Events

Taking Submissions: The World of Xonthian

Deadline: October 31st, 2022. Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: A shared-world Sword and Sorcery anthology based on Xonthian, a universe created by Daniel Dickinson. Fedowar Press is opening submissions for a shared-world Sword and Sorcery anthology based on Xonthian, a universe created by Daniel Dickinson. This is a world of magic and warriors with all the races you love: The world of Xonthian is thick with diversity and rich in history. From Xonthian City, where humans live their lives in a large city while the outskirts have some of the land’s richest crops and farms. Or the island of Juan’kij, where the elves have secluded themselves in the forests of Timilik. The Dwarves living peacefully under the Shadow Mountains, and the Atticatten, who have hidden away on the easternmost peninsula of Xecutran. Where Orcs, Ogres and darker races who live in long-forgotten jungles and swamps, or in the shadows of lost civilizations. To the undiscovered lands of the east, where magic, sword, and gunslingers travel desert vistas. This anthology is expected to release in mid-2023. Submissions will be accepted until October 31, 2022. Details Suggested Length: Between 7.5k and 15k words Region: Can take place anywhere in the Xonthian world Need more info on the Xonthian World? Take a look at it on World Anvil Want to chat with us about the world and your idea? Contact us on the Fedowar Discord Qualifying submissions must have never been published. Quick Start Guide Welcome to the world of Xonthian! A young medieval world filled with magic, sharp blades, and mysteries around every corner. From the world beginning, molded by the children of the cosmos, the gods see the world as a mortal plaything. Not every god however is invisible and sits silently by. Oblivious to the machinations of the elder gods, the world...

Taking Submissions: The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints and a contributors copy Theme: Mystery Stories Note: Reprints Welcome Send us your best mystery. We want excellent writing, evocative settings, intriguing characters, and most importantly, a clever puzzle complete with clues, red herrings, foreshadowing, and twists. We strongly suggest you purchase a copy of The Black Beacon Book of Mystery to find out what kind of stories we're likely to accept. 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. The preliminary deadline is the 31st of October, 2022. We regularly post news on our Facebook page. You can also get a feel for what we like by buying our previously published titles. Publishing quality fiction is an expensive passion, so the more we sell, the more we can publish. It's that simple. # Rates: Please note the rates quoted are not inclusive of transfer fees. The amount received may be slightly lower; typically 3%. We use PayPal to pay our contributors. If your submission is successful, you'll need an account. Alternatively, we can pay with an electronic Amazon gift coupon. Payment is made upon publication. 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Please read the full guidelines below before submitting. ANTHOLOGY GUIDELINES AND DETAILS Please only submit one story per publication. No simultaneous submissions for original fiction. The best way to get a feel for the kind of fiction we're likely to publish is to buy our previously published titles. This provides you with examples of accepted stories, demonstrates our high standard of editing, and helps finance future anthologies and increases the possibility of better pay rates. Languages accepted:  English and French / anglais et français Black...

Taking Submissions: Speculative Cats Anthology Volume I

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Speculative Poetry About Cats In 2021, 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats were estimated to be in the world. Cats were first domesticated in the ancient “Near East”  around 7500 BC, though it was long thought that cat domestication began in Africa, in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC. Speculative Cats is an anthology of speculative verse about the domesticated cat (Felis catus), edited by Akua Lezli Hope and LindaAnn LoSchiavo, to be published in 2023. Submissions open June 1- October 31, 2022 Submit no more than 3 unpublished, speculative poems to [email protected] Black and white illustrations also sought. Submit no more than 5 illustrations of speculative cats in .jpg or .png, with a minimum 400 dpi resolution. No previously published poems (see notes) Submission Format One-inch margins, 12 point or larger type. Name and e-mail address on every page of poem. Name of file should be your name and title of poem. Send each poem/image as a separate file. Send files as attachment in .doc or .docx to [email protected]. Illustrations should be in .jpg or .png format with a resolution of 400dpi or higher. Payment: all included will receive one copy of the paperback. (Estimated value, $25 including shipping and handling). The Speculative Cat Volume I will be published as a paperback and e-Book in 2023. ### Notes This anthology is focused on speculative verse about domesticated cats so no lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, pumas, cougars, etc. If you’re using any word other than English, include a notation. Please send only speculative poetry, no longer than 40 lines mere metaphor does not a speculative poem make mere simile does not a speculative poem make Possibilities include: alien cats, astro cats, cyber cats, ghost cats, cat familiars, magic...

Taking Submissions: A Darkness Visible

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £80 Theme: The inter-relationship between the postmodern and horror A Darkness Visible - Submissions due by Midnight GMT, 31 October 2022‍ Ontology Books is seeking submissions for its upcoming anthology A Darkness Visible focused on postmodern horror. Postmodern literature has often been an ill-defined concept. Critics have cited the deconstruction of narrative, inter-textual storytelling, and the subversion of genre conventions in attempting to define what “postmodern” constitutes. Others have noted the interplay of high and popular culture, dark humor, and literary experimentation as hallmarks of the postmodern. It is safe to say that “postmodern” is a slippery concept open to multiple interpretations and meanings. This anthology will explore the inter-relationship between the postmodern and horror. We are seeking short stories of between 3,000 and 8,000 words addressing this theme. Writers like Mark Danielewski (House of Leaves), Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), William Burroughs (Naked Lunch) or Thomas Pynchon (Gravity’s Rainbow) may be reference points, although thinking outside the box is welcome. Stories may be in the horror genre, or they may investigate horrific aspects of what Jean-François Lyotard called “the postmodern condition.” How you address the theme is up to you. Include a short cover letter with your submission in the body of the email citing any relevant writing credits or experience. A number of award-winning writers have already been contracted for the volume by invitation. We are now opening the call to public submissions, although spots will be limited. We expect highly polished manuscripts in standard Shunn formatting complete with contact information. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] and attached as a single document (.doc, .docx, or .pdf files are acceptable formats). Accepted contributors will be paid a flat fee of £80 and receive a contributor copy of the book. The editors expect to notify authors on the outcome of...

Taking Submissions: Otoroshi Journal 2022 Winter Issue (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: $1 per accepted piece Theme: horrorku, horror themed tanka, haibun, see below for details The Submission may include any or all of the following: · Up to seven (7) horrorku or horror tanka  · Up to three (3) haibun · Up to five (5) pieces of cover art All submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not under consideration by a print or web-based journal. Posts in closed, critique-oriented groups and social media sites are acceptable for submission, but public posts on forums such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not. By submitting a piece to us, you are guaranteeing that it is your original work and not under consideration or published anywhere else in the world. E-mail submission is required. Type poems into the body of the e-mail; no attachments of poetry will be opened. For art submissions, please include all five pieces in a .PDF file or send us a link to a private gallery. If we purchase an art piece for our cover, we will ask that you provide a 300 dpi version of said piece. E-mail: [email protected] Subject: Otoroshi Submission Please include a cover letter noting location in the world. Please include handles for Instagram and Twitter for promotional purposes. At this time, only one submission per issue will be considered unless the editors directly request a second submission. Submission periods are one month long: · January for the Spring Issue · April for the Summer Issue · July for the Fall Issue · October for the Winter Issue Acceptances will be sent shortly after the end of each period. Please note: Although most journals may publish your work as is, we are editors, too. This means we will make suggestions to your work as we see fit. This...

Taking Submissions: Manor of Frights

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $10.00 USD Theme: A collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same horrifying house Imagine a Victorian house where every room is cursed with a frightful existence. Are monsters in the halls? Ghosts left to fester in the library? Or are the rooms themselves enchanted with malevolent energy? What was summoned long ago and what doorways were left open? Manor of Frights will be a collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same house. Stories MUST follow these guidelines: MUST be in 3rd person. No 1st person stories will be considered. The Manor of Frights was built in 1880. So, stories can take place between 1880-1980. Keep this in mind when writing. Is the house new in your era? Run down? Or refurbished? Has there been a fire? A flood? Are you writing about the homeowner? A guest staying at a BnB? Or maybe… You are writing about the architect renovating the place? Choose a room and write a horror story that takes place in it. 13 rooms will be picked from the submissions. Choose wisely. Be unique. You can write about the normal rooms in a house like bedrooms, bathrooms, or the kitchen, but some other ideas for rooms are: attic, conservatory, library, basement, study, billiard room, cellar, hall, parlor, boudoir, dining room, den, foyer, living room, nursery, dinette, hearth room, scullery, kit room, linen closet, landing, rotunda, nook, covered porch, widow’s walk, or maybe you have an idea of your own. The story must have an overwhelming sense of menace and dread. The KIND of horror is open to you. Is there a monster inside? Does it connect to a demon world? Has it been cursed? Is it haunted? Do vampires reside in the home? Scare us....

Taking Submissions: THE VAMPIRICON: Imaginings & Images of the Vampire (Early Listing)

Deadline: September 1st - October 31st, 2022 Payment: 1/2 cent per word for new, $10 for reprints, $10 for accepted new, not-previously-published poetry of 14 to 50 lines; One Dime/$.10 per line thereafter with a maximum of $15.00., $10-$15 for accepted new OR REPRINTED interior illustration, $25.00 for the Illustration/Art Theme: Stories containing vampires Our current Call for Submissions is for THE VAMPIRICON: Imaginings & Images of the Vampire. SUBMISSIONS OPEN FROM 1 SEPTEMBER THROUGH 31 OCTOBER (HALLOWEEN) 2022. The Vampiricon Must be directly relevant to the subject of THE VAMPIRE. Must contain at use of the word VAMPIRE in the text, OR be a work clearly on the topic of THE VAMPIRE, VAMPIRISM, etc., OR, if an illustration, must depict the VAMPIRE or have clear reference to THE VAMPIRE in some form. Short Fiction between 500 and 3000 words. Poetry between and including 14 to 200 lines (verse or free verse). NOTE: So-called "Prose Poetry" will be considered poetry, but the syllable count of the submission will be divided by 10 to compare to the number of iambic pentameter/10 syllable lines. Thus, a 2000 syllable prose poem will be the maximum length. Scholarly Articles, Essays, and Notes between 500 and 3000 words. Illustrations/Art can be line art, greyscale, or full color at 300 dpi. Except for the selected cover illustration(s), full color will be converted to greyscale for interior illustrations. BOTH NEW and PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED SUBS WILL BE CONSIDERED, provided the rights to the work are held by or have reverted to the submitter. RATES OF COMPENSATION FOR ACCEPTED WORK $10.00 for accepted previously published work [IMPORTANT: The complete MLA citation for the place or places of previous publication will be required. ADD this information at the end of the scroll of the document presented, or, if illustration/art, submitted along with the illustration file as a separate,...

Taking Submissions: Fairy Tales from the Rock

Deadline: October 31st 2022 Payment: $0.01 CAD per word Theme: Fairy tale short fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Over the last six years, the From the Rock series has become one of the preeminent anthology series’ in Atlantic Canada. We have been home to some amazing established talent and helped some new authors break through that have gone on to dominate their fields, becoming genre bestsellers in their own right. From the Rock is a title readers consistently ask for, review well, and is a great way for avid readers to get introduced to indie talent they might find interesting. Since 2018, each entry in the series has become a Canadian bestseller based on pre-orders alone! ​ We are currently accepting submissions for the tenth entry in this series: Fairy Tales from the Rock, to be available in Winter of 2023. Editors Ellen Curtis and Erin Vance are scheduled to return to helm the project. Many authors have expressed interest, but anyone can submit to be a part of this collection! Deadline is October 31 2022, but get your stories in as quick as you can, as it gives our wonderful editors more time to work with you and make sure it is as good as it can possibly be! We're looking for both fairy tales inspired by Newfoundland & Labrador culture, as well as new takes on popular fairy tales from the world over! What is the target audience? For this specific collection, we’re going for an equivalent of PG to PG-13. Rather than limit our authors creatively, we encourage them to write from the heart and allow us to work with them to fine-tune the work after the fact. What does it pay? Authors are paid $0.01 CAD per word, to an upper limit of 7000 words. Are there minimum/ maximum...

Taking Submissions: From The Yonder Volume IV

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $5 (USD) per poem and $10 (USD) per short story and a contributors copy depending on location Theme: Horror stories of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. Volume IV A horror, short-story collection of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. We've loved doing these, now it's addiction, so, we've decided to keep doing it. We are seeking short story submissions (1000-7500 words) for this anthology. The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest). We are seeking stories in the horror genre. Inclusion of elements of other genres is welcome, so long as, overall, the story is an horror story. The subject of the story can be based on any legend, so long as it has a horrific flavor. Ghosts, hauntings, alien abductions, monsters, demons, spirits, witches, etc, all are acceptable, as long as the subject is based on an actual legend or tall-tale. We want an original story involving the legend. Don’t rehash the legend itself or write an essay on the tall-tale. Instead, for example, WOW us with a new fable of some poor unfortunate who finds out that legends are sometimes all too real. For more examples; read our first three FROM THE YONDER Volumes. Please DO NOT: ~Extrapolate relationships that do not exist in the actual legends. Nessie can be a horrific monster, but she is not a servant of the Elder Gods (no matter how much we love Eldritch horror). ~Attribute characteristics or powers that do not exist in the actual legends. Jack-a-Lopes are cool, but they aren’t going to eat you in your sleep. ~Intermix legends that are...

Taking Submissions: Other & Different (Early Listing)

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: Flat rate (likely listed October 1st when the call officially opens.) Theme: The theme of other and/or different - however writers wish to interpret that. ***THIS IS AN EARLY LISTING*** Not all details were available at the time of scheduling this post, we will update or enter a new post once full details are available. Other & Different will be the first print anthology from the Coup of Owls team.  ​ Encompassing a variety of styles and genres, Other & Different will feature stories focused on the theme of other and/or different - however writers wish to interpret that. This anthology will include only adult (18+) creators from marginalised and/or underrepresented communities or backgrounds. ​ Submissions open in October 2022. Publication will be in April 2023. ​ 1000 minimum, 4000 word maximum - hard limit Flat rate payment per story - TBC Rating up to and including R/18+ Reprints not accepted Full submissions information and cover art will be available from September 2022 ​ We will be donating the profits from both pre-orders and the first six months of sales from release will go to the North American non-profit Rainbow Railroad and UK charity Rainbow Migration equally.  Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps LGTBQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. In a time when there are more displaced people than ever before, LGBTQI+ people are uniquely vulnerable due to systemic, state-enabled homophobia and transphobia. These factors either displace them in their own country or prevent them from escaping harm. Rainbow Migration is a UK based charity that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the UK asylum and immigration system. Via: A Coup of Owls.