Events

Submission Window: April 1st-30th, 2022 Payment: $0.03 per word up to 4000 words Theme: Take your least favorite horror trope and make it work. What is your least favorite horror trope? Why? Has it been overdone? Is it predictable? Is it unrealistic? Here’s your chance to fix it. Open call submission window open April 1, 2022 - April 30, 2022. Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and marginalized writers open May 1, 2022 - May 7, 2022. The anthology will be a mix of solicited stories and stories selected from the open call submission period. What are we looking for? Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 1500 and 4000 words (firm limit) that take your least favorite horror trope and make it work. Take a trope that’s well-worn, overused, predictable, tough to swallow, and scare the hell out of us with it. Turn it on its head, or make it bizarre enough to still surprise. Really take some time to understand why your chosen trope often fails and how you can make it into a successful (read: scary, surprising, weird, shocking, heartwrenching, maybe even funny) horror story. This anthology is open to all writers, but we strongly encourage writers from the LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities to submit. What are we NOT looking for? Stories that deal with bigotry are fine, but bigoted stories are not. Graphic rape or sexual assault scenes will not be accepted. Any story that does not contain elements of horror, weird fiction, or dark fiction will not be considered. Erotic elements are fine, but keep in mind this is not a call for erotica so make sure it contains elements of horror, weird, or dark fiction. How to submit: Word format (.docx), in something approximating standard manuscript format (double-spaced, 12pt font, word count...

Deadline: April 30th, 2022 Prize: Grand Prize: Pro rate contract on story and $500 of free Baen Books, Second Prize: $500 of free Baen Books, Third Prize: $300 of free Baen Books Theme: Adventure fantasy with heroes you want to root for. Warriors either modern or medieval, who solve problems with their wits or with their weapons—and we have nothing against dragons, elves, dwarves, castles under siege, urban fantasy, damsels in distress, or damsels who inflict distress. Contest Rules Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc. No entry fee. But only one submission per person...we suggest your best one! No reprints (i.e. the story must be unpublished). All entries must be original works in English. Plagiarism, poetry, song lyrics, settings and/or characters from published gaming worlds or another author’s works of fiction will not be considered. E-mail submissions only. Send entries as .RTF attachments to: [email protected] Please put BFAA SUBMISSION in the subject line when sending a contest entry and BFAA QUESTION in the subject line for questions to the contest administrator. Please include the following in the body of your email: the title of the work the author's name, address, and telephone number an approximate word-count The manuscript should be a RTF attachment, in standard manuscript format, and should be titled and numbered on every page, but the author's name MUST BE DELETED to facilitate fair judging. Click here for our standard manuscript format guidelines. Employees of Baen Books and Staff of Dragon Con are not eligible. Previous Grand Prize winners are not eligible (previous second and third place winners are eligible). Contest opens for submissions on February 1st, 2022 at...

Deadline: April 30th, 2022 Payment: Literary horror with a fantastical twist Theme: $25 – $150 CAD for original work depending on length, $10 – $70 CAD for reprints Note: Reprints welcome Nestled in a forgotten wood deep within a shadowed valley lies the hidden heart of the world: A dark, enchanted garden where every blossom holds a secret, every tree bursts with ten thousand memories, and each mushroom pulses in an endless relay, transmitting tales from half a world away. The wind itself whispers forgotten sorrows to the only creature left in the garden: The terrifying and enchanting Storyteller. But the garden’s lushness is a lie. Its explosion of ferns and flowers hides a terrible secret: the garden is dying. Without listeners to sustain it – without imagination, hearts, and souls to feed it – the heart is fading, and taking the world with it. So the Storyteller waits in vain for an audience that never comes—an audience whose ears and eyes can save the garden, who can keep the world’s heart beating a little while more. One a stifling, starry midnight, a stranger finally stumbles into the wilted garden and listens to the Storyteller’s wonderful, terrifying tales. But when this visitor – the first in centuries – learns that no listener leaves the garden alive, she strikes a desperate bargain. She promises to spread these stories across the earth, and in doing so remind humanity of the garden that is the heart of the world…and of the sacrifices it needs to keep beating.   That promise has been fulfilled. So settle into the lush grass, but take care not to crush the night flowers. It is time to listen now. Time to hear, time to give the garden what it needs. It’s already so late, you see, and the...

Submission Window: April 1st-April 30th, 2022 Payment: $25 and a contributors copy Theme: Tales of stone cold villains (literally on the cold!) From castles atop snow crested mountains to the cold isolation of the frozen tundra, the lure of darkness beckons us all. For Kingdoms of Wrath and Ice, Tourmaline & Quartz seeks your tales of stone cold villains. Show us the frosty ice queens, the conniving fae lords we love to hate and hate to love. Give us your dragons with hearts as cold as their gold, or the witch who summons a snowstorm to save herself from the hunters. Tell us about your morally gray outcasts that crave vengeance while the heroes are seeking warmth. The winter months are dark, the snows are deep, and the ice is treacherous. But what if the bitter cold wasn’t the only villain? Short Story Requirements & Information Word Count: 5,000-7,500 words. Reprints: No. Previously unpublished stories only. Simultaneous Submissions: OK. You can submit your story elsewhere while you are waiting to hear from us, but please notify us via email immediately if your story is accepted somewhere else. Multiple Submissions: OK. Send one submission per email if you choose to submit more than one. Expected publication: November 2022 Selection: Authors will be notified of decisions by June 30, 2022. Compensation: If selected, authors will receive $25 USD and a copy of the anthology, upon publication. US authors will receive a paperback, and have the choice between PayPal or check. Authors outside the US will receive a digital copy of the anthology, and payment via PayPal. Timeline: You will receive confirmation of receipt of your email submission within 1-3 days. Submissions will be read as they come in, but everyone who submitted will be notified of acceptance or rejection by June 30, 2022. Unfortunately, we won’t have the capacity to provide...

Submission Window: April 1st-30th, 2022 Payment: Drabbles and Flash - £5, Short Stories 1001 to 4000 words - £10, Short Stories 4001 to 8000 words - £15 Theme: All genres, styles and themes will be considered and we especially love stories that are outside the box in their telling. Note: Only publishes creators from under represented and/or marginalized communities. WE ONLY PUBLISH CREATORS FROM UNDER REPRESENTED AND/OR MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES We don't ask for any proof, we take this on trust with the expectation that anyone not from a marginalised background or underrepresented community wouldn't take up the space of someone who is. We ask you to consider this before submitting. BRIEF We’re looking for stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. We’re looking for stories that make us feel something. Warmth, love, melancholy, rage. We want it all.  All genres, styles and themes will be considered and we especially love stories that are outside the box in their telling. Ambiguous endings? Non-linear storytelling? Antagonist’s point-of-view? A story told in just one scene? We love it all. ​ SUBMISSIONS: February 1 - 28 (for June issue) April 1 - 30 (for August issue) June 1 - 30 (for October issue) August 1 - 31 (for December issue) October 1 - 31 (for February issue) ​December 1 - 31 (for April issue) ​ we do not have set issue themes but feel free to be inspired by the season, seasonal occasions and events SUBMISSION GUIDELINES How to submit: Please submit via the form at the bottom of this page. If you have any problems using the form please email us for assistance. Who should submit: Please ONLY SUBMIT IF: you are aged 18 or over you belong to an underrepresented or marginalised community. These include, but are not limited to:...

Submission Window: April 1-April 30th, 2022 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...

Submission Window: April 1st-30th, 2022 Payment: $1 per accepted piece Theme: horrorku, horror themed tanka, haibun, see below for details The Submission may include any or all of the following: · Up to seven (7) horrorku or horror tanka  · Up to three (3) haibun · Up to five (5) pieces of cover art All submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not under consideration by a print or web-based journal. Posts in closed, critique-oriented groups and social media sites are acceptable for submission, but public posts on forums such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not. By submitting a piece to us, you are guaranteeing that it is your original work and not under consideration or published anywhere else in the world. E-mail submission is required. Type poems into the body of the e-mail; no attachments of poetry will be opened. For art submissions, please include all five pieces in a .PDF file or send us a link to a private gallery. If we purchase an art piece for our cover, we will ask that you provide a 300 dpi version of said piece. E-mail: [email protected] Subject: Otoroshi Submission Please include a cover letter noting location in the world. Please include handles for Instagram and Twitter for promotional purposes. At this time, only one submission per issue will be considered unless the editors directly request a second submission. Submission periods are one month long: · January for the Spring Issue · April for the Summer Issue · July for the Fall Issue · October for the Winter Issue Acceptances will be sent shortly after the end of each period. Please note: Although most journals may publish your work as is, we are editors, too. This means we will make suggestions to your work as we see fit. This is to...

Submission Window: April 23th-30th 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: Science fiction and fantasy Mythaxis is published four times a year, and is open to submissions within the following periods: January 23rd-30th April 23th-30th July 23rd-30th October 23rd-30th Submissions received outside of these dates will unfortunately be lost and therefore not responded to. When open, we seek and offer the following: Length: 1,000-7,500 words. This is a firm limit. Generally speaking, the further a story goes beyond 5,000 words the more it will need to impress, but the door is not shut in advance. Compensation: $20 on acceptance and return of contract. Payment via PayPal only. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, please get in touch. We aim to accept or reject within 14 days of acknowledgment, but rl (real life) and rl (reading load) can get in the way. If you do not hear from us after 30 days, feel free to query. We require First Print and Digital rights with a six month period of exclusivity from the date of publication. We also ask permission to potentially include accepted pieces in future anthologies, in event of which an additional full payment and digital copy will be offered in compensation. All other rights remain entirely with the author. Simultaneous submissions are not only accepted, they are encouraged. We merely ask that you notify us of acceptance at another market as soon as possible. In the event that we accept first we would expect a positive confirmation, so we recommend sim-subbing to markets of equivalent status - we won’t want to wait for someone else you’d like better to turn you down… Please wait until receiving a rejection notice before submitting a second time. If a story has previously been rejected by Mythaxis, please do not resubmit or inquire regarding doing...

Deadline: April 30th, 2022 Payment: $0.10/word for the magazine Theme: A story involving reflections, and an apple. Note: The magazine is free to submit to, there is also a monthly contest where you can win $3000. However, there IS a fee to submit to the contest. Write a story involving reflections, and an apple. $3,000 grand prize. Look in the mirror. Who stares back at you? Some of us see prettier, smarter versions of ourselves, while others focus on the wrinkles and rolls. Or maybe you see the masked intruder looking over your shoulder… Reflections have long fascinated us, from still lakes and polished silver to selfies and futuristic wardrobes. But the concept is more than literal—philosophy holds thoughts as a mirror to the universe. Science puts them to use in lasers and telescopes. As writers, we use literary foils to mirror and contrast characters. The symbolism is deeply ingrained. Wisdom, awareness, truth. Distorted reflections suggest deceit and delusion. Shattered mirrors are bad luck. Do you cover glass surfaces after a death to avoid trapping the spirit? And why is it you’re so reluctant to shut the bathroom vanity alone in the dark? This contest invites you to explore mirrors and reflections, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome. Submissions close April 30th at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers. All new writers can submit work to the magazine. It’s free. We don’t believe publications should charge authors to be published. However, we have a specific submission process you must adhere to in order to have your work considered. Our submissions window opens on the first and closes at midnight on the final day of each month. Each issue of the magazine is themed according to our monthly prompt. The prompts...

Deadline: April 30th, 2022 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Stories that are joyous, horrific, hopeful, despondent, powerful and subtle. Note: For this issue, only Southeast Asian writers living in Southeast Asia as well as the diaspora. Southeast Asia is an immense region with many cultures, traditions and mythologies. It has a rich history of trade and wars, migration and occupation. There are records of merchants from as far as Ancient Greece who have come to the region to ply their wares, and emperors from China have demanded tribute from subordinate kingdoms. From these encounters with distant empires come ideas, iconography, religions, and philosophies that have combined with local lores and sensibilities, giving rise to the glorious architecture of Angkor Wat, the outpouring of religious stories and texts like the Ramayana, the syncretic practices of Islam and Buddhism across the region. More recently, the horrors of the Japanese Occupation, the Khmer Rouge, and the Vietnam War have left an indelible imprint in the collective psyche and memory of Southeast Asian people, both within and beyond. The current political climate, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, has created outcries in several countries. The Strange Horizons Southeast Asian special welcomes non-fiction, fiction and poetry from Southeast Asian writers living in Southeast Asia as well as the diaspora. We especially welcome writers who have never submitted to an international speculative fiction venue before. We are not seeking writing from non-Southeast Asians for this special issue. Please feel free to submit your work to Strange Horizons’ regular submissions at any time. The editorial team for this special issue will comprise of: Dr. Jaymee Goh (she/her) for Fiction (2,000 – 7,000 words; please query if longer). Ms. May Chong (she/her) for Poetry (of any length or complexity). Mx. Joyce Chng (she/they) for Non-Fiction (2,000 – 3,000 words). We would like stories that are...