Events

Taking Submissions: Best of British Science Fiction 2022

  Deadline: January 10th, 2023 Payment: £50.00 and contributors copies Theme: Science fiction stories published in 2022 from British, Irish, British-based or ex-pat authors Note: Reprints only Best of British Science Fiction 2022 is now open for submissions. We are seeking science fiction stories (not fantasy or any other flavour of genre in this instance) that were first published during 2022. Authors must be British, Irish, British-based or ex-pats. This is a reprint anthology, so we are not interested in seeing previously unpublished work on this occasion. There are no limits on word length, though stories over 10,000 words may prove to be a harder sell. Successful authors will receive payment of 1p a word up to £50.00 for the reprint rights. They will also receive a contributor's copy of both the hardback and paperback edition of the completed book. Submissions should adhere to standard manuscript format, and should be sent as an attachment (doc, docx, or rtf). Please do not send PDFs or links to published work without an attached document in one of the formats mentioned. Please send only the final version of your work as published. Where conventional speech punctuation applies, please use double quotes. Submissions close at midnight, UK time, on January 10th, 2023. We receive a large number of stories so can afford to be selective. Please, therefore, send your very best work to series editor Donna Scott, who will once again be at the helm. Submissions to: [email protected] Via: Newcon press.

Taking Submissions: Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue #2

Dracula Beyond Stoker Press

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Payment: 3 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Give us your best Renfield story. Everybody’s favorite flyman is such a rich character, yet we know so little about him. Who do you think he is? Each issue will be themed. Submissions will be open for two issues at a time. Issue 2: Renfield: (To be published May/2023) Give us your best Renfield story. Everybody’s favorite flyman is such a rich character, yet we know so little about him. Who do you think he is? Submissions open until January 15, 2023 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 .05/word 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 Email submissions to: [email protected] 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 is...

Taking Submissions: The Other Stories #90: Imaginary Friends

The Other Stories

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Imaginary Friends If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 150k+ monthly 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 90.) Imaginary Friends; deadline 15th January 2023 SUBMIT YOUR STORIES USING THIS FORM If this form isn’t working, please email your submission to [email protected] as a last resort. Title your email with the following syntax: “SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT”  (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982) Submission Guidelines • 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 confirming that you are the original creator of the story • We will consider entrants whose work has been entered and published elsewhere, however please ensure you state where and when your story has been used elsewhere on the document • You will be allowed to place one call-to-action for your own work at the end of the episode. Be sure to include this at the end of your document, underneath the log line • Payment per accepted story is 15GBP • 2x entries per theme permitted   When will I hear if my story has been accepted or not? We carefully review every single submission that comes through our door....

Taking Submissions: Electric Spec Spring Issue 2023

Electric Spec

Deadline: January 15, 2023 Payment: $20 per story or artwork 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...

Taking Submissions: Quantum-Steampunk Short-Story Contest

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Prizes: $4500 in gift cards up for grabs, the grand prize lands $1500 worth. Theme: Steampunk story that takes place at least partially in the 1800s and have at least one piece of quantum technology The year I started studying calculus, I took the helm of my high school’s literary magazine. Throughout the next two years, the editorial board flooded campus with poetry—and poetry contests. We papered the halls with flyers, built displays in the library, celebrated National Poetry Month, and jerked students awake at morning assembly (hitherto known as the quiet kid you’d consult if you didn’t understand the homework, I turned out to have a sense of humor and a stage presence suited to quoting from that venerated poet Dr. Seuss.1 Who’d’ve thought?). A record number of contest entries resulted. That limb of my life atrophied in college. My college—a stereotypical liberal-arts affair complete with red bricks—boasted a literary magazine. But it also boasted English and comparative-literature majors. They didn’t need me, I reasoned. The sun ought to set on my days of engineering creative-writing contests. I’m delighted to be eating my words, in announcing the Quantum-Steampunk Short-Story Contest. The Maryland Quantum-Thermodynamics Hub is running the contest this academic year. I’ve argued that quantum thermodynamics—my field of research—resembles the literary and artistic genre of steampunk. Steampunk stories combine Victorian settings and sensibilities with futuristic technologies, such as dirigibles and automata. Quantum technologies are cutting-edge and futuristic, whereas thermodynamics—the study of energy—developed during the 1800s. Inspired by the first steam engines, thermodynamics needs retooling for quantum settings. That retooling is quantum thermodynamics—or, if you’re feeling whimsical (as every physicist should), quantum steampunk. The contest opens this October and closes on January 15, 2023. Everyone aged 13 or over may enter a story, written in English, of up to 3,000 words....

Taking Submissions: The Crawling Moon: Queer Tales of Inescapable Dread

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Payment: $0.08 a word for original stories Theme: Queer stories featuring gothic horror, perversion and depravity. The Crawling Moon: Queer Tales of Inescapable Dread will be an anthology of gothic depravity, horror and perversion. It will likely straddle genre lines, stalking the line between fantasy and science fiction. We will be open to queer horrors both psychological and supernatural, gory and cerebral. But more than anything, we're asking contributors to scandalize us. General submission notes: Unless the editors are otherwise specified, you can address cover letters to “Dear editors” or “Dear dave.” Please avoid “Dear Mr. Ring.” If you joke about how straight white men are underrepresented in speculative fiction, it will not win you any points. Please query [email protected] if you aren’t sure if your submission went through. We’re happy to check. Thanks for thinking of Neon Hemlock for your work! Please don’t self-reject. Neon Hemlock Press is open to submissions of short stories for The Crawling Moon: Queer Tales of Inescapable Dread. The anthology, edited by dave ring, will include queer stories featuring gothic horror, perversion and depravity. The compensation level for original stories accepted to this anthology is $0.08/word. Submit stories on Submittable until January 15th, 2023. Please contact us if there are any accessibility concerns for any reason and we’ll work with you. We are looking for: Wordcount: Under 6,000 words. 1-4,000 words is probably the sweet spot. Concept: Horror stories exploring gothic elements, depravity and perversion. What we want to see: We are looking for dark stories that subvert the gothic and explore the filthier edges of horror. We would like to be scandalized. We’re using the most inclusive definition of queer. Queer, trans, ace, undefinable. Throughout, we’re looking for rich, varied and nuanced understandings of gender, family and ethnicity. What...

Taking Submissions: The Ferryman

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Payment: Royalties on stories above 4k Theme: While ferrying souls across the river to their judgement, Charon, the ferryman, has seen some sh*t. Tell us the wildest stories of his passengers, the adventures in the land of the dead, but make sure Charon plays his part--and make sure he gets paid. Title: The Ferryman Opens: 15 Oct 2022 Closes: 15 Jan 2023 11:59 pm EST Theme: While ferrying souls across the river to their judgement, Charon, the ferryman, has seen some sh*t. Tell us the wildest stories of his passengers, the adventures in the land of the dead, but make sure Charon plays his part--and make sure he gets paid. Word Limit: 500-6k words, excluding title Author Eligibility: Open to All Reprints: Not allowed Simultaneous Submissions: Not allowed Multiple Submissions: Max of 2 (two) acceptance per author Author Compensation: One (1) digital copy and word count based royalty split for 4k+. Send your story and up to a 100-word author bio with 2 (two) links as a Word doc attachment to: [email protected] Please include the Anthology Title, Story Title, and Author name in your email subject line, with your document file name as: Author Name - Story Title. Manuscript Formatting We follow industry standard formatting for professional submissions. Please adhere to the following guidelines: 12 pt standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, etc.) Double-spaced, with no extra spacing between paragraphs NO TABS or spaces at the beginning of a paragraph. Use paragraph formatting to indent the first line of each paragraph at .50 1" margins, letter size (8.5"x11"), portrait All manuscripts must be in .doc/.docx format We will not follow links Scene breaks: # Spelling: American English A separate cover sheet is unnecessary. Hyphenated words will be counted as one word. Paragraph/scene breaks, title, and author name are not included in word counts. Word count requirements, deadlines, and...

Taking Submissions: Dose of Dread January 2023 (Early Listing)

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Payment: 2 cents per word Theme: Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. **SUBMISSIONS OPEN JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, AND OCTOBER (1-15th of each month)** 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 stories copy/pasted...

Taking Submissions: 34 Orchard January 2023 Window (Early Listing)

Submission Window: January 1st - 15th, 2023 Payment: $50 Theme: Stories that are "scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad" What We Publish At 34 Orchard, we like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad. We like things we can’t put down and things that make us go “wow” when we’ve finished. But our main goal here at 34 Orchard is to publish the stuff we like to read, and you’re not in our heads. So don’t over think it. Just submit. We are an international journal and welcome submissions from everyone, all over the world. As of our Fall 2021 issue, we have published work from Africa, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Word Counts Short fiction from 1000 to 7500 words Poetry any style or length When We Publish We publish two issues per year, one in the spring (April) and one in the fall (November). Issues are hosted on this site as PDFs. Reading Period Our reading period for the Spring Issue is January 1-January 31. Our reading period for the Fall Issue is July 1-July 31. We only accept submissions, therefore, during January and July. Anything submitted to us outside those months will be deleted unread, and no response will be sent. Simultaneous Submissions Yes, we welcome and encourage them! Just notify us at [email protected] if it’s been accepted elsewhere as soon as you know. Multiple Submissions No. We only consider one piece of fiction per writer at a time. Poetry: you may send up to three at once as three separate documents attached to one email. Reprints No. We don’t accept anything from our open submissions call that has been previously published. How to Submit  Pieces which do not follow guidelines will be rejected unread.  Shunn formatting for fiction or Shunn formatting for poetry .DOC...

Taking Submissions: The Devil Take You

Sentinel Creatives

Deadline: April 15th, 2023 Payment: $125 - $200 Theme: Original weird tales set in the medieval period that explore the human (and inhuman) experience through the lens of horror. Sentinel Creatives has opened up for submissions for our “THE DEVIL TAKE YOU: TALES OF MEDIEVAL HORROR” anthology. Deadline for Submissions: 15 April 2023 Wordcount: 3,000 - 6,000 Remuneration: $125 - $200 Simultaneous Submissions: Yes WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR We’re looking for original weird tales set in the medieval period that explore the human (and inhuman) experience through the lens of horror. Some clarifications: Weird: The term “weird” should be understood to mean a certain sense of breathless and unexplainable dread, of outer, unknown forces present, a suggestion of the defeat or suspension of the laws of nature which have hitherto served to protect our minds and bodies (and souls) from the assault of chaos. By its very nature, weird fiction should invoke in the reader a sense of profound uneasiness and dread, it should hint at the inability of the human mind to comprehend the true nature of existence, and it should cause us to question the stability of our faith in the established laws of nature. Medieval: The term “medieval” denotes the period in Europe lasting from around 500AD to 1500AD and is typically divided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. There is a temptation here that often proves too powerful to ignore, to view Europe through a monist lens: to see all of Europe as Christian, white, and “Western”. But this is a strange way to view a continent and a period that saw so much strife and upheaval precisely because of the differences of those living within its borders. These are the differences—the tensions—that create the opportunity for compelling storytelling. Tell us stories set in the Iberian Peninsula, where the Muslim Moors and Spanish Ibero sit uneasily beside one...