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Deadline: April 30, 2021 Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00, Up to 5000 words $15.00, Above 5001 words $20.00 Theme: Portals - Doorways - Cracks in reality ​ Submission Open: March 1, 2021 Submission Close: April 30, 2021 - End of day, last place on earth Publishing timeline: 2021 HORROR - May have elements of Dark Fantasy, Dark Fiction and Cosmic horror. But must have the intention to scare the readers. ​ Theme: HORROR -  Portals - Doorways - Cracks in reality ​ Give me your nightmares. Think rips in dimensions, portals to another universe, a forgotten or forbidden land, being pulled into something unknown. This is going to be a ride, and I want you on it. Submission date and Call out will be announced in 2020 ​ Word count: 2000 - 8000 Some wiggle room allowed. ​ Compensation: Flat rate per story (after approved edits)     - Up to 3000 words $10.00     - Up to 5000 words $15.00     - Above 5001 words $20.00 We are also hoping to be able to offer a bonus payment should the sales reach a specific target profit after expenses. This detail will be outlined within the contract ​ Formatting guidelines: Please read carefully ​ We are reading these stories blind, so please refrain from adding your name or any identifying information on the story itself. All fiction manuscripts should be in a standard manuscript format with 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, set auto-indent new paragraphs. Please make sure the title is on the first page, but no other identifying details in the manuscript itself. ​ Title your manuscript with the story title and doors " (the actual story title) - Doors" - again no identifying names on the title of the document. The form you fill out will have your...

Deadline: April 30, 2021 Payment: $0.015 USD per word. Theme: Short stories that highlight a magical or haunting Victorian setting. About the project In late 2021, Bronzewood Books is releasing a Gaslamp Fantasy Anthology, filled with short stories that highlight a magical or haunting Victorian setting. The tentative plan is to release in time for Halloween, so the more spooky you can make the story, the better. If you’re curious about what Gaslamp Fantasy entails, think about Steampunk but less about tech and more focus on magic. Goodreads defines gaslamp fantasy as: a sub-genre of both fantasy and historical fiction. Generally speaking, this particular realm of fantasy employs either a Victorian or Edwardian setting. The gaslamp fantasy genre is not to be confused with steampunk, which usually has more of a super-science edge and uchronic tone. Gaslamp fantasy also differs from classical Victorian/Edwardian faerie or pure fantasy in the J.R.R. Tolkien or Lewis Carroll style or from historical crime-novels in the Anne Perry or June Thomson style by the supernatural elements, themes, and subjects it features. Many of its tropes, themes, and stock characters derive from Gothic literature — a long-established genre composed of both romantic and horrific traits and motivated by the desire to rouse fear, apprehension, and other intense emotions within the reader — and could be described as an attempt to modernize literary Gothicism. Here is a fantastic article about the subgenre with lists of books: Best Fantasy Books: Gaslamp Fantasy Notes & Answers to questions already asked:   Question: Can it be a story I’ve already published? Answer: This should be an original short story (not previously published). Question: Can I publish the short story elsewhere? Answer: Exclusivity will be required for a short period of time, then individual story rights will revert back to the author....

Submission Window: April 1st-April 30th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Note: You must identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. We’re especially interested in writing and art that explore some aspect of migration, whether explicitly (themes of immigration, colonialism, etc.), metaphorically, or with a sly nod and a wink. Most importantly, we’re a new magazine and we’re still finding our identity: therefore, please don’t self-reject because you’re not sure if your work is a good fit. We won’t know until we see it, so please give us a chance to look! See submission requirements & how to submit at the following pages: Fiction Non-fiction Art Voice actors Who can submit? khōréō is dedicated to diversity and amplifying the voices of immigrant and diaspora authors and artists. We welcome, but do not require, a brief description of the author’s/artist’s identity in their cover letter. We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: A copy of the book and £50 Theme: Poems that pay tribute to the women who’ve changed our lives Note: My apologies for the short turnaround, this JUST hit my inbox. Submissions are OPEN for our 2021 anthology, The Book of Bad Betties. Deadline: 30th April Editors: VANESSA KISUULE and ANJA KONIG We’re looking for poems that pay tribute to the women who’ve changed our lives—whether yours personally, or the wider world’s. From your mum to Marsha P Johnson, Enheduanna to Joan of Arc, Maya Angelou to Marlene Dietrich. We want to hear about the baddasses, the queens, the upstarts, the legends, the bosses, the matriarchs, the hellraisers, the darlings, the dames. We aim to represent a broad range of poetic styles and approaches, so roam wild and take this wherever you want. If your work’s chosen, you’ll receive a copy of the book and a £50 fee, and be invited to perform at an online launch in September.   Submission guidelines Please send 1-3 poems (in a single PDF or Word doc) to [email protected] Please use 2021 Anthology as your email subject We’re looking for work that has not been previously published (in a book, magazine or on social media – screenshare during online events is fine) There’s no line limit or requirements for font or contact details Submissions are welcome from anywhere in the world The deadline is Midnight, 30th April — poems sent after this won’t be read The best way to get an idea of the kind of work we like is to read our books. (We don’t require any purchase and it won’t affect your chances of selection, but it will help to keep us in business and support indie publishing.) After sending work, you’ll get an immediate response confirming that we’ve received your submission. We’re aiming to make decisions and respond to...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: 0.05¢ American per word Theme: A cryptid from legend or make one up, we want a strange, spooky, alluring, sweet, and/or funny story of emerging. Whether that's your cryptid coming out of hiding, a human being true to themselves, or a cryptid/human pairing falling in love, the heart of your tale is about rising, changing, growing. Cryptids Emerging: Tales of Dark Cheer Cryptids: they're sea monsters and tooth fairies, jackalopes and bigfoot. Cultures worldwide have stories of their own, from Ireland's fae to Puerto Rico's chupacabras, Scotland's Nessie to the Congo's Mokele-mbembe, cryptids are creatures from folklore, they're rumours, or in the case of this anthology…real. That's what our call for submissions is for: contemporary supernatural or historical fantasy about cryptids living with humans, or just at the edge of our vision, stories of what the world would look like if cryptids were real. What We Want Pick a cryptid from legend or make one up, we want a strange, spooky, alluring, sweet, and/or funny story of emerging. Whether that's your cryptid coming out of hiding, a human being true to themselves, or a cryptid/human pairing falling in love, the heart of your tale is about rising, changing, growing. We'd especially love LGBTQIA+, disabled, Black, Asian, neurodiverse, and other minority characters, as well as Own Voices, so if you're Latinx, for example, we'd adore a story set in Latin America. What We Don't Want Violence, pain, and misery. Yes there can be a whiff and whisper of those in your tale, but we don't want that front-and-center. We want just what the title says, dark cheer, which means creepy but kind, eerie but elegant, it means generally-positive stories of weird beings coming into their own. So we don't get four stories about Nessie, look at the links below for something...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Themes: Horror where "The key for us is suspension of disbelief. We want to be able to read your work, put it down and go “Did that just happen?”" Note: Only open to: Authors of Color, Authors who Identify as LGBTQ+, Authors with Disabilities, Current and Former Sex Workers Sinister Stoat Press is an imprint of Weasel Press. We’re the sly dogs of horror, unafraid to embrace the strange, the daunting, and mostly, the downright messed up world that encircles us. We’re a gang of strange travelers seeking out poets, fiction writers, and artists to help us form our new collective.  We look for stories that suspend disbelief. We want your unexplained phenomena, your aliens, your unknown creatures, blood-filled Halloween nights, and everything in between that keeps you up at night. We love things related to furry writing, secret government experiments gone wrong, found documentation of lost ghost adventurers, and much more!  We’re still gathering ourselves, and we have some submission calls listed below. In the meantime, check out our two publications we put out. The Haunted Traveler, and Dread: A Furry Horror Magazine. These projects will give you an idea of how twisted we are and how we started down this insidious journey of the unknown. Submission Guidelines Check our Facebook, Twitter for our updates.  Currently OPEN for submissions. We strongly recommend reading a Sinister Stoat book to get a better feel of what we want and look for in our authors. As of May 2020, Sinister Stoat Press is only seeking work from: Authors of Color Authors who Identify as LGBTQ+ Authors with Disabilities Current and Former Sex Workers In your submission, include a cover letter that addresses the following: The goal of your book Your target audience for your book A brief synopsis Possible...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Story must begin with: "Lena was raised on violin lessons and minimal parental supervision." We love that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually three to four weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. Also, we understand that writers may add our first line to a story they are currently working on or have already completed, and that's cool. But please do not add our first line to a previously published story and submit it to us. We do not accept previously published stories, even if they have been repurposed for our first lines. And, just to be clear, we do not accept simultaneous submissions. One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the traditional...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Not listed, last post on this stated: Poetry: $25 per page. Prose: $10 per page ($250 maximum). Translations $15 per page ($250 maximum) Theme: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations focused on the effects and realities of war and geopolitical violence SUBMISSIONS are welcome during the spring and fall reading periods: January 1—May 1 July 1—November 1 *Note: We no longer charge a submission fee CONSEQUENCE is an independent, non-profit journal, and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that publishes new content online throughout each month and a bi-annual periodical. We are interested in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations focused on the effects and realities of war and geopolitical violence. Each submission may be accepted for print and/or online publication. We’re pleased to announce we now compensate writers for their work. WRITERS whose work has appeared in the magazine include: David Abrams, Elliot Ackerman, Homero Aridjis, Peter Balakian, Jennifer Barber, Jerri Bell, Sven Birkerts, Kevin Bowen, Martha Collins, Martha Cooley, William Corbett, April Darcy, Stephen Dau, Jasmin Dzarnik, Ruth Edgett, Teresa Fazio, Max Frazier, Anne Germanacos, Jesse Goolsby, Tami Haaland, Lee Hancock, Bridey Heing, Jen Hinst-White, Fanny Howe, Daphne Kalotay, Mohammad Kazem Kazemi, Anne Korkeakivi, Phil Klay, Woody Lewis, Margaret Luongo, Christopher Lydon, Fred Marchant, Kai Maristed, Askold Melnyczuk, J. A. Moad II, Ruth Mukwana, Ed Ochester, Joyce Peseroff, Hilary Plum, Katey Schultz, Peter Dale Scott, Roy Scranton, Bob Shacochis, Tom Sleigh, Brian Turner, Barrett Warner, Julia Wendell, Afaa Michael Weaver, Nathan Webster, and Bruce Weigl. We no longer accept mailed or emailed submissions. Submitters whose work is accepted for online publication will be expected to provide a photo to illustrate the work. Fiction: Short story (up to 5,000 words), Flash (up tp 3 pieces or 1000 words), and Excerpts (up to 5,000 words) Nonfiction:...

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: $15 for stories over 5K words and $10 for stories 5K and less Theme: Winter Wonders THEME - "Winter Wonders" Do you like to cozy up next to a roaring fire during a snowstorm? Does winter bring out the best in you... or the worst? Do you have a story of narrowly escaping an abominable snow beast, or finding romance during a blizzard in an enchanted cabin? Are snow-covered mountains the scenery of fabulous fables... or nightmares? Living snowmen, magical solstices, ice-crusted alien planets, whatever floats your iceberg. We want your stories that include “winter wonders'': stories of survival, interstellar adventures, or magical nights. Sci-fi, fantasy, weird-fiction, and everything in between—as long as your story has “winter” and “wonder,” we want you to share it with us. The submission window for Skullgate Media Presents: Winter Wonders opens March 1, 2021 and closes May 1, 2021. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS A short story matching the theme of “winter wonders” between 3,000-15,000 words. Send your story to: [email protected] as an attachment (.docx, .rtf, or google doc files) by May 1st, 2021 10PM EST. We will respond to all submissions regarding whether your piece has been accepted by June 1st, 2021. If you have any questions before submitting, send them to [email protected]. agraph PAYMENTS & RIGHTS We will pay $15 for stories over 5K words and $10 for stories 5K and less. Rights include 6 months exclusive English language rights in all formats (eBook, print, and online). If your piece is accepted, you will be expected to work on revisions with an editor. We do not accept previously published material or “simultaneous submissions” (stories sent at the same time to another publisher). Skullgate Media Presents will consider material submitted by any writer, previously published or not. Via: Skullgate Media.

Deadline: May 1st, 2021 Payment: Advance and royalties Theme: Suspense/Thriller, Dark Fantasy and Crime/Noir Genres Grey Matter Press has been publishing exceptional dark psychological fiction for nearly a decade. Established in 2012 with a focus on producing only the highest quality volumes, work from our Chicago-based independent press has been embraced by readers and lauded by critics worldwide. Our submission windows are limited and do not open that frequently, but we’re thrilled to announce a few of our publishing needs for the remainder of the year. This submission window closes on May 1, 2021.   Seeking Fiction in the Suspense/Thriller, Dark Fantasy and Crime/Noir Genres In an effort to complete our publishing schedule for the remainder of 2021 and throughout of 2022, we are currently looking for submissions of exceptional long-format fiction in the novel and novella categories that comfortably fit within the suspense/thriller, dark fantasy and crime/noir genres. As a publisher that has established itself as a leader in the dark fiction category, we are not specifically looking for work in the horror genre, although your fiction may (but it’s absolutely not required) feature supernatural themes. We are only looking for work that has not been previously published anywhere via any venue whatsoever. We are unable to accept queries for reprints of any kind. Word count for novellas should ideally be within the 20,000-40,000 range, while word count for novels should be within the 60,000-90,000 range. We are not accepting short stories at this time. How to Submit Your Fiction Write a synopsis (500 words or less) that effectively outlines your novel/novella and provides us with a full grasp of your story’s plot from start to finish. Provide us with your publishing history (if any) that includes previous publications, recognitions or awards. Supply us with your complete manuscript in...