Events

Deadline: January 23rd, 2025 at the earliest, may run later Payment: 50/50 royalty split Theme: Horror of all kinds, huge fan of sci-fi and cosmic horror. Rabid Otter Horror is currently open to submissions in novella and novel form. If you have a story you would like to submit that is 30,000+ words, we would like to hear from you! To submit, please email [email protected] with the following: The first 20% of your manuscript (for under 50,000 words) or first three chapters (for over 50,000) in doc or docx format, Times New Roman and double spaced. A cover letter with your title, name, pen name, email address, full word count, and quick synopsis of your story. Please title the email “Rabid Horror Submission”. Feel free to include the title in the body of the email, but don’t forget it on the cover letter. Via: River Folk Books.

Deadline: January 26th, 2025 Payment: Royalties Themes: Stories that experiment with narrative, plot and structure. in darker genres Wild Hunt Books are open to unagented submissions from 13-26 January 2025. For this submission period we are looking for novels only (50K-90K words with a grace of 1000 words, over/under). We are only looking for standalone novels and are not acquiring series or duologies. We are not seeking short story collections or novellas this time. We are not a home for poetry, non-fiction, screenplays, translations, and children’s or YA fiction. If you'd like to read more about what the editor is looking for, please read her recent blog post about this. The editor has set up a #mswl which she will periodically update so best to head over there to get a good sense of what she’s looking for. The list is not meant to be exhaustive but to give writers an idea of the sorts of manuscripts we are looking for. The editor is seeking manuscripts that speak to the heart of the company: Our mission is to foster strong and distinct literary voices and those who experiment with narrative, plot and structure. We are also a home for authors dabbling in the darker genres and liminal spaces. She loves language that evokes place, voice and mood, and loves when this works as a visceral entry point for the reader into a story. Some of her favourite writers are: Shirley Jackson, Daisy Johnson, Charlotte Brontë, Margaret Atwood and Franz Kafka. I love books that have clear, engaging prose from the start, and don’t sacrifice on character or story. I’m looking for novels that are close to their characters and worlds. I also like a strong authorial voice. I tend to gravitate towards fiction rooted in reality even if it incorporates genre notes....

Submission Windows: Jan 22-25 BIPOC writers only, Jan 26-29 general submissions Payment: 10¢/word for original fiction and $50 for original poetry. Theme: All forms of speculative fiction that fall into the fantasy genre We plan to open January 22-29, 2025 Jan 22-25 BIPOC writers only, Jan 26-29 general submissions Fantasy only accepts anonymous submissions. Please do not include your name, address, phone number, or other similar identifiers in the manuscript itself. All original fiction and poetry submissions will be read anonymously on first read: moving on to further consideration will depend on the merit of the work alone. Please make sure the title is on the manuscript. For poetry, please ensure that the title of each poem is in the manuscript. Please note: Submissions and purchase decisions at Fantasy have no bearing on any decisions Arley makes as a literary agent, and vice versa. Please do not use Fantasy email addresses, submissions channels, social media, etc., to query or follow up with Arley for literary agent concerns. All opinions expressed by Arley are his own, and do not necessarily reflect ideas, opinions, or values of various organizations, including kt literary. Please see his website for more information on querying. Please read the FULL guidelines before submitting. Note that even if you have read through these guidelines once, we may update them from time to time, as our own perspectives on publishing can change over time and conversations. Definitions… and what we want! Fantasy means many things to different people. Often it means a shifting of perspective, which seems to imply that there is more, that wherever you are, the world or universe is bigger yet. Whoever you are and wherever you are, that location which seems mundane to you is also Fantastic to others. Fantasy is philosophical as well as experiential, it is thought provoking, and often insists on a sense...

Submission Window: January 23rd-30th, 2025 Payment: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum. Theme: Diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. We are open to submissions within the following periods: January 23rd-30th April 23rd-30th 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: 1,000-5,000 words. These are firm limits. Shorter or longer works will be considered, but the further a story goes outside these bounds the more it will need to impress. Compensation: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum. 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. REQUIREMENTS Mythaxis seeks speculative fiction (sf/f/h) of all stripes for our first three issues each year. We are also interested in submissions of crime fiction for our end-of-year “all crime” issue. All these genres are equally welcome in each submission window. We acquire First Print, Digital, and Audio 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 agreement, an additional compensation will be offered. All other rights remain entirely with the author. See here for an overview of our editorial process. Simultaneous submissions are not only accepted, they are encouraged. Please tell us if you sim-sub, 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 expect a positive and timely confirmation. Therefore we recommend sim-subbing...

Deadline: January 30th, 2025 Payment: $1 per story accepted Theme: 100 word story about the Sun Submissions for the 100 Word Project from Manawaker Studio are open January thru May and July thru November. The 100 Word Project is an ongoing project focused on 100 word stories which will be published as a monthly, themed online journal and in a yearly print anthology. Each month (except for June and December) will bring a new prompt, and on the last weekday of the month nine of the submitted drabbles for that prompt will be posted in the public-facing section of the Manawaker Patreon alongside one drabble from Manawaker EiC, CB Droege. At the end of the year, the ten stories from each of the ten prompts will be assembled into the next volume of the 100 x 100 series. The project is curated and edited by CB Droege. 100 x 100 is published by Manawaker Studio as part of their regular line of anthologies. Current prompt The Prompt for January 2025  is ‘Sun‘. The stories The only restrictions are that the stories are 100 words long (granting small leeway for different methods of counting, and not including the title (you don’t have to have a title, but we do like them)), and previously unpublished. The idea is that each contributor is writing a brand new story for each prompt as they are announced, but if you happen to have an unpublished drabble that already fits the theme, that works too. There are no genre requirements, but please keep content family friendly (No gore, no explicit sex, use profanity sparingly. General guideline: Would you feel uncomfortabel reading the story to a group that includes at least one 12 year old child? If so, maybe it’s not right for us). If your work is accepted, you will grant Manawaker Studio the right to publish the work non-exclusively (we will ask nicely for exclusivity for one...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: Unlisted at this time, they're usually good about listing pay and as details are scant as this is a super early heads up, I'm sure more will come in time. It 'should' be competitive rates so this is just to keep in mind for when they open if you have a novel ready or almost ready to go. We'll update this post when we hear more. Theme: Speculative Fiction of 40-100k words. We are currently closed for submissions. However, we will open for one month next year to fill in the gaps in our 2026 schedule. So polish your manuscript and follow the directions below. We can’t wait to explore what you create during January of 2025. (If you send in a manuscript before January 1, 2025, it will be automatically rejected.) Manuscript Submission Guidelines – January 1-31, 2025 When we reopen for submissions in January 2025, we’re looking for complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all the niche categories under those large umbrellas. Requirements: Full-length novels between 40K and 100K. If it’s shorter or longer, please don’t send it to us No middle grade No picture books Spice is perfectly acceptable Must be formatted in standard manuscript format https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html Email queries to [email protected] with a subject of “{Specific Genre} – {Author Name}” For instance, “Epic Fantasy – Brandon Sanderson” or “Space Opera – Kevin J. Anderson” query letter in the body of the email first three chapters attached as a .doc or .docx file synopsis attached January will be here quicker than we imagine. So get to those manuscripts. We can’t wait to work with you in the future! Via: Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing.

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Prizes: $1,500 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 third place Theme: Contest guidelines below. READ CAREFULLY. Failure to do so may result in disqualification! Story Guidelines: Attention storytellers: we just want good stories! There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci-fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc - we don't care as long as it's written and told with quality and care. The story itself cannot exceed 4,000 words (exept for paying MEMBERS, who get a bonus 1,000 words added!). There are no restrictions on age or location of participant, and no need to ask us for permission to participate in the contest - just follow the guidelines below. What do I win? A $1,500 $3,000 prize package will be divvied up like so: $1,500 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely's website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up, which means a lot of exposure to the winner. All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated. Don't forget about the honorable mentions! That's right, you honorable little losers, you. Is that harsh? It's supposed to be a compliment. Anyway, we do NOT notify honorable mentions ahead of time, because we're lazy busy, so very, very lazy busy. Rather, we announce them in the monthly issue along with the winning story, which you need to sign up for in order to be eligible to enter. If your name appears on this list of honorables, you'll be prompted to contact us and we'll send you a fancy-schmancy certificate for proof that you, indeed, almost won a writing contest. But not quite. Plus, if there is a strong showing, some of the finalists may be considered for publication in our monthly...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Dark Speculative Fiction that takes place in a city Spring. Even in the shadows of skyscrappers, spring sees an awakening in the concrete jungle that we call "the city." Spring in the City: A Collection of Dark Speculative Fiction is an anthology that takes place in different cities around the world during the changable, unpredictable return of life from its cold slumber. Your story submission must conform to the guidelines, and feature the city—in fact, the title of each story will be the City of which you write. We are not looking for vampire/werewolf love trysts. We are looking for fantastical and horrific elements within the City itself. Because we all know—deep in our hearts—that even nightmares and fairies, monsters and ghosts, and terrors of the real and imagined call the City their home. If you are ready to submit, please scroll to the end of the page for submission Before submitting work, please read the following carefully.  Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will automatically be rejected unread. How to Send Your Work: Submissions may be anonymous for specific open calls via our MOKSHA system. We do not accept submissions through postal services or email. Your manuscript must be in one of the following file forms: .doc, .docx, and .rtf The exception is when we request an author to submit a specific piece of work. Technical Difficulties:  Contact Us if you have questions or encounter technical difficulties. How to Format Your Manuscript: Use 12-point type Use a serif font; the most common choice is Times Roman Double space your manuscript No extra space between paragraphs Only one space between sentences Indent each paragraph half an inch (PLEASE set a TAB using your writing application software. Help for this feature should be found in the application) Text should be flush left and ragged right, not justified Please...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: Fiction: 3 cents per word, minimum ($5.50 minimum payout), Poetry: 25 cents per line. ($5.50 minimum payout) Theme: Speculative stories and poems about women who are anti-heroes Theme for 22nd anthology: Dark Hearts Dark Hearts is a women-centered theme for which anyone can submit stories. The anthology will feature speculative stories and poems about women who are anti-heroes. Send us your stories about shady ladies: women and female-presenting characters breaking the rules, defying social norms, and getting up to no good! Genre: We accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and enjoy intelligent blends of the three. Stories and poetry outside these main genres’ will not be considered. Editor loves: supportive female friendships. Women with a mastery of weapons or powers. Women in STEM or in disguise. Cyborgs. Hackers. Heists. Underdogs. Romance! Sex, violence and swearing are fine, but execute thoughtfully. We love creative interpretations of our themes, but require stories and poems to be a solid fit. Eligibility: All writers; including those who are known or related to the editorial staff, may submit to Triangulation. New as well as established authors are welcome to submit. AI Policy: Parsec Ink does not accept AI or AI-assisted stories, poems, or artwork. Submission Requirements Submissions Open: November 1st, 2024 Submissions Close: January 31st, 2025 Short Story Guidelines Word Count: We will consider fiction up to 5,000 words, but the sweet spot is 3,000. There is no minimum. Stories over 5000 words will be rejected unread. Reprints: no Multiple submissions: no Simultaneous submissions: yes No fanfic Poetry Guidelines Word Count: No max or min length, but our preference is for poems under 100 lines. Reprints: no Multiple submissions: yes, up to 5 pages of poetry Simultaneous submissions: yes No fanfic Manuscript Format We accept manuscripts in the following formats: .doc or .docx (MS...

Submission Window: November 15th 2024 - January 31st, 2025 Payment: $45 and a contributors copy Theme: Science fiction, fantasy, or horror that focuses on the theme of "surviving humanity" Continuing with our thematic arc, our next anthology will focus on Surviving Humanity. In collaboration with Inked in Gray, we seek to publish powerful, authentic stories from members of our community. All profits from Surviving Humanity, as well as all previously published WriteHive anthologies go directly to WriteHive to help fund all our programming initiatives. This upcoming anthology will officially open November 15th, and we will be collecting submissions until January 31, 2025. We will be looking for stories that explore the theme of surviving the struggles and traumas of this world, giving a sense of hope, determination, and resilience. Submissions will not be accepted prior to November 15, 2024 or after January 31, 2025. Writing the Future We Need: Surviving Humanity ** ABSOLUTELY NO AI WRITTEN OR AI ASSISTED SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO AI INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER PLEASE** Theme: Surviving Humanity Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or horror only Market: Adult. No MG or YA There is no limitation to how you incorporate this theme into your work as long as the story falls within the Sci-Fi, Horror, or Fantasy genre. We encourage you to take the theme and show its manifestation beyond the physical, showing us something unique and engaging. Submission Period: November 15, 2024 to January 31, 2025 Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: Max of 8K words per piece, not including addition information below Payment: $45 per accepted piece plus one paperback contributor copy Rights: First edition exclusive anthology rights for the first six months of publication **Submissions and anthology communications will be managed by Dakota Rayne and WriteHive. Please submit your work at the link below, which will take you to the WriteHive Submission page. Publication details: The anthology will be...