Events

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...

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...

Deadline: January 15th, 2023 Payment: Prose 2p per word, Poetry 20p per line, Photography £5 per image, Comics £5 per page Theme: Machines Neon is a magazine of slipstream fiction, poetry, and artwork. We publish creative work that is fantastic or surreal, and which crosses the boundaries between science-fiction, horror and literary fiction. It is one of the longest-running independent literary magazines in the UK. It is supported entirely by its readers: no adverts, no sponsors, no public funding – just a community of people who all enjoy the same kind of weird literature. Neon publishes dozens of writers and artists each year – all from unsolicited submissions. If you’ve got something which might fit the magazine, please read the guidelines below to find out how to get it published. Before sending work for publication… The best possible thing you can do to increase your chances of being accepted is to read the magazine! This is easy to do: the print edition costs less than a sandwich and a coffee (and ships to anywhere in the world) and you can set your own price for the instant-download digital edition. Download Now Not only will reading the magazine give you the clearest possible idea of Neon‘s aesthetic, but by subscribing, purchasing a copy or donating you’ll be supporting one of the UK’s longest-running independent literary magazines. On top of that, anyone who supports the magazine in any of these ways will receive expedited responses to submissions, complete with editorial feedback. If that’s something you’d value, please consider supporting the magazine before making your submission. What we’re looking for We prefer darker pieces, especially those with an element of the surreal or speculative, but are open to anything and like to be surprised. Images, comics, and graphic poems are also welcome, as are self-contained extracts. If you have any doubts about whether something is suitable, go ahead and...

Deadline: January 16th, 2023 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: edgy, fearless, and experimental subject matter and styles great weather for MEDIA seeks poetry and prose for our annual print anthology.   Our reading period runs October 15, 2022 to January 16, 2023. (Midnight PST) Our focus is on edgy, fearless, and experimental subject matter and styles. We highly recommend reading one of our previous collections to see the type of work we are interested in and the design of our books. Our latest anthology is Arriving at a Shoreline. (Looking for a bargain? We have a very limited number of slight seconds for $5 at our online store.) Let us know in your cover letter how you found us and what you like about us. We are based in New York City and welcome submissions from both national and international writers. https://www.greatweatherformedia.com/ If you choose to leave us a tip with your submission, we will deeply appreciate your support. We do not however distinguish between free and Tip Jar categories during our reading and selection process.  Your tip goes towards Submittable fees, maintaining our website, and paying contributors. After Submittable processing fees, we receive $1.86 per $3 tip donation.  Your contribution ensures we keep a no-fee option for our submission calls.  Donations are entirely voluntary. We are all writers ourselves and know tips are just one way to express your love and respect. Guidelines: Surprise us with your fearless best!  We do not consider previously published work, whether print or online. This includes limited edition chapbooks and personal blogs. If your work appears in our most recent anthology, please wait a year before submitting again in any genre. Please submit only once in each genre (poetry / prose) and do not submit again until you have received a response. 1-4 poems of any length and theme. If you are...

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...