Events

Deadline: July 15th - August 31st, 2025 Prizes: Winners will receive a $300 prize Theme: Your wildest, most inventive work of any or mixed genre A Note on Our Aesthetic We believe there is beauty in scars on smooth skin, in the small fissures where things begin to break apart. Sundogs are not the sun itself but phantom stars appearing on the horizon, illusions produced by the play of the sun’s heat with crystals of ice. They shed their light all the same. Many are tinged with color. We look for this same quality in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We want writing that attempts to salvage something pure from the collision of warmth and cold, that says what it can about the world it finds itself in. We seek a diversity of voices speaking from visceral, lived experience. We like truth we can stare at until our eyes water, words so carefully chosen we want to reread them as soon as we have finished. Practical Matters We are grateful to be a part of a literary community that is taking action against systemic racism. We will also be donating submission fees from our current reading period towards Black-led organizations and anti-racist collectives. In the next year, 25% of our submission fees will be donated, as well. Thank you in advance for helping us work together for change. The best way to know the preferences of our individual editors is to read the journal. Our genre editors also take over our Twitter from time to time to discuss work we’ve published and why. Check it out at #editortalk. Sundog Lit is serious about representing the literary scene and supporting diverse and underrepresented voices. We want to hear from women, people of color, queer and trans writers, and every community who pushes our world away from the oppressive status...

Submission Window: August 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: An advance of $500 to $2000, royalties, and copies. Themes: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Dark Age Press is a small, independent publisher. We presently focus on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Literary Fiction. Our mission: to support local, independent bookstores and pop-up bookstores, and, as such, we only sell to those bookstores. We have open submission twice per year during the months of January and August. Our goal is to publish two works per year. Simultaneous Submissions: Simultaneous submissions—submitting a work to more than one publisher at the same time—are permitted. We respectfully ask that you notify us promptly when you are accepted by another publisher. Multiple submissions: Multiple submissions—an author submitting more than one work per submission window—are accepted, but please limit the number to three works per submission window. Agented submissions: we accept agented submission year-round. Agents should contact [email protected] to initiate the process. We only accept completed novel-length works of at least 90,000 words that are unpublished, were not self-published, and not made freely available. Works generated with A.I. (artificial intelligence) tools are not accepted. Authors wishing to submit a work must send a PDF of the first three chapters to: [email protected], and mail a print version of the first three chapters to the address below. The email subject line should say: Attention Submissions – . Authors wishing to have the printed work returned should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (S.A.S.E.). Submitted works must be postmarked during the month of open submission to be considered. Works submitted outside the submission window that include a S.A.S.E. will be returned. Those submissions that are not accepted or are received outside the submission dates will be destroyed. We will respond by the end of December for the August submission window, and the end of May for the January submission window. If we have...

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...

Submission Window: June 15th - September 15th, 2025 Payment: $10 Theme: Stories that constitutes the ever-moving edge of its kind, as a place between light and dark, consciousness and un, today and tomorrow; work exhibiting the strange, the bizarre, that which is not of the world we know, but more of a twilight realm or even altogether alien place. Submission window: We are always open for submissions of art, animation, and music! We are currently closed for fiction and poetry submissions. We are open for fiction and poetry submissions from 15 June to 15 September and from 15 December to 15 March each year. Please note we have added some limits to submissions (as of 12 Dec 23)! Read on below for more info. In general ... I would love to see submissions representing not only multiple cultures but subcultures, exploring issues of race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, and many things I haven't thought of. Does this mean you have to represent everybody and everything in 1000 words? Of course not. But be aware that we are creating a magazine that overall reaches and represents the true diversity of the world we live in. In terms of genre, I am looking for work that constitutes the ever-moving edge of its kind, as a place between light and dark, consciousness and un, today and tomorrow; work exhibiting the strange, the bizarre, that which is not of the world we know, but more of a twilight realm or even altogether alien place. Not necessarily science fiction, not necessarily fantasy, not necessarily horror, and not necessarily not these things. In short, ideally edgy. Maybe even idealistically edgy. I am NOT looking for porn. Penumbric generally accepts submissions in the following categories: fiction, poetry, illustration, graphic narrative, animation, music, or combinations of these (e.g., a spoken-word version of a poem). If you...

Deadline: September 15th, 2025 Payment: US 5¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $5, maximum $25 Theme: Cyberpunk Eye to the Telescope 58, Cyberpunk, will be edited by Casey Aimer. Cyberpunk focuses on futuristic settings with advanced technology combined with societal decay, rampant inequality, and corporate oppression. It is simultaneously low-life and high-tech, often featuring people in the city's underbelly rebelling against powers larger than themselves. Antagonists are usually corporations, other humans, or technology itself. A world dependent on computers and suffering at its core, there is no utopia to be found in this space. It is flashy neon advertisements juxtaposed against grimy poverty and cynical moral ambiguity. But there are plenty of poets and rebels fighting for a better tomorrow within the margins. Show us what world you see among hackers and artificial intelligence. Is your cyberpunk vision filled with neon or drab utilitarianism? What does it mean to be human or machine in a world blurring the lines between both? Give us complex noir anti-heroes, explorations of punk culture, and a growing rebellion. Fantasy and horror poets: You are encouraged to submit as well. This is not strictly a science fiction theme. Tell us stories of magic users stuck among technology and the conflicts that erupt. Describe a cyberpunk city powered by magic instead of electricity. Or what poetic horrors might lie waiting inside these future metropolises? Submission Guidelines SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Use the form at https://bit.ly/SFPAettt58 to submit. Please submit 1–3 unpublished poems in English (ideally, attached as .docx or .txt) and include a short bio. Translations from other languages are acceptable with the permission of the original poet (unless public domain). Inquiries only to [email protected] with “ETTT” in the subject line. Deadline: September 15. The issue will appear on October 15, 2025. Payment and rights Accepted poems will be paid for at the following rate:...

Deadline: September 29th, 2025 Payment: 8 cents per word, 2 cents per word for reprints Theme: Action/adventure, general, fiction/narrative nonfiction, humor/comedy/satire, speculate (fantasy, sci fi, horror, magic realism, cyberpunk), memoir, western, romance, alternate history, suspense/thriller, mystery/crime, literary, and any cross/hybrid genres. Note: Reprints Welcome Submissions to our magazine run annually from February 2nd through September 29th Why submit to us? - WE PAY WRITERS FAIRLY. It’s hard work writing good stories, and you deserve to get paid. Or maybe you don’t and you’re just duping us? Regardless, we pay 8 cents a word (with a $500 cap), and 2 cents a word for reprints. - NO SUBMISSION FEES. Nobody's getting rich off $3 per submission, but paying money just for the privilege of receiving a form letter rejection is the worst. (Costs of running an E-zine aside) We’re going to go ahead and coin a phrase right here and now - ‘Write privilege’, get it? Of course, you do. - GET YOUR WORK IN FRONT OF A LARGE AND GROWING AUDIENCE. Our aim is fixed on telling good stories, period, and because of that we have built a massive readership from all over the globe. Want to get your stories out to more than just dear old nana? Then you've come to the right place. - REASONABLE TURN-AROUND TIME. If you haven't heard from us within 90 days, then your story was rejected. Rejections stink - we get it - but its better than forever waiting and wondering. - WORKABILITY. Is that the right term? Well, we're going with it. Unlike large publishers who view authors as just a number, we actually work with you to help present the story in its best possible light. We do, however, expect reciprocity; Story Unlikely is comprised of volunteers who are by nature team players. If you're an inflexible my way or the highway type - or...

Deadline: September 30th, 2025 Payment: Prose and poetry: 5$ + 1c/word over 500 (up to 5k) words + .2c/word over 5k words, Graphic Narrative Fiction: 5$/page, Reprints of any category: Half of above, Cover Illustration: $100 Theme: Stories about the future which feature non-traditional families Submissions are open for Home Constellations: A sci-fi anthology of unconventional bonds (working title) from Manawaker Studio, edited by CB Droege. Home Constellations is an anthology focused on stories about the future which feature non-traditional families. This volume will contain stories and poetry. THEME Submitted works should be of any genre, as long as the work depicts a world that is noticeably in the future. Hard and Soft Sci-fi, (Post-)apocalyptic, Solarpunk, Slipstream, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Alternate (future) History, Supernatural, Retro-futurism etc. are all fine names for genres that often take place in the future, but your story doesn’t have to fit into one of those. In fact, if it manages to miss all of those labels, we may be even more interested to see it (unless it thus falls into what we specifically don’t want (see next paragraph)). All works must also prominently feature a relationship or family structure which might be considered unconventional. The story doesn’t have to be about the relationship. The adventure or challenge of the story can be anything, but some prominent characters should be in a chosen family. We’re particularly looking for stories with healthy polyam relationships, but want to also include other queer structures. Send us a story of a stable triad struggling to raise their son in a Martian colony dome. Show us a gay couple exploring alien ruins. Tell us about the escaped assassin-bot and the genetically engineered hypercat who find a baby on their doorstep. Whatever else the story is about, we want it to show that each person gets to decide for...

Deadline: October 31st, 2025 Payment: .02¢ per word Theme: Tiny Terrors is our short fiction program for when a novel just won’t do. Just a short shocking scream to keep you awake at night … Tiny Terrors is our short fiction program for when a novel just won’t do. Just a short shocking scream to keep you awake at night … Graveside Press is again looking for submissions for our Tiny Terrors short fiction program. Open for Submissions : February 1, 2025 through October 31, 2025 Expected Publication : throughout 2026 Submissions Requirements Stories with approximately 2,000 – 12,000 words will be considered for our Tiny Terrors anthologies. Stories with approximately 5,000 – 15,000 words will be considered for our Tiny Terrors standalone stories. For stories longer than 15,000 words, please submit your manuscript to our General Call for Submissions. Pay rate: anthology stories: .02¢ per word remitted 90 business days after publication standalones: 50% royalties of net earnings paid quarterly 2025 TT submissions will be looking at a 2026 publication date. Via: Graveside Press.

Deadline: October 31st, 2025 Payment: $5 and a contributor copy if it goes to print Theme: Horror and almost all it contains! Details below What We Want: We are seeking 500 to 2000 word articles to post on our website. You can send one already completed or send us a proposal. The articles should be about something horror related including, but not limited to, such things as a horror movie review or discussion, a horror product or toy review or discussion, any musings on the horror genre you want to discuss or comment on, any nonfiction article related to the horror genre, horror flash fiction or poetry, and anything that would be considered an article in the horror genre that is entertaining. You could write an article on how bad the newest horror movie was. You could write a short history or analysis of an historical event, production, or person in the horror genre. You could write a philosophical analysis of the treatment of children, plants, or hats in horror movies. We’ll even post creepy flash fiction or poetry. You can write almost anything at all as long as it’s got an element of horror and it’s creative and fun. You can send art with the article for posting as well if you have accompanying artwork. All blogs posted on Burial Books website may be compiled into a book annually called The Blogs of Burial Books. So, you must be cool with this. What We Don’t Want: No porn. No book reviews since we don’t want to hurt any author’s feelings or give them too much praise and make them think they’re God. Absolutely no AI artwork or AI written articles, only humans can be published here. Word Count: Anything at least 500 words and not over 2500 words we...