Events

Deadline: November 14th, 2023 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Unthemed horror anthology A New Collection of Horror Stories We are very excited to open submissions for this new anthology, edited by Mark Morris ("...one of the finest horror writers at work today" – Clive Barker)! Elemental Forces is the fifth book in Mark Morris’s ABC of Horror, and follows Darkness Beckons, which is out now! Mark has once again approached an impressive range of authors but we've reserved space for four new stories from the online submissions. This is a prestigious anthology and will be published worldwide in hardcover and paperback. The first book in the series, After Sundown, was nominated for both Shirley Jackson and British Fantasy awards, so we’re looking forward to finding more unthemed horror stories for this fifth collection. Fees, Copyright and Other Terms: We pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence for each word for new stories. We will not accept reprints for consideration for this anthology. We would prefer to pay for the selected stories via PAYPAL because bank charges to the US and Canada, in particular, can be very high for all concerned. 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. Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double-spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline. The anthology will be published worldwide, available online and to bookstores worldwide, in print and ebook formats....

Deadline: November 15th, 2023 (Extended) Payment: Royalties Theme: An alternate history of Antarctica Antarctica. The White Continent. The last continent reached by humans. The unexplored frontier of alternate history.   Following on from the Alternate Australias anthology, this is a call for alternate history short stories in an Antarctica-themed anthology, Alternate Antarcticas (working title). This anthology will be edited by Jared Kavanagh, who also edited Alternate Australias.   Stories should be set in, or very strongly connected to, Antarctica. The neighbouring sub-antarctic islands and polar seas also count as part of Antarctica for these purposes. Stories need to include a meaningful alternate history element—that is, they must be set in a history different to our own and that difference should be relevant to the story.   The other general guidelines are:   Seeking around 10-12 stories with a target length of 60,000 words (+/- 5000 words) Optimum length for stories is in the 3000-7000 word range. Stories shorter or longer than that may still be considered but most chosen stories will be within that range. Any author may submit up to two (2) stories. Reprints will be considered if they fit the theme, but seeking the majority to be original stories. Overtly supernatural stories are not excluded, but will be a hard sell. Ambiguously supernatural stories (eg a ghost story where it’s not clear whether the ghost is real or part of a character’s imagination) will be an easier sell. Querying beforehand is encouraged, though not mandatory. If you are planning to use one of the possible story prompts below, querying first would be strongly recommended since only one story based on each prompt will be accepted, so it may be helpful to know which prompts are already being used. Submissions close on 31 July 2023, unless a prior extension...

Submission Window: October 1-November 15. Payment: Royalties Theme: Cold. That can mean anything you want but it must revolve around the theme of COLD. This is a horror anthology so I should be feeling a sense of dread; some sex is fine so long as it is not the main focus of the story. Abuse, if handled respectfully, is fine. Gore is fine so long as it’s not gore for gore’s sake (there are plans for a future publication along those lines). Many people don’t like to read about killing children, so avoid it whenever possible. If reading the story makes me sick rather than jumping at shadows, expect the story to be rejected (again, that’s for a different book). M Presents is looking for submissions for its next anthology book, The Dread of Winter, expected to be released in January 2024. The book will be published through Amazon and OneBookShelf. Payments are equal to each author’s percentage of the book (if you write 10% of the book, you get 10% of the net earnings of the book) and are for the life of the book. Authors retain publishing rights to their work (meaning that you can do with it what you will after the book is released) but M Presents seeks first publication rights for each story. You can submit your work to other publishers at the same time, but if another publisher accepts your work I need to know ASAP. Publication: 13 stories will be published in the month of January. Submissions should be between 3,000 and 7,000 words, new and established authors are welcome; nobody gets preferential treatment. Theme: Cold. That can mean anything you want but it must revolve around the theme of COLD. This is a horror anthology so I should be feeling a sense...

Deadline: November 15th, 2023 Payment: 1.5 cents per word Theme: Stories that 'rebel' and also use two somehow. Two points of view, two locations, etc etc. Note: Apologies for the late posting, this went live last month but we only ran across it today. The theme for our second anthology is “Two For the Show”. Two times the trouble. Two times the love. Two locations. Dual POVs. Dual time lines. We’re expecting things to get a little complicated this year, but we still want stories that excite us. Our goal is to introduce our readers to stories that could be mind bending, but also clear and easy to read. A short, sweet and simple story is good too! What we’re looking for: All fiction genres English language stories Stories that REBEL in some way Authentic artists who want to be paid for their work but aren’t in it for the money (We ARE paying, btw) Super Short Stories (1,500 or less) Short Stories (1,500 – 10k) What we’re not looking for: Previously published work, though we may make some exceptions. Please email our EIC to discuss details – Tiffany at RebellionLIT.com AI generated content. Non-Fiction. We’re not ready for that yet. Fully erotic stories. Heavy petting is cool, but not too many details… Poetry. We’re planning a full anthology for that. One moment, please! Anything that can get you or us arrested. Anything that is legal but will ruin our reputation. We’re only accepting submissions from authors with mailing addresses in the United States at this time. No international submissions. Payment The publisher will contract for publishing rights. First rights are not required but preferred (contact our EIC for details about previously published work). Authors will receive no royalties for book sales but will receive a semi-pro rate (details here) for the contracting of your work...

Deadline: November 15th, 2023 Payment: $15.00 for short stories, $5.00 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces., $5.00 for reprints Theme: SF/Fantasy stories with strong / complex female characters Note: Apologies for the short deadline, just found this market, we'll be more on top of their open windows in the future 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)...

Deadline: January 31st, 2023 Payment: $50/poet and $100/essay or prose Theme: Stories inspired by Taylor Swift or her music. Note: As we list all forms of speculative fiction, this is something you could lean into for say fantasy or scifi but maybe not quite horror Mirrorball: How Taylor Swift Reflects the Loss, Hope & Love of Millions Around the World Mirrorball: How Taylor Swift Reflects the Loss, Hope & Love of Millions Around the World is an anthology of writings from around the world inspired by Taylor Swift, her music and her call to fans globally to cry and laugh and dance and mourn and grow together. More than anything, the anthology mirrors the joy that has come from sharing our lives with one another the way Taylor’s lyrics of love and loss, of betrayal and of chosen family, have made all the Swifties around the globe feel less alone. We are calling for contributions from all nations, all genders, all ages and all levels of fandom. Whether you have published a dozen books or you are in school dreaming of your first publication, whether you spent hours making outfits to attend the Eras Tour or you were just your children’s driver, whether you danced alongside tens of thousands or cried alone with your headphones on—send us your work. We especially encourage submissions from writers who have been historically underrepresented in literary publishing. Guidelines: We welcome submissions now through January 31, 2024. Please submit 1-3 poems or prose up to 3500 words. Submissions may be in any style and format. Please upload your entire submission as one MS Word file. Be sure to include your name and contact information on the first page. Contributor pay is $50/poet and $100/essay or prose (one acceptance and one pay per contributor). Mirrorball: How Taylor...

Deadline: November 30th, 2023 Payment: Royalties or $20 Theme: Murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, and humorous Submission Period: September 1, 2023 to November 31, 2023 Theme: Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors – we’re searching for the murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, and humorous. This is our Mystery anthology and if you think it comes close to the genre, give us a shot. There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. However, we’ll be seriously impressed if you can work within Sci-Fi or Fantasy, but they won’t be the bulk of the accepted submissions. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story may rise to the top. Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. Submission Period: September 1, 2023 to November 31, 2023 Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions; Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: 2,000 to 8,000 words Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used. Genres: Mystery with accepted sub-genres of Fantasy, Sci-Fi as well Anticipated Pay: Option: Royalty share of D2D sales, or $20.00 If D2D royalty share selected, then each story will receive a share, as will the publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals, wholesale to authors, or retail outlets. Timeline Projections: Submissions close: November 2023 Review: December 2023 Acceptance / Rejection: January 2024 Edits: February 2024 Production: March 2024 Published: April 2024 Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of...

Deadline: November 30th, 2023 Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints. Theme: Stories that include ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores. Note: NO Zombies, ghouls, vampires, or werewolves. Note: Reprints Welcome Submissions are accepted Feb 1 – Mar 31, Jun 1 – Jul 31, Oct 1 – Nov 30. Anything submitted outside those periods will be deleted unread. We no longer accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. ​ No matter how far we move forward as humans, we are still bound by the instincts and ancestral memories of our animalistic past. None of these are so strong as the fight or flight response. However, there are times when we seem to be perfectly safe, completely at ease and comfortable, when that urge to run from something sneaks up on us. What causes these sensations? Is there something lurking in the darkness? Why is that man giving you the creeps, he’s not even looking at you? And yet, there is something odd. Something instinctual, something you know without fully understanding. We may have moved on, we may have forgotten and left behind those old stories and legends of beasts, voracious monsters, and dark spirits... But they have not forgotten or left us... What We Want The subject matter of parABnormal Magazine is, yes, the paranormal. For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores. PLEASE NOTE: CREATURES LIKE VAMPIRES, GHOULS, WEREWOLVES, AND ZOMBIES ARE NOT PARANORMAL. Shapeshifters, for the purpose of this magazine, refer to the spiritual shift, not the physical. Think Native American shaman. Paranormal activity centers around the human, not the creature. We do not want stories that involve excessive blood, gore, digestive tracts, and so forth. We...

Submission Window: November 15th - 30th, 2023 Payment: $0.05 per word for fiction, $50 per poem Theme: Blight 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 1000 words and be inspired or based on the chosen theme. Read our submission guidelines and submit your work through our Moksha portal. 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....

Deadline: November 30th, 2023 Payment: Royalties - 50% of net profits Theme: Escapism Fiction We accept submissions between October 1st and November 30th each year. See the information below to prepare for our upcoming submission season. 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!​ Our Wish List Fantasy Science-Fiction Romance LGBTQ themes and diverse stories Adventure Paranormal/Occult Comedy Historical Portal Fiction Speculative Fiction A blend of any two or more of the above Cross-genre, mixed genre, or things that don't fit genre norms Note: 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. Please make sure your manuscript is the right fit for us We Consider... Adult, New Adult, Young Adult, Middle Grade, or Children's (please specify your target market in your query letter) Novels (125,000 words maximum) Novellas (25,000 words minimum) Graphic novels, children's books, or illustrated mixed media (art included) Things we are NOT looking for... Non-fiction Memoirs or autobiographies Literary fiction Self-help or inspirational fiction Hard Sci-Fi or Military Sci-Fi Horror / Thriller / Suspense / True crime / Mystery (elements of these are okay) Christian or other religious fiction Contemporary fiction / Contemporary romance Poetry or short stories (on their own or in collections) Translated works previously...