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Deadline: January 9th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Compelling science fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Compelling Science Fiction About the theme: The Compelling Science Fiction Short Stories collection is looking for new tales which are on the more plausible end of the SF spectrum. Time can be stretched, other worlds discovered, aliens can be present and quantum realms can be explored, but preferably all with a strong spine of internal self-consistency and dose of real-world science. For Compelling Science Fiction submit your story to [email protected] Terms and Guidelines Terms: We do not require exclusivity and do accept reprints Multiple submissions are fine Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology For accepted stories we pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although some may be paid earlier than that Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel. Guidelines: Word length is most likely to be successful at 2000-4000 words, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range Let us know in your submission email whether your story would be a reprint or is currently unpublished Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page If submitting a story that has recently been submitted to us for consideration to another anthology, please state this in the submission email Deadline for submissions is Sunday 9th January 2022   The...

Deadline: January 9th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Compelling science fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Christmas Gothic Short Stories About the theme: The Christmas Gothic Short Stories collection (with thanks to author Marina Favila for the suggestion) is a seasonal celebration of the dark and moody, the ghastly, the ghostly and the magical Christmas short story. We're looking for new submissions to join the classic tales of Algernon Blackwood, James Joyce, E.F. Benson and Elizabeth Gaskell. For Christmas Gothic submit your story to [email protected] Terms and Guidelines Terms: We do not require exclusivity and do accept reprints Multiple submissions are fine Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology For accepted stories we pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although some may be paid earlier than that Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel. Guidelines: Word length is most likely to be successful at 2000-4000 words, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range Let us know in your submission email whether your story would be a reprint or is currently unpublished Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page If submitting a story that has recently been submitted to us for consideration to another anthology, please state this in the submission email Deadline for submissions is Sunday 9th January 2022   The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy,...

Deadline: January 14th. 2022 Payment: 3 cents per word for original fiction. 5k words = $150, 1 cent per word for reprints. Theme: Cosmic Horror, Lovecraftian, Weird stories, original and reprints. Note: Reprints Welcome Submission Period *SUBMISSIONS OPEN SOON!* – Submission periods are twice yearly from January 1st – January 14th and July 1st – July 14th. January stories accepted will appear in issues from the following July – December July stories accepted will appear in issues from the following January – June SUBMISSION PROCEDURES Instructions: All fiction must be submitted via email to [email protected]. When submitting, include a little background information about yourself in the body and attach the story in the form of a Microsoft Word file. Please include a word count and a brief synopsis of the work. For artwork, please put a link to the gallery/pieces in the body of the email along with any relevant background information. You may also attach example work. Acceptable file formats for attachments are DOCX, JPG, PNG. Guidelines Cosmic Horror Monthly is seeking Cosmic Horror, Lovecraftian, Weird stories, original and reprints. If you aren’t sure if your work qualifies, submit it and we can decide. No subject is off-limits and we do encourage writers to try and push the status quo. Please only submit a single story once and only submit one story per email. Multiple submissions are strongly discouraged. Every email will be checked! Simultaneous submissions are allowed. At this time, we are strongly favoring stories with a contemporary narrative style. Lovecraftian themes and mythos works are welcomed but try to avoid Lovecraft pastiche and styles mimicking that of his writer circle from the early 20th century. Word Count: We are open to stories of 1000-7500 words. Stories in the range of 3000-5000 words are preferred. Art If you are...

Deadline: January 14th, 2022 Payment: $10 for stories over 2k Theme: A sub-genre of speculative fiction, brings readers dystopian, violent worlds with amoral or morally questionable protagonists. OPEN NOW (See Theme: GRIMDARK for close details) Word count : up to 3,000 words (10% leeway) Author eligibility : Open to all Reprints : Not allowed Simultaneous Submissions : Not allowed Multiple Submissions : TWO. Can be submitted at the same time in separate emails. Maximum acceptances : ONE per pen name Publication : In digital and print, launching 2022 Author compensation : One digital copy, plus print discounts, and $10 USD for all stories published over 2k (after edits) Submit to : [email protected] Grimdark, a sub-genre of speculative fiction, brings readers dystopian, violent worlds with amoral or morally questionable protagonists. The tone is always grim and dark—from whence the name comes—and valourises the protagonist’s struggles as they choose between good and evil. Some reading examples; A Song of Fire and Ice—George R.R. Martin The Gaslight Dogs—Karin Lowachee Certain Dark Things—Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Poppy War—R.K. Kuang Lord Foul’s Bane—Stephen Donaldson Gardens of the Moon—Steven Erikson The Court of Broken Knives—Anna Smith Spark Your characters might be human or speculative fiction—vampires, werewolves, androids, aliens, fae. Can include romance elements and comedy, but, as always, err on the very dark side. Submit to : [email protected]   Via: Black Hare Press.

Submission Window: December 1st, 2021 - January 15th, 2021 Payment: $25 Theme: Cryptids! Sasquatch, Chupacabra, Jersey Devil. All these things are deemed by Cryptozoologists as creatures that may exist out in the wild, but are dismissed by mainstream media science. Scientists will say it’s all just pseudoscience. Mumbo-jumbo, if you will. They’ll will even go as far as to say it’s all just claims based on fairytales, that there really is no actual scientific research to back up cryptozoology’s assertion that these creatures exist. But what if mainstream scientists are wrong. What if these creatures are out there, lurking in the darkest reaches of our planet. Prepare yourself for Cryptid Carnage! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bxpamj7I9A Open call for Splatter Ink Publishing's Cryptid Carnage starts on Dec. 1st, and we close our doors for submissions on Jan. 15th. We are looking for stories from 2,000 - 10,000 words and we do not want reprints. Simultaneous Submission are okay, as long as you tell us it is a Simultaneous Submission and if it gets picked up elsewhere. We will have exclusive rights to your story for a year, then it switches over to non-exclusive rights after that. Send your stories to [email protected] and we'll get to them as soon as we can! Payout for accepted stories is $25

Deadline: January 15th, 2022 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. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease 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...

Deadline: January 15th, 2022 Payment: £50.00 plus a contributor's copy Theme: Reprints of science fiction published in 2021 Note: Must live in UK or be a British ex-pat Note: Reprints only Submissions for Best of British SF 2021 are now open! Series editor Donna Scott is seeking the very best short stories written by British authors that were first published during 2021. For our purposes, 'British' means authors who are resident in the UK or British ex-pats who currently live elsewhere. Please bear in mind that this is a reprint market and we are not interested in original stories in this instance; nor do we wish to see self-published stories. Also, we are looking specifically for Science Fiction with this one; fantasy and other flavours of genre will not be considered. There is no specific limit on a story's length, though anything over 10,000 words will be a tough sell. Submissions should be sent as attachments to:   [email protected] Please follow standard manuscript formatting. We are interested in seeing your very best work. Therefore, multiple submissions are not encouraged; if you really cannot decide, please submit no more than two stories. This is a paying market, with successful authors receiving payment of 1p a word up to a maximum of £50.00 plus a contributor's copy of each edition of the book. Via: Newcon Press.

Deadline: January 15th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Crime stories of the future (not needed but think mixing with science fiction, more details below!) BOOK 2 IN THE REINVENTED ANTHOLOGY SERIES Edited by Jennifer Brozek and Cat Rambo CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS As we move forward into the age of information, what happens to our ideas of detection and crime? How do you handle it when your smart car blackmails you or you need to murder the downloaded personality of your enemy? What acts to enforce society's norms and catch those violating them in the future? Will our definitions of crime — or punishment — change, and what new forms of either might appear? ​ Among the stories we hope to see: Updated tropes like but not limited to the hardboiled detective, the police procedural, or the locked room mystery. Kidnapped AIs, stolen memories and identities, virtual crimes vs physical ones. What constitutes murder when the victim's got a backup? What if you accidentally unplug someone's server? Stories that experiment, astonish, and entertain. This is our open call. Writers of color, QUILTBAG writers, writers with disabilities, and neuro-diverse writers are actively encouraged to apply, as are writers from outside the United States. ​ Guidelines: ​ Open for submissions: November 15th, 2021 through January 15, 2022. All submissions should be submitted through our Moksha portal. Please remove identifying information from the manuscript, but otherwise use standard manuscript format. In the cover letter, list your full author name, the title of your work, and the word count. ​ Length: 1500-5000 words (5k is going to be a tough sell) ​ Buying: Original fiction; exclusive rights for 18 months with standard "best of" anthology exceptions. ​ Paying: 8 cents a word (SFWA pro rates) ​ No multiple submissions. Simultaneous submissions are okay but you must notify us...

Submission Window: January 1st-15th, 2022 Payment: 1 winner each month will win $10 Canadian Theme: A story at exactly 50-words If you’d like to have a 50-word story that you wrote featured on FiftyWordStories.com, first make sure that you understand exactly what a 50-word story is, and then read the submission requirements below closely. Submissions System Each month, submissions will be open between days 1 and 15 of that month. Any stories received on days 16 to 31 of a month will be deleted, but can be resubmitted the following month. You may only submit one story per month. From the stories received in those 15 days, the best stories will be selected to be published that same month. Only enough stories will be selected to publish two stories per weekday. There is no payment associated with stories. However, each month a “Story of the Month” is selected, and receives a prize of $10 Canadian. Stories that were not selected will not be published, will not roll over into the following month, and cannot be resubmitted in following months. Authors will be notified whether their story has been selected or not once all stories from the month’s submissions have been reviewed. How to Submit Please email your submission to [email protected]. Paste the story into the body of the email. Please include a title, your name, and a brief third-person bio. Feel free to include a link to your website! If you are submitting a story related to a specific date or holiday, please include that information in the Subject line of your submission. You can also send your story in using the form at the bottom of this page. Tips and Guides Looking for help with writing microfiction? Check out Bob Thurber’s Anatomy of a Microfiction page. Terms and Conditions Please keep the content of your submissions appropriate for...

Submission Window: January 1st-15th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. **STARTING IN 2022, SUBMISSIONS OPEN JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, AND OCTOBER (1-15th of each month)** Submissions CLOSED. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Firm. Author Compensation: 2c/word, paid via PayPal. (Rounded to nearest whole dollar) Publication: Dread Stone Press website (Dose of Dread). Reading Periods: January, April, July, and October; 1st to 15th. Any stories submitted outside of each reading period will not be read. Rights: First World Electronic Rights. Non-exclusive rights thereafter. No reprint restrictions after publication. Original stories ONLY. No reprints. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but NO multiple submissions. You may submit again the next reading period if rejected. If your story is accepted, please sit out one reading period before submitting again. Please, for everyone’s sake, no rough drafts. Successful pieces will require little to no proofreading edits. Email your submission as a Word document attachment to [email protected] with “DOSE – – ” in the subject line. Rejections for Dose of Dread submissions will be sent by the end of the month submitted. If you have not received a reply by then, feel free to follow-up. All rejections will be form rejections. It’s not personal, promise. Which also means please don’t respond to rejections. It’s unnecessary. Please see the General Submission Guidelines below for additional formatting information. General Submission Guidelines Address your email to “Editor” or “Alex”. Please provide a brief cover letter in the body of the email (title, word count, relevant info, etc). Do not stress over or overthink this. Please include an author bio of 100 words or less, written in third person, plus any links (e.g. to a website / Twitter) if you wish to include them. Please submit your work as an email attachment in .doc/.docx format. Any other attachment type or...