Events

Deadline: October 31, 2014 Payment: 12.5 cents per word Fireside is open for submissions through the end of the day Oct. 31. We have very few slots open for short stories at this time, but are looking to buy at least a dozen pieces of flash. Please read ALL of the guidelines below before submitting. They have changed slightly since our June reading period. Lengths, payment, etc. Fireside publishes original, previously unpublished flash fiction of up to 1,000 words and short stories of 1,500 to 4,000 words. (Firm limit.) We pay 12.5 cents per word, with payment on completion of edits. We buy first world publication rights and six-month exclusivity, as well as the right to reprint the story once, non-exclusively, in a Fireside anthology.   Please DO NOT resubmit stories that we have previously rejected, even if you have revised them. They will be rejected unread. We do not accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. (We are not looking for poetry, nonfiction, reviews, or anything else but fiction.) What we are looking for Fireside’s goal is to publish great storytelling, regardless of genre. What do we mean by great storytelling? We want stories that go somewhere, with plot and a beginning, middle, and end. We’re not looking for character studies or metafiction or hallucinatory visions. (We LIKE those things; it’s just not what we publish in Fireside.)   I’ll let Neil Gaiman say it again, as I have in our Kickstarters. This is from his introduction to his “Stories” anthology, writing of his response to a question about what quote he would want inscribed on the wall of the kids’ section in a public library. He captured the reason why we love good stories in his response:   I’m not sure I’d put a quote up, if it was me, and...

Deadline: November 1, 2014 Payment: Royalty Split and contributor copy As part of the State of Horror Anthologies, Charon Coin Press under the guidance of editor Jerry E. Benns, will begin accepting stories based in the state of Tennessee. Submitted stories meeting the guidelines below will have the opportunity to be included within the upcoming release of this popular anthology series. Before we get to the guidelines, let’s take a look at the featured state for this release. Tennessee has a unique past which helps to give the state its own flavor. Settlers looking for farmland spread out from the original 13 states to the rugged wilderness of Tennessee following Daniel Boone’s path through the Cumberland Gap. From its humble beginnings Tennessee soon became a land of opportunities with a fiercely proud culture. Home to the Tennessee sharpshooters under the command of Andrew Jackson, Jack Daniels spirits, Civil War battle sites, and the Great Smoky Mountains, there are many tales to tell about the state. Whether you enjoy the grassy roots of bluesy Memphis, with its dry rub and saucy BBQ, or the country music capital of Nashville- home to singers and songwriters trying to make it big, Tennessee has a rich culture to entice a good story. Tennessee is southern-facing but acts as a gateway to the Midwestern region. The state lends itself well to scary stories. You could set your yarn in the misty Smoky Mountains, maybe atop Lookout Mountain. Great place names like Chickamauga or Chattanooga could be prominent in your story. Or you could incorporate the Mississippi River or any number of lakes into a dark tale. Horrors from a farm or the middle of the woods could play a part in your account of the dark side of Tennessee. Maybe you are more inclined to the upscale urban...

Deadline: November 1st, 2014 Payment: $.05/word or $25 depending on status (read below) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BlackWyrm Publishing is opening several positions in its spring short fiction anthology for general submissions. We offer professional rates (typically $.05/word) for full members of professional organizations such as the HWA, MWA, RWA, and SFWA; other stories accepted through general submissions receive a flat semi-professional rate of $25. All contributors receive copies. The collection, tentatively titledReel Dark: Twisted Fantasies Projected on the Flickering Page, focuses on the infection of (prose-fictional) worlds by movies. We want innovative approaches: if you think endless references to films or characters stepping into or off of the screen is innovative, reconsider submitting. Although the anthology as a whole will be dark in tone, it will speak to a range of audiences interested in horror, science-fiction, fantasy, and/or romance (particularly paranormal). Stories should not exceed 3,500 words. Submissions are open now and close November 1, 2014. We intend to launch the collection at the World Horror Convention in May 2015. Submit stories in standard manuscript format [email protected]. Direct questions about the focus, rates, etc. to Editor-in-Chief L. Andrew Cooper via [email protected]. Submissions sent directly to the editor will be deleted unread. Authors accepted or invited to submit may join the group at www.blackwyrm.com/movieantho for more information. Via: L. Andrew Cooper.

Deadline: November 1st, 2014 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction We love the fact that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually two to three weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the traditional sense. Fiction: All stories must be written with the first line provided. The line cannot be altered in any way, unless otherwise noted by the editors. The story should be between 300 and 5,000 words (this is more like a guideline and not a hard-and-fast rule; going over or under the word count won't get your story tossed from the slush pile). The sentences can be found on the home page of The First Line's Web site, as well as in the prior issue. Note: We are open...

Deadline: November 1st, 2014 Payment: $30 and two copies of the published book upon publication Payment & Rights: $30 and two copies of the published book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work. Editor: Ily Goyanes Publisher: Liz McMullen Show Publications Guidelines: Previously unpublished work only Desired length is 3,000 – 4,000 words (exceptions made for exceptional work) Multiple submissions okay, simultaneous submissions not okay Use a standard font such as Times New Roman – no funny business Size does matter – 12 pt. is perfect Double-space, por favor Include your contact information in both the document and body of the email If you’re on the down low, include your pseudonym in your contact information Send your submission to [email protected] as an attachment in Word format (.doc). In the subject line, include ‘appetite antho,’ the title of your story, and your last name. Subject line should look like this: Appetite antho/Hungry Like a Wolf/Gonzalez. If you have any questions, please direct them towards the same email address. Hard deadline is November 1, 2014, but the sooner you submit, the better you’ll feel. If you have not received a response by January 1, please feel free to query me at the email address above. Editor: Ily Goyanes is a widely-published and award-winning author, editor, and journalist. Girls Who Score: Hot Lesbian Erotica, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, was Goyanes’ first full-length anthology and won a Golden Crown Literary Society Award in 2013. She has also served as a judge for the Lambda Literary Awards and as a mentor for the GCLS writers’ program. Tweet her @realily. Via: The Liz McMullen Show

Deadline: November 1, 2014 Payment: 6¢ per word The Journal of Unlikely Coulrophobia: For 2015′s April Fool’s Day, we want to screw with everyone’s head. And what better way than with clowns? Officially, Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns, but we don’t want to just just get rehashes of It. So the issue is open to anything involving clowns in some significant way. Think Stephen King’s Pennywise and Danny Kaye’s Jacamo in The Court Jester, think Sacred Clowns and Holy Fools. Horror, humor, existential angst, and tears of, we’re open to all that and more, in any combination. Heck, why not see how many different genres you can fit into a piece of flash fiction? We’re looking for flash fiction (1000 words or less) for this issue, but just like a clown car, this issue’s flash fiction can fit more words than you’d expect. Specifically: 1038 words. Why 1038? Well, that’s your standard flash fic limit, plus the number of clowns that fit into a 1968 VW bug, plus the number of clowns that fit into an original Mini Cooper, plus the value of The Fool in the Major Arcana. Unlikely Story Submissions Guidelines What we’re doing: Unlikely Story publishes three themed issues a year: The Journal of Unlikely Entomology, The Journal of Unlikely Cryptography, and The Journal of Whatever Tickles Our Fancy This Year. We reserve the right to put out an indeterminate number of further sub-themed mini-issues on an irregular basis, or not, depending on how we feel. See below for specific details regarding each issue. What we’re looking for: Beautifully-written fiction, characters that grab us by the throats and refuse to let go, worlds that draw us in and demand to be explored. Genre isn’t particularly important to us—speculative, mainstream, slipstream, and the unclassifiable tales in between—we’ll...

Deadline: November 5th 2014 Payment: 2 copies of print anthology and Aus 2.5 cents/word (GST inc., maximum payment $187.50) on publication. This anthology, with the working title Hear Me Roar, is looking at kick-arse chicks of all varieties in a speculative fiction world – female superheroes, scientists, subversives and rulers. We want character-driven stories with strong female protagonists. The stories can be any variety of speculative fiction: science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy or a mix. We are not looking for stories where women are objectified, where there is gratuitous gore or erotica. The anthology will be edited by Liz Grzyb, award-winning editor of eight anthologies including The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and will be published by Ticonderoga Publications in 2015. Submission guidelines Send me your best speculative fiction story featuring strong women. Story length 2,500 to 7,500 words. (Longer stories may be accepted, although payment is capped at 7,500). Original stories only: no reprints, multiple, or simultaneous submissions. Stories may be submitted via email at [email protected] in .doc or .rtf format. Manuscript format: double spaced, large margins, sensible serif font, Australian English spelling. Submissions period open: 21 April – 5 November 2014. Payment: 2 copies of print anthology and Aus 2.5 cents/word (GST inc., maximum payment $187.50) on publication. Via: Ticonderoga Publications.

Deadline: November 15th, 2014 Payment: Payment is author share divided equally among the authors. We pay twice a year. At Sky Warrior Books, we love all kinds of creatures – especially DRAGONS. Dragons love…well…their hoard. Be it a hoard of gold, gems, books, virgins, whatever your dragon loves to collect and hoard. Or maybe your dragon doesn’t have a hoard – well then WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR DRAGON? – All dragons have a hoard – don’t they? If he doesn’t then explain why not. We’re looking for stories about dragons—their hoard or lack thereof must factor into the story in some way. Since dragons are primarily a creature of fantasy I’m sure we’ll get plenty of fantasy stories; but we’ll take science fiction as well as any other speculative fiction genre, but you MUST be creative. A creative twist on the idea of dragons and their hoards is the most important part of the story. All stories must have no stronger than a PG-13 rating. Please no graphic violence or gore and definitely no erotica, be careful with the use of foul language as well. Payment Payment is author share divided equally among the authors. We pay twice a year. Deadline Our deadline is Nov 15th, 2014. We’re planning a Spring/Summer 2015 release. Please note we are not opening to receive submissions until July 1st – so please don’t submit prior to that date. How to Submit or The Nitty-Gritty We accept RTF files via e-mail only to the publisher at skywarrior3 AT gmail DOT com. Put the words: DRAGON’S HOARD SUBMISSION in the subject line with the title of your piece. Send us a virus and we will never accept anything from you again. Double spaced manuscript in Times New Roman or some other pretty font (not Courier!). Use...

Deadline: November 15, 2014 Payment: .01 per word (30 days after the date of publication), as well as copies of the anthology in all electronic formats (mobi, EPUB, and PDF) and copies of three additional Martian Migraine Press titles of the authors choosing. “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite.” – William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell “With five feeble senses we pretend to comprehend the boundlessly complex cosmos, yet other beings with a wider, stronger, or different range of senses might not only see very differently the things we see, but might see and study whole worlds of matter, energy, and life which lie close at hand … I have always believed that such strange, inaccessible worlds exist at our very elbows, and now I believe I have found a way to break down the barriers!” – H. P. Lovecraft, From Beyond (1920) “It ate him … bit off his head … like a gingerbread man!” – Jeffrey Combs as ‘Crawford Tillinghast’ in Stuart Gordon’s FROM BEYOND (1986) In his classic story From Beyond, Howard Phillips Lovecraft introduced the Tillinghast Resonator: a monstrous device that stimulates dormant senses in man, opens up unseen worlds to unsuspecting eyes, and calls through terror and ecstasy from a realm far beyond our mundane perceptions. This is an open call for submissions to the third anthology from Martian Migraine Press… RESONATOR: New Lovecraftian Tales From Beyond We want to see weird fiction with the Tillinghast Resonator (and machines or processes like it) as inspiration. What creatures, both mindless and sentient, are revealed in its uncanny radiation? What worlds may be opened up to the user with the slightest change in frequency? What profit, what peril, what power and pleasure may be derived from its use? We want to see new and startling...

Deadline: November 15th 2014 Payment: $50 USD Next year marks an historic moment, the 150th anniversary of the publication of the classic storyAlice's Adventures in Wonderland! To celebrate how absolutely mad we are about this occasion, Leap Books, LLC will publish a special Alice-inspired anthology called BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT and you, yes, YOU are invited to the party! Join a roster of well-loved authors writing new YA stories inspired by a classic tale. Submissions should be between 4,000-6,000 words in length, include a protagonist named Alice and a stuffed white rabbit whose appearance signals the start of adventure. All YA genres are eligible. Title, premise/elevator pitch, and your complete submission are due to [email protected] by midnight EST November 15. Authors should include ALICE in their email's heading. The final lineup for the anthology will be announced December 15. Authors whose stories are selected for inclusion in the BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBITanthology and who meet revision requirements and associated deadlines will be paid a one-time fee of $50 USD. Via: Leap Books LLC.