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Magician stand on rock with river and sci-fi city at night. Digital painting Deadline: February 28th, 2021 Payment: $0.01 per word + contributor copy Theme: ​Trenchcoats, Towers, and Trolls: Cyberpunk Fairy Tales Trenchcoats, Towers, and Trolls: Cyberpunk Fairy Tales Anthologist: Rhonda Parrish Open for Submissions: February 1 - 28, 2021 Expected Publication: 2022 Story Length: up to 7,500 words Payment: $0.01 per word + contributor copy Simultaneous submissions = okay. Multiple submissions = no. For this, the third installment of Punked Up Fairy Tales, we are excited to mash the world of cyberpunk together with fairy tales and see what sort of magic results. Embracing the high-tech/low-life aspect of cyberpunk will give these stories both the sleek coolness of futuristic technology and the grittiness of traditional fairy tales. Give me a story of Rapunzel trapped in a tower of circuits rather than stones, of trolls who live under bridges as well as those who do their work behind a keyboard — or whatever passes for a keyboard in the future. What if Snow White was a computer and the apple a virus? What if Hansel and Gretel were hackers following digital breadcrumbs? Or Cinderella was a program who must stop running by midnight or else? Don't rely exclusively on imaginative technology to make your story stand out in a crowd — make sure you nail all the other important parts of a story as well. Plot. Character. Setting. You know the list. Original fairy tales are welcome, as are retellings. If you choose to retell a familiar favourite, make sure your story offers something new and interesting. I’d rather see stories that reflect the long history of fairy tales as social commentary than those which simply tell the same story with a different setting. I am excited to read stories set all...

Deadline: February 28th, 2021 Payment: $25 dollars and a 33 ⅓ % royalty, split between the writers, and a contributors copy Theme: A story based on the theme of any Ramones song “WELL, I THINK WE'RE THE GREATEST ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND IN THE WORLD.." - JOEY RAMONE Formed in 1974, the Ramones were one of the quintessential punk bands. Fast, loud, and in your face, they captured the anger and ennui of a generation.  Teenagers for decades have identified with the themes in their quick, sparse lyrics and driving music. Ramones wrote anthems for the disaffected. We want fiction that reflects that. What we're looking for: Pick a song title (seriously, the Ramones have 13 studio albums of original material to pick from). Use the song as an outline or use it as the theme of the story. Make sure there is some kind of connection to the original song. Lots of people want to write "Somebody Put Something in My Drink". What can you do with "I Just Want to Have Something to Do" or "Rockaway Beach?" Keep it punk and keep it stripped down: 2k to 4k words only. Preference is for clean narratives. This is punk storytelling. Don't over intellectualize it. We're not looking for stories that specifically feature the Ramones and they don't have to be set in the '70s or '80s either. Submissions will open on January 1, 2021 and close on February 28, 2021. Send all submissions to [email protected] as either .doc, .docx, or .rtf. Don't worry about formatting, but make it easy to read. No weird fonts. What you get if we pick up your story: $25 dollars and a 33 ⅓ % royalty, split between the writers. A contributor's copy Why? 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the last Ramones concert, and we...

Deadline: February 28th, 2021 Payment: $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD for fiction and $5 per poem Theme: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Kaleidotrope publishes predominantly speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories. Man does not live on space ships, elves, and ghostly ax murderers alone, after all. We’d suggest looking through the archives to familiarize yourself with the zine, and/or checking out other work by our past contributors, to get a sense of what we’re looking for and what we like. We are also interested in publishing diverse writers. Kaleidotrope welcome writers of color and other groups, as well as work that represents the diversity of characters we want to see more of. Fiction We have no minimum or maximum word count but strongly prefer stories over 250 words and under 10,000. Poetry We consider all forms. However, individual haiku, or other very short poems, may be a tougher sell. Artwork We are looking for primarily full-color illustrations to serve as cover art. We currently do not commission new cover artwork or pieces to appear with individual stories and poems. The best way to submit artwork is to email a link to your online portfolio or gallery, though you may also send individual pieces for consideration. Reprints Kaleidotrope does not consider fiction or poetry reprints. This includes work that has appeared on your personal website or in public online forums. We do, however, consider artwork that has appeared in online galleries or elsewhere, provided you own the copyright to the piece and any characters depicted therein. (Sorry, no fan-art.) Rights For fiction and poetry, we buy...

Deadline: February 28th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word (USD), plus a pro-rata share of 50% of royalties. Theme: Completed speculative stories about positive queer possibility The basics Editors: Isabela Oliveira (she/her) and Jed Sabin (they/them) Deadline: Saturday, February 27th, at 9pm Pacific Length: We've set the upper limit at 15,000 words to allow for flexibility, but most acceptances are likely to be under 7,000 words. There is no minimum. Rate: We pay 8 cents per word (USD), plus a pro-rata share of 50% of royalties. Simultaneous submissions: No, please do not submit an original (non-reprint) story anywhere else while we are considering it. Multiple submissions: Yes, you may submit up to 3 stories to us at once. There is no limit on total number of submissions as long as there are not more than 3 under consideration at one time. Reprints: We will consider previously published stories, including those that have been self-published online. Reprints are paid at the same rate as originals. Audio rights must be available. Identity statements: We do not require or expect authors to disclose their identities to us, and if authors do choose to share their identities, we will not disclose that information to others without permission. We encourage submissions from authors who have never submitted their fiction to a paid market before, and we've tried to develop these guidelines to be clear to those who aren't familiar with industry norms. Please don't hesitate to submit for fear of doing it wrong, and feel free to contact us here with questions or accessibility requests. Content guidelines We are looking for completed speculative stories about positive queer possibility, written in English, which do not use intellectual property currently under copyright by someone other than the author. Stories may feature near-future social and political change, far-future imaginings of new societies, alternate universes with completely different systems of gender and...

Deadline: February 28th, 2021 Payment: $0.03 per word and inclusion in an anthology Theme: Clowns, Carnivals, and Sideshows! Note: Apologies for the quick deadline, I missed this being posted Your March theme is... Clowns, Carnivals and Sideshows! Authors, you have up to 1,000 words to write a Dark Fiction / Horror story based on this theme. The submission deadline is end of February at midnight. Please send your submission in the body of an email to [email protected], with the title of your story as the subject email. Payment includes $0.03 per word, publication in an upcoming Shallow Waters anthology, and an author spotlight on our Patreon page and newsletter. We'll post the best stories here on Patreon for our $5 and higher patrons to read, after which they'll vote for the winner. Authors are not allowed to vote for their own stories. Have fun! Via: Crystal Lake Publishing's Patreon.

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: $.02 a word and royalties Theme: A fun filled romp into the concept and nature of Death. B Cubed Press is pleased to announce an open call for Alternative Deathiness.  A fun filled romp into the concept and nature of Death. Seriously what the hell is death, big guy with bones and a sickle? An ominous Tarot Card?  Or is it simply the passing of one thing for another.  A change in phase. Or, it is the ending of you, and just you, a personal FU from the universe that say oopsie, you’re out of here? So be prepared to look hard at this topic, its rituals, its layers.  Have fun.  May as well,  considering the end comes for us all. This book will be edited by Bob Brown and Irene Radford, the team that brought you the best selling Alternative Truths. If you wonder what perspective the editors bring just remember, we’re old.  Our friends are old, our families are old.  Death is beginning to feel more like a roommate than a concept.  So?  Let the stories rip, show no deference to religion, ritual, or sensitivities.  For god’s sake, we’re talking death here! And don’t try sneaking zombies and ghosts and vampires in to get around death.  Oh we might buy one or two REALLY GOOD Ones, but that isn’t the focus. Does this mean we will not accept sensitive looks at this from a more popular perspective?  No, but it means that it will be tested against the criteria that the writing be good, and carry an explanation of the nature of death. In terms of what we are looking for, think openly about the concept of death and life, can’t have one without the other.  The setting is open anywhere in time...

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: 2 cents a word and Royalties Theme: A critical look at War and what it does to us. B Cubed Press is pleased to announce an open call for Alternative War.  A critical look at War and what it does to us.  This book will be edited by Bob Brown and Debora Godfrey, the team that brought you the best selling Alternative Apocalypse. If you wonder what perspective the editors bring, I refer you to War, written by  Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1969: Oh no-there's got to be a better way Say it again There's got to be a better way-yeah What is it good for? War has caused unrest Among the younger generation Induction then destruction Who wants to die? War-huh What is it good for? Absolutely nothing Does this mean we will not accept military Sci-Fi?  No, but it means that it will be tested against the criteria that the writing be good, and carry an understanding of the cost of war. In terms of what we are looking for, think openly about the concept of war and conflict from origin, to back stage, to the field of conflict.  The setting is open anywhere in time and space.  As anyone who has read Churchill will know, war is much more than the fighting. This book will be part of the best-selling Alternatives series.  We will be accepting stories, poetry, and essays from now through March 1, 2021. Story length for our books average about 2200 words but have ranged from 100 to 7500 words. However we only use one or two stories over 5,000 words and our advice is to keep it under 5K, unless we communicate in advance.  Reprints are accepted, but we hold them to a higher standard and limit them...

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: $0.005 per word Theme: Furry horror! Deadline: March 1, 2021 Theme: Furry horror! Word Count: 1,500-6,000 Payment: $0.005 per word Editor: Thurston Howl Expected release: Just in time for Howloween! With all the more recent furry horror anthologies emerging—Bleak Horizons, Infurno, Seven Deadly Sins, The Haunted Den, Dread, Slashers, and the upcoming The Howling Dead—we thought it would be useful to have a regular anthology that allowed all furry horror submissions, rather than specific types of horror. So bring us your worst! We want to see the furry Jason attacking a camp of squirrels. We want to see the Howling of Hill House. We want to see an ethereal Bad Dragon toy haunting the user who threw it away. We want to see a couple of foxes collecting knots from the tops they kill. So, slashers, erotic horror, ghost stories, movie monsters, transformation, all types of horror are welcome and encouraged! Kink and fetish are perfectly fine (and maybe even encouraged) with submissions, and you are free to play around with genre here. While erotic horror is accepted, , Characters that you do not own or characters under copyright, Bigotry, and extreme violence. Reprints are fine with us as long as you own the rights to your story. Simultaneous submissions are fine! If your story is accepted elsewhere, it is your responsibility to let us know. Max of three subs per writer. Weasel Press asks for Non-Exclusive rights to your story in perpetuity. BIPOC Authors, Queer Authors, Disabled Authors, Authors who are currently or former Sex Workers are strongly encouraged to submit. Submissions are taken through Submittable. Use one submittable form to upload your story(stories if more). The form will take up to 3 DOC or DOCX documents. That means you’ll have to have all...

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10 Theme: A Postcard from the Past ALL SHORT STORIES, ESSAYS, POEMS, PHOTOGRAPHS and ART MUST RELATE TO ONE OF THE PREMISES SPECIFIED ABOVE. NOTE: Previously published pieces are welcome, provided that the submission fits the theme and that the author owns the copyright. The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. Fewer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages preferred. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover letter or on first page of manuscript. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with each submission. Rejected manuscripts unaccompanied by an SASE will not be returned. Response time: 3 months after premise deadline.  NO READER'S FEE. Mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747. Outside the US: email [email protected] On acceptance for publication, we will pay the following amount: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Copyright reverts to author after publication. THEMA isn't for everyone. To find out why, click here. New to submitting manuscripts to journals? Click here to download a PDF file of a few basic guidelines. Unlike many publishers, we prefer works submitted by the authors themselves, without the involvement of an agent. Be sure to indicate premise and include SASE for each submission.  BE SURE to include a separate SASE for each premise. No handwritten manuscripts will be considered. NOTE: We do not accept e-mailed submissions EXCEPT from authors who live outside the U.S. For those living outside the U.S., submit manuscript as an email attachment (readable by MSWord ― either as a DOC file or an RTF file), and include the following information on the title page: target theme, title of work, name of...

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: 2 cents a word and Royalties Theme: This book will explore protests with stories, essays and poems. We want to see the people, the protest, the issues that make this something that puts people on the streets. B Cubed Press is pleased to announce an open call for The Protest Diaries.  2020 is not the first year of protests.  The American Revolution started with protests.  India used protest to free themselves from British rule. I could go on, the protestant reformation, the storming of the Bastille.  Protests seldom feel like the birth of freedom and a new era at the time.  At the time, it is anger, resentment, and a fundamental need for change. But the past four years have re-introduced America to the protest, whether in the name of the BLM movement, the Pussy Hats, even the Back the Blue rallies.  No political ideology has a lock on protests. This book will explore protests with stories, essays and poems.  We want to see the people, the protest, the issues that make this something that puts people on the streets.  When we read your story, poem, or essay, we want to know what makes it necessary to take to the streets. So be prepared to look hard at this topic, its rituals, its layers.    We don’t want just the darkness.  B Cubed publishes satire, humor and laugh out loud.  These stories define us, so don’t be afraid to bring it.  Laughter is part of our humanity. This book will be edited by Nathan Ockerman and Vanessa Cozzo. And don’t be afraid to reach.  Past present and future are all within the scope of what we will consider stories for. Story length for our books average about 2200 words but have ranged from 100 to 7500...