Events

Deadline: December 1st, 2014 Payment: TBA after Kickstarter. It’s that time again! The third annual volume of Bikes in Space is in the works, this time with a monster twist. This year’s theme is zombies and bicycling. You may take that as literally (pedal powered undead? cycling zombie hunters?) or figuratively (what has automotive technology done to our brains?) as you like. Stories on non-zombie related themes will also be considered. Stories that are accepted will all have a feminist perspective (more about that) and incorporate bicycling in some way, whether or not they are actually about bicycles. We eagerly read all submissions but are particularly excited to receive stories that feature more diverse perspectives than have been classically found in sci fi. The deadline for volume 3 is December 1, 2014. Story submissions should be approximately 1,200 words. If your story needs to be longer or shorter, then by all means write it to be the length it needs to be and submit it anyway. There are no formatting, document type, or style requirements, and no strict definition of what exactly counts as science fiction. Payment will be upon publication; publication is contingent on successful Kickstarter funding, and payment amount will be determined by funding amount. Send submissions and questions to elly at takingthelane dot com. Via: Taking The Lane.

Deadline: December 1st, 2014 Payment: .02/word (up to 5k words) Episode Seven is an open genre call, meaning you can submit any popular fiction genre you want! Submissions were scheduled to open on November 1 and they are! Because they didn’t open until after noon, Eastern time, we’re adding an extra day. Submissions for Ep Seven will close on December 1, rather than November 30. If you’re interested in submitting, head on over to our Submission Guidelines page! We look for well-written genre fiction to fill our valley with story! Most episodes will pair two genres, sometimes similar ones, sometimes distinctly different ones, so we are open to all types of popular fiction. Because each episode features eight or so stories of two genres, we will put out a call for those genres first, but we will accept other genres as well, for future episodes. Please note that we are an editorial publisher. Check out our Editorial Musings blog post for what that means to us and to you if accepted. You can find any and all submission calls on our Submittable Page. It’s important that, as a writer, you know the market you’re submitting to. Each publication has their own style and their own ideas of what makes a great story. We suggest purchasing at least one episode of Fictionvale so that you can familiarize yourself with the types of stories we find worthwhile to publish. You can go for one of the genre free-for-alls, or a genre-specific episode, as they’re published. Guidelines Length & Format: Up to 5000 words, including flash (<1000 words) and micro-fiction (<100 words). Standard manuscript format: 1″ margins, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt. You really need to pay attention to this. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of single-spaced entries. Note that if you...

Deadline: December 1, 2014. Payment: $15 for any one accepted piece. If two pieces are accepted we pay $20 total. If three pieces are accepted we pay $25 total. The most any one author will receive is $25 for this anthology. Also 2 complimentary copies of the print anthology. Purple Passion Press is seeking submissions for our first anthology on the theme of “the dead.” Submit poetry and literary flash fiction dealing with the dead that walk alongside us, the afterlife, ghosts, spirits, hauntings and the supernatural—the theme is open to interpretation. We like vibrant language with stunning imagery and emotional impact. Send us work that surprises and resonates. We seek literary poetry and prose where imagination, beliefs, and humanity lead us to examine and explore the lives of the dead. Where have they gone? Or are they still here? Purple Passion Press seeks to include a variety of distinctive voices. Deadline December 1, 2014. What we accept: Poetry: Up to 40 lines. Poetry: Submit 1 – 3 poems. Flash fiction: 750 words or less. Flash fiction: Submit 1 – 2 pieces. All submissions must be sent to us via Submittable. Please include a short, third person bio in the cover letter. For this anthology we do not accept simultaneous submissions. We will do our best to inform you of our decision within 2 – 3 months. Previously published works will be considered. But please make sure you let us know where it was previously published in your submission, so that if it’s accepted, we can include it in the credits. Also make sure all the rights to the work have reverted back to you. Purple Passion Press Pay Rate & Rights Purple Passion Press editors will select their favorite poem and/or fiction for nomination for the Pushcart Prize and possibly...

Deadline: December 10th, 2014 Payment: 4% royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form. You will also receive a contributor’s ebook copy. Knightwatch Press are putting together a brand new zombie anthology, and we need your brains. Sunny with a Chance Of Zombies is set for release in Summer 2015, and we’re looking to fill it with a collection of strangely uplifting stories to go with the lighter season. Have you got what it takes to bring something new to the walking dead? We want original ideas that defy the expectations of our readers. Surprise us with your settings, bring us some new or skewed perspectives, horrify us by all means, but above all make us smile. Send your story to [email protected] as either a .doc or .rtf file. The subject of your email should have your Surname, the word Sunny and your word-count in it. To avoid disappointment please ensure your submission reflects the brief and sticks to the following format: Between 2000-6000 words long, in Standard Manuscript Format Typed in Courier or Times New Roman 12 Include your full details (name/address/telephone number/email address) at the top of your document Failure to comply will result in… being dumped in a brutal zombie-infested post-apocalyptic world. With no wifi. Previously published stories will not 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 between four and eight weeks after the submission deadline to let you know if you have been successful. We will pay 4% royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form. You will also receive a contributor’s ebook copy. Via: Knightwatch Press

  Deadline: December 12th, 2014 Payment: $15 and contributor’s copy Theme: The good neighbors, the folk under the hill, the fae. Spirits, ghosts, and outsiders, often thought to be gods. They step into the real world to play, not caring or knowing how humans live. And like children playing with dolls, they have the power to completely change the story. We are looking for fiction prose only, 500 to 10,000 words.  We may consider longer pieces , but please message us first before submitting.  All works must be original, no fan-fiction. Simultaneous Submissions: No Multiple Submissions: Yes Reprints: Yes, but let us know where it has been previously printed and make sure you have the rights to have it reprinted. Questions? Send them to [email protected]. Make sure to "Faed" in the subject of your email. Click to submit through submittable Via: A Murder Of Storytellers

Deadline: December 15th, 2014 Payment: 6 cents a word (Canadian $, eh) and a contributor’s copy in each format released (paperback, hardcover, MOBI, ePub). Note: Female Authors Only! She Walks in Shadows, the first all-woman Lovecraft anthology, will hold an open submissions period from November 15, 2014 to December 15, 2014. DO NOT SEND STUFF BEFORE THAT DATE. Keep the following in mind: Submit short stories inspired by the work of Lovecraft that focus on a woman or female deity. It may be a character from Lovecraft’s work or someone of your own creation. You are not restricted to the 1920s as a setting. Steampunk, dieselpunk, noir, and any other sub-genre you can imagine are fine with us. Give us your best and most polished work. And yes, you must be a woman to submit. Women only. To avoid the Asenath effect (that means every character in the anthology would be Asenath Waite), we asked the authors who are contributing stories to pick a different character from a Lovecraft story. While you are not bound to these restrictions, we suggest that if you use a character from Lovecraft’s fiction, you avoid the usual suspects (Asenath and Lavinia). Consider interesting and novel settings for your stories. Surely, strange Lovecraftian entities haunt contemporary Nunavut or the Inca fought strange webbed monstrosities centuries ago. Anne Boleyn, evil sorceress or woman fighting the good fight against the Mi-Go? We may never know. Or maybe we will. POCs are highly encouraged to send stories. Transgender writers: same thing. Stories may be sent in French, English, or Spanish. We can read all three languages. Story length is up to 4,000 words with a pay rate of 6 cents a word (Canadian $, eh). No reprints, please. Submit your final story as a Word or RTF attachment...

Deadline: December 15th,2014. Payment: Selected submissions will be contracted for publication with royalties paid on paperback and eBook purchases. Selected submission writers will receive free contributor copies of publication in print form. Note: That payment is a little vague so I'd make sure that you work that out before signing on the dotted line. We are currently accepting short story submissions for our FRESH MEAT Chapbook. This is for new writers to the horror scene. Submissions are for unpublished or self published writers only.(Unpublished means no pro sales of your work by another publisher. Exclusions for magazine publication.) Submission must not have been published in any form. Any subject matter within the horror genre is acceptable. Maximum word count is 20,000 words. Submissions will close on or near December 15th,2014. Selected submissions will be contracted for publication with royalties paid on paperback and eBook purchases. Selected submission writers will receive free contributor copies of publication in print form. Submit in Word document sent to Sinister Grin Press at [email protected] Via: Sinister Grin Press.

Deadline: December 16, 2014 Payment: 1 cent a word or $25 maximum upon publication BLIGHT Digest is a dark fiction and horror magazine debuting October 7th, 2014 from One Eye Press, the publisher of Shotgun Honey (Crime) and The Big Adios (Western). Featuring 10 harrowing stories from emerging and established writers, BLIGHT Digest will be produced in both print and digital formats and available through Amazon.com and our website. Current Submission Window: September 16, 2014 – December 16, 2014 What we are looking for? Well written stories that play out the human experience against unimaginable and terrifying odds. Dark fiction that defined more by the story than the splatter. We are open to supernatural, psychological and physical fear. What we aren’t looking for? Do not try to shock us with excessive gore, rape and brutality. We are not looking for any sexually explicit stories, be it with a human or a creature of fantasy. We are not looking for tame, but there has to be an actual story in the stories. The Guidelines: Word Count: Between 2000-5000 words. Submissions: No multiple submissions, original stories preferred, but we will consider reprints for stories having been out of print for 18 months or longer. Review Period: Please allow us 8 weeks to respond to your story before revoking or sending your story elsewhere. Our editors will make every effort to respond expediently. Editing: Submit well edited work. Formatting: Indented, double space, single paragraph returns, no special fonts or styling other than bold or italics. We recommend you follow this guide by William Shunn. File Formats: Submit stories as .doc, .docx or .rtf files. Payment: 1 cent a word or $25 maximum upon publication. Serials are considered multiple submissions and will be paid accordingly.

Deadline: December 20, 2014 Payment: $0.06 per word for original fiction; $0.03 per word for reprints - See more at: http://escapepod.org/guidelines/#sthash.9ph90VxS.dpuf Note: Only Female Authors! Special Announcement: Escape Artists presents ARTEMIS RISING: A Celebration of Women in Genre Fiction Between now and December 20, 2014, Escape Pod is accepting submissions of woman-authored science fiction for ARTEMIS RISING, a month of audio fiction celebrating women in genre fiction, airing in February 2015. Payment: $0.06 per word for original fiction; $0.03 per word for reprints We are an SFWA qualifying market for original fiction and pay professional rates. Who can submit? Anyone who identifies as a woman, to whatever degree that they do. All non-binary folk are welcome. Additionally, we strongly encourage submissions from people of backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented or excluded from traditional SF publishing, including, but not limited to, people of color, LGBTQ or non-binary gender people, persons with disabilities, members of religious minorities, and people from outside the United States. Our goal is to publish science fiction that reflects the diversity of the human race, so we strongly encourage submissions from these or any other underrepresented groups. What can I submit? Science fiction stories between 2,000 and 6,000 words. You may submit up to 1 original story and 1 reprint for consideration in ARTEMIS RISING, although original stories are strongly preferred. If you already have a submission in regular Escape Pod slush, you may still submit to ARTEMIS RISING. You can expect a response by mid-January 2015. Although we’ll be accepting a limited number of stories for ARTEMIS RISING, all submissions will also be considered for Escape Pod proper. How do I submit? Email your submissions to submit AT escapepod DOT org, using the subject line ARTEMIS RISING SUBMISSION: Storyname (e.g. “ARTEMIS RISING SUBMISSION: Attack of the...

Deadline: December 20th, 2014 Prizes: One lucky author will win a prize for best story ($15). Two-runners up will receive $10 and $5, respectively for second and third place. Note: This is a contest issue so while winners can receive payouts, not everyone will Shinigami Stories: Reaping the Harvest of Souls—CONTEST ISSUE. Stories about the Grim Reaper. Stories can be any genre, though horror might be the most common one concerning the God of Death. If you could craft me a shinigami story that has sci-fi or fantasy elements, that would make my inner genre-blender lover boogie. Also, consider making the reaper a woman. Neil Gaiman did and it worked wonders for him. But don’t copy his version of Death. Make it your own. Also, no “Bleach” fan-fic or fan-fic of any other previous works featuring shinigami or a death god. As this is going to be a contest issue, I won’t be accepting Poetry, Drabbles, or Microfiction for this one. I will be accepting Flash and Short Stories ONLY. I will accept reprints, as usual, if the rights have reverted back to the author. One lucky author will win a prize for best story ($15). Two-runners up will receive $10 and $5, respectively for second and third place. I’m a broke-ass college student, but I’m also an author, and I know what it’s like to not get paid for your hard work. It’s been awhile since I could afford to do a contest issue, so I’m glad I’m able to do one again. Unlike the last issue, which was a reader’s poll, I may want to have judges for this one.Also, I would like 3-6 judges for this one. You can not be a judge if you are submitting a story. I will not be judging but will be...

Deadline: December 31st, 2104 Payment: A minimum of 1-cent-per-word and 2 copies of the anthology for non-exclusive reprint rights. Submit to Year’s Best Weird Fiction Each volume of the Year’s Best Weird Fiction will feature a different editor. Weird fiction is a diverse and eclectic mode of literature, and we are excited to see varying viewpoints. In fact, we are confident that the volume will see little if any overlap with the various other “Best Of” anthologies. And we could think of no one better than Laird Barron to helm the inaugural volume. Along with up to 125,000 words of the finest strange fiction from the previous year, each volume will include an introduction from the editor, a year in review column, and a short list of other notable stories. The book will be available in trade-paperback format and as DRM-free ePub and Mobi eBooks. The Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Volume 1, is slated for publication in late summer/early fall of 2014. So … welcome to the Year’s Best Weird Fiction. What is weird fiction? The simple answer is that it is speculative in nature, chiefly derived from pulp fiction in the early 20th century, whose remit includes ghost stories, the strange and macabre, the supernatural, fantasy, myth, philosophical ontology, ambiguity, and featuring a helping of the outré. Weird fiction, at its best, is an intersecting of themes and ideas that explore and subvert the laws of Nature. It counts among its proponents older and newer writers alike: Robert Aickman, Laird Barron, Charles Beaumont, Ambrose Bierce, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury, Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, Shirley Jackson, Kathe Koja, John Langan, Thomas Ligotti, Kelly Link, H. P. Lovecraft, and many others. Weird fiction is not specifically horror or fantasy. And weird fiction is not new. It has always been present. That’s...

Deadline: December 31, 2014 Payment: $200, one copy each of the ebook formats, two copies of the paperback compilation. Villains, Inc. — An Anthology Call — Tired of goody-two-shoes? Why should those “glowing heroes of good” get all the glory? Villains! They can be antiheroes, misunderstood, or just people who love to cause chaos for the sheer madness of it all. LT3 is seeking stories where the focus is, for once, on the baddies. The badder the better! Please note, Less than Three has a strong policy against stories with themes of non-consent. THE DETAILS: Deadline is December 31, 2014 (give or take, we won’t kill you for sending it off the following morning). Stories should be at least 10,000 words and should not exceed approx 20,000 words in length. Stories may be any pairing except cisgender M/F (trans* M/F, M/M, F/F, poly, and all permutations thereof are acceptable). Stories must have a happily ever after (HEA) or happy for now (HFN) end. Any sub-genre is gladly accepted: sci-fi, mystery, contemporary, steampunk, etc. All usual LT3 submission guidelines apply. Villains, Inc. is a general release anthology, meaning stories will be sold as a compiled ebook in the LT3 book market. Payment will be $200 on acceptance of the story. Authors will receive one copy each of the ebook formats LT3 produces and two copies of the paperback compilation. Stories should be complete before submitting, and as edited as possible. They can be submitted in any format (doc, docx, rtf, odt, etc) preferably single spaced in an easy to read font (Times, Calibri, Arial) with no special formatting (no elaborate section separation, special fonts, etc). Additional formatting guidelines can be found here. IMPORTANT: This anthology is being coordinated and edited by one of LT3′s senior editors, Tan-ni Fan. To submit, please send your manuscript to [email protected]....

Payment: $10 per story Deadline: December 31st What We Want: Avast Ye Airships! will be an open themed Steampunk anthology of short stories, released as a digital book and as a paperback book. We are looking for Steampunk featuring airships—and pirates would be nice, but aren’t mandatory—as well as a beautifully crafted, original story. Feel free to read our general submission guidelines for more information. What We Don’t Want: We will reject any stories that contain rape, and the abuse of minors. Violence and sex are acceptable but make them integral to the plot. Other than that, use your imagination—Steampunk is nothing without imagination. Submissions: Submit your work to mmpsteampunk(at)gmail(dot)com with Avast Ye Airships Sub: Your Story Title_Your Last Name in the subject line. Attach your story as a DOC or DOCX file. Submissions sent in the body of the email will not be read. We prefer to see submissions using something approaching Standard Manuscript Format, which can be found here: http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html The only exception is that italics MUST appear as they will be used; no underlining. Include a brief cover letter in the body of your email stating your name, pen name (if using one), story title with word count, address, website or blog, and any professional publication credits you think might interest us. We will accept works of 1,500-6,000 words. Please query if you wish to submit outside of these guidelines. No simultaneous submissions, please. We ask that you don’t submit a story to us and to another market at the same time. Multiple submissions—sending more than one story for consideration—are okay. If sending more than one story, please send them in separate emails. We’re not accepting reprints for this anthology. We will pay a flat $10 per story via Paypal only. Payment will be made within 45 days of...

Deadline: December 31, 2014 Payment: AUD4c/word and one contributor copy in each format released SNAFU II: Survival of the Fittest SNAFU brought the pain. SNAFU II will bring even more. For this anthology, we want survival horror featuring soldiers. Survival horror says it all. Resident Evil… Silent Hill… with soldiers. Straining to make that one clip of rounds last. Making sure not to waste a single bullet. Lost in the shadows, low on ammo, only edged weapons, and/or wounded, fighting to survive, the last remnants of the mission team trying to make sense of where they had gone wrong, and how to make it out alive with next-to-no resources. We still want military combat from any period, don’t get me wrong, but we also want fear… we want suspense and tension… we want originality in the monster/antagonist, and how they are finally overcome. To allow for this building of atmosphere and tension, we have upped the word limit to 10,000. And then, we want something jaw-droppingly amazing. We STRONGLY suggest you read the first and/or second SNAFU volume to see what it is we like. SNAFU – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNXHLJG SNAFU: Heroes – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MSVEY2Y SNAFU II will hold novellas by some best-selling authors, with announcements to come soon. Edited by Geoff Brown and Amanda J Spedding Payment: AUD4c/word and one contributor copy in each format released Wordcount range: 1,000 – 10,000 words (query for shorter or longer) Submission window: October 1 – December 31, 2014 (anything submitted outside of this window will be deleted without being read) Projected publication date: Second Quarter 2015  Please follow these guidelines when submitting to us: 1. Please put your full contact details on the first page of the manuscript top left, with word count top right. 2. Standard submission format, with minimal document formatting. 3. Courier or Times New Roman set at 12pt. Italics as they...

Deadline: December, 31, 2014 Payment: 1¢ per word for the first 4,000 words Submissions start on: 2014-09-30 Deadline: December, 31, 2014 Theme: NA Accepted genres:Urban Fantasy Minimum number of words: 1000 Maximum Number of Words: 17500 Accepted types:Flash Fiction, Novelettes, Novellas, Short Stories Accepted languages:English Infinite Urban Fantasy One will be a collection of  urban fantasy short stories. We are looking for great UF that breaks away from the tired tropes of the genre. Think Zoo City, by Lauren Beukes or The Skyscraper Throne Trilogy by Tom Pollock. Sure, throw your vampires at us, but have you seen the sheer number of stories (good and bad) about them--they damn well be special if we're going to consider using them ourselves. Same goes for werewolves, witches, and little faeries living in Bon Temps. The following is a list (far from exhaustive) of things that'll get us excited about your submission: The mythology is of your own making, i.e. you're not borrowing from Bram Stoker You're not sending us Horror stories or SF stories (worry not, though; their time will come) You didn't forget the 'urban' part of urban fantasy, i.e. your characters evolve in contemporary settings. If your mythology isn't of your own making, it's at least something that moves away from the ordinary. Think Kitsunes (à la Teen Wolf) or some African monster/deity or if you're very well acquainted with Western mythology, delve deeper; show us something we haven't seen a dozen times. If you do decide to show us something we've seen a dozen times, you've approached it from a dazzling angle. There are more of course, but these will give you cookie points and will put a smile on our faces. Of course, nothing trumps story and great writing, and that's chiefly what we'll be looking for when we start processing...

Deadline: December 31st, 2014 Payment: 3 cents per word Call to action! Dark Recesses Press is now accepting short novella length submissions for A COLLECTION OF UNTIMELY HOURS. Between four to six stories will be selected for this themed anthology. The theme is time.  The genre is dark fiction. A broad spectrum, we know, but what we mean by this is truly the dark spectrum – from horror to supernatural, to slipstream  – and all points in between. That said, Splatterpunk and Bizarro fiction are probably not the right fit for this gathering. This is also not the venue for high fantasy or hard sci-fi, but if you have a shadowy urban fantasy or a dark tale that happens to take place upon a space freighter, that’s fine. Just make sure there’s no need to learn a new language in order to read the story. Seriously. The key here is to offer our readers a cool creep, a sense of dread, and the tension of time from which they can’t escape. It’s your world. Build it, and drag the reader through it with the seconds ticking at their heels. Of course we have the standard caveat of Gore for Gore’s sake and overused tropes are not going to fly.  But you’re professionals and you don’t see a need to resort to cheap parlor tricks, or taking the easy road to reach nirvana. One more important NO :  No Sexual Abuse of Children, direct or implied.  Period.  It’s not a flexible point.  If you’re unsure, query at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to clarify and save you time or frustration. Now for the nitty-gritties: Submission deadline: December 31st, 2014 Word count: 15,000 –  25,000 firm Pay:  3 cents / word Reprints:  No Rights: First North American Serial Rights (FNASR) and Electronic Rights to distribute the text in...

Deadline: December 31st 2014 Payment: 4% royalties per story published in ebook and paperback form and you will receive a contributor’s ebook copy Published by KnightWatch Press, Challenger Unbound will be an anthology of ACD’s Professor Challenger stories with a supernatural, cryptid or monstrous background. With permission to gather together an anthology by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate, we are looking for stories which are true to the eponymous hero. If you don’t know who Challenger is, you need not apply. 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/ACD/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 . . . total anhiliation. Via: Knightwatch Press.

Deadline: December 31st, 2014 Payment: 3 cents per word Another Dimension Magazine is the evolution of Wily Writers Speculative Fiction Podcast. It has a more focused theme, that of classic-style Horror and Dark Fantasy, as seen on the television shows Night Gallery and The Twilight Zone, produced and often written by Rod Serling. We are doing blatant homage to these wonderful contributions to these genres. We'll release issues quarterly in both text and audio formats. What We're Looking For We've identified elements that we're looking for in the stories we'll buy: An interesting and well-thought-out lead character, first and foremost. Supernatural elements or alternate reality/history. The genres of either Horror or Dark Fantasy. The various subgenres of Horror are perfectly acceptable, such as SciFi Horror. A commentary on the world we live in (however metaphorically). Say something with your story. A surprising climax. Take us by surprise, if you can. Impressive imagination -- show us a different culture or an alternate world. Submission Requirements Submissions need to follow the guidelines listed below. IMPORTANT: Name your file so that it makes sense. An impressive filename for a fiction submission is: (lastname)-(word from title).RTF Word count: 1000 - 3000 (Firm. Do not query). Use standard manuscript formatting. (more info) Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are okay. Do not submit more than once to the same issue. You may submit only one story to each issue. Gore, sex, and adult language okay, but make sure it improves the story. Use good grammar, double-check your punctuation, and run a spell-check. We prefer Chicago Manual of Style rules, and we will reject it if it's a mess, even if it's an amazing story. If you're bad at grammar and spelling, then hire an editor or bribe a friend with cookies to help you before you...

Deadline: December 31st Payment: 3 cents per word (or 1 cent per word for reprints), paid within 90 days after publication. Plus contributor copy of print and e-book Apotheosis – Stories of human survival and defiance in a world subjugated by the return of the Elder Gods. Humanity struggled to grow and evolve as a species for thousands of years forever caught in the shadow of a dread threat known only to a devoted few. When the stars are right, the Old Ones will return to claim utter dominion of the world.Lovecraft Mythos stories often climax at the moment of the fateful return of the Elder Gods and the audience is left to ponder what might happen next. This anthology features stories about humanity under the reign of the Elder Gods and ancient terrors. What do we mean by Lovecraft Mythos stories in relation to Apotheosis? We’re looking for stories inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and associated writers such as August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smit , Robert E. Howard , Robert Bloch , Henry Kuttner, and Frank Belknap Long.   We’re also interested in writers that inspired Lovecraft such as Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood and Lord Dunsany. We’re interested in classic mythos gods and monsters and originals that have inspired by the mythos. Good Fiction Examples: “Boojum” by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette “A Colder War” by Charlie Stross In the Hall of the Yellow King by Peter Rawlik What type of stories are we looking for? We’re looking for character-driven stories set during a time in the future where the ancient terrors that once ruled the Earth have claimed complete and utter dominion of the Earth. We’re less concerned about the strict interpretation of the Elder Gods than good stories that deal with real human concerns.  How do...

Deadline: December 31, 2014 Payment: 3 cents per word and one digital copy World-altering events. It should be the kind of thing everyone has a memory of. A time travel story or two may be okay under this theme. "I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times." Reading Period: November 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014   (Submissions are open now) Writer Deadline: December 31, 2014 Publication Date: March 1, 2015 Third Flatiron Publishing is an e-publishing venture based in Boulder, Colorado. We are looking for submissions to our quarterly themed online anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We want tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer. Role models for the type of fiction we want include Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, Vernor Vinge, and Ken Kesey. We want to showcase some of the best new shorts available today. See the "Submissions" tab for preferred formats, etc. For each anthology, we will also accept  a few very short humor pieces on the order of the "Shouts and Murmurs" feature in The New Yorker Magazine (600 words or so). These can be written from a first-person perspective or can be mini-essays that tell people what they ought to do, how to do something better, or explain why something is like it is, humorously. An SF/Fantasy bent is preferred.

Deadline: December 31st, 2014 Payment: 6 cents per word Diabolical Plots has been a publisher of non-fiction on the subject of speculative fiction since 2008. In 2013, Diabolical Plots launched the writer’s tool The Submission Grinder. In 2015, Diabolical Plots will begin publishing fiction. We will be open for fictions for the first time for the month of December 2014. We’ll only take one submission per author. Make it count. We plan to buy enough stories in the December submission window to publish one story per month for a year.   FICTION Overview Genres: science fiction, fantasy, horror (everything must have speculative element, even horror) Word count: 2000 words or less Pay rate: 6 cents per word (the professional rate as deemed by SFWA) Multiple submissions: No. And only one story per author in the submission window. Simultaneous submissions: No. Reprint submissions: No. Estimated Response Time: 30 days after end of submission window. IMPORTANT NOTE: We read submissions blind, with no author name. Be sure to remove all mentions of your name from the manuscript before submitting. What are we looking for? Speculative fiction. Everything should have a speculative element–that includes horror. Feel free to mix in other genres at will–a fantasy mystery or a science fiction romance. Things that we tend to really like: Weird ideas or combinations of ideas we haven’t seen before Sense of wonder Strong character and plot arcs Relatable protagonists (not necessarily likeable, not necessarily reliable) Strong worldbuilding, hinting at more to see around the edges of the story Philosophical food-for-thought Straightforward, easily readable style We want to see stories from any and all demographics of people and about any and all demographics of people. Women or men or transgender or genderqueer, people of color or Caucasian, straight or gay or bisexual or asexual, disabled...

Deadline: December 31, 2014 Payment: $5/story plus a share of royalties. Here are the guidelines for a Diverse Weird Western anthology (title to be announced), to be published by WolfSinger Publications (http://wolfsingerpubs.com/) and edited by Cynthia Ward (http://www.cynthiaward.com). Ah, the "Western frontier"!  I learned all about it as a child.  I learned it was full of brave white American pioneer men killing the native inhabitants, who didn't realize the land they'd occupied for millennia belonged to the newcomers.  I learned it was full of heroic white American gunmen shooting each other in high noon standoffs or over cattle.  Those few characters who didn't fit the above templates were generally helpless Mexican peasants; treacherous Mexican bandits; or the occasional rancher's wife, school marm, or  prostitute. Omitted from the history lessons and the movies and TV shows were--the whole wide world. For this anthology, we’re looking for stories about everyone else. We're looking for stories which reflect the complex historical realities and diversities of the North American "Western frontier." We're looking for stories about marginalized and under-represented groups. The Nitty Gritty: Payment Payment is $5/story plus a share of royalties. Submissions Reading Period We are opening for submissions on December 1, 2014, with a deadline of December 31, 2014.  Submissions sent outside this window will be returned unread.  DO NOT SUBMIT AT THIS TIME. Publication Date To Be Determined How to Format Your Submission Double spaced manuscript in Courier or Courier New. Use italics, not underlines. For other questions, follow the Standard Manuscript Format per William Shunn (I really mean it, too):  http://www.shunn. net/format/story.html. Have your contact information on the first page of the manuscript, including your e-mail address. Please be sure to send us a manuscript free from spelling/grammar errors, because we are unlikely to finish reading a story with much...

Deadline: December 31st, 2014 Payment: $20 per story regardless of length plus a print and ebook copy of the final product. "BLACK BEACON'S LIGHTHOUSES" GUIDELINES Open from October 3 to December 31, 2014 Genre: We want your tales about or strongly featuring lighthouses and beacons. Any genre is acceptable. Original and unpublished tales preferred, but previously published also considered. No simultaneous submissions. Length: 3,000 to 25,000 words Payment: $20 per story regardless of length plus a print and ebook copy of the final product. Inclusion in the anthology means that you give BBB Exclusive Worldwide English Language rights (this covers both electronic and print) and that you assure that your work has not been previously published and that you will not publish it elsewhere until 12 months after the official release of the anthology. Beyond that, BBB will no longer retain any rights to your work and will not publish it in any other publication without your permission. Deadline: 31st of December, 2014 Expected release date: TBA - probably late 2015 GENERAL GUIDELINES AND DETAILS How we sell: Each title is released, distributed, and sold differently. Most are released as both print and ebooks but some may be released as one or the other. Here at Black Beacon Books, we are particularly interested in promoting the traditional print format. Our print titles are often sold at independent bookshops and markets stall holders around Australia as well as online for a global readership. Our ebooks our generally sold via Smashwords. Editor contributions: Our editors and artists reserve the right to have their work included in the anthologies we publish. Some people do not like this practice, and we respect that point of view, however, we do not consider it a problem. There are very few Australian publishers releasing mystery and suspense...