Events

Deadline: March 15th, 2023 Payment: $15 or a contributors copy Theme: Sidekicks in a science fiction or fantasy story “Summer of Speculation” will be a themed anthology containing stories from Fantasy and Science Fiction. All Sub genres are welcome (with a few exceptions noted in the submissions guidelines). We are seeking fresh faces as well as seasoned scifi/fantasy pros for this yearly anthology to be released in the summer every year. Our 2023 theme will be “Sidekicks”. What we want are stories from the perspective of the superhero(or villians) top henchman/helper. For copyright purposes it would be best if we didn’t use real superheroes currently in production. Other than that, go crazy and wow us with your unique Sidekick. All submitted stories will be reviewed by a small committee here at Cloaked Press. What we are seeking for this collection: Original, short stories created by the author submitting the story. We do not want reprints as part of our goal is to bring fresh stories to readers. We are asking for first, exclusive rights to both print and digital publishing of this work in the world. This is for a period of six months from date of publication. During this time we ask that the author not republish or sell any secondary rights to another publisher. All other rights are retained by author. Story ranges from 3500-10,000 words. All sub genres of SciFi/Fantasy are acceptable, please include the sub genre you feel the story falls into. This is more for informational purposes as we would like to include this information for the readers. All voices are encouraged and acceptable, diversity is a wonderful thing. This extends to the characters in the stories as well. Delight and entertain us with your unique characters and the worlds they live in. Please submit...

Deadline: March 15th, 2023 Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words Theme: Lovecraftian Inspired Cosmic Horror What lurks in the deep? Who listens from the shadows? What sorts of abominable experiments are taking place at the mysterious ivy-covered university? We want your Lovecraftian tales. Deadline: March 15, 2023. NOTE: We are currently only accepting short stories for the anthologies and cannot accept full-length novel manuscripts at this time. ** Please put the anthology you're submitting to in the subject line of the email.** Payment for accepted stories will be $5 USD per 1000 words for all current anthologies (excepting contests). Payments occur via PayPal, so please have a PayPal account into which we can pay you. We will also provide you with a digital copy (epub and pdf) of the finished manuscript. We're looking for speculative fiction across all anthologies (unless otherwise specified). That includes everything from high fantasy to hard scifi and anything in between. We do accept reprints, simultaneous submissions, and multiple submissions, though these will slow down our response time. Story lengths should be anywhere from flash-length to about 15k words, but we have at times made exceptions. We know a story is complete when it's complete, and arbitrary word count requirements are not always helpful. If you have an amazing story that exceeds 15k words, let us know. We may be able to make special accommodations. :) With regard to copyright, we request the non-exclusive right to publish your story in the anthology to which it was accepted. You retain the rights to your individual story to do with as you wish. Please let us know if you have any questions. Note: We do have long lead times with our anthologies, because we want to ensure quality work gets included, and then once the deadline has passed, we...

Deadline: March 15th, 2023 Payment: 4 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Aunique mixtape of stories exploring hauntology, post-punk, and splatterpunk concepts. Ends On Wednesday, March 15, 2023 10:58 AM Description New Meat in a Cold Room (NMCR), the latest conceptual anthology from Filthy Loot, an independent press based in Ames, IA, is a unique mixtape of stories exploring hauntology, post-punk, and splatterpunk concepts. Before submitting, potential contributors should take the time to familiarize themselves with these terms. There are only *five* slots, and previous anthologies have had ratios of up to 40:1, so please ensure that you submit your best work. Submissions are due March 15, 2023. We are discouraging reprints for this particular anthology. We apologize for the long reading period, as we have only one submission reader. All rights revert to the author after publication, but we appreciate a window of exclusive publication. Guidelines: Guidelines: 3-6k words, fiction, strictly within the parameters explained above. *ONE* submission per author. Compensation: 4¢ per word + contributor copy (additional copies available at cost+shipping any time after publication). What we’re not looking for: stories that feel too broad, stories featuring stock monsters/characters, and stories aimed at young audiences. We’re a press that focuses on amazing writers with strong aesthetics. Mood Board: https://www.pinterest.com/eyerarat/new-meat-in-a-cold-room/ Submit Via: Filthy Loot.

Deadline: March 16th, 2023 Payment: 60% of net sales Theme: Novella that includes the image below as the theme for the story Quarterly Novella Contest Nordic Press is now opening up for quarterly novella submissions. The idea is that every third month images and quotes will be presented that will be grounds for inspiration, both for theme and genre. The best novella for each quarter will be published by Nordic Press or one of the imprints as both a paperback and ebook. As usual we would like authors to follow our regular guidelines which can be found on here. We would also like you to submit through that same page. The chosen novella will be announced on the 30th March 2023. ​ Please include the keywords 'March Quarterly Contest' in your submission so we know it will be filtered to the correct location on our end. ​ Our prompt for this contest is for you to write a story inspired by this image: ​ Image provided by: https://www.nordicpresspublishing.com/quarterly-submissions Contest Rules Open to: Anyone Word length: 17.500- 40.000 Submission guidelines: see Nordic Press’ homepage Royalties: 60% of net sales Published as: ebook and paperback Deadline: March 16th 2023 General Submission Guidelines PLEASE NOTE THIS PAGE IS INTENDED FOR 'GENERAL SUBMISSIONS'FOR OUR OPEN CALLS AND ANTHOLOGIES PLEASE USE THE APPROPRIATE  FORM  ​ Please read the submission guidelines in full. Failure to comply could result in your submission being rejected or not considered. Whilst we are open to all genres and styles of writing, ultimately we reserve the right to reject topics that are not suitable for our publications. Please read the individual submission call information for guidance.​ All submissions must be in English. Submitting your work All submissions should be made via our form. Submit the first three chapters of your manuscript -or- first 25 pages, whichever is hit first. ...

Submission Window: March 1st, 2023 – March 15th Extended submission period for writers of marginalized backgrounds (broadly defined) March 16th — March 22nd. Payment: At least 4 cents per word, possibly higher dependant on a Kickstarter Theme: Stories of polite horror: Edited by Eric Raglin and Alexis DuBon for Cursed Morsels Press, No Trouble at All will feature stories of polite horror: horror disguised through polite faces/manners, horror allowed to exist when politeness comes at the cost of self-preservation, and any other interpretation of the theme. We love thought-provoking stories, complex characters, unapologetic weirdness, and bold narrative risk-taking. We’ve received questions about whether this is a “Midwest nice” anthology. It is not, but your story can explore that aspect of polite horror if it speaks to you. Polite horror is all around us. Think about how power works. How those without it are expected to smile and accept injustice for fear of retribution. How those with power dress up ugly realities and make suffering palatable to prevent resistance. Polite horrors come from both sides of the weapon—the wielder and the wounded. They color our intimate, familial, professional, cultural, and political realities. Don’t feel limited to any particular environment. Take it somewhere close—a domestic partnership; or take it larger scale—Good Germans. Have fun, go nuts. Before reading the rest of the submission guidelines, note that the existence of this project is contingent on the success of its Kickstarter campaign. We are grateful to everyone who spreads the word. Donations can be made at the following link: . Note that some writers have specifically been invited to contribute. The anthology will be a mix of solicited stories and stories selected from the open call submission period. Submissions are open to all writers, but we especially encourage submissions from writers of marginalized groups. Open to...

Deadline: March 22nd, 2023 Payment: 30% royalties and 25 author copies. Theme: Work that is entertaining and thought-provoking, cheery, dark, or otherwise. Game Over Books Submission Period V.7 Please read carefully because our guidelines have changed… again. For this reading period, we ask that you send us the full manuscript. ​ This reading period will be split into two sections. The prose reading period (novels, novellas, short story collections, etc) will be from 3/1/23 to 3/22/23. The poetry reading period (full-length, chapbooks, etc) will be from 5/1/23 to 5/31/23. If your collection is hybrid, send it during the poetry reading period. ​ Game Over Books generally offers 30% royalties and 25 author copies. Sample contracts can be found here. If you have questions, notes, or concerns about our contract, please don't hesitate to reach out. ​ Guidelines!! ​ Manuscripts should be in Times New Roman, size 12 font. Please include a title page and a table of contents. On the title page, please include your name, genre, and page count. Please include an acknowledgements page, if applicable. GoB no longer does “blind readings.” Your name is important and part of who you are so no need to remove it from the manuscript. Keep it in! Individual poems/stories may be previously published, but the manuscript as a whole should not be previously published. We accept simultaneous submissions. If chosen, you will be asked to remove your work from simultaneous review upon notification. If your work is chosen at another publication, please notify us immediately. What We're Looking For!! Game Over Books is looking to publish work that is entertaining and thought-provoking, cheery, dark, or otherwise. The type of work that makes you say “oh shit!” and you have to pause and look around to make sure no one actually heard you say that out...

Deadline: March 27th, 2023 Payment: €150 Theme: Stories inspired by a passageway that explores new areas or territory Note: Apologies for the late notice, I only found this one today From Feb 21st to March 27th*, we are open for short story submissions for our new collection, Passageway! We are looking for stories of all genres that respond to our title and/or cover art, and selected writers will receive a flat rate of €150 for accepted submissions. Home is behind, the world ahead (Tolkien, 1954) The paths of perception are thrown open, and new realities loom beyond – all that is left to do is to cross the passageway. New adventures, friends and foes, and whole worlds out there; all of that is being promised to those who cross the threshold. Without any guarantees, or without knowing what's out there, we want to follow the journeys of those who dare to go beyond. Maybe the passage will upend reality itself, or maybe it'll only show a new way to live in the same old one; it might lead into parallel dimensions or take you inside yourself; and maybe, the person that steps in will not be the same that steps back out, if they ever do. Passageway is for stories that dare to experiment, that cross further than they have ever been before, and that encounter whatever may come with hope and open arms. For our fifth anthology, we want stories inspired by our title – Passageway – and the cover artwork below, created by artist Monge Han. All genres of writing are welcome, as long as they explore a story of embracing the unknown (which can be as real or as magic as your heart desires)! More than any specific story or style, we want the emotional response the...

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...