Events

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: "A journey bestowed upon either from or seeking a mysterious entity with a theme of being “The Road Trip God”." PsychoToxin Press presents its first anthology title: “ROAD TRIP GOD” *** A journey can take many forms and serve many purposes. It can be a means of solace, of escape, or of discovery... But who is the one that sets each path? Who is the one that drives us to seek such an escape, and for what ends? Currently, only one of these questions may be answered. We all know him only as The Road Trip God! Who they are or why they do this, well, that’s for you all to tell! Myself and the ghouls of the newly fledged horror house, PsychoToxin press are seeking flash fiction stories (from 200-1,000 words; firm word limit) of any genre concerning a journey bestowed upon either from or seeking a mysterious entity with a theme of being “The Road Trip God”. *** Guidelines: Max word count = 1,000 words Original work ONLY — no reprints No simultaneous or multiple submissions — one story per author. We ask for first world print and digital rights for three months after publication, after which all rights revert back to the author. (We would appreciate, though, you crediting us as first appearance if you publish the story elsewhere) Stories must contain some mysterious entity (human or non-human) with a connection as “The Road Trip God” *(Note: entity does not actually HAVE to be named “The Road Trip God” — actually probably better if they weren’t — but needs to be SOME sort of interpretation of it.)* Stories must be your own! You wouldn’t appreciate having someone else rip off your work, right? Then let’s not do it to...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: ¢1 per word CAD Theme: Cosmic Horror COSMIC HORROR! A note from the curator and project lead - Tim Mendees ​ It's time to get weird and give us your sanity-blasting tales of cosmic horror. “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” ― H.P. Lovecraft The above quote by the father of the genre sums it up nicely. Cosmic horror deals with the insignificance of the human race in the face of an uncaring cosmos teeming with entities beyond our understanding. It is the things lurking in the liminal spaces between worlds. The hunger of a carnivorous universe. Give me your tales of Eldritch monstrosities, crazed cultists, subterranean terrors, and malign deities. I want a wide range of themes and abominations for this so think outside of the usual squid-faced suspects. Cosmic horror is more than just HPL. I will be looking for stories inspired by early practitioners such as Blackwood, Machen, Chambers & Hodgeson through the Lovecraft Circle to modern masters of the genre. For this anthology, I'm looking for the world as we know it and beyond. Historical, space & alternate reality settings are fine and encouraged but I'm not looking for fantasy (sword & sorcery) settings for this call. Think decaying urban landscapes, isolated communities, ancient ruins and lonely ships in orbit. Show me the unravelling of the fabric of society and the slipping mask of sanity. Above all, have fun with it. Take the brakes off and let your imagination run riot. Unleash the nightmare creations hiding in the dusty corners of your mind. Embrace the madness. Word count: 2000 - 7000 (Some wiggle room allowed - please let us know on the form, no need...

Deadline: November 15th, 2022 Payment: $100 for each accepted print piece. $25 for each accepted online piece. Theme: Stories that take place in the western US. word west revue is a home for western-y writing and art and a whole lot more. a place to reimagine ‘the west’ and ‘westerns’ from new angles, overlooked perspectives, in both analogue + digital. we’re into subversion and surprise. we're into road trips and weird americana, ufos and cosmic country—from the mountains to the deserts to the beaches to the plains. go west-ish. hi, we're looking for writing and art and whatever else you've got that engages with and reimagines the 'west.’ ideally you or your work will have some connection to the western usa, but this theme is wide open to your interpretation (though our print issues will be more focused and western-y than online, which will be more free-wheeling). we like  intersections and echoes, mythos and symbolism, and perspectives not as often seen. we like road stories and weird americana. most of all, tell us a great story. show us something cool. something we can't help falling in love with. our goal is to remain open to the unexpected—to what surprises us, to what moves us, to what makes us see ‘the west’ in ways we haven't before. still unsure? tune into word west radio, or catch a flick at the westword cinemas. maybe you'll find some inspiration? yeehaw 🤠 no submission fees. 1 submission per submission window. submissions will be open twice / year: september 15 - november 15 & march 15 - june 15. pitches for online content (reviews, interviews, etc.) will always be accepted. sim-subs totally fine. just please let us know if a piece is accepted elsewhere. 5k words or less for prose. up to 5 poems for poetry. pieces are read for both online and print. we aim to...

Submission Window: November 1st - 21st, 2022 Payment: $80 for original work, 2 cents per word for reprints Theme: All forms of flash fiction. Our submission portals for original and reprint stories are OPEN from the 1st to the 21st of each month* unless we reach our submission cap of 425 stories. (*except for December, when all submissions are CLOSED). We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. We publish across many genres, including speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. For more information on the type of stories we enjoy, please read a few issues and check out our "What We're Looking For" page. FORMATTING: Please format your submission in a double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman or other serif-type font (NO Courier), with standard 1" margins and black font on an unadorned, white background. No PDF submissions.  No Images and no graphics. ANONYMOUS SUBMISSIONS: Do not include your name, address, email, or other identifying information on your manuscript (header, byline, file name, etc). SIMULTANEOUS & MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: You may submit one original and one reprint story concurrently (multiple submissions), but please do not submit works that are currently under consideration elsewhere (NO simultaneous submissions) QUERIES: You can check on the status of your submission at any time via your Submittable account. If, after 8 weeks, your submission is still marked as "in-progress," you may email [email protected] with QUERY in the subject line for an update on its status. (Submissions sent to this address will be deleted unread.) We are unable to provide personal feedback or critiques. We do not accept resubmissions of stories previously rejected by Flash Fiction Online, unless requested by the Editor. We will NOT consider stories that promote or affirm hatred, prejudice, or violence toward any group of people based on age, race, nationality, religion, sex, gender, political affiliation, disability, neurodiversity, or other social identity....

Submission Window: November 1st-2nd, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word for original, 2 cents for reprints, For artwork: $10 for the non-exclusive right to use each image, for as long as the site is online.  If we publish a print collection we will pay a pro-rata share for each image used. Theme: Well written original work in science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form, and from around the world. Note: Reprints welcome     Submissions Schedule We have a new submissions schedule as of June 1, 2020: The first and second day of every month, 12 am of the 1st to 12 am of the 3rd, E.S.T. Only one submission per person. For reading impaired individuals, our submissions manager and ‘forget password’ have a captcha compatible with screen readers. We pay 8¢ per word for new fiction, 2¢ per word for fiction reprints, 2 – 6¢ per word for new fact-based work, 1- 4¢ per word for reprinted fact articles. For new poetry, we pay $1 a line, reprints would be 50¢ a line, up to 40 lines. We’ll look at longer poems but that would be a hard sell, and words over 40 lines would be paid at 6¢ per word. We began The Kepler Award to recognize and encourage writers of excellent science fiction and fantasy stories that creatively extrapolate on known science in constructive and exciting ways. You can learn about The Kepler Award here. You can read a copy of our standard contract here.   It can be varied as needed to include the rights of translators, voice actors, etc. Writers Guidelines We accept new work as well as reprints, prose and poetry, anywhere from 1000 word flash fiction on up, but all else being equal, shorter pieces...

Deadline: November 27th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Tales of lost civilisations Note: Reprints Welcome Lost Atlantis Short Stories We’re looking for tales of lost civilisations, perfect societies that withdraw from the world, from the plains of Saharan Africa, to the India of the Indus, from subterranean coastlines to narrow mountain ravines, hidden by vistas of cloud, but enchanting the minds of those yearning for something better, something beyond. They can be utopias in the style of Samuel Butler, or Charlotte Perkins Gilman, or walled cities in the deserts of Robert E. Howard. Stories of Atlantis began with Plato but the idea of a perfect society, lost to the world, has haunted the speculative mind for over 2000 years. Atlantean tales of Francis Bacon led to the Utopian tales of Thomas More, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and William Morris, and in modern times, TV series and short stories galore. Submissions to: [email protected] Terms: Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails. Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology. For accepted stories we pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline. Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although some may be paid earlier than that. Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel. Let us know in your submission email whether your story would be a reprint or is currently...

Deadline: November 27th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Explorations of spirits, ghosts and ghouls, from every corner of the world. Note: Reprints Welcome We’re looking for explorations of spirits, ghosts and ghouls, from every corner of the world. The spirits of the mountainside, the ghouls of the deserts, the abandoned ghosts of pirate ships, the spirits who linger to protect, the apparitions who thirst for revenge, and the ghouls who simply lust for the taste of flesh. From cemeteries and abandoned mansions, battered tenement buildings and ice-cold chambers to the desert wastelands of Arabia, this new collection gathers stories from open submissions and surrounds them with the ghastly emanations of H.P. Lovecraft, M.R. James, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Amelia Edwards and the frightful tales of Le Fanu, Charlotte Riddell and Elizabeth Gaskell. Submissions to: [email protected] Terms: Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails. Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology. For accepted stories we pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline. Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although some may be paid earlier than that. Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel. Let us know in your submission email whether your story would be a reprint or is currently unpublished.   Important Notice about Submissions and Guidelines We're always looking for better ways of working so we've...

Deadline: November 28, 2022 Payment: $50 Theme: Endings & Epilogues We are currently accepting submissions for the 2023 Level 1 Anthology. All writers of independent RPGs are invited to submit their work for consideration to be included in Level 1. Suggested submission length is 500-1500 words. However games of any length will be considered for inclusion. Each designer(s) may submit as many games as they want, though only one game per designer(s) will be selected for inclusion in the anthology. If chosen, contributors are compensated with a stipend of $50. Submit to the 2023 Level 1 Anthology for Free RPG Day Submissions are open from June 25, 2022 until November 28, 2022. Your work will be considered for inclusion in the print 2023 Level 1 Anthology, published on Free RPG Day—June 25th, 2023. This year's theme is Endings & Epilogues. We are interested in stories from diverse cultural backgrounds as well as interesting play experiences. Exactly how you interpret the theme is entirely up to you. You will need to sign and upload the 9th Level Designer Submission Form. Please click here to download the PDF: https://tinyurl.com/2p9d5w8m Please submit separately for each game. Selected designers will be notified after January 1, 2023. Each store participating in Free RPG Day will receive an order that includes 12 copies of LEVEL 1, enough so that each retail outlet hosting an event has plenty of copies available for interested attendees. In addition, each store will receive an independent "How to Order" form which details product listings for all of the Designers and Advertisers included in LEVEL 1—ensuring that interested retailers and consumers can get more of your work! Via: Level 1.

Submission Window: October 1st to November 30th, 2022 Payment: Royalties (50% of net profits) Theme: All forms of speculative fiction and more! If you would like to submit to us, please follow the submission guidelines below carefully. Submissions that do not contain adequate information or that are received outside of our submissions window will not be reviewed.  We're looking for Escapism Fiction... Our goal is to provide readers with the ability to escape the mundane through wildly creative fiction. We're looking for books that act as gateways to other worlds, times, or versions of reality. We prefer strong story telling, engaging openings, and compelling character development as well as imaginative settings, vivid world building, and interesting themes. If your manuscript transports a reader somewhere else, tells an engaging story and then brings them back feeling like they have experienced something unique, then we want to publish your book!​ As for genres, we're looking primarily for...  We don't like to limit ourselves, so if you have something you think would fit with our current list of published works, please send it.  We'd rather take a chance outside our comfort zones than miss something great. Speculative Fiction Fantasy Science-Fiction Romance LGBT-themed Adventure Paranormal/Occult Comedy Historical Portal Fiction A blend of any two or more of the above genres Cross-genre, mixed genre, or things that don't fit genre norms Adult, New Adult, Young Adult, Middle Grade, or Children's (please specify your target market in your query letter)  As for types of manuscripts, we consider primarily:   Novels (125,000 words maximum) Novellas (25,000 words minimum) Graphic Novels or illustrated mixed media (art included) That being said, here's a list of things we're NOT interested in: Non-fiction Memoirs or autobiographies Literary fiction Self-help or inspirational fiction Hard Sci-Fi or Military Sci-Fi Horror / Thriller /...

Submission Window: November 15th - 30th, 2022 Payment: $0.05 per word and $50 per poem. Theme: Dread Apparition Lit is a speculative fiction magazine that publishes themed issues four times a year. We publish poems and stories between 1k-5k words in January, April, July, and October. We also hold monthly flash fiction contests between the 1st and 15th of each month. Flash stories must be under a 1000 words and be inspired or based on the chosen theme. Full details for submission guidelines are below. Payment Apparition is a semi-pro rate magazine, paying $0.05 per word, minimum of $50.00 dollars for short stories and a flat fee of $50 per poem. If we accept your story, we are purchasing the right to publish the story online and in the quarterly edition. Rights will revert back to the artist after one year. Equity Initiative As Apparition Lit works to create a more equitable publishing community, we recognize that our open submission period is concurrent with some other really great literary magazines where marginalized writers also like to submit. Voices should be heard and we want to help increase that opportunity. Our submission window will remain open for an additional week each quarter for writers who identify as BIPOC and self-identify in their cover letter.  We will also accept simultaneous submissions from writers who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+. Please just note how you identify in your cover letter, that it is a simultaneous submission, and see further details in the menu below on how to submit for each category. Past Contributors Once you are published by Apparition Lit, you join our tiny but mighty family. We love our alumni and will always do what we can to support their publishing career. We want to continually discover and champion new voices and different point-of-views. If we have published your work...