Events

Deadline: December 20th, 2013 Payment: $10 per story   Each monthly flash fiction call has a theme. We ask you to write an SFF story (SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, or related sub-genres) that fits the theme in some way. You’ll find a list of upcoming themes below. Please only submit a story for a particular theme during that theme’s submission period. Stories submitted during the wrong submission period will be deleted unread. Though this is a flash fiction contest, we’re still looking for stories with a strong narrative arc. We want stories that introduce us to character, world, and conflict in the opening 1-2 graphs. (Conflict isn’t just a fight, by the way.) We want a middle free of too much backstory; we want forward momentum. Last, we want an ending the resolves the plot, directly or subtly. We only want stories between 500 and 1,000 words, inclusive. We pay a flat rate of $10 per story, regardless of length. Now, without further ado, let’s showcase the themes, shall we?   Send your submission in an email to kazkasubsgmail.com. Attach your file to the email. Don’t forget to include your cover letter in the body of the email. Subject Line: Flash Fiction Contest (e.g. “Flash Fiction Contest ” for the ‘Sax & Violins’ prompt). Imprecise subject lines may result in lost submissions. Here are the rules and details. Word Count: We’re looking for a piece of flash fiction that is between 500 and 1000 words long. Thus: 499 < YOUR STORY < 1,001 We won’t publish stories north or south of this mark. Deadline: At midnight, as the 20th rolls into the 21st in California, we’ll stop accepting submissions for the current month’s contest. All dates and times relate to California time (Pacific PST/PDT). Manuscript & Cover Letter: Please get close to standard manuscript formatting. However, we’ll be formatting your...

Deadline: December 22nd 2013 Payment: The winner will receive a voucher from Amazon.com or Flipkart.com to the value of $250.00   Why enter our 999 words or less competition? It's a great way to start flash fiction or short story writing and develop your style. Maybe you're new to writing and you've been entering our 99 words or less competition. And now you want to start writing longer pieces. Well, here it is in 999 words or less!! Can you create a great piece of fiction in 999 words or less from our winning photograph? Give it a go!! Our new competition has started!! Start Date                    Closing Date                    Announcement 29 September 2013    22 December 2013          12 January 2014 The 999 words or less fiction competition is a challenge to create a short story inspired by the photograph that has won our photo competition. The winner will receive a voucher from Amazon.com or Flipkart.com to the value of $250.00 (US or currency of choice) and sent by email to the winner. The closing time for entries is 7.00pm (EST)/midnight (GMT). Any entries missing the deadline will not be entered into the competition unless at the discretion of 99fiction.net administrator(s). Please be aware of the time zone in which you live. Briefly, US EST closes at 7.00pm and UK GMT closes Midnight. You may live in a different time zone. This brilliant photograph was taken by LeePotter!! Your 999 words or less flash fiction story should be inspired by this photograph!! THE RULES · The entrant must be 18 years or older at the date of the competition entry. · Entries must be in English. · Entries must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere. · Entries should not have been published on 99fiction.net or any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites. · The competition is international....

Deadline: December 31, 2013 Payment: 50% of the royalties split equally among all authors done on a quarterly basis, as well as one contributor’s copy. Having reached the submission deadline for SO IT GOES: A TRIBUTE TO KURT VONNEGUT, scheduled to be released this Spring, we are now opening for a new anthology to continue the series. Ladies and gentlemen, we present you with LONG DISTANCE DRUNKS: A TRIBUTE TO CHARLES BUKOWSKI. Bukowski had a very distinctive style. He wrote in a simple and often cruel, unforgiving voice. A typical story would involve isolation, alcohol, writing, hookers, and gambling. He wrote about the scum of the city. He became the scum. His words were scum, and it was all so damn beautiful. If you haven’t read Bukowski, don’t bother submitting to this anthology. And if you haven’t read Bukowski, then stop what you’re doing and go read him already, man. Deadline: December 31, 2013 Target release date: Spring 2014 Please send all submissions in a .doc or .rtf attachment to [email protected] with the subject line being Bukowski/Story Title/Author (the attachment should be labeled the same way). All stories should be formatted 12 pt (any font is fine, although we do prefer sans serif). Also include a 50 word bio either in the email or attachment itself. Word count should be no less than 1000 words and no more than 10,000 words. We do not accept reprints; multiple submissions are fine. Payment will be 50% of the royalties split equally among all authors done on a quarterly basis, as well as one contributor’s copy. Any other questions please email [email protected].

Deadline: December 31st 2013 Payment: $40 Submissions NOW OPEN: Enter At Your Own Risk: The End is the Beginning Submission Guidelines Firbolg Publishing is preparing for its fourth release in the Enter at Your Own Risk series. Our theme for 2014 is environmental horror. What happens when Nature turns on us? What are the consequences of the nightmares we are creating out there? As with all Firbolg releases, we’re looking for stories hidden deep in the crevices of the darkest minds. There are some fabulous zombie/ virus apocalypse stories out there, but we’re seeking stories about the sublime, subtle horrors lurking in the shadows. Did you know we are destroying the bacteria in our stomachs that keep us from overeating? What about mountaintop removal and its long-term consequences? Chernobyl’s still leaking. Microbes are evolving. There’s a rare group of people digging holes in their skulls and scientists do not know why. Check out the science section of The New Yorker and you will be deeply afraid! There’s a world of horror just waiting for someone to turn over that rock and find it. For those not familiar with Firbolg’s releases, here’s a little background. We always combine Gothic masters of yesteryear with modern authors. For this anthology, you will share space with Nathanial Hawthorne, Algernon Blackwood, Sherwood Anderson, H.P. Lovecraft, and more! Guidelines: 3000-5000 words (this is strict) Avoid excessive gore/ violence. We are most interested in gothic dark fiction rather than splatter style horror. Atmosphere and suspense trump bloodshed in our horror world! LGBT-friendly press RTF format as an attachment (include author biography, links to blogs/ websites) Standard manuscript format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) Payment: $40 submission email: [email protected] There have been quite a few invitations for this one, so space for open submissions is limited. submissions close 31 December 2013 Our...

Deadline: December 31st 2013 Payment: Pays 3c per word to a maximum of $150 for short stories, and up to $300 for a novella.   Midnight Echo will be accepting submissions for Issue 11 from September 1 through to December 31.   What does SINISTER mean to you? Is it a character; a shadowy, nightmare figure? Or is it an atmosphere; a foreboding air of doom? Does the word fill you with apprehension, or maybe excitement? Or is the vision in your head something we cannot begin to imagine? Kaaron Warren, our guest editor for Midnight Echo Issue 11, wants to know. She is open to any interpretation of the theme in any style, but she wants to hear original voices. Take a chance. Send us the story you’ve always wanted to write, but were too afraid to tell. There is a lot of freedom in this theme, which makes it both liberating and terrifying. The editor wants to be moved, surprised and impressed – why don’t you take that as a challenge? Sinister. Play with it. Enjoy it. Scare us. About the editor: Shirley Jackson Award winning author Kaaron Warren has lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Fiji, She’s sold many short stories, three novels (the multi-award-winning Slights, Walking the Tree and Mistification) and four short-story collections. Two of her collections have won the ACT Publishers’ and Writers’ Award for fiction, and her most recent collection, Through Splintered Walls, won a Canberra Critics’ Circle Award for Fiction, two Ditmar Awards, two Australian Shadows Awards, an Aurealis Award and a Shirley Jackson Award. Her stories have appeared in Australia, the US, the UK and elsewhere in Europe, and have been selected for both Ellen Datlow’s and Paula Guran’s Year’s Best anthologies. She was short-listed for a Bram Stoker Award for All You Can Do Is Breathe, and was Special Guest at...

Deadline: December 31st 2013 Payment: $10 per story Note: Female Authors Only Mocha Memoirs Press is pleased to announce that a new horror anthology featuring women writers is now open for submissions. Please read all of the information provided. 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 artists by raising awareness about the changing roles for women in the industry. Submission Guidelines What We Want-The Grotesquerie will be an open themed horror anthology of short stories written by female authors, released as a digital book and as a paperback book. Your submission must be written to frighten or disturb to be considered. The subject matter is up to you. We want dark, creepy, atmospheric, unsettling, bizarre… as well as a beautifully crafted, original story. *For this anthology, we will only be accepting submissions from female authors. 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 Dark Bites series or for future events. Feel free to read our general submission guidelines for more information.* What We Don’t Want-We don’t want slasher horror or splatterpunk for this collection. We will reject any stories that contain rape, and the abuse of minors. Stories featuring wellworn tropes (vampires, zombies, werewolves) will need a new exciting twist to be considered. Violence and sex are acceptable but make them integral to the plot. Other than that, use your imagination—horror is nothing without imagination. Submissions Submit your work to mmphorror(at)gmail(dot)com with Grotesquerie Sub: Your Story Title_Your Last Name in the subject line....

Deadline:December 31st 2013 Payment: $10 “Lost in the Witching Hour”  Deadline – December 31st Ghost stories, the paranormal, with haunted houses and demonic possession. These can be your campground fire ghost stories or something else dealing with the paranormal.   Additional Tidbits and things to know: We do not specialize in splatter and gore for the sake of it. Intelligent, thought-provoking horror is favored over shock. Actual horror is creating a feeling and building atmosphere and writing just to make an audience squeamish is not all that is needed. That is not to say that the story can not have these elements, they just need to be used properly. We only accept email submissions. Please ensure that they are in .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf formats. Submissions can be emailed to [email protected] Important, please note: We expect a short cover email with synopsis, and a brief bio (including previous publication credits, if any). For written work, we DO NOT accept simultaneous submissions. However, we will consider reprints. We are looking for the following: *Short Stories/Novellas (up to 15,000 words), no more than three per submission; Submissions that are accepted will receive $10 for rights listed below*. All works that meet our specifications will receive a written letter by us as to acceptance as well as a short critique. We require one-time print/electronic rights and print/electronic archive rights. Many magazines will not publish pieces that have been published in print or on the web. Once your work has been published, it can only ever be re-marketed as a reprint severely limiting the number of markets that will accept it, and drastically reduces the pay rate it can receive. If you have any questions/queries, contact us at [email protected] *We pay $10 per 5,000 words. Short Stories under 5,000 words are paid with...

Deadline: December 31st 2013 Payment: Exposure Only We welcome short story submissions from authors of adult horror and dark fiction. What do we need? We do not accept submissions by post or courier. You must submit to us by email and the address is:[email protected] 1. In the subject line of your email please put: MAGSUB/YOUR NAME/TITLE OF YOUR WORK 2. Attach your work as a .doc .docx or .rtfattachment ONLY. Emails with other kinds of attachment (eg. Zipped files) will be deleted. Sorry, but this is for internet security. Manuscripts should be formatted in 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced with one inch margins. Please indent paragraphs do not TAB; no spaces between paragraphs – spaces should only be between scenes (yes, we know we can reformat them but it saves a lot of time). We are currently looking for short stories only – total word count 1,000 – 5,000. 3. In the body of the email tell us a bit about your background and your writing. Don’t fret over it – if your writing is good we won’t reject you on the basis of a lousy covering letter. We just want to know who you are and that you can follow basic instructions. Just be yourself. Oh, and give us links to your website or blog, Facebook, Twitter and so on if you have them (don’t go rushing off to sign up if you don’t – it isn’t make or break). When will you hear from us? At the moment we aim to reply within 60 days and often it is sooner. However, we reply to all submissions whether we are interested in taking them further or not; we think this is polite and it means you’re not left wondering. Can you submit to other publishers/agents at the same time? Of course. We think it’s unreasonable to demand exclusivity. All we ask is that you let us...

Deadline: January 31st 2014 Payment: 5 cents/word Lethe Press is seeking short stories and novellettes for its forthcoming anthology, Daughters of Frankenstein: Lesbian Mad Scientists! We're looking for more cinematic-style "mad science"--over-the-top vs. textbook--so everything from alchemy to steampunk to cloning in tanks is fine. The protagonist must be lesbian and her sexuality cannot be a stigma. While the mad scientist need not be the protagonist, she must be a three-dimensional character and her interest in (mad) science should have a natural rationale as in real life (though her desired ends to whatever experiment takes place as one of the story arcs need not be natural at all!). Our preference is stories that take place in 19th and 20th centuries, but we are open to other time periods and contemporary tales. This book would be shelved in SF/Fantasy. So this is not an erotica anthology. Elements of romance are fine and welcome as long as they are natural to the story. Stories should be 2,500 to 12,500 words. Payment is 5 cents a word upon publication, which will be in the fall of 2014. Deadline for all submissions is January 31st, 2014. Submissions must be sent as rtf files to [email protected] with the subject line DAUGHTERS OF FRANKENSTEIN. Feel free to query us.

Deadline:January 1st 2014 Payment: Unknown Now through January 1st, Dark Hall Press will be accepting submissions for a Cosmic Horror Anthology. Ten short stories will be selected for inclusion. Submissions should be under 5,000 words, in PDF format, and include a brief author bio. Please include "Cosmic Horror" in the email heading. We will not accept simultaneous submissions. Winners will be contacted in the month of January. Winners will split the profits of the collection evenly. Submit to: [email protected] Via: Dark Hall Press.