Events

Taking Submissions: Dark Recesses Spring 2023 Issue

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.  ...

Taking Submissions: Gargantua (Early Listing)

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...

Taking Submissions: Otoroshi Journal 2023 Spring Issue (Early Listing)

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...

Taking Submissions: Mysterion January 2023 Window

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...

Taking Submissions: Untitled Anthology About Seers and Sibyls

Brigids Gate Press

Submission Window: January 1st, 2023 – January 31st, 2023 Theme: Stories about the mouthpieces of gods and goddesses. Payment: $0.08 a word for fiction, $50 for poetry, and a contributors copy Submissions Open: January 1, 2023 – January 31, 2023 Title: TBD Seers and Sibyls Type: Anthology of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry Editor: MJ Pankey Theme: We're looking for stories about the mouthpieces of gods and goddesses. Who interprets their omens, tells their prophecies, sees their visions, and performs their miracles? And to what end? Must Haves:  Spiritual element (prophecy, omen, vision, conversation with a higher power) Spiritual medium (Seer, Sibyl, Oracle, Shaman, Priestess, Prophet) Time period: anytime in the past or present Location: anywhere on Earth Won't Accept: Racism Anti-LGBTQIA+ Rape Incest Extreme Horror (excessive gore, explicit sex just for gore/sex sake) Reprints Manuscripts that don't follow the guidelines Religion bashing Guidelines:  Story must include a spiritual element (prophecy, omen, vision, conversation with a higher power, etc) and a medium (Seer, Sibyl, Oracle, Shaman, Priestess, Prophet, etc) in some way Retellings and reimaginings of classic stories are welcome, so long as they offer a new twist. Spiritual elements from any culture or civilization will be considered, so long as the thematic Must Haves are included, and it is does not bash the culture. Can be any genre or combination of fiction New and experienced authors are welcome Flash fiction up to 1,000 words Short Stories between 1,500 to 5,000 words Poetry up to 500 words In Cover Letter include: Brief bio and if you are a new or previously published author Trigger warnings, if applicable Story title Inspiration for story (myth, legend, culture, hero, etc) Manuscript: First page should have your legal and author name, email address, word count, and title of story Double Spaced DOC, DOCx, or RTF format Up to 2...

Taking Submissions: khōréō January 2023 (Early Listing)

khōréō

Submission Window: January 1st-31st, 2023 Payment: 8 cents per word and $500 for custom cover art and $100 for cover art drawn from an artist’s existing portfolio. Theme: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Note: You must identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. We’re especially interested in writing and art that explore some aspect of migration, whether explicitly (themes of immigration, colonialism, etc.), metaphorically, or with a sly nod and a wink. Most importantly, we’re a new magazine and we’re still finding our identity: therefore, please don’t self-reject because you’re not sure if your work is a good fit. We won’t know until we see it, so please give us a chance to look! See submission requirements & how to submit at the following pages: Fiction Non-fiction Art Voice actors Who can submit? khōréō is dedicated to diversity and amplifying the voices of immigrant and diaspora authors and artists. We welcome, but do not require, a brief description of the author’s/artist’s identity in their cover letter. We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented...

Taking Submissions: Anna Karenina Isn’t Dead

Improbable Press

Deadline: January 31st, 2023 Payment: 5 cents per word for original fiction, 4 cents per word for reprints Theme: The rewritten lives of female literary legends Note: Reprints Welcome The rewritten lives of literary legends You suffer. You die. You exist so the hero can have his journey. Who are you? You're a woman in classic literature. Of course this isn't the destiny of every woman, but from Anna Karenina to Jocasta to Cio-Cio-San, from Esmeralda to Aida to Mrs Rochester, death, madness, or suffering is the fate of far too many women in classic stories. Anna Karenina Isn't Dead undoes that. In this anthology of literary women, these women live. Do they have a happily ever after? Maybe. Do they have a happy-right-now? Oh yes. Feel free to bring your woman to the present, future, to anywhere or anywhen. How your classic heroine finds her peace is up to you. Tell us a reimagined tale of the famous, the infamous, the barely mentioned woman in an old story, poem, or legend. Give her a better journey than the one she got. This call is open to writers of any gender and in any location; we accept simultaneous and multiple submissions (up to 3 stories per writer); payment is five cents American per word (four cents for reprints) up to 5,000 words – your story can be longer, but payment stops at 5K words. The deadline is 31 January 2023. Please send your manuscript as a .docx attachment, Times New Roman, 12-point – with your name and story title on the first page. In your email be sure to tell us who your character is, and from what story she comes. No characters still under copyright please. Submissions or questions to Atlin Merrick (she/her): [email protected]. Via: Improbable Press.

Taking Submissions: Short Story Substack January 2023 Window (Early Listing)

Submission Window: January 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars? Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that. What does the timeline look like? Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout. Where do I send submissions? [email protected] What are the rules for submitting? 1. No Fees 2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form 3. Any genre 4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway's famous 6-word story "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn." 5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack - You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers. 7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. What do I get for subscribing? One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting. What if I can’t pay right now? That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your choosing. Best of all, it is on the...

Taking Submissions: Haven Speculative 2023 Limited Demographic Call #1

Haven Speculative

Submission Window: January 1st-31st, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word for fiction, $5 for poetry, 1 cent per word for non-fiction, $35 for cover art Theme: Speculative fiction Note: Limited Demographic: Authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Submission Windows General submission window February 01-28 April 01-30 June 01-30 August 01-31 October 01-31 December 01-31 Limited demographic window January 01-31 March 01-31 May 01-31 July 01-31 September 01-30 November 01-30 It's our goal to publish diverse voices from around the world, and to do that, we are actively seeking stories, poems, and non-fiction pieces by authors from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in the science fiction and fantasy canon. Our submission cycle is therefore split into two categories, where every other month is explicitly reserved for submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. The interposing six months remain open to everyone. Guidelines for Fiction We are seeking stories in the English language up to 6,000 words by writers from around the world. We favor submisions that have not been published before (including on your own website), though we do accept a limited number of reprints not currently appearing anywhere online. For our two issues focused on the climate crisis, we're particularly interested in publishing stories from people displaced by or threatened by the climate emergency (see our themes below). For our other four issues, we're open to a wide variety of stories across the SFF and weird spectra. We pay 1¢ per word for fiction, and we try to respond to all submissions within ten weeks. We will also accept a limited number of previously published stories, so please indicate on the form if your submission is a reprint. All submissions must use the Shunn manuscript format...

Taking Submissions: CloisterFox #3

CloisterFox

Deadline: January 31st, 2023 Payment: £30 plus a copy of the zine Theme: Ruins Note: British authors and authors of other nationalities living in Britain Submissions are open until midnight GMT on the 31st of Jan 2023. The theme of issue two is ruins. We want crumbling castle ramparts and wrecks haunting the sea bed. Give us derelict shopping centres and condemned flats. And don’t forget, people can be ruins too. We’re looking for submissions from British authors and authors of other nationalities living in Britain. We are particularly keen to hear from under-represented groups, including BIPOC, LGBT, and disabled writers. GUIDELINES Submit your story to [email protected] Stories must be no shorter than 3000 words and no longer than 4000. No previously published work, please. One submission per person. Submit your story as an attached Word file with your name and the story title in the filename, double spaced, font size 12. Please title your email SUBMISSION: CLOISTERFOX 3. Include a short biography in the third person – 150-ish words – along with any websites or social media you might have. Author payment: £30 plus a copy of the zine. WHAT WE WANT The best way to gauge what we like is to read the zine. But, for the uninitiated, we are looking for: Genre-crossing speculative fiction with a strange, uncanny bent. Stories that make you feel. It isn’t enough to creep us out – tweak our heartstrings, make us laugh. Take the prompt and play with it! We’re flexible and love to be surprised. WHAT WE DON’T WANT We don’t publish poetry, reviews, non-fiction, comics, or art. We’re not looking for straightforward genre fiction, erotica (though it’s fine to be spicy), or anything promoting fascist views. Original stories only, please – no reprints. Via: CloisterFox.