Events

Deadline: August 31st, 2025 Payment: $15 Theme: Road trip terror Are you brave enough to take a ride on the Hellbound Highway? HellBound Books is seeking short horror stories for an anthology on the theme of bad trips, which will be curated and edited by the double-trouble partnership of veteran horror writers Jane Nightshade and Ann O’Mara Heyward. We want road trips, sure, but also airplane journeys, ship crossings, railroad passages, heck even cattle drives–as long as it’s a trip and it’s B-A-D. What if a family like the Griswolds from National Lampoon’s Vacation were zombies? What if a weary business traveler waits for the red-eye in an airport that is literally a portal to hell? What if the night manager of the local Greyhound bus station was a vampire who feeds off of the poor and desperate? What if a crook on the lam checks into a cheap motel and discovers that the usual cockroaches are mutants with deadly powers? What if someone stopped at a cafe in the middle of nowhere, and slowly realized that they were the special on next day’s menu? These are the types of scenarios we are looking for, so let your creepiest imaginings run wild. Scary horror, psychological horror, or comedy horror are all welcome–it just has to be GOOD. PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 3K - 6K word count * Write 'HIGHWAY' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to...

Art by Anwen O'Driscoll Deadline: August 31st, 2025 Payment: $0.08 CAD per word Theme: Fantasy short stories OTHER: the 2025 fantasy short story anthology (Book 2 of the Other Anthology series) We are seeking short stories by international writers. The story can be visually evocative or character/narrative focused as long as it leaves the reader thinking about the story long after closing the book. We don’t want a lesson, we want an experience that makes us come alive. To get a better idea of what we’re looking for, read Other: the 2024 speculative fiction anthology. GENRE: Speculative Fiction. Give us stories of wonder. Humour is fine as long as it’s not about the mic drop. No erotica, gore, or excessive violence. 🚫 Send us your best work, fully edited. Only one story per author will be accepted. No retellings; we want original stories created by humans. No reprints. 🚫 SUBMISSION: 🚫No multiple or simultaneous submissions. If you’ve been rejected, read our free checklist before submitting again. 🚫No reprints. 🚫No flash fiction. Stories should be 2500 – 3500 words. 🚫We do not accept submissions written whole or in part by AI. Submission Format: Use the Google Form with your story attached as a doc, docx or rtf. Format your manuscript using William Shunn’s Modern Manuscript Format (https://www.shunn.net/format/story/) and use Times New Roman to save our eyes. PAYMENT: One-time payment of $0.08 CAD per word to be paid on publication date. STATUS: Open 2025 February 1 to August 31 Writers will be notified after submissions close and after final decisions have been made. SUBMIT: Google Form Via: Bannister Press.

Deadline: August 31st, 2025 Payment: $15 Theme: Road Trip Terror Are you brave enough to take a ride on the Hellbound Highway? HellBound Books is seeking short horror stories for an anthology on the theme of bad trips, which will be curated and edited by the double-trouble partnership of veteran horror writers Jane Nightshade and Ann O’Mara Heyward. We want road trips, sure, but also airplane journeys, ship crossings, railroad passages, heck even cattle drives–as long as it’s a trip and it’s B-A-D. What if a family like the Griswolds from National Lampoon’s Vacation were zombies? What if a weary business traveler waits for the red-eye in an airport that is literally a portal to hell? What if the night manager of the local Greyhound bus station was a vampire who feeds off of the poor and desperate? What if a crook on the lam checks into a cheap motel and discovers that the usual cockroaches are mutants with deadly powers? What if someone stopped at a cafe in the middle of nowhere, and slowly realized that they were the special on next day’s menu? These are the types of scenarios we are looking for, so let your creepiest imaginings run wild. Scary horror, psychological horror, or comedy horror are all welcome–it just has to be GOOD. PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 3K - 6K word count * Write 'HIGHWAY' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to...

Deadline: August 31st, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: A 1980s band that end up in a fantasy kingdom (a few specific details to include below.) Announcing the latest open call by Ps and Qs Publishing! Elven Rock of Ages   What I'm Looking For:    Rift is tired of ruling his Elven Kingdom. He's been maintaining peace for a thousand years. His son is ready to take over and his daughter is leading his armies. He has nothing to do except sit in his court and pretend to be entertained. Enter a 1980s band that managed to stumble into his kingdom. Finally, something new. Deciding that playing rock music is how he wants to spend his time, he and three of his most trusted guards head out into the world. They take on the names,    Rift - singer Belanger - bass  Draye - guitar  Todd - drummer (Someone has to have a normal human name.)  1988 - Band Name Don't worry about writing the origin story. I have that one in hand. Together they travel around, entertaining the crowds and fighting all the possible supernatural creatures in their way. This could be anything from Science Fiction to Fantasy to Horror. No overly graphic scenes or swearing, please.  Absolutely no song lyrics, although song titles are acceptable. No AI may be used. Story length will be between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Dates: Open immediately with the final entry being accepted Aug 31st, 2025. The contracts will be sent out Sept 30th, 2025. The anthology will be published Oct 31th. If there are enough awesome stories for more anthologies, you will be informed as to which one you will be included in and when it will be published.  Payment: Payment will be done through Pubshare and will be royalty based.  Rights: I will require the...

Deadline: August 31st, 2025 Payment: $50 AUD Theme: Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human Our second anthology will gather a wide range of creative responses on the theme of Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human. We want to foster neurodivergent situated knowledge that is not limited to the traditional academic essay: engage in autotheory, autoethnography, creative essay, poetry, short story, speculative sci-fi, visual art, and more. While the close bond between neurodivergent humans and other living beings are often put forward, little thematic focus has been placed on the intersection of neurodiversity and the more-than-human in academic and creative writing. This anthology seeks to fill this gap and foster a more-than-human turn in neurodiversity with an emphasis on creative responses. With this turn in mind, Ombre Tarragnat has formulated the concept of ethodiversity, which refers to the different ways we exist in the world as animals. It includes our behaviours, but also our affects, personalities, orientations, etc. It encompasses neurodiversity but isn’t reduced to it. Ethodivergence is a way of being and behaving that is different from the majority in one’s species or milieu, or from the behavioural norms imposed on us by humanist principles. As a framework, ethodiversity can help us map the intersection of neurodiversity and animality. See more here. We invite our writers to be as creative and experimental as they can in whatever style or mode they choose, and to think beyond the boundaries of established genres. Hybridity and experiments with form, as well as artistic enhancement with visual components, are encouraged. For organisational reasons, the anthology will be in English. However, we invite authors to develop their writing projects in their native or preferred language and then proceed to submit an English translation. If you are unable to translate your work into English, then we will also accept submissions in Spanish,...

Submission Window: May 1st – August 31st Payment: Fiction: 2¢ per word for original, 1¢ per word for reprints. Poetry: $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints. Artwork: $100 for issue cover art, $30 for back cover art, and $20 for art used on our site Theme: Stories and poetry containing elements of science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, or dystopia. Note: Reprints Welcome Radon welcomes short stories and poetry containing elements of science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, or dystopia. ​ We publish quality literature the first of every February, June, and October. Submissions are accepted year-round. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Reprints no longer accepted as of 2025. AI submissions are not allowed at Radon. ​ Please click below to submit your work through our no-fee Submittable page: We kindly request a third-person bio that is 100-words or shorter in your cover letter.Author rights: For original work, Radon asks for first worldwide digital and print publication rights in English and non-exclusive archival rights. ​ Authors published in Radon cannot be accepted into the issue immediately following, but may submit after this period. ​ Our issue reading periods are: ​ February: Sep. 1 – Dec. 31 ​​​​ June: Jan. 1 – April 30 ​​​ October: May 1 – Aug. 31 Prose We accept flash fiction and short story submissions up to 5,000 words. Radon pays a semi-professional rate of 2¢ per word for original work. As of 2025, we don't accept reprints. ​ For quicker processing, please use a submission style similar to the modern manuscript format. We ask that you utilize single-spacing. Please note that we do not publish fantasy stories and are looking for work that includes leftist social commentary. Poetry Please submit up to five poems in a single Word document. There is no line limit. Radon pays a semi-professional rate of $20 per poem. As of 2025, we don't accept...

Submission Window: June 15th - August 31st, 2025 Payment: £100 Theme: 30,000-50,000 word stories that take place on the mysterious 13th floor! (details in the post) Note: I'm not in love with the pay per word count here but had a friend who had a story that was a perfect fit with minor tweaking so am sharing for that reason. There’s a floor that shouldn’t exist—yet it does.​ We’re Thrilled You’re Considering Submitting Your Short Story! Hidden between levels. Left off the blueprints. Sometimes sealed behind walls. The 13th Floor is a psychological horror anthology rooted in the idea of a floor that was never meant to be there—and never truly left. Some say it’s cursed. Others say it’s a threshold: a place where time frays, memories shift, and the boundaries between the living and the dead grow thin. We’re seeking three slow-burning, atmospheric novellas—each between 30,000 and 50,000 words—that explore the strange and terrifying manifestations of this floor. Think elevator rides that don’t end, rooms that remember, buildings that deny their own architecture, and people slipping through cracks in reality. This is horror for readers who love creeping dread, surreal twists, and haunted spaces that feel far too real. If you’re inspired by the tension of Stephen King, the eerie distortions of Koontz, or the uncanny quiet of Jackson—this is for you. Diversity & Inclusion At Dark Holme Publishing, we celebrate the unique power of diverse voices and perspectives in horror and dark fantasy. We actively seek submissions from authors of all backgrounds, sexualities, and genders, especially those yet to be published. Your voice matters, and we are committed to giving a platform to stories that deserve to be heard. Share your chilling tales that grip, terrify, and redefine the boundaries of the genre! What we're looking for: Genre:...

Submission Window: June 1st - August 31st, 2025 Payment: Professional rates. An advance may be paid at the discretion of the editors. Royalties percentages will be negotiated upon acceptance Themes: Speculative fiction and dark thrillers Ruadán Books will be opening for novel and novella submissions on June 1! We are looking for speculative fiction stories, dark thriller stories, and genre-bending tales that explore the darkness in all of us. If you have a complete manuscript in the dark speculative fiction, horror, mystery, or thriller genres, we want to hear from you. We accept submissions through Moksha - check below for our submission guidelines. And don’t forget to mark the date! About Ruadán Books Ruadán (pronounced ROO-ah-dawn) Books is an Independent Publisher focusing on dark thrillers and speculative fiction. We have a passion for raising up new talent as well as working with experienced authors. We especially welcome writers from marginalized demographics. Submission Guidelines for Ruadán Books Read the following submission guidelines carefully. We expect professional submissions  in order to allow our editors to review work promptly. Please note that the system will only allow you to upload ONE document, so please include ALL the required items in one .doc or .docx file. Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will automatically be rejected unread. What we are looking for: Ruadán editors want speculative fiction stories, dark thriller stories, and genre-bending tales that explore the darkness in all of us. We expect deeply flawed characters, sweeping settings, and gritty detective work. If your novel is the beginning of a series, let us know that in your cover letter. PLEASE remember that we are primarily an Entertainment Business, and that messages embedded in your work should be balanced when presented, and that deeper meanings are handled in a thoughtful manner. An abbreviated list...

Deadline: September 15th, 2025 Payment: $50 and 2 contributors copies Theme: Lesser known (lost or undiscovered) cryptids of Appalachia Cicada Books / Brood XIV Books is planning a horror anthology about the lesser (lost or undiscovered) cryptids of Appalachia. We are seeking stories about lesser known creatures from regional authors: no Mothman or Bigfoot, please. If you are a new or established fiction writer we invite you to submit your original short fiction (3-5k words) for inclusion in this anthology. We are seeking thrills, suspense, and horror! We would add weird, but it feels unnecessary for cryptid tales. The book is set to publish in late 2025. Submissions will close on September 15, 2025. Payment for accepted stories: $50 plus two copies of the print version. The book will be available at major outlets in print and e-book format, as well as sold locally. We are not seeking poetry, purely comic stories, or romance without a horror element. We may accept a limited amount of artwork; please inquire if you have art you’d like to submit. To submit; please send the entirety of your story pasted into the body of an email to [email protected]. Important: subject line must read ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION: (YOUR TITLE). If your story is not within a couple hundred words of the 3000-5000 range, please inquire first to the email address above. You do not need a cover letter or preliminary material. At the end of your submission, please include a short author bio. Via: Cicada Books.

Deadline: September 15th, 2025 Payment: $20 and 5 contributors copies Theme: Vampire and/or Werewolf themed horror stories The sun sets. With it, light fades as though it were a mere background character in a sinister plot as the stories within “After Dark, Volume 2” cast their shadows, and darkness comes to life. Campfire Publishing is excited to announce that we are currently accepting submissions for, “After Dark, Volume 2”, the second volume in our collection of Vampire and Werewolf themed horror stories! Please read below to ensure that your story will be a good fit, and feel free to reach out to us–via the form located on our main page or by sending an email to [email protected]–if you have any questions. What are we looking for? We are looking for WELL-EDITED stories close to 15,000-20,000 words that offer a horrific, bloody, or unique lens to view the subject of werewolves, vampires, or even a combination of the two!—If that’s where your creative journey leads you. Campfire Publishing is keeping its eye out for a wide range of chilling voices from seasoned to novice-we LOVE publishing and supporting newer writers(!)- that offer unique perspectives into the world of two of the most classic characters in horror. We want twists and turns, thrills and chills; make us want to sleep with the lights turned on at night. Show us excitement, culture, and blood-curdling screams! What are we NOT looking for? Erotica. A.I. Generated Material. General Submission Guidelines: Genre: Horror Word Count: 15,000-20,000—(If you need to go a bit over 20k, we understand.) Submission File Format: Please Label Your Files “ADV2” “last name” (example: “ADV2_Smith”) Formatting: 12-point font, Arial, Courier (New), Times New Roman File Type: .doc .docx .pdf— **Unfortunately we cannot accept .txt files. Compensation: Upon Acceptance $20/ story + 5 (minimum) Copies of Anthology + Additional Future Opportunities for...