Events

Deadline: January 31st 2014 Payment: One electronic copy of the publication (due Spring 2014) and one electronic copy of Matt Leyshon’s The Function Room: The Kollection Take a hike. Seriously, I’ll know if you haven’t. I want stories that feel authentic and capture the mystery of the countryside. Befriend a hedgewitch, take up twitching, gather some mushrooms… Do whatever it takes to transport your readers from their homes and into the fields. Then send them running home to book a long course of trauma counselling! Resist the temptation to write another sequel to The Darling Buds of May or a James Herriot spin-off; the atmosphere in your story should be less than comfortable. Morpheus Tales is Britain’s most controversial horror magazine afterall - so do not feel obliged to spare the scythe. I won’t be offended by the spilling of sap, though I might be more impressed by a subtle sense of unease or strangeness. The following are a few examples of what I consider to be good horror tales that are set in rural Britain: Arthur Machen’s The White People, The Woodwitch by Stephen Gregory, The Rain Horse by Ted Hughes. The Wendigo and The Willows by Algernon Blackwood are not set in the UK, but they are also a good indication of what I’m looking for. Your story must be set in the countryside or within a rural community. It does not have to be set in the British countryside, though I might show a preference towards those tales that are. I’m looking for stories of around 3500 words. Submissions over 5000 words won’t be read. Morpheus Tales’ usual formatting guidelines apply. The deadline for submissions is 31/01/14. Send submissions to [email protected] with “Rural Horror Submission” in the subject. Payment will be one electronic copy of the publication...

Deadline: January 31, 2014 Payment: Contributor's copy and unnamed token amount LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND AUTHORS OF ALL AGES ... GOOD MORNING CIRCUSPUNKS!! I am pleased to announced that Chupa Cabra will be publishing my Circuspunk book Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie. Editing and artwork are in progress now. Look for it around the beginning of the year. Now we move on to Circuspunk 2.0. Now I want to hear YOUR strange and bizarre tales of the world of the circus, carnivals, side shows, magic shows etc. Bring me your freaks, your bearded ladies, your tightrope walkers, your magicians, your lions and tigers and bears (OH MY!). I want it all. I will be editing a book that Chupra Cabra has already agreed to publish. It will be called The New Whakazoid Circus - The Greatest Show on Paper. And I want to hear from YOU. Circuspunk can be anything from bizarro to scary and everything in between. Got a favorite author? Write a circus story in their style. ANYTHING GOES in the world of Circuspunk! Not sure what Circuspunk is exactly? This is my listing at Urban Dictionary "Circuspunk is a new sub-genre of punk/bizarro literature scene created by Charie D. La Marr aka Persiphone Hellecat aka Kotton Kandy - a former professional clown. The genre includes stories that take place in circuses, carnivals, midways, sideshows and also includes stories of birthday party clowns, freaks, magicians and costumed characters. With some elements taken from her experiences in the world of clowns (she won't tell which are true and which aren"t) the genre is a blend of truth and fantasy that takes in the usual bizarro mixture of fun, sex, satire and splatter. Also included in the genre are dark stories, Lovecraftian stories, noir stories and other variations and combinations...

Deadline: January 31st 2014 Payment: $25 USD and contributor's copy A new anthology is open. We are looking for stories that are between 3,000 to 6,000 words. This is a speculative fiction anthology for dark tales. Bugs and Creepy-Crawlies focuses on all sorts of organisms with six, eight, and millions of legs. Themes range from swarms of bees that kill, alien bugs that cause havoc to the ecosystem, robotic bugs and nanotechnology that scientists lose control of, mosquitos that spread illness to thousands, spiders that lay their eggs on the human body. We want original tales that will scare and creep out a reader. Great fiction, well written, and enjoyable to anyone that loves the weird tale. Get your writing hats on and start producing. We look forward to your submissions. Full guidelines can be found here.

Deadline: January 31st 2014 Payment: An eBook copy will be sent to all contributors and up to 5 paperback copies per author will be available to purchase at cost plus shipping. 50% of the royalties will be distributed between all contributors This is a Horror Anthology. What are we looking for? Let's equate it to the red-headed stepchild of the family. What does that mean? It means we're looking for stories of horror that may be perceived as a bit odd or different from the rest. Tales that take two steps to the left of normal instead of one. Peculiar yarns just bizarre enough to straddle the line. We're not just looking for odd - we're looking for good stories with a unique spin. No horror trope is too tired for this one as long as it's strange enough to grab our attention. Intrigue us with your eccentric imaginings, and we may adopt your tale as a part of our family of offerings.   Submission Deadline: January 31, 2014 Word Count minimum: 4,000 words - nothing less will be reviewed; no reprints considered. Submission guidelines:Submission Deadline - January 31, 2014Word Count: 4,000 - 8,000 words. Please submit your manuscript as a *.doc or *.docx file (all other formats will automatically be rejected. Contact us prior to submitting if this presents an issue for you.) Font and formatting: Please submit in Times New Roman, 12 point font; single line spacing with a 0 point definition above and below each line. Please format the document to 1st line indentation of .5" (1.27cm), do not space or tab to indent the line. The page margin should be set to .5" (1.27cm) on all sides. Graphic gore must be kept to a minimum unless it is integral to the story; absolutely no incestuous or sexual abuse...

Deadline: January 31st, 2014 Payment: $100 flat rate per each manuscript accepted into the anthology Now Accepting Short Story Submissions What happens after death? That’s the question Grey Matter Press would like you to answer. For our next anthology–working title “Death’s Realm”–we’re looking for dark, horrifying tales exploring themes from “the great beyond.” We do not want to limit your creativity with a narrowly themed collection, so “Death’s Realm” will include works of truly terrifying dark fiction that investigate the concepts of hauntings, spirits, life after death, ghostly encounters and just about any other subject that pertains to the afterlife and the horrifying things that might reside just beyond the veil. Be prepared to scare the hell out of us. Please review our Submissions Guidelines below, and feel free to contact us here on the site with any questions. or send a message to [email protected]. We thank you for your interest in considering Grey Matter Press as a potential home for your work. *”Death’s Realm” is a working title. Grey Matter Press reserves the right to change the title as necessary.   GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS Word Count: 3,000 – 10,000 words Deadline: January 31, 2014 Payment: $100 flat rate per each manuscript accepted into the anthology Formats: *.doc, *.docx, *.txt, *.rtf Contact Address: [email protected] Acceptable File Formats: Grey Matter Press wants to make your submission process easy and painless. We accept manuscripts that are *.doc, *.docx, .txt or .rtf file formats. If you have any questions about the formatting of your manuscript, feel free to contact us directly [email protected] Digital Submissions: Unfortunately, we cannot accept manuscripts of previously published pieces. (Published work includes work that have appeared online in magazines, journals and/or personal websites.) Only previously unpublished work will be accepted. We will accept your submission via email at [email protected]. Subject lines should...

Deadline: January 31st, 2014 Payment: Exposure Only Women in Horror - Issue #13 Hard to believe a year has gone by, but it has! It's almost February again, which means 'Women in Horror Recognition Month' is almost here!!! The 13th issue of The Sirens Call eZine is all about celebrating women in the horror genre! Rule One: You have to be a woman! Rule Two: It has to be a work of horror! Rule Three: See rules one and two again if it isn't clear by now... Ladies, send us your creepiest, darkest, most twisted submissions. Deadline: January 31, 2014 Sirens Call Publications is currently accepting submissions for our bi-monthly e-zine, focusing on edgy & dark fiction including Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Suspense genres. We welcome short stories (1000 - 2500 words), flash fiction (300 - 500 words), and dark poetry in the dark fiction/horror realm. Artwork, photography, film and literary reviews are also accepted as long as they are horror related. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] with the subject line of "eZine(number)Submission_(YourStoryTitle)_(YourName)" Formatting: The file should be a .doc or .docx; Times New Roman 12 point font; single spaced; first line indented. Please do not include a header. Please inquire if you have any questions, or visit our Submission Guidlines page. Interviews with both up and coming or established authors will also be featured. Take advantage of this superb opportunity to gain exposure for your work and email [email protected] with your submissions, or contacting [email protected] with any queries. Ad space is available for books, web sites and organizations supporting the literary or artistic community. A full page ad is $25. Please contact [email protected] for information. We ask for one time publication rights only; stories that are previously published elsewhere are accepted provided that you hold the rights...

Deadline: January 31st, 2014 Prize: $10 and read in audio form   Current Contest: Aliens Invade History Aliens. What’s up with these guys anyway? They’re always flying across the unimaginable interstellar void to conquer earth, and somehow, despite being vastly outgunned, those plucky earthlings always manage to blow them out of the sky. It’s like, guys, if you have the technology to traverse the great gulf of darkness, how do you not have the ability to terraform Mars? Or one of the other planets in your own system for that matter? What? Oh, right the prompt. See, Aliens are sort of a recent idea. You can probably trace the alien invasion genre back to H. G. Wells and the War of the Worlds, and you could argue the whole flying saucer sighting thing got kicked off with the Great Airship Scare in 1896, both pretty recent on the scale of human civilization. But what if the flying saucers had shown up earlier? How would the fictional aliens of today fare against the Roman Empire or the Genghis Khan’s Mongol army? That’s the idea we want to explore in this month’s flash fiction challenge. You get a thousand words. Send your entries in to [email protected] with “Aliens Invade History” in the subject-line of your email. We prefer “.doc” attachments. The winner of the contest will receive ten dollars and have their story produced in audio form to air on the podcast. Good luck and happy writing! The deadline for this contest is January 31st, 2014. Story Examples: To get an idea of what we are looking for, check out these stories. Expecting by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt Zombies Have No Respect for Plumbing by Tony Southcotte

Deadline: January 31st, 2014 Prize: £15/$20 Amazon voucher Do you like a challenge? Can you write short and snappy horror? Why not enter our spring flash fiction contest? Take a look at the photograph below…   Now, write a story in no more than 250 words, drawing inspiration from the photo. Remember, we are looking for horror, the strange, the weird and worrisome, the macabre and mysterious. When done, paste your story directly into the CONTACT form in the top menu. Please add SPRING CONTEST to the ‘Subject’ line. Closing date is 31st January 2014. We will pick one winner who will receive a £15/$20 Amazon voucher and have their story published in Massacre Magazine. Our decision is final, any moaners will be mangled. Good Luck! Source: Massacre Publishing.

Deadline: February 1st 2014 Payment: 5 cents per word April--Issac Asimov Of all the greats, who's easier to recognize than Asimov? We want to see stories that are written in the style of this master, that are in homage to him, or that include Asismov as a character. Also, please include a brief paragraph at the beginning of your story, letting the reader know what Asimov story inspired you to write this one. CALL BEGINS DECEMBER 1, 2013 CALL ENDS FEBRUARY 1, 2014 Penumbra is looking for original, unpublished stories of 3500 words or less. We prefer that writers use Standard Manuscript Format for submissions. (You can read this article by Chuck Rothman on the SFWA site on preparing a manuscript for submission if you are unfamiliar with SMF.) Please send your stories as file attachments in .rtf or .doc formats only. Please include a cover letter in the body of your email, with the manuscript title, you pen name if applicable, the exact word count of the story not including title and byline, and a publication history if applicable. Penumbra is a professional rates paying publisher, paying 5 cents per word. We will evaluate poetry submissions for each issue. We will also consider previously published stories with rights reverted to the author. Penumbra has multiple issue calls open at the same time, therefore it is imperative that you include the issue theme in the subject line of your email. Submissions that do not include this information risk getting lost in our queue and not read before the deadline. Penumbra uses Musa Publishing's house style guide, which relies upon the Chicago Manual of Style. All accepted stories will be edited to reflect Musa house style. If you have never been published before, please tell us. Penumbra likes publishing new authors...

Deadline: February 1st, 2014 Payment: $25 and two contributor’s copies     Call For Submissions for: Boroughs of the Dead II – An Anthology of New York City Ghost Stories  We are looking for your best original short horror and ghost stories set in and around New York City. This anthology of urban horror will focus on telling tales of terror from the five boroughs. Any style of horror is welcome, from the weird tale to supernatural stories, and nothing is off limits. Stories can be historical fiction or pure imagination – the only parameter is that your tale must take place in one of the five boroughs or within a reasonable distance (e.g. Yonkers, or in a tunnel under the Hudson River). The city plays a huge part in this anthology, and it is critical that the setting contribute to the story in a significant way. Think of New York City as a character in your tale, and let the story tell us why it is so. For an idea of the type of story we’re looking for, check out   Boroughs of the Dead Volume 1 or The Friendly Horror and Other Weird Tales.   Word count is generally limited to 3,500 words but you may query longer stories up to 5,000 words if you feel they fit the parameters of this anthology. Flash fiction and poetry will be considered, but preference is given to short stories between 1,000 – 2,500 words. Contributors will receive payment of $25 and two contributor’s copies. This anthology will be edited by Anthony Burdge, Jessica Burke, and Andrea Janes and published by Myth Ink Books. Sub stories in body of an email to Myth Ink Books (Click here to open email) (no attachments, please). Please include a brief note with your submission telling us where in NYC your...

Deadline: February 1st, 2014 Payment: $0.02 USD per word and contributor's copy Aercastle Narratives:  Speculative Fiction Magazine is currently reading submissions for Issue 1. Accepted submissions will be featured in Aercastle Narratives’ debut issue, scheduled for publication in March 2014. We are open to writers and voices of any genre (adventure, fantasy, horror, humor, mystery, occult, psychic, paranormal, supernatural, romance, science fiction, thriller and western stories, and very interested in reading writers who are unafraid of combining any of these genres). We are open to debuting and seasoned writers alike. We’re looking for quality tales that take us away, make us think and make us feel. To be considered, speculative elements must contribute to your story. We’re looking for those tales which have the potential to keep our readers engaged, on a plane, commuter train, library, or in the comfort of their living rooms. 2014 SUBMISSION DEADLINES: Issue 1, March 2014 deadline: February 1, 2014 Issue 2, June 2014 deadline: May 1, 2014 Issue 3, September 2014 deadline: August 1, 2014 Issue 4, December 2014 deadline: November 1, 2014 MANUSCRIPT FORMAT Submitted manuscripts must be at least 500 words and no longer than 2,000 words in length. Use a professional, easy to read font, 12pt in size. SUBMISSION Please e-mail manuscripts as an attachment, in either *.doc, *.docx, or OpenOffice *.odt files. In the subject of the e-mail, begin your subject line with “Submission” and the title(s) of your submission. We are seeking First Electronic Rights, First Print Rights, or Reprint Rights where applicable. Please include a brief author bio in your e-mail submission, with publication history and/or website with us. We’d love to tell our readers about you. E-mail submissions to:  [email protected] PAYMENT Payment for accepted works is $0.02 USD per word (i.e. $10 for 500 words, $40 for 2000 words) Payment in the form of PayPal transfer or money order (contributor’s preference) upon publication. Contributor’s copy....

Deadline: Feb 20th, 2014 Payment: Exposure & Royalties Dark in the Limelight Deadline: Feb 20th, 2014 Payment: Exposure & Royalties Flash fiction & Short Stories (1,000 – 4,000 words) Poetry and re-prints will also be considered “I promise you, one and all, that fame will not change me.” - Harietta Morgan Old stage lighting burns centre stage on a budding actor, singer, dancer? They’ve made it to the middle mark. Fame and fortune await them. But just how did they get so lucky as to have their dreams fall into their laps? Was it hard work that got them where they are today, determination, talent, even? Or perhaps it was something else, something much more sinister that gave them their gifts and their powers. There’s something dark in the limelight. Can those held beneath its spell survive the curse their greed has brought upon them, or will they perish like so many others? The price of fame can be Hell. No taboos, just let your imagination run wild. Dark fairy tales, bizarre, horror, surrealism, dark science-fiction and steam punk are all cool here. Submission guidelines: Deadline for submissions – February 20th, 2014. Word Count: 1,000 – 4,000 words. Please submit your manuscript as a *.doc or *.docx file - rtf is acceptable also (all other formats will automatically be rejected. Contact me prior to submitting if this presents an issue for you). Font and formatting: Please submit in Times New Roman, 12 point font; single line spacing. Please format the document to 1st line indentation of 1″. The page margin should be set to .1″ on all sides. Please check grammar. Upon acceptance into the anthology, you agree that Horrified Press holds exclusive publishing rights for six months from the date of publication; after that date has passed, all intellectual...

Deadline: February 20th, 2013 Payment: $10 per story   Each monthly flash fiction call has a theme. We ask you to write an SFF story (SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, or related sub-genres) that fits the theme in some way. You’ll find a list of upcoming themes below. Please only submit a story for a particular theme during that theme’s submission period. Stories submitted during the wrong submission period will be deleted unread. Though this is a flash fiction contest, we’re still looking for stories with a strong narrative arc. We want stories that introduce us to character, world, and conflict in the opening 1-2 graphs. (Conflict isn’t just a fight, by the way.) We want a middle free of too much backstory; we want forward momentum. Last, we want an ending the resolves the plot, directly or subtly. We only want stories between 500 and 1,000 words, inclusive. We pay a flat rate of $10 per story, regardless of length. Now, without further ado, let’s showcase the themes, shall we?   Send your submission in an email to kazkasubsgmail.com. Attach your file to the email. Don’t forget to include your cover letter in the body of the email. Subject Line: Flash Fiction Contest (e.g. “Flash Fiction Contest ” for the ‘Sax & Violins’ prompt). Imprecise subject lines may result in lost submissions. Here are the rules and details. Word Count: We’re looking for a piece of flash fiction that is between 500 and 1000 words long. Thus: 499 < YOUR STORY < 1,001 We won’t publish stories north or south of this mark. Deadline: At midnight, as the 20th rolls into the 21st in California, we’ll stop accepting submissions for the current month’s contest. All dates and times relate to California time (Pacific PST/PDT). Manuscript & Cover Letter: Please get close to standard manuscript formatting. However, we’ll be formatting your...

Deadline: February 21st, 2014 Payment: An equal percentage split of 50% all sales p.o.d. and e-book What kind of content are we looking for? We are looking for dark fiction / horror / psychological horror. Stories about love and loss, life and death. Feel free to pour your heartache over the loss of a loved one into your story. We are going to be very discriminative in our selection process. We are looking for literature. Not just stories. If you’re going to explore a traditional genre, we expect you to do something new with it. If you send us another textbook genre book, you will receive a polite letter of refusal and suggestions for other markets that may be better suited for your work. What we’re looking for is writing that actually frightens. We don’t want scary, young adult content. We want terrifying writing that will make us leave the lights on after we’re done reading. Or something so depressing it will make our hard luck stories read like love songs. If you think you’ve got something that fits the preceding description, feel free to review our submission policy below. If you can’t write a short story in a month, you may want to consider submitting to another publisher. We’re not looking for the next Stephen King or Clive Barker or Anne Rice. We’re looking for authors with a unique voice all their own. No children’s books, no Young Adult, and if you’re going to submit something zombie-genre it had better be amazing. NO EROTICA! Go peddle your vampire/werewolf adult content somewhere else. No explicit gore, violent sex, rape, torture, or necrophilia. If you’ve got something that would be X-rated if it were adapted into a film, our sub-label Radiation Sickness Books is putting together a similarly themed anthology for...

Deadline: February 28th 2014 Payment: Equal share of profits in the form of royalty payments We are currently looking for submissions for our first ever publication! Closing date: 28th of February, 2014. More than anything we want to see horror stories between 2,000 and 8,000 words. The tales can be any type of horror fiction, from perverted lunatics to rampaging aliens. All we ask is that it is something original. Gore is acceptable as long as the story is not just violence. We're looking for interesting characters and narratives. If your story takes place in an alternate universe or on a distant planet, then above all it has to be believable. Stories do not need to be straight up in-your-face kind of horror, sometimes a more subtle approach is just as entertaining. We hope to attract a wide range of submissions. Document format is not particularly important, but all manuscripts should be created in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx). When submitting please use the word 'Submission' as the subject. Please include your name and email address at the top of your manuscript and please also number the pages. Should you wish to hype your own ability by telling us of awards you have won or previous publications you have had, then please do so in the main body of the email. If your submission happens to be unsuccessful then we will aim to provide you with some feedback and we hope that it will not put you off the idea of submitting again in the future. We intend to make our debut release via Create Space to save on cost. All contributing authors will receive an equal share of the profits, NoodleDoodle Publications will take one author's share. If I (the creator of NoodleDoodle) use one of my stories I...

Deadline: February 28th, 2014 Payment: $10/piece + a hard copy of the issue your piece appears in. Despumation is a literary magazine published by Despumation Press (go figure). Before you do anything, read this. Seriously. As a matter of fact, it’s a really good idea if you read everything on this page and the links provided, which actually isn’t very much. Because we can tell if you haven’t read it. You’ve been warned. For our first issue, we’re concentrating on song stories: short fiction based on your favorite metal song. To get a good idea as to what we’re looking for, click here. When I read your story out loud, I want to hear the metal. Trying to figure out how to structure your story? Listen to (a) song; use its rhythm and tempo to hammer out (a) plot and timing. Are you at a place where the topic or action seems particularly “metal” to you? Read it out loud. What does it sound like? Are there some consonants that sound more pounding, or sharp, or burning, or stabbing? Are there some vowels that drone on, drag out? Use those words, but don’t sacrifice meaning. How about your setting? Does it evoke the plodding of the drums and bass? Does it look like the vocalist sounds? I know, right? It’s harder than you thought it’d be. This is what I’m looking for. Stories that celebrate a (metal)’s theme(s) and sound; stories that read like a live show. Stories that make the reader feel like they’ve just spent twelve hours with a warm beer in their hand, satisfyingly half-time nodding to the bowel-shaking pulse of a double bass, or like they’ve just crawled out of a pit and are wondering if maybe something is broken. It’ll be a challenge for the writer, but I...

Deadline: February 28th 2014 or until filled Payment: There will be five Editor’s Choice Awards for $30 CAN each. Each Editor’s Choice Award winner will receive a free contributor paperback copy and $30 amok (also amuck) adv. 1. In a frenzy to do violence or kill; 2. In or into a jumbled or confused state; 3. In or into an uncontrolled state or a state of extreme activity.   The flagship title for our planned series of volumes under the banner 'Short Sharp Shocks' is 'Amok!'. Why not 'Amuck'? We like Amok more.   Who, exactly, should be running amok? That's up to you. An average Joe snaps, an old-folk's home goes on a murderous rampage, giant monsters level your least favorite city, a good old psychopath picks up his favorite mask and hatchet or irradiated gerbils terrorize a town - the sky's the limit!   What we are looking for: Short stories with a sting in the tail. Stories that grab the reader from the opening line and shake them into submission, finally delivering a punchline like a slap in the face with a large fish. Don't be afraid to inject a little dark humor if need be, but slapstick is out.   Settings: Anything goes, any genre, any time period. If the story is compelling and the characters relatable, then we will be happy to consider your work.   Story length: We are looking for stories in the 2000 - 5000 word range. See the submissions page for other requirements.   Submission period will be from December 1st 2013 until February 28th 2014 or until book is filled, so don't wait until the last minute.   Multiple submissions: YES. Simultaneous submissions - NO.  Reprints - NO. Acceptances and rejections will go out as work is reviewed.   All submissions should be attached in an email and sent to [email protected] The subject...

Deadline: February 28th, 2014 Payment: From 2,500 to 6,000 words: $15US plus a copy of the print edition. For countries other than the United States, $15US plus a copy of the digital edition.From 6,000 to 8,000 words, $25US plus a copy of the print edition. For countries other than the United States, $25US plus a copy of the digital edition.   Publisher: Villainous Press Working Title: Steampunk: The Worlds Beyond Submission Period: January 4th, 2014 to February 28th, 2014. Publication Date: July 1st, 2014. Standard manuscript format, these files acceptable: .doc, .docx, .rtf Required story elements: Protagonist is either a (strong, empowered) female OR an under-represented race (Black, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, Asian, Native, etc.) The setting must be anywhere EXCEPT on Earth. Please worldbuild so we can “see” your setting. You may mix in dark, horror, mystery, romantic, fantasy, or science fiction elements, as long as it doesn’t overpower the theme of steampunk. This is a Steampunk anthology, so there must be Steampunk elements. A bit of electricity or dieselpunk is acceptable, but the majority must be steam-oriented. A solid plot involving a conflict of some sort. Make your “villain” believable and a good match for your hero. Stories must be between 2,500 words and 8,000 words, strict. If you use science, get the details right. You can use magic (if explained and the ground rules are set) and Aether if you are using it for propulsion or airships. A poorly edited submission will be rejected. Clean up your mess before submitting. Yes, it will be edited by no less than two editors, but if we run out of red ink, we’ll be annoyed. Submissions via Submittable or email. A link is located below this open call. World first rights for print and digital. If your story is astounding, send it to Asimov’s or Clarkesworld first. Bear...

Deadline: February 28th, 2014 Payment: 1¢ per word up to 2500 words (minimum $5.00; maximum $25.00) Big Pulp is now OPEN for submissions. PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING! BIG PULP is now accepting submissions for an upcoming Zombie-themed collection. Deadline: February 28, 2014 Big Pulp is seeking submissions of fiction related to zombies (sorry, no poems this time). zombie zombiezombie2 We love the undead, but the term "zombie" can be interpreted a lot of ways. Successful subs will look outside the box. We've seen zombie plagues, zombies hordes, zombie hunters, and zombie super-heroes. What else have you got? Characters matter. So does story. Would your story work without zombies? If so, chances are good we'd like to see it. As always, we'll consider all genres, providing they link back to the theme. So, zombie SF, zombie mystery or romance, fantasy or horror - it's all good. For this reading period, we are accepting submissions on this theme only. We are not reading or accepting work not related to zombies. Submissions that do not fall under the theme will be returned to the author. Send submissions to submissions (at) bigpulp (dot) com General guidelines and payment terms are listed below. Once again: zombies only. GUIDELINES Big Pulp is an online journal featuring genre fiction and artwork of all kinds. We are actively seeking submissions of prose, poetry, photography, artwork, and comics for our pages. We define “pulp fiction” very broadly – it’s lively, challenging, thought-provoking, thrilling, and fun, regardless of how many or how few genre elements are packed in. We don’t subscribe to the theory that genre fiction is disposable; in our opinion, a great deal of literary fiction could easily fall under one of our general categories. Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry Big Pulp requests print and electronic rights....

Deadline: March 1st 2014 Payment: 5 cents per word May--Superheroes It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a superhero theme where the only rule is that you can't use someone else's superhero. No fan fiction please, as much as we'd love to see your Spiderman slash. And keep in mind, too, that you don't have to wear a cape to be a superhero. So dust off your powers, focus on your archenemy and then save the universe. In this issue of Penumbra, we expect Marvel-worthy deeds of daring. CALL BEGINS JANUARY 1, 2014 CALL ENDS MARCH 1, 2014 Penumbra is looking for original, unpublished stories of 3500 words or less. We prefer that writers use Standard Manuscript Format for submissions. (You can read this article by Chuck Rothman on the SFWA site on preparing a manuscript for submission if you are unfamiliar with SMF.) Please send your stories as file attachments in .rtf or .doc formats only. Please include a cover letter in the body of your email, with the manuscript title, you pen name if applicable, the exact word count of the story not including title and byline, and a publication history if applicable. Penumbra is a professional rates paying publisher, paying 5 cents per word. We will evaluate poetry submissions for each issue. We will also consider previously published stories with rights reverted to the author. Penumbra has multiple issue calls open at the same time, therefore it is imperative that you include the issue theme in the subject line of your email. Submissions that do not include this information risk getting lost in our queue and not read before the deadline. Penumbra uses Musa Publishing's house style guide, which relies upon the Chicago Manual of Style. All accepted stories will be edited to reflect Musa house style....