Events

Deadline: March 20th, 2025 Payment: Prose—$25/published piece, Poetry—$10/published piece Theme: Joy! For this period, we would like to see more works focusing on joy, particularly POC and/or queer joy. This is also an act of protest. If submitting a work on this theme, please be a part of the community you are representing. Theme for this submission period—Joy! For this period, we would like to see more works focusing on joy, particularly POC and/or queer joy. This is also an act of protest. If submitting a work on this theme, please be a part of the community you are representing. (Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to hire guest sensitivity editors. We will still be accepting other works of resistance.) We are looking for works of protest that challenge our current status quo. This can be fictional prose of any genre, poetry, or nonfiction essays. To be clear, the ideology of the work should oppose right-wing ideology, Nazism, Authoritarianism, Christian nationalism, white supremacy, etc. or uplift voices of dissent or marginalized voices. Our current pay rates are as follows: Prose—$25/published piece Poetry—$10/published piece Prose Fiction No gratuitous sex/violence. Any genre (including horror). 1,500–15,000 words One manuscript is one submission. Please format manuscripts with 12–18pt font, preferably Times New Roman, New Courier, or Garamond. Otherwise, please use a standard manuscript format (Examples at shunn.net/format/story/.) Please submit in .doc or .docx formats (Word) or in .odt format (LibreOffice.) Essay Same as with fiction, but if you need to cite any sources, we prefer submissions to use author-date citations with a bibliography at the end. Please see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html We pay $25/accepted prose piece. Poetry Please limit poetry to a maximum of five poems in a single submission. We pay $10/accepted poem. Please submit in .doc, .docx, .odt (LibreOffice), or .pdf formats. Other Guidelines: Please include a...

Deadline: March 21st, 2025 Payment: $0.10 per word and 5 contributors copies Themes: Liminal Workplaces, Endlings, Strange Entries in the Guinness Book of World Records, Inside Thoughts, Sexy Ghosts, & for the bonus issue: Family Legends ZINE SUBMISSION CALL (OPEN TO ALL WRITERS MARCH 7TH THROUGH 21ST) This March, we’ll be accepting submissions both for our third zine bundle and a special zine to go with the release of D. Matthew Urban’s horror/Weird fiction collection Shaky Pictures of Vanished Faces. See details for the submission call below. Zine Themes Issue #11: Liminal Workplaces (Weird fiction, nonfiction, and poetry). 500 words max. Issue #12: Endlings (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry about the last living individual of a species). 500 words max. Issue #13: Strange Entries in the Guinness Book of World Records. 500 words max. Issue #14: Inside Thoughts (horror and Weird fiction, nonfiction, and poetry about the “inside thoughts” we experience during times of apocalyptic capitalism and fascism, thoughts too taboo or dangerous to share out loud or online). 500 words max. Issue #15: Sexy Ghosts (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry). 500 words max. Special Issue for Shaky Pictures of Vanished Faces: Family Legends (horror/Weird fiction and nonfiction). 500 words max. This special zine will be co-edited by D. Matthew Urban. Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions Policy Simultaneous submissions are fine. Just let me know if your collection is accepted elsewhere. You may send in one submission per zine theme. For instance, a writer could submit to both the “sexy ghosts” and “family legends” zine. Feel free to include all submissions in the same email, or if it’s more convenient for you, separate emails. Format Use standard manuscript format. Send a doc/docx attachment. Do not copy-paste your manuscript into the body of the email or submit it in any other format. I won’t read it if you do. Please send...

Deadline: March 23rd, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Noir! Not SF, not Horror, but classic Noir Moggie Noir - Dames, Derringers, & Detectives Edited by Rita Beeman Fabulous tails. Do it again. Remember—Noir! Not SF, not Horror, but classic Noir. Here’s your homework. Opens: 01/18/25 Closes: 03/23/25 Contracts: 04/05/25 Publication: 05/02/25 Guidelines for all our anthologies (psst! this is important!): 5,000 to 8,000 words. Length and genre are negotiable, as long as the story fits the concept and is entertaining. Any submission must be in Times New Roman (preferred, but you can use Georgian or other readable font), 12PT, double-spaced, with your name, title of the story, and your email on it. Name the file as -—. Send it in a .docx format as an attachment—no links. Refer to the submission guideline graphic below for how to format your story—It has all the information you need! Feel free to download it for reference. Raconteur Press will hold the rights for one year after publication; after one year, the rights will revert to the author, but we continue to pay you as long as the anthology is selling. Authors receive an equal percentage share of the proceeds from the anthology, along with the Press, our editors, and administration. Yes, you read that right. We don’t take 80% off the top and split the 20% left over between all the authors. We’re all in this together. This is why our anthologies are limited to ten stories. IMPORTANT: PLEASE do NOT submit stories until the date the call opens. We don’t want to hang on to your piece for longer than necessary. You might find another market for it, or it decides to grow into a novel, or...so go ahead and write it, but tuck it away, and revisit it before submitting. Raconteur Press uses Pubshare (pubshare.com) to distribute payments...

Submission Window: March 1st - 30th, 2025 Payment: $20 for original stories, $10 for reprints Theme: Cosmic horror through the eyes of our feline companions Note Reprints welcome "Feline Frights: Whiskers Between Worlds" is the first of a planned series of cat themed horror anthologies. ​ In this inaugural volume of Feline Frights, we delve into cosmic horror through the eyes of our feline companions. We seek stories exploring cats as witnesses, harbingers, and agents of incomprehensible cosmic forces. From cats that stare into dimensional voids to felines that serve as vessels for ancient entities, show us how these creatures exist at the intersection of our reality and the unfathomable beyond. Submission Details: 🐱 Submission window: 3/1/2025-3/30/2025 🐱 Length: 2,000-5,000 words 🐱 Payment: $20 for unpublished works, $10 for reprints 🐱 Publication: Print and digital formats ​ Expected release: October 2025 Send submissions to: [email protected] with subject line "Feline Frights - - " Submissions Guidelines  We're a queer-owned and operated horror press dedicated to publishing work that disturbs, challenges, and lingers. Our focus is on authentic, boundary-pushing horror that explores the darkest corners of human experience. While no topic is off-limits if crafted with skill and purpose, we're not a platform for conservative or right-wing ideologies. ​ All submissions must follow William Shunn's Standard Manuscript Format.  Include a brief bio and content warnings with your submission. ​ We accept simultaneous submissions but request immediate notification if your work is accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are not accepted - please wait to hear back before sending new work. ​ Important Note on AI Content: We do not accept any AI-generated content, including writing, artwork, or hybrid works created using AI tools. By submitting to any of our publications, you certify that your work is entirely your own original creation, free from any AI generation or augmentation....

Deadline: March 31st, 2025 Payment: $20.00 Theme: Well-constructed speculative fiction stories where wolves play a major role. The only thing we do not want to see is Wolves as evil. The wolf has been a creature of mythology and legend since humans first told stories. Feared and reviled, or worshipped and loved, the wolf symbolizes wildness and power. In Spirit of the Wolf, we’re hoping to capture the wolf in new stories that celebrate their wildness and freedom, their magic and mysticism. We’re looking for well-constructed speculative fiction stories where wolves play a major role. The only thing we do not want to see is Wolves as evil. Proceeds from sales of Spirit of the Wolf will be donated to Mission Wolf located in Westcliffe, Colorado. Check them out at: missionwolf.org Break the story-writing rules if you want. If you use a tried-and-true plotline, twist it in an original and interesting way. Original stories are preferred. Query for reprints. ALL writers are encouraged to submit. Doesn’t matter if you’re a pro with years of credits, a beginner just starting out, or a teenager - please feel free to send the editor a story. In your cover email, please tell the editor a bit about yourself and a quick one-line synopsis of the story. Include genre. If experimental, please explain the type or how so the editor doesn’t edit out the form or reject it out of hand. Thank you. In the Subject line please put Submission: Spirit of the Wolf: Title of your story: Your name. Attach as a .rft file, please send to: [email protected] Submissions Open:  Nov 1, 2024 (DO NOT SUBMIT PRIOR TO THIS DATE) Submissions Close:  Mar 31, 2025 Release Date:   Summer 2025 Payment:  $20.00 flat rate. (Proceeds from sales will be donated to Mission Wolf) Will accept...

Deadline: March 31st, 2025 Payment: Contributor's Copy (charity anthology) Theme: A story with a main character named Robert that also must reference a mechanical watch Robert’s Recurring Nightmares guidelines Thank you for choosing to submit to the seventh annual Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers (GLAHW) mini-anthology. We are looking for horror fiction, between 2,000 and 5,000 words, along with the following requirements. 1. A character named Robert. The character can be the protagonist, antagonist, monster, victim, friend, etc. As long as he, she, it, or they play a significant, if not pivotal, role in the story. 2. The story must make a reference to Mechanical Watch. Whether it is the setting of the story, part of the backstory for a character, or a passing reference, A mechanical watch and Robert should have some importance to the story. We will be editing the stories, but we will not make any changes without first discussing them with you, the writer. We’re writers, too, and we know what it’s like to have our stories altered without our consent. We won’t do that to you. Having said that, however, we will try our best to make each of the stories in this anthology the best they can be. So, if we give you notes, we’d appreciate it if you’d consider them carefully. We’re not saying you have to agree with us (We’ve had plenty of writers argue with us, and sometimes, we see their point and concede the edit). Just that you listen. The cover art for Recurring Nightmares will be handled by the talented Steve Bejma   Submission Please submit all stories to [email protected]  The subject line should read Submission: Robert’s Recurring Nightmares. Stories should be submitted as an attachment in either MS Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Please follow proper manuscript format. If you...

Submission Window: February 1st to March 31st, 2025 Payment: $5 Theme: Speculative Poetry Submission Instructions   SpecPoVerse accepts poems with or without known formalism and also experimental forms. An illustrated poem in which the illustration was created by the poet is also acceptable; this must be submitted as a .pdf file with the embedded illustration. Poems created by AI are not acceptable.   To submit your poem, fill out this form by clicking the "SUBMIT" button below. You will be asked to provide contact information and to upload your poem. You may upload 1 file with 1 poem, including an illustrated poem. You may submit up to 3 poems per submission period. Because we review all poems author blind, please make sure that your poem(s) has(have) no information identifying the poet; these will be automatically rejected. Your poem must be submitted in .doc, .docx. or .pdf file format. Once a poem is accepted, the poet may later send an audio or video file of their spoken or sign language-interpreted poem, which will be made available on the Readings page from YouTube or Vimeo. Maximum length: 100 lines or 499 words for a prose poem Rights: SpecPoVerse acquires first publication rights only, so please do not submit poems that have already been published elsewhere. Poets retain their copyright on all works after first publication on the specpoverse.org website. By submitting content to SpecPoVerse, you agree that, should the content be accepted, you grant SpecPoVerse a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right and license to digitally archive and display the content (aka Digital Archive Rights). In the case that we later desire to include your content in any other format (e.g. print, anthology, etc.), those rights will be separately negotiated at that time. Simultaneous Submissions: If your poem is a simultaneous submission, please notify us as soon...

Deadline: March 31st, 2025 Payment: $20.00 and Royalty Share Theme: Horror of all speculative fiction genres Behind the Shadows III: Dark Secrets – our horror anthology Behind the Shadows III: Dark Secrets– This is horror. Humor and mystery beats are welcome. Express yourself as the theme moves you. There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story as long as the genre falls within Speculative Fiction, including Sci-Fi or Fantasy. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. Submission Period: January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no simultaneous submissions, no reprints; Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used. Genres: Horror Anticipated Pay: $20.00 and Royalty Share of D2D sales Each story will receive $20 and a D2D royalty share from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include: Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals; wholesale to authors; or non-D2D retail outlets. Links will be available to direct your customers to D2D outlets. Timeline Projections: Submissions close: March 31, 2025 Review: April 2025 Acceptance / Rejection: April/May 2025 Edits: June 2025 Production: June 2025 Kickstarter: July 2025 Published: August/September 2025 Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be the fall of 2025; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four...

Deadline: March 31st, 2025 Payment: Fiction: 8 cents per word for the first 3000 words and 3 cents per word thereafter., Artwork: $100 per piece accepted Theme: Stories about the exploration of Antarctica in three time periods (past/present/future) that deal with Lovecraftian themes Open period: January 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025 Elder Things Expeditions is the seventh in our Lovecraftian anthologies. In it, we explore three sections of time in exploration of Antarctica leading to revelations about the nature of the denizens, normal and paranormal, residing there. Reference can be made to funding by Miskatonic University, but be careful how you deal with the names and events that may be protected by copyright. If you need an idea of what we're looking for, we refer you to Lovecraft's story At The Mountains of Madness. Full text of the story can be found at “www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/mm.aspx”. There are multiple videos on YouTube and other outlets with narrative versions. The Past From 1700 to 1960, multiple expeditions by several organizations ventured into the Antarctic wilderness with mixed success. We want your take on an expedition not previously known. References to previously published material in the Mythos is acceptable, but avoid plagiarism. This will be monitored closely for copyright protection issues The Present From 1960 to 2100, expeditions have been and will be sent to the white wasteland. Bases will be constructed, developed, and possibly destroyed. We want your ideas on how this was or will be accomplished and the ultimate fate of such. The Future 2100 and on will see a continuation of explorations and probably eventual settlement of Antarctica through technological advancements. How will this turn out? Will there be a final confrontation with the Elder Things that inhabit the mystery continent or will humanity meet its end? THE DETAILS Up to Five (5)...

Deadline: March 31st, 2025 Payment: Fiction: $0.01 per word, Poetry: $5.00 Theme: Stories inspired by either of the definitions of "foofaraw": A great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant OR an excessive amount of decoration or ornamentation, as on a piece of clothing, a building, etc. Guidelines The Anthology is an annual print-only hardcover anthology based on the definition of "foofaraw." It is split into two parts based on these two definitions: a great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant. an excessive amount of decoration or ornamentation, as on a piece of clothing, a building, etc. Response Time All decisions will be made and writers will be notified by April 30th. Word Limit: 500-5000 words Pay Rate: Fiction: $0.01 per word Poetry: $5.00 Language: English Rights: We request first serial rights and non-exclusive, indefinite archival rights. As well as the right to publish in a limited print anthology. Any rights not used by the publisher within twelve months will return to the author. Requirements: We do not accept multiple submissions from a single person at a time We do not accept simultaneous submissions (pieces sent to more than one place at a time). We do not accept previously published works. We do not accept work created or assisted by AI. What are we looking for Fiction Comics Humor/Satire Poetry Essays Personal, Features, Journalism, Cultural Criticism and anything else that fits the vibe Fiction The general areas/genres of interest for fiction in foofaraw are: Magical Realism Speculative Fiction Sci-Fi Fantasy Literary LGBTQIA+ Horror Mystery Noir Odd / Surreal / Absurdist / Experimental Submission Queue | Submission Form Via: Foofaraw Press.