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Deadline: May 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 contributors' copies Theme: Work with a hell-ish twist The Prompt: Work sucks. We’ve all had a boss or coworker we swore was a demon or held a job where we think we are surrounded with little hellions trying to ruin our day. At times, all we have to do is walk into a strange and unusual business to send unnerving tingles down our spine. An ethereal voice whispers that we might not last if we stay too long. Sometimes, those feelings are correct. Luckily, you can read about those encounters from the safety of your favorite chair instead of experiencing them for yourself. So, use that sick day you’ve been holding onto and save your soul from eternal damnation with Demonic Workplace (Safer to Call in Sick). Deadline May 30th 2023 at Midnight EST Publication By End of 2023 Award 2 complimentary paper copies. US Only. Access to buy author copies at a discounted rate. We retain first publication rights for the first 90 days of publication. After that feel free to sell and republish your entry as you wish. All entries will solely belong to you. Wide distribution. By sending in a submission, you are agreeing to the rights above and will receive confirmation to further information regarding contest. Contest Guidelines Here’s what we need from you to include: 12 pt font Calibri or Times New Roman Double-spaced throughout (without extra spaces between paragraphs) Indented for new paragraphs 1-inch margin all around Include a title page with pen name & author name Title of work Header with pen name, title, and page number in top right-hand corner. 2,500 – 5,000 words You must be 18+ to participate or we must receive permission from your parents or guardian. Important Notes: If you do not follow...

Deadline: May 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 contributors copies Theme: Fantasy stories The Prompt: Set in a time and place of magic, these fantastic tales contain wizards, dragons, fairies, and warriors. Want to explore a world of dragons and wizards yearning to break free? Dreaming about a guardian saving the town of creatures and talking animals from lurking evil in the forest? Dreams can come true, but they can also be crushed. Sometimes, winged fiends win the day. Let your imagination run wild amid these stories of magic and mayhem. Deadline May 30th 2023 at Midnight EST Publication By End of 2023 Award 2 complimentary paper copies. US Only. Access to buy author copies at a discounted rate. We retain first publication rights for the first 90 days of publication. After that feel free to sell and republish your entry as you wish. All entries will solely belong to you. Wide distribution. By sending in a submission, you are agreeing to the rights above and will receive confirmation to further information regarding contest. Contest Guidelines Here’s what we need from you to include: 12 pt font Calibri or Times New Roman Double-spaced throughout (without extra spaces between paragraphs) Indented for new paragraphs 1-inch margin all around Include a title page with pen name & author name Title of work Header with pen name, title, and page number in top right-hand corner. 2,500 – 5,000 words Must be 18+ or have written permission from parent or guardian. Important Notes: If you do not follow the submission and formatting guidelines you will be rejected without feedback and should resubmit. We will not review submissions that fail to follow instructions nor answer the questions we need. You must have your first manuscript completed before submitting. You are only sending us the first 10K words, but it is...

Deadline: May 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 contributors copies Theme: Behold, the four horsemen of the apocalypse and … the other guy. The Prompt: Behold, the four horsemen of the apocalypse and … the other guy. The cataclysm is said to be heralded by a barrage of hoofbeats, each fearsome rider wielding a mighty weapon. The horsemen are so ubiquitous that they have been depicted in art, film, television, video games, comic books, literature, and music. The conqueror, astride a white horse, carries a bow with the string pulled taut. The warlord, riding a roan as red as blood, wears a sword upon his hip. On the black horse sits a rider with hollowed cheeks caused by famine, a pair of scales balanced upon his palm. Finally, on a pale horse, rides death himself, hefting his archetypal scythe. But who didn’t make the cut? Surely, there were other horsemen that auditioned but missed the mark. Perhaps their horse was just a pony or they carried the common cold instead of pestilence. Maybe their audition ended in tears because the other horsemen were too mean. The Other Horsemen is a collection of stories by big names and talented newcomers answering just that. Deadline May 30th 2023 at Midnight EST Publication By End of 2023 Award 2 complimentary paper copies. (US only) Access to buy author copies at a discounted rate. We retain first publication rights for the first 90 days of publication. After that feel free to sell and republish your entry as you wish. All entries will solely belong to you. Wide distribution. By sending in a submission, you are agreeing to the rights above and will receive confirmation to further information regarding contest. Contest Guidelines Here’s what we need from you to include: 12 pt font Calibri or Times New Roman...

Deadline: May 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 contributors' copies Theme: Offices that have Supernatural Beings in them The Prompt: Sometimes we think our co-workers could be from another planet or our boss from another dimension, but what if that was true? What if the guy in the cubicle next door gets his work done quickly because he has two heads or four arms? Or maybe your boss can be anywhere in the office because he can walk through walls as a ghostly spirit? A fun and “horrific” collection of tales from the office where coffee breaks include drinking joe with the vampire accountant or working a weekend with your shape-shifting boss. Paranormal Incorporated: Office Memo 2 brings horror and humor together as the classic witch, ghost, demon, shifter and other horror stories readers love find themselves in the corporate environment of fax machines, office memos, and that never-ending smell from the fridge. Well, that might be a zombie co-worker in there! Your story could be part of this variety of paranormal fables, so enter your entry into our anthology contest today, and your story could be the latest offering of spine-tingling and belly-laughing literature from 4 Horsemen Publications! Deadline May 30th 2023 at Midnight EST Publication By End of 2023 Award 2 complimentary paper copies. US only. Access to buy author copies at a discounted rate. We retain first publication rights for the first 90 days of publication. After that feel free to sell and republish your entry as you wish. All entries will solely belong to you. Wide distribution. By sending in a submission, you are agreeing to the rights above and will receive confirmation to further information regarding contest. Contest Guidelines Here’s what we need from you to include: 12 pt font Calibri or Times New Roman Double-spaced throughout (without...

Deadline: May 30th, 2023 Payment: 2 contributors' copies Theme: Sentient life in the multiverse The Prompt: When last did you look to the night sky and wonder what might loom in the far reaches of the universe? Did you imagine meeting someone among the stars? These are the tales of sentient life in the multiverse… Of the strange and diverse sophonts, hive minds, anarcho-syndicalist collectives, and anyone—or anything—you can encounter among the star systems, galaxies, and universes that surround us. Some linger lovingly on the jagged edge of horror. Some offer immortality, others knowledge or hope or comfort beyond imagining. These tales dare to explore the endless diversity of intelligent life in the multiverse. Are you brave enough to come along for the ride? Discover and experience first-hand as these tales answer the question: Is there life out there? Is it intelligent? Can we talk to them? What do these sophonts look like, feel like? How do they smell and taste? Very importantly, Do They Party? These twelve short stories offer fully immersive science fiction that bring us into space and push us beyond a pale definition of sentient life. From the organic to the artificial to something in between—from the fully embodied to the fully simulated—so many aliens, so little time! Deadline May 30th 2023 at Midnight EST Publication By End of 2023 Award 2 complimentary paper copies. US only. Access to buy author copies at a discounted rate. We retain first publication rights for the first 90 days of publication. After that feel free to sell and republish your entry as you wish. All entries will solely belong to you. Wide distribution. By sending in a submission, you are agreeing to the rights above and will receive confirmation to further information regarding contest. Contest Guidelines Here’s what we need...

Deadline: May 30th, 2023 Payment: $0.08 CAD per word Theme: short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships in any genre (though they prefer uplifting so probably better for Scifi/Fantasy.) Note: Looking for at least 50% Canadian authors We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years. Give us deep space, dusty frontiers, or dreamy fantasy. We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. While we are primarily looking for stories with happy endings (yeah, yeah), we also want endings that are earned. If things get a little teary or gory, that's ok. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules. Payment Payment is $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (1,000-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem. We are purchasing first publication rights, to revert back to the author after one year. Canadian Writers Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, refugees and displaced people living in Canada, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity*. Heartlines welcomes submissions from writers of all identities. If you are comfortable, we encourage writers to indicate their intersections in their cover letter. Disclosure is not a requirement to submit, and we recognize that not all people are safe to disclose their identities. We are committed to addressing barriers and systemic discrimination faced by equity-deserving groups, which includes (but is not limited to): Racialized people People with disabilities LGBTQIA+ people Indigenous people Women Neurodivergent people Our goal for each issue...

Deadline: May 31st, 2023 Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2500 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2500 words Theme: After Midnight Thuggish Itch is our horror and sci-fi anthology collection. Home to your horror, sci-fi and speculative fiction stories. Current theme: AFTER MIDNIGHT Our favourite time of the day are those few hours between 11:00 pm and 1:00 am. After midnight is when all the fun starts, and when things will often go bump in the night. They don't call it the witching hour for nothing... For this collection, we are looking for stories that take place between the hours of midnight and 5:00am. Thuggish Itch is our horror, sci-fi and speculative fiction collection. Please make sure that your story falls within one of these genres. 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: Thuggish Itch - Midnight- Story Title. Word count: 1000 - 5000 words Deadline: May 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 and word count are at the top of your manuscript. Double check your spelling and grammar before sending your work. Please...

Deadline: May 31, 2023 Payment: 7 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Tales that explore queer tragic horror, and any other interpretation of the title theme Note: This anthology is only open to queer writers We’re looking for tales that explore queer tragic horror, and any other interpretation of the title theme. Show us what tragic queer love means to you. Horror is a genre with serrated edges—so make your characters bleed. We love queer stories of love but intermingle them with tragedy and horror. Give us characters who are angsty and complex, depraved and lecherous, and take us through their ecstasy of heartbreak and suffering. We want hauntings! Possessions! Lovers doomed to be separated for eternity! Mad scientists reviving their beloved wrong! Gays in hell! Sad Bly Manor gays! Don’t like the bury your gays trope? Curse ‘em with immortality and the indefinite madness that comes with it instead! Most of all, we are looking for compelling characters in stories that stick the landing. Their fates should ideally resonate with their emotional arc. We want feverish intensity, dread, and heartache. When asked, “yo, u good?” after reading your story, the answer should be “no”. This anthology is only open to queer writers. Those questioning whether or not they identify as queer are also encouraged to submit. We are particularly interested in work from underrepresented voices. Note that some writers have been invited to contribute. The anthology will consist of a mix of solicited and selected stories from the open call submission period. Length: 1k-6k words (ideal 2k-4k) Payment: $0.07 cents USD per word, plus one physical contributor’s copy Publication: E-book and print Multiple Submissions: No Simultaneous Submissions: Yes (Please notify us if accepted elsewhere) Reprints: No Deadline: May 31, 2023 Expected publication: April 2024, to launch at the Ghoulish Book Festival in San Antonio...

Deadline: May 31st, 2023 Payment: 5 cents CDN per word Theme: Through the Portal: Stories From a Hopeful Dystopia Note: International submissions are welcome, however, 90% of the authors must live in or have ties to Canada Through the Portal: Stories From a Hopeful Dystopia - open call for submissions of all-new works. Edited by: Lynn Hutchinson Lee and Nina Munteanu “Historically pandemics have forced humans to break with their past and imagine a world anew. This one is no different. It’s a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it dragging the carcasses of our prejudices, our hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies. Or we can walk through it lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.”– Arundhati Roy Inspired by Arundhati Roy’s vision, we’re looking for eco-fiction stories that celebrate the complexity of relationships and the emotional and physical journey from catastrophe. The emergence of the term eco-fiction as a brand of literature suggests that we are all awakening—authors and readers—to our changing environment. In eco-fiction, the environment—or a specific aspect of the environment—plays a major role in the story, either as premise or as a character with agency. Hopeful dystopias are much more than an apparent oxymoron; they are in some fundamental way the spearhead of the future––and ironically often a celebration of human spirit by shining a light through the darkness of disaster. Atwood argued that dystopias and cautionary tales ultimately embrace an element of hope, through a character’s experience. Dystopias can serve as a road map for individual or community endurance, resilience, and triumph through disaster. Storytelling about how the Earth takes care of us–and how we can take care of the...

Deadline: May 31st, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: The best 1,000-9,000 word dark fiction published in semipro and token paying markets in 2022. Horror Tree is pleased to announce the first Shadowed Realms: The 2022 Indie Dark Fiction Anthology.  Here at Horror Tree, we believe there is excellent fiction being published at semipro and token-paying publications, and we’d like to celebrate and highlight these authors and their stories. This anthology will be a collection of reprints, featuring the best dark fiction published in semipro and token-paying markets in 2022. What we’re looking for: Dark-leaning speculative fiction that was published for semipro or token payment in 2022. In order to submit to us, you must either have, or be able to retain non-exclusive rights to the story. Please do not submit stories that you do not have the rights to; we will not be able to publish them.  Stories between 1,000 – 8,000 words.  Stories need not be horror but should be dark in tone. Only stories published in semipro or token-paying markets (less than 5 cents/word USD). We are specifically looking to highlight semipro authors and publications.  What we’re not looking for: Stories published at professional paying markets. (There are other anthologies who do this, and do it well!) Stories you do not have the rights to. Self-published stories. Drabbles, novelettes, or novellas. Hate speech, including racist, misogynistic, homophobic (or any other “phobic”) content Fan Fiction Heavy use of vulgar language Graphic depictions of torture, sexual violence, and gore for gore’s sake Pedophilia Anything inappropriate with animals Submission Guidelines: We will only consider material published in 2022.  Authors: Please send the story formatted in Shunn Modern using our submission form. We prefer word docs where possible. If not, then we will accept PDFs.  No multiple submissions, so please...