Events

Deadline: December 1st, 2014 Payment: .02/word (up to 5k words) Episode Seven is an open genre call, meaning you can submit any popular fiction genre you want! Submissions were scheduled to open on November 1 and they are! Because they didn’t open until after noon, Eastern time, we’re adding an extra day. Submissions for Ep Seven will close on December 1, rather than November 30. If you’re interested in submitting, head on over to our Submission Guidelines page! We look for well-written genre fiction to fill our valley with story! Most episodes will pair two genres, sometimes similar ones, sometimes distinctly different ones, so we are open to all types of popular fiction. Because each episode features eight or so stories of two genres, we will put out a call for those genres first, but we will accept other genres as well, for future episodes. Please note that we are an editorial publisher. Check out our Editorial Musings blog post for what that means to us and to you if accepted. You can find any and all submission calls on our Submittable Page. It’s important that, as a writer, you know the market you’re submitting to. Each publication has their own style and their own ideas of what makes a great story. We suggest purchasing at least one episode of Fictionvale so that you can familiarize yourself with the types of stories we find worthwhile to publish. You can go for one of the genre free-for-alls, or a genre-specific episode, as they’re published. Guidelines Length & Format: Up to 5000 words, including flash (<1000 words) and micro-fiction (<100 words). Standard manuscript format: 1″ margins, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt. You really need to pay attention to this. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of single-spaced entries. Note that if you...

Deadline: December 1, 2014. Payment: $15 for any one accepted piece. If two pieces are accepted we pay $20 total. If three pieces are accepted we pay $25 total. The most any one author will receive is $25 for this anthology. Also 2 complimentary copies of the print anthology. Purple Passion Press is seeking submissions for our first anthology on the theme of “the dead.” Submit poetry and literary flash fiction dealing with the dead that walk alongside us, the afterlife, ghosts, spirits, hauntings and the supernatural—the theme is open to interpretation. We like vibrant language with stunning imagery and emotional impact. Send us work that surprises and resonates. We seek literary poetry and prose where imagination, beliefs, and humanity lead us to examine and explore the lives of the dead. Where have they gone? Or are they still here? Purple Passion Press seeks to include a variety of distinctive voices. Deadline December 1, 2014. What we accept: Poetry: Up to 40 lines. Poetry: Submit 1 – 3 poems. Flash fiction: 750 words or less. Flash fiction: Submit 1 – 2 pieces. All submissions must be sent to us via Submittable. Please include a short, third person bio in the cover letter. For this anthology we do not accept simultaneous submissions. We will do our best to inform you of our decision within 2 – 3 months. Previously published works will be considered. But please make sure you let us know where it was previously published in your submission, so that if it’s accepted, we can include it in the credits. Also make sure all the rights to the work have reverted back to you. Purple Passion Press Pay Rate & Rights Purple Passion Press editors will select their favorite poem and/or fiction for nomination for the Pushcart Prize and possibly...

Deadline: December 10th, 2014 Payment: 4% royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form. You will also receive a contributor’s ebook copy. Knightwatch Press are putting together a brand new zombie anthology, and we need your brains. Sunny with a Chance Of Zombies is set for release in Summer 2015, and we’re looking to fill it with a collection of strangely uplifting stories to go with the lighter season. Have you got what it takes to bring something new to the walking dead? We want original ideas that defy the expectations of our readers. Surprise us with your settings, bring us some new or skewed perspectives, horrify us by all means, but above all make us smile. Send your story to [email protected] as either a .doc or .rtf file. The subject of your email should have your Surname, the word Sunny and your word-count in it. To avoid disappointment please ensure your submission reflects the brief and sticks to the following format: Between 2000-6000 words long, in Standard Manuscript Format Typed in Courier or Times New Roman 12 Include your full details (name/address/telephone number/email address) at the top of your document Failure to comply will result in… being dumped in a brutal zombie-infested post-apocalyptic world. With no wifi. Previously published stories will not be considered for this anthology. Authors will retain copyright. Multiple submissions up to a maximum of two stories per author can be submitted. We will write to you between four and eight weeks after the submission deadline to let you know if you have been successful. We will pay 4% royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form. You will also receive a contributor’s ebook copy. Via: Knightwatch Press

  Deadline: December 12th, 2014 Payment: $15 and contributor’s copy Theme: The good neighbors, the folk under the hill, the fae. Spirits, ghosts, and outsiders, often thought to be gods. They step into the real world to play, not caring or knowing how humans live. And like children playing with dolls, they have the power to completely change the story. We are looking for fiction prose only, 500 to 10,000 words.  We may consider longer pieces , but please message us first before submitting.  All works must be original, no fan-fiction. Simultaneous Submissions: No Multiple Submissions: Yes Reprints: Yes, but let us know where it has been previously printed and make sure you have the rights to have it reprinted. Questions? Send them to [email protected]. Make sure to "Faed" in the subject of your email. Click to submit through submittable Via: A Murder Of Storytellers

Deadline: December 15th, 2014 Payment: 6 cents a word (Canadian $, eh) and a contributor’s copy in each format released (paperback, hardcover, MOBI, ePub). Note: Female Authors Only! She Walks in Shadows, the first all-woman Lovecraft anthology, will hold an open submissions period from November 15, 2014 to December 15, 2014. DO NOT SEND STUFF BEFORE THAT DATE. Keep the following in mind: Submit short stories inspired by the work of Lovecraft that focus on a woman or female deity. It may be a character from Lovecraft’s work or someone of your own creation. You are not restricted to the 1920s as a setting. Steampunk, dieselpunk, noir, and any other sub-genre you can imagine are fine with us. Give us your best and most polished work. And yes, you must be a woman to submit. Women only. To avoid the Asenath effect (that means every character in the anthology would be Asenath Waite), we asked the authors who are contributing stories to pick a different character from a Lovecraft story. While you are not bound to these restrictions, we suggest that if you use a character from Lovecraft’s fiction, you avoid the usual suspects (Asenath and Lavinia). Consider interesting and novel settings for your stories. Surely, strange Lovecraftian entities haunt contemporary Nunavut or the Inca fought strange webbed monstrosities centuries ago. Anne Boleyn, evil sorceress or woman fighting the good fight against the Mi-Go? We may never know. Or maybe we will. POCs are highly encouraged to send stories. Transgender writers: same thing. Stories may be sent in French, English, or Spanish. We can read all three languages. Story length is up to 4,000 words with a pay rate of 6 cents a word (Canadian $, eh). No reprints, please. Submit your final story as a Word or RTF attachment...

Deadline: December 15th,2014. Payment: Selected submissions will be contracted for publication with royalties paid on paperback and eBook purchases. Selected submission writers will receive free contributor copies of publication in print form. Note: That payment is a little vague so I'd make sure that you work that out before signing on the dotted line. We are currently accepting short story submissions for our FRESH MEAT Chapbook. This is for new writers to the horror scene. Submissions are for unpublished or self published writers only.(Unpublished means no pro sales of your work by another publisher. Exclusions for magazine publication.) Submission must not have been published in any form. Any subject matter within the horror genre is acceptable. Maximum word count is 20,000 words. Submissions will close on or near December 15th,2014. Selected submissions will be contracted for publication with royalties paid on paperback and eBook purchases. Selected submission writers will receive free contributor copies of publication in print form. Submit in Word document sent to Sinister Grin Press at [email protected] Via: Sinister Grin Press.

Deadline: December 16, 2014 Payment: 1 cent a word or $25 maximum upon publication BLIGHT Digest is a dark fiction and horror magazine debuting October 7th, 2014 from One Eye Press, the publisher of Shotgun Honey (Crime) and The Big Adios (Western). Featuring 10 harrowing stories from emerging and established writers, BLIGHT Digest will be produced in both print and digital formats and available through Amazon.com and our website. Current Submission Window: September 16, 2014 – December 16, 2014 What we are looking for? Well written stories that play out the human experience against unimaginable and terrifying odds. Dark fiction that defined more by the story than the splatter. We are open to supernatural, psychological and physical fear. What we aren’t looking for? Do not try to shock us with excessive gore, rape and brutality. We are not looking for any sexually explicit stories, be it with a human or a creature of fantasy. We are not looking for tame, but there has to be an actual story in the stories. The Guidelines: Word Count: Between 2000-5000 words. Submissions: No multiple submissions, original stories preferred, but we will consider reprints for stories having been out of print for 18 months or longer. Review Period: Please allow us 8 weeks to respond to your story before revoking or sending your story elsewhere. Our editors will make every effort to respond expediently. Editing: Submit well edited work. Formatting: Indented, double space, single paragraph returns, no special fonts or styling other than bold or italics. We recommend you follow this guide by William Shunn. File Formats: Submit stories as .doc, .docx or .rtf files. Payment: 1 cent a word or $25 maximum upon publication. Serials are considered multiple submissions and will be paid accordingly.

Deadline: December 20, 2014 Payment: $0.06 per word for original fiction; $0.03 per word for reprints - See more at: http://escapepod.org/guidelines/#sthash.9ph90VxS.dpuf Note: Only Female Authors! Special Announcement: Escape Artists presents ARTEMIS RISING: A Celebration of Women in Genre Fiction Between now and December 20, 2014, Escape Pod is accepting submissions of woman-authored science fiction for ARTEMIS RISING, a month of audio fiction celebrating women in genre fiction, airing in February 2015. Payment: $0.06 per word for original fiction; $0.03 per word for reprints We are an SFWA qualifying market for original fiction and pay professional rates. Who can submit? Anyone who identifies as a woman, to whatever degree that they do. All non-binary folk are welcome. Additionally, we strongly encourage submissions from people of backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented or excluded from traditional SF publishing, including, but not limited to, people of color, LGBTQ or non-binary gender people, persons with disabilities, members of religious minorities, and people from outside the United States. Our goal is to publish science fiction that reflects the diversity of the human race, so we strongly encourage submissions from these or any other underrepresented groups. What can I submit? Science fiction stories between 2,000 and 6,000 words. You may submit up to 1 original story and 1 reprint for consideration in ARTEMIS RISING, although original stories are strongly preferred. If you already have a submission in regular Escape Pod slush, you may still submit to ARTEMIS RISING. You can expect a response by mid-January 2015. Although we’ll be accepting a limited number of stories for ARTEMIS RISING, all submissions will also be considered for Escape Pod proper. How do I submit? Email your submissions to submit AT escapepod DOT org, using the subject line ARTEMIS RISING SUBMISSION: Storyname (e.g. “ARTEMIS RISING SUBMISSION: Attack of the...

Deadline: December 20th, 2014 Prizes: One lucky author will win a prize for best story ($15). Two-runners up will receive $10 and $5, respectively for second and third place. Note: This is a contest issue so while winners can receive payouts, not everyone will Shinigami Stories: Reaping the Harvest of Souls—CONTEST ISSUE. Stories about the Grim Reaper. Stories can be any genre, though horror might be the most common one concerning the God of Death. If you could craft me a shinigami story that has sci-fi or fantasy elements, that would make my inner genre-blender lover boogie. Also, consider making the reaper a woman. Neil Gaiman did and it worked wonders for him. But don’t copy his version of Death. Make it your own. Also, no “Bleach” fan-fic or fan-fic of any other previous works featuring shinigami or a death god. As this is going to be a contest issue, I won’t be accepting Poetry, Drabbles, or Microfiction for this one. I will be accepting Flash and Short Stories ONLY. I will accept reprints, as usual, if the rights have reverted back to the author. One lucky author will win a prize for best story ($15). Two-runners up will receive $10 and $5, respectively for second and third place. I’m a broke-ass college student, but I’m also an author, and I know what it’s like to not get paid for your hard work. It’s been awhile since I could afford to do a contest issue, so I’m glad I’m able to do one again. Unlike the last issue, which was a reader’s poll, I may want to have judges for this one.Also, I would like 3-6 judges for this one. You can not be a judge if you are submitting a story. I will not be judging but will be...

Deadline: December 31st, 2104 Payment: A minimum of 1-cent-per-word and 2 copies of the anthology for non-exclusive reprint rights. Submit to Year’s Best Weird Fiction Each volume of the Year’s Best Weird Fiction will feature a different editor. Weird fiction is a diverse and eclectic mode of literature, and we are excited to see varying viewpoints. In fact, we are confident that the volume will see little if any overlap with the various other “Best Of” anthologies. And we could think of no one better than Laird Barron to helm the inaugural volume. Along with up to 125,000 words of the finest strange fiction from the previous year, each volume will include an introduction from the editor, a year in review column, and a short list of other notable stories. The book will be available in trade-paperback format and as DRM-free ePub and Mobi eBooks. The Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Volume 1, is slated for publication in late summer/early fall of 2014. So … welcome to the Year’s Best Weird Fiction. What is weird fiction? The simple answer is that it is speculative in nature, chiefly derived from pulp fiction in the early 20th century, whose remit includes ghost stories, the strange and macabre, the supernatural, fantasy, myth, philosophical ontology, ambiguity, and featuring a helping of the outré. Weird fiction, at its best, is an intersecting of themes and ideas that explore and subvert the laws of Nature. It counts among its proponents older and newer writers alike: Robert Aickman, Laird Barron, Charles Beaumont, Ambrose Bierce, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury, Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, Shirley Jackson, Kathe Koja, John Langan, Thomas Ligotti, Kelly Link, H. P. Lovecraft, and many others. Weird fiction is not specifically horror or fantasy. And weird fiction is not new. It has always been present. That’s...