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Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: $15 (more depending on Kickstarter) and a contributor's copy Once again, we are inviting submissions from the world at large! WELCOME TO PACIFIC CITY is a sort-of shared world project: we name the place, you bring it to life through the mediums of science fiction, fantasy or horror. Stories should be set in our fictionalised Pacific City, and a key element should be heroism and/or villainy, be it “super” or otherwise. You can check here for an inspirational guide to the city, or download the short Pacific City Manifesto for other useful information. However, although this is primarily a speculative fiction project, we are also open to stories that help make Pacific City feel like a real place. Not every inspiring (or insidious) story demands the out of the ordinary for impact — but if a masked avenger wanders by while you’re bringing us down to earth, well, that won’t do your chances any harm… Although we can only offer a nominal fee up front, all contributors will also receive a physical copy of the collection. In addition, we plan to run a Kickstarter campaign prior to publication in an attempt to raise funds for increased author fees. The editor has previously organised two successful fiction-related campaigns, including one for our 2015 anthology — this is no guarantee of future success, but it bodes well! SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Maximum Word Count: 7,500. This is a very firm limit. Pieces between 2,500 and 5,000 words preferred. Flash fiction will be considered, but the longer a story the more it needs to impress. Submission Deadline: November 30th, 2017. Minimum Compensation: USD$15 on acceptance of contract, plus one contributor’s copy of the print-on-demand paperback on publication. All submissions must be the original work of the author — we will not accept any story incorporating copyrighted characters or material, fan fiction, etc. We require First Print and...

Deadline: November 30th 2017 Payment: $25 There’s a Tumblr post that goes around Facebook every few years—about how much the OP wants an epic fantasy where the “chosen one” is a retired grandma with a lifetime of experience who goes on her quest with her knitting bag, two cats, and an attendant to manage her medications. Only the Chosen of the gods can stop the invaders If you aren’t on Tumblr you may not know that there is practically a genre of Tumblr posts about “stories I want to see.” Most of them twists on common tropes and classic character types. Here are a few examples*: Post-Apocalyse with Disabled Main Characters Where do mermaids come from? World-saving scars Grandma: werewolf savior Tiny dragon defends his hoard Non-Angsty Vampires (for oh-so-many reasons) Your Mission: Should You Choose to Accept It Write a story either based on a Tumblr-twists or whose premise would make a great Tumblr-twist. Submit it to us on or before November 30th 2017. The Details Length: 4,000-25,000 words Pays: on publication, $25 per accepted story Cover letter should include: Your name/pen name, the title of the story, word count, and either a link to the Tumblr-twist that inspired the story or one-line premise that you think would make a good Tumblr-twist. Submission method: email – [email protected] Remember to use standard manuscript format Rights: Electronic Anthology Rights, non-exclusive. Reprints welcome. Increase Your Chance of Getting Accepted Write an inclusive story Watch your tropes Don’t be the 12th person to send us a Tiny Dragon story—we love the examples we gave, but there are lots more Tumblr-twists out there. (That said, if you have an epic tiny dragon story—send it!)   *where possible we have linked to the original post and/or the earliest post that fully encapsulated the idea. Sometimes the OP had...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: $250 for online selection, $1000 for print selection. Note: make sure you read what they're looking for, this isn't going to be a place for overly extreme work What We Publish LITMAG PRINT Fiction Short stories, novellas Nonfiction Creative nonfiction; essays on literature, art, culture, and music; biography, memoir Poetry No restrictions on style or form LITMAG ONLINE Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry Up to 4,000 words. LITMAG CONTESTS LitMag‘s Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction  First Prize: $3,500, publication, and agency review by Sobel Weber Associates (clients include: Viet Thanh Nguyen, Richard Russo, Laura Lee Smith). Enter now. Go to Submittable for full contest guidelines.   What We Look For  Work that moves and amazes us. We are drawn to big minds, large hearts, sharp pens Word Count Limits Print: 15,000 words Online: 4,000 words What to Send One story or essay at a time, up to five poems. Please wait until you have heard back from us before submitting again. Previously Unpublished We do not consider work that has previously been published either in print or online (including personal blogs etc.) What We Pay LitMag Print: Upon acceptance, we pay $1,000 for fiction or nonfiction; $250 for a poem (or the rare short short) LitMag Online: Upon acceptance, we pay $250 What We Acquire LitMag acquires First English-language print and electronic rights. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication. When to Submit Regular submissions: Fiction is open: 10/1/17 to 11/30/17; 2/1/18 to 7/31/18 Poetry is open:  9/1/17 to 11/30/17; 3/1/18 to 7/31/18 Nonfiction is open: 8/1/17 to 11/30/17; 1/1/18 to 5/31/18 LitMag Online is open: 9/1/17 to 11/30/17; 2/1/18 to 6/30/18 Contest Deadlines: LitMag’s Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction. Deadline is 12/15/17 How to Submit Online. We use Submittable. (Saves trees, prevents paper cuts.) We do not consider emails with attachments or snail mail. Multiple Submissions Please submit...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: $50 (AUD) Featuring reprinted stories by Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, and more, and edited by Oz Horror Con's Steve Dillon, “Behind the Mask – Tales from the Id” is the third anthology in our 'Things in the Well' series. The first was published in May 2017, titled “Between the Tracks – Tales from the Ghost Train” and the second, published in October 2017 was “Below the Stairs – Tales from the Cellar.” Both anthologies featured reprints of stories by Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell along with other greats such as Charles Dickens, H.P. Lovecraft, M.R. James an more. Alongside these classic tales of terror, we aim to highlight new works from contemporary established and emerging authors.   We’re now peeling back the masks to disclose more best-of-breed, memorable tales. We're after new (no reprints) short, supernatural tales, psychological thrillers, or creature features involving masks of some sort. Physical, metaphorical or spiritual, so long as the theme of masks is clearly central to your tale. Word count is expected to be in the region of 6,000 - 10,000 words. We’re paying a flat rate of $50 (AUD) for this anthology. You will retain rights. More details on request*.   Featuring Clive Barker’s ‘Sex, Death and Starshine.’ In each of the anthologies, we hope to bring you archetypal stories that best represent the theme. Clive Barker’s ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ and ‘Hell’s Event’ were featured in the first two anthologies.   Also featuring Ramsey Campbell’s ‘The Other Side.’ We’ve also featured tales by Ramsey Campbell in both anthologies. Ramsey Campbell is the undisputed grandmaster of paranoiac, creepy tales of insidious terror. He has won many major awards and received numerous accolades over five decades, and we are delighted to present another archetypal story by Ramsey Campbell, appropriate to the theme of masks,...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: Story pay: $30, Poem pay: $10. Theme: Elves and the Shoemaker. Starting in January 2017, bimonthly issues will resume at Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Please read the following in its entirety before submitting. The rules are needed, and EC will not consider your work if they have not been followed. It's important to read samples of published work on EC. You can find just a few examples . HERE IS HOW YOU SUBMIT: No unsolicited work of any kind is being accepted. Only the kind of submissions outlined below will be accepted at EC. -- Six times a year, writers and poets will have a chance to submit fairy-tale inspired stories and poems. No non-fiction of any kind. -- Here are the submission periods: Months--January, March, May, July, September, November.      -- Days of those months--the first through the 30th. That's starting at 12 a.m. on the first day of a submission month. That's ending at 11:59 p.m. of the 30th of a submission month (28th for February). Those are Eastern Standard Times.      -- No stories or poems will be accepted in the following months, so please do not send any: February, April, June, August, October, December.      -- You submit through email only. Please use this address only: [email protected]. That's for submissions only.      -- All questions, but no submissions, should be sent to [email protected].      -- Your last name, the month and the year should be in the subject line of the email.      -- You must be 18 years old or older, but may be from any country.      -- You should try to use American English word forms and punctuation.      -- Do not send attachments. They will not be opened or considered. Paste your work in...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: $0.07 - $0.10 per word + contributor copy. Holy C.O.W.! SF stories from the Center Of the World is an anthology of Speculative Fiction stories rooted in the ancient Fertile Crescent, Levant and the Middle East, but stretch into the near and distant future.  Holy C.O.W.! is seeking all styles and sub-genre, including humorous speculative fiction.  Addition consideration will also be given to artists who live or are from the region. SUBMISSION WINDOW: November 1 – November 30, 2017 LENGTH: 500-6000 words. PAYMENT: $0.07 - $0.10 per word + contributor copy. Payment will be made upon acceptance. Our preferred method of payment is via PayPal, but you may request a check. FORMAT: ODT RTF or DOC. Standard Manuscript Format or some close approximation. SEND TO:  Limit of 1 submission per author — even if you receive a response before the submission window closes please do not send another story unless directly invited to do so. Please do not respond to rejections. The email address associated with submissions is not monitored. If you wish to query for any reason, please use the contact form or e-mail us: editor at holycowpublishing dot com. RIGHTS SOUGHT: First Worldwide print and electronic English Language rights. Exclusivity for 90 days from date of release. Non-exclusive print, e-book, and audio rights afterward. POLICIES & RESPONSE TIME: No reprints, multiple or simultaneous submissions please. You may query after 30 days. Please send only one submission per author unless directly invited to send more. WHAT WE WANT: We’re looking for speculative stories rooted in the Fertile Crescent, Levant and the Middle East.   The region should be an integral part of the story, and not simply a transplant.  For ideal example think of how Mike Resnick's story "Kirinyaga" relates to Africa culture and issues.  We welcome quality flash fiction and non-traditional narratives.  Authorized English...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: 1000-3000 words will receive $5. Stories that are longer than that will receive $10 and a contributor's copy Unfading Daydream is looking for unique and exceptional fiction to be showcased in our quarterly literary magazine. We strive to feature stories within the genres that have inspired us (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, etc) as well as stories that feature LGBTQ+ themes. Basic Details We are open to established and new, emerging authors. In terms of length, we’re looking for stories between 1000 and 7000 words. Shorter or longer stories will be evaluated on a case by case basis. No previously published works. Reading periods are May, August, November, and February.  All submissions must be in by 11:59pm CST on the last day of the reading period (May, August, November, or February) Please do not send submissions outside of our reading periods. Expect a decision within four weeks See full guidelines below Payment Stories that are between 1000-3000 words will receive $5. Stories that are longer than that will receive $10.  All contributors receive a hard copy of the magazine. In time, we would like to pay contributors more! Submissions We accept submissions only by email. Free to submit! Please send your submission to submit  unfadingdaydream com with the title of ‘Unfading Daydream Submission’. Full Guidelines We want to see your unique sci-fi, fantasy, horror, etc. We prefer stories that are between 1000-7000 words, but if you feel that your 8000 word story or your 700 word story is brilliant, we’d love to see it. The Submission Piece One submission per author per reading period please. Contributors are allowed to include one story on their submission*. Please attach the stories individually to the submission email. *this is new as of the reading period for Issue 3* Unless there is a theme stated for a particular reading period, there is no theme. Previously...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: one half-cent per word, with a minimum payment of $5.00 and a maximum of $15.00. Payment for reprints is a maximum of $10. Note: Reprints Allowed Word Count:    500-10,500 (If over this, please ask before submitting) Theme:    Norse mythology, although not as popular as Greek and Roman, has a fascinating take on the universe and a pantheon of amazing gods and goddesses. Although there are many stories that have survived the ages, there are several tales that were lost. For this anthology, we are looking for stories about Norse goddesses that were mostly lost. There are many goddesses, mentioned in other stories, that very little is known. Who are these barely mentioned goddesses? What is their background, their origin? We want you to tell us the stories that history did not.   Response Time:  Please allow up to one month. After that, if you don't hear from us then feel free to give us a little nudge.   Payment: Payment will be one half-cent per word, with a minimum payment of $5.00 and a maximum of $15.00. Payments will be made by PayPal in USD. Payments will go out no later than four months after the publication date. Editing: Yes, your story will be edited if we decide to accept it. After we go through and edit your story, it will then be sent back to you for final approval. In some cases, we may ask for revisions to be made.  Reprints, Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions: Yes. Payment for reprints is a maximum of $10. SEND A SEPARATE EMAIL FOR EACH SUBMISSION. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS SENT IN ONE EMAIL MAY BE DISCARDED WITHOUT BEING READ. Guidelines for Submissions:   All submissions are to be sent to [email protected]. In the subject line please type NORSE ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION: . In the body of your email, please include...

Deadline: November 30th, 2017 Payment: $0.01 per word, minimum of 10.00 dollars (excluding flash contest, a flat rate of 5.00 dollars to the winning flash) Apparition Lit is open for poetry and short story submissions four times a year. November 1-30th February 1-28th May 1-30th August 1-31st (Please see the Flash Fiction drop down below for our monthly Flash Fiction submission guidelines) As the first issue of our magazine, our theme is Apparition, which can mean a ghostly presence, the act of becoming visible, or the appearance of something strange or unexpected. Our themes for 2018 will be: Apparition (open for submissions November 1-30, 2017, publishing January 2018) Delusion (open for submissions February 1-28, 2018, publishing April 2018) Vision (open for submissions May 1-30, 2018, publishing July 2018) Diversion (open for submissions August 1-31, 2018, publishing October 2018) PAYMENT: Apparition is a token rate magazine, paying $0.01 per word, minimum of 10.00 dollars (excluding flash contest, a flat rate of 5.00 dollars to the winning flash). If we accept your story, we are purchasing the right to publish the story online and in the quarterly edition. Rights will revert back to the artist after one year. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: SHORT FICTION: We will only accept stories between 1000-5000 words. Of course, this number-range is not intended to be a hard stop. If the story is complete with an extra 100-300 words, then it will still be considered. PAYMENT: Apparition is a token-rate magazine, paying $0.01 per word, minimum of 10.00 dollars (excluding flash contest). If we accept your story, we are purchasing the right to publish the story online and in the quarterly edition. Rights will revert back to the artist after one year. HOW TO SUBMIT: Format the story using the Shunn manuscript shunn Please retain all proper formatting marks. Keep font italicized and bolded....

Deadline: December 1st, 2017 Payment: Royalty Split We’re putting together an anthology of delicious cozy mystery stories! The long of it: Imagine yourself in your favorite chair. There’s a cat in your lap, a fire in the fireplace, and on the little table at your elbow, your favorite hot drink. The book in your hand is a cozy. A cozy is a mystery, which, of course, means a tale of crime and intrigue. Often that crime is murder. But although the circumstances surrounding the crime can be ugly, that ugliness—as well as any attendant sex, violence, or cruelty–takes place offstage. Instead, the crime is treated as a puzzle, and the sleuth, a charming amateur, is the hero. Many cozies take place in small, pleasant towns. Many have female sleuths. Quite a few are organized around themes, such as crafts, hobbies, food, or pets. If your mystery has a recipe or a crime-solving ferret, it’s a cozy, and we’d like to see it. The short of it: 2K-10K words Deadline: December 1, 2017 Payment: share of royalties A few rules: § Plot must center on a crime and its solution § Amateur sleuth § No graphic sex, violence, cruelty, or strong language (including slurs and epithets) § Previously unpublished authors welcome § Writers from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to submit And, there must be a cupcake somewhere in the story. What this means is up to you. Does the main character own a cupcake shop? Is the cupcake a murder weapon? Is the victim’s nickname “cupcake”? Does the villain leave a trail of cupcake crumbs wherever they go? Use your imagination, and send us your best. editorjessfaraday at hotmail.com Light Space Elm Books is looking for short story submissions for our next Science Fiction & Fantasy collection. We are interested in short stories (no more than 15,000 words) featuring...

Deadline: December 7th, 2017 Payment: Under 1k words: $10, 1k-6k words: $25. Both also come with a contributor's copy SUBMITTING Stories should be in standard manuscript format, i.e. double spaced, in a reasonable 12-point font. The editor has a fondness for Georgia. The story title, word count, and contact information should appear on the first page, and your last name, story title, and page number should appear in the header information of all other pages. We will be reviewing submissions on a rolling basis until the anthology is filled. Acceptances will be notified within 60 days. Feel free to query after that. WORD COUNT We’re looking for stories under 6,000 words. 3-4,000 words is probably the sweet spot. REPRINTS We will not be accepting previously published work for this anthology. THE CONCEPT Metropolitan tales of city-focused fantasy with queer perspectives. Squalid flats, glittering spires, and alchemical trolleys. Manipulative heirs, handsome swordswomen and noble automatons. Write us something built with borrowed Bordertown DNA, purloined echoes of House Tremontaine society and stolen grit from the dark of London Below. Be inspired by Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany, China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station, or “The City Born Great” by N.K. Jemisin. WHAT WE WANT TO SEE We are looking for stories that explore the edges of urban fantasy through queer stories. While the city these stories are set in should be vast and unnamed, highly specific neighborhoods and landmarks are encouraged and sought after. We welcome a broad interpretation of the genre that is inclusive of postmodern folk tales, future/ancient noir, and stories that happen both behind closed doors and in plain sight. Throughout, we’re looking for rich, varied and nuanced understandings of gender, family and ethnicity. Please remember not to self-reject! WHAT WE DON’T WANT TO SEE Please no werewolf/vampire/dragon/elf stories unless...

Deadline: December 10th 2017 Payment: one half-cent per word, with a minimum payment of $5.00 and a maximum of $15.00. Maximum of $10 for reprints. Note: Reprints allowed Word Count:    500-10,500 Theme:    This anthology will focus on tales about the sidekicks who help the heroes and princesses find their happily ever afters, and what happens to them after their quests are done. Does the lowly squire who helped the brave knight on his quest to save the princess ever get a shot at greatness? Or at the very least, a little recognition? Does the lady-in-waiting who was always there for the fair princess finally get her own happily ever after? Response Time:  Please allow six weeks. After that, if you don't hear from us then feel free to give us a little nudge. We respond to every submission.   Payment: Payment will be one half-cent per word, with a minimum payment of $5.00 and a maximum of $15.00. Payments will be made by PayPal in USD. Payments will go out no later than four months after the publication date. Editing: Yes, your story will be edited if we decide to accept it. After we go through and edit your story, it will then be sent back to you for final approval. In some cases, we may ask for revisions to be made.  Reprints, Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions: Yes. Payment for reprints is a maximum of $10. SEND A SEPARATE EMAIL FOR EACH SUBMISSION. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS SENT IN ONE EMAIL MAY BE DISCARDED WITHOUT BEING READ. Guidelines for Submissions:   All submissions are to be sent to [email protected]. In the subject line please type SIDEKICK ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION: . In the body of your email, please include your name and word count. If the story is under 2,000 words, please paste the text in the body of the email, otherwise please attach it.  We...

Deadline: December 15th, 2017 Payment: $0.02 cent a word paid on publication + shared royalties. B Cubed Press is accepting short story submissions for “After the Orange,” an original science fiction and fantasy anthology about the post-Trump world. The Premise: The Trump Presidency has come and gone.  Has this invoked the Trump Dynasty or has it spawned a return to core values, a hedonistic paradise or what?  Truly, what does the future, the post Trump future hold? What We Want: We are looking for near- or farther-future stories, society as it is AFTER 2032 – at least two presidential election cycles after Donald Trump’s last eligibility. Show us America or the world in a new era, or look at world politics changed by the actions of US policies and people. Or go beyond. Stories may present an optimistic or pessimistic, utopian or apocalyptic visions of the future, with some clear connection to current events and the world as it is in 2017. Political shenanigans would be interesting, as well as romance, spooks, robots and evil overlords, satire or parodies. But remember, the world has moved on. The editors generally favor character- and/or plot-driven stories. How to Submit: Send submissions IN STANDARD MANUSCRIPT FORMAT* to: [email protected] in .doc., .docx, . or rtf . Deadline – 12/15/2017 Publication Date. – Spring/Summer 2018 Word Counts – 500-5000 words Pay US $0.02 cent a word paid on publication + shared royalties. Via: B Cubed Press.

Deadline: December 15th, 2017 Payment: $60 USD for fiction and $30 USD for poetry Our reading periods are as follows: February 1–March 15 for our Spring (April) issue; May 1–June 15 for our Summer (July) issue; August 1–September 15 for our Autumn (October) issue; and November 1–December 15 for our Winter (January) issue. Feel free to record your submissions at Duotrope and/or the Submissions Grinder. We are also listed on Ralan. Fiction and Poetry Guidelines Arsenika is looking for previously unpublished original fiction and poetry up to 1,000 words long. Payment is $60 USD for fiction and $30 USD for poetry for first world electronic rights and non-exclusive audio rights. We hope to raise the poetry rate to $60 as well in the future—please support us on Patreon if you’d like to help us reach our goal. Submit no more than two flash fiction pieces and five poems at a time, and please make sure you fill out the form again for each piece you send, unless the pieces are meant to be read together (e.g. a triptych of poems). All work should be in Standard Manuscript Format (fiction format/poetry format). Format poetry exactly as you would like to see it online—use italics for italics, underlines for underlines, boldface for boldface, etc. Send only TXT, RTF, DOC, and DOCX files. Please do not send simultaneous submissions (pieces that are submitted to Arsenikaand another market at the same time). Multiple submissions are accepted, but please have no more than two flash fiction pieces and five poems in the submissions queue at a time. We try to respond to all submissions within 14 days. If you haven’t heard from us in 30 days, please send us a query at [email protected]. Remember: Don’t self-reject. Submissions are currently CLOSED. We will reopen for submissions on November 1. Submit to Arsenika Check Submissions Status Reprints Arsenika does not accept unsolicited reprints. Payment...

Deadline: December 20th, 2017 Payment: $6 (AUD) plus an ebook Come one, come all! "Shades of Santa" xmas-themed fiction magazine is open for submissions! Things in the Well are looking for flash fiction for another fun fiction magazine project similar to Trickster's Treats. This time it's Xmas-themed and the deadline is December 20th, so you'll need to put your pointy green thinking caps on if you want to enter! I've selected six categories and hoping for six stories in each category, so when you submit please choose the right category... for your story. The word count is 666 words - please aim for exactly that number, but don't go above it. Attached word documents are fine, with single-line spaces, no tabs, and doubles quotes for "speech." If selected, payment will be $6 (AUD) plus an ebook. Profits will go to some suitable charity - tbd. This will be ebook only unless there is a real demand for printed copies, which wouldn't be until after xmas. So, please submit your completed stories to:- [email protected] preferably with the subject: "Shades of Santa - category 1, 2, 3 etc. - your story name" Anything else please feel free to email me on [email protected] Here are the categories: 1. Sleigh bells 2. All is calm... 3. The naughty list 4. Is that really an elf? 5. Carols, choirs, and vocal chords 6. Snow people http://thingsinthewell.webs.com/submissions

Deadline: December 30th, 2017! Payment: 3 cents/word (CAD) and a contributor's copy Note: Canadian writers have preferred status but they aren't only taking Canadian authors. Edited by Kate Story and Derek Newman-Stille To be published by Renaissance Press   Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818, sparking the genres of horror and science fiction. On this, the 200th anniversary of its publication, the narrative is more relevant than ever. We live in an age where we need to ask critical questions about the limits of science. How do scientific pursuits relate to the body? Attention to issues of disability lead us to consider how identity relates to the body, and how the body can shift and change over time. Shelley’s bodily assemblage – a collective of parts given life – still shapes our ideas about ourselves, and about what we create to be our monsters. This anthology will gather together tales inspired by Shelley’s strange alchemy, lightning strikes of inspiration from Frankenstein. We are looking for a broad range of stories, from direct interactions with Shelley’s texts to explorations of the stitched, assembled body and narrative experiments in monstrous creations. We Shall Be Monsters is a fiction collection that will feature explorations of disability through Frankenstein, queer and trans identity, ideas of race and colonialism. Shelley’s story provides a space for exploring a multitude of identities through the figure of the sympathetic outsider. Frankenstein’s “monster” is a figure of Otherness, and one that can tell stories of exclusion and social oppression. Stories do not need to be JUST about Frankenstein or his monster. We hope to get stories that play with ideas around Frankenstein and inspired by the theme. Of course, we want some stories that deal with Mary Shelley’s text. For this anniversary anthology, we are looking for short stories of...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: 1 cent a word VOLUME 3: STORIES PUBLISHED IN 2017 Is your story too heavy and hardcore for other “best of” anthologies? Then you’ve come to the right place because Comet Press is now accepting stories for YEAR’S BEST HARDCORE HORROR VOL. 3, a yearly collection intended to give recognition to the extreme, harder side of horror, stories that break boundaries and trash taboos. Editors: Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax. Requirements: The story was (or will be) published in a 2017 anthology, single author collection, magazine, or online magazine. Self-published anthologies and collections are acceptable as well. Deadline: December 31, 2017. Length: Short stories/novelettes. Payment: 1 cent a word. What to Send Authors: In the body of an email: Author name Story title Name of anthology or magazine or online magazine it was published in: If the book is available on Amazon and your story credit appears somewhere on the page, send us the link. If not, send a link to the best source with that information (publisher’s page, etc). If the story was in a magazine, send us a web link to the issue TOC where your story appears, or if that’s not available send us a scan of the table of contents (print magazines, etc.). A bio A short synopsis. Attach the entire manuscript in rtf, doc, or pdf format. Note: please make sure this is the final version of your story, exactly as it appears in the published version. Important Note: Make sure your contract allows you to publish the story in a “best of” anthology. If you’re not sure, check with your publisher. If necessary, ask them for a waiver. Publishers In an email include the following: Author name and story title(s) for consideration Name of publication and publisher, date published...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: 5 cents a word, 2 cents a word if a reprint. Note: Reprints Allowed edited by Steve Berman Avarice and a fealty to Mammon are elements of this forthcoming anthology slated for January of 2018. Lethe is seeking weird and eerie stories of people consumed by wealth. Each tale must be suffused with the trappings of the well-to-do. Decadence should be paramount. However, we do not want these tales to be moralistic; we're celebrating those who can buy the finest things in life...they just happen to be the leads in a horror story. The better stories will incorporate status and wealth as both character traits and elements of the plot. For an excellent example, we recommend "Dirty American" by Lara Elena Donnelly or "His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood" by Poppy Z. Brite. Our preference is for stories that are contemporary but we are willing to read and purchase a few historical tales. No vampire or zombie tales. Stories should be from 4,000 to 14,000 in length. Original fiction is more important to us, but we will make an offer on exceptional reprints. Payment for reprints is 2 cents per word. Payment for original fiction is 5 cents a word. All payment is upon publication in Summer of 2018. We'll be doing a lovely, off-set, hardback edition of this book, perhaps a trade paperback, digital and audiobook versions. Deadline is January of 2018. Please submit to Steve Berman at lethepress @aol.com with the Subject line of Midas Clutch Submission. Include an embedded copy letter with biographical details, if the story is original, and some sense of prior publications (if any). Basic Submission Guidelines If you would like to submit a manuscript to Lethe Press here are our guidelines: We seek manuscripts that are a minimum...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: Royalties A Robotic/Computer Dystopia. The machines are our overlords…tell us about it. Season Three Submission Deadline: December 31st, 2017 How to submit: At the moment, we are accepting submissions through our Online Submission Form. Only submissions through the online submission form will be accepted. What we’re looking for: We will be publishing 3 SEASONS of genre anthologies each year. Each Season will have its own theme. See the SEASONS page to see what seasons we are currently looking for and what seasons have past. We will also be publishing other anthologies, so feel free to send us work at anytime. We will post if and when we have themes for other anthologies. We publish anthologies with Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror themes. Please note that we do not consider novel excerpts, or anything with illustrations or photographs. Our anthologies will be available in paperback and ebook formats exclusively through Amazon. What’s the deadline? Check the SEASONS page for each seasons deadline. Otherwise, please feel to send us other work that may be great for another anthology as we will be publishing others. International submissions: We’re based in the US but we accept submissions from authors all over the English-speaking world. Rights We ask for first serial rights on any story we publish. This means that the story should not have appeared anywhere else, either in print or online. (This includes publication on an author’s own website.) When we publish a story, we ask for a brief period of exclusivity (roughly 18 to 24 months), and the right to keep the story in print. We do not place any limits on what you can do with your story after the exclusivity period. Word count We are able to consider stories for publishing on the site that are between...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: $0.06/word WE’RE LOOKING FOR STORIES THAT: Have a main character that a middle grade reader (ages 8-12) can identify with; Show a diverse set of real characters; Are well written, fun to read, and encourage a love of reading science fiction; Tell of adventure, space, science.  Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters, and we’re pretty happy; Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine; Are between 3,000 and 6,000 words. To be super clear – we’re looking science fiction, in all its variants. While we love fantasy as well, please don’t submit fantasy stories for this anthology. We’re especially looking for stories: Of adventure!  We love a good dystopia as much as the next robot, but remember – this is the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide; Where the main character is of a population that has traditionally been under-represented in science fiction, e.g. girls, people of color, differently abled people; Where the main character has agency, exercises it, and isn’t just along for the ride. We are strong supporters of both the #weneeddiversebooks and #ownvoices movements.   We’re not interested in: Stories where the female characters primarily exist to be rescued or as a prize for the males; Stories where the primary plot or subplot is romantic in nature; Stories with graphic violence or any form of sexual activity; Stories with any violence towards animals; Stories about the first girl to do X, surprising everyone; Stories that depict any ethnicity or gender as universally bad or stupid. Please note:  although we’re aware kids have a wide and varied vocabulary, we’d prefer not to have swearing in the stories. If your story has swearing, please rephrase before submitting. Submission deadline, mechanics and planned schedule: Anthology will be open for submissions from July 1, 2017 – December 31,...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: $30.00 (3000-4999 words) $50.00 (5000-5999 words) $60 (6000-6999 words) $70.00 (7000 words) US $ per short story accepted. Reprints will be considered, and if selected SDP will pay $25.00 “Terror Politico” 2018 Submission Guidelines This is the second annual submission call for the 2018 Scary Dairy anthology: Terror Politico! Scary Dairy Press is seeking short story submissions of 3000-7000 words max for the anthology: Terror Politico! This is a terrorizing anthology about the evils of politics, and the Capital Hill monsters that lurk in our political arena. Take on a favorite topic of debate (examples: firearms, contraception, women’s rights, racism) and escort it into the fiction arena. Put a paranormal, or monster spin on it, or take it into the future. You decide! Any aspect of politics that keeps you awake at night could have a home here. If you have a question about appropriate content, then message us! What we want: This anthology may include one or more genres such as: horror, dark fiction, dark fantasy, speculative fiction, or bizarro. Your story may occur in any time, place or space. Mix it up, but make it thought provoking and disturbing to the human conscience. It’s up to you whether you offer the world an answer to political corruption, or end the tale with the death and destruction of stars and stripes on the very last page. What we don’t want: No child abuse/sexual abuse scenes. No gratuitous splatter, gore or rape. If you use it, there must be a clear purpose for it. No overused tropes (vampires, werewolves, zombies) unless you clearly have something unusual and unique. If you’re not sure, then email/message us and ask at [email protected] Manuscript format: Shunn Manuscript Format: http://www.shunn.net/format/novel.html . READ THE DIRECTIONS. Submission dates: 01 September, 2017 -31...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: $30usd Hydra is currently putting together a fantasy anthology of short stories from 10 authors. Previous publication experience is not required. Payout will be $30, payable when the anthology releases sometime in the spring of 2018. Requirements and details: Unsheathed: an Epic Anthology of Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, edited by best-selling author Stuart Thaman Epic / heroic fantasy submissions only. No urban fantasy, no paranormal fantasy, no fantasy romance Some element of sword play or sword-related theme must be present in each story Stories, once accepted, will be professionally edited with the author’s input Stories must be between 7,500 – 10,000 words Submit all submissions, in their entirety, to [email protected] – be sure to include the phrase “Fantasy Anthology” in the subject line Submissions must be made by December 31st, 2017 to be considered Unsheathed will receive a very large marketing effort from Hydra Publications. We kindly request that all authors participating in the anthology make their best efforts as well. The goal of the anthology will be exposure and cross-promotion, not sales and royalties. In order to maximize exposure, the anthology will be priced in electronic version for $0.99 and will also be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Paperback copies will be made available for purchase to all authors Each author will be given one full page biographical section in which to list their other works and websites, etc. after their story Authors will also receive a detailed sales report after the first month of publication to know how well they’re work is being marketing and promoted Hydra is only interest in first-publication stories, and Hydra will retain rights to the stories for a term of 5 years Via: Hydra Publications.

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: $25 We are interested in all speculative genres (horror, fantasy, science fiction, slipstream, steampunk, magical realism, etc) up to 25,000 words that have been independently published between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. Only one story per author can be accepted.  Payment details: $25 for the non-exclusive, perpetual right to publish the story in print and audiobook format. All digital rights remain with the author. Send Submissions to [email protected] Via: Bards And Sages Publishing.

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: 3 cents per word Crystal Lake Publishing will be accepting submissions for the non-themed anthology Tales from the Lake Volume 5 from October 1st, 2017 through December 1st, 2017. In previous anthologies we’ve published Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Jack Ketchum, Ramsey Campbell, Elizabeth Massie, Rena Mason, Graham Masterton, Lisa Morton, Kealan Patrick Burke, Damien Angelica Walters, Joe R. Lansdale, Gene O’Neill, and Tim Waggoner. We can’t wait to announce who will be headlining this anthology! One name we can already reveal is the inclusion of a brand new story by Gemma Files. Tales from the Lake Volume 5 will be edited by Kenneth W. Cain. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: We want stories that haunt the readers for months to come. We prefer quiet horror and dark fiction with a literary bent. Don’t use gore for the sake of grossing us out. Use it sparingly, and only to further the story. Stories should be no longer than 6000 words, but that doesn’t mean the story should use all 6000 words. Use the word count it takes to write YOUR story. The sweet spot will likely be closer to 4000 words. Ground your stories in the REAL world. Create believable, three-dimensional characters just as real as your friends and neighbors. The world these characters inhabit should be equally authentic, hitting all the senses. Originality is important—we don’t want your version of someone else’s story from yesteryear. Although our arms are wide open, we’re more interested in fiction that reflects the modern. Kelly Link, Karen Russell, Joe Hill, Damien Angelica Walters, and Mercedes M. Yardley are prime examples of current dark fiction writers encapsulating the above in their work. Quality of the work must be top notch! The authors mentioned above represent the high-water mark we’re looking for. WHAT WE’RE NOT...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: 6 cents per word+ THE RAZOR’S EDGE, GUILDS & GLAIVES, and SECOND ROUND: A RETURN TO THE URBAR anthology kickstarter has hit its goal! If you have a story idea that fits one of the anthology themes, write it up, revise it, polish it, and send it in for consideration. I've posted the guidelines below. THE RAZOR’S EDGE, GUILDS & GLAIVES, and SECOND ROUND: A RETURN TO THE URBAR Submission Guidelines Zombies Need Brains LLC is accepting submissions to its three science fiction and fantasy anthologies THE RAZOR’S EDGE, GUILDS & GLAIVES, and SECOND ROUND: A RETURN TO THE URBAR. Stories must be submitted in electronic form as an attachment with the title of the story as the file name in .doc or .docx format. The header of the email should include the name of the anthology the submission is for along with the title of the submission (for example: WERE-: WereJellyfish Gone Wild!). The content of the email should also include which anthology the manuscript is intended for. Please send multiple manuscripts in separate emails. Manuscripts should be in manuscript format, meaning double-spaced, 12pt font, standard margins on top, bottom and sides, and pages numbered. Please use New Times Roman font. The first page should include the Title of the story, Author’s name, address, and email, and Pseudonym if different from the author’s real name. Italics and bold should be in italics and bold. Stories for this anthology must be original (no reprints or previously published material), no more than 7,500 words in length, and must satisfy the theme of the anthology. THE RAZOR’S EDGE is to feature science fiction or fantasy stories that explore the fine line between a rebel and an insurgent. It is a military science fiction and fantasy anthology. We...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: $0.08 per word up to $800, and possibly royalties GENERAL INFORMATION AND THEME We’re looking for original English language short stories from all around the world. Our goal is to publish at least four pieces of short fiction–short stories (at least 1,500 words) or novelettes (up to 17,500 words)–unified by a central theme. Each short story will be accompanied by one original piece of artwork, commissioned especially for the work. For the publication period between May and August 2018, the theme is: AWAKENINGS will be Book Smugglers Publishing’s FIFTH season of short stories, following Fairytale Retellings, First Contact, Superheroes, and Gods & Monsters. When it comes to Awakenings, anything goes. You, the author, should feel free to take this general theme and interpret it in any way you see fit–from a story about an AI’s first hours of sentience, to magical alternate histories featuring characters discovering how to wield power for the first time, anything goes. We encourage authors to subvert these sample themes, to expand upon what “awakenings” means, and adapt the prompt to other possible connotations and genres under the Speculative Fiction umbrella. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR DIVERSITY. We want to read and publish short stories that reflect the diverse world we live in, about and from traditionally underrepresented perspectives–including but not limited to stories by and featuring LGBTQIA characters, people of color, and different gender identities. Following Fireside Fiction’s reports on underrepresented black writers, we especially welcome black writers to submit their stories. Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult audience submissions are welcome.Good speculative fiction is ageless! We are VERY keen on receiving Romance stories – or stories with strong romantic elements. We are VERY keen on receiving Horror stories – or stories with strong horror elements. Creativity & Subversion. We love subversive stories. We want you to...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: Contributor's Copy George A. Romero was an inspiration to many people, and the Godfather of the modern zombie sub-genre. As a tribute to him, and his work, we’re putting together a charity anthology, provisionally called WORDS OF THE DEAD, to honour the man who scared us witless when we were younger and inspired us when we got older. The guidelines are: - We’re looking for zombie stories only. - Stories must be either set within the films, or based on the canon he created. So, no runners, but remember that Romero used tool-wielding zombies in Night/Dawn/Day and Land, and the vampire/un-dead crossover in the comic series Empire of the Dead. - One simple rule: as long as he used it, so can you. Show us something different from the films, or wow us with an original story set within one of the time frames or the modern day. - Maximum word count of 6k; standard manuscript formatting. - You’ll get a digital and physical contributor’s copy as a thank you. - This will be published through EyeCue Productions, with Duncan P. Bradshaw, David Owain Hughes, and Jonathan Edward Ondrashek as editors. - No reprints, please. We’re looking for new stories, keen for fresh bodies to feast on. - ALL proceeds will be going to charity; we’re working towards getting that sorted at the moment. - Rights are your own, but we respectfully ask for a six-month period of exclusivity to the anthology from the release date (to be determined). - Deadline: 31st December, 2017. Send your submission or questions to: [email protected] We look forward to seeing what you come up with! David, Duncan and Jonathan Via: Duncan P. Bradshaw.

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: $15 FORMATTING GUIDELINES This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. Email and Cover Letters Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman Submission Formatting We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX)or Rich Test Format (RTF) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult to open. Please note that we no longer accept "inline" submssions - that is: submissions with the stories pasted directly into the body of the email. Fiction Guidelines We're looking for good, solid...

Deadline: December 31st, 2017 Payment: 6 cents per word "Monstrosities"  - Humor (SF/Fantasy/Horror). Things that are just too big or that don't scale. Whether it's the new shopping mall down the street, kaiju attacking Tokyo, flawed utopian ideas, the supposed ultimate weapon, or somebody who's way too big for his britches, we all have had to deal with humongous blunders. Get it off your chest--share with us your favorite monstrosities. (Photo by Juanbobadilla - Own work, commons.wikimedia.org) Reading period: December 1 - December 31, 2017 Writer Deadline: December 31, 2017 Publication Date: March 1, 2018 Third Flatiron Publishing is based in Boulder, Colorado, and Ayr, Scotland. We are looking for submissions to our (approximately) quarterly themed anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We want tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. Light horror is acceptable, provided it fits the theme. 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. 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. Themes and Schedules Continuing with Third Flatiron's quarterly...