Events

Deadline: May 8th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Modern gothic literature, cosmic horror Submissions: OPEN (Issue 2) WITCH HOUSE is an amateur magazine that seeks to discover, inspire, and publish emerging horror authors who are enthusiastic about the pulp fiction tradition of a modern gothic literature called "cosmic horror." Writers in this tradition include (but are not limited to) the following: Edgar Allan Poe, M.R. James, Arthur Machen, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Bloch, August Derleth, Shirley Jackson, Karl Edward Wagner, Thomas Ligotti, Stephen King, and many more. "Cosmic horror" emphasizes helpless protagonists, unexplainable monstrous menaces, and fictional occult themes such as forbidden lore and evil conspiracy. Some "cosmic horror" blurs the lines separating mystery/noir, crime fiction, and horror, but it is distinguished by a dramatic deviation from the reality principle. At Witch House, we prefer lyrical, literary, and artful terror of the sublime that unsettles subtly rather than gross-out gore. Published by Spiral Tower Press. • Submission deadline for our second issue: Sunday, May 8th, 2022, 11:59p. • Editorial decisions: Sunday, June 12th, 2022. • Publication of Issue 2: Friday, August 19th, 2022. Fiction Length: We prefer short, compressed stories that are nevertheless complete and cohesive narratives (1500 to 2500 words). These limits are firm. No more, no less. Fiction Style: We prefer atmospheric horror that emphasizes disturbing and suggestive settings. We prefer renderings of supernatural horror to be artfully sketchy and sublime. Documentary descriptions of monstrosity rarely works for us. We generally prefer the first person perspective. We are open to experimental narrative techniques. Poetry Length and Form: Submit up to three short poems, no more than 500 words of verse total. We are open to both formal and free verse poetry. We have a soft spot for sonnets. Publication, payment, and rights: Issues will be published as .pdf files. If work is selected for publication in WITCH...

Deadline: May 8th, 2022 Payment: Small advance + royalties Theme: sleaze, body horror, unhinged characters, oddball premises, anti-commercial, weirdo shit that’ll get you kicked out of any major NY publishing house should you even discuss it on their property. Ghoulish Books is open for horror novella submissions, and we will remain open until Sunday, May 8th (11:59 P.M. CST). What we are looking to publish: sleaze, body horror, unhinged characters, oddball premises, anti-commercial, weirdo shit that’ll get you kicked out of any major NY publishing house should you even discuss it on their property. Art for sickos and by sickos. Perverted material that makes you feel weird and uncomfortable. Characters drowning in filth and loving it. Books that subvert normality. We want you to bring us the material you’re too scared to show anyone else. General Guidelines Word count: 20,000 – 40,000 Deadline: May 8th (11:59 P.M. CST) Payment: Small advance + royalties Reprints: No Simultaneous Submissions: Yes   Submit all manuscripts as a doc or docx file to [email protected] with the following subject line: GHOULISH NOVELLA – – . Please don’t forget to include “GHOULISH NOVELLA” in the subject line, otherwise we might lose your submission. Note: we are NOT interested in short story collections. Do not submit story collections. They will be rejected unread. You can direct any questions to the same email address. Okay, we lied, here are a few other ghoulish things we wanted to mention: We produce a podcast called GHOULISH and it’s available for free wherever you download podcasts. Two years in, we have released well over 100 episodes with guests such as Chuck Tingle, Jeff VanderMeer, Stephen Graham Jones, Mary Roach, and so on. Visit the podcast’s website HERE. Subscribe and leave a review! It really helps!   Via: Perpetual Publishing.

Deadline: May 9th, 2022 Payment: $30 & 2 print copies of the anthology. Theme: Your interpretation of "Running Away" Ever wish, with every cell in your body, that you could run away? From home, from a person, from your job, from yourself? Physically or emotionally, on foot or purely in your own mind? We want you to write about this for an anthology we’ll be publishing in the summer of 2023. We’re looking for short prose—fiction or creative nonfiction—that explores the need to leave, to escape, to run. We love a speculative slant, whatever that means to you. It can mean the strange or surreal. It can mean horror or fantasy. It can simply mean it’s not what you’re supposed to wish for. We're flexible. Just keep it between 500-3000 words. We are extremely interested in publishing pieces from BIPOC and LGBTQIA perspectives. You must be at least 18 to submit. All work must be the author’s own, in English or accompanied by an English translation. Single pieces by multiple authors considered. Previously published work will not be given top consideration, but it isn’t a deal-breaker. Please be very clear about your piece being previously published if you decide to go that route! You may submit 1-3 flash fiction pieces (just keep the total count under 3000 words) or one short story up to 3000 words. Please only submit once during the submission period. Submit only through our Submittable link, which will open on March 28th, 2022 and close on May 9th. There is no cost to submit! Payment per author: $30 & 2 print copies of the anthology. About us: ASP is an independent literary press founded in 2010 to publish books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry that are beautifully written and beautifully made, with the avid reader and...

Deadline: May 9th, 2022 Payment: $0.01 per word and $10 for each accepted flash piece Theme: Speculative fiction centered around Eastern European folklore, culture, and heritage. The current state of our world cannot be ignored, nor can the need for visibility and support during times of violence and turmoil. At Starward Shadows, our hearts go out to everyone who is currently experiencing suffering and hardship as a result of the conflict in the Ukraine. We realized there’s no better way to break our hiatus than with a special themed issue of the Starward Shadows eZine that’s centered around Eastern European folklore, culture, and heritage.   Our submissions window will run for exactly one month, from April 9th to May 9th, 2022. No matter who you are or where you come from, we want your voices to be heard, and we want to share your stories with the world. As long as your story pays homage to Eastern European culture, or even touches on the horrors of war in some other form we can’t articulate, please send it our way. Just be sure that it falls within this issue’s word count requirements, and includes plenty of speculative elements! Since funding is still a difficult area for our publication, we’re launching a Kickstarter campaign to pay our authors what they deserve for their work and give Eastern European voices and themes a much-needed boost voice in the literary world. Any other donations that aren’t needed to pay for the publication will be put towards providing relief for the Ukrainian people. To keep our goals achievable and provide a platform for as many authors as possible, we’re lowering the word count limit for short fiction pieces and strongly encouraging flash submissions. Short fiction: 1,500 – 4,000 words  Flash fiction: 500 – 1,500 words Any...

Deadline: May 9th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents a word Theme: General Horror Note: Unpublished Authors Only Every month we publish a short story on our website and in our newsletter. For May’s story, we’re accepting submissions only from unpublished authors. This means you have never been paid for a piece of fiction before. Theme: There’s no theme. It just has to be a horror story. Payment: 5 cents a word Length: 1000 words or fewer (don’t worry if you’re a few words over) Submission Period: Now until May 9, 2022 No reprints, multiple subs or simultaneous subs. Use Classic Shunn formatting. Send to james at monstrousbooks.com and use this format for the subject heading: Flash Fiction - Title - Author Name. Include a short bio in your email. Via: Monstrous Books.

  Deadline: May 10th, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Rebirth Note: Apologies for the short window, I didn't realize they were open again. Submission Guidelines Send submissions to [email protected] with "Submission" as the subject. Please read before submitting. Thank you. Submissions are currently: OPEN Summer 2022 theme: Rebirth. Submissions will be open from March 15th - May 10th. We publish OwnVoices stories in all genres. All works including common triggers will be prefaced by a trigger warning. How we define OwnVoices: an author from a marginalized, persecuted, or underrepresented group writing about their own experiences/from their own perspective, rather than someone from an outside perspective writing as a character from an underrepresented group. All works must be own voice. Any graphic depictions of sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, etc. must be own voice. We do not publish work that encourages violence or hatred toward others. You must be 18 or older to submit. All submissions must: be in English be double spaced be 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font have tab-indention on all paragraphs have a one-inch margin on all pages be a Microsoft or Google Docs file All submissions must include a cover page. The cover page should include: title author’s name (pen names allowed) an indication that the author is over 18 an approximate word count identities relevant to the piece trigger/content warnings for your work, if applicable Flash Fiction pieces should be under 2k words. Any Flash fiction piece over 2k words will not be considered. Short stories should be between 6k and 8k words. Any short stories below 6k or over 8k will not be considered. You may submit artwork you have created with your piece. We do accept multimedia submissions. You must own the rights to the artwork. Do not submit first drafts...

Submission Window: May 8th-14th, 2022. Payment: $0.01 (one cent) per word Theme: Swashbuckling action in all genres Rakehell buys First Worldwide Serial Rights to swashbuckling tales from 3,000 to 8,000 words long. We currently pay $0.01 (one cent) per word. We know that’s not much, and we hope to increase our rate as soon as possible. Rakehell Accepts All Genres We’re looking for stories of swashbuckling action in all genres. We love fantasy, steampunk, and historical fiction, but we’ll read anything that fits the Rakehell vibe. We’re looking for small-scale conflicts with personal motivations. We’re less interested in epic quests and straight military fiction. Think Robin Hood, Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser, the Three Musketeers, Horatio Hornblower, Felimid mac Fal, Flashman, Khlit the Cossack, the Gentleman Bastards, Captain Blood, the Greatcoats, Inigo Montoya, Indiana Jones, Rudolf Rassendyll, Richard St. Vier… Feel free to draw on other genres, like mystery, comedy, and romance. No erotica. “Swashbuckling” implies a sense of fun and excitement. Don’t sugarcoat the realities of violence, but don’t dwell in the darkness. Readers should come away from your story exhilarated, not depressed. Stories will probably have a pre-modern technology level. Swords stopped being quite so useful once firearms advanced past the black powder stage. (Flintlock-era technology is welcome.) If your story has a reason why guns/grenades/missiles/lasers/phasers/blasters aren’t an option, we’ll consider it. For sci-fi, think Star Wars or Dune. If your story captures the Rakehell attitude, we can be flexible. Put another way: a duel at dawn between two libertines with flintlock pistols is a yes. A showdown at noon between two cowboys with revolvers is a maybe. A shoot-out between a mobster and the cops is a no. Magic is fine, but will probably be low. Worlds where battle magic is common and/or powerful tend to have the same problems as worlds with modern firearms. Rakehell is at...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: $50 flat fee Theme: stories from throughout Kolchak’s life A Kolchak: The Night Stalker graphic novel anthology for the show’s 50th anniversary next year. Moonstone Books is the publisher. ​ A Kickstarter is coming soon. Sign up for the email alert here https://bit.ly/Kolchak50 ​ As part of the campaign, we're also looking for PROSE short stories. This call is NOT for comic scripts. ​ GUIDELINES FOR KOLCHAK 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROSE ANTHOLOGY ​ Payment: $50 flat fee (This will increase when we hit certain stretch goals through the Kickstarter) Length: 1500 to 5000 words Submission Period: Immediately following the Kolchak 50 Kickstarter campaign (probably some in February or March) until May 15, 2022 or filled Expected Release Date: Late 2022 No multiple submissions ​ WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Here’s your chance to write a classic Kolchak story. Like the theme for the 50th anniversary graphic novel, the prose anthology will consist of stories from throughout Kolchak’s life, from the late 1930s to the late ’90s. Please, be familiar with Kolchak before writing your story and watch the TV movies and series! Here's a bio for the character. While we’re looking for writers to submit full stories, you can send a story pitch to the editor before you write the story. But, please, don’t send stories before the submissions period opens. ​ Don't get hung up on the personal details of Kolchak's life. Like the TV shows, keep the focus on the investigation. You're best off not adding a wife or long-lost cousin to Kolchak's biography.  ​ SUBMISSIONS A Kickstarter campaign for the graphic novel and prose anthology will launch early in 2022, after which we’ll open to submissions. Since this is a licensed character, you cannot retain rights to the story. Use classic Shunn formatting. Send as an...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: Novelettes with the theme "The Wizard Must Be Stopped!" Edited by Tracy Cooper-Posey Stories Rule Press (SRP) is now seeking submissions for Urban Fantasy Digest 2022: The Wizard Must Be Stopped!, the third anthology in this series.  The anthology will be published on July 28, 2022. Deadline: May 15, 2022 Length: 7,500 to 10,000 words Payment: Revenue share Genre This is an anthology of urban fantasy novelettes. Theme The theme is “The Wizard Must Be Stopped!” – which can be interpreted by the author in any way that provides a story featuring a wizard in some shape or form.  The wizard does not have to be the antagonist, nor does she have to be strictly human. Stretch the theme as far as your imagination allows.  We’re looking for twelve unique takes on the idea of what a wizard might be up to that requires halting them. Please see the retail book description, below, for more on this. The story should conform to urban fantasy genre expectations.  Epic fantasy, fantasy set in secondary worlds, non-contemporary city settings, or remote settings do not fit the genre. The retail book description This is the description that will appear on the back of the book, and on retail sites. (Please note: the actual number of stories to be included in the anthology is to be finalized during the reading period.) ========Retail Book Description============ Wayward wizards are among us. Stories Rule Press presents Urban Fantasy Digest 2022: The Wizard Must Be Stopped! Of all the fantasy and paranormal species who inhabit our urban fantasy worlds, wizards are the epitome of magical persons.  Dark or good, powerful or not, enemy or friend, a wizard has vast influence over people and stories…and can change the fortunes of all. Discover twelve very different wizards in twelve spellbinding...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: horror/dark fiction QUARTERLY PRINT MAGAZINE   Breakdown of content:   8 fiction pieces (approximate word lengths) – 1x 5000, 1x 3000, 1x 2500, 2x 1500, 3x 500 3-5 non-fiction pieces – 1 article, 1-2 briefs, 1 interview and/or review – Fiction:   We are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-5000 words firm. Common sense when submitting please. We do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors direct or implied. We are not looking for pure shock value. All components of your story should have merit. Gore for gore’s sake is not what we are looking for. Our pay rates 5 cents per word All payments are made in US funds via PayPal.   We accept submissions during the following reading periods , with an expected response time of up to 16 weeks. This way we are able to accommodate all the submissions we receive. If you have not heard back from us after 16 weeks, please feel free to send us an update query.   WINTER ISSUE: August 15 – November 15   SPRING ISSUE: November 16 – February 15   SUMMER ISSUE: February 16 – May 15   FALL ISSUE: May 16 – August 15   While not a requirement, we strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the digital magazine to help better understand the types of work we’re looking for. All submissions must be sent via e-mail to: [email protected] as an attached word document or .rtf with the word “Fiction Submission – STORY TITLE” in the subject line. In the body of the email include a word count. A short bio is welcome, but not mandatory. Please also include if you wish your story considered for both the quarterly print and the website publication. Note compensation rates are different for website so be certain....