Events

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...

Submission Window: August 1st - 31st 2024 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars? Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that. What does the timeline look like? Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout. Where do I send submissions? [email protected] What are the rules for submitting? 1. No Fees 2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form 3. Any genre 4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway's famous 6-word story "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn." 5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack - You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers. 7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. What do I get for subscribing? One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting. What if I can’t pay right now? That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your choosing. Best of all, it is...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Darker legends of the mermaid. Sirens, womenfolk (fishfolk?) who lure men into the sea. The darker the water, the deeper the ocean. The deeper the ocean, the more terrifying the inhabitants. And the ocean is very, very deep. And full of inhabitants. The thing about mermaids is… They’re not always pretty. They’re not always nice. And there’s always a tale. Maybe you’ll be okay, if you just dip your toes… We are looking for darker legends of the mermaid. Sirens, womenfolk (fishfolk?) who lure men into the sea. Of the men (or their wives!) who seek revenge for lost loves, lost fortunes, and wrecked ships. We want Tails of Tragedy and Terror, Stories of Sails and Seas and Sorrow, Accounts of Attractions and Actions, Allegories of Alligators, Apologues of Apologies, Travelogues of Living Logs! Wait. No. Sorry. Got carried away. Anyway, be they romance gone wrong, horror, sci-fi, dark comedy, or whatever genre, we want to see your dark stories about mermaids. Editor Jessica Guernsey Executive Editor Sam Knight Submissions open June 1st through August 31st 2024. Full general submission guidelines for Knight Writing Press can be found here: https://knightwritingpress.com/submissions/ TLDR: (Warning, if you don’t correctly follow the aforementioned guidelines, you will likely be rejected.) Payment: Royalty sharing only, and only through Draft2Digital Wordcount: 2,000 to 6,000 words No reprints. (Not because we don’t want them, but because Amazon is a problem.* See end of this page for more information.) Rights asked for: For both print and electronic, First worldwide, English, Exclusive anthology rights ONLY until publication (because of that Amazon problem again*) and then non-exclusive as soon as the anthology is published, for as long as the anthology remains in print. Submit to [email protected]  with the subject line of: Mermaidens 2 (story name) by (author’s name) as an RTF,...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: $30 CAD per feature and $20 CAD for film diaries Theme: Period Piece Theme: PERIOD PIECE Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Stuck in the past? We want to hear about it. For our 11th issue we are looking for submissions on period pieces. From ancient times (Last Temptation of Christ) to recent past (Uncut Gems) we want to hear your take on how films have represented, invented, or misunderstood a previous era. Send us personal pieces, film diaries, fan fiction, and experimental pieces on anything set in the past. This could be a specific film, era or historical figure, an aspect of filmmaking (candlelight in Barry Lyndon), or a broader trend in film history or present. If you need some inspiration, check out this wildly comprehensive list. Please keep in mind that we generally do not cover films made pre-1970, and please do not send pitches on films set in the future—that’s for another issue! 😉 ‍ Some ideas 💡 - Films that stick to historical accuracy or play with anachronism - Directors who engage with/avoid the current moment - Some of our favourite period films: Moulin Rouge, Gothic, Sleepy Hollow, Benedetta, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Daughters of the Dust, Embrace of the Serpent - Revisionist history and era subversion: Posse, Wuthering Heights (2011), Zama, In the Realm of the Senses - Biopics: Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters, Wolf of Wall St., Saint Laurent (2014), 24 Hour Party People - Recent history period pieces: Uncut Gems, The Bling Ring, May December - Directors: Ang Lee, Jane Campion, Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee - Overrated and underrated eras: Victorian, Tudor, 1970s… - Adaptations of specific authors: Jane Austen, Daphne Du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith… - TV: Watchmen, Lovecraft County, Mad Men… - Shakespeare Adaptations: updated and classical ‍Please note that this issue will only feature 10-12 pieces, so send us your best! What We Publish We’re looking...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: Advance of $500 to $2000 and TBD set of contributors copies Theme: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Literary Fiction Announcing Open Submission for the month of August Who We Are Dark Age Press is a small, independent publisher. We presently focus on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Literary Fiction. Our mission: to support local, independent bookstores and pop-up bookstores, and, as such, we only sell to those bookstores. Our goal is to publish two works per year. Open Submissions We have open submission twice per year during the months of August and January. We only accept completed works. Authors wishing to submit a work must send a PDF of the first three chapters to: [email protected], and mail a print version of the first three chapters to the address below. The email subject line should say: Attention Submissions - . Authors wishing to have the printed work returned should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (S.A.S.E.). Submitted works must be postmarked during the month of open submission to be considered. Works submitted outside the submission window that include a S.A.S.E. will be returned. Those submissions that do not will be destroyed. We will respond by the end of December for the August submission window, and the end of May for the January submission window. If we have not responded by the end of the respective period, you can query us regarding the status at [email protected]. All correspondence will come from DarkAgePress.com. Our mailing address is: Dark Age Press Attn: Submissions P.O. Box 470292 Fort Worth, TX 76147-0292 For Authors An author who is selected will receive: an advance of $500 to $2000; cover art; and a set amount of books to use in promotion of the book. Authors will be contractually constrained to selling only at in-person promotions or events for two years. For Bookstores...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: Stories 2500-4500 pay $10 CAD, Stories 4501-6500 pay $15 CAD, reprints are accepted at half payment Theme: Funny stories about aliens Note: Reprints Welcome THEME: COMEDIC ALIEN STORIES. SCHEDULED FOR PUBLICATION IN 2025.​ We will accept short story submissions for this anthology call between August 1, 2024, and August 31, 2024.  ​ Theme Description: Wow us with your funniest alien stories. Seriously, we want our cheeks to hurt from giggling. Examples of comical circumstances include first contact stories, abductions, interactions or curiosities, love, bumbling or blundering aliens, secret missions, capers, attacks (whether successful or foiled), and any other inter-alien or inter-species situations. Yep, humans can be in your story, too. Having touches of dark humour is okay, but we don’t want to see full on horror comedies. We also don't want to see any sexual assault (although brief, non-explicit mentions are fine only if necessary to further the story), nor any animal/child abuse depicted within the story (again, a brief mention of a past incident is okay only if it serves the story). Please do not send us any body “probing” stories. However, it's acceptable for the act of probing to be mentioned in passing for comedic effect. No erotica. Some violence is fine as long as it is befitting a comedic tale and not excessively graphic. Stories can be set on Earth, other planets, a ship, or elsewhere in space. Be as creative as you like. We’re looking for all things lighthearted, rollicking, action-filled, sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, quirky, cute, unique, twisty, romantic, oddball, unexpected, and just plain fun. ​ Guidelines: Decisions will be made within six months of the call’s closing date. Original stories are preferred. However, we will consider reprints if they haven’t been published within two years and aren’t currently under contract. No...

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: $10 per story or 1 cent/word rounded to the nearest 100 words, up to a maximum of $25. Theme: 1,000-2,5000 word speculative fiction, including such genres as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and stories involving the supernatural. Effective July 18, 2024, we are open for submissions for our inauguaral issue, planned for publication in the fourth quarter of 2024. We anticipate the initial issue will contain not more than ten stories. We will remain open for submissions until August 31, 2024. We will make final decisions on acceptance not later than September 30, 2024, after which all authors will recieve final notification on the status of their submission. Do not query prior to July 18. Stories may not exceed 2500 words. Our preference is for stories between 1000 and 2000 words. No mulitiple submissions, no simultaneous submissions. No reprints–original fiction only. Prose only–no poetry. No generative AI. Since this is our inaugural issue, the theme will be new beginnings. Stories should reflect this theme in some manner, such as character, plot, setting, or other element. Payment will be the larger of $10 per story or 1 cent/word rounded to the nearest 100 words, up to a maximum of $25. Payment will be rendered via Paypal prior to publication. We cannot issue checks or pay in cash–you must be able to accept Paypal to be paid. If you cannot accept Paypal, payment will be in the form of a copy of the printed issue Please read author guidelines before submitting. Pay special attention to submission requirements. In particular, stories must be submitted via the online form on this site. See the author guidelines for the link. We will acknowledge all submissions via email. Author Guidelines We’re eager to read your stories, but please be sure that your submission is suitable for our publication and meets our requirements....

Deadline: August 31st, 2024 Payment: A contributors copy and Royalties or $20 Theme: Dragons! Submission Period: June 7, 2024 to August 31, 2024 Theme: Dragon Mythicana There be dragons, that’s all we ask. They can be friends or foes. Dragons in space, flying dragons, dragon-shifters or whatever you have. Express yourself as the theme moves you. There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. Submission Period: June 7, 2024 to August 31, 2024 Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions; Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used. Genres: Speculative fiction, fantasy Anticipated Pay: Option: Royalty share of D2D sales, or $20.00 If D2D royalty share selected, then each story will receive a share, as will the editor and publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include: Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals; wholesale to authors; or non-D2D retail outlets. Links will be available to direct your customers to D2D outlets. Timeline Projections: Submissions close: August 31, 2024 Review: September 2024 Acceptance / Rejection: October 2024 Edits: Nov-Dec 2024 Production: Mar 2025 Published: Mar 2025 Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be the spring of 2024; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first...