Events

Deadline: October 31, 2014 Payment: $10 and a paperback copy of the anthology from World Weaver Press. Anthologist: Rhonda Parrish Corvidae are the family of birds which include such iconic species as crows, ravens, magpies, rooks and nutcrackers. They are known for their high intelligence (they use tools and recognize themselves in mirrors!) and appear in fiction and mythology all through the ages and in a great many different cultures as well. Corvids are seen as mystical creatures, known to be companions to both Odin and Apollo, believed by the Haida to have created the earth and credited (in the form of Raven the Trickster) for stealing fire and bringing it to earth, but they are also associated with death, disease and madness. According to legend, the Kingdom of England will fall if the ravens leave the Tower of London and so are a kind of good luck charm, but they are also associated with battle and war through their connection with The Morrigan and Badb from Irish mythology. Such paradoxical creatures, it’s easy to be fascinated by them, and a great many of us are. We are looking for well-written speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror with speculative elements, etc.) of up to 7,500 words long. Nothing gratuitously gory or violent. Corvidae will be published alongside a companion anthology, Scarecrow. We intend for the two books to be in conversation with one another and so would like some overlap between the authors included in each title. Thus we encourage writers to submit to both anthologies. Please do not submit the same story to both books (if the anthologist believes a story is more appropriate for one than the other she will let you know). Rights and compensation: Payment: $10 and a paperback copy of the anthology from World Weaver...

Deadline: October 31, 2014 Payment: $10 and a paperback copy of the anthology from World Weaver Press.     Anthologist: Rhonda Parrish Scarecrows have been portrayed as everything from empty-headed geniuses to malevolent demons. They’ve appeared in literature and mythology, from as far back as ancient Japan where Kuebiko, the god of agriculture is represented as a wise scarecrow who cannot walk, to more modern representations in Doctor Who. They are  supervillains and storybook heroes, hapless and powerful. Wonderfully paradoxical creatures, much like the birds they are (in their most practical forms) meant to scare away. It is no wonder they capture our imaginations the way they do. It’s time the world had an anthology filled with scarecrow stories. I will be looking for fresh twists on these ancient characters, exotic locations (both real and imagined), three-dimensional characters, and engaging voices. Scarecrow will be an anthology of well-written speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror with speculative elements, etc.) of up to 7,500 words long. Nothing gratuitously gory or violent. Scarecrow will be published alongside a companion anthology, Corvidae. We intend for the two books to be in conversation with one another and so would like some overlap between the authors included in each title. Thus we encourage writers to submit to both anthologies. Please do not submit the same story to both books (if the anthologist believes a story is more appropriate for one than the other she will let you know). Rights and compensation: Payment: $10 and a paperback copy of the anthology from World Weaver Press. We are looking for previously unpublished works in English. Seeking first world rights in English and exclusive right to publish in print and electronic format for six months after publication date, after which publisher retains nonexclusive right to continue to publish for the life of the anthology. Open submission...

Deadline: October 31st, 2014 Payment: 4%] royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form and you will receive a contributor’s ebook copy only. We all like a dash of romance in our lives. So here’s hoping you like it in your fiction! Published by KnightWatch Press, Once Bitten will be an anthology of stories telling tales of horrific love. As you can see by the beautiful artwork by Stephen Cooney, we are looking for stories which are horror, with that elusive hint of romance. We don’t like ‘googly-eyed chicks’ and we don’t like paranormal romance (not saying a word about the publishing director Theresa though!) Think of love turned sour, or love that works well in extraordinary circumstances. Could these two peas in a pod really be pod people? What if Harry was a spider and Sally was his victim? As long as it combines a thematic element of love in a horror story, that’s all we ask. Oh, and we’d like it to be original and well written too! All submissions should: Be between 2,000 and 6,000 words in Standard Manuscript Format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html). Be typed in Courier or Times New Roman 12 Include your full details (name/address/telephone number/email address) at the top of your document. Be sent to [email protected] as .doc or .rtf documents with the email subject header “SURNAME/LOVE/WORDCOUNT”. Previously published stories WILL be considered for this anthology. Authors will retain copyright. Multiple submissions up to a maximum of two stories per author can be submitted. We will write to you within approximately four to eight weeks of the submission deadline to let you know if you have been successful. We will pay royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form and you will receive a contributor’s ebook copy only. Failure to comply will result in...

Deadline: October 31st, 2014 Payment: $150 Autumn Cthulhu is an upcoming book of original short stories by various authors.  It will be published byThe Lovecraft eZine. I sent some private submission invitations out a while back, so I have some great stories lined up already.  Now, though, I’d like to temporarily open submissions to everyone. Here’s what I’m looking for: Well, the wordsAutumn Cthulhu sum it up somewhat.  But, though pastiche can be done well, I don’t want it here.  In other words, less “Mythos” and more “Lovecraftian”.  I’m talking about the themes of Lovecraft: cosmic horror, deep time, man’s irrelevant place in the universe, horrific truths about reality, etc… So the story should be Lovecraftian, set in the fall.  You could include Halloween, and in fact I very much hope some of you do, but it’s not a necessity.  There’s a mood and a magic and a mystery to autumn; think colorful falling leaves, crisp days, rainy afternoons and evenings.  A cold drizzle. Quiet horror. I’m going to point out some stories that show the kind of mood I’m looking for.  (This is very important.)  But as I do, please bear in mind that I’m not asking you to write like that author.  And I’m not talking about the plots, either.  It’s the mood.  Quiet horror, mixed with Lovecraftian themes and Autumn. Here are those stories: The Sea of Ash, by Scott Thomas. The Nocturnes collection, by John Connolly.  Specifically the following stories: Mr. Pettinger’s Daemon, The Erkling, The Shifting of the Sands, Deep Dark Green. The Crevasse, by Nathan Ballingrud and Dale Bailey.  (Set in winter, but I love this “quiet horror” story.) As I say, the plot is up to you.  But I hope this gives you some idea about the mood and the setting. This will be the first print anthology of original stories published by Lovecraft eZine… so...

Deadline: October 31, 2014 Payment: 12.5 cents per word Fireside is open for submissions through the end of the day Oct. 31. We have very few slots open for short stories at this time, but are looking to buy at least a dozen pieces of flash. Please read ALL of the guidelines below before submitting. They have changed slightly since our June reading period. Lengths, payment, etc. Fireside publishes original, previously unpublished flash fiction of up to 1,000 words and short stories of 1,500 to 4,000 words. (Firm limit.) We pay 12.5 cents per word, with payment on completion of edits. We buy first world publication rights and six-month exclusivity, as well as the right to reprint the story once, non-exclusively, in a Fireside anthology.   Please DO NOT resubmit stories that we have previously rejected, even if you have revised them. They will be rejected unread. We do not accept simultaneous or multiple submissions. (We are not looking for poetry, nonfiction, reviews, or anything else but fiction.) What we are looking for Fireside’s goal is to publish great storytelling, regardless of genre. What do we mean by great storytelling? We want stories that go somewhere, with plot and a beginning, middle, and end. We’re not looking for character studies or metafiction or hallucinatory visions. (We LIKE those things; it’s just not what we publish in Fireside.)   I’ll let Neil Gaiman say it again, as I have in our Kickstarters. This is from his introduction to his “Stories” anthology, writing of his response to a question about what quote he would want inscribed on the wall of the kids’ section in a public library. He captured the reason why we love good stories in his response:   I’m not sure I’d put a quote up, if it was me, and...

Deadline: November 1, 2014 Payment: Royalty Split and contributor copy As part of the State of Horror Anthologies, Charon Coin Press under the guidance of editor Jerry E. Benns, will begin accepting stories based in the state of Tennessee. Submitted stories meeting the guidelines below will have the opportunity to be included within the upcoming release of this popular anthology series. Before we get to the guidelines, let’s take a look at the featured state for this release. Tennessee has a unique past which helps to give the state its own flavor. Settlers looking for farmland spread out from the original 13 states to the rugged wilderness of Tennessee following Daniel Boone’s path through the Cumberland Gap. From its humble beginnings Tennessee soon became a land of opportunities with a fiercely proud culture. Home to the Tennessee sharpshooters under the command of Andrew Jackson, Jack Daniels spirits, Civil War battle sites, and the Great Smoky Mountains, there are many tales to tell about the state. Whether you enjoy the grassy roots of bluesy Memphis, with its dry rub and saucy BBQ, or the country music capital of Nashville- home to singers and songwriters trying to make it big, Tennessee has a rich culture to entice a good story. Tennessee is southern-facing but acts as a gateway to the Midwestern region. The state lends itself well to scary stories. You could set your yarn in the misty Smoky Mountains, maybe atop Lookout Mountain. Great place names like Chickamauga or Chattanooga could be prominent in your story. Or you could incorporate the Mississippi River or any number of lakes into a dark tale. Horrors from a farm or the middle of the woods could play a part in your account of the dark side of Tennessee. Maybe you are more inclined to the upscale urban...

Deadline: November 1st, 2014 Payment: $.05/word or $25 depending on status (read below) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BlackWyrm Publishing is opening several positions in its spring short fiction anthology for general submissions. We offer professional rates (typically $.05/word) for full members of professional organizations such as the HWA, MWA, RWA, and SFWA; other stories accepted through general submissions receive a flat semi-professional rate of $25. All contributors receive copies. The collection, tentatively titledReel Dark: Twisted Fantasies Projected on the Flickering Page, focuses on the infection of (prose-fictional) worlds by movies. We want innovative approaches: if you think endless references to films or characters stepping into or off of the screen is innovative, reconsider submitting. Although the anthology as a whole will be dark in tone, it will speak to a range of audiences interested in horror, science-fiction, fantasy, and/or romance (particularly paranormal). Stories should not exceed 3,500 words. Submissions are open now and close November 1, 2014. We intend to launch the collection at the World Horror Convention in May 2015. Submit stories in standard manuscript format [email protected]. Direct questions about the focus, rates, etc. to Editor-in-Chief L. Andrew Cooper via [email protected]. Submissions sent directly to the editor will be deleted unread. Authors accepted or invited to submit may join the group at www.blackwyrm.com/movieantho for more information. Via: L. Andrew Cooper.

Deadline: November 1st, 2014 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction We love the fact that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually two to three weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the traditional sense. Fiction: All stories must be written with the first line provided. The line cannot be altered in any way, unless otherwise noted by the editors. The story should be between 300 and 5,000 words (this is more like a guideline and not a hard-and-fast rule; going over or under the word count won't get your story tossed from the slush pile). The sentences can be found on the home page of The First Line's Web site, as well as in the prior issue. Note: We are open...

Deadline: November 1st, 2014 Payment: $30 and two copies of the published book upon publication Payment & Rights: $30 and two copies of the published book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work. Editor: Ily Goyanes Publisher: Liz McMullen Show Publications Guidelines: Previously unpublished work only Desired length is 3,000 – 4,000 words (exceptions made for exceptional work) Multiple submissions okay, simultaneous submissions not okay Use a standard font such as Times New Roman – no funny business Size does matter – 12 pt. is perfect Double-space, por favor Include your contact information in both the document and body of the email If you’re on the down low, include your pseudonym in your contact information Send your submission to [email protected] as an attachment in Word format (.doc). In the subject line, include ‘appetite antho,’ the title of your story, and your last name. Subject line should look like this: Appetite antho/Hungry Like a Wolf/Gonzalez. If you have any questions, please direct them towards the same email address. Hard deadline is November 1, 2014, but the sooner you submit, the better you’ll feel. If you have not received a response by January 1, please feel free to query me at the email address above. Editor: Ily Goyanes is a widely-published and award-winning author, editor, and journalist. Girls Who Score: Hot Lesbian Erotica, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, was Goyanes’ first full-length anthology and won a Golden Crown Literary Society Award in 2013. She has also served as a judge for the Lambda Literary Awards and as a mentor for the GCLS writers’ program. Tweet her @realily. Via: The Liz McMullen Show

Deadline: November 1, 2014 Payment: 6¢ per word The Journal of Unlikely Coulrophobia: For 2015′s April Fool’s Day, we want to screw with everyone’s head. And what better way than with clowns? Officially, Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns, but we don’t want to just just get rehashes of It. So the issue is open to anything involving clowns in some significant way. Think Stephen King’s Pennywise and Danny Kaye’s Jacamo in The Court Jester, think Sacred Clowns and Holy Fools. Horror, humor, existential angst, and tears of, we’re open to all that and more, in any combination. Heck, why not see how many different genres you can fit into a piece of flash fiction? We’re looking for flash fiction (1000 words or less) for this issue, but just like a clown car, this issue’s flash fiction can fit more words than you’d expect. Specifically: 1038 words. Why 1038? Well, that’s your standard flash fic limit, plus the number of clowns that fit into a 1968 VW bug, plus the number of clowns that fit into an original Mini Cooper, plus the value of The Fool in the Major Arcana. Unlikely Story Submissions Guidelines What we’re doing: Unlikely Story publishes three themed issues a year: The Journal of Unlikely Entomology, The Journal of Unlikely Cryptography, and The Journal of Whatever Tickles Our Fancy This Year. We reserve the right to put out an indeterminate number of further sub-themed mini-issues on an irregular basis, or not, depending on how we feel. See below for specific details regarding each issue. What we’re looking for: Beautifully-written fiction, characters that grab us by the throats and refuse to let go, worlds that draw us in and demand to be explored. Genre isn’t particularly important to us—speculative, mainstream, slipstream, and the unclassifiable tales in between—we’ll...