Events

Deadline: March 31, 2014 Payment: 8 cents/word Note: This one is just for the ladies As a result of Lightspeed’s successful Women Destroy Science Fiction! Kickstarter campaign, we’re reviving Fantasy Magazine for a single special issue, which will be published this fall. WOMEN DESTROY FANTASY! will be a special one-off, guest-edited by former Fantasy Magazine editor Cat Rambo. The issue will contain 8 pieces of fiction (twice the size of a regular issue of an issue of Fantasy back before it was merged into Lightspeed), consisting of 4 original stories and 4 reprints. Cat Rambo will select all 4 of the original stories, and long-time editor of the fantasy half of The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror, Terri Windling, will select the 4 fantasy reprints. Everything submitted to the Women Destroy Fantasy! issue will also be considered for publication in Lightspeed. Who can submit stories for consideration for the special issue? Women. How do you define “woman”? A woman is any human being who identifies as one, to whatever degree that they do so. What can women submit? Fantasy short stories, 1500-7500 words. Dark fantasy (which normally would be OK to submit to Nightmare, should go here instead for this issue). When is the submissions period? Submissions open March 15, 2014, and will close at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern on March 31, 2014. What rights will you be buying? Please see the Lightspeed standard contract templates (originals | reprints) for details; this issue will use that same contract template. Pay rate? 8 cents/word. Response time? Up to 45 days Note: Stories submitted to the Women Destroy Fantasy! special issue will also be considered regular issues of Lightspeed as well, if they are not selected for the special issue. When will the issue be published? October 2014. How do I submit? Submit via the following submissions portal:submissions.johnjosephadams.com/women-destroy-fantasy What the heck is this about? What do you mean by “destroy”? Readthis and just substitute “fantasy” any time it says “science fiction” (more or less)....

Deadline: April 1st 2014 Payment: royalty-only payment schedule plus a contributor paperback copy. The royalties are 50% of the sales per eBook and Print book divided between the authors. Each book will contain 13 stories. Do you think you have a horror story for the anthology? You do not have to have lived in the state to create a well-spun tale set in the state being featured. The stories are not just taking a current story and peppering it with city names or landmarks either. The culture, landscape, and feel of the state should be a part of the entire story. We want a local to be able to identify with the story. The use of local folklore, geography, and history can bring a tale to life. The story can be from any time period. It is highly recommended avoiding clichés, as that will hinder the chances of being included. Look beyond the standard gangster stories for Chicago (not that this cannot make a great story) and dig a little deeper into something original. The anthologies will contain engaging horror stories, textured characters, and well developed plot. Easy enough? We are looking for stories between 2,500 and 7,500 words. Any submission that falls outside this range will be returned (unread). Previously published stories will be accepted, but please include where it was published and publish date. Submission will only be accepted through email at [email protected] as a .doc file (Word) attachment. The subject of the email should contain “State of Horror: (with either Illinois or New Jersey). If the email subject does not contain this information, it will be deleted unread. At this time, we will only be accepting stories for these two collections. In the body of your submission email, please provide a brief cover letter with your information,...

Deadline: April 1st 2014 Payment: 5 cents per word Whether you're imprisoned, stranded on a desert island, or the sole survivor of an off-world mission, forced solitude is a condition that wreaks havoc upon the human psyche. Just keep in mind that a person can be just as alone in a crowd of people as they can in an escape pod drifting powerless throughout space. We want to see stories that explore the emotional and psychological ramifications of isolation.  There are great depths to be delved with a cast of one. CALL BEGINS FEBRUARY 1, 2014 CALL ENDS APRIL 1, 2014 Penumbra is looking for original, unpublished stories of 3500 words or less. We prefer that writers use Standard Manuscript Format for submissions. (You can read this article by Chuck Rothman on the SFWA site on preparing a manuscript for submission if you are unfamiliar with SMF.) Please send your stories as file attachments in .rtf or .doc formats only. Please include a cover letter in the body of your email, with the manuscript title, you pen name if applicable, the exact word count of the story not including title and byline, and a publication history if applicable. Penumbra is a professional rates paying publisher, paying 5 cents per word. We will evaluate poetry submissions for each issue. We will also consider previously published stories with rights reverted to the author. Penumbra has multiple issue calls open at the same time, therefore it is imperative that you include the issue theme in the subject line of your email. Submissions that do not include this information risk getting lost in our queue and not read before the deadline. Penumbra uses Musa Publishing's house style guide, which relies upon the Chicago Manual of Style. All accepted stories will be edited to reflect...

Deadline: April 3rd 2014 Payment: 6 cents per word You think you’re safe. What a joke. You don’t think about the places you pass every day. The side streets. The alleys. Under bridges. The shadows.  All you’d have to do is take a step to the side.  Then you’d know. From editors of Dark Faith, Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon, comesStreets of Shadows, a collection of stories at the intersection of urban fantasy and crime. These tales of the dark and magical side of the urban landscape will be published by Alliteration Ink in late summer 2014. Currently attached authors include Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kevin J. Anderson, Tim Lebbon, Seanan McGuire, Brandon Massey, Tom Piccirilli, and Lucy A. Snyder. We’re looking for stories with depth that push the boundaries of their genres.  Stories that make you think, that comment on the human condition and the social order. Stories that are rich in their language use. Stories that entertain and thrill.  Stories between 2000 and 4000 words for which we’ll pay 6 cents per word. Submissions will be accepted from 3/3/2014 until 4/3/2014.  Unsolicited stories received outside this time frame will be deleted unread. Please include a cover letter with your submission and only one story at a time.  No reprints.  Simultaneous submissions will be accepted as long as you tell us up front (and immediately withdraw the story if you sell somewhere else). All submissions must be emailed as an RTF file to Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon at [email protected]. Submitters:  Familiarize yourself with Alliteration Ink’s crowdfunding policy before submitting:  http://alliterationink.com/policies.html#crowdfunding Good luck! Via: Alliteration Ink.

Deadline: April 15, 2014 or when filled Payment: $30 and a contributor copy What we are looking for: 1. We are looking for unusual, original stories that, in some way, shape, or form involve motorcycles and/or their riders, surroundings, etc. Perhaps the entire story revolves around a particular motorcycle and/or its rider. Maybe a motorcycle is important to the setting or the background, maybe it’s just passing through... While motorcycles or their elements must figure into the piece, the actual degree of involvement in the story… well, we’ll leave that up to you. If you want an idea of what we like, check out one of our favorite motorcycle-themed stories, Julio Cortazar’s “The Night Face Up.” 2. The above mentioned stories are just ideas. We want to see what you come up with, so show us your creative best. Stories can be dark fantasy, horror, magic realism, literary, etc. Humor is okay, too. What we want, more than anything, is a good, solid story—stores that touch us, as readers, in some way. We love stories that are written from an unusual perspective, contain unusual but believable characters, or show us something we’ve never seen before. We don’t mind sex or blood—not even a bit—but we are not huge fans of excessive gore. If it is necessary to the story, no problem at all—we get that. Gore for gore’s sake... not so much. 3. A word about word count: We are accepting stories from 1000—5000 words, with the majority of stories probably falling in 2000-5000 word range. We are pretty flexible with word count as long as it’s a great story. Impress us and even if you are a little over or a little under, we will sneak you in.4. We much prefer original stories but if you have a reprint...

Deadline: April 18th 2014 Payment: 3% of Revenue from both ebook and print edition sales. Twit Publishing is currently accepting submissions for its next anthology, Twit Publishing Presents: NINJAS! Important: **Deadline for Submissions is 04/18/2014** NINJAS! Twit Publishing will be producing a collection of short stories, poems, history, essays, novellas, non-fiction, and instructional essays about NINJAS! for an anthology coming out in 2014. Future Ninjas, past Ninjas, present Ninjas, Ninjas fighting fascist states, Ninjas in the Old West, Ninjas fighting dinosaurs, Ninjas fighting Vikings, Ninjas fighting werewolves, etc. and so on, and so forth. In short, Ninjas being bad#@*es. Please make sure everything that you send is well-written. Please send your work to [email protected] Compensation: 3% of Revenue from both ebook and print edition sales. Submission Guidelines Word length: no restriction. All content submitted to Twit Publishing for PULP! anthologies must be solely owned by the creator. Additionally, all content must be original. Stories must be submitted by the author(s), and not a 3rd party. Please submit as a .DOC or .RTF file. Please send a short author’s bio along with any submission. Do not send any story pitches or ideas. **They will be deleted without being read**. **Submissions from authors in the United States only** Email submissions to: [email protected] Subject line of email should read as the author’s name and title of submitted story.

Deadline: April 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? Unthemed - (+) Writers may submit any flash fiction story of 500-1000 words which has elements of speculative fiction (SF, Fantasy, Horror, or related genres). No themes or restrictions!   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...

Deadline: April 30, 2014 Payment: 5 cents per word; 2.5 cents per word for reprints Guidelines for Spellbound & Spindles The guidelines below are for a special issue of Spellbound—a children’s fantasy e-zine for 8-12 year olds—and Spindles—a companion adult anthology. Both anthologies will feature fairy tales retold to feature POC, LGBT and disabled characters, as well as non-Western European and non-North American settings.  We are looking for poetry and fiction, as well as artwork for both books.  Detailed guidelines are below. Please note: Spindles is NOT an erotica anthology.  Also, the emphasis on diversity and fairy tale retellings outlined in the paragraph above applies to all the content we’ll be publishing: fiction, poetry and artwork. What do we mean by fairy tales?  A general definition of the term “fairy tale” is hard to come by, and often one has to fall back on the old, “You know it when you see it.”  However, we’re relying on the Aarne-Thompson classification list for the bulk of our source material.  This is not a definitive list, and there may be fairy tales that aren’t there.  However, it is a good starting point.  When in doubt, feel free to ask.  Note, however, fairy tales for the purpose of these anthologies does not include: mythology, fables, riddles or nursery rhymes. We are now open to submissions.  The reading period runs from October 1, 2013 to April 30, 2014. All submissions sent during the reading period will get a response. Fiction Fiction Editor: Raechel Henderson Spellbound word limit = 2,500 Spindles word limit = 5,000 Payment = 5 cents per word; 2.5 cents per word for reprints Rights bought: First World English-language Rights Multiple submissions welcome No simultaneous submissions Stories should follow the standard fairy tale structure, but can be placed in any time period. We’ll only be publishing one version of each story...

Deadline: April 30th, 2014 Payment: The elevator doors open, the lights are flickering, the gurney is wheeled into a dank, dimly-lit hallway well below ground. Does the Doctor have the patient's best interests at heart, or is something more nefarious going on? How does the staff figure out what treatments are most effective and which are not? In our other two Mental Ward collections, we asked you to tell us what happened above ground in the institute itself; what memories of the past were trapped in the abandoned hallways; now we're asking you to tell us what goes on behind closed doors. The secret experiments that are feared and whispered about among the patients. Tell us what greed, the corruption of power, and the desire to be remembered will drive a Doctor to do the unthinkable to the unfortunate patients left in their care. Tell your tale from whatever perspective you'd like, just make sure the story you tell is a depraved one. Submission Deadline: April 30, 2014 Word Count minimum: 4,000 words - nothing less will be reviewed; no reprints considered. Please submit your manuscript as a *.doc or *.docx file (all other formats will automatically be rejected. Contact us prior to submitting if this presents an issue for you.) Font and formatting: Please submit in Times New Roman, 12 point font; single line spacing with a 0 point definition above and below each line. Please format the document to 1st line indentation of .5" (1.27cm), do not space or tab to indent the line. The page margin should be set to .5" (1.27cm) on all sides. Graphic gore must be kept to a minimum unless it is integral to the story; absolutely no incestuous or sexual abuse storylines will be considered. Only stories previously unpublished may be submitted....

Deadline: April 30th, 2014 Payment: £10.00 for the first 5,000 words, then 0.2p per word on publication, plus a copy of the book Following the critical success of The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic, the submission window for Urban Mythic 2 is now open. We are seeking contemporary tales with all the magic and wonder of myth and legend, blending modern life with the traditions of folklore from around the world. Whether lurking in dark alleys or brash shopping malls, ensconced in upscale riverside penthouse lofts or humble suburban semis, we want to see the fantastic woven into the everyday. We want fiction that entertains but also pushes beyond the usual urban fantasy boundaries – action, folk tales re-imagined, mythic creatures adapting to the urban environment – be it noir, humour, dark, literary or light, there must be a recognisable mythic thread. Fully realised characters are a must and solid plots extremely desirable. What we don’t want: secondary worlds, steampunk, SF, zombies, human sacrifice, magic help-lines, paranormal romance love-triangles, erotica, religion, gore, and absolutely no poetry. Read this interview with the editors, JAN EDWARDS and JENNY BARBER, to gain an insight into their preferences. Electronic submissions only to Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber at [email protected]. Send manuscript as an email attachment in standard manuscript format (in RTF/doc/docx). Both the email subject line and the manuscript file name must include:submissions – title – author’s name – word count (e.g., Submissions – My Great Story – Jane Doe – 5000 words). Full contact details must be included on the manuscript’s front/first page as well as in the email. Submission window closes 30 April 2014. No acceptances/rejections will be made until after this date. We are seeking original fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words. Payment is £10.00 for the first 5,000 words, then 0.2p per word on publication, plus a copy of the...