Events

Submission Window: August 1st-2nd, 2024 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 The first and second day of every month, 12 am of the 1st to 12 am of the 3rd, E.S.T. 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 – 8¢ per word for new fact-based work, 1- 4¢ per word for reprinted fact articles. For new poetry, we pay $1 per line, and for reprints we pay 50¢ a line  We’re looking for poems up to 40 lines. We’ll consider longer poems but that would be a hard sell, and words over 40 lines would be paid at 8¢ per word. We sponsor 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 aboutThe 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, from a minimum of 1000 words on up.   All else being equal, shorter pieces will be favored, and we have yet to find a story over about 9-10,000 words we have even...

Submission Window: June 12th, 2024 to July 12th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Speculative short stories (science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, cosmic horror, etc.) that have been rejected from multiple markets. Calendar of Fools is seeking your rejected stories for the Intergalactic Rejects anthology. Sometimes you have a really good story that just hasn’t found a home among the markets and magazines. It doesn’t mean the story isn’t wonderful; it just didn’t fit their needs. Intergalactic Rejects contains 8 rejected stories by highly acclaimed authors, and has room for more. What we’re looking for Speculative short stories (science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, cosmic horror, etc.) that have been rejected from multiple markets. Length: Limit 5,000 words. Format: Standard Manuscript Format (double-spaced 12 pt. Courier or Times New Roman, no extra lines between paragraphs). Include your name and email on the first page of the story. Rejections: Your story must have been rejected at least 3 times. Multiple Submissions: We are not accepting multiple submissions. Simultaneous Submissions: We accept simultaneous submissions. Please let us know at [email protected] if your submission is accepted elsewhere. And congratulations! Reprints: We are not accepting reprints for Intergalactic Rejects. That would mean your story wasn’t a reject. Languages: We are only able to accept English-language submissions. Stories produced with AI: We do not ever accept stories where AI wrote or generated portions of the text. Submission Period: Submissions will be open from June 12th, 2024 until July 12th, 2024. If you haven’t heard from us in 3 months after the end of the submission window, please contact us at [email protected]. If your story is not accepted for this anthology, please keep writing and editing and molding your story. Every writer faces rejection, and your story will eventually find a home. To submit your story, please use our submission form. Acceptances, Payments, and Rights Rejections, acceptances, and other...

Deadline: July 12th, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Superheroes from 1955 In 1955 there was an unexplained cosmic event that granted some people extraordinary abilities. It was never repeated. Abilities were not passed down to their children. This means that in the not too distant future, the so called “Super Generation” will be nothing but a note in history books. These are their stories, their memoirs, and how they changed history. Opens: 5/12/24 Closes: 7/12/24 Contracts: 7/27/24 Publication: 8/23/24 Guidelines for all our anthologies: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Length and genre are negotiable, as long as the story fits the concept, and is entertaining. Any submission must be in Times New Roman, 12PT, double spaced, with your name, title of the story, and your email on it. Please name the file as -— Send in a .docx format. Please attach the file to your email, no links. Please see the submission guideline graphic on the Raconteur Press Facebook page. Raconteur Press will hold the rights for one year after publication, after one year the rights will revert to the author, but we continue to pay you as long as the anthology is selling. Authors receive an equal percentage share of the proceeds from the anthology, along with the Press, our editors, and administration. Yes, you read that right. We don’t take 80% off the top and split the 20% left over between all the authors. We’re all in this together. This is why our anthologies are limited to ten stories. IMPORTANT: PLEASE do NOT submit stories until the date the call opens. We don’t want to hang on to your piece for longer than necessary. You might find another market for it, or it decides to grow into a novel, or…..so go ahead and write it, but tuck it away, and...

Deadline: July 13th, 2024 Payment: 1 cent per word and a contributor copy Theme: Cozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. Dare we say, wholesome horror? Cozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. Dare we say, wholesome horror? Oxymoron? We don’t think so. One place you can start your exploration of this idea is an article from Nightmare Magazine penned by one of our co-founders. But perhaps the easiest way to understand what we mean is to read stories by some of the old masters we love: Ray Bradbury, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, Roald Dahl. Watch classic episodes of Thriller, The Twilight Zone, and Night Gallery. Read old horror comics. Listen to radio dramas like Suspense, Quiet, Please, and Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Consume enough vintage horror, and you’ll probably begin to get an idea of the type of thing that’s likely to appeal to us. In short, we’re looking to provide a space for a type of storytelling that has largely gone out of style – dark and scary, but playful and approachable with an emphasis on plot. For a concrete example of the kind of thing we’re likely to love, grab a copy of our first issue, ON SALE NOW! To clarify further, here’s a list of things we want and things we don’t, which may help you hit the sweet spot. THINGS WE LOVE: Stories with a moral core. It need not happen in every tale, but we like to see good prevail (or at least evil punished). Ironic justice, in which cleverly nasty things happen to bad people, as in old EC comics, makes us chuckle with ghoulish delight. Well-earned twist endings. There’s nothing we love more than a really good surprise or a clever way to subvert our expectations. Pull the rug out from under us and leave us gasping. High concept settings and situations reminiscent...

Submission Window: July 1st - 14th, 2024 Payment: Advance and Royalties Theme: Atmospheric and thought-provoking novellas that intertwine a fascination of the natural world with horror and dread, and those that explore how we, as individual humans, interconnect with our communities, other species, and whole ecosystems Violet Lichen Books seeks to work with authors who have a strong attachment to the themes, people, or places they’re writing about, and who sling their dark tales straight from the heart. We are especially interested in works by marginalized and under-represented authors. What We’re Looking For We are looking for atmospheric and thought-provoking novellas that intertwine a fascination of the natural world with horror and dread, and those that explore how we, as individual humans, interconnect with our communities, other species, and whole ecosystems. We love weird fiction that unsettles, expands perspectives, and plays with bending reality, traditions, or tropes. Response Please allow at least 12 weeks for a response. After this, feel welcome to query! What We’re Not Looking For   Slasher horror, shock horror, extreme horror. Classic monsters (Unless completely subverted in a new and weird way). High fantasy, sword and sorcery, superheroes space opera. YA or MG. Full-length novels. Short story collections. Reprints. Word Count Novellas of 20,000 to 40,000 words Payment Industry standard advance and royalties. No AI We are not interested in works written by AI in any form or at any stage. We work with human-made art only. Our Wishlist New Weird, Weird, folk horror, eco-horror, eco-science-fiction, surreal horror, body horror, literary SFFH. Via: Violet Lichen Books.

Deadline: July 15th, 2024 Payment: $20 per story or artwork Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease don't query us about your story submission. We don't have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it's not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don't accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up...

Submission Window: June 1st - July 15th, 2024 Payment: $50 for story, $25 for poem Theme: Speculative fiction including a black cat A black cat approaches, do you eagerly cross its path, or run in the opposite direction? From the superstitious to the unlucky, from a witch's familiar to a soul stealing grave robber, black cats have captured our imagination and remain solidly in the realm of the dark. Dazzle us with your best black cat story or poem. A black cat or a clowder of black cats must be featured predominantly in your story and not simply set decoration. Think outside of the box and show us something we haven't seen before. Submission Guidelines: Each author may submit 1 story and 1 poem, but must make two separate submission entries, one for each piece. Simultaneous submissions are allowed but we ask you withdraw upon acceptance elsewhere as soon as possible (email: [email protected]). All pieces will be screened through AI/Artificial Intelligence detection software and will be auto-rejected if AI is found. Double-check your work before submitting, any misspellings will make us grumpy and less likely to choose your piece. Genres: horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, erotica, weird westerns, cyberpunk, steampunk...we're open to all but prefer dark fiction. Word Count: 500 - 3,500 words for story, max 25 lines for poetry. These are firm guidelines, one word over or under and it's an auto-reject. Payment: $50 for story, $25 for poem via PayPal Reprints: We are only accepting original work for this anthology. No reprints please, that includes blogs, emails, websites, anthologies, podcasts, etc. Format: Submit your work in Shunn Standard Manuscript Format (Modern or Classic). Do not include your address. Please list your penname and email only. Your manuscript should be in DOC, DOCX, or PDF file format. Submission Window: Opens June 1st, Closes July 15, 2024 at midnight PST. All...

Deadline: July 15th, 2024 Payment: $20, and a hardcover copy of the anthology Theme: horror stories of all subgenres about souls wandering the earth after being separated from their bodies Word Count: 2,000-5,000 Call Open: June 1-July 15, 2024 Publication: One story included in each edition of our bi-weekly newsletter, July thru December 2024. In January, all stories will be published in a special hardcover anthology. Call: We’re looking for horror stories of all subgenres about souls wandering the earth after being separated from their bodies, but before arriving at their final destinations (though part of the story may take place pre-death or post-arrival). Undertaker Books is a royalty-paying, full-service publisher. This means we do not charge fees to the author at any time. We pay a royalty rate of 50% of distribution payouts. This can mean you will earn different rates for books sold through different outlets. Our contracts are for digital and print worldwide English rights. At this stage, we do not provide advance payments unless specified for anthology calls. SUBMISSIONS ARE TO BE SENT TO: [email protected] Modern Shunn Format is preferred. Please review this website if you are unsure how to proceed. Submit the first 20 pages of your manuscript as a single .doc(x) file attachment. If submitting for general consideration, please include a one page synopsis of the plot (including the ending) with working title, category or subgenre, and word count. In the body of your email, please include a cover letter containing: a short author bio,your legal name, pen name (if applicable), social media links, and website. WHAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT No AI-generated content. If an author’s work is discovered to be generated by AI, the work will be rejected (or unpublished). View our AI Use Policy. No depictions of sexual assault against children. No animal abuse. No reprints or previously published...

Deadline: July 15th, 2024 Payment: $10 Theme: horror stories of all subgenres about executions, public or private, ancient or modern (Charity Anthology benefiting Witness to Innocence) Word Count: 2,000-5,000 Call Open: June 1-July 15, 2024 Publication: September 2024 Call: We’re looking for horror stories of all subgenres about executions, public or private, ancient or modern. The execution does not have to be completed, nor does it have to be government sanctioned. An execution for our purposes is a willful decision to end a life as a consequence for the condemned’s actions. Undertaker Books is a royalty-paying, full-service publisher. This means we do not charge fees to the author at any time. We pay a royalty rate of 50% of distribution payouts. This can mean you will earn different rates for books sold through different outlets. Our contracts are for digital and print worldwide English rights. At this stage, we do not provide advance payments unless specified for anthology calls. SUBMISSIONS ARE TO BE SENT TO: [email protected] Modern Shunn Format is preferred. Please review this website if you are unsure how to proceed. Submit the first 20 pages of your manuscript as a single .doc(x) file attachment. If submitting for general consideration, please include a one page synopsis of the plot (including the ending) with working title, category or subgenre, and word count. In the body of your email, please include a cover letter containing: a short author bio,your legal name, pen name (if applicable), social media links, and website. WHAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT No AI-generated content. If an author’s work is discovered to be generated by AI, the work will be rejected (or unpublished). View our AI Use Policy. No depictions of sexual assault against children. No animal abuse. No reprints or previously published works. No unfinished stories or rough drafts. At Undertaker Books, we tend to...

Deadline: July 15th, 2024 Payment: $15 and a contributors copy Theme: Dark Humor WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR We're summoning the darkest, most devilishly witty scribes for our upcoming anthology of dark humor. Unleash your ink and submit your darkest chuckles. We're searching for tales that tickle the funny bone while sending shivers down the spine. Dare to delve into the abyss of laughter with us? Submit your morbidly hilarious masterpieces today! SUBMISSION INFO Submissions must be no longer than 2,500 words (Word counts are firm) Title, submitter's name, pen name (if different), story word count and author email address must be at the top of your submission. Submissions must be sent to [email protected] Please include TWISTED LAUGHS SUBMISSION in the subject of the email. AI cannot write submissions (Artificial Intelligence.) I will disqualify any author that submits work that is not written by them from submitting to Exploding Head Fiction in the future and all future anthologies. Submissions must be written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1" margins, double spaced. All scene breaks must be three asterisks, centered on the page, with no spaces in between (***) Submissions must be in .Docx or .Doc format. Submissions should be clean and edited to the best of the author's ability. Submissions must contain elements of horror and dark humor. Everything else is up to you. Submissions must not have been published elsewhere before in any form. Authors may submit as many stories as they want for review, however, there will be a limit of one published story per author. Please include in the email's body any content warnings (if you chose to use them). Simultaneous submissions are allowed; however, we ask that you inform us immediately if another publisher picks up your story. Twisted Laughs will be released October...