Events

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: A non-zombie outbreak O is for Outbreak – Submissions open April 1st. Deadline May 31st. Think outside the box for this one, and no zombies please! We’re sure Book 26 will cover that! We are currently calling for submissions for a series of horror anthologies – The A-Z of Horror. The series will be based on a variety of themes and will consist of twenty-six books in total. We are looking for short horror stories, between 4000 and 8000 words, on each of the themes listed below. You may submit to more than one book, but we will only include a maximum of one story from each author, in each book. Being accepted into one book does not guarantee acceptance into one of the others. The story must be your own work, to which you hold the rights. The story must not be available elsewhere and, if accepted, we will hold the rights to it for three months from the date of publication. After that time, you may use the story however you wish. Any sub-genre of horror is suitable, even extreme, so long as the story fits the theme of that book and does not include anything which may unnecessarily cause offence (glorification of child abuse, rape, etc.). Payment for the story will be £10, to be paid by PayPal, as well as a contributor’s e-book of the finished book. Please send submissions in a Word document (ideally Times New Roman 12pt, single spaced) to [email protected] with the title of the book you are submitting to in the subject line. Please ensure you have included your name on the Word document. If you have any queries, feel free to get in touch using the Contact page. We aim to respond to submissions within 2 weeks...

Deadline: June 1st, 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button. Can your story stay that finger to the end? “Turning words into art is unnatural. It begins with a contrary attitude. It says, I am unhappy with the way things are and desire to make things different. Rather than represent the world, I will make something wildly and savagely new. I will defy logic. I will invest in new perceptions. I will combine and recombine and fabricate and juggle until something that I have never experienced is experienced. The process is alchemical. The process is violent. It goes to the heart of creativity. It disrupts and shatters. It is splendid with provocation. It is an aggression against banality. It is sharp and loud like a janitor scraping frost from a window. The hectic bounce of steam on a street after a truck roars by. The anarchy of waters, the comedy of the face, dangerous feelings vented from a cage of skin.” ~ John Olson Poetry — We believe poetry is contrary by nature, always defying, always tonguing the tang of novelty. We look especially for plurality of meaning, for dual reverberation of beauty and concern. Contrary’s poetry in particular often mimics the effects of fiction or commentary. We find ourselves enamored of prose poems because they are naturally contrary toward form – they tug on the forces of exposition or narrative – but prose poems remain the minority of all the poetic forms we publish. Please consider that Contrary receives vast amounts of poetry and that we can publish only a small percentage of that work. Please submit no more than three poems per issue. Our poetry editor is Shaindel Beers. Fiction — We ask our fiction writers to imagine...

Deadline: June 1st, 2022 Payment: 2 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Texas Horror By Texas Writers Death's Head Press is pleased to announce plans for the 2022 edition of Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 7. Author Wiliam Jensen will serve as editor, and he's looking for original horror stores 1,500-10,000 words in length. The stories must be written and submitted by Texas authors and must be set (based) here - hence the title. Two cents per word and contributing writers will receive one free copy and a 50% discounted wholesale price on any copies of the book that he or she purchases to carry and sell on their own. Writer stipends will look something like this: 10,000 words - $200, 7,500 words - $150, 5,000 words - $100, 2,500 words - $50, 1,500 words - $30. All payments will be made upon official acceptance, and when acceptance is communicated each author will need to send a short bio. Death's Head will be requesting two-year non-exclusive rights. This means we will use your story in this anthology and we can print excerpts of it online and otherwise (for promotional purposes, etc), but two years down the road you can do with it what you like. The Submission Period begins on March 1. The deadline to turn in stories is June 1, 2022, and our intent is to have the book printed and available by October 15, 2022, in plenty of time for Halloween. Please send submissions to [email protected] Via: Death's Head Press.

Submission Window: April 15th – May 15th 2022 UPDATE: New deadline is June 1st, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: Mothers Weird Little Worlds Press is looking for contributors to its second Kickstarter science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthology. Bring your weird and help us tell the scariest and most interesting mother stories you’ve ever imagined. LENGTH 1,000-3,000 REPRINTS No PAYMENT .05 per word .50 per line   MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS No DEADLINE Apr. 15 – May 15, 2022 SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS Yes There is no one with more power and control over the fate of the world than a mother. Whether it’s an evil stepmother or a virtuous mother-to-be, there are stories inherent in the acts of mothering and being mothered. In these stories and poems, mothers become heroes and villains. The concept of motherhood is examined and stretched to its ultimate limits across time, space, gender, location, and concept. Deliciously dark, each tale forces us to examine the depth and breadth of what motherhood is and what a mother will do for her offspring. With brand new stories from: Gemma Files • Donyae Coles • Brian Evenson Ai Jiang • Sarah Read • Nadia Bulkin John Langan • S.P. Miskowski • Shane Hawk Steve Toase • Christina Sng • Steve Rasnic Tem Hailey Piper • Gabino Iglesias • Mercedes M. Yardley and many more The Details: Deadline: April 15 – May 15th Length: 1000 – 3000 words (5000 if stretch goals are met) Pay: .05 (.06 if we can unlock our $10k stretch goal) Poetry: $.50 per line up to 50 lines (Up to $2 if stretch goals unlocked) Rights: We retain full rights of the story for 12 months after publication at which they revert back to you. This includes audio and reprint permissions. Format: Shunn Manuscript, BLIND SUBMISSION....

Deadline: June 1st, 2022 Payment: US: $40 and a contributor's copy, non-US: $45 Theme: Cosmic/eldritch horror, based on the prompt below. Basically, stories that take place in or about Brackish Harbor Welcome to Brackish Harbor. Settled in the 1920s on an island in the Atlantic Ocean, it was once a booming fishing town that attracted tourists who longed for a quiet retreat. Even when the island was plunged into isolation during the winter months, the townspeople persevered. It was a community. A promise. A home. Until... ​ The fishing industry that sustained the small town dried up, and over time, the tourists lost interest. Many loyal villagers relocated. But most were forced to remain, scraping by amidst the dilapidated buildings, docked fishing boats, and vestiges of better days. ​ There are many unanswered questions in Brackish Harbor,  as well as many untold stories. It's up to you to tell them.   Quill & Crow Publishing House is pleased to open submissions for our surprise anthology for 2022, Tales from Brackish Harbor: An Anthology of Eldritch Horror. For this collection, we are looking for short stories (5,000 - 8,000 words) of cosmic/eldritch horror, based on the prompt above. Stories can be from whatever time period, but must tell the tale of the doomed village and it's mysterious secrets. We are really interested to see if anyone is up to the task of blending the genres of Gothic horror (our first love) and the weirdly wonderful cosmic horror. ​ Notes regarding the theme: Don't worry about the continuity details. Follow the information and theme and, upon submission approval, we will adjust as necessary. Above all, tell us a good story. Things we are looking for: cosmic/eldritch horror historical horror dark themes Gothic elements literary horror historical sci-fi/horror blends Things we ARE NOT...

Deadline: June 1st, 2022 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy - proceeds will be donated to the literacy charity First Book Theme: "Monsters" from authors with active BookTube or AuthorTube channels Note: Reprints Welcome Note: Apologies for the short window, stumbled across this one recently as we didn't get an e-mail for this volume Seeking submissions from authors with active BookTube or AuthorTube channels for the next HorrorTube Anthology. Again, we are looking for a diverse group of authors with active BookTube and/or AuthorTube channels (no channel too small) so please do not hesitate to submit. Genre: Classic Horror! *Please, no horror erotica, paranormal romance, or romantic suspense. Theme: MONSTERS! Monsters can be human or inhuman, but for this anthology, we’re seeking horror stories of a gorier nature, so don’t hold back! But please, no graphic depictions of sexual assault, child or animal abuse. Supernatural stories depicting unique monsters are encouraged. Contact Regina at [email protected] with any questions. *See FAQs below. Length: 1,000 – 5,000 words Deadline: June 1, 2022 Details: Please submit your story as a separate attachment (word doc) along with a short cover letter including a clean link to your YouTube channel to [email protected]. Please use the standard submission format. For guidance see https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html. Please submit only your best, most polished work. Reprints are okay. The terms include the nonexclusive right to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit and sell digital and print reproductions of your story worldwide. English language only. Payment for accepted submissions: $10 honorarium, print and digital copy. All proceeds will be donated to the literacy charity First Book. Deadline: June 1, 2022 Release Date: October 2022 Cover Design: Cameron Roubique Edited by Regina Saint Claire with a  foreword by Steve Donoghue. Frequently Asked Questions What is considered an “active” booktube/authortube channel?  Your channel should have recent uploads (at least once a month) and include bookish and/or writerly content. Why is my story rejected? The biggest reason...

Submission Window: April 15th to June 15th, 2022 Payment: $0.01/word for short stories chosen for the zine, and an even split of 50% of the royalties after the fact Theme: Monsters Archive of the Odd, the magazine of analog and found-document horror, returns for a second issue with the theme of “monsters”! We’ll be open April 15-June 15 for submissions, with the intent to publish August 15. If you submit to us last window (thank you!), you’ll probably be good just looking at the bolded pieces, as those have changed. First of all, all submissions must relate to the theme of monsters and also be non-traditional prose. Not sure what we’re talking about? The best way will be to look at the stories on our website, or get the first issue to see the full zine treatment (in fact, if you email us or DM us on Twitter we’ll give you a coupon code for being a savvy author… just saying). Alternately, think about all the things you read on a daily basis that aren’t fiction. Newspapers? Emails? Product support guides? …Submissions calls? A couple of brief clarifications: I read the zine—do I have to set up my submission like that? No, it’s not required! Visual elements are generally from the editorial side. As long as we can follow what’s going on, plain text is fine. By all means, though, if you want to, you can set up your story however you want. We do not consciously give pre-formatted pieces an edge, but if you have what it takes to design your own forum, mimic online article formats, or provide the world’s most disconcerting children’s product design, we do delight in seeing them. I submitted last time and you said you’d like to receive it again. Is that true? Yep! If we suggested that you...

Deadline: June 15th, 2022 Payment: 3 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Stories about Dracula Issue 1: Dracula: (To be published November/2022) Stories with Dracula himself as the main focus. His name is on the cover of the book, but he’s not the star of the show. Let’s change that. What was he doing prior to the novel? What was he doing when we didn’t see him in the novel? Did he survive? Expand on one of the many movie adaptations. Give us an alteranate take. The canvas is blank, spatter it red. Submissions open until June 15, 2022 We like stories that feel like they could be canon, but we also enjoy fun alternate takes, so unleash your creative powers of darkness. We look forward to seeing what you come up with. Stories should be 1500-5000 words. Poetry will be considered, but is not necessarily sought (We are hoping to have an all poetry issue sometime in the future). Compensation will be monetary plus contributor’s copies. Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please notify us immediately if accepted elsewhere. Some stories may be chosen for the website, but not the publication. Please adhere to the Shunn format - https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ Please only send .doc, .docx, or .pdf Filename and email subject should be - “lastname_title_drac” or “lastname_title_renfield” Include short 3rd person bio Cover Art Submissions What we want Eye catching design. Think pulp paperbacks, Basil Gogos’ Famous Monsters covers, EC Horror Comics, Vintage Movie Posters. Originality. Homage is fun, plagiarism is not. Please make sure you own all aspects of your work. Knowledge and Love of all things Dracula. Hide some Easter eggs in there. Make it so that we keep coming back to find more to enjoy. Keep it clean. Sensual is fine. Erotica, not so much. Parameters Format...

Deadline: June 15th, 2022 Payment: US 3¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $3, maximum $25 Theme: Veterans of Alien Wars Eye to the Telescope 45, Veterans of Alien Wars, will be edited by Deborah L. Davitt. Conflict's unlikely to vanish, even in the most utopian of futures. How will veterans of future wars have to adapt and adjust to civilian life once their cybernetics have been stripped from their bodies and they have no more access to their power armor? What memories will haunt them as they learn to live in a reality in which the aliens they fought are no longer their enemies? I have a special fondness for form poetry done well—rhymes that don't jingle, sestinas that aren't forced—but will absolutely consider free-verse as well. Special consideration will be given to writers who have served in the armed forces, and we hope that this provides them with an artistic outlet that they may not have pursued in the past. We are eager to read what you send! Submission Guidelines SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Use the form at bit.ly/SFPAettt45 to submit. Please submit 1–3 poems in English (ideally, attached as .docx or .txt) and include a short bio. Translations from other languages are acceptable with the permission of the original poet (unless public domain). Inquiries only to [email protected] with “ETTT” in the subject line. Deadline: June 15. The issue will appear on July 15, 2022. Payment and rights Accepted poems will be paid for at the following rate: US 3¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $3, maximum $25. Payment is on publication. The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association normally uses PayPal to pay poets, but can also send checks. Eye to the Telescope is an online publication. Therefore, First Electronic Rights (for original unpublished poems) are being sought. Who can submit? Anyone writing speculative poetry. What...

Submission Window: June 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...