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Deadline: May 1st, 2015 Payment: 4% royalties after cost. Do you remember your childhood? Are all those memories happy ones? What about that creepy little doll that always seemed to be lying under your bed… the one that made you tuck your blanket around your feet so that it couldn’t climb in during the night to GET you? Do you remember that as well? What about the scary old caretaker who shouted at you on your first day of school… what exactly was it that he didn’t want you to see in the cleaning cupboard? PLAYROOMS is an anthology where all childhood fears become real. Submissions should feature spaces associated with young children (bedrooms, tree houses, schools, nurseries, etc.) and/or toys, items, objects associated with childhood. Stories should also contain elements of the fantastical or supernatural. Let your fears run rampant with this! Tales dealing with children suffering sexual assault in any manner are likely to be rejected. If something of this nature is integral to the plot of your story then proceed with extreme caution and tackle it as tastefully as possible. It is best avoided altogether. Works around 5,000 words are most likely to meet with the editor’s approval, although slightly longer/shorter pieces will also be considered. Aim for 3,000 – 6,000. Please follow standard manuscript format and under no circumstances use the Tab key or the Space Bar to indent your paragraphs. Either do not indent at all or use MS Word’s built in features to do so. Submissions must be .doc, .docx, or .rtf format Include your full name, address, email address and telephone number at the beginning of the manuscript. PAYMENT: 4% royalties after cost. (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) Be sent to...

Deadline: May 1st, 2015 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction Summer: Laura liked to think she was honest with herself; it was everyone else she lied to. We love the fact that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually two to three weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the traditional sense. Fiction: All stories must be written with the first line provided. The line cannot be altered in any way, unless otherwise noted by the editors. The story should be between 300 and 5,000 words (this is more like a guideline and not a hard-and-fast rule; going over or under the word count won't get your story tossed from the slush pile). The sentences can be found on the home page...

Deadline: May 1st 2015 Payment: £10 Submission details as follows . . . 1. Submissions window. We are now open to submissions and we will remain open until 1st May 2015. 2. Eligibility. Anyone over 18 can submit (group members or non-group members alike). Submitted pieces must not have been workshopped in the group prior to submission. 3. Theme. All submissions must be in a speculative genre (science fiction, fantasy, horror, dystopian fiction, slipstream) and must have some link to the area that isGreater Manchester, England. The final decision about whether a story qualifies for submission will remain at the editors’ discretion. 4. Payment. £10 payment per story accepted. Payment via PayPal. 5. Rights. For published pieces we take First Print rights and Electronic Publishing Rights for 12 months. We reserve the right to archive your story online indefinitely. Please bear in mind that most publications will not publish pieces that have been published in print, eBook, or on the web, so for all intents and purposes after your work is published by us it can only be marketed as a reprint, which severely limits the number of markets that will accept it, and drastically reduces the pay rate it can receive. It is up to you, the author, to decide if this is what you want to do. 6. Word count. Short stories of between 1,500 to 6,000 words. Please send only one story until you receive a response. You may then submit another story, and so on. Sorry but no poetry or non-fiction. 7. Formatting. Word DOC files only. Double line spacing with the author’s name, page number and story title at the top of every page. 8. Distribution. The anthology will be made available in e-book format via Smashwords and print copies will be available as POD. Tentative publication date is the second half of 2015. Editors: Eric...

Deadline: May 1st, 2015 Payment: $5 payment and ONE contributor’s copy of the final anthology Ever since Washington Irving published The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820, the region has become synonymous with ghost stories. But there’s a lot more horror in Sleepy Hollow than what’s in Irving’s story, and more demons at play within this idyllic land than just a single headless horseman. We’re looking for original horror stories set in Sleepy Hollow, New York. The time period for your story is up to you– past, present, future, alternate history– but it must take place whole or in part within Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is a real place, with a real history, so do your homework. For example, while it has always been an unofficial name of the region, the Village itself was not officially named Sleepy Hollow until 1996. Scare us, creep us out, give us the shivers, make us laugh. Be Gothic, modern, Lovecraftian, Victorian, Steampunk, whatever. Just set your story in Sleepy Hollow. RULES: 1. Any & all submissions must be set in & around Sleepy Hollow, New York. 2. No gratuitous sex, violence, or profanity 3. No adult content of any kind. If you include sex in your story, it must be important to the story– and must abide by rule #2. 4. No stories centered on rape, torture or child molestation. We’re not interested. 5. No fan fiction (stay away from the world of the TV show and the Tim Burton film). 6. Your story must be a complete story– we’re not interested in excerpts. 7. It must be your ORIGINAL work. 8. Do NOT include any artwork Interested? Sweet! Read on. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Stories should be between 2,000 and 8,000 words. All stories must be titled Edit and format your work according to...

Deadline: May 1, 2015 Payment: $20 per story accepted Basic Guidelines: -Deadline May 1, 2015 -5,000 - 10,000 words Maximum, if you need more space than this, please let me know and I’ll see if we can work it out. -Stories must feature Anthropomorphic characters (AKA humanized animals). -Ratings PG-R accepted -Payment: $20 per story accepted -Send all submissions in the form of an attachment to [email protected] -Files Accepted: DOC, DOCX -Times New Roman, 12pt Font -Al submissions must be sent through Submittable https://weaselpress.submittable.com/submit/39807 Weasel Press is releasing a new Furry anthology called Typewriter Emergencies and it is currently calling for intense psychological dramas in which characters have to overcome some harsh realities. I’m looking for dark and existential fiction focusing around the theme of “These Things Shall Pass/It’s a mad world out there.” There’s a wealth of things that fit but some examples of what I’m looking for in this anthology would be Bullying, Sexuality, domestic violence, drug abuse, poverty/homelessness, anxiety. We’re looking for situations that would cause intense psychological strife. We are looking for stories featuring anthropomorphic animal characters (aka humanized animals) following the theme. Fiction not containing any of the elements we are asking for will not be reviewed. I suppose you could say there's a love affair between Weasel Press and the Bukowski's or Hubert Selby Jr.'s of the world, and that's essentially what I would like to see in this submission call; furry versions of heavy existential fiction. If you need examples of things to read, feel free to shoot me an email. Ratings PG-R are accepted. Adult and Sexual themes are allowed, however excessive gore and sex is not. Pretty much, if it’s related or crucial to your story then it is fine. If it has nothing to do with your story then it’s probably not...

Deadline: May 1st, 2015 Payment: Equal share of 50% net profits from sales and a contributor's copy I am pleased to announce the submission call for our Scottish Horror Anthology: Bloody Heather. Think of mist-covered hills, gothic cities, lonely isles - where better for your horror story than Scotland? Scotland is simply the theme of the anthology, the rest is up to you and your imagination. And no, you yourself don't actually have to be Scottish to make a submission. The novellas must range between 20,000 to 30,000 words in length. Please note, only manuscripts that fall in this word count will be considered. The collection will be released as an e-book and we anticipate a release in print to coincide with this, in summe/autumn of 2015. Submissions are open to all authors, whether already published with Dark Chapter Press or aspiring to be published with Dark Chapter Press. All submissions must be new, original material—previously published submissions will not be considered. Previously submitted manuscripts will not be considered either. Be aware that manuscripts submitted for this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from the editor. To submit a manuscript for consideration, please send an email to [email protected] and include: The full manuscript (of 20,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Also include a letter of introduction/query letter. As well, when you send your manuscript, be sure to use the naming convention Bloody_Heather_Your Title_MS and Bloody_Heather_Your Title_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission is processed as a priority under the special call for this anthology. Submissions are open until 1st May 2015. Payment: Each contributor will recieve equal share of 50% net profits from sales of the ebook and paperback versions of the Bloody Heather Anthology, for their accepted contribution, with a...

Deadline: May 15th, 2015 Payment: 4% royalties after costs, plus a copy of the book Therianthropy: the ability of a creature to change form from man to beast and/or vice versa. While the most common examples are werewolves, many other cases exist – from selkies to cat people, snake women to Manimal. This is your opportunity to create a brand new creature, to breathe new life into an old idea, or to tell a tale of true lunacy. While stories can be fantastical or comedic, the main emphasis should be on horror. Guidelines Ideal length: 4,000-5,000 words. Please follow standard manuscript format and under no circumstances use the Tab key or the Space Bar to indent your paragraphs. Either do not indent at all or use MS Word’s built in features to do so. Submissions should be .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, typed in Courier or Times New Roman, size 12. Include your full name, address, email address and telephone number at the beginning of the manuscript. Send to [email protected] with the subject line “SURNAME/WILD/WORDCOUNT”. 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. Payment 4% royalties after costs, plus a copy of the book. Via: Knightwatch Press.

Deadline: May 15th, 2015 Payment: $20 and Contributor's Copy In the bleak midwinter, the call of fairy tales can be especially irresistible. After all, fairy tales both take us out of our humdrum world and into the possibilities of what can be--or maybe even is. A fairy tale read in winter can help us dream through the the cold days and nights. Yet, surprisingly few fairy tales are specifically set in winter. With Frozen Fairy Tales, we're hoping to remedy that. In a joint venture between World Weaver Press and Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine, we're opening up to submissions for a fairy tale collection set in winter. Details are below. 1) You must be 18 or older to submit. 2) Submissions must be in English, but submissions from all over the world are most welcome. 3) No stories connected to the movie Frozen will be considered. It's a great movie, but this anthology is not at all about that film. 4) Stories centered on winter holidays are most welcome, but stories do not need to be holiday focused. Krampus-themed stories will be considered, but please do not resubmit stories that were previously submitted for the Krampusnatch collection. 5) A sense of winter and its perils and possibilities must be part your story. 6) This is a fairy tale collection, which means the sensibility of the stories should evoke classic fairy tales. You do not need to retell famous fairy tales reset in winter, but you may. Nonetheless, the classics have been retold a lot lately, so fresher takes with more originality stand a better chance of being selected, as do retellings of obscure fairy tales. But think winter! 7) Please, no erotica, children's stories, hard-core horror, or sci-fi. This anthology is aimed at an audience age 15 or older. 8) Open submission period: March 6 - May 15,...

Deadline: May 15, 2015. Payment: 6 cents per word as an advance against a pro rata share of royalties and foreign or other sales. We are happy to announce that the reading period for Sword & Sorceress 30 will start in April 2015 (see exact dates below). If you wish to submit a story to the anthology, please follow the Guidelines below. Guidelines Stories should be the type generally referred to as "sword and sorcery" and must have a strong female protagonist whom the reader will care about. See Sword & Sorceress 22, Sword & Sorceress 23, Sword & Sorceress 24, Sword & Sorceress 25, Sword & Sorceress 26, Sword & Sorceress 27, and Sword & Sorceress 28 (or S&S 1-20) for examples. We do not want stories with explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or profanity. We are NOT a market for poetry. We are willing to consider stories set in modern times (urban fantasy), but we won't buy more than one or two of those for the anthology. We always want something short and funny for the last story. No reprints. No simultaneous submissions. With regard to multiple submissions, do not submit more than one story at a time. If we've rejected your first one, you may send one more, as long as it's before the deadline. We have occasionally bought someone's second submission. We have never bought a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth submission. If you send us two stories, and we don't hold either of them, wait until next year to try again. Please do not re-submit stories we have already rejected (including stories rejected in previous years). If you have not previously sold to Sword & Sorceress, please read "What is a Short Story?" and "Why Did my Story Get Rejected?" before submitting to us....

Deadline: May 25th, 2015 Payment: 6 cents per word Note: Sorry about the short deadline on these 3. I completely missed them until now and figured 1-2 of you might at least have something in the slush pile worth submitting or some free time this weekend. Good luck! We've opened our submissions for three new print and ebook anthologies: Chilling Ghost Short Stories, Chilling Horror Short Stories and Science Fiction Short Stories. We need up to 30 stories across the three books, to bring our selection of classic tales to a modern audience hungry for good reads. UPDATE. SUBMISSIONS CLOSING AT MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY 25TH MAY. Submit by email to: [email protected] The Books: A Gorgeous Presentation Each book is a 480 page anthology of gothic and fantasy short fiction drawn from the best, the fantastic and the most enthralling tales in each of the genres. The book covers will be embossed, gold foiled and printed on silver, a sumptuous offer in a crowded marketplace. The current print run is set at a minimum of 3000 copies. Your stories will feature alongside the great storytellers of Gothic and Fantasy, including, for Science Fiction: H.G. Wells, E.M. Forster, Edgar Rice Burroughs; for Ghosts: Arthur Machen, William Hope Hodgson, Walter de la Mare, Edith Wharton; for Horror: H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Thomas Hardy, Jan Naruda. Submit by email to: [email protected] The Call for Submissions We need new, or recent short stories. We do not require exclusivity. You retain copyright. We don't mind if the story has been published online or in magazines before. As long as you have the right to license your story for an anthology, then we're happy to read it. Stories between 2000 and 4000 words are the perfect pitch. Anything outside this range will be considered, but will be disadvantaged....

Deadline: May 30th, 2015 Payment: A penny per word up to 4500 words and a digital copy of the anthology. Two physical copies will be provided once the book is printed in 2016 WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: We’re looking for short stories between 2500-4500 words that can be read in one sitting. Flash fiction is also welcome. We want authors hungry to play in the twisted universe envisioned by H.P. Lovecraft, or write tales that are in the spirit of his mythos. Like Lovecraft’s own work, the horror in this anthology aims to be subtle and subjective. The mind and its inner working are a far more terrifying place than the actual corridors of R’lyeh or the Mountains of Madness. Ideally this anthology should hit readers like a really good mix tape (or iMix for those of you too young to remember what a cassette is). We want a variety of styles, themes, and moods that hook the readers fast, creep the hell out of them, and leave them wanting more. Experimentation is highly encouraged–especially unconventional narrative styles, meta-fiction, genre mash-ups, even sick humor. Of course, don’t be afraid to stick with the tried and true “ravings of a madman,” if that’s your jones. PAY RATE: A penny per word up to 4500 words and a digital copy of the anthology. Two physical copies will be provided once the book is printed in 2016. WHAT WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR: Consider this anthology to have a hard R rating. That said, please no stories involving graphic rape or child molestation. Excessive gore is fine, but must function to further the story. Here is a list of themes and elements that will get your story instantly rejected: 1. Cthulhu taking center stage. The big cheese can appear in dreams, statues, visions, etc....

Deadline: $10 and contributor's copy Payment: May 30th, 2015 Note: Only writers around the Great Lakes: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York, and Ontario) “Quick Shivers from the Midwest” will feature ONLY “Midwest” writers, by which we arbitrarily define as someone who lives in a state or province contiguous with the Great Lakes (which includes Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York, and Ontario) or who self-identify as Midwestern. The deadline for submissions is May 30. The gritty details: –Written submissions (stories or poems) must contain EXACTLY 100 words including title. Submissions can be sent in the body of an email message, or as a .doc or .pdf attachment. –Email submissions to: anthology @ dailynightmare.com. –Include theme and the number of the inspirational nightmare in the SUBJECT line. For example: Midwest, #341 or Bugs, #22. –Include a brief bio (~ 25 – 50 words) with the submission so we don’t have to track you with our hellhounds. What are we looking for? We at the DailyNightmare groove on the idea of inhabiting each other’s dreams, even the nasty, ooky ones, and our anthologies are one step toward that kind of communal nightmare-scape. 100 words aren’t many, so sharpen at least one point of the narrative pentacle: mood, character, plot, setting, theme, and try to imbue your piece with a “sense of completion.” Poetry or prose, matters not; word count does. DailyNightMare.com celebrates literate terror (or “snob horror” if you will), so heighten the language, make every syllable count and don’t be afraid to mean something. Multiple submissions are AOK, though no more than 13 per author. If you submit your own nightmare with your story, be advised that we publish the nightmares under a Creative Commons, attribution license. Basically, other folks can use the nightmares...

Deadline: May 31st, 2015 Payment: $500 and 25 contributors copies Submission FAQ: What kind of stories is One Story looking for? One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone. Does One Story pay money? Yes. One Story is offering $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author upon publication. Does One Story accept previously published material? One Story is looking for previously unpublished material. However, if a story has been published in print outside of North America, it will be considered. No stories previously published online will be accepted. Does One Story accept simultaneous submissions? Yes, but please notify us immediately if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere. What file types can I submit? We accept PDF, RTF, and TXT files that are less than 500KB. Please include the story title and all writer contact info on the first page of the submitted file. Will you send me comments on my story? No. One Story receives close to 100 submissions each week. Please understand that we do not have time to comment on individual stories. Can I change the story I submitted with an updated draft? No. Do you consider translations? Yes. Please include the name of the original author and language, as well as the name of the translator on the first page of your submission. How do I submit to One Story? We have an automated system for you to send us your work. It will securely send our editors your story and...

Deadline: June 31st 2015 Payment: 1 cent per word and electronic copy We are accepting dark fantasy and horror fiction submissions for the first volume of our annual horror anthology. (PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING POETRY FOR THIS CALL) The only hard requirement for this anthology is that it be one of the genres mentioned above. We would like new spins on old monster tropes as well as all new monsters. Submissions open December 1st 2014 and close June 31st 2015. Typhon was a monstrous Storm-Giant, “father of all monsters” who was defeated and imprisoned by Zeus in the pit of Tartaros. For us, he is also “The Monstrous Creature” at its best. We want to see the prompt inspire your writing. To bleed through every letter. If our quarterly is about Apollo, give us stories about the galaxies, about the sun, about archery. Give us stories that breathe Apollo. If the prompt is Artemis, give us forests, give us beasts, give us epic hunts. This does not mean we want stories ABOUT Apollo, or Artemis. PAY & RIGHTS: Fiction: Pantheon Magazine pays 1 cent per word for unpublished fiction starting with June 1st submissions. However, at the moment, we pay nada (<-this means nothing) for unsolicited reprints. In addition, each contributor will receive electronic copies (Mobi, Epub, PDF) of the issue their work will appear in, as well as discounts off the print issue. Unfortunately, we can only pay via Paypal. Payment upon publication will be the norm, but can be much sooner. RIGHTS: We are asking for print and electronic rights, which revert back to you three months after publication. We also ask for the right to archive your work on our website. You can submit via: Submittable. Via: Pantheon Magazine and their Submission Guidelines.

Deadline: May 31st, 2015 Payment: Contributor's Copy – A collection of sci/fi stories. Preferably creepy out of space stories. DEADLINE: May 31st, 2015 What are we looking for? We seek Dark Art Material. We use that term in a general reference towards, horror, supernatural, paranormal, dark fantasy, and horror erotica. We are looking for authors who are looking to independently publish their novel outside the traditional publishing systems. Short Fiction submitted to be apart of our anthologies must be between 1,000 to 15,000 words. We pay in contributor copies. We only accept email submissions. Please ensure that they are in .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf formats. Submissions can be emailed to [email protected]. Please when emailing a submission, to please include a short cover email with synopsis, and a brief bio (including previous publication credits, if any). In the subject line of the email, please include the title of the anthology you would like to be included. If not included in the subject, submissions may be lost or confused with other anthologies. Via: Breaking Fate Publishing.

Deadline: May 31st, 2015 Pay: Contributor's Copy Submission Guidelines What are we looking for? We seek Dark Art Material. We use that term in a general reference towards, horror, supernatural, paranormal, dark fantasy, and horror erotica. We are looking for authors who are looking to independently publish their novel outside the traditional publishing systems. In addition to novel and novella length fiction, we also seek short fiction for horror anthologies. – A collection of sci/fi stories. Preferably creepy out of space stories. DEADLINE: May 31st, 2015 Short Fiction submitted to be apart of our anthologies must be between 1,000 to 15,000 words. We pay in contributor copies. We only accept email submissions. Please ensure that they are in .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf formats. Submissions can be emailed to [email protected]. Please when emailing a submission, to please include a short cover email with synopsis, and a brief bio (including previous publication credits, if any). In the subject line of the email, please include the title of the anthology you would like to be included. If not included in the subject, submissions may be lost or confused with other anthologies. Via: Breaking the Fate.

Deadline: May 31st 2015 Payment: 0.05 per word and a contributor copy What could possibly lurking in the woods? It’s up to you to find out! Craft the scariest, most diabolical story you can. Your tale can be a horror that is based around a central moral theme or it can be a straight up splatterpunk that is only meant to shock!  We only care that your story is well crafted, original, and gives a new take on the mysterious forest trope. THE BASICS We are looking for both flash fiction of around 500 words to short stories up to 8,000 words. Submission period runs from March 10thuntil May 31st.  Open internationally, but the manuscript must be in American English. There is no entrance fee. No reprints!! Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but you must immediately let us know if your story has been accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are allowed. Limit of two submissions per person, though only one will be accepted. The genre is horror, though any subgenre is acceptable. Adult language and sexual situations are acceptable; however, please do not send erotica. We obtain first publication rights to your story in both print and digital format.  Keep in mind that upon acceptance and subsequent publication, your story will be considered a “reprint” by other markets, which can be limiting to future acceptance/payrate.  Please consider this factor carefully before submission. Payment:  0.05 per word and a contributor copy of the book! Submitting: To submit, please send your story in proper manuscript format along with the following information to [email protected]: Author Name: Email: Story Genre: Word Count: Summary: Biography: Your story MUST: - Be in doc/docx format - Your file should be: your last name followed by your first name and then title of your story. Ex. EscamillaChristinaTheDeepDarkWoods.docx - The following...

Deadline: May 31st, 2015 Payment: 5¢ a word Before submitting to SpeckLit, please read the submission details below carefully, then fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page to let us know a bit about yourself. Do not send us your submissions directly. We want to get to you know you first. Include your pen name, website, Twitter, and a link to your most recently published work (if you have one) in your initial contact. Fiction:  We are suckers for plot. If it ain’t got plot, it ain’t a story. We want each piece to have the feeling of a beginning, a middle, and an end (or inciting incident, attempt(s) to fix it, and climax). All fiction must be original. There are lots of places for fanfic – this isn’t one of them. And finally, of course, it also has to be speculative – fantasy, science fiction, myth fairy tale, dark fantasy, etc… – but no erotica and no gore. A well-placed swear word, the recognition that we are sexual beings, and off-camera violence are all okay, but within limits, eh? Besides, with the focus on plot, there’s no time to get all graphic. Titles do not count as part of the 100 words, and after your drabble, add a bit of an explanation of how you got there from the topic (but remember to keep it short!). Non-fiction: We also publish drabble-length reviews of spec-fic containing media – books, movies, video games, comics, TV shows (or even specific outstanding episodes of TV shows), etc… Make sure your reviews are non-nasty (negative reviews are fine, but be nice!), and of course, spoiler free. Again, you don’t have much space, so get to the point. Your hundred words do not need to include the title, author, director, stars,...

Deadline: May 31st, 2015 Payment: Contributor's Copy They laugh, they scream, they play. They're innocent and harmless, cute and cuddly, the apple of their parents eye. Or... None of the above applies to them. Kids can be the joy of a couples life, but in the world of horror, they are anything but. These kids can kill, they laugh while you scream and play in the blood spilled from your mutilated body. They may look cute and cuddly but, on the inside, they're pure evil. Kids is an anthology about the devils spawn. Children who scare the living hell out of you. Newborn, toddler, infant, teenager? All are ripe for Kids. Whether they're evil or facing evil head on - these are the Kids we want to see. This may be an anthology for the over 18's but we want to see stories about kids under 18. Shock us, surprise us, feel free to create the new breed of terror. Submissions open - April 10th, 2015. Submission Deadline - May 31st, 2015. Kids will be released on July 14th, 2015. Send stories to [email protected] please. Once we receive your story, please allow two - four weeks for a reply. Word count is 3000 - 6000. Submissions should be in Arial text, 12pt, and double spaced. Successful stories will receive exposure and a copy of the paperback on release. No reprints, original stories only. Poetry or flash fiction is acceptable. The anthology will be edited by Stuart Keane and Rob McEwan for Dark Chapter Press. Stories can range from extreme to PG-13 and everything in between. We want stories that will thrill us, scare us, and make us cross the street when a mother pushes her pram towards us. This might sound obvious in stories about children, but gratuitous sex or...

Deadline: May 31, 2015 Payment: 2 cents/word for new fiction, half-cent/word for reprints and contributor's copy Call for Submissions for the Hides the Dark Tower anthology. Tower. What comes to mind when you hear the word? According to A Dictionary of Symbols by J.E. Cirlot: the tower in Egyptian hieroglyphics denotes the act of rising above the common level. It is a signal of ascent. In the Middle Ages, towers held the same symbolism as a ladder. Enclosed and walled in, a tower is emblematic of the Virgin Mary and can be found in many allegorical designs. The athanor — the alchemists’ crucible — was given the shape of a tower, since ascension often implies transformation and evolution. A tower can also be likened to man, the top-most windows seeming like eyes. It’s from that sense that the Tower of Babel acquired the symbolic point as a wild endeavor bringing disaster to mankind. The Tarot‘s Tower card — depicting a tower being struck by lightning — echos this symbolism. Yet Nietzsche found a dual symbolism in towers, descent as well as ascent. In Aurelia, Nervel says, “I found myself in a tower, whose foundations were sunk so deep into earth and whose top was so lofty, reaching up like a spire into the sky, that my whole existence already seemed bound to be consumed in climbing up and down it.” Where does the Hides the Dark Tower title come from? What else should he be set for, with his staff? What, save to waylay with his lies, ensnare All travellers who might find him posted there, And ask the road? I guess’d what skull-like laugh Would break, what crutch ‘gin write my epitaph For pastime in the dusty thoroughfare, If at his counsel I should turn aside Into that ominous...

Deadline: May 31st Payment: $15 and contributor’s copy It's that time again. Broken Worlds submissions begin today and end on May 31st! We want your stories, as always. We're still working with Submittable to make all of this happen, and we're all eager to see what stories you have brewing around in your heads. Are we all about horror? Maybe a little bit, but not really. Broken Worlds caters to a large swath of stories, and I hope that your creative juices will flow. There's no doubt this will be a wonderful anthology full of very talented writers. We honestly cannot wait to read your work. Theme: We are never alone, not truly. We exist within systems; families, societies, governments, countries, continents; all within a singular planet in a singular solar system in a singular galaxy in a singular universe. And none of these are perfect. Many are broken, some beyond repair. Some could become broken over time. Others need to be destroyed to be improved. This anthology is about broken worlds, from families to a multiverse, where things are not what they seem or seem to be what they are: utterly broken from the top down and vice versa. We're looking for original stories involving broken or breaking worlds. This anthology will run the gamit from fantasy to science fiction to horror (eldritch or otherwise) and beyond, all exploring the caprices of our fragile existence. Whether it's a piece on a dysfunctional family or the end of the world, we'd love to consider it. For some guidance, think 1984 or Fahrenheit 451. We want fiction prose only, 500 – 13,000 words. We may consider pieces longer than that, but if you send them in, make sure they're awesome. Must be original works: no fan-fiction.  Reprints will be considered, but unpublished works will receive priority consideration. Simultaneous Submissions: No Multiple Submissions: Yes...