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Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: $20 Theme: We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button. Can your story stay that finger to the end? “Turning words into art is unnatural. It begins with a contrary attitude. It says, I am unhappy with the way things are and desire to make things different. Rather than represent the world, I will make something wildly and savagely new. I will defy logic. I will invest in new perceptions. I will combine and recombine and fabricate and juggle until something that I have never experienced is experienced. The process is alchemical. The process is violent. It goes to the heart of creativity. It disrupts and shatters. It is splendid with provocation. It is an aggression against banality. It is sharp and loud like a janitor scraping frost from a window. The hectic bounce of steam on a street after a truck roars by. The anarchy of waters, the comedy of the face, dangerous feelings vented from a cage of skin.” ~ John Olson Poetry — We believe poetry is contrary by nature, always defying, always tonguing the tang of novelty. We look especially for plurality of meaning, for dual reverberation of beauty and concern. Contrary’s poetry in particular often mimics the effects of fiction or commentary. We find ourselves enamored of prose poems because they are naturally contrary toward form – they tug on the forces of exposition or narrative – but prose poems remain the minority of all the poetic forms we publish. Please consider that Contrary receives vast amounts of poetry and that we can publish only a small percentage of that work. Please submit no more than three poems per issue. Our poetry editor is Shaindel Beers. Fiction — We ask our fiction writers to imagine...

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: $900 and potential royalties Theme: Stories written by queer YA authors, about queer teen protagonists Note: THERE ARE ONLY 2 OPEN SLOTS so send in your best work I’m so excited to announce that I am holding open submissions for the third and final OUT anthology, OUT THERE: Into the Queer New Yonder! Coming May 2022 from Inkyard Press, and me, your humble editor! OUT THERE will feature stories written by queer YA authors, about queer teen protagonists! Set in the future (1 day, 1 million years, who knows?!) , these stories will explore the last (or next, as the case may be) moment in time. If selected, your story will join stories by Leah Johnson, Kalynn Bayron, Alex London, Nita Tyndall, Abdi Nazemian, Alechia Dow, Kayla Ancrum, Naomi Kanakia, Adam Sass, Mason Deaver, Claire Kann, Zabé Ellor, Emma K. Ohland, Jim McCarthy and Z Brewer in this fantastic, futuristic collection! This is an open call to fill TWO slots in OUT THERE. Black, Indigenous and Authors of Color are strongly encouraged to apply. Authors may be published or unpublished, agented or unagented. Your submissions will be considered by the review panel, featuring Saundra Mitchell, and and award-winning authors Tehlor Kay Mejia and Julian Winters. Mejia appeared in ALL OUT, and Winters appeared in OUT NOW. The story requirements are simple: 4-8 thousand words YA fiction set in the future (any genre) Queer author, queer protagonist The story you wish you had when you were 16 Does not have to be #ownvoices Does not have to contain romantic elements What you get if selected: Publication in OUT THERE: Into the Queer New Yonder anthology, edited by Saundra Mitchell; published by Inkyard Press. $900 (US) plus a pro-rated share of any royalties received on the sale of the anthology. We ask for exclusive rights...

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 (Doesn't open until February 1st.) Payment: 3 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: This is an open theme, though you'll likely want to include quite a bit of gore! GOREFEST: The title says it all. We at The Evil Cookie Publishing prefer our horror with a heavy hitting dosage of gore and carnage. First, we gave you BREWTALITY, then BLUDGEON TOOLS. There’s no better way to celebrate our first year of publishing horror than with a festival of gore. THIS IS AN OPEN THEMED ANTHOLOGY. SUBMISSION CALL DETAILS: Short story MAX 3,000 word count. No reprints No simultaneous subs No multiple subs Nothing involving children (not even implied) or religious plots Payment: 3 cents per word + 1 paperback contributor copy Manuscripts: 12pt font, double-spaced and as .DOC or .DOCX Do not send story in body of email. Responses usually within a month, but could be longer depending on size of sub pile. Send stories to: [email protected] Subject line: Gore Sub: (story title) by (author name) Include brief bio, if I don’t already know you, just to break the ice. OPENS: February 1, 2021 (anything sent before will be deleted) DEADLINE: March 1, 2021 Via: The Evil Cookie.

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: $25 Theme: Extreme Horror Theme: Extreme Horror No Reprints Stories must be from 2,000-7,000 words Submissions Deadline: March 1st Payment: $25 What We Want We want Extreme horror stories! Think Wrath James White, Edward Lee, Shane McKenzie, or J.F. Gonzalez. If you can write a story that will churn our stomachs or make us fear what's behind the shower curtain, send it in and we'll read it and decide if it is Extreme enough for our anthology. We are looking for 8-10 horror stories in the same vein as the aforementioned authors above. Email us at [email protected] with your submission. Your submission must be 12 point font, new times roman, double spaced and sent as doc or docx. When you send out the email, make sure to put "no anesthetic" submission, title of your story, and your author name in subject line. Links to our website and social media Website: https://authornicholasgray.wixsite.com/sipublishing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SplatterInkPublishing Instagram: Splatter Ink Publishing (@splatter_ink_publishing) We don't want to promise a specific time we'll contact you back regarding your submission, but depending on how many emails we receive, allow us at least four to eight weeks to contact you back with a decision letter.

Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: A circus and carnival themed collection of horror stories. Popcorn and candy apples, games and rides, laughter and fun, the carnival is all about good times, isn't it? Dark Carnival is a circus and carnival themed collection of horror stories. Submission Guidelines: ​​ Must be clean and edited to the best of your ability Submissions cannot be published elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions okay (but please let us know if yours is accepted elsewhere) 3000-8000 words Submissions must be 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double spaced with special first-line indentation of 0.5" Submissions must be in .Docx or .Doc format with 1" margins all around No child abuse, please. We will not be accepting graphic sexual scenes however use your discretion on what fits the story. Publication and Payment Submissions closed March 10th Announcements on accepted stories to be sent by April 1 2021, a memorandum to be sent for signing at this time May 1st 2021 planned release date A one time payment of $10 plus author copy per acceptance Additional author copies available at cost Minimum of 8, max of 15 stories Via: Macabre Ladies.

Deadline: March 2nd, 2021 Payment: 6 cents per word for original, 2 cents for reprints 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 We have a new submissions schedule as of June 1, 2020: The first and second day of every month, 12 am of the 1st to 12 am of the 3rd, E.S.T. Only one submission per person. For reading impaired individuals, our submissions manager and ‘forget password’ have a captcha compatible with screen readers. We pay 6¢ per word for new fiction, 2¢ per word for fiction reprints, 2 – 6¢ per word for new fact-based work, 1- 4¢ per word for reprinted fact articles. For new poetry, we pay $1 a line, reprints would be 50¢ a line, up to 40 lines. We’ll look at longer poems but that would be a hard sell, and words over 40 lines would be paid at 6¢ per word. We began 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 about The 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, anywhere from 1000 word flash fiction on up, but all else being equal, shorter pieces will be favored.   We have tough standards but only care about the quality of the writing, storytelling ability, characters, plot, and ideas, not whether you’re new or established.  Submit only work you are proud of —...

Deadline: March 1st-3rd 2021 Payment: $50 Theme: Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk. Hi there! We’ll no doubt write more about this later in the next year, but for now, what follows below will tell you all you need to know. And the theme? It’s “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” (No more submissions are being accepted for publication in December of 2020–but we will be publishing stories that have already been accepted.) The following is relevant to all submissions for 2021, and the first submission window opens Jan. 1. More below.   Writing opportunities for 2021 include:   New Fairy Tales: Fairy tales that are almost or entirely new or are just new takes on old tales are all welcome. Mashups of existing fairy tales are welcome as well. Submissions must follow the theme below to be considered.   Essays: Nonfiction articles about any aspect fairy tales and folklore are being sought. The term “essay” just means you’ll be writing about fairy-tale related matters in a nonfiction article.  Creative nonfiction is welcome. You do not have to stick to the theme, but you can.   Poetry: Poetry inspired by fairy tales and that follows the theme is also welcome.   Please read the following in its entirety before submitting.   Want to know what is likely to get published here? There are well over 10 years of stories, essays and art on this current site. It’s the best place to start if you want to be published here.   HERE IS HOW YOU SUBMIT AND FORMAT   Only the kind of submissions outlined below will be accepted at EC in 2021.   * Writers will have a chance to submit fairy-tale inspired stories/essays/poems 11 times this year. Since we will be choosing four works per publishing month, there are 44 slots...

Deadline: March 1st-7th 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Original fantasy and dark fantasy stories. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. Instructions for submitting to Fantasy Magazine follow. Please read everything on this page and read the magazine before submitting. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES Submission Periods: Fantasy is open to submissions the first week of every month (1st-7th). Please do not query about submitting outside our open submission periods. Anonymous Submissions: Fantasy only accepts anonymous submissions. Do not include your name, address, phone number, or other similar identifiers on the manuscript. All original short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry submissions will be read anonymously on first read: moving out of slush depends on the merits of the story alone. Please make sure the title is on the manuscript. Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions: We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Please do not submit more than one set of poems at a time, more than one piece of flash fiction at a time, or more than one story at a time. You may, however, submit a single entry in each category at the same time: you can submit one batch of poems, one flash fiction piece, and one short story all at the same (or overlapping) time, and each category will be considered a separate submission. If we are already considering work in any given category, please wait until you have received an acceptance or rejection before submitting again in that same category. Instructions: All fiction must be submitted through our Moksha online submission system. Please do not email your submissions. If one of the Submission Type options is grayed out, that means we are currently closed to that Submission Type. Questions/Problems: Email [email protected] for all submission-related inquiries, or if you have any trouble using our online submission system. Please do not email your submissions to this address. All submissions must be submitted...

Deadline: March 14th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: The darker side of crime: the cold cases, the grim murders, the desperate villains, and the race against time to solve the crime Note: Reprints Welcome About the theme: We've looked at cosy crime and detective thrillers, now it's time to turn to the darker side: the cold cases, the grim murders, the desperate villains, and the race against time to solve the crime. We're seeking up to 20 new stories to join our powerful collection of Chilling Crime Short Stories, new and classic tales reaching back into ancient, medieval, Elizabethan and Victorian fiction. From Oedipus Rex and Medea to Thomas More's story of the Princes in the Tower, Scheherazade's 'The Three Apples' and the chilling crime fiction of Dickens, Poe, Henry James, Baroness Orczy and Wilkie Collins. Terms: We do not require exclusivity and do accept reprints Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology For accepted stories we pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline 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 Guidelines: Submit your story to [email protected] Word length is most likely to be successful at 2000-4000 words, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range Let us know in your submission email if your story is a reprint Please submit in .doc, .docx...

Deadline: March 15th, 2021 Payment: $15 Theme: Lost at Sea Note: My apologies for the short turnaround, this just hit our inbox Volume I, Issue IV ​ Theme: Lost at Sea ​ For this issue, we want tales of maritime disaster. Of shipwrecks and oil spills. Of bones left to decompose on the ocean floor. Of those left behind on land, never to know what's become of their loved ones. Of lighthouse keepers forced to stand by and witness tragedy unfold. ​ Elements of the supernatural are welcome, as are stories that utilize elements of horror and science-fiction. ​ Deadline: March 15th, 2021 Word Limit: 6,000 words ​ Compensation: flat $15 fee upon publication, plus a digital copy of the magazine (which you're free to share). ​ Format: We will accept short-form fiction any way you want to write it. This can include poetry, flash fiction or short stories. We're particularly interested in the subversion of form. We don't care about hard and fast rules, so don't worry too much about formatting. If you feel its good, chances are that shines through in the writing. And we want to read it. ​ Genre: Anything that's dark, creepy, weird and just a little off-kilter. We're open to genre fiction, particularly anything related to horror, science-fiction, speculative fiction or weird fiction. But we're also interested in anything that twists or subverts these genres in some unexpected way. ​ Simultaneous submissions: We will accept simultaneous submissions, but please inform us if this applies to you. If a story may be pulled away from us at the last minute, we want to know as this may affect our decision on acceptance. ​ Multiple Submissions: We do not accept multiple submissions. ​ Reprints: We do not accept reprints. We will accept stories that have already been published if they've been dramatically altered in...