Events

Taking Submissions: Unleashed 2023 Spring Anthology

Skywatcher Press

Deadline: February 3rd, 2023 Payment: $25 or royalty share Theme: Water-related horror stories Skywatcher Press launched the themed anthology series, UNLEASHED featuring top notch fiction by new and established authors.  ​ We are seek stories across the wide possibilities of the horror landscape. Our goal is to terrify readers, make their skin crawl, and keep them on the edge of their seats.    Stories can be up to 10,000 words, and we will make exceptions for longer.  Once selected, pay will be $25 per story or royalty share. This is determined by volume. We are eagerly awaiting your most twisted, nightmarish creations!  2023 Spring Release! Seeking themes around water-related horror stories. Submission DEADLINE is February 3, 2023 HOW TO SUBMIT For consideration, please send submissions in .doc format to [email protected] All submissions must be original works of fiction, and we are seeking First Print Rights. If you have any doubt about professional manuscript formatting, here is a handy dandy guide to manuscript formatting: How to Properly Format Your Manuscript Via: Skywatch Press.

Taking Submissions: Eidolotry digital #4

Psychotoxin Press

Deadline: February 7th, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: Horror stories from authors living in Alabama Upon all scribes of the darkness, the terrifying eye of PsychoToxin Press is upon thee! Specifically, to those residing in the dark depths of... Alabama! Yes, all macabre scribes that dwell in the state of Alabama, us freaks beseech thee. Bring us your offerings for our fourth issue of “Eidolotry digital”! We seek to have all testaments collected no later than February 7th when the sun dies and the moon reigns supreme. For your offering, accepted authors will of course be compensated $10.00 and a complimentary copy of the E-zine to spread the terrifying Gospels within upon the world! We seek first world electronic and print rights for a short time of three months after publication, after which all rights return to the author, with the request that we are credited as first appearance if published elsewhere. Our requirements are simple: — stories must be a gospel of horror (in other words, must be horror genre) — as stated in the beginning , ONLY scribes residing in Alabama are eligible for this issue — all stories must be no less than 1500 words and no MORE than 6,000 words (sweet spot being between 3 and 5,000) — NO reprints! Again, as stated above , we seek first rights only for 3 months. — no excessive violence or sex. Elements of these are of course fine, but preferably in moderation. We’re here for thrills and chills, not necessarily guys and/or adult situations. When ready, produce thy unrighteous offerings to [email protected] with the subject as “EIDOLOTRY SUBMISSION — — . Along with your story, please provide a short bio that may or may not include previous publication history. The date is set. The sands of time ebb away... and us freaks cannot...

Taking Submissions: Archive of the Odd Issue #3

Deadline: February 1st, 2023 (BIPOC-only extension until February, 8th 2023) Payment: $0.01/word and 50% of the royalties divided between authors for short stories, $20 for 'Between the Shelves', Artwork: $20 per page Theme: Unthemed speculative found-fiction A home for the strange, the uncanny, and the odd. Open Submissions Query for Serializing Audio/video Finished chapbooks/booklets Pieces you would like us to help promote Closed Submissions Issue #1 (Closed Dec 1, 2021) Issue #2 (Closed June 15, 2022) Issue #3 (Unthemed, open Dec 1 2022-Feb 1 2023, BIPOC-only extension until Feb 8 2023) Rules We’ll be open Dec 1-Feb 1 2022 for unthemed submissions, with a BIPOC specific extension for a week after (until Feb 8th). You don’t need to declare your ethnicity or anything on your cover letter, just mention that you are applying for the extension. Submissions are anonymous, so the extension is done on the honor system to an extent. We do find out your identity eventually to respond, obviously. If you submit to us last window (thank you!), you’ll probably be good just looking at the bolded pieces, as those have changed. All submissions must be found-fiction. Not sure what we’re looking for? The best way will be to look at the stories on our website, or buy an issue to see the full zine treatment (in fact, if you email us or DM us on Twitter we’ll give you a coupon code for being a savvy author… just saying). Alternately, think about all the things you read on a daily basis that aren’t fiction. Newspapers? Emails? Product support guides? …Submissions calls? If you read all of this and still have questions, please refer to our FAQ, or query! Alright, let’s dive in! Main Zine Fiction: We read blind. While there are no penalties for having identifying information on your document, we will ask you to remove...

Taking Submissions: Recommended Reading February 2023 Window

Recommended Reading

Deadline: February 12th, 2023 Payment: $300 Theme: Recommended Reading, a magazine by Electric Literature, publishes one story a week, each chosen by today’s best authors and editors. Recommended Reading only considers previously unpublished fiction, including publication on your personal website. Submissions will be open Monday, February 1 (12:00am PST) to Sunday, February 12 (11:59pm PST), or until 1,500 submissions are received. Before submitting, please take some time to read Recommended Reading, especially those recommended by Electric Literature, in which we showcase original fiction. Recommended Reading publishes fiction ranging in length from 2,000 to 10,000 words, and pays each contributor $300. We accept simultaneous submissions, but if your story is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw it immediately through the Submittable system. We can only consider one story by an author at any given time. Response time is three to eight months. Recommended Reading General Fiction Submissions—opens Wednesday, February 1 2022 (12:00am PST) through Sunday, February 12 (11:59pm PST), or until 1,500 submissions are received Recommended Reading publishes fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. (For fiction shorter than 2,000 words, check for open submission periods to The Commuter.) Simultaneous submissions are accepted but please notify us immediately if a piece is accepted elsewhere. Response time is six to eight months. Upon acceptance, we can offer authors $300 for publishing rights. During the general submissions periods, writers may submit one piece per period. (This does not apply to year-round submitting members. For more information on member submissions, please refer to the welcome email you received when you signed up as a member or reach out to [email protected].) Writers with a submission pending with The Commuter can still submit to Recommended Reading. For candid advice from our editors on how to polish your first pages and revise your work, check out our "Submission Roulette II" event and our video "How to Get Published in Recommended Reading." Via: Electric...

Taking Submissions: A Thunder of Dragons

Deadline: February 15th, 2023 Payment: Word count-based royalty split for 4k+ word stories. Theme: Epic fantasy that includes a dragon Title: A Thunder of Dragons Opens: 15 Oct 2022 Closes: 15 Feb 2023 11:59 pm EST Theme: Epic fantasy tales of any kind, as long as they involve a dragon--rescuing princesses from their clutches, searching for their treasures, capturing one to grant a wish, stopping one from attacking the local village--anything goes! 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. Via: Black Ink Fiction.

Taking Submissions: Ghoulish Tales #1

Perpetual Publishing

Deadline: February 15th, 2023 Payment: 7c per word (possibly 10c, depending on crowdfunding) Theme: Fun horror that aims to celebrate all things spooky. Greetings, ghouls! Nothing like a Saturday night to announce a brand-new horror magazine, right? As many of you already know, a few months ago we decided to discontinue the long-running Dark Moon Digest after publishing its final, 48th issue. It was a good run and we are immensely proud of the work we accomplished with the digest. But now it is time to move forward. Which brings us to Ghoulish Tales, our latest experiment with short horror fiction. Behold, Betty Rocksteady’s cover art for issue 1! Cover art by Betty Rocksteady   The art is finished, but the inside of the issue remains to be determined. That’s where you come in! What we are after: short stories that fit our personal definition of the word GHOULISH, which is “fun horror that aims to celebrate all things spooky.” Note that we said fun, not funny. Comedic stories are definitely allowed, but it’s not all we’re looking to receive. We want stories that remind us why we love the horror genre. We want to have a perverted little smile across our face while reading. Make us slobber like idiots. Turn us into the Sickos.jpeg meme. We are also interested in non-fiction about the horror genre. Payment for both short stories and essays will be 7c per word. However, payment may increase to 10c per word if we hit a certain stretch goal on a Kickstarter we plan to launch on January 5th. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when it goes live. GUIDELINES: Deadline: February 15, 2023 (11:59 PM CST) Word count: 5,000 max (short stories); 3,000 max (non-fiction) Payment: 7c per word (possibly 10c, depending on crowdfunding) Simultaneous Submissions: Yes Multiple Submissions: No Reprints: No How to submit: Send all stories...

Taking Submissions: Funemployment Quarterly ‘Winter Volume‘ 2023

Funemployment Press

Deadline: February 16th, 2023 Payment: $20 in Canadian Theme: Science Fiction or Fantasy stories involving: Autonomy We are currently open for science-fiction/fantasy submissions. Upcoming We are accepting submissions for our upcoming Funemployment Quarterly ‘Winter Volume‘ of short fiction. The prompt for the upcoming anthology is: Autonomy. The submission deadline for the upcoming anthology is 11:59PM, Pacific Standard Time, on February 16th, 2023. Here are our rules/guidelines for submissions: Length should be one thousand to five thousand words. Broad canvas to paint on! We only accept previously unpublished stories, in English. All stories should be original. No fan fiction or tales set in existing fictional landscapes. Taste is subjective and the complete discretion of the editors. We’re very open-minded people, but nothing that’s going to require a scouring with brain bleach, please. Nothing that glorifies sexual assault, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, vortexes, any of that. There’s a difference between themes and glorification. You know what we’re talking about, cut it out. If you disagree, alt-f4, thx. Payment and Rights Accepted works shall be paid $20 in Canadian currency, through Paypal. If required, other payment methods can likely be arranged, just let us know. If accepted for publication, we purchase exclusive rights for first publication for both the internet and the anthology. These rights exist for 365 days from first publication (either on the site or in the magazine), after which all rights revert back to the author. Published work will be retained in the archives of Funemployment Press on a non-exclusive basis for as long as the lead editor sees fit. Funemployment Press reserves the right to potentially select certain works published in this publication for inclusion in a hypothetical future “best of” anthology. All authors with their works selected would be notified in advance of such selection for additional publication, and would be given the option...

Taking Submissions: Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3 (Limited Window)

Bleeding Edge Books

Submission Window: February 17th - 19th, 2023 Payment: contributors copy and 5 cents per word Theme: Small-town Lovecraftian horror This a very short window for a limited number of story slots available in the forthcoming Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3 anthology of small-town Lovecraftian horror. The ideal length for submissions is 1,500 – 4,000 words. No reprints, please. One-time payment for your story is 5 cents per word. Includes contributor copies and author-discounted copies upon request. Standard (Shunn) or similar formatting on all submissions, submitted as a Word or RTF file. Send your email submission to [email protected] NO SOONER than February 17 and NO LATER than February 19. Submissions received outside of this two-day window will be deleted unread The Shadows Over Main Street anthology series features stories inspired by the idea of small-town America (or elsewhere) pitted against unfathomable cosmic horrors from beyond time and space. We especially welcome stories that challenge Lovecraft's insular and racist worldview rather than traffic in it or celebrate it. If it smacks of antiquated, discriminatory propaganda, the story will be rejected immediately... no further discussion on the matter. Volume 3 is to be the final book in the series, so extra points for stories that are apocalyptic in theme. See the book’s description below: This is the end… …but it’s also just another Friday night in small-town America. High school football teams vie for glory atop green fields while eldritch rot burbles underneath. Mom-and-pop shops shutter their storefronts while moms and dads lock their front doors… unaware that the real threats aren’t of this Earth and already surround them, waiting until the stars are right. The sun is about to set on Main Street once and for all. In Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3, Doug Murano and D. Alexander Ward bring...

Taking Submissions: Haunted Words Press Issue 4: Resolutions

Haunted Words Press

Deadline: February 20th 2023 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: Resolutions Strange stories of a New Year, New You. Twisted tales of renewal, rebirth, revival. Resolutions taken too far, or maybe not far enough. Give us your strange and magical creations. Submissions window: January 20th 2023 - February 20th 2023 What We Accept Short stories Please only submit one piece if submitting a short story Short stories should be between 1000-5000 words Flash fiction Please submit no more than three pieces if submitting flash fiction We would prefer flash fiction to be no more than 750 words, but please do not exceed 1000 words Poetry Please submit no more than three pieces if submitting poetry Poetry should be no longer than two pages Visual art Please submit no more than three pieces if submitting visual art Our audience is middle grade (8-12) and young adult (12-18). We want to publish works of the spooky, the dark, the peculiar, the strange, the magical. give us romance, horror, mystery, adventure. any and all genres are accepted. We want all of it. Submitting Email your submission to [email protected]. Include the name of the submission call, the title of your work, and your name or pen name in the subject line (example: ISSUE FOUR: RESOLUTIONS: TITLE - AUTHOR NAME). In the body of your email, give us a short premise for your piece in no more than three words (example: YA | ROMANCE | DEATH), the word count of your piece (if a short story or flash fiction) and a short bio no more than 150 words about yourself. Please ensure that you put the audience (middle grade or young adult) in your submission email so that we can properly sort it when responding and deciding! IMPORTANT: submit the work itself as an attachment, do not...

Contest: Tales to Terrify Flash Fiction Contest

Tales to Terrify , Canada

Deadline: April 1st, 2023 First Prize: Audio version created and $50. Up to 4 runner ups for audio conversion as well. Theme: Horror elements and relate to the theme of changing seasons Our 2023 flash fiction contest is nearly here. This year, the theme is “Changing Seasons.” The contest is open from February 15th until midnight CST, April 1st. Contest Rules The story must have horror elements and relate to the theme of changing seasons. How you choose to interpret that theme is up to you, but it must be central to the story. Simply setting your tale during a change in seasons or having a tale take place across seasons is not adequate. It must play a crucial role in the development of the narrative. The image included on this page is for interest purposes only and not intended as a prompt. Deadline to submit is April 1, 2023 (11:59pm CST) It must be previously unpublished. Submissions must be in English, but authors from anywhere in the world are welcome to submit. A minimum of ONE winner will be announced on or before June 1, 2023. The top flash piece will be produced for audio narration on Tales to Terrify and receive $50 (USD). Up to four runners up may also be considered for production. Authors retain the rights to their submitted stories. Submission Format up to 1,500 words Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format Double spaced 12 pt. Courier New or Times New Roman font Please include author, title and word count on first page. Stories pasted into the body of an email will be rejected without being read.   For further details on submission criteria and what styles/topics of horror fiction we look for, please check out our standard Submissions page. Submit Your Story Via: Tales to Terrify.