Events

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy Theme: Dark science fiction stories related to the military and war. Note: Must be a reprint Pole to Pole Publishing is seeking short, re-print fiction for the Re-Enlist anthology to be published in late 2021. Re-Enlist will join our previous submission calls (now closed) for Re-Launch, Re-Enchant, Re-Quest and Re-Terrify and others in the Re-Imagined Series of anthologies. Re-Enlist requires dark science fiction stories related to the military and war. Send us military science fiction stories, ones you’ve had published before, for which full rights have already reverted back to you. We have open minds about what constitutes “military” and “science fiction” but we’re insisting on good stories told well. For this anthology, we want stories with engaging characters, thrilling action, rational plot lines, a compelling writing style, and meaningful themes. Our preference is for hard science fiction. We’re okay if you bend the laws of physics for the sake of the story, but don’t break them completely. It’s unlikely we’ll accept fantasy stories with magic elements. In keeping with the common element of Pole to Pole Publishing’s other reprint anthologies, Re-Enlist seeks stories that are dark in tone, but not strictly horror tales. Give us fear, death, and the disturbing side of your characters’ natures, but be mindful of the restrictions listed below under “Hard Sells” and, especially, “What We Don’t Want.” Payment: Payment is $10 per story, paid on acceptance (contract must be signed), via PayPal only; plus, one electronic and one print copy of the antho. (If you do not have a PayPal account, please do not submit your work.) Right Purchased: – The non-exclusive right to collect the stories into an anthology, published in 2021 and sold thereafter. Re-Enlist may be included in book bundles with the other books in the series. – The non-exclusive right to publish the story to the Pole to Pole...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: CAD 1/2 CENT per word for originals; 50% for reprints (i.e. CAD 1/4 CENT per word) Theme: Christmas horror with a dark and subversive theme that doesn't include Krampus Note: Reprints Welcome Note: Relisted due to deadline extension Wight Christmas is an anthology of holiday horror, and in particular stories that subvert Christmas tropes and seasonal clichés. We are seeking dark reinterpretations of seasonal traditions, and stories that reimagine holiday characters as ghosts, demons, spirits, supernatural entities, or other paranormal phenomena. Fantasy and science fiction genres are both okay, but in all cases, submissions are more likely to be successful if they are dark and subversive. No Krampus. Details: Length: up to 5000 words Genre: Christmas/horror Pay: CAD 1/2 CENT per word for originals; 50% for reprints (i.e. CAD 1/4 CENT per word) Reprints allowed: Yes (paid at 50% the rate of originals) Multiple submission allowed: No, send your best shot Simultaneous submissions: Yes, just please tell us if it is accepted elsewhere Rights sought: worldwide print and digital rights, exclusive for three months for originals, non-exclusive for reprints Poetry allowed: Yes, paid at a rate of CAD 1 cent / word for originals; reprints are paid at 50% the rate of originals. Submission Window: submissions will be open for a limited window of one week. Submissions open Monday March 15th at 12AM. Submissions close on Sunday March 21st at 11:59PM. How to Submit: we accept submissions through our submission form. Additional Information: Q: Does it have to be typical white North American Christian Christmas tropes? Are other traditions okay? A: Other traditions are okay, but these are much more likely to be successful if you are an #ownvoices writer. Subverting tropes of the dominant/majority culture is great because it’s punching up; subverting tropes of minority cultures is something we’d prefer to leave to people from those cultures. For this...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: $0.08 per word and contributors copies Theme: Identity, security, and community are inexorably entwined DARKNESS BLOOMS Identity, security, and community are inexorably entwined. For our anthology, Darkness Blooms, we’re looking for stories touching on at least one of these themes. We want you to explore the boundaries of who we are, what makes us feel safe (and at what cost), with whom we choose to surround ourselves, and our darkest secrets. Let’s explore how they influence us and our perception of reality. IDENTITY Identity is formed by not only things like race, culture, and class but also by the relationships we cultivate, the opinions and moral codes we adopt, and our choices. What secrets lie in the dark expanses between where we came from, who we think we are, and how we want others to perceive us? SECURITY Security—stability, order, dependency, structure—is an innate human need. In practice, security tends to be an illusion designed to make us feel more in control over our surroundings. What makes us feel safe, and what are we willing to sacrifice to feel that way? What happens when safety nets aren’t there to catch us when we fall? What dreadful secrets are we willing to keep to preserve the status quo? COMMUNITY Humans often seek security through community. We align ourselves with others who share our interests, culture and religion, geographic location, and workplaces. How well do you really know your neighbors, your friends, your coworkers, your family? How do we build these communities? What erodes a community, makes it crumble? SUBMISSION GUIDELINES + All submissions must inspire dread. Genre definitions tend to be subjective, so we encourage you to become familiar with the stories we’ve published here to get an idea of what sort of content we’re seeking. +...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: 2 cents USD per word Theme: An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries Die Laughing: An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries This summer we will be publishing our first hardcover anthology. We're looking for original 1k-8k word stories with off-beat characters, bungling detectives, or funny premises. Be creative, but make it about a mystery/crime, and make us laugh! Payment is 2 cents USD per word, B&W comics $25 USD. Submit using the form below before June 1, 2021 If your story is accepted, a digital agreement must be signed and payment will be sent by PayPal to the email address you specify below. We are a Mystery Writers of America approved publisher. Details can be found below: Via: Mystery Weekly Magazine.

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: AU$100 Theme: Speculative Fiction Note: Australian writers (residents and citizens) only A cicerone is a guide who shows and explains the curiosities of a place to strangers. We want you to lead us to interesting and unseen places, and help us to understand these places. We want you to be just as curious as we are. Tell us something unusual. Show us an old thing in a new light. Point out something we never noticed. Take us to a side street, dark alley, or hidden trail. Cicerone Journal is currently OPEN for submissions for Issue 5: Curious Worlds, our first Speculative Fiction showcase. For our current issue, please send a maximum of two pieces of short fiction to [email protected]. For our Curious Worlds issue, we will be accepting short fiction of 1000-5000 words from any speculative fiction genre. This is a paid opportunity: we will pay AU$100 for each piece that is published. Genres accepted include, but are not limited to: Fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy Dystopian and utopian fiction (including apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic) Climate fiction (cli-fi) Magic realism Historical fantasy Supernatural fiction Superhero fiction Indigenous futurisms Afrofuturism Punk subgenres, such as steampunk, cyberpunk, solarpunk, silkpunk, capepunk, biopunk, etc. Unsure if your piece counts as speculative fiction? Contact us via email at [email protected] or follow us on facebook at Cicerone Journal where we will be discussing some of our favourite speculative fiction genres throughout the submission period. Send your submissions to [email protected] with the subject line – . Submissions close midnight AEST 31 May 2021. If your piece is topical or time-sensitive, we are open to altering our publication schedules to accommodate it. Please include ‘TIMELY’ or ‘URGENT’ (or some equally galvanising word) in the subject line of your email submission if the piece you are submitting is time-sensitive. We will try to...

Deadline: May 31st: 2021 Payment: $5 and a contributors copy Theme: Poetry about body horror Note: Open to all poets who are women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes. To celebrate National Poetry Month, Black Spot Books will be publishing its inaugural Women in Horror Poetry Collection in April 2022: UNDER HER SKIN. This collection is open to all poets who are women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes. Submissions open March 2021 and will close May 30, 2021, with decisions made on a rolling basis. Poems to be included in the collection will be chosen by Black Spot Book's editorial staff and guest judges. The theme of the inaugural collection is body horror. This is a broad spectrum and poets are welcome to interpret the prompt in their own vision--so long as it's dark, unsettling, an on-theme. The showcase will feature a cover with hand-drawn illustration by respected horror artist Lynne Hansen and will be distributed in both print and ebook. Poems must be previously unpublished, though published poets are, of course, welcome. We accept submissions of poems up to fifty lines. Free verse preferred (please, no forced rhyme or clichés). We accept up to three poems per poet. Submissions should be submitted along with a brief bio. Each poem chosen for publication will be paid $5 and each poet will receive a copy of the collection upon publication. Poet will retain rights to any accepted poem, with first right of publication by Black Spot Books. Showcase Judges: For the 2022 collection the judges will be Black Spot Books president and award-winning author/editor, Lindy Ryan, and Toni Miller, a founding member of the Ladies of Horror Fiction (LOHF). Lindy Ryan is the president and publisher of Black Spot Books, an imprint of Vesuvian Media Group. She is an award-winning and bestselling author and editor....

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: £10 Theme: J is for Jack-o’-Lantern J is for Jack-o’-Lantern – Submissions open April 1st. Deadline May 31st.  Halloween in theme for these stories but the Jack-o’-Lantern must play a key role. We are currently calling for submissions for a series of horror anthologies – The A-Z of Horror. The series will be based on a variety of themes and will consist of twenty-six books in total. We are looking for short horror stories, between 4000 and 8000 words, on each of the themes listed below. You may submit to more than one book, but we will only include a maximum of one story from each author, in each book. Being accepted into one book does not guarantee acceptance into one of the others. The story must be your own work, to which you hold the rights. The story must not be available elsewhere and, if accepted, we will hold the rights to it for three months from the date of publication. After that time, you may use the story however you wish. Any sub-genre of horror is suitable, even extreme, so long as the story fits the theme of that book and does not include anything which may unnecessarily cause offence Payment for the story will be £10, to be paid by PayPal, as well as a contributor’s e-book of the finished book. Please send submissions in a Word document (ideally Times New Roman 12pt, single spaced) to [email protected] with the title of the book you are submitting to in the subject line. Please ensure you have included your name on the Word document. If you have any queries, feel free to get in touch using the Contact page. We aim to respond to submissions within 2 weeks of the deadline, but feel free to get in...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 (Original call had windows that has been modified to this date) Payment:CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints Theme: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality, Belief, and Practice Note: Reprints welcome As a special way to accommodate people developing stories for Strange Wars or Strange Religion, authors have the option of requesting to make late submissions. This is intended for authors who expect not to be able to finish writing and polishing their submission before the close of our submission window. If you think you will need any additional time, you can request to make a late submission here. Strange Religion: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality, Belief, and Practice Strange Religion thoughtfully and respectfully explores religious traditions and ideas through speculative fiction.  These are stories about the rituals, theology, and spirituality of aliens, AI, and the denizens of fantastic worlds depicted by scripture and religious folklore. How do Muslims on other planets pray and perform the hajj? How would AI worship or read scripture? How would interreligious dialogue change if shamanic magic turned out to be real? What would the Bible be like if it were written by elves? How would the Buddha get by today? Suppose the remains of Krishna were found—what then? What if prophets didn't only see the future but were from the future? These stories depict religion with the complexity it has in the real world, where gods aren’t just plot devices to create political tension or to give characters magical powers. They delve into the struggles of adherents of tomorrow’s religions and religions that might have been. Strange Religion fills a lacuna in the field of speculative short fiction, which often does not treat religion with sufficient depth and thoughtfulness. These stories reconsider theological topics—incarnation, reincarnation, revelation, miracles, and the like—through the lens of science fiction and fantasy.  They put...

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 (Original call had windows that has been modified to this date) Payment:CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints Theme: Speculative Fiction of Coalitions in Conflict Note: Reprints welcome As a special way to accommodate people developing stories for Strange Wars or Strange Religion, authors have the option of requesting to make late submissions. This is intended for authors who expect not to be able to finish writing and polishing their submission before the close of our submission window. If you think you will need any additional time, you can request to make a late submission here. Strange Wars: Speculative Fiction of Coalitions in Conflict Strange Wars explores military conflict through speculative fiction. These are stories with an original take on organized aggression. For science fiction stories about war: What will warfare look like in a hundred years? How will technology reshape war? Will they still be fought on traditional battlefields, or will completely new frontiers open? Will the major parties to conflict change? Will wars between nation states be replaced by corporate wars, proxy wars, and insurgent conflicts? We are interested in stories that explore military implications of: drones, Lunar and Martian colonies (or expansion into space generally), cryptocurrency, privatized military forces, non-state actors in military conflict, 3D-printing, hacking, environmental catastrophe, renewable energy sources, artificial intelligence, and other themes. For fantasy war stories about war: How can magic, gods, parallel worlds, or otherworldly societies reshape our conception of war? Are other forms of organized conflict possible? Can such fantastic visions serve as thought experiments and expand our understanding of conflict? What kind of magic could make a world without war possible? If it's not possible, why not? If it is, at what cost? These fantasy stories explore war through speculative world-building, inventing fantastic premises and revealing their consequences through...

Submission Window: May 1st-May 31st, 2021 Payment: An advance and royalties Theme: Novel and Novellas that are literary; incorporating the fabulist, the uncanny, the dark, the weird, the horrific, the numinous, the surreal, the gnostic, the esoteric, and the avant-garde. Strange tales for strange times. It’s that liminal area where genre and literary fiction meet. WE WILL BE OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS FROM MAY 1, 2021 TO MAY 31, 2021 FOR NOVELS AND NOVELLAS ONLY. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Note - Manuscripts must be original and previously unpublished anywhere, in any format, on any platform. Please do not query about reprints. We are unable to return manuscripts. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please inform us if you place the manuscript elsewhere. Translated work is welcome as long as you are offering first English-language rights. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Undertow Publications only publishes a few books a year. Regrettably, then, we have to turn down good work. We publish in hardcover, trade paperback, and eBook, though not all projects will be published in all formats. So as to not waste your time and our time, please make yourself familiar with our books. Our aesthetic is literary; incorporating the fabulist, the uncanny, the dark, the weird, the horrific, the numinous, the surreal, the gnostic, the esoteric, and the avant-garde. Strange tales for strange times. It’s that liminal area where genre and literary fiction meet. We accept submissions from anyone—regardless of race, gender, or sexuality—and think it is imperative to promote new writing from a diverse cross-section of society. Agented and non-agented submissions are welcome. WHAT WE WANT: We currently have 2 open slots in our 2022 publishing schedule. NOVELLAS We are seeking previously unpublished standalone novellas, in English. Word count should be between 17,500 - 42,000 words. We offer a small advance against royalties. NOVELS...