Events

Deadline: August 30th, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: Horror, Noir, and all Things Dark, up to 1,500 words Announcing a new venture into short horror fiction - curated by Theresa Scott-Matthews. We are looking for the very best short horror fiction stories - up to 1,500 words (approximately - we're not going to to turn away cracking tales for being a tad over the word count!). Anything goes, subject-wise, as long as it fits HellBound Books' "Horror, Noir, and all Things Dark" philosophy! PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * up to approx. 1,500 word count * Write 'FLASH' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 30 August 2024 NO REPRINTS - ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Capped at 75K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: $150 - $250 Theme: Original weird tales and essays set in the Middle East that explore the human (and inhuman) experience through the lens of weird fiction and horror Sentinel Creatives has opened up for submissions for our anthology of Middle Eastern Horror: “Children of the Blind Owl”. Deadline for Submissions: 31 August 2024 Wordcount: 3,000 - 6,000 Remuneration: $150 - $250 Simultaneous Submissions: Yes WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR We’re looking for original weird tales and essays set in the Middle East that explore the human (and inhuman) experience through the lens of weird fiction and horror. We are looking to secure 11-13 tales of weird fiction and 1-3 essays (any length). Submissions should delve into the history, folklore, ideas, experiences, identities, religion, and philosophies of the region in some way. Time Period: We are looking for stories in both historical and contemporary settings. As the title of this anthology suggests, one of the inspirations behind this project is Sadegh Hedayat's "The Blind Owl," a surrealist, horror, weird fiction, novella completed in the 1930s. Though we hope the stories in this anthology take inspiration from Hedayat's work, we are not looking for stories set in or derived from his novella or other works. Rather, we are hoping writers will take cues from the themes Hedayat grappled with: alienation, futility, despair, rage, transgression, to name a few. Ahmed Saadawi's "Frankenstein in Baghdad" is another work that serves as a good example of what we'd like to see from the stories in this anthology. Saadawi uses, to great effect, some of the vocabulary and motifs from horror to illustrate the problems facing modern-day Iraq, with the corpse itself representing, in some ways, the various ethnic and religious groups and ideologies sewn together as Iraqi pluralism. Give us your tales of the uncanny, of the monstrous and surreal! Contributing...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: $25 Theme: Crime Fiction Inspired by Heavy Metal Hits Ozzy Osbourne. Lita Ford. Metallica. Megadeth. Kiss. So many heavy metal bands have put their stamp on the music industry. With searing guitar riffs, fierce drums and a headbanging attitude, heavy metal continues to rock out and melt faces from their origins in the 1970s through today. The intensity of that music genre lends itself perfectly to crime fiction. That’s where you come in. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 1. Your work must be based on a song that’s an original heavy metal song and cannot be a cover of a pop song. For example, although Peyton Parrish has an amazing metal cover of “Let It Go” from Frozen, it is not eligible for this anthology. Feel free to reference the list HERE for inspiration. 2. Your work must relate strongly to the song it’s inspired by, whether that’s by the lyrics or the name. 3. You still must have a STORY and a good crime/mystery. 4. LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC characters and authors very, very strongly encouraged. Be authentic! 5. All works must be original to this publication and cannot have been published or self-published previously. 6. We’re perfectly ok with simultaneous submissions to other publishers, but please let us know if you’d like your story withdrawn from consideration. 7. Please make sure your song choice is not too obscure. From past musical mystery anthologies we’ve found that readers have a lot more interest if there are songs they immediately recognize. TECHNICAL GUIDELINES 1. We’re not looking for flash fiction, but we’re not against it if it works. Prefer more in the regular short story length (3000-5000 words). 2. All submissions need to be in DOC, DOCX or Pages format. Everyone knows by now that we don’t care about fonts and spacing...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: ~2,000 to 5,000 words - $20 USD, ~5,001 to 10,000 words - $25 USD Theme: Tumbleweed. Inspired by the eerie spectacle captured in this video Do you have a tale to tell that will send shivers down our spines? Are you ready to explore the sinister depths of a mysterious phenomenon lurking in the desolate landscapes of Utah, or any other real or fictional setting of your choosing? Black Hare Press is thrilled to announce an open call for submissions to our upcoming anthology: Tumbleweed. Inspired by the eerie spectacle captured in this video, we invite you to unravel the secrets hidden within the relentless advance of thousands of tumbleweeds. What if tumbleweed isn’t just tumbleweed? Where does it originate? What dark forces propel its relentless advance? What horrors does it bring with it? Does it herald the onset of an apocalyptic upheaval, a world consumed by its sinister presence? If your story is post-apocalyptic, delve into the shadows and unleash your imagination upon a world gripped by the Tumbleweed Apocalypse. Submission Guidelines: Word count: 2,000 – 10,000 words Ensure your first 500 words compel the reader to want to go further. Follow our blind read process; do not include personal information in your manuscript. Include your personal information (name, bio, etc.) in the email body. Co-authored submissions are allowed. Reprints and simultaneous submissions are not accepted. Author Compensation: Monetary awards based on wordcounts after edits: ~2,000 to 5,000 words - $20 USD ~5,001 to 10,000 words - $25 USD Plus one digital copy and print discounts. Publication Formats: Paperback, hardcover, digital, and audio. Submission Email: [email protected] Submission Deadline: 31st August 2024 Please allow 12 weeks after the call closes for a response. Dare to venture into the sinister world of Tumbleweed, where each gust of wind may bring...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: Short horror tales set in the bleakness of space There’s nothing out here. Out in the void. Just the infinite vacuous expanse between stars, the dead zone. We were interstellar when the core died. Just shut off. Leaving us stranded. We try to name the stars, (That one’s Arcturus, I think) but they all look the same out here. Identifying our own is pointless. It’s one pinprick of light amongst thousands. There’s no one to call to. Not that they could hear from out here anyway. It’s just the three of us, me on my own sled. The repairs have not gone well. Jasmine says she’s seen something moving out in that void. I’ve seen it too, sliding along in the black, always just within the peripheral. Tar, she says. More like blackened blood, bubbles coalescing from the void. It wants to be seen, but just barely. It’s just us … dear God, just us. I know it, and she knows it too. There’s something out here. Songs from the Void is an upcoming anthology of short horror tales set in the bleakness of space. We are seeking submissions for this anthology, which will see its launch on Kickstarter mid-2025. Send us your sci-fi terrors, your Lovecraftian leviathans, your monsters lurking through corridors, your isolation fears. Whatever it is, if it’s in space and scary, we want to see it. Please follow our guidelines for what we don’t want to see, found at Submissions. Please be certain your story is formatted with standard short story formatting with your personal details on the first page. We prefer Garamond or Alegreya, 12 pt font. Stories must be at least 3,500 words long, and our loose upper limit is 12,000 words. Please, if you submit a piece longer than this, be certain...

Submission Window: August 1st - 25th for all authors with an extended window of August 26th - 31st for authors from from marginalized communities Payment: 5 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: A punk/emo/rock song for inspiration, and which creatively channels that song’s ‘energy’ into a horror short story PUNK goes HORROR A Mixtape of Musically Inspired Goth-Rock-Horror Bangers Published by Truborn Press Edited by William Sterling         Guidelines: This is an open submission call for a fiction anthology. Open call submission window opens August 1, 2024-August 25th, 2024. Extended submission window exclusively for writers from marginalized communities August 26th, 2024-August 31st, 2024. The anthology will be a mix of solicited stories and stories selected from the open call submission period. What are we looking for? Short fiction, between 2000 to 4000 words (firm limit), which uses a punk/emo/rock song for inspiration, and which creatively channels that song’s ‘energy’ into a horror short story. What kind of stories are we looking for? This is going to be a horror-centric anthology. Punk (and Rock in general) can evoke skulls, ghosts, death, human monsters, love, loss, and rage all amongst burning wastelands galore, and we think that the right stories for this collection will find fun ways to reflect that aesthetic. Please understand that the term “Punk Rock” is being used loosely, just like it was in the POP goes PUNK album series (August Burns Red is “Punk?” Okay, then). We’re excited to see stories from all across the rock spectrum. Pop Rock is fine. Metal is fine. Emo, Hardcore, Glam Rock, Stadium Rock, have fun. NOTE: The songs you choose should serve as inspiration only. One or two uses of direct lyrics are fine, but please use them sparingly.  We will only be selecting one story per band.  You...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Stories that evoke nuanced feelings and leave a lasting impression that take place in LA Note: Authors/writers who are based in Los Angeles, lived here, or have a strong tie to the area. Note: We are open for submissions for Made in L.A. Vol. 6, starting April 20 through August 31, 2024. See below for our submission guidelines and to sign up to our newsletter for updates about open submissions periods. The Made in L.A. indie author co-op is a Los Angeles-based group of writers dedicated to the support and appreciation of independent authors. We publish work by new, emerging, and established writers, including those who have been underrepresented or historically misrepresented, with a preference for writers who currently live in and around Los Angeles. Previously published and unpublished fiction will both be considered. Submissions are free. Submission Guidelines for Made in L.A. Vol. 6 Made in L.A. Writers is open for submissions starting April 30 through Aug. 31, 2024, for our sixth volume of short stories. We seek stories that evoke nuanced feelings and leave a lasting impression. We want to meet vibrant characters, hear their distinct voices, and—as always—see the action unfold in a strong Los Angeles setting. There is no word count minimum or maximum though we generally prefer stories in the sweet spot of 2,000 to 10,000 words. We accept previously published stories; please include your story’s publication history with your submission. All submissions must be double-spaced in 12-pt Times New Roman font with one-inch margins, formatted as a MS-Word, RTF, or PDF document. Please include a word count, your name, and your email address at the top of your story. To submit, we’re providing two options: Submit your manuscript via a Google Form (preferred) Email your...

Deadline: September 1st, 2024 Payment: 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poem. Also, a contributors copy Theme: Witchy stories for the Halloween special All of Them Witches As Book Worms Horror Zine enters its second year, we’re thrilled to announce that this year’s Halloween issue will be all about Witches. This time around, we’re looking for fiction, poetry, and essays of the witchy kind. Frequently Asked Question: What kind of stories are you looking for? We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction. That being said, the best chance for your story being accepted by Book Worms is to follow the submission guidelines. Make sure your story is of the horror genre, mail in your submission versus email, meet the deadline, and don’t exceed the word count limit. And if your story doesn’t make it, please keep trying. We’ve had to turn down many excellent stories due to space constraints alone. A good way to get an idea about what we’re looking for is to read our current issue or one of our back issues that are still available. A Few Tips: Mail early. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few submissions lost in the mail and that didn’t arrive until weeks after the deadline. Consider writing shorter stories. Sometimes we have just enough room to a 500-800 word flash fiction piece. It might also be helpful to explain what we don’t want. Paranormal romance (Love the genre. It’s not right for Book Worms.) Anything with a political theme. Beyond the pale violence or pornographic material. Keep it fun, kids. Submission Guidelines Deadline: September 1, 2024 Payment is...

Deadline: September 1st, 2024 Payment: 8 cents per word for fiction and $25 for artwork Theme: Literary Science Fiction and Fantasy The Basics Stories should be submitted to [email protected]. All stories must be under 1200 words (not including the title and byline). All stories over 1200 words will sadly be rejected automatically. All stories must contain significant speculative elements. This does not mean all sci-fi stories must have lasers and rockets. It just means a non-speculative story doesn’t become speculative if you include a single line clarifying the story takes place on Mars. When to Submit Because of the time needed to evaluate submissions and prepare stories for publication, Orion’s Belt has a limited submission window. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause to you. Stories submitted outside the submission window will not be deleted, but they will not be read until the submission window re-opens. Our current submission window opened March 1st. This submission window will be open until September 1st. Art Submissions Art submissions are currently open. We’re looking for cover art for issues of our magazine. Payment is a flat $25. The art should fit the ethos of this magazine and thus should feature speculative elements, but there are otherwise no major restrictions on what we’re looking for. If you have artwork you would like us to consider, submit it to us with a subject line that’s some variation on the basic format of “Art Submission - Artwork Name (Artist’s Name).” All art submissions should be directed to [email protected]. Keep in mind that we tend to take significantly longer to respond to art submissions than to story submissions, though we will eventually respond to every submission. For examples of what we’re looking for, check the cover art of Flash Fiction Online or Uncanny Magazine, though keep...

Deadline: September 1st, 2024 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Shakespeare (Vol 103) SHAKESPEARE, 1st September 2024 Pay homage or re-imagine the Bard’s timeless works. We’re looking for stories of star-crossed lovers, tragic heroes, cunning jesters, and more. If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. WHEN WILL I HEAR IF MY STORY HAS BEEN ACCEPTED OR NOT? We carefully review every single submission that comes through our door. If you’ve submitted a story to us, please be patient. We WILL let you know if your submission has or hasn’t been successful. Having said that, if you haven’t heard anything up to twelve weeks after the deadline has passed, feel free to ping us an email to check in on it. Submission Guidelines • Stories must be 2,000 (10% tolerance +/-) • Save stories in a Word document - Times New Roman font, size 12 • Include a 1-2 sentence log line for your story at the end of the document • Ensure that your name and an email address are somewhere on the document • Stories must fit an upcoming theme • By submitting your story to us, you are confirming that you are the original creator of the story • We will consider entrants whose work has been entered and published elsewhere, however please ensure you state where and when your story has been used elsewhere on the document • You will be allowed to place one call-to-action for your own work at the end of the episode. Be...