Events

Deadline: October 31st 2012 Payment: The first prize includes one round of professional editing of a novella or novel-length work. Bloody Parchment will publish an anthology of the top 13 finalists, to be released in anticipation of the 2013 SA HORRORFEST. Speaking of entries, I'm happy to announce that submissions for this year's competition are once again open. Details below. Feel free to mail me at [email protected] if you have any queries. Other than that, please follow the below submission guidelines. Closing date for this year's entries is October 31, 2012. The first prize includes one round of professional editing of a novella or novel-length work. Bloody Parchment will publish an anthology of the top 13 finalists, to be released in anticipation of the 2013 SA HORRORFEST. Submission guidelines: Email your entries to [email protected] as attached .rtf or .doc files and place : “Submission: Bloody Parchment 2012 – ” in the subject line. Standard manuscript format applies (Times New Roman, 12pt font; indented paragraphs; double spacing). Please include your contact details (full name, pen name, email address and telephone number if South African resident). This competition is open to South African and international entrants. Please be a darling and read our rules and regulations for the finer details. The competition is open until October 31, 2012. Winners will be notified by e-mail, and announced on the HORRORFEST websites: http://www.horrorfest.info/ http://www.shadowrealminc.com/ Submission guidelines: Impress us. We do not claim to know what makes the perfect story, but as we are the judges and we get to choose the winner, it's only fair that we give some idea what we are looking for. In short, we are going to give the prize to the story that impresses us most and irritates us least. We don't think we're particularly irritable but with a...

Deadline: Submissions open until November 1st, 2012 Payment: £10 per story + contributor paperback copy + profile on Anachron Press site. We are now accepting submissions for a new horror/weird anthology ‘Urban Occult’. This will explore the seedier side of towns and cities. The dark places that aren’t known to just everyone. Places that exist inside abandoned buildings, underground clubs, or perhaps Aunt Mavis’ 23rd floor apartment. We are looking for stories that deal with the human side to occult practices. What happens when it goes wrong? What happens when it goes right? What eldritch beings are called up, and for what nefarious purpose? What takes a seemingly ordinary, well-adjusted character into the realms of the occult? Stories that grab us could show us a different side to the occult, how it affects society or families, or how others perceive those involved. We aren’t necessarily looking for gore-based horror, but a deeper, more psychological, unsettling ‘weird’. Inevitably when we describe these things you can look at H.P Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith or Brian Lumley for inspiration. But also look at writers like Dennis Wheatley, or even famed occultists such as Aleister Crowley and Anton Szandor LeVay. You could explore the dark rumours surrounding Rasputin and Dr John Dee. There’s a lot of unanswered and unasked questions surrounding these kinds of people that would be ripe to explore. For film inspiration you’ve got such movies as: The Ninth Gate, The Exorcist, Angel Heart, The Serpent and The Rainbow etc. The only main stipulation is that the story must be set in the modern era and an urban setting. Perhaps use your local town as inspiration. What is weird, or unexplained in your local area? Do you have odd buildings that have a bizarre history, or a notorious family/business/individual? Hook your weird...

Deadline: November 1st 2012 Payment: $15.00, plus a contributor’s copy I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be the editor of the anthology, ZIPPERED FLESH 2: More Tales of Body Enhancements Gone Bad, now open for submissions until Nov.1, 2012 (or until full). Publication is tentatively scheduled for early 2013. The book will be published by Smart Rhino Publications. Distribution will be through Amazon, the Smart Rhino Web site (smartrhino.com), and other outlets. The book will also be available for Kindle. Copies will be made available to reviewers as well. What I’m Looking For: ZIPPERED FLESH 2: More Tales of Body Enhancements Gone Bad seeks dark or supernatural stories in which body enhancements play pivotal roles in the plots. Don’t just toss a body enhancement into the story; the enhancement must be a critical element in the plot. Stories do not necessarily have to be straight horror (chilling stories are preferred, however), but they must have a supernatural or speculative element that fits the theme of the anthology. My definition of “body enhancement” is broad—not just the body art and body piercings that immediately come to mind. Anything that enhances the body is fair game: artificial limbs, bionic eyes, cochlear implants, pacemakers, dentures, breast implants, you name it. Even futuristic body enhancements can provide a story line. Please read the first ZIPPERED FLESH anthology to see which body enhancements have already been covered. I'm not likely to accept another story about tattoos, hair transplants, hearing aids, or any of the other topics tackled in the first book. Stretch your imaginations, folks. Surprise me! The more unusual and creepy, the better. What I’m NOT Looking For: While this is an R-rated anthology, please no stories involving graphic rape, child molestation, or animal torture. No gratuitous sex—if you include sexual content, make sure...

Deadline: November 15th 2012 Payment: None Listed, Most likely exposure only Send your dark, speculative, horrific or paranormal short stories (2-8k) for possible inclusion into Dark Light 2 - the follow-up to the CHBB bestselling anthology Dark Light. Mix genres, bend reality and freak me out! Send subs to [email protected] with Dark Light in the subject line. 12 pt Times New Roman or Courier, first line indent .5 (no tab), 1.5 spacing. No headers, footers, or cover page please. You can include a short bio along with any links. Deadline November 15th.

Deadline: November 30th 2012 Payment: All contributors are will be paid £3.00 for every 150 copies of their respective anthology sold. This payment is cumulative, meaning that, if a given anthology sells 300 copies, each contributor will receive £6.00, if it sells 450 copies, each contributor will receive £9.00 and so on. This applies to all sales of the anthology, in every format. Royalties will be payable for the first two years of the book’s existence. Cruentus Libri Press is pleased to announce its forthcoming anthology, now open for submission. War Is Hell is an anthology of horror tales, set to the dark and terrible backdrop of war. WHAT WE WANT We are looking for stories set in or around a warzone. The specific war in question is of no great importance – whether it be spirits of the Spartan dead in the Pelopponesian War or ancient Sumerian spirits making their presence known in the Second Gulf War it makes no odds. All we ask is that you make your tale as historically accurate as possible. WHAT WE DON’T WANT This is a horror anthology intended for an adult audience. Whilst we have no qualms about including sex, violence and swearing in the stories, don’t make it gratuitous – ask yourself whether the scene in question adds to the story or if it is simply there to shock. THE RULES First, check out our Writer’s Guidelines and, specifically, that part pertaining to Anthology Submissions. They should tell you all you need to know about sending us your work. Word Count: 2500-7500 words. Reading Period: 01 September 2012 to 30 November 2012. Reprints: Yes Multiple Submissions: No. Simultaneous Submissions: We understand that writers want to find a home for their work and, as such, we have no problem with sending your...

Deadline: 11/30/12 Payment: Five cents per word and one contributor copy Anthology Submission Guidelines: This anthology will focus on fictional tales based on known myths and legends within the state of Ohio. We're looking for well-written atmospheric horror or dark fiction. The state is rich in history, and rumors of haunted houses, cemeteries and bridges abound. Authors need not be from Ohio but should have ties to the state. Submissions should refrain from excessive violence or language. No reprints or simultaneous submissions, please. Payment - Five cents per word and one contributor copy Story length - Up to 2,500 words Deadline - 11/30/12 Manuscript format - Double-space, use 12 point Times New Roman font. Format using bold, italics, etc.; just as you intend it to be seen. / Submissions should be sent as standard word document attachments, not embedded. If you have previous writing credits, tell us about them in the body of the email. Send submissions to the attention of the editor / S. Clayton Rhodes at [email protected] Please do not query about submissions until after 4/30/13.

Deadline: December 1st, 2012 Payment: Anthology Royalties Iron Cauldron Books is now seeking short horror stories for a forthcoming anthology titled La Machine de Mort. Selected manuscripts will be combined as a single volume to be published as both a trade paperback and an e-book for March, 2013 release. Included authors earn standard anthology royalties. There is NO entry fee. Submissions must: - Measure between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length. - Be all new material (previously published short stories will not be considered.) - Fall into the horror genre (anything from Gothic to slasher.) - Include a setting, characters, or other elements that clearly portray the work as steampunk. To enter your story, please visit our submissions management page powered by Submishmash.

Deadline: December 1, 2012 Payment: Exposure Only Note: Female authors only Women in Horror Recognition Month (WiHM) assists underrepresented female genre artists in gaining opportunities, exposure, and education through altruistic events, printed material, articles, interviews, and online support. WiHM is a service provided by the Viscera Organization, a 501(c)3 non profit organization expanding opportunities for contemporary female genre filmmakers and artists by raising awareness about the changing roles for women in the film industry. This February, La Petite Morgue will present an evening of Horror Monologues, written by female playwrights, to be performed by female actors. We are currently accepting submissions, which can be excerpts from existing works, or separate horror works written specifically for this event. Send your monologues to: [email protected] - before December 1, 2012. We are particularly interested in monologues that are active (rather than passive story-telling narratives). And while women being terrorized can make for fascinating monologues, we are far more interested in women who stand up to their tormentors - or who are doing the terrorizing themselves. At this time, there is no firm length requirement, but we would prefer pieces that are no more than 3,000 words. If there are any men reading this, we are still interested in reading your work, so please submit it - we'll be happy to consider it for our monthly Fresh Blood reading series, or for future events. Feel free to read our general submission guidelines for more information.

Deadline: December 1st 2012 Payment: contributor’s copy of the eBook and a proportional percentage of the royalties Music is one of the fundamental experiences of the human condition. Music has the power to calm or excite, to evoke the full spectrum of emotions as few other tools can. A few simple lyrics backed by an earnest melody can tell an epic tale of tragedy or triumph. That is, in part, where the idea for Song Stories came from. For some of us, music is not just part of life, music IS life. It permeates our waking thoughts and our dreams and often appears in our stories. What songs remind you of your childhood? of high school or college? Your first love and your first broken heart. Now take those memories and wrap them in your imagination. Give us your gripping horror, your mind blowing fantasy and your farsighted science fiction and transform those songs into something new. Call for Submissions Song Story Press is soliciting short story submissions for “Song Stories” An anthology of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror rooted in music. Submissions will be accepted until December 1, 2012 or until the anthology is filled. What We Want: We are looking for fresh perspectives on favorite songs. The story should have the following qualities Non-negotiable The story must be your own work. Reprints are fine, provided you hold publishing rights Multiple submissions are acceptable. Please do not submit more than 10k words at a time No stories which are freely available online. The plot should have a strong correlation to the lyrics of the song. The writer can and should take creative liberties, but the reader should have a clear indication of the base song. Include the song in your cover letter. Not required but strongly advised The story...

Deadline: December 15th 2012 Payment: Free ebook release - Exposure Only Hello, our first planned anthology revolves around the theme of unlikely friends, with the genre touching on horror/suspense/supernatural. That is all. I really don’t want to restricting your interpretation by suggesting what this could be. The crazier the better. It will be a free download, so what you get out of this is exposure and hopefully a new radical story to add to your portfolio. What do we get out of this? Discovering the talent that people have. Seriously, as much as we love reading books from the shops, there are so many people that have a story waiting to be written and we both love reading. It would just be nice to see someone else’s style for a change. Do you think you have what it take? So in terms of free download, we’ll be looking into where we could send this for people to download. Amazon kindle, google play etc. Maybe even as a pdf on here. So I suppose we should have some rules: Word count can be between 500 – 3000 words. Though we won’t be too strict on this, as long as your story justifies it’s length. Stick to the theme Please read over your work for spelling/grammar. Again for this one we won’t be too harsh as long as we can still easily make sense of it, when there is a great story to be told we can turn a blind eye to it, although we will have to correct mistakes before publishing. All work must be your own, it is your responsibility to make sure you have permission to send us your work if it has previously been published. You will hold all rights still, and you have permission to send it...