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Deadline: August 22, 2016 Payment: $5.00 for poetry/flash; $10.00 for short stories and a contributor's copy Reprints Allowed Anticipated Release Date: February 2017 in print and ebook. Once again, the title should tell you all you need to know for the theme. Sharks and/or dinosaurs! We expect teeth. Lots and lots of teeth. Beyond that, pretty much anything goes. Fighting each other? Chomping teenagers on spring break? Teaming up buddy-cop-movie-style and learning to respect one another’s differences? The doomed romance of star-crossed lovers? Time travel? Monstrous hybrids? Magical musical singing and dancing? Bring it! Submission Period: July 22, 2016 — August 22, 2016 Word Limit: poetry/flash fiction up to 1000 words; short stories 2000-5000 words. Compensation: contributor copy, $5.00 for poetry/flash; $10.00 for short stories. Standard manuscript format; Times New Roman 12-point preferred. Italics for italics and whatnot.  Send submissions attached as a .doc or .rtf to: [email protected]. “Fossil Lake IV” in the subject line, please. What we look for: the dark, the transgressive, the controversial, the surreal. Horror, humor, bizarro, erotica, suspense, fantasy, historical, Lovecraftian … pretty much anything goes genre-wise and content-wise as long as it’s well-written and entertaining to read. Bonus points for somehow involving thematic elements of fossils and/or lakes. What we’re NOT looking for: Crap writing (hey, let’s be honest).  Some editorial pet peeves and tough sells include adverbs, non-“said” dialogue tags, passive voice, “was (verb)ing” and “could (sense)” phrasing, excessive blocking or stage direction. What we’re hoping for: close communication with authors who are willing to work with an editor, can handle criticism, and are just generally personable and fun. What we’re asking: One-time non-exclusive anthology rights. Reprints are welcome; just let us know where and when the piece has appeared before. Via: Fossil Lake.

Deadline: August 30, 2016 Payment: 2¢ per word, contributor's copy, potential royalties Pole to Pole Publishing is seeking original science fiction, fantasy and horror stories of 3,000-5,000 words (firm) to be published in the In a Cat’s Eye anthology, slated for publication October 2016. “In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats.” ~ English Proverb Is it true that all things belong to cats, or do they just think so? Will cats one day rule the world, or one day get their comeuppance? Either way, we want to know about it. Stories should be dark, and include a cat—which should be integral to the story. Edition and Rights: In a Cat’s Eye will be published in electronic and trade paperback in English. We are asking for exclusive, worldwide rights to your work for both electronic and print for six months. Payment: Payment is 2¢ per word for new fiction, paid at publication, via PayPal only. If you do not have a PayPal account, please do not submit your work. Bonus Royalties Multiplier: If the anthology earns out, that is, recoups all up-front costs to produce, authors will receive a royalty-share payment based on word-length of their story, at six-months from date of publication. Authors will receive one copy of both the electronic and trade paperback versions of the anthology. Submission Procedures: Submit stories through the Pole to Pole Publishing Submission Manager only:    Submission Manager In your cover letter, tell us your favorite cat quote and cat story. All stories should be in standard manuscript form and in rich text format (.rtf) only. In a Cat’s Eye is not accepting poetry. Please do not send poems. Poetry will be deleted without a response. No reprints. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but not multiple submissions. Please send your best work. Only one...

Deadline: Aug 31st, 2016 Payment: $5.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties. Crime. Punishment. Justice. Order. Security. Community. Safety. Rehabilitation. Crime and punishment has been a part of human history since the earliest days of man. And will (unfortunately) be a part as we move forward into the future. Incarceration (tentative title) is looking for stories that feature incarceration in the future. Be it some form of innovation rehabilitation, a return to public shaming, an evolution of the prison system—whatever form it takes. We want to see ideas of where the system can go to do a better job at separating out those who truly must be separated from society as a whole. Rehabilitating those who can be rehabilitated and re-integrated into society. Punishing those who deserve to be punished for their crimes. Will current crimes no longer be crimes in the future? What will be considered a crime? What types of punishments will exist for what crimes? What will incarceration be like in the future? Warning the editor worked for ten years as a Deputy Sheriff in the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center and will be looking for realistic scenarios. I am also looking at the possibly of writing an introduction to each story selected that compares the story’s incarceration setting to what is current practice in some areas today. Break the story-writing rules if you want. If you use a tried and true plotline, twist it in an original and interesting way. Original stories are preferred. Query for reprints. ALL writers are encouraged to submit. Doesn’t matter if you’re a pro with years of credits, a beginner just starting out, or a teenager - please feel free to send the editor a story. In your cover email, please tell the editor a bit about...

Deadline: August 31st, 2016 Payment: 5 cents per word and 3 Contributor's Copies The purpose of the SpeKulative,tories Anthology Series is to publish provocative and powerful tales related to a single theme. Our debut anthology Is titled AUTOMOBILIA, and as the title suggests an automobile should be such an integral part of the story that if removed the story collapses. We seek quality short stories (and poems) from every genre: fantasy, magical realism, science fiction, mystery, crime, romance, supernatural, horror, and mainstream; from drama to humor, but if you are submitting horror try to avoid slasher or gore. We are open to all genres because the focus of AUTOMOBILIA is to celebrate the influence of the automobile on the hearts and minds people as seen through the eyes of fiction writers, whatever that form may take. We are writers too so we are writer friendly. GUIDELINES: • All genres accepted. English language only. Stories from any country accepted. Previously published stories accepted. 7,500 words max for stories. Pays 5 cents per word for stories on acceptance. Negotiates higher rates for established authors. Poems also accepted. 50 lines max. Pay S1 a line. Buys first or reprint anthology rights. • Unpublished writers welcome. We provide feedback when time allows. Send your best work. • Submissions accepted as an e-mail attachment in Word, or by postal mail. E-mail to: [email protected]. Write "Anthology" in the e-mail subject line. Include a cover letter in the body of the email noting a few prior publishing credits {if you have them) and a bio. Postal Mail to: OmicronWorld, 800 Village Walk, Suite 281, Guilford, CT 06437-2762 USA. When submitting by postal mail please include your e-mail address (or a Self-Addressed, First Class Stamped Envelope) for our response. Manuscripts sent on paper will not be returned. •...

Deadline: August 31st, 2016 Payment: 5 cents per word Before submitting to SpeckLit, please read the submission details below carefully, then fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page to let us know a bit about yourself. Do not send us your submissions directly. We want to get to you know you first. Include your pen name, website, Twitter, and a link to your most recently published work (if you have one) in your initial contact. Fiction:  We are suckers for plot. If it ain’t got plot, it ain’t a story. We want each piece to have the feeling of a beginning, a middle, and an end (or inciting incident, attempt(s) to fix it, and climax). All fiction must be original. There are lots of places for fanfic – this isn’t one of them. And finally, of course, it also has to be speculative – fantasy, science fiction, myth fairy tale, dark fantasy, etc… – but no erotica and no gore. A well-placed swear word, the recognition that we are sexual beings, and off-camera violence are all okay, but within limits, eh? Besides, with the focus on plot, there’s no time to get all graphic. Titles do not count as part of the 100 words, and after your drabble, add a bit of an explanation of how you got there from the topic (but remember to keep it short!). Non-fiction: We also publish drabble-length reviews of spec-fic containing media – books, movies, video games, comics, TV shows (or even specific outstanding episodes of TV shows), etc… Make sure your reviews are non-nasty (negative reviews are fine, but be nice!), and of course, spoiler free. Again, you don’t have much space, so get to the point. Your hundred words do not need to include the title, author, director,...

Deadline: August 31st, 2016 Payment: Contributor's Copy I am also a writer and I understand that some of the guidelines today are broad and vague with lots of voids. I shall attempt to strip away the excess fat and leave you with my guidelines. For cover contest submissions, follow link. First thing’s first: THERE IS NO SUBMISSION FEE! **Submissions will be open through August 31st, 2016.** *We are hoping to publish in time for Halloween 2016* We are only accepting previously unpublished work. NO REPRINTS. Simultaneous works are accepted, please notify us in cover letter and if accepted elsewhere. We are all adults and the stories are meant for adults. I am not worried about language and sex and such, as long as it’s done tastefully and assists the story, not overpower the story itself. Genre: This is a horror anthology. Make it speculative, make it sci-fi, make it funny, whatever, as long as horror is the overall theme. Gore does not guarantee acceptance; a story that hooks us as readers and leaves us pondering our existence does. Only one story per submission, 1-3 stories of flash fiction (no more than 4k words total). I will accept simultaneous submissions, just please notify me in the cover letter. If it is accepted elsewhere, please have the courtesy to notify me promptly by e-mail so that the submission can be withdrawn. No reprints. Please add brief bio in the cover letter. Word Count: Nothing more than 5k words, anything more shall be rejected without reading. Somewhere in between 2k and 4k would be that one taboo spot that makes nuns say four Hail Marys and two Our Fathers, but, ultimately, let the story decide. Anything below 2k will be considered as flash fiction. Rights: I ask for first world publication rights without any contract....

Deadline: August 31st, 2016 Payment: $50.00 and 2 paperback copies We are currently accepting submissions for the 2017 Anthology. Deadline extended! Submissions close at 11:59PM on AUG 31st! 2017 Anthology Theme: Songs Have you ever listened to a song and wondered what the lyrics are really about? Perhaps you’ve imagined a story inspired by a song. We are looking for Speculative Fiction stories inspired by a song, in which: the lyrics and title of the song DO NOT appear in the story; and the story is NOT a literal translation of the song. For example: If your inspiration song is “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” do not use that title anywhere in the story and do not submit a story about a person tiptoeing through a flower garden. Our intent is to have a collection of stories that move beyond the obvious. Contributors will add an “author’s note” after their story that explains how the song inspired their story. Story Length: Your polished submission’s word count should be between 8,000 – 10,000 words. Eligibility: Published and unpublished authors are welcome. Middle grade or erotica stories will not be accepted. Submissions must be original, unpublished works. This means submissions may not have been previously published or accepted for publication elsewhere in any format including: self published or independently published published in other anthologies, magazines, e-zines, or websites Submissions must not be simultaneously submitted to other publications. Entrants may submit as many separate entries as they like, so long as they each meet the submission guidelines. Potential contributors must accept the Wicked Ink Books Anthology Publishing Agreement before their submissions will be eligible for publication. Timeline: May 15, 2016: Submissions open. August 31, 2016: Submissions close at midnight. September 30, 2016: All selections will be finalized and all entrants will be notified via email. Spring...

Deadline: August 31st 2016 Payment: $50 Notes: Sorry that the publisher only included their guidelines in an image We are now accepting short stories up to 8,500 words for our fall anthology. The details: Stories should be new and NOT published elsewhere Submissions will be considered through August 31st The anthology will be published in October 2016 All stories selected for the anthology will be paid $50 All stories will be entered for a Readers’ Choice Award. The winning prize is $100, Runner-up is $50 If we are interested in your story, we will send you a contract and additional details about edits, payment, and final due dates Send submissions to [email protected], and we will respond within 2-4 weeks. We look forward to hearing from you! Via: Owl Hollow Press.

Deadline: July 31st, 2016 Payment: $25 and contributor's copy Update: August 31st THE ANATOMY OF MONSTERS (For Lycan Valley) collected by Robert Teun (Twitter: @RDTEUN) $25.00 PLUS COPY MIN WORD COUNT: 3,000 MAXIMUM WORD COUNT: 10,000 CONTACT EMAIL: [email protected] PLEASE SEND ALL ENTRIES SEND AS AN ATTACHMENT. What is the biography of Frankenstein's (monster) body parts? What unholy pact did the very first vampire make to become what they are now? How did Werewolves become slaves of the moon? Who was the first Ghost in the world and how did they react? The Mummy, The Hunchback, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Invisible Man, and even The Creature From The Black Lagoon... How did they come to be? How do they deal with their new nature? And who suffers because of it? GIVE ME NEW ORIGINS OF OLD MONSTERS! This is will NOT be your usual submission call. Submissions will be in rounds. This is so you don't have to wait for ages for a response. (ALL COMPLETED STORIES MUST BE IN BY DEC 1st 2016) ROUND ONE will be the FIRST 200 words of the story, you have this to grab my attention. If you do, you'll go through to the second round. (THIS ROUND CLOSES JULY 31st) ROUND TWO will be the first 1,500 words of the story. If you're still engaging me, you get through the last round. (THIS ROUND CLOSES SEPTEMBER 30th) FINAL ROUND The decider. The final yay or nay. (THIS ROUND CLOSES DECEMBER 1st) ALL REJECTIONS AND ACCEPTANCES WILL BE KNOWN BY JAN 3rd AT THE LATEST UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. ALL SUBMISSIONS will be blind. That is to say, all details will have all the details stripped from them in the interest of equality. I won't know if you're male, female, or giraffe. I...

Deadline: August 31st, 2016 Payment: $30 Lit Select publishes multiple anthologies each year for our Love Slave and Legendary Stories Imprints. Here you will find our most recent Submission Calls. For our Standard Formatting Guidelines, please click here. Please submit stories through our new Online Submission Manager Submissions that do not follow Standard Formatting or do not include all necessary elements will be deleted without being read. Please no simultaneous submissions. Lit Select does not take queries for novels, novellas, or other original fiction works at this time. Legendary Stories: Enchanted Forests Call Open: August 1- August 31 Payment details: $30 per story Word count: 3000 - 8000 (flexible, but the longer the story the stronger it must be) Theme: Enchanted Forests Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy/Speculative (please no horror) Submission limit:One story per author max Please no simultaneous submissions. Take us deep into the forest and show us what we'll find within. Whether it's leafy branches hiding elfin lords or a steampunk graveyard covered in mechanical vines, we want to know what's hidden inside the forest and what dragons (or rogue robot monsters) our heroes will have to slay to make their way through. Paint us a vivid world that makes us want to explore the realm you create. Give us new heroes to love and villains we love to hate. We're looking for an eclectic mix of stories that give us a new view of the forest and features smart storytelling.  Please no: Explicit violence or sex for shock value.  Established authors welcomed, newcomers encouraged. All submissions acknowledged within 5 days and acceptances notified by August 15.  We look forward to reading your work. Please submit stories through our new Online Submission Manager VIa: Lit Select.