Events

Submission Window: February 3-4, 2024 for all writers, and February 2-4 for writers who identify with one of the following groups: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled. Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: Brilliant but unloved and rejected horror stories Xanax Hamster knows you have a horror flash fiction trunk story that is your beloved, misunderstood baby, but it hasn’t found a home yet. Xanax Hamster wants to be that home. For one weekend in February, send us your brilliant but unloved and rejected horror stories, maximum 1500 words, for possible inclusion in a biannual (that means twice a year) zine, to be published in June and December (see?). We have room for 4-5 stories in each issue, depending on their word count. Each issue will feature at least one story that’s the first pro-rate sale for an author. Stories are not required to have anything to do with xanax or hamsters, and mentioning xanax or hamsters in your story will have no impact on whether we accept or reject your story. Edited by Ende Mac and Michael W. Phillips Jr. Issue 1 cover art by Bonnie Hockin. Issue 2 cover art by Jacky Kelsey. General Info Subs are open February 3-4, 2024 for all writers, and February 2-4 for writers who identify with one of the following groups: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled. This is a stupid short submission window, but we have to go with what we think we can handle. We will select stories for both 2024 issues of the zine from this one submission period. Stories should be 1500 words or less. Preference will be given to shorter stories. We want trunk stories—stories that have been rejected a bunch of times. We won’t ask for receipts, but if you lie to us—well, just don’t, OK? Pay is 5 cents a word (US$). Payment is via PayPal, but we...

Deadline: February 4th, 2024 Payment: 3 (Euro) cents per word for original fiction and 1 (Euro) cent per word for translations of fiction into English. Theme: Hard SF that zooms out of the personal and lifts off into the structural, the systemic, the epic. There are plenty of amazing print and online journals out there for ‘character-driven’ fiction, and we encourage you to read them. Sci Phi Journal (SPJ) is not one of them, though. Hence, we are not too keen on stories predominantly about the sentiments and subjective experiences of fictional people. We want hard SF that zooms out of the personal and lifts off into the structural, the systemic, the epic. We yearn for carefully crafted philosophical speculation that puzzles over the questions of the future and alternate pasts. And we have a soft spot for stories created as ‘artifacts’ (fictional, ‘in-universe’ non-fiction). So here are SPJ‘s quests: – Campbellian hard SF. Reaching back to the roots of classic sci-fi, these rigorous tales take themselves seriously and push the boundaries of our scientific imagination, scaling from the nano to the meta. The cast, if any, is functional and disposable. It’s the sociological, technological and indeed cosmic developments that sweep the reader up in an expanding sense of wonder. (For a contemporary long-form example that received mainstream attention, see the latter two books of Cixin Liu’s Three-Body Problem trilogy.) – Fictional non-fiction. The purest, most intimate form of world-building. A transcript of the last UN Security Council meeting before an extinction-level event. The dental bills of a cybernetic vampire. Interviews with eyewitnesses of a battle between Martians and archangels. (Epistolary fiction falls within this category, though we encourage you to interpret it more broadly, across the full spectrum of artifact fiction.) Think ‘World War Z’, not ‘Walking Dead’. – Speculative philosophy. Extrapolating abstract ideas to examine the implications if they were to manifest....

Submission Window: January 1st, 2024 - February 29th, 2024 Payment: $25 and a contributor's copy Theme: Stories on that dark, half-lit space where crime and horror simultaneously reside. We are excited to announce At the Edge of Darkness, the sixth edition of our original Shotgun Honey Presents anthology series. At the Edge of Darkness will release October 1st, 2024 right in time for the Halloween Season, featuring stories on that dark, half-lit space where crime and horror simultaneously reside. That’s right, we’re dipping our toe into the dark pool of horror and we’re not doing it alone. Our guest editor, who will be knee deep in the quagmire of submissions, is none other than Keith Rosson, author of Fever House and the Shirley Jackson Award winner for Best Short Story Collection, Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons. Joining him will be series editor, Ron Earl Phillips. As with the recent Thicker Than Water anthology released last August, At the Edge of Darkness will be a charity anthology. As guest editor, Keith Rosson has chosen to support a Portland nonprofit assisting children entering the foster care system with vital goods and necessities. All profits for this edition will go to benefit this cause. Now, you know the title, the theme, the release date, the editors, the cause, what else would you want to know? Oh, yeah… when and where to submit. Now that we’re fresh off the Halloween Season, many of you getting over your Halloween hangovers, we hope you’ve retained some of that dark spirit and will spend the next two months writing an original horror/crime mashup that is between 1000 to 5000 words. Our open submission for At the Edge of Darkness will open on January 1st and close on February 29th. We will open a special submission page prior to the window. TL;DR Title: At the Edge of Darkness Theme: Crime and Horror...

  Deadline: February 10th, 2024 Payment: $3 Theme: The Curiosities That Bind Us Note: Your work should represent LGBTQ+ fantasy and sci-fi Thank you for your interest in submitting work to our gay fantasy arts & literary journal! ​ No entry fee is required, and all rights in the story remain the property of the author or artist. All types of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and dark fantasy are welcome. ​ We accept submissions on a rolling basis for our quarterly issues. For our spring publication, please submit your works by February 10th, 2024. The theme for our spring issue will be: The Curiosities That Bind Us. ​ Before submitting to us please keep in mind that we are devoted to LGBTQ+ fantasy and sci-fi. Your work should strongly reflect that. We are interested in work that elevates dreams and fairy tales in the gay community and its supporters. We're looking for original works of magic and fantasy. Even in darkness, hope can exist. We want to be transported to new worlds or fascinating new versions of our own! When considering submitting to us please ensure the work meets the above criteria. ​ All entries must be in English and original works. Plagiarism, which includes the use of third-party poetry, song lyrics, characters or another person’s universe, without written permission, will not be accepted. Submissions may not have been previously published in professional media or anywhere accessible online without a friend request or password. This includes personal blogs. ​ Fiction: We welcome fiction, 5,000 words or less. If you have a longer piece and your interested in publishing the work in separate issues, you can send those along as well. Submit as a Word document only. No PDFs. For flash fiction and shorter pieces, you can submit up to five stories - all...

Submission Window: February 1st - 11th, 2024 Payment: $0.08 per word USD for original fiction, $100 flat rate for reprints over 1,500 words, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints Theme: Speculative fiction cat stories Note: Reprints welcome Submit stories through our Moksha portal – but please read these guidelines first! CatsCast is looking for speculative cat stories! Specifically, we’re looking for speculative fiction stories about cats. “Cats” in this context are, well, cats — but since this is a speculative fiction podcast, they don’t have to be exactly the same species as the housecats we have here on Earth. The stories should have happy, or at least hopeful, endings for all featured cats. Fun, playfulness, and humor are strongly encouraged but not required. Links to stories we’ve published can be found at escapeartists.net/catscast. CatsCast has a public feed (free for anyone to read-listen) and a patron-only feed; in general, first-run stories tend to wind up on the public feed and reprints tend to wind up on the patron-only feed. Stories MUST NOT have graphic descriptions of cruelty to animals (brief references to acts that occur “off-camera” are okay). Romantic storylines are fine, but please, no graphic depictions of sex. We want our fun cat stories to be fun for everyone, so please avoid offensive stereotypes based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion, or body size. Feel free to dump on cat-haters, though. CatsCast is not a market for poetry. Please do not submit poetry. Submission Details: We’re open to both original stories and reprints, but please don’t submit a story that has appeared in any of the other Escape Artists podcasts (Escape Pod, PodCastle, PseudoPod, or Cast of Wonders). Please do feel free to submit stories that have been rejected by other Escape Artists podcasts. Story length: 6000 word maximum, no minimum....

Deadline: January 31st 2024 (or February 14th if BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled and Canadian citizens/permanent residents) Payment: 0.11 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $110.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under). $60.00 CAD per poem Theme: All forms of speculative fiction Augur Magazine is open to fiction and poetry submissions from everyone, everywhere from December 15th 2023 until January 31st 2024. From February 1st to February 14th 2024, Augur Magazine will be open only to submissions from creators who are BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled and Canadian citizens/permanent residents and/or those who are living within the settler-defined border of the land colonially known as Canada. Please note our submissions categories have changed! All Canadian citizens/permanent residents and/or those who are living within the settler-defined border of the land colonially known as Canada now have a dedicated submission category. We are tracking Canada-related information for granting purposes. Tales & Feathers Magazine is open to cozy fiction submissions from everyone, everywhere, from December 15th 2023 until January 31st 2024. From February 1st to February 14th 2024, Tales & Feathers Magazine will be open only to submissions from creators who are BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled from around the world. Translations are open for both Augur Magazine and Tales & Feathers Magazine from everyone, December 15th 2023 until February 14th 2024. Want to know if you’re a fit for future submissions periods? Snag a digital subscription or a single issue from our store! Want to know what'll happen once you submit? Check out our article! We are not currently accepting pandemic stories. We do not accept AI-generated submissions. The actual text of your piece must be ideated and written by a human. Any piece found to be AI-written will result in a breach of contract, should your piece be accepted. WHAT TO SEND AUGUR MAG (Although we always love surprises) Our perfect submission defies categorization—pieces that could be “too speculative” for...

Submission Window: January 15th - February 15th, 2024 Payment: $15.00 for short stories, $5.00 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces., $5.00 for reprints Theme: Science Fiction and Fantasy stories that feature strong / complex female characters Note: Reprints Welcome The Lorelei Signal is a quarterly SF/Fantasy electronic magazine - one that will feature strong / complex female characters. This does not mean your female character has to be the main hero or villain in the story. What it does mean is no shrinking violets, or women who serve only to get into trouble so the male hero can rescue them.Each issue I hope to publish:7 short stories, 1 flash fiction piece and 2 poemsthat meet the following guidelines:My primary guideline is simple:Write a good fantasy story with strong/complex characters.What I am NOT looking for - erotica / slash / or other such stories.Although well written love scenes that are IMPORTANT to the story will be considered on a story-by-story basis.1) Stories should be no longer than 10,000 words.However, tell the story - if it takes more than 10,000 words to tell the story properly so be it.Just try to cut it down if possible - but remember the story is the important part.2) Stories must feature 3 dimensional / complex characters.3) I will accept reprints as long as it has been at least 1 year since the story was previously published,rights have reverted back and you tell me where it previously appeared.These will be limited to 2 per issue.4) Please keep the graphic gore down to a minimum(only what's needed for the story).5) Please keep the obscene language to a bare minimum(again, only what's needed for the story).6) Simultaneous Submissions will be considered IF:a) You tell me up frontb) You inform me immediately if the story has been accepted elsewhereIf I...

Deadline: February 15th, 2024 Payment: $10 and a digital copy Theme: Microfiction in the form of tourist brochures, travel blogs, and travel guides to the strangest, darkest places you can imagine. Strange Locations: An Anthology of Dark Travel Guides We are looking for speculative microfiction in the form of tourist brochures, travel blogs, and travel guides to the strangest, darkest places you can imagine. Tell us a story while guiding the reader down hidden trails into eerie landscapes, weird biotech gardens, creepy scifi cities, surreal forests, or secret magical places. We’re looking for pieces that reveal intimate stories of loss, horror, or yearning in the voice of the fictional travel writer, or that use specific setting details to show whole new worlds between the lines. We love dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, eco-horror, clifi, Weird fiction, folk horror, and body horror. Don’t be afraid to mix genres and experiment! Please no simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. We will aim to have first responses back within 30 days of closing to submissions. Word count: Up to 250 words Payment: $10 and a digital copy Submissions open: Jan 15, 2024 Submissions close: At midnight US central time on Feb 15, 2024 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 1) Submit your work in Shunn Standard Manuscript Format (Modern or Classic) and attach as a DOC, DOCX, RTF, or ODT file format. 2) Maximum word length is a firm 250 words. Anything more will be auto-rejected. 3) Payment for original fiction is $10 and a digital copy. 4) Please include a brief bio in the body of the email; we ask that bios are kept short and sweet, considering the size of the piece being published. 5) If the work you are submitting is an English translation, please include the translator name and email address either in your...

Deadline: June 5th, 2024 Payment: $25 per story or royalty share Theme: Slasher horror stories Skywatcher Press launched the themed anthology series, UNLEASHED featuring top notch fiction by new and established authors.  ​ We seek stories across the wide possibilities of the horror landscape. Our goal is to terrify readers, make their skin crawl, and keep them on the edge of their seats.    Stories can be up to 10,000 words, and we will make exceptions for longer.  Once selected, pay will be $25 per story or royalty share. This is determined by volume and will be discussed with author in advance. We are eagerly awaiting your most twisted, nightmarish creations! 2024 FALL RELEASE!  Seeking themes around slasher horror stories. Submission DEADLINE is June 5, 2024 HOW TO SUBMITFor consideration, please send submissions in .doc format to [email protected] All submissions must be original works of fiction, and we are seeking First Print Rights. If you have any doubt about professional manuscript formatting, the link below is a handy dandy guide to manuscript formatting in general. Or follow our preferences listed on our submissions page. Thank you!  Via: Skywatcher Press.

Deadline: February 25th, 2024 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: Narratives of healing, reflection, and rebirth Submissions open until February 25th  Our forthcoming issue will be themed “Narratives of healing, reflection, and rebirth.” In essence, we are looking for pieces that explore how we experience change in the face of triumph over challenges and what it means to introspect. Whether through personal essays, poetry, short fiction, or analysis of another work, we look forward to delving into your pieces on the human condition. This theme is meant to be fluid to encompass any number of works and a wide variety of authorship; if you are unsure whether your piece fits, submit it anyway! Thank you for your continued support, and Happy New Year. All written submissions should be in Times New Roman or Cambria, size 12 font, black, and double-spaced (unless absolutely essential to the piece). Please also include a brief cover letter that includes your publication history (even if you have not been published before!), if English is your second language, and any information that may be relevant to your piece(s). While we do accept simultaneous submissions, please let us know through the contact form if any of your works are accepted by another journal. We accept previously unpublished pieces and reprints as long as you hold the copyright. (USE THE LINKS UNDER THE CATEGORY YOU WISH TO SUBMIT) SHORT FICTION up to 3 pieces may be submitted at a time with a 7,500 maximum word count per piece. https://heduanreview.moksha.io/publication/the-heduan-review/short-fiction/submit POETRY up to 5 pieces may be submitted at a time. https://heduanreview.moksha.io/publication/the-heduan-review/poetry/submit PROSE POEMS up to 3 pieces may be submitted at a time with a 7,500 maximum word count per piece. https://heduanreview.moksha.io/publication/the-heduan-review/prose-poetry/submit BOOK & FILM REVIEWS up to 5 pieces may be submitted at a time, anywhere from 300 to 1,000 words per...