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Submission Window: March 7th – April 14th, 2022 Payment: $25 Theme: Post-Apocalyptic Pride We will be announcing the theme and open submission dates for June’s issue soon. Short Stories up to 3,000 words Flash and Micro Fiction up to 1,000 words Poetry Author Compensation: $25.00 (USD) per piece Rights: We request first worldwide and digital rights for four months following publication. Thereafter all rights revert to the author. All copyright remains with the author. June ’22 Theme: Post-Apocalyptic Pride Call Status: CLOSED (Opening Soon…) Publication: Digital Formats Submission Period: March 7, 2022 – April 14, 2022 Decisions By: May 14, 2022 Release Date: June 30, 2022 What We’re Looking For: feel free to interpret the “Post-Apocalyptic” part of the theme as broadly as you like, from entirely ruined worlds to the confines of a single-family dwelling after, for example, a catastrophic fire. Your work should contain quiet horror elements (see our FAQ page for more on that). Carefully read the guidelines below for more. Guidelines For all open calls, submit your work by email to [email protected] with the subject line formatted as such: “ ” (ex.“June 2022 – The Sinkhole – David Fey – Adult”). Please submit your work as an email attachment in .doc/.docx format. Authors may submit up to two pieces per issue. We request that each piece be submitted via its own individual email. You are welcomed to interpret each issue’s theme however you like but keep in mind that your interpretation should be within the realms of quiet horror and/or intimate dystopia. Ensure your document contains your story title, your name (or pen name), and an approximate word count. In the event that your story is selected for publication, we will need your legal name for the contract. Please include a header on each page of your document with your surname, title and page...

Deadline: April 15th, 2022 Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: A convention that interacts with a Lovecraftian God, details below! Somewhere in the world, there is a hotel on an island in the middle of a large river.  This hotel was designed and built in the 1980s, and its labyrinthine corridors and structural design make no sense at all to the modern eye.  And all the while, the deep, dark, swirling waters of the river conceal its secrets. Unknown to all but its mad designer, this hotel was built as an altar to the Old God that rests under the dark, flowing current.  Whether that altar contains the Old God and ensures his slumber, is built to one day call him from his rest, or has some other nefarious purpose is unknown. But it’s a heck of a place for a bunch of fans to throw a con. What horrors or humors will happen at the convention?  What’s the gaming room like?  What happens at the panels, or in the dealer’s room?  Who shows up at the room parties?  Where the hotel is, and what sort of story happens within it, is entirely up to the author—but some sort of interaction between the Lovecraftian-style Old God in the river and the convention must be a focal part of the story. Upon acceptance of the contract from the open call, Impulsive Walrus Books will be paying a semi-pro rate of three cents per word. Impulsive Walrus is planning to run a campaign for the anthology on Kickstarter in early September of 2022. If the Kickstarter funds and does well, there will be a stretch goal tied to raising all accepted authors’ payment to the pro-rate of $.08/word. If the Kickstarter funds and does extremely well, there will also be a stretch goal tied...

Deadline: April 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...

Submission Window: April 1st - 15th, 2022 Payment: 2c/word 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...

Submission Window: 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 all ages. Avoid...

Deadline: April 15th, 2022 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Octopuses 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 82.) Octopuses; deadline 15th April 2022 !!!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...

Deadline: April 17th, 2022 Payment: $25 Theme: Any genre, Rated R, your story’s main character must be killed at the end of the story The Grey Rooms – Season 5 Story Submission Guidelines We are excited to bring you another season of our horror anthology series. But we can’t do it without *you.* Please read the following submission guidelines below, as we’ve shaken them up a great deal for this season! Thanks for joining us in… the Grey Rooms! Submissions Begin: October 1st, 2021 Submissions Close: April 17th, 2022:  Midnight ET  Content Requirements 1.) Stories must be original submissions. To be considered for the Grey Rooms, stories may not have been published in a printed or ebook format, or produced as a podcast or radio drama narrative. 2.) Your story’s main character must be killed at the end of the story, or the narrative must heavily imply that the main character will die just after the story concludes. This is a cornerstone requirement of Grey Rooms stories, and any submissions without this as an element will be rejected. 3.) In general, content in Grey Rooms stories is similar to what you might find in a Rated R horror film, or an HBO series. Violent acts, psychodrama, confrontational ideas, torture, and pulpy demonic explosions are all welcome additions to the Grey Rooms. 4.) Sexual encounters with underage characters, of any kind, is not acceptable content for Grey Rooms stories. 5.) Rape or sexual assault of any kind is never acceptable content for Grey Rooms stories. 6.) Abuse or torture of children is never acceptable content for Grey Rooms stories. While horror may happen because of children, or around children, we are not looking to publish fictional depictions of children suffering. 7.) Racially charged violence for the sake of it is never...

Deadline: April 20th 2022 Payment: 10$ honorarium and a paperback contributor copy Theme: Weed-centered horror stories of any sub-genre Note: Reprints Welcome Note: I apologize, I just was linked this. Hopefully you've got a reprint to submit or can write fast! An estimated 40,000 people are currently incarcerated for non-violent, marijuana related offenses in the United States.  As many states begin to roll out decriminalization acts, medical licenses, and recreational stores, it is more important then ever that awareness is raised for folks that have been arrested, charged, or convicted for something that is widely no longer considered a crime in many parts of the country. With that being said, the submission period for the weed centered charity anthology, STRANGE WEEDS, is now OPEN. For this project, 100% of the proceeds will go to The Last Prisoner. We’re looking for weed-centered horror stories of any sub-genre.  How you interpret that, is honestly up to you. Any idea is welcomed as long as it is not demonizing the substance or its users.  Stories do not need an overt political or social message, but they won’t be turned away, either.  Please be careful with how you write “stoners.” If you’ve ever been in a dispensary before, you’ll find the plant finds a home with every culture, age group, and background.  We imagine this book will find its audience, so write something 420 friendly. Submission Details: Please attach a .doc, 12 point font, times new roman, double spaced to an email and send it to [email protected] with AUTHOR NAME_STORY TITLE in the subject line. Word count: 1500 – 4200 words Submission Window: January 3rd 2022 – April 20th 2022 Reprints are fine, author will retain all rights to the work. Payment: 10$ honorarium and a paperback contributor copy Stories will be read between 4/20/22 and 7/1/22...

Deadline: April 28th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Colourful, weird aquatic horror that takes place on shore Rampage on the Reefs (coming June 2022): the third anthology will bring us to the surface. We’re looking for colourful, weird aquatic horror; monsters in the shallows, coral formations hiding eerie beasts… psychedelic, high-thrills horror that proves it’s not always safe closer to the shore. Submissions close April 28th. From 1st November 2021, we’re taking submissions for the first three anthologies in the Dead Seas collection. All three anthologies will have slightly different themes, but for all three we’re looking for aquatic or nautical horror stories - supernatural, realistic or altogether otherworldly - between 1,000-6,000 words (upper limit flexible). 100% of the profits from these anthologies will be going to The Shark Trust, supporting the protection and conservation of sharks and sea life. For more information, please visit https://www.sharktrust.org/ Our submissions process is 50% invite and 50% open, meaning there are 5-6 slots available through open submission for each anthology. But don’t fear! If you submit to one anthology and we like your story, but feel it could be a better fit for another (whether that’s another of these three, or one later in the year), then we’ll email you and see if you’d consider that slot instead. All accepted authors will receive a $10 fee upon the publication date of the volume featuring their work. We know this isn’t a lot, but we’d like to say thank you for helping us support the cause. Submissions Guidelines Please ensure you follow these guidelines for all submissions. Any stories not following these guidelines may, unfortunately, be rejected. Refer to individual submissions calls for an outline of the theme we’re looking for, but bear in mind that we will be releasing a lot of aquatic horror...

Deadline: April 28th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Oceanic horror brought 'to the surface' Rampage on the Reefs (coming June 2022): the third anthology will bring us to the surface. We’re looking for colourful, weird aquatic horror; monsters in the shallows, coral formations hiding eerie beasts… psychedelic, high-thrills horror that proves it’s not always safe closer to the shore. Submissions close April 28th. From 1st November 2021, we’re taking submissions for the first three anthologies in the Dead Seas collection. All three anthologies will have slightly different themes, but for all three we’re looking for aquatic or nautical horror stories - supernatural, realistic or altogether otherworldly - between 1,000-6,000 words (upper limit flexible). 100% of the profits from these anthologies will be going to The Shark Trust, supporting the protection and conservation of sharks and sea life. For more information, please visit https://www.sharktrust.org/ Our submissions process is 50% invite and 50% open, meaning there are 5-6 slots available through open submission for each anthology. But don’t fear! If you submit to one anthology and we like your story, but feel it could be a better fit for another (whether that’s another of these three, or one later in the year), then we’ll email you and see if you’d consider that slot instead. All accepted authors will receive a $10 fee upon the publication date of the volume featuring their work. We know this isn’t a lot, but we’d like to say thank you for helping us support the cause. Submissions Guidelines Please ensure you follow these guidelines for all submissions. Any stories not following these guidelines may, unfortunately, be rejected. Refer to individual submissions calls for an outline of the theme we’re looking for, but bear in mind that we will be releasing a lot of aquatic horror anthologies - so...