Events

Submission Window: February 1st - March 30th, 2023 Payment: Contributors copy and 3 cents per word Theme: Never-before-seen monsters! Open for submissions February 1 from Dragon’s Roost Press: a dark, speculative new anthology series, THE MIDNIGHT ZONE. Join featured authors Ramsey Campbell, Gemma Files, Gabino Iglesias, Gwendolyn Kiste, Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Maberry, Lucy A. Snyder, Jeffrey Thomas, and Gaby Triana, and the twisted editorial minds that brought you Stitched Lips, Appetites, Burnt Fur, and Harmony & Dissonance, to go to strange-and-dark new places, to plumb the depths of a Twilight Zone with sand in its teeth. For our first sojourn, editors Douglas Gwilym & Ken MacGregor will aim the submersible toward the place where the unseen monsters feed–Novus Monstrum. Send us your original story that meaningfully features a never-before-seen monster (however you define the word). Submissions will be open from Feb. 1 to March 30. Length 1k-5k, with a sweet spot of 3k. 3 cents a word plus contributor’s copy. MORE DETAILS TO COME! This is just an advance notice so that you have a chance to get started! Post will be updated with all of the details ASAP!

Submission Window: February 1st, 2023 - March 30th, 2023 Payment: 3 cents per word plus 1 contributor’s copy. Theme: Stories with original monsters Note: We had previously included a listing for this call, however, it was only a partial one and we now have the full details to share!) NOVUS MONSTRUM OPENING 2 FEB for submissions from Dragon’s Roost Press: volume one of the weird, dark, speculative new anthology series,   THE MIDNIGHT ZONE Our first season of mind-rattling speculations, our volume one, is a menagerie of original monsters. To qualify, your story must feature, meaningfully, a never-before-seen monster (however you define the word) and must contain a speculative element. 1000-5000 words, with a sweet spot of 3k. All land, sea, space, time, earth, wind, and fire monsters welcome. Join featured authors Ramsey Campbell, Gemma Files, Gabino Iglesias, Gwendolyn Kiste, Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Maberry, Lucy A. Snyder, Jeffrey Thomas, and Gaby Triana, and the twisted editorial minds that brought you Stitched Lips, Appetites, Burnt Fur, and Harmony & Dissonance, to go to strange-and-dark new places, to plumb the depths of a Twilight Zone with sand in its teeth. The real-world midnight zone is that depth between 1,000 and 3,000 meters in the ocean where no sunlight penetrates.The pressure is intense, life is fleeting, and predators and scavengers abound. Take us to that place only you know, the one that is inhospitable, surprising, uncomfortable, strange, or otherworldly. In The Midnight Zone, we’ll lose ourselves and awake to find an impossible face staring, inches from our own.   THE DETAILS: Novus Monstrum opens for submissions at midnight on February 1, 2023, and closes at 11:59 on March 30, 2023. Please adhere to Shunn format or a reasonable facsimile (but never two spaces after a period, for the love of Ligotti). The goal is nice, clean, professional copy. A readable 12-point font and basic contact information. Attach your document in .doc,...

Deadline: March 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 cents per word Theme: Stories inspired by sea shanties, more on that below! This is a Call for Submissions for We Fear Not the Sea, an anthology of stories inspired by sea shanties. Each tale should be based on, or somehow incorporate, one sea shanty and include a speculative element of some kind. Give us your adventures with ghosts, sea monsters, and mermaids! Put us in the salty sea boots of sailors, whalers, pirates, and privateers! Open for Submissions: January 9, 2023 through March 30, 2023 Expected Publication: June 2023 Submission Requirements Your story: should be approximately 2,000 – 6,000 words in length. should be based on the content of or incorporate the use of a sea shanty. should not contain erotica, or excessive violence or gore. should be an original submission and not previously published. should not be simultaneous submission to other markets. Please submit only one story per submission. Payment Payment (after publication) will be: $0.02 per word one (1) trade paperback contributor edition one (1) hardcover contributor edition access to ten (10) digital contributor copies Manuscript Formats Send us your complete, finished manuscripts in digital (.DOCX, .RTF, or .ODT) format to fearnotthesea (at) paperangelpress.com. Please use a standard manuscript format. If you’re not sure what one is, here’s a good source. Please include “We Fear Not The Sea Anthology” in the Subject line of your submission. Include the following in your cover letter/email: Title of your story Your legal name Your preferred name or pseudonym (if different from your legal name) Your preferred email address Story genre Approximate word count Name of the shanty on which your story is based Short author biography (3-4 sentences) If you’re not sure if your story is something that we’d be interested in publishing, please feel free to...

Submission Window: January 1st, 2023 - March 31st, 2023 Payment: AUD5c/word and one contributor copy Theme: Action horror/specfic ‘punk’ genre. AU5c/word / 2k-7.5k words  Opens Jan 1st 2023/Closes March 31st 2023 (in your time zone). Fantasy, Horror, or Science Fiction, but all must have a military/action focus Theme – action horror/specfic ‘punk’ genre. WHAT WE WANT ACTION-BASED horror/specfic within conflict in a past, present, or future filled with the aspects that make your story a ‘punk’ subgenre tale. The ‘punk’ genres we are referring to are listed at these two URLs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk_derivatives https://litreactor.com/columns/punkpunk-a-compendium-of-literary-punk-genres Think Bladerunner for cyberpunk, Naked Lunch for biopunk, the Crysis videogames for nanopunk, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman for steampunk and so on… anything that can be considered a high-action monster story set within an obviously ‘punk’ theme. If you choose an obscure sub-punk style, please make it obvious for us which one it is in. For level of unnatural creature we will give priority to, think Frankenstein’s Army, Van Helsing, Dog Soldiers or Aliens. We want lots of monster goodness and lots of action. Please ensure the action is central to the story, from start to finish, and don’t forget monsters! This volume is like the previous volumes squared. Even more all action. We want extreme action (yes, I said it again) and it really should be in the style of military or paramilitary action. RANDOM THING – please begin your cover email with ‘Hello Geoff (I read the guidelines)’. This is for two reasons. One, I hate being called Mr Brown. Two, I wanted to make sure you are reading these guidelines. No proper greeting, we won’t read your work. We will delete and not respond to your email. And to say it again, full action. Nothing less. Hoo-rah! We actively encourage submissions from all cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities. Storytelling is for everyone, and...

Submission Window: March 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: Drabbles and Flash - £5, Short Stories 1001 to 4000 words - £10, Short Stories 4001 to 8000 words - £15 Theme: Stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. We’re looking for stories that make us feel something. Warmth, love, melancholy, rage. Note: Only publishes creators from under represented and/or marginalized communities. WE ONLY PUBLISH CREATORS FROM UNDER REPRESENTED AND/OR MARGINALISED BACKGROUNDS AND/OR COMMUNITIES We don't ask for any proof, we take this on trust with the expectation that anyone not from a marginalised background or underrepresented community wouldn't take up the space of someone who is. We ask you to consider this before submitting. QUARTERLY ONLINE ANTHOLOGY: BRIEF We’re looking for stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. We’re looking for stories that make us feel something. Warmth, love, melancholy, rage. We want it all.  All genres, styles and themes will be considered and we especially love stories that are outside the box in their telling. Ambiguous endings? Non-linear storytelling? Antagonist’s point-of-view? A story told in just one scene? We love it all.   SUBMISSIONS: OPEN Quarterly Online Anthology Submission Schedule: December 1st - 31st (Spring Issue) March 1st - 31st (Summer Issue) July 1st - 31st (Autumn Issue) September 1st - 30th (Winter Issue) ​ we do not have set issue themes but feel free to be inspired by the season, seasonal occasions and events ​ Click Here For Print Anthology Information SUBMISSION GUIDELINES - ONLINE ONLY These are the guidelines for our Quarterly Online Anthology. For more information on print anthologies go to Print Anthologies How to submit: Please submit via the form at the bottom of this page. If you have any problems using the form please email us...

Deadline: March 31st, 2023 Payment: 6 cents per word Theme: A women-in-horror anthology inspired by "bad mothers." Note: All writers who identify as women (cis, trans, and non-binary femmes) are welcome to submit. MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Tales of Homemade Horror is a women-in-horror anthology inspired by "bad mothers." We're looking for your best horror stories featuring mother-figures: mama trauma, smother-mother, etc. MOTHER KNOWS BEST is a women-in-horror anthology. All writers who identify as women (cis, trans, and non-binary femmes) are welcome to submit. International submissions always welcomed! Featured Contributors include: Gwendolyn Kiste Kristi DeMeester Kelsea Yu Zin E. Rocklyn With an introduction by: Sadie Hartmann Edited by: Lindy Ryan GUIDELINES: Payment: 6 cents a word (USD) Length: 1000 to 5000 words Submission Period: January 2023 to March 31, 2023. All submissions will be read after close. Due to the volume of submissions, we may not be able to offer comments on every rejection, and appreciate your understanding. Expected Release Date: May 2024 (traditional trade) No reprints, multiple subs, or simultaneous subs. Use classic Shunn formatting. Via: Black Spot Books' Submittable.

Deadline: March 31st, 2023 Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words Theme: Desert/Dessert Theme Colp is our 'anything goes' genre-free anthology collection. Expect to see a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Current theme: DESERT/DESSERT Desert: a waterless, desolate area of land with little or no vegetation, typically one covered with sand. Dessert: the sweet coarse eaten at the end of a meal. We are currently looking for stories that feature deserts and/or desserts, so whether it is a tale about a journey into the Sahara or one about the lemon meringue pie that just wouldn't quit, please feel free to send your work through. Colp is for everyone and therefore we are willing to read stories that fall into any genre. So, no matter whether your story is a horror, adventure, romance, sci-fi or historical fiction piece, please send it on through. Be original. We also encourage new and unpublished writers to take the leap and get in touch. Please ensure that you read through the general guidelines and format your submission accordingly. If you have any specific questions please contact us using the form on the home page or via the listed social media accounts. To help make sure that your submission gets to the correct place, please include the following in the subject line of your email: Colp - DD - Story Title. Word count: 1000 - 5500 words Deadline: March 31 2023 Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words Submission Guidelines: Please no extreme erotica or stories that feature excessive violence or vulgarity (unless otherwise specified). We are all dog lovers here, so violence against animals is the quickest way to get your story rejected. All stories should be formatted appropriately. Please see here for more details. Ensure that your name, address, and email contact...

Deadline: March 31st, 2022 Payment: $50 Theme: Stories must include resurrection Resurrected Now Accepting Submissions Legion of Dorks Presents: Resurrected – An Anthology of Second Chances is searching for short stories no more than 7000 words. Submissions are open from January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023. Your story must be an original, never-before-published creation that centers around the theme. You must include some sort of resurrection, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world. Otherwise, have fun and let your imagination dominate. A scientist discovers a way to bring back an extinct species. At a new school, an outcast finds a way to reinvent herself. A dead god tricks new worshippers into rejuvenating his power. The ideas are endless. We are offering $50 per accepted story. Fifty percent of all revenue after cost of production will be donated to Toys for Tots in conjunction with the Legion of Dorks December fundraiser. Email all submissions as an attachment in .doc or .docx format to [email protected] with the subject “Submission for Resurrected (last name).” One story per email please and no more than two submissions total. On the first page of your document, please include your name, address, and email in the top left corner. A short bio and anything pertinent about the story itself should be included in the body of the email. If you’re curious about the stories we like, check out the others in the series. Manuscript Submission Guidelines: We are accepting submissions of complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all of the niche categories under those large umbrellas. We’re only considering full length novels between 40K and 100K...

Deadline: March 31st, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: Pulp Sword and Sworcery Submissions: OPEN (Issue 7) • Submission deadline: Friday, March 31st, 2023, 11:59p. • Editorial decisions: Sunday, May 7th. • Publication of Issue 7: Friday, June 17th, 2023. Special Guest Editor for Issue 7: Dr. Nicole Emmelhainz is Associate Professor of Composition and Rhetoric at Christopher Newport University, where she also directs the Alice F. Randall Writing Center and serves as Writing Program Administer. She received her MA in English from Ball State University, her MA in Creative Writing Poetry from Ohio University, and her PhD in Writing History and Theory from Case Western Reserve University. She is the co-editor for The Dark Man: Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies and has presented widely on elements of pulp fiction, sword and sorcery, and feminism. Length: We prefer short, compressed stories that are nevertheless complete and cohesive narratives (1500 to 2500 words). These limits are firm. No more, no less. Stories over or under the limit will not be read. We mean it, friends! This limit serves two functions: (1) the limit is an artistic challenge. It takes skill to tell a compressed, punchy story. (2) We are an amateur publication and only pay a token honorarium, so save your longer works for better paying markets. Style: We prefer "dialog light, action heavy" fiction with vivid imagery that is unselfconsciously literary but nevertheless takes joy in an occasional old word that gives the breath of antiquity. Please eschew typographical emphasis and variation--e.g. bolding, italicizing, underlining (there are more artful ways of rendering verbal timbre). Publication, payment, and rights: Issues will be published as .pdf files. If work is selected for publication in WHETSTONE, authors will (1) be paid an honorarium of $10 and (2) will be asked to provide, by contract, "First North American Serial Rights." In our...

Submission Window: March 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: 1.5¢ per word (one and one-half cent), with a $25 (U.S.) minimum and 2 contributors copies Theme: Horror and Weird Fiction Weird Horror has two reading periods each year - March and September. FICTION GUIDELINES OPENS: March 1, 2023 CLOSES: March 31, 2023 We are seeking first publication rights. Fiction must be in English, and previously unpublished in English anywhere, in any format, on any platform, including your blog, website, newsletter, Patreon, etc. Please do not query about reprints. We will consider works translated to English, as long as you are offering first English-language publication rights. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please inform us if your story is accepted elsewhere. No multiple submissions. Please send 1 story only per reading period. We are seeking horror and weird fiction from 500 to 6,000 words, firm. Stories over or under the word count will not be read. (Please respect our word counts.) We are not interested in extreme horror. We receive about 1,000 manuscripts each period, and accept less than 2% of submissions. Do not be discouraged by a form rejection. Payment is (U.S.) 1.5¢ per word (one and one-half cent), with a $25 (U.S.) minimum (paid via PayPal) for first worldwide English-language rights, for use in the print, eBook, and online edition. Contributors also receive 2 copies of the print edition. We ask for a 6-month exclusivity. Copyright remains with the author, and a contract will be provided. Submit stories in Standard Manuscript Format as a Word document or PDF, and e-mail as an attachment to: WeirdHorrorMag gmail com NOTE - There is no need to provide a mailing address on your manuscript. Format the subject line of your e-mail thusly: Submission - Add Story Title Here Do not respond to rejections, please, for...