Events

Deadline: January 20th, 2023 Payment: 6 cents per word Theme: Classic paranormal, poltergeists, ghosts, spirits, haunted places and objects, and the eerily unexplained that take place on or around the winter holidays. Edited by Gaby Triana Release Date: September 21st, 2023 LITERALLY DEAD is back for more ghostly atmospheric moodiness with a new volume: Tales of Holiday Hauntings. We’re inviting writers of dark fiction to submit short stories of classic paranormal, poltergeists, ghosts, spirits, haunted places and objects, and the eerily unexplained that take place on or around the winter holidays. #ownvoices, BIPOC, gender-diverse, LGBTQIA, and authors of other marginally represented groups highly encouraged to apply. NOT looking for: Children’s, poetry, long fiction, novellas, flash fiction, slasher, vampires, werewolves, zombies, extreme, or creature horror. Just ghost stories that take place during the winter days of Christmas, Hanukkah, winter solstice, Yule, Kwanzaa, etc. Whimsical, action-packed, funny, terrifying, melancholy…the tone is up to you. ​ Contributors so far: Ramsey Campbell, Cynthia Pelayo, John Palisano, V. Castro, Hailey Piper, Jonathan Janz, Stephanie Wytovich, & more! No reprints, multiple submissions, or simultaneous submissions. Original fiction only. ​​ Pay: $0.06/word Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words Submission Deadline: January 20, 2023 Expected Publishing Date: Sep. 21, 2023 Submit .doc or .docx attachment to: [email protected] Subject line: LITERALLY DEAD 2 - “Story Title” by “Author Name” Via: Alien Head Entertainment.

Deadline: January 22nd, 2023 Payment: New stories pay pro rate, $0.08 per word, to 10,000 words. Verse pays $50. Theme: Science fiction short stories and fact articles illustrating current and future near-Earth space-related threats The US Space Force has a PR problem. Several, in fact. It was not Donald Trump’s idea. It did not steal its iconography from Star Trek. It is not just a lunatic scheme to expand the military-industrial complex by sending battleships into space. Yet judging from social media, many think all these things and more. Space has become critical not only to the military but to the economy and all aspects of daily life, and as we stand at the dawn of a new age of space commerce, that’s only going to intensify. Several nations have already developed capabilities to deny, degrade, and disrupt access to and utilization of space–based assets, whether to degrade US military capability or as a direct economic attack. Like it or not, the militarization of space started long ago, threats are already up there, and wherever people and their interests go next, so too will go conflict, intrigue, heroes and villains, everything that comprises good stories. WHAT WE ARE UP TO Real Stories of the US Space Force will be a collection of science fiction short stories and fact articles illustrating current and future near-Earth space-related threats and dispelling misconceptions about America’s newest service branch. It will be published by Baen Books in 2023 WHAT WE WANT Stories that grab us from the start and stay with us for days. Scientifically plausible drama about people facing interesting challenges related to the US Space Force or more generally, the policing and defense of near-Earth space and related issues, now or in the foreseeable future (the next century or so). Stories don’t have to take place in space, involve the actual US Space Force, or...

Submission Window: January 9th-23rd, 2023 Payment: Advance and royalty Theme: Dark speculative fiction At Raw Dog Screaming Press, we have worked to connect transcendent literature and non-fiction with audiences who crave and connect with those voices. It is in continuing with this spirit of pioneering individuality that we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new novella line. “We believe novellas can be as compelling and satisfying as novels and want to create books for readers who want to be immersed in a book but don’t have a lot of time,” said Jennifer Barnes, managing editor and co-owner of RDSP. “RJ Joseph has agreed to be the editor for our novella line and brings an array of talent, expertise, and experience to the job. We know she will not only help us uncover beautiful stories but work well with authors in the pursuit of polishing their pieces.” We will be seeking dark speculative fiction works between 20,000 and 38,000 words that are presented in unique voices – stories told through the lenses only these creators have access to, distinctive tales, borne exclusively from the creator’s particular expertise. No niche is too niche, and we look forward to experiencing your literary worlds. We will open to submissions from January 9-23 and you will be able to find all the details on this page. “I’m excited to be working with RDSP on our new novella line: Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena,” Joseph said. “Acquiring fresh stories and working with writers to boldly introduce them to readers will allow me to help develop new and seasoned voices in speculative fiction. My previous editorial experience and current academic work have well prepared me for this role; and RDSP, a well-established innovator in the publishing arena, is the perfect...

Submission Window: January 16th - 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Anything with a supernatural and dark element, such as Horror, Dark Fiction/ Dark Fantasy, Weird Fiction, etc. Title: +Horror Library+ Volume 8 Edited by: Eric J. Guignard Publisher: Dark Moon Books (Los Angeles, CA) Submissions Accepted: January 16, 2023 through January 30, 2023 Projected Release Date: between July to October, 2023 Word Count: Short stories between approximately 1,500–5,000 words (soft range, with a preference toward lower word count) Payment: Two (2) cents per word and one contributor copy in each of all published formats Reprints?: No Multiple and/or Simultaneous Submissions: Yes (within reason, please) Audience Age Appropriateness: 16 years old and up. Profanity and sexually-related material is acceptable, provided it is not gratuitous nor excessive. What is not acceptable is anything culturally derogative (propagating racial hatred or malicious stereotypes); relating to torture or sexual abuse of children/animals; or involving graphic sex/ “erotica.” Genre Suitability: Anything with a supernatural and dark element, such as Horror, Dark Fiction/ Dark Fantasy, Weird Fiction, etc. Tone: Imaginative and/or harrowing adventure; beauty of darkness; horror (edgy or quiet); exploration through fears or discovery; original monsters and/or strange lands; life events turned slightly askew, etc. Response Time: February 30, 2023 (or earlier) Send submissions and queries to: [email protected] About the Series Since 2006, the +Horror Library+ series of anthologies has been internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of contemporary horror short fiction stories—relevant to the moment and stunning in impact—from leading authors of the macabre and darkly imaginative. Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in. These anthology books have been a home for non-themed short works of...

Submission Window: January 1st-30th, 2023 Payment: 0.08 USD per word Theme: character-focused, weird sword-and-sorcery: stories of a dark and transgressive nature What  We  Want Old Moon publishes character-focused, weird sword-and-sorcery: stories of a dark and transgressive nature, set in a secondary or historical-paranormal (“our” reality, but with a twist, if you will) world, with a focus on rounded characters undergoing some sort of conflict, resolved (though not always successfully!) by the might of their main or mind. ​ We love stories that combine that sense of action and adventure with well-rounded characters who make us question our own realities and perceptions. We love to see the gothic, the baroque, the eldritch, and we love to see it hit with an axe. Weird fiction and sword-and-sorcery can both be slippery terms. That is part of the fun! But, for our purposes we know it may help prospective writers if we list a series of authors and their stories we feel encompass (at least in part) what we love about the borderland of sword/sorcery and weird fiction: Laird Barron ("Oblivion Mode," "Ode to Jode the Toad") E.R. Eddison (The Worm Ouroboros) John R. Fultz ("Chivaine") Robert E. Howard ("The Shadow Kingdom," "Worms of the Earth") Caitlin R. Kiernan ("The Sea Troll's Daughter") John Langan ("The Savage Angela in: The Beast in the Tunnels") Tanith Lee (Birthgrave, "Southern Lights") C.L. Moore ("The Black God's Kiss") Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Return of the Sorcereress) Michael Shea (Nifft the Lean) Clark Ashton Smith ("The Charnel God," "Necromancy in Naat") E. Catherine Tobler ("The Living, Vengeant Stars, "And After the Fire, A Still Small Voice") Gene Wolfe ("Bloodsport") ​ The list could go on and on, of course, but we feel those provide a representative sample of the work we enjoy. We do not ask for pastiches of their work,...

Submission Window: January 23rd - 30th, 2023 Payment: $20 Theme: Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories. Mythaxis is published four times a year, and is open to submissions within the following periods: January 23rd-30th April 23th-30th (this window closed in 2023) July 23rd-30th October 23rd-30th Submissions received outside of these dates will unfortunately be lost and therefore not responded to. When open, we seek and offer the following: Length: 1,000-7,500 words. This is a firm limit. Generally speaking, the further a story goes beyond 5,000 words the more it will need to impress, but the door is not shut in advance. Compensation: $20 on acceptance and return of contract. Please be aware that payment is via PayPal only. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, please get in touch. We aim to accept or reject within 14 days of acknowledgment, but rl (real life) and rl (reading load) can get in the way. If you do not hear from us after 30 days, feel free to query. We require First Print and Digital rights with a six month period of exclusivity from the date of publication. We also ask permission to potentially include accepted pieces in future anthologies, in event of which an additional full payment and digital copy will be offered in compensation. All other rights remain entirely with the author. Simultaneous submissions are not only accepted, they are encouraged. Please tell us if you are, and we merely ask that you notify us of acceptance at another market as soon as possible. In the event that we accept first we would expect a positive confirmation, so we recommend sim-subbing to markets of equivalent status - we won’t want to wait for someone else you’d like better to turn you down… Please wait until receiving a rejection notice...

Deadline: January 31st, 2023 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, 1-2 interviews and/or review – Fiction:   We are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-5000 words firm. Genre mashing is absolutely allowed. We do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors direct or implied. Common sense when submitting please. 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. 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.   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 01 – October 31   SPRING ISSUE: November 01 – January 31   SUMMER ISSUE: February 01 – April 30   FALL ISSUE: May 01 – July 31 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 certain.  ...

Deadline: December 1ts, 2022 to January 31st, 2023 Payment: 8 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Stories of massive engineering megastructures that reshape stellar systems. We are seeking stories for an anthology to be titled Gargantua which will collect stories of massive engineering megastructures that reshape stellar systems. To be published in the spring of 2023 by the Air and Nothingness Press. All stories to be exactly 1000 words. Theme: Shellworlds, Alderson disks, Dyson spheres and swarms, O’Neill cylinders, Matrioshka brains, wormhole networks— these megastructures reshape stellar systems, are evidence of the engineering prowess of advanced civilizations, and are just darn cool concepts. While these ideas usually fall under Hard SF, we are looking for authors to provide stories in any genre they choose. Tell us the tales of advanced civilizations, personal stories of the people who live in these spaces, the mythology that is created as these projects are born, to the time they crumble to stellar dust. All stories are requested to be EXACTLY 1000 words in length. The title is not part of this word count. We will use MSWord as the word count application. How to submit: Email your submission to [email protected] (Submissions open December 1st, 2022 and close January 31st, 2023). These are firm dates. Compensation: Our pay rate is 8 cents a word. Anthology authors will receive one print copy of the anthology, plus wholesale pricing for additional print copies (40% off the retail price). Rights: AaNPress purchases Worldwide First English print rights, exclusive for 1 year from publication, and non-exclusive after. Submissions: New authors are as welcome as established writers. We especially encourage WOC/POC authors. AaNPress does not accept reprints or multiple submissions. Simultaneous submissions are ok but please let us know promptly if the submission is accepted elsewhere. We will...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: $1 per accepted piece Theme: horrorku, horror themed tanka, haibun, see below for details The Submission may include any or all of the following: · Up to seven (7) horrorku or horror tanka  · Up to three (3) haibun · Up to five (5) pieces of cover art All submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not under consideration by a print or web-based journal. Posts in closed, critique-oriented groups and social media sites are acceptable for submission, but public posts on forums such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not. By submitting a piece to us, you are guaranteeing that it is your original work and not under consideration or published anywhere else in the world. E-mail submission is required. Type poems into the body of the e-mail; no attachments of poetry will be opened. For art submissions, please include all five pieces in a .PDF file or send us a link to a private gallery. If we purchase an art piece for our cover, we will ask that you provide a 300 dpi version of said piece. E-mail: [email protected] Subject: Otoroshi Submission Please include a cover letter noting location in the world. Please include handles for Instagram and Twitter for promotional purposes. At this time, only one submission per issue will be considered unless the editors directly request a second submission. Submission periods are one month long: · January for the Spring Issue · April for the Summer Issue · July for the Fall Issue · October for the Winter Issue Acceptances will be sent shortly after the end of each period. Please note: Although most journals may publish your work as is, we are editors, too. This means we will make suggestions to your work as we see fit. This...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: 8 cents/word and 4 cents/word for reprints Theme: Speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology Note: Reprints Welcome Open to fiction submissions each year during the months of January and July. Open to art submissions year-round. We are looking for speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology, and for artwork for this site. Fiction Guidelines Technical details Stories can be up to 9000 words (thanks, Patreon supporters!). This is a hard limit--our submission system will enforce it. We pay 8 cents/word for original stories (or original translations of stories that have not previously appeared in English), and 4 cents/word for reprints (thanks again, Patreon!). Authors are paid once we've agreed on edits and signed a contract, prior to earliest publication (generally on our Patreon page). We are seeking 6 months' exclusive worldwide publication rights for original works (with exceptions for established Best of the Year anthologies), and non-exclusive worldwide print and electronic rights thereafter for both original works and reprints. We want to publish your story online in our webzine and keep it there indefinitely. We're also acquiring the right to offer ebook versions of the stories we publish, as Patreon rewards or for purchase; and to publish a print and ebook anthology of all the stories that appeared in the webzine over a given 1- or 2-year period. For original fiction, we want to be the only place publishing it for the first 6 months; after that, you're welcome to publish it anywhere else in any format you like. No multiple or simultaneous submissions. If multiple writers co-write a story, we consider each distinct group of writers a different submitter. In other words, if two people co-write a story, and they submit the co-written story, and each of them also submits...