Events

Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: $25 + two paperback copies + one award certificate Theme: New Weird Horror as a Horror subgenre focused on progress, creatively capturing themes and questions that bleed into fiction straight from the modern reader's life and future. Note: Reprints Only *PUBLISHED WORKS ONLY*   Tenebrous Press presents the inaugural Brave New Weird Awards—to reward and further this unique blend of genres—and its accompanying Brave New Weird:the Best New Weird Horror of the Year anthology series, showcasing the winners of each year, care of editor Alex Woodroe. We define New Weird Horror as a Horror subgenre focused on progress, creatively capturing themes and questions that bleed into fiction straight from the modern reader's life and future. It acts as a challenge to break new ground in terms of form and content and to engage with the unknown. Beyond that, New Weird Horror will be defined by the winning pieces themselves. Buzzwords: speculative; eclectic; horror-centric but genre-blended; progressive and innovative in terms of content, social themes, form, or voice; concept-driven. Does this sound like your writing? Submit your previously published work to the New Weird Horror Awards today! Disclaimer: Tenebrous is a young press looking to have fun in the world of Horror and build a community of like-minded peers. We’re not claiming this award will wow your dream agent or single-handedly sell your book. It’s a way to showcase reprints that we love in a genre that we care about, and get them into the hands of more readers—no fuss, no lobbying, no hidden costs. Eligibility: Any previously published piece of short fiction under 7.499 words originally published in the English language within the eligibility period. You may submit NARRATIVE poems only; poems will be judged on their storytelling. Stories published in other languages are welcome...

Deadline: November 2nd, 2022 Prizes: Overall winner: $75, Prompt prizes: $50 for each of the three categories, $5 for every “honorable mention” (10-12 stories) Themes: Stocking Stuffer, Christmas Cryptids, Weird Cards (Details for each below!) I’m sweating, and my shorts are damp, which means it must be time to announce the FIFTH ANNUAL WEIRD CHRISTMAS FLASH FICTION CONTEST! This is year number FIVE! Last year’s results are here. I’m sticking with the Prompt Categories this time which lets me give out four top prizes rather than just one or two. It’s still an experiment to see if this gets more or better submissions, and I figured one more year will give me a good sense whether to keep doing it this way. But first, if you’re new to this, then “What,” you may ask, “the hell!?” I want your stories to help keep Christmas weird! This is a contest for flash fiction of no more than 350 words that’s somehow about Christmas and somehow about slapping a big ole scoop of oozy weird right in the middle of your Christmas pudding. What does that mean in particular? I don’t know! You’re the writer! Surprise me! Just make Christmas (or any other winter holiday) seem new and unsettling with a bit of that grinning like you’re not sure if it’s funny or creepy, and you’re on you way to fame and fortune as the winner of this little contest. There are three “Prompt Categories.” You have three ways to enter this year, and four ways to win a top prize. There will be one overall winner and then three winners in each of three separate categories: “Stocking Stuffer” – In this category, just write whatever the hell you want. Anything goes as long as it fits the rules and general guidelines down below. “Christmas Cryptids“ – Seems like odd monsters and critters...

Submission Window: November 1st-3rd 2022 Payment: $50 Theme: Weather. A new theme, weather, starts in January 2022. Hi there! We’ll no doubt write more about this later in the next year, but for now, what follows below will tell you all you need to know. Added March 3, 3021: Although it states below that only one work per author per submission, I am suddenly getting multiple poems at a time. Only one story or poem per submission, per author. (Kate Wolford, Editor-In-Chief.) And the theme for 2022? It’s “WEATHER.” (No more submissions are being accepted for publication in December of 2021). The following is relevant to all submissions for 2022, and the first submission window opens Jan. 1. More below.   Writing opportunities for 2022 include:   New Fairy Tales: Fairy tales that are almost or entirely new or are just new takes on old tales are all welcome. Mashups of existing fairy tales are welcome as well. Submissions must follow the theme below to be considered.   Poetry: Poetry inspired by fairy tales and that follows the theme is also welcome.   Please read the following in its entirety before submitting.   Want to know what is likely to get published here? There are well over 10 years of stories, essays and art on this current site. It’s the best place to start if you want to be published here.   HERE IS HOW YOU SUBMIT AND FORMAT   Only the kind of submissions outlined below will be accepted at EC in 2022.   * Writers will have a chance to submit fairy-tale inspired stories/poems five times in 2022. Since we will be choosing eight to 10 works per publishing month, there are up to 50 slots to be filled in 2022. That’s a lot! And it does not...

Submission Window: September 14th - November 9th 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Light & Dark We rarely get to tell our own stories. Whether we are queer, poc, disabled, or all of the above, our stories are most often told for us by people unqualified to. For much of history, we were kept silent on our own experiences. But now we have a voice and the ability to uplift the voices of others. We must take advantage of this as much as possible. Limeoncello Magazine was created for this purpose. Our stories are valuable. Our voices will be heard. Winter 2022 theme: Light & Dark. Submissions will be open from September 14th - November 9th. We publish OwnVoices stories in all genres. All works including common triggers will be prefaced by a trigger warning. How we define OwnVoices: an author from a marginalized, persecuted, or underrepresented group writing about their own experiences/from their own perspective, rather than someone from an outside perspective writing as a character from an underrepresented group. All works must be own voice. Any graphic depictions of sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, etc. must be own voice. We do not publish work that encourages violence or hatred toward others. You must be 18 or older to submit. All submissions must: be in English be double spaced be 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font have tab-indention on all paragraphs have a one-inch margin on all pages be a Microsoft or Google Docs file All submissions must include a cover page. The cover page should include: title author’s name (pen names allowed) an indication that the author is over 18 an approximate word count identities relevant to the piece trigger/content warnings for your work, if applicable Flash Fiction pieces should be under 2k words. Any Flash fiction...

Submission Window: November 6th-12th, 2022 Payment: $25 Theme: Post-Colonialism The Fabulist accepts submissions of short fiction, poetry, visual art, and nonfiction by invitation only or during periodic open calls. Links, guidelines and policies (including our evaluation process, nondiscrimination statement, payment, and more) for fiction, poetry and visual art are below. You can get notifications for our current open calls via our email newsletter, Twitter feed, and Facebook page. Short fiction From October 2022 through April 2023, The Fabulist will be opening a new series of brief, monthly submissions windows for short, fantastical fiction of all sorts. Learn more. Our next submission window will run from Nov. 6-12. All submissions of fantastical fiction are welcome. Our special thematic interest will be: Post-Colonialism. Please review our Submissions & Publishing Policies for details on publishing rights, nondiscrimination, evaluation, simultaneous submissions, and why we never charge reading fees. How to submit your work Short fiction can only be submitted via Submittable during open submissions windows, using the linked button at the end of the following Fiction Guidelines. Fiction Guidelines The Fabulist seeks short (up to 3,000 words) works of fantastical and genre fiction, which we define expansively. Surprise us! We do love science fiction, fantasy, intelligent horror, speculative fiction, literary fabulism, magic realism, mythic/folkloric works, near-future speculations, solarpunk/cli-fi, hopepunk, and genre subversions (crime, mystery, romance, westerns, thrillers, sea adventures, gothic, and quasi-realist works) that are anchored by some element of the fantastic. Please review The Fabulist’s short-fiction archives, to get a sense of the sort of work we’ve published so far. We’re always looking to expand our horizons, but knowing where we’re coming from helps. We value • Great writing (attention to sentence construction, an awareness of the poetry inherent in prose) • Vivid settings that influence and engage the plot and character arcs • Revelations of the self and the world we live in • Sensitivity and alertness to the significant issues of...

Submission Window: September 15th, 2022 - November 14th, 2022 Payment: 0.08CAD Theme: Disabled characters being empowered and living full lives while still being disabled Note: Stories by people at the intersection of disability and other identities that have been traditionally excluded from publishing. All too often in popular media, disability is used as shorthand to say a character is helpless or weak. A victim. And if that character is a superpowered person, their disability becomes something for them to overcome or cure in order for them to become a hero. We want to challenge those tropes and celebrate characters who are disabled and still save the day, whose abilities and disabilities are equally important aspects of their lives and identities. What we want Fiction stories ranging from 500 to 3500 words. Disabled characters being empowered and living full lives while still being disabled Stories that play around with tired clichés and tropes about disability Humor Stories about and by people at the intersection of disability and other identities that have been traditionally excluded from publishing. This includes but is not limited to people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, religious minorities, women, older adults. Cross-genre stories. Science fiction is good, but we welcome any genre of speculative fiction. Can you tell a superhero story in a fantasy or weird west setting? What we DON’T want Stories that promote hatred against a group of people. Characters can be racist, ableist, sexist, etc., but the story should not portray this behavior as acceptable. Fanfiction Poetry Stories written by non-disabled friends, family, and caregivers of disabled people. Your experiences are important, but they aren’t what we are looking for. What do we mean by disabled? We are actively seeking stories written by and about people who are physically disabled, developmentally disabled, neurodiverse, blind or low...

Deadline: November 14th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence for each word Theme: Horror - no specific theme A New Collection of Horror Stories We are very excited to open submissions for this new anthology, edited by Mark Morris ("...one of the finest horror writers at work today" – Clive Barker)! Darkness Beckons is the fourth book in the Flame Tree Book of Horror series, and follows Close to Midnight, which is out now! Mark has once again approached an impressive range of authors but we've reserved space for four new stories from the online submissions. This is a prestigious anthology and will be published worldwide in hardcover and paperback. The first book in the series, After Sundown, was nominated for both Shirley Jackson and British Fantasy awards, so we’re looking forward to finding more unthemed horror stories for this fourth collection. Fees, Copyright and Other Terms: We pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence for each word for new stories. We will not accept reprints for consideration for this anthology. We would prefer to pay for the selected stories via PAYPAL because bank charges to the US and Canada, in particular, can be very high for all concerned. 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. Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double-spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline. The anthology will be published worldwide, available online and to...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: Royalty Theme: Fantasy humor with grumpy old dragons Spring is coming and so, with spring, the thoughts of editors naturally turn to… dragons. Well, maybe that’s just us. It does mean that the time is finally here to introduce an anthology especially for those weird and wonderful draconic characters, that so many of us have held dear to our hearts since childhood. Did you grow up reading Patricia C. Wrede or Piers Anthony’s various books?  Ever wish you lived on Pern?  Then my friends, come on in and get comfortable, you are going to love writing for this anthology! We’re looking for stories where the dragon takes center stage (or at least steals the show). We’re open to any setting: maybe your dragon is disguised as a human and runs the local library and takes a very dim view of those who don’t return their books.  Perhaps your dragons took over the world in 1180 and the future now is kinda…dragon-shaped? We’re perfectly happy to get a pile of typical DND styled dragon stories, as long as you subvert our expectations and make us laugh hard enough to be a danger to ourselves and others. To be considered for the anthology, the story must contain at least one loveable ‘grumpy’ character – it can be the dragon’s human mentor, a disembodied ghost of a former dragon snack, or the dragon themselves.  Have fun with it and go berserk. We’d prefer the dragon to be the MC but will consider stories with the dragon as antagonist, if the twist leaves us with our mouths open, and our tongues lolling out. We have a distinct preference for clever characters that manage to get themselves into and out of deep trouble. If you give us sparkling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: $100 or $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is greater) and a contributor's copy Theme: Traditional Sherlock Holmes stories blended with one or more of Lovecraft’s tales. Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.P. Lovecraft Edited by Derrick Belanger & Brian Belanger Description: Imagine Holmes investigating the disappearance of a college student in the mysterious town of Innsmouth, matching wits with a man who can reanimate the dead, or using his deductive skills to help fight creatures from beyond the realm of time and space. These are just some of the stories which could be included in the new anthology Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.P. Lovecraft. The anthology will feature traditional Sherlock Holmes stories blended with one or more of Lovecraft’s tales. Belanger Books is calling for submissions from writers, new or established, which are between 5,000 - 10,000 words (it is okay to be over some). Guidelines: The stories must feel like traditional Holmes and Lovecraft stories. The stories should have the traditional Holmes and Watson working with the traditional characters, creatures, and/or gods of H.P. Lovecraft. Remember, there was a logic to the writing of Lovecraft, a rationale behind the otherworldly beings even if humans couldn’t conceive it, that should blend well with the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is GREATER) and a paperback copy of the anthology. Rights: Authors shall retain rights to their work. We only retain the rights to the story within the publication. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology. Send submissions in a word document to [email protected] with the subject line: ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR...

Blank bookcover with clipping path Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: horror/dark fiction Breakdown of content:   8 fiction pieces (approximate word lengths) – 1x 5000, 1x 3000, 1x 2500, 2x 1500, 3x 500 3-5 non-fiction pieces – 1 article, 1-2 briefs, 1 interview and/or review – Fiction:   We are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-5000 words firm. Common sense when submitting please. We do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors direct or implied. We are not looking for pure shock value. All components of your story should have merit. Gore for gore’s sake is not what we are looking for. Our pay rates 5 cents per word All payments are made in US funds via PayPal.   We accept submissions during the following reading periods , with an expected response time of up to 16 weeks. This way we are able to accommodate all the submissions we receive. If you have not heard back from us after 16 weeks, please feel free to send us an update query.   WINTER ISSUE: August 15 – November 15   SPRING ISSUE: November 16 – February 15   SUMMER ISSUE: February 16 – May 15   FALL ISSUE: May 16 – August 15   While not a requirement, we strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the digital magazine to help better understand the types of work we’re looking for. All submissions must be sent via e-mail to: [email protected] as an attached word document or .rtf with the word “Fiction Submission – STORY TITLE” in the subject line. In the body of the email include a word count. A short bio is welcome, but not mandatory. Please also include if you wish your story considered for both the quarterly print and the website publication. Note compensation rates are different for website so be...