Events

Deadline: August 31st 2012 Payment: Contest styled: EDITOR'S CHOICE: Best of Anthology--Winning story will be featured as the anthology's opening tale, and the author will be awarded $50.00 and one paperback copy of PSYCHO CIRCUS 1st Place: $25.00 2nd Place: $15.00 3rd Place: $10.00 Welcome to the most terrifying show on earth! Step into the Big Top if you dare and submit to Ephemera Publishing's new anthology, PSYCHO CIRCUS. We are seeking chilling tales of dark circus horror--think killer clowns, twisted lion tamers, raving mad ring masters. No matter what you choose to create, be sure your story takes place in a circus atmosphere. Dark, light, mysterious, psychological, bizarre, and twisted works are welcome as long as they contain strong elements of horror. We are looking for strong, entertaining stories with strong, interesting plots and great character development. Using gore and violence as a mere shock factor is a no-no; be sure these elements are relevant to your story's subject matter. Supernatural tales MAY be considered as long as they are unique and contain a PSYCHO CIRCUS theme. No fantasy, erotica, or sci-fi. This is an OPEN call for submissions. Everyone is welcome to submit; we look forward to receiving submissions from both new and established writers. PSYCHO CIRCUS will be available in both quality paperback and digital formats. The anthology will be edited by Eva Glynn Stephens, and will be available for purchase through various, well known venues. PSYCHO CIRCUS will feature a beautifully designed full color cover, featuring custom art work. This is a CONTEST anthology. Accepted works will be judged and prizes will be awarded as follows: EDITOR'S CHOICE: Best of Anthology--Winning story will be featured as the anthology's opening tale, and the author will be awarded $50.00 and one paperback copy of PSYCHO CIRCUS 1st Place:...

Deadline: August 31st, 2012 Payment: All contributors will receive one comp copy, and one story each issue will be selected as the editor's favourite, receiving payment at 4p/word (capped at £200). Payment to non-UK residents is by PayPal ONLY. We cannot send foreign bankers drafts or send foreign currency. As the World CyberBank finally seizes the last remaining free state in its neon grip, the world has become a peculiar place. The tramp of a million tiny feet echoes in the night as the internet pixies are put to work – polishing jpegs, stamping emails, churning bit-rate butter, and taking the frame-rates for a walk. Government spybots police the streets as currency finally gains self-awareness; money is now literally in control. Materialism is the new Art, and dollar-green is the only colour in this season. And just what is the Association for Fetishism doing with all those newly sentient garden gnomes? To celebrate our glorious slide back into this double dip recession, Polluto is selling sex, money and slave-labour. Grab your wallet and head on over! Need inspiration? Here are some ideas: Domination, Authoritarianism, Totalitarianism and Dystopia. Ancient Empires and Evil Empires. Consumerism, materialism, money, power and corruption. The All-mighty Dollar. Anything Cyberpunk. Taxes, Recession and Depression – but it doesn’t have to be depressing! Slaves – human, alien, golem, fantastical, robot, cyber or other. Slaves of the past or slaves of the future. Sex, sexuality, orgies, voyeurism, raves and parties. The oldest profession in the world. The digital age. The rich-poor divide, developing countries, exploitation, child labour. Governments and their Machiavellian schemes. Anything else that you think fits the theme! This theme does not necessarily require a sci-fi, fantasy, spec fic, or bizzaro response, though, of course, it never hurts! We prefer stories with a surreal, bizarre, or delightfully...

Deadline: September 5th 2012 Payment: Small token payment and contributor copy We are now accepting submissions for a zombie-themed charity anthology. The profits from this anthology will be donated to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation. To learn more about this important research foundation, click here. For this special project we are accepting original stories, poetry, and some black-and-white art. We are willing to consider some reprints, but please query first. There will only be a limited amount of space for reprints and we will be picky. While traditional zombie themes are okay, we'd really love to see something beyond the normal zombie fare. Any subject/style is okay and we are hoping to see some humorous and/or thoughtful pieces, some literary pieces . . . . we want zombies like you've never seen them before. Think outside the graveyard for this one. Make us laugh, make us cry. Give us zombies with . . . well, brains. Since this is a charity antho, we are trying to keep the costs as low as possible and we've been fortunate enough to have several artists/authors already donate their work. While we hope for continued donations, we realize that authors/artists should be paid for their work so we will be offering a token payment to those accepted authors/artists who do not wish to donate. Of course all contributors will receive a copy of the anthology. The Specifics: Stories are welcome up to 5000 words. If your story goes a little over, don't worry. We are not a stickler for word-count as long as it's good. Poetry of any length is acceptable, as well as black-and-white art of any medium. To submit poetry, send up to five poems in the body of the e-mail. Stories should be attached as .rtf. Please include a short...

Deadline: September 17th, 2012 Payment: An eBook copy will be sent to all contributors and up to 5 paperback copies per author will be available to purchase at cost. 50% of the royalties will be distributed between all contributors. Travel to a world where steam power is widely used, and weave a tale where Steampunk Horror rules the night. Tell a tale of imagination, fascination and horror that will keep the reader enthralled by what was or might have been in an age dominated by clockworks of brass, pneumatic tubes, airships with ether screws, and leather worn out of necessity not vanity. Stories of Steampunk Horror only please, and don’t forget to make your shine a bit gritty! Deadline for Submissions: September 17, 2012 Word count minimum: 4000 words - nothing less will be considered. Submission guidelines: Deadline for submissions - Monday, September 17, 2012. 4000 - 10,000 words. Please submit your manuscript as a *.doc or *.docx file in Verdana; 12 point font; single spacing and standard formatting. Graphic gore must be kept to a minimum unless it is integral to the story; absolutely no incestuous or sexual abuse storylines will be considered. Only stories previously unpublished may be submitted. Upon acceptance into the anthology, you agree that Sirens Call Publications holds exclusive publishing rights for twelve (12) months from the date of publication; after that date has passed, all intellectual property rights revert to the author with the proviso that Sirens Call Publications retains distribution rights in the format of the contracted anthology. An eBook copy will be sent to all contributors and up to 5 paperback copies per author will be available to purchase at cost. 50% of the royalties will be distributed between all contributors. Email your submission as an attachment to; [email protected] The email subject...

Deadline: September 30th 2012 Payment: $25.00 per story A new anthology is opened. We are accepting submission for a new anthology Zombie Lockdown. What happens when you are an inmate in prison and the outbreak happens? Are you an inmate? Are you a guard? Is it safe inside? or are the monsters inside as well? Deadline for this will be September 30th, 2012. The story must be between 3000 and 10,000 words and should be emailed to [email protected] attached as a .doc (preferred) or .rtf Please send in your submissions using 12 font Times New Roman, single spaced, justified. No hard breaks between paragraphs (hitting return twice to break between paragraphs). Following paragraphs can be started on the next line. Scene breaks or changes in point of view need to be separated by a hard break, centered asterisks (* * *) and a hard break. The title page should contain your contact info and word count. Payment for this anthology is a $25.00 per story upon publication.

Deadline: September 30th, 2012 Payment: Payment is 2 cents (CAD) per word and two contributor copies Submission Guidelines: Dead North Silvia Moreno-Garcia will be editing Dead North, an anthology of zombie stories set in Canada, for Canadian publisher Exile Editions. The editor is interested in stories from 2,000 to 10,000 words. Stories must be set in Canada (Chinatown in Vancouver, the oil patches in Alberta, the vast territory of Nunavut, etc.) . The setting must be an important element, not just a throwaway reference you make on page one and forget on page three. Setting could be past, present or future. What is a zombie? Romero-like or in the vein of Herbert West, created by magic or voodoo, fast or slow, smart or dumb, rotting or perfectly healthy, we are defining a zombie as a reanimated corpse. What do we want to see? Smart, quirky and unique takes on zombies. Silvia loves stories with strong heroes, non-linear plots and multicultural characters. Yes, we want to know if the Inuit would cope with the zombie apocalypse with no major issues or if Chinese-Canadians have a secret recipe to deal with zombie disasters. Was the wendigo really a zombie? Was the Great Fire of 1886 started by zombie hunters? Would zombies freeze in the Manitoba winter? Would a hockey stick make a good defensive weapon against the undead? You tell us. Canadian writers, Aboriginal writers, culturally diverse writers, new generation writers, Francophone writers and female writers are strongly encouraged to submit. For a definition of any of these terms please see below. Examples of zombie stories the editor likes In no particular order: “Lazarus” by Leonid N. Andreyev “Pigeons from Hell” by Robert E. Howard “The Third Dead Body” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman “Bitter Grounds” by Neil Gaiman “Kissing Carrion“ by Gemma...

Deadline: September 30, 2012 Payment: 1 cent per word to a maximum of $50 (U.S.), paid prior to publication; all payments to be made via Paypal. Contributors also get 1 copy of the finished paper anthology, as the opportunity to but up to 10 more copies at cost. Submission are open for Arcane II until September 30, 2012. The Arcane anthologies are a showcase for weird and unsettling fantastic fiction. These are not themed anthologies; as long as there is a macabre element to the story, it is within Arcane‘s target subject matter. Quality of storytelling and confidence in using the English language are more important than any genre strictures. Rather than try to post any sort of detailed guidelines, I refer you to the first Arcane anthology, or the 99-cent Arcane Sampler… or, if you’re really cheap, to the five free issues of Arkham Tales on this site. If your story is at least that good and would play well with that eclectic mix of fiction, send it in. Length: Any length. I am a hard sell on short-shorts/flash-fiction, and anything of novelette-length or above will need to be super-excellent to justify the two or three other stories it would displace, but if you think your work is up to it, go for it. (Please only send one story at a time.) Payment: 1 cent per word to a maximum of $50 (U.S.), paid prior to publication; all payments to be made via Paypal. Contributors also get 1 copy of the finished paper anthology, as the opportunity to but up to 10 more copies at cost. Format: Please attach your story via the form below in .doc (Word) or .rtf format. Please remember that you are submitting a piece of fiction, not an HTML webpage; extra returns between paragraphs...

Deadline: September 30th 2012 Payment: This anthology is a paying market, paying shared royalties based on sales. Cruentus Libri Press is pleased to announce its forthcoming anthology, now open for submission. Under the Knife is a horror anthology set beneath the harsh, clinical lights of a hospital, doctor’s surgery or any other medical setting. From the polished steel of an operating table to the rusty blade of an impromptu war-zone amputation, we are looking for stories that completely subvert the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. WHAT WE WANT Medicine, surgery or some related field must be the cornerstone of your story but, beyond that, we’re not too bothered. We’re just as happy to consider tales that involve medieval herbalists or New Age homeopathy as we are stories of surgeries gone wrong or doctors with a deep, dark secret. WHAT WE DON’T WANT Cybernetic implants. Whilst it is certainly a form of surgery and can undoubtedly lead to an horrific outcome, we consider such fare to fall into the camp of science-fiction, rather than horror. This is a horror anthology intended for an adult audience. Whilst we have no qualms about including sex, violence and swearing in the stories, don’t make it gratuitous – ask yourself whether the scene in question adds to the story or if it is simply there to shock. THE RULES First, check out our Writer’s Guidelines and, specifically, that part pertaining to Anthology Submissions. They should tell you all you need to know about sending us your work. Word Count: 2500-7500 words. Whilst we will accept some leeway in this word count, don’t be sending us flash fiction or novellas, as they will be returned unread. Reading Period: 01 July 2012 to 30 September 2012. Reprints: Yes Multiple Submissions: No. Simultaneous Submissions: We understand that...

Deadline: September 30, 2012 Payment: An eBook copy will be sent to all contributors and up to 5 paperback copies per author will be available to purchase at cost plus shipping. 50% of the royalties will be distributed between all contributors. Sanatorium, mental ward, psychiatric hospital - they’re all the same. Places where the infirm, the crazy, and the certifiable go for treatment... Or what passes for ‘treatment’. We want stories of bedlam taking place within the padded walls of an institution. Give us stories of experiments gone wrong, patients revolting against the staff, or even the perspective of those charged with giving care. Make them sick, make them depraved, make them atrocious - these should be the kind of stories that rarely reach the light of day. Are you brave enough to see what your mind conjures up... Or are you afraid you’ll be locked up for trying? Deadline for Submissions: September 30, 2012 Word Count minimum: 4,000 words - nothing less will be reviewed. Submission guidelines: Deadline for submissions - September 30, 2012. Word Count: 4,000 - 10,000 words. Please submit your manuscript as a *.doc or *.docx file (all other formats will automatically be rejected. Contact us prior to submitting if this presents an issue for you.) Font and formatting: Please submit in Times New Roman, 12 point font; single line spacing with a 0 point definition above and below each line. Please format the document to 1st line indentation of .5" (1.27cm), do not space or tab to indent the line. The page margin should be set to .5" (1.27cm) on all sides. Graphic gore must be kept to a minimum unless it is integral to the story; absolutely no incestuous or sexual abuse storylines will be considered. Only stories previously unpublished may be submitted. Upon...

Deadline: September 30th, 2012 Payment: One electronic copy – format of your choice, author discount codes for electronic and print copies, an author byline with links and 50 percent of royalties split among authors according to amount of authors, and accepted subs per author. Payments will be made quarterly. Tortured Souls Vol. #1 – 1st Annual Halloween Anthology Deadline – September 30th, 2012 In the depths of Hell, the most evil and vicious souls of the dead plan their revenge. One holy night of freedom will grant them their wish to carry out those plans. Your mission is to tell their tales in the most horrific and terrifying way possible. We want stories that linger long after the holiday ends. Stories, that will send our readers to their therapists. We want horrors of such magnitude, that they make our eyes bleed! Give us your best, and make history in an anthology that will traumatize readers for years to come! Send your story in standard manuscript format to: [email protected], Attn: Jo-Anne Russell or Allen Jacoby. Each author may send up to two stories for consideration. If one or both stories are rejected, feel free to submit another. Word count is 2500 – 10, 000. "Subject line of email should read SUBMISSION: ANTHO NAME Title," Payment One electronic copy – format of your choice, author discount codes for electronic and print copies, an author byline with links and 50 percent of royalties split among authors according to amount of authors, and accepted subs per author. Payments will be made quarterly. What we don’t want: Reprints, unless from a well-established authors who retains the rights to that story. Explicit sex, brutal violence against children or animals – suggestive is fine, rape of woman or children, – unless it is consensual as with were-creature...