Events

Deadline: April 15th, 2020 Payment: $10 Theme: Murder mysteries where someone has to wear a trench coat Note: Reprints Welcome Submission guidelines for The Trench Coat Chronicles Send us your best murder mystery stories! There is one requirement: your story must include a trench coat. We want creativity! While we love Dick Tracy and Humphrey Bogart, we really don’t want any story to contain those particular characters. Give us new, unique tales. We want our readers to be immersed in each story and invested in each character. Is the coat worn by the detective? The victim? The reporter? Is it peripheral to the story or the focus of it? In fact, the trench coat itself could be one of your characters! We want fiction between 500 and 3,500 words in length. We suck at math so if you go over by a bit, we’re not going to slap your wrist. We won’t even know. But just a little bit. Uninvited are screenplays and nonfiction. Also uninvited are stories that are publicly available on any website, such as a Facebook page or Wattpad. We will not accept stories with graphic adult content (no old-men-enticing-little-girls or flasher stories), and yes, we’ll know bad taste when we see it. We want YA readers to enjoy the published anthology without parental balking. Submissions will open at 12:00:01 a.m. EST on the Ides of March, March 15, 2020 and will close at 23:59:59 EST on April 15, 2020. The judges will not read submissions as they arrive; they will begin to read submissions on April 16. You will receive a status notification (rejected or accepted) approximately three months after submissions close (sometime in July). Judges will only offer an acceptance or rejection email, without feedback. Along with their thanks for submitting, of course, either way. There...

Submission Period: April 13th - April 17th, 2020 Payment: 12.5 cents per word Theme: Short pieces that still tell great stories and make us laugh, cry, or transport us to new worlds. Fireside is currently closed to submissions. During our submissions periods, there will be a form for uploading your submission on this page. Fireside holds a submissions period for each upcoming issue of Fireside Quarterly. In 2020, Fireside will be open to submissions for short stories during the following periods: April 13, 2020 to April 17, 2020 Submissions period for the Winter 2021 Issue June 15, 2020 to June 19, 2020 Submissions period for the Spring 2021 Issue August 23, 2020 to August 27, 2020 Submissions period for the Summer 2021 Issue November 30, 2020 to December 4, 2020 Submissions period for the Summer 2021 Issue Guidelines We welcome previously unpublished work (‘published’ includes work posted on Patreon or on a blog) in English or Spanish from all writers, and we are especially interested in seeing work from people of color, LGBTQIA people, disabled people, members of religious minorities, and people outside the United States. We strongly encourage submissions from people of those backgrounds, and all others whom traditional publishing has historically excluded. Below you will find our submissions guidelines for: Short Stories Poetry Non-Fiction Novels and Novellas Artwork If you have any questions about how to submit please email us at: [email protected]. Accessibility We use an online form to gather submissions, but we understand that this may not be universally accessible to disabled people. If you have questions related to accessibility, please email us at [email protected] with the subject line: Accessibility Query. Accessibility Queries should only contain a request to submit by alternate means, and not be a submission. Any submissions sent via email will be deleted unread. Short Stories We accept...

Deadline: April 20th, 2020 Payment: $10 Theme: Work that makes us examine our own lives through the context they provide. Calling All Crows! “WHEN THE GOING GETS WEIRD, THE WEIRD TURN PROFESSIONAL.” ― HUNTER S. THOMPSON The first issue of the Laughing Crow Lit Mag is under way, and we are accepting submissions from Feb 1, 2020 until April 20, 2020. We are on the lookout for writers and artists who are able to make us examine our own lives through the context they provide. We are looking for original works. Upon acceptance, Laughing Crow Lit Mag retains first serial publication rights. Upon publication all rights revert to the author. All accepted pieces earn a $10 payout upon acceptance, paid to the author or artist via PayPal. FICTION! Please submit one piece of fiction of up to 5000 words, or up to 3 flash pieces of no more than 700 words each. Manuscripts should use standard manuscript format (Times New Roman, 12-pt font, double spaced). Please send via email to [email protected]. The subject line should read: SUBMISSION: . Include your cover letter and bio in the body of the email with your submission attached in one file, using .docx or .pdf format. CREATIVE NONFICTION! Please submit one piece of CNF of up to 5000 words, or up to 3 flash pieces of no more than 700 words each. Manuscripts should use standard manuscript format (Times New Roman, 12-pt font, double spaced). Please send via email to [email protected]. The subject line should read: SUBMISSION: . Include your cover letter and bio in the body of the email with your submission attached in one file, using .docx or .pdf format. POETRY! Please submit three to seven pieces, ten pages maximum. Manuscripts should use standard manuscript format (Times New Roman, 12-pt font, single...

Deadline: April 21st, 2020 Payment: $20 Theme: Stories based on the seven deadly sins Note: Reprints accepted Stories involving one of the Seven Deadly Sins Works: short stories Genre and theme: Horror, extreme horror (no glorified rape, child abuse or animal torture) Deadline: April 21st Format: Attach the .RTF, .DOC, or .DOCX Word Count: 5k-10k Multiple Submissions accepted Reprints Accepted Submit a bio Payment: $20 per story accepted Send submission to: [email protected]

Deadline: April 25th, 2018 Payment: $3 Theme: A 1-1000 word story about Reflection The photo for inspiration can be found right here. Please make sure to read ALL the instructions on this page (especially the sections on 'Copyright' and 'Compensation' before submitting a piece of writing or artwork. We take a submission to With Painted Words as your permission for us to publish your work and do not send out other formal contracts. Thank you. Piece of Writing We accept works of fiction - and poetry - of up to one thousand (1000) words, at most, in length. This is the maximum amount - if you can tell a compelling story in as little as fifty words, for example, then you are more than welcome to do so. All submissions must be inspired by the current section Key to fiction types: Flash Fiction 501-1000 words Micro Fiction up to 501 words Poetry   Please make sure to include your full name/s, e-mail address, and bio (including a link to your personal site/blog) with your submission and, if you so choose, the thought process behind your story. Please send your submissions by the deadline stated in the current section .  Pieces received after the deadline cannot be considered for publication. 'With Painted Words' reserve the right to reject any submission without explanation. Deadline:- This will usually be the 25th of the month, each and every month - any exceptions will be clearly notified.     Piece of Artwork 'With Painted Words' is always open to artwork submissions - they are the heart and soul of the site and inspire the stories! We prefer .jpeg files for artwork submissions. Please don't upload files larger than 1mb - if your image is larger than this then use the email submission method instead. Please make sure...

Deadline: April 30th, 2020 Payment: $5 We adore Godzilla, we watch in rapture whenever giant monsters storms across a story, crushing cities, dreams and of course any other monster that gets in its way. Sure, so many of those old movies are hokey as sin now, hardly watchable at times. But we have faith that you can make us tiny mortals tremble once more. We want your stories of massive monsters causing mayhem, from strange things rising from the ocean to dragons emerging from subway tunnels. We crave destruction on a scale that only the Kaiju can bring. We will not accept any stories about rape. Racism/Sexism/Bigotry of any form will never be accepted here. Stories over 1500 words preferred. Double check your grammar and spelling. Format your story correctly. Please submit all stories in DOC/RTF format. We prefer stories that have not been published before. We prefer to avoid multiple and simultaneous submissions. We retain exclusive publishing rights for 12 months. We pay $5.00 for stories We provide a digital contributor copy free and at cost+shipping physical copies Acceptance/Rejection letters will be sent out once submissions are closed. Submissions Will Close When Enough Stories Have Been Collected or on 4/30/20 Via: Madness Heart Press.

Deadline: April 30th, 2020 Payment: 2¢ per word for original stories ($15 flat rate for reprints) Theme: Twenty Thousand Leagues Remembered will contain short stories that pay tribute in some way to Jules Verne’s novel. Note; Reprints Welcome Pole to Pole Publishing is seeking fictional short stories for its upcoming anthology, Twenty Thousand Leagues Remembered, to be published in June 2020, on the sesquicentennial of Jules Verne’s work. Since June 20, 1870, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea has been hailed as a classic, translated and reprinted in numerous book versions, transcribed for stage, movies, and TV miniseries, made into video games and a theme park ride. The book has inspired countless submariners, undersea explorers, and ship designers, not to mention armchair adventurers. We can’t let this anniversary pass unnoticed, so will launch this anthology as our tribute to the Father of Science Fiction and his masterwork. Pole to Pole Publishing welcomes Steven R. Southard as a co-editor of this anthology. Twenty Thousand Leagues Remembered will contain short stories that pay tribute in some way to Jules Verne’s novel. Set your story in any time or place; use characters from Verne’s novel or make up your own. You need not write in Verne’s style. The mood of your story need not be dark, as other Pole to Pole Publishing anthologies have been. Aim to capture, in your own way, the sense of wonder and adventure for which Jules Verne is famous. The connection between your story and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea must be obvious and significant, and your story must not disparage either the novel or its author. Stories should be 3,000-5,000 words (firm). Hard Sells: Profane and vulgar language. Because we market to both adult and YA readers, if you use an F-Bomb, and we accept your story, we’ll probably ask you to...

Deadline: April 30th, 2020 Payment: Royalties Theme: horror stories about bedtime, dreams, sleep, and nighttime in general! Note: Reprints welcome We’re looking for horror stories about bedtime, dreams, sleep, and nighttime in general! The parameters for this project are intentionally broad, and the possibilities are endless – monsters under the bed, horrors hiding in closets, things that go bump in the night, beings that lurk on the shore between dream and reality, nightmares that come true, scary (and original) bedtime stories, and whatever else you’re inspired to write!  (Please note: this anthology is not aimed at children, but we are open to stories appropriate for children.) Deadline: April 30th or until filled. As payment, authors will receive royalties divided by word count. These are general guidelines for ALL anthology submissions. We’re looking for stories between 500-7500 words. A few words under or over won’t necessarily disqualify a story, but please keep as close to the guidelines as possible. Stories MUST fit within the horror genre. ANTHOLOGIES: At this time, we are primarily seeking short stories between 500 and 7500 words for themed anthologies. These submissions will be given priority. You will be notified whether your submission is accepted or rejected. For anthology pieces, you will be notified no later than four weeks after the submission deadline. For all other pieces, you will be notified within 10 weeks of the date of your submission. If you have not received a response by that time, please email us. Via: Soteira Press.

Deadline: April 30th, 2020 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: Short tales about Native-American healers. Let your imagination roam and put our readers in the middle of the action. We want complete stories from the POV of the spirit walker. We are looking for tales that delve into the rituals and history of being a healer. How does one become a spirit walker? Can a tribe have more than one? How are they chosen? What are they asked to do by the tribe? Do they live apart? Do they have assistants or apprentices that help them? Are they reincarnated? Do they live many lives? Please keep foul language to a minimum-it loses its punch if over-used. Dialogue needs to be believable, and please keep dialects/slang to a bare minimum if you must use them. No head-hopping or POV changes. Pick one point of view and stick with it. Please show more of the action than just telling the reader what happens. Submissions of both short stories and novellas to this anthology are welcome, please keep in mind the minimum word count is 4,000 and the maximum word count is 17,500. This anthology is a great opportunity to showcase emerging writers and allow them to build their professional platforms. Submission Deadline: April 30, 2020, with a targeted release date of mid-June 2020. Submit your best work. Poorly formatted and unedited work will be turned down. Please use Americanized English spellings. We will be doing light editing as necessary to fit the standards we strive to maintain. Submission Guidelines: Any work under 4,500 words will be automatically disqualified for this anthology. The work must not have appeared in print or online anywhere before. All submissions must be in English. Each author may submit up to three (3) unique works—please submit them separately. Work must be in Microsoft Word or...

Deadline: April 30th, 2020 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: Punk! punk 1. a loud, fast-moving, and aggressive form of rock music 2. a worthless person (often used as a general term of abuse) 3. an inexperienced young person 4. a criminal 5. substance that smolders when ignited 6. in poor or bad condition 7. to trick or deceive 8. to utterly defeat How do you define “punk”? Give us your take on the nuances of this word! Edited by Christine Taylor, a collection of poetic voices ready to explode. Submissions are open February 1, 2020 through April 30, 2020. Please send ONE previously unpublished poem of any style, form, and length that speaks to the vision of the anthology to [email protected] with the subject line “ANTHOLOGY— .” Submissions are free and open to all, including current contributors to the journal. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. We ask for First World Rights upon acceptance, and rights revert to the author upon publication. Contributors will receive a $10 USD honorarium and one copy of the anthology Via: Kissing Dynamite Poetry.