Submissions         Fantastic Detectives is a sequel anthology to Fantastic Defenders, which covered fantasy heroes, and has the same editors: Donna Royston and David  Keener. This new anthology is targeted at those stubborn individuals who just won’t let crimes go unsolved.   They could be members of the CityGuard, soldiers,          magicians, or anything else…but they all have one thing in common.  They’ll do whatever it takes to find the answers they need.   What We Want We’re looking for stories about crimes in fantasy settings, ranging from “second world” settings to urban fantasies   (with a slight preference for the former—no more than a  third of the anthology will be urban fantasies). Stories can have other elements such as romance, humor, action…but should primarily be about dealing with a crime  (a theft, kidnapping, murder, etc.). Since these are fantasy stories, magic should be featured in some fashion. It can be: used in committing the crime, used in solving the crime, the reason for the crime, an intrinsic capability of a character, or you can surprise us with something clever. The fantasy detective sub-genre can obviously lead to some dark stories,  which is fine,  but there should be at least a   little ray of hope somewhere in each tale.     Finally, as with any good story,  make us care about your characters.   What We Don’tWant Erotica Downer Endings    (the Bad Guys win, there is no hope,  we’re all Doomed). Tired tropes with no unique elements  (Conan the Detective, Mary Sue Werewolf, Dashingly Deadly Vampire Hunk,  Legolas the  Elf   Clone,  etc.). We love magic, but not as a  deus ex machina.               Submission Details...

Taking Submissions: For Those Who Deserve to Exist

Deadline: December 30th, 2021 Payment: $30 and a contributor's copy Theme: Reclamation by marginalized individuals. Rising up, overcoming, and righting (and rewriting) transgressions Who Can Submit: Those who identify as a marginalized individual or a person from a marginalized community. This new open call is one that is very special to us here at Inked. The past 10 months have felt like 30 years, and it seems in many ways we are going backwards instead of making progress. So this time, we’re going to grab a spot on the stage, demand the world make room. Our next anthology, aptly titled For Those Who Deserve to Exist, will be about marginalized folk, by marginalized folk. We will be looking for passionate, visceral stories about rising up, overcoming, and righting (and rewriting) transgressions. The general theme is that of reclaiming narratives through the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. In true Inked fashion: no sugar-coating, no watered down characters or situations. No punches pulled. Words have the power to elicit change. Stories dispel stereotypes with insight, combat prejudice with perspective, and narrow the divide so we can see each other for what we all are: human.   And we cannot wait to read all your stories! Here are the details you’ve been waiting for: Submission Period: Oct 31st to Dec 30th (Newly extended date!) Theme: Reclamation by marginalized individuals. Rising up, overcoming, and righting (and rewriting) transgressions Who Can Submit: Those who identify as a marginalized individual or a person from a marginalized community. Note: The parameters of marginalization can be fluid. Marginalized populations are defined as groups and communities that experience discrimination and exclusion (social, political and economic) because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social and cultural dimensions. Marginalized groups include (but are not limited to: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled, veterans, persons with a serious...

Taking Submissions: Surge (Rated R)

lonely woman with umbrella in abandoned city,digital painting Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Theme: Cyberpunk Deadline – December 31st, 2021 Publication – April 2022 Word Count – 5,000-15,000 Theme – Cyberpunk. These characters are trying to survive in a dystopia of advanced technologies. Living alongside Artificial Intelligence has its perks, but also many deadly downfalls.     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.Format video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftjuYtJWIBI Format image example at bottom of page. 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...

Taking Submissions: Cold and Crisp

Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: $5 Theme: A nice fall walk, a cold drink, a scary house, and so much more. Content: A nice fall walk, a cold drink, a scary house, and so much more. Accepted Styles: Short stories, flash fiction, and poetry Accepted Genres: Anything that isn't erotica or children's fiction Simultaneous Submissions: These are allowed, but please withdraw your submission immediately if accepted by another publisher. Reprints: No. Stories posted on the internet, including but not limited to, FB, personal websites, blogs, etc., are considered published. Number of Submissions per Author: 1 short story or 3 pieces of flash fiction or 5 pieces of poetry Length: A short story should be less than 5,000 words. Each flash fiction piece should be less than 1,500 words. Payment: Free electronic copy of the book and $5 per author, regardless of number of accepted submissions. Requested Rights: First rights to digital, audio, and print formats in English. Exclusive for one year from publication. After that year all rights revert back to the author. Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Formatting: Stories must be submitted electronically as a .docx attachment in an email to [email protected]. Submission should be 12 point font, Times New Roman, and double spaced. The document name should include the name of your submission. Please include the title and page numbers in the header of the attachment. In the body of your email please include your name, author name/website, address, short story title, and word count of submission. IF IN DOUBT PLEASE SUBMIT! Please note that Pub 518 is dedicated to the growth of writers within the Capital region. Therefore our publications are comprised of at least 51% written works from this region. That being said there is still plenty of room in our books for those outside of the...

Taking Submissions: Cosmic Crime Stories 2022

Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: $25 for original stories, $10 for reprints Theme: Tales of future crimes and future detectives Notes: Reprints welcome An anthology of tales of future crimes and detectives ​ Open to submission as of 1 May 2021 until 31 December 2021. ​ Writers and Artists Guidelines ​ Hiraeth Publishing is looking for stories and illustrations for Cosmic Crime Stories 2022, a print anthology of tales of future crimes and future detectives. This anthology is tentatively scheduled to be published on 1 June 2022 in trade paperback format with a color cover, and black and white interior illustrations. The editor is Tyree Campbell. ​ Please note that crime fiction written in the third person stands the best chance for acceptance. “They” say that there are no new plots or stories anywhere. “They” may be right, but you are the only you there is, so send us a story as only you can tell it, one that’s atmospheric and highly entertaining, has fascinating characters, one that takes place in a unique location or time period. ​ We do not want gore, blood, splatter, or slice-and-dice. A word about sex and extreme language: we don’t mind it, necessarily, but the sex and/or colorful language must have a purpose. ​ Stories for Cosmic Crime Stories 2022 must be written in English. You may use King’s English or American English . Please use standard manuscript format: 12 pt Times New Roman, double spaced, etc. The word count of your story should be between 2,000 and 8,000 words. We will be somewhat flexible on the 8,000, but the 2,000 is pretty firm. Of course, story quality usually overrides word count limitations. Usually. ​ Other useful hints: Do not underline. If you want italics, use italics. Put quotation marks around your dialogue, so that we know...

Taking Submissions: Felis Futura: An Anthology of Future Cats

Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: 1/word ($5 minimum.) for accepted fiction, $10 per accepted poem Theme: Stories about the future which feature cats Submissions are open for Felis Futura: An Anthology of Future Cats (working title) from Manawaker Studio, edited by CB Droege. Felis Futura is an anthology focused on stories about the future which feature cats. This volume will contain stories, poetry, and visual art. THEME Submitted works should be of any genre, as long as the work depicts a world that is noticeably in the future. Hard and Soft Sci-fi, (Post-)apocalyptic, Solarpunk, Slipstream, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Alternate (future) History, Supernatural, Retro-futurism etc. are all fine names for genres that often take place in the future, but your story doesn’t have to fit into one of those. In fact, if it manages to miss all of those labels, we may be even more interested to see it (unless it thus falls into what we specifically don’t want (see next paragraph)). All works must also prominently feature at least one cat. It does not have to be a cat of the genus Felis. Other members of the cat family are also acceptable, as are non-biological cats, metaphorical cats, robots with the acronym K.A.A.T., and so on. We are not looking for gore horror nor erotic romance. Works that contain some horror elements or some romantic elements are fine, but we would like the book to remain accessible to young adults and squeamish people. Works which seem particularly hateful or which discriminate against specific real-world groups will also be rejected. FICTION There is no hard word limit, but novellas and above might be hard to find room for. Fiction (one story only, please) should be attached to an e-mail (see below) as an RTF file. Please use standard manuscript formatting if possible. If submitting a sequential graphic narrative (comic), see the...

Taking Submissions: Noir, Shattering the Glass Slipper, and Brave New Worlds

Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Themes: Noir: Science fiction, fantasy, or urban fantasy stories with a detective/private investigator set-up and a noir atmosphere Shattering the Glass Slipper: Stories of known fairy tales that have been upended, gender-bent, or twisted around in some way. Brave New Worlds: Science fiction stories set along the pathway of us leaving Earth for the stars.   The NOIR, SHATTERING THE GLASS SLIPPER, and BRAVE NEW WORLDS anthology Kickstarter (back us at tinyurl.com/ZNB2021) has hit its goal!  If you have a story idea that fits one of the anthology themes, write it up, revise it, polish it, and send it in for consideration.  I've posted the guidelines below. The NOIR, SHATTERING THE GLASS SLIPPER, and BRAVE NEW WORLDS Submission Guidelines Zombies Need Brains LLC is accepting submissions to its three science fiction and fantasy anthologies NOIR, SHATTERING THE GLASS SLIPPER, and BRAVE NEW WORLDS.  Stories must be submitted in electronic form as an attachment with the title of the story as the file name in .doc or .docx format.  The header of the email should include the name of the anthology the submission is for along with the title of the submission (for example:  NOIR:  Private Detectives Gone Wild!).  The content of the email should also include which anthology the manuscript is intended for.  Please send multiple manuscripts in separate emails; you may submit to any or all of the anthologies as many times as you wish.  Manuscripts should be in manuscript format, meaning double-spaced, 12pt font, standard margins on top, bottom and sides, and pages numbered.  Please use Times New Roman font.  The first page should include the Title of the story, Author’s name, address, and email, word count, and Pseudonym if different from the author’s real name.  Italics and bold...

Taking Submissions: Into the Forest (a women-in-horror anthology)

Deadline: December 31, 2021 Payment: 6 cents a word (USD) Theme: Stories inspired by and featuring the BABA YAGA. Note: Open to writers who identify as women Deep in the dark forest, in a cottage that moves through the forest on birds’ legs behind a fence topped with human skulls, lives the baba yaga. A guardian of the water of life, she lives with her sisters and takes to the skies in a giant mortar and pestle, creating tempests as she goes. Those who come across the baba yaga may find help, or hinderance, or horror. She is wild, she is woman, she is witch—and these are her tales. We are looking for stories inspired by and featuring the BABA YAGA. INTO THE FOREST: Tales of the Baba Yaga is a women-in-horror anthology. All writers who identify as women are welcome to submit. GUIDELINES: Payment: 6 cents a word (USD) Length: 1000 to 5000 words Submission Period: September 28, 2021 to December 31, 2021 Expected Release Date: November 2022 (traditional trade) No reprints, multiple subs or simultaneous subs Use classic Shunn formatting. ​​ Full list of invited contributors: - Gwendolyn Kiste - Stephanie M. Wytovich - Donna Lynch - R. J. Joseph - Lindy Ryan - Mercedes M. Yardley - Monique Snyman - Lisa Quigley Via: Black Spot Books.

Taking Submissions: The Land of 10,000 Crimes

Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: $75 and a contributor's copy Theme: Mystery and Crime stories to be set in Minnesota or Minnesota adjacent (Wisconsin, Iowa, Canada, the Dakotas). We are pleased to announce there will be a short story anthology for Bouchercon 2022 - The Land of 10,000 Crimes. Our goal is to raise money for the Women's Prison Book Project. All of the proceeds, after publishing costs, will  go to the WPBP, along with the proceeds from our live and silent auctions.     Submission guidelines:    Short stories must be crime fiction, less than 5000 words, and stories must not have been published anywhere else previously.   We would like the stories to be set in Minnesota or Minnesota adjacent (Wisconsin, Iowa, Canada, the Dakotas).   The hard deadline for submission is December 31, 2021. Any stories received after this will not be considered for any reason.   Please submit stories via email and in Word documents to [email protected] Please include your name, email, and any other contact information we might need.  If selected, we will send you a contract assigning Bouchercon the rights for your story for one year after the publication date. After that, the rights revert to you. You will be paid $75.00 for each story we publish so you meet the guidelines for certain awards in our industry. You will also receive a free copy.   We will be holding a signing at Bouchercon 2022.   Greg Herren and Bouchercon 2022 co-chair Terri Bischoff will be making the selections and editing the anthology. Via: BoucherCon 2022.

Taking Submissions: Taking Submissions: Allegory Volume 41

Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: $15 Theme: Speculative fiction, primarily horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Note: Reprints welcome Formatting Guidelines This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. EMAIL AND COVER LETTERS Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman SUBMISSION FORMATTING We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Test Format (.rtf) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult to open. Please note that we no longer accept "inline" submssions; that is, submissions with the stories pasted...