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Deadline: January 30th, 2018 Payment: Royalties This anthology (working title "Miner Detours in Reality") will present a miner's dozen or more fresh stories that showcases regional locations and talent. PGWI is focused on family-friendly writing that entertains, excites and entices the readers to want more. Open call for submission: DATES: Submit between 9/1/17 - 12/15/17  ►►► Extended to 1/30/18 GENRE: Speculative Fiction more about Speculative Fiction here   REQUIREMENTS: Our anthologies always follow a theme or common thread. This time: Location must be set in California "Gold Country" -- in the past, present or future. Use the word/concept of "gold" as some minor or major plot point. ►Note: "gold" does not have to refer to the precious metal! WORD COUNT: 2000 - 8000 words ROYALTY: $20 - $30 sliding scale FEES: There is no submission or reading fees ► If you are unable to use the form on the right, please e-mail us to request the full specifications: [email protected] Via: Place Gold Writer's Ink.

Deadline: January 31st, 2018 Payment: half cent a word with a $5.00 minimum We are seeking new and original work inspired by the famed Bosch triptych, “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Pieces can be accounts of scenes occurring within the painting; further adventures of the denizens of the painting; bizarre odes to the painting itself; some conglomerate of the above; or something entirely different. Push limits of plot, structure, and form. Those familiar with our catalogue know we prefer the surreal, absurd, gut-wrenching. Pieces dependent on comedy will be less likely to find a home here. Please, for our sanity, do not send any pieces about the bird king eating and excreting humans out. We will consider fiction, poetry, plays, and pretty much any other formats you can think of. (Creative non-fiction is encouraged but pitch your concept beforehand.) Word count has a soft cap of 7K: if your submission is longer (or is expected to be), pitch us the concept beforehand. Payment is half cent a word with a $5.00 minimum. No simultaneous submissions, but multiple submissions are allowed. If multiple pieces are accepted, payment will be based on total word count of all pieces. Deadline is January 31st, 2018. We will try to be prompt with responses, but pieces that are potential acceptances may need to wait until after the deadline for final confirmation. We are seeking six month exclusivity from date of publication. Submissions can be sent to carrionblue555 gmail.com as .doc or .docx files. Include "GARDEN" and author name in the email title. Please format your file as you wish it to see print (italicize for italics, underline for underline, etc.) May your efforts bear strange fruits. Via: Carrion Blue 555.

Deadline: January 31st, 2018 Payment: $25 plus one contributor’s copy. Reprints would be $10 and a contributor's copy. Note: Reprints allowed, but unlikely to be selected. Sometimes the tools that mundane detectives use to solve the crimes of the world just aren’t enough – sometimes you have to call on a little magic. We’re looking for urban fantasy stories that involve a crime scene and require the investigator to use magic or engage the aid of a magical being to solve the crime. Did the house’s hob see what really happened in the domestic violence incident? Does a detective come into possession of a genie’s lamp that will grant him one wish, and he uses it to solve the case that got away? Does your gumshoe use a tracking spell to find the perpetrator using a few strands of hair she found at the scene? The people in your world can use magic openly or on the sly, it’s all up to you. But your story must be urban fantasy, and involve a crime scene and magic in some way. What we don’t want to see: On page sexual assault, child abuse, or animal abuse – this is an immediate rejection. Your investigator may be trying to solve one of those crimes, but we will not accept a story with one of those crimes happening on the page. Gratuitous anything – violence, sex, profanity, doesn’t matter. If it is not integral to the story and it’s not advancing the plot or character development, we don’t want to see blood, gore, or sex just for shock value’s sake (this goes for language too). We are not opposed to violence, sex, or profanity – as long as it belongs in the story and it’s not just there to shock and titillate. Think...

Deadline: January 31st, 2018 Payment: $10 EconoClash Review (Quality Cheap Thrills) is a biannual print journal of Genre Fiction. We accept only the best contemporary pulp submissions. Which includes quality Crime, Noir, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Weird, Humor and Other Words for Uplifting Gormandizers.  EconoClash Review believes in free speech and wants to provide our readers with a much needed escape into other worlds. We like stories about Weirdos, Criminals and Pregnant Prom Queens going to great lengths to destroy or keep the status quo. HOWEVER, we don't want erotica, or adult content, or torture-erotica between characters of any age, race, species both real or fictional. Nothing gratuitous. Avoid the tropes best you can. Just because we want GENRE doesn't mean we want STALE. Above all else--EconoClash Review wants fiction full of energy that feels real.  We encourage our writers to submit short fiction between 1,500 and 4,500 words. That word limit is FIRM and STRICTLY ENFORCED. SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN for Issue # TWO from Dec 1 to Jan 31. EconoClash Review claims the following publishing rights: First English Language Rights, English Language Periodical Rights, World Periodical Rights, Subsidiary Rights and Electronic Distribution Rights. All Rights revert back to the writer six months after initial publication. Should EconoClash Review choose to create an anthology of previously published work, new rights will be negotiated. 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 giving up your First Publishing Right for our token payment, is really what you want to do. EconoClash Review will accept simultaneous submissions, as long as the author alerts us as soon...

Deadline: January 1st-31st, 2018 Payment: Advance and Royalties Apex Book Company will be holding open novel and novella submissions from January 1st to January 31st, 2018. Anything sent outside of this time period will be deleted unread. We will consider novellas in length of 30,000 to 40,000 words and novels in length up to 120,000 words, and are particularly looking for novels that fit within the dark sci-fi category. Dark fantasy and horror submissions are also welcome. A literary agent is not required for submission. We may take up to three months or more to review your manuscript. Simultaneous submissions are okay. We will only accept one submission per author. We only accept email submissions to [email protected]. When submitting, the subject line should read: NOVEL SUBMISSION: <Title> by <Author Name>. In your submission packet, attach your entire manuscript and a synopsis no more than one page in length. The body of your email should be a cover letter. In the upper right hand corner of the first page of your manuscript there should be your name, address, phone number, and manuscript word count. Apex publishes 6-10 books a year. We offer an advance and standard royalty terms. Apex requests First English language trade paperback and eBook rights, as well as audio rights and certain subsidiary rights. Please direct questions to Jason Sizemore ([email protected]). Any submission queries should go to Lesley Conner ([email protected]). Via: Apex Books.

Deadline: January 31st, 2018 Payment: $20 and a contributor's copy Nightscript is published annually, during grand October, in both trade and electronic editions, and will feature contemporary fictions ranging in length from 2,000 to 7,000 words. Note: I am currently OPEN to submissions for Volume IV. (The reading period for 2018 ends on January 31st.) N. is a venue for ‘strange tales’, a term used to describe fictions supernatural, uncanny, weird, and so forth. In other words, I am looking for subtle and darksome literary horror. If you feel that your work has been inspired in no small part by authors such as Robert Aickman, Shirley Jackson, Dennis Etchison, Flannery O’Connor, Terry Lamsley, Lisa Tuttle, Thomas Owen, Mary Shelley, Arthur Machen, then N. is probably the venue for you. Authors are asked to submit their original tales via the email provided below and should allow 1 to 8 week(s) for a response. (If a submission is held for longer than two weeks this typically means that it is being considered.) Submit .doc files to: [email protected] (Please send only one story per reading period. No simultaneous submissions, please.) Payment is $20 and includes one contributor’s copy. N. is a labor of love, and as such I shall endeavor to produce an aesthetically pleasing product for which all contributors can feel proud. That said, I look forward to reading your work! Thank you kindly for your interest. C.M. Muller, editor & publisher To keep abreast of all things N., please consider following its Facebook page. Finally, if you would like to familiarize yourself with the type of fiction I am looking for, please consider purchasing a copy of the anthology. The Kindle version can be obtained on all Amazon platforms for $2.99. Thanks! Via: C.M. Muller.

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: 1/2 cent per word and one contributor's copy. We're looking for excellent general audience furry stories on the theme "RESISTANCE."  If you have an excellent story, but you're not sure it fits the theme, give it a try.  We can be generous in how we interpret "resistance," but all stories must be furry.  That means an anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story -- it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence.  We'll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks -- as long as it's excellent.  Though, the editor does have a preference for stories where the animal nature of the characters matters -- if the reader can't even remember the species of the characters by the end of the story, then that's not a good sign. We are interested in underrepresented voices. If you have personal experience relevant to your story, feel free to mention it in your cover letter. For instance, if your story is about a space unicorn and you are a space unicorn (or a research biologist who studies space unicorns), let us know.  We are not interested in stories that involve rape in any way. Please send submissions as an attached .doc, .docx, or .rtf file in Standard Manuscript Format to ROARanthology(at)gmail.com with a subject line that reads:  SUBMISSION:  "Story Title" - word count.  (For an example of Standard Manuscript Format, see this essay by William Shunn.  For help with writing a cover letter, check out this excellent advice from Strange Horizons.) Length -- Between 2,000 and 18,000 words.  Query if longer or shorter.  We tend to prefer stories between 4,000 and 12,000 words. Multiple submissions -- Keep it reasonable; two or three stories at a time is probably okay; ten isn't. Reprints --...

Deadline: February 1, 2018 Payment: $25 for a digital run, with an option for print rights which would add another $25 Seeking erotic short stories with magical beasts and shapeshifter tropes. Although the title of the anthology is somewhat comedic–and levity is definitely welcome!–we’re not looking for parody or satire. Open to all mythical and magical creatures with sentience–centaurs, werewolves/human-animal shifters, intelligent dragons, merfolk, etc. Definitely open to unicorns, griffins, banshees, minotaurs, etc. so long as the spark of sentience is present. ( ) As for what kinds of stories we’re looking for? We’re tired of the “same old” werewolf stories, but not tired of how magical beasts can represent sexuality and erotic need in fiction, especially marginalized sexuality and repressed needs. We’re tired of the “alpha meets fated mate” trope, but  not tired of encounters with the magical being life-changing. We’re tired of the “(white) colonial explorer goes into wildest place and tames native beast” trope, too, but not tired of diverse characters and settings, especially when told by #ownvoices. We’re always interested in characters and stories that include various marginalized sexual identities and practices including polyamory, kink, genderqueer and gender variant, BDSM, bisexuality/pansexuality, trans identities, as well as “regular ol'” gay or lesbian characters. (General note: We’re also all for asexual representation though we realize that may seem out of place to some for an erotica anthology. Please no stories where someone’s asexuality is “cured” — please yes to stories that include affirmations that asexuality is valid.) Finally, although the anthology title is explicitly a riff on the universe of a certain famous boy wizard, stories do not have to be in any way related to or parodies of said universe. In fact it’s probably better not to tickle that sleeping dragon, unless you’re really really clever about...

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: 1 cent/word, to a maximum of $50, The infernal fires have begun to burn, and the Enochian writing is on the wall. Yes, we’re at the starting line for the forthcoming anthology, Hell’s Empire, to be published by UltharPress and edited by John Linwood Grant. So here are all the details you need… If you want the general submission details, skip down to the Technical Details for Hell’s Empire part at the bottom of this post. If you want to submit, you’ll need to read the rest. HELL’S EMPIRE from Ulthar Press ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES These guidelines are detailed, so please read them carefully. Within the framework, there is room for a wealth of stories, from tales of very personal challenge and loss or triumph, through subtle occult ventures, to large scale slaughter. Technical details and requirements are give on the last page. If there is a role model for the anthology, then it is basically H G Well’s ‘War of the Worlds’. A more occult version of that. We can set a few basics first: Hell’s Empire is set firmly in the real Britain and /or Ireland of the 1890s. We are not looking for Lovecraftian Mythos, steampunk or alternate dimensions. Sorry. The British Empire is not prepared for the Incursion, and in its early stages the Incursion might not even be recognised for what it is. Military and civilian technology levels are exactly what they were in the 1890s. If you prefer to pitch an outline idea before investing a lot of writing time, you are welcome to do so. Send your outline to the email address at the bottom, subject line: Hell’s Empire/Pitch. BACKGROUND DETAILS a) The Incursion The simplest part. At some unspecified point in the 1890s, the forces of Hell invade Britain. And there you have it. The Incursion includes: subtle attempts to undermine or demoralise the British; lone demonic appearances in unexpected places; strikes...

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Leo massaged the back of his neck, thankful the meeting was finally over. 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. (Also, we understand that writers may add our first line to a story they are currently working on or have already completed, and that's cool. But please do not add our first line to a previously published story and submit it to us. We do not accept previously published stories, even if they have been repurposed for our first lines.) 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...

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: Split royalty payment 10% retained by company for publishing costs. Do you remember that guy or girl you did everything for? The one you walked on water for, bent over backward for and sacrificed your own happiness to please them... The one who ended up leaving you distraught, numb, and dying on the floor? Revenge of love is the best remedy to soothe your burning soul! Piece by Piece is an Anti-Valentine's Day Horror Anthology for short stories. Massacres, heartbreak hotel, obsessive love; the one thing they all have in common: The color red that smears the walls and allays the maniacal laughs of the once dying and broken soul. 3k-10k word count Times New Roman 12 pt font Deadline: February 1st Crisp, clean, polished work Must be Valentine themed Please send submissions to [email protected] Split royalty payment 10% retained by company for publishing costs. *side note* This anthology was canceled last year due to medical problems of the editor. If you submitted last year, feel free to submit again this year.

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: Short Stories, Narrative Comics, and Plays: $250 Poetry, Flash Fiction, and Graphic Arts: $75 Note: Those of Latino decent only The Latinx Archive is a two-volume anthology of speculative fiction written by U.S. Latina/os which will be published by Wings Press in 2019.  The first volume is an adult all science fiction anthology, and the second volume is a young-adult speculative fiction anthology.   The Latinx Archive Vol. 1: Science Fiction for Rebels   The Latinx Archive Vol. 2: Speculative Fiction for Dreamers   We are currently taking original and unpublished short stories, poetry, plays, and graphic arts. The submissions do not need to be centered on a particular topic.  The anthology will instead affirm the diversity of interests and concerns of Latina/os.  Although the anthology will be published in English, submissions can be in English, Spanish, or any Latin American indigenous language.  Multiple submissions accepted.   The majority of what we’ll be taking are high-quality short stories in the 5,000 to 8,000 word range, however, we will also accept submissions anywhere between 500 and 12,000 words.   We will be organizing a Kickstarter to be held in June, 2018 to fund the project and pay the authors.  Payments will be flat fees, paid after the Kickstarter campaign.  These are the minimum payments:   Short Stories, Narrative Comics, and Plays: $250 Poetry, Flash Fiction, and Graphic Arts: $75   The submission deadline is February 1, 2018.   Place your name, contact information, and word count at the top of the document.  Send submissions to the editorial team as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file to [email protected]. Indicate in the Subject line if you are submitting to Volume 1 or Volume 2 (or both).   This project is a follow-up to Latin@ Rising: An Anthology of...

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: $75 Florida. Just the state’s name inspires a reaction when heard. It is a state of pristine white sand beaches, green water, abundant wildlife, strip clubs, bait shops, theme parks and transients. From the Spanish moss-festooned live oaks of the panhandle to the Everglades, from the Keys to the oldest European-established settlement in the United States, Florida has been inspiring crime writers for decades, from the noir of John D. MacDonald to the hijinks of Carl Hiaasen’s bestsellers. We are looking for stories set in, or inspired by, Florida and its eccentricity and complexity. We want diverse voices and characters, tales of darkness and violence, whether they are noir, cozy, hard-boiled or suspense. Push the boundaries of your creativity and the theme! NOTE: The stories don’t have to actually be set in Florida, but can be “inspired” by it—so a character can be from here, it can be built around a piece of music about Florida; etc. If you have any questions as to whether your idea fits the theme, do not be afraid to ask! Specifics The maximum word count is 5,000 words; the minimum is 1,500. The stories should be crime-oriented; whether it’s the commission, planning or solving of one. It can also be about the after-effects of one. Murder, mayhem, blackmail, embezzlement, robbery—get as creative as you can! Sunny Places, Shady People will be published by Diversion Books. Submissions All submissions will go through a blind-reading process for inclusion. So, do not include your name anywhere on the file; there should simply be a title on the first page. Pages should also be numbered, and the header should include the title of the story as well. Please use Microsoft Word; double spaced, using Times New Roman 12-point font. The name of your file should also be...

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: $0.01 / word and a contributor's copy Details: Stories can be 1000 words to 10,000 words. The anthology will be published in ebook and paperback formats. We pay upfront $0.01 / word. Authors will receive the e-book and one print copy of the anthology, plus wholesale pricing for additional print copies. Previously unpublished submissions strongly preferred. We are seeking twelve months of exclusive worldwide print and electronic distribution rights and non-exclusive worldwide print and electronic distribution rights in perpetuity. Multiple submissions are fine, but simultaneous submissions are discouraged. Please don’t re-submit a rejected story unless we request revisions. We hope to have responded to everyone within one month of the submission window’s closing. Feel free to query if it’s been longer than two months. Stories must be double spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font (or something similar). Do not submit in Courier. The story title, your byline, a 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’re not particular about whether you use italics or underlining for emphasis, how many spaces are after the period, or whether you use straight or smart quotes. Submissions may be sent to the email address: Submit your stories via email as an attachment in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format. The subject of your email should be SUBMISSION: <story title> by <byline>. The email body should contain a short list of your publishing credits and any pertinent biographical details. The submission period begins December 1, 2017, and ends February 1, 2018. Theme guidelines The story must have a fantasy/speculative element. Science fantasy is ok, but we’re aiming for fantasy rather than straight science fiction. We generally prefer “clean,” noblebright stories, but this anthology is open to a broader interpretation...

Deadline: February 1st, 2018 Payment: $250 with a possibility of more We are seeking original YA short stories. Stories should be between 2,000 and 7,000 words. We especially encourage submissions from underrepresented voices, including writers of color; Indigenous and Native writers; LGBTQIA+ writers; gender diverse writers; writers with disabilities; and religious, ethnic, and cultural minorities. NEW VOICES: Every issue of FORESHADOW will feature a short story from a “new voice”—a writer who is very early in their career, and this story will be selected and introduced by a beloved, established author. New voices guidelines: Writers being considered as a new voice in our serial anthology cannot have a previously published: A young-adult, middle-grade, or adult book-length work of fiction. A full-length poetry collection. More than a few short stories, whether in print or online—we will look closely at the markets where they’ve been published to decide (e.g., someone with three stories in the New Yorker would not count as a “new voice”). Writers also, at the time of submission, cannot have a YA, middle-grade, or adult book of fiction under contract that will be published before January 2020. Writers who have written picture books or poetry chapbooks can be considered a new voice for our serial anthology, so long as they have published only one of such a book by summer 2018. To be considered for a new voice slot, please include “NEW VOICE” next to your name in the subject line of the email and please mention it in your cover note. Directions on how to submit a story can be found below. CHOOSE (OR FORESHADOW) YOUR CLUE: To foreshadow in storytelling is to leave hints and drop clues, so each story in FORESHADOW will be introduced by a single-word title that offers a suggestion of what to expect. To find that title, you...

Boy Eating Deadline: February 4th, 2018 Payment: * cents (CA)/word. Edited by Andrea D. Lobel and Mark Shainblum Historian Thomas Cahill, author of The Gifts of the Jews (Knopf, 1999) claimed that the Jews invented the very concept of history. They were the first, he said, to perceive time not as an endless circle of life, death and rebirth, but as the flight of an arrow, on a linear path to somewhere from somewhere. However, what if time is not one arrow, but a volley of arrows? What if there are other timelines, other histories, other Jews? Would they still have a covenant with the one God? What would have become of their triumphs? Their defeats? Their suffering and their successes? Award-winning author/editors Andrea D. Lobel and Mark Shainblum propose to answer this question in Other Covenants, the first-ever anthology of Jewish alternate history, to be published by ChiZine Publications in Fall 2019! SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Submission window: August 28, 2017 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time to Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Open to submissions by authors of all backgrounds, from anywhere in the world. Please do not submit by email. We will accept digital submissions only via the Moksha submissions system at https://chizinepub.moksha.io/publication/other-covenants. Stories must be in the alternate history genre and must be clearly relevant to the theme of the anthology. Length: 500–15,000 words. There are relatively few spots for stories at the high end, so please query first if you think your story will go long. Preference will be given to stories previously unpublished in English, however, we will consider previously published stories on a case-by-case basis. NEW: Also open to poetry submissions. Original poems on theme. No more than 2 pages (8.5 x 11) in length. (Maximum word count set arbitrarily to 2,000 words as system won’t allow max lines or pages.) No need to double-space. Submissions may be made in English or French. Author...

Deadline: February 5th, 2018 Payment: Pro-rata share of the royalties to each author Note: Reprints Allowed Note: I apologize on the short open window, just was informed of this one. Women Who Love Monsters Anthology It’s a tale as old as time…Beauty and the Beast. It actually goes back even further, if you consider Greek myths about Zeus and his human lovers, or those Renaissance stories of death and the Maiden.  But contemporary pop culture has been smitten with stories of women who love monsters since King Kong and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, as well as Shrek, Barnabas Collins, Lestat, Hellboy, Swampthing and that sparkly vampire dude, capped off by the recent love affair with The Shape of Water. In the recent erotic romance novel boom, we’ve seen some wild stuff, like the T. Rex and Yeti loving that have become ebook best-sellers. Let’s never forget fiction based off real-life stories of women who love incarcerated serial killers, hitmen and “bad boys” of unspeakable dimensions. So, it should come as no surprise to you that ViceTV decided to do an episode on “Women Who Love Monsters” and they came to Riverdale Avenue Books to interview some of those authors.  We put together a reading of work by award-winning romance author Cecilia Tan, Laura Antoniou (author of erotic classic, The Marketplace), USA Today best-seller Jamie Schmidt, Forensic psychologist and Ripper expert Dr. Katherine Ramsland and Amazon best-selling erotic romance author Trinity Blacio which will air late February/early March 2018. We had a glorious wild time, which we want to share with the world, so we decided to collect the five pieces that were filmed, as well as new pieces (previously published or new) and publish them as one of our anthologies to tie in with the airing of the...

Deadline: February 11th, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word Lost Souls and Robots & Artificial Intelligence Short Stories We're pleased to announce the addition of these two new anthologies to our successful Gothic Fantasy collection. As with the previous books in the series, we're looking for around twenty to thirty short stories by contemporary writers to complement a selection of classic tales. We are keen to encourage new writers, without prejudice to age, background or previous publication history. It’s the story that matters, and the quality of writing. Submit by email to [email protected] The Two New Volumes Lost Souls: Ghouls, ghosts and wandering spirits, trapped inside abandoned dolls and ancient tombs: from the Morrígan of Celtic mythology to Dante’s Purgatorio, humanity’s dark souls have drifted between the worlds to haunt the young and taunt the old. We seek tales of despair and anguish, rage and redemption, for our new chilling collection in the powerful Gothic Fantasy series. Robots & Artificial Intelligence: The future hurtles ever faster towards us; biomechanical products and automated beings bring both dangers and benefits to humankind. Will we be superceded, assimilated, or enslaved by our creations as they too begin to create more capable versions of themselves? Androids, robots, AI and networks, we’re looking for new short stories for our Gothic Fantasy series about a future that’s already with us. Formal Call for Submissions (2018) We are looking for new and recent short stories. We do not require exclusivity. You hold copyright, licensing us just for this publication. We don’t mind if your story has been previously published online or in print (though we do need to know publication and date). Simultaneous submissions are fine, but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology. Word length is most likely to be successful at 2000–4000, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range.  Submit...

Deadline: February 13th, 2018 Payment: $15 and contributor’s copy Theme: For many of us, the ocean is our first true encounter with infinity. It extends past the horizon, leaving the imagination to ponder what lies beyond what we can clearly see. And what lies beneath. What terrors live below the sea's waves? What monsters lurk in the dark fathoms of Earth's waters? Where there is mystery, there is horror. Simultaneous Submissions: Sure, but please let us know that it's a simultaneous submission and tell us immediately if it was accepted somewhere else. 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. Word Count: Up to 10k words. Formatting: This is a very good guide if you have any questions. You can't really go wrong with it. But, if you don't feel like reading that, here's the down and dirty of it. Italicize italics. Do not underline Don't use spaces to lead paragraphs. Use tab or, even better, the formatting options to get the indent. For scene breaks, use either "#" or "***". Use an easy to read font, like Arial or Times New Roman in a reasonable size (about 12 point). Double space your work. Submission Please make sure to include a synopsis of the piece in your cover letter. If you're not sure how to do that, here's a good collection of articles to learn from. Yes, even it's poetry or flash. Just a quick line or two helps us out a lot. Aside from that, just be yourself. Tell us anything you think we should know about you or your work. What inspired you to write this? How did you find us? What's your favorite part about this work? Who inspires you? Once you've done all that, go ahead and...

Deadline: February 15th, 2018 Payment: Fiction: $0.02/word, $0.01/word after 500 words. Poetry: $0.50/line, $0.25/line after 20 lines. Cross+Decay is a new art and literary magazine curated by crucifixvi, a Calgary-based multi-media artist and writer. The first issue of this magazine will be launched in Spring 2018, available in print and digital formats.   The magazine will be quarterly, with each issue featuring an over-arching theme. The debut issue is 'Ghosts'. The work must adhere to this theme, but it is up to the conceptualization and interpretation of the artist. Cross+Decay is looking for prose, poetry, and visual art submissions. Prose can be short fiction or short non-fiction, 500-1000 words. Visual art can be of any medium, including photography and photographs of three-dimensional work.   Accepted creators will be paid for their work. Prose- $0.02/word, $0.01/word after 500 words. Poetry- $0.50/line, $0.25/line after 20 lines. Artwork- $15/selected digital file (high quality .jpeg required)   All creators will continue to have full rights to their work.   Please email submissions to [email protected], with full name, a short bio, and any relevant information regarding the work. If you have any further questions, please send an email to the above address.  

Deadline: February 15th, 2018 Payment: $25 for digital rights with an option or another $25 for physical Note: As always when posting erotica calls this is only because of the darker nature of the call. Details: Murder. Revenge. Madness. These are the hallmarks of Edgar Allan Poe’s fiction. But so are love, longing, and loss. It may seem strange, at first blush, to compile a collection of erotica inspired by Poe’s work. Much of his writing explores themes of death and isolation. But gothic fiction has long been ripe ground for examining human sexuality and Poe’s work in particular is overdue for just such an agitation. Send me stories that flip the narrative. Give the outsiders a voice. Think outside the box. I don’t want simple rewrites of his work with sex thrown in. Make it crucial to the tale. While best known for his horror fiction, Poe was also a pioneer in the science fiction and detective fiction genres. I am looking for stories in any genre so long as the influence is Poe’s work. They do not need to be set during the time period he was alive in. Send me futuristic Poe stories. Send me Poe stories that are inclusive and exist outside of the standard narratives. And of course, send me stories that are hot and exciting too. All gender pairings are welcome so long as the sex is between consenting adults. And to be absolutely clear, the consent must take place BEFORE the sexual act.   Length: Our preferred length is approximately 3,000 to 7,000 words, but we will consider the range from 2,000 to 8,000 words. How to submit: All submissions must be made via email to [email protected] Please include a short bio with your submission. Standard manuscript formatting rules apply. Send manuscript as an attachment (MS Word...

Deadline: February 15th, 2018 Payment: 3 cents per word We are looking for horror and dark fiction with well realized characters, a strong voice and literary merit between 1000 and 5000 words. Query first for any story longer than 5000 words. We pay three cents a word for unsolicited work at time of publication via PayPal. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please contact us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere. No multiple submissions or reprints, please. Please include a very brief introduction listing any previous publications.          [email protected] Via: Deciduous Tales.

Deadline: February 16th, 2018 Payment: $50 and a contributor's copy Ah, the Midwest. We are people of the earth, who roll up our sleeves and do what need's doing. We deliver an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, we try to give gratitude for the simple things- our health, the love of family and friends, and humility is no stranger to us, because the taller you think you are, well, the farther you have to fall on your face.  We like to help other people when we can, whether it's with some sweat, or just a smile, because you should treat others the way you want to be treated.  . Not a bad place to raise a family, right? Dig a little deeper, because all is not right where the bible belt buckles.  That's where the Black Buttons series of short stories anthologies plants its speculative fiction seeds- the fertile "what if" soil of the Midwestern Ethos. If Stephen King can make Maine a horror-ble place to live, we can do the same for the heartland. For Black Buttons Vol. 3, we're looking for Midwestern themed horror and dark fiction- but with a family-related motif. Siblings, parents, grandparents, children, cousins, married "kin"- you name it. Even brothers and sisters in a college's greek system, or in a trade or labor union. Think of the ties that bind us...and then twist'em good and hard. WHAT WE WANT:            We love stories that have characters with whom we can connect.  Nobody's perfect, and few bad people are 100% bad.  Give us a story to follow, and someone we hate to lose, or love to hate.  It could even have a "happy" ending, or be funny.  Just help us connect with the characters, and thereby we can be interested in what happens to...

Deadline: February 21st, 2018 Payment: $25 Note: Primarily looking for reprints. Note: I received a message about this on Facebook and couldn't find a direct link to them and have no knowlede on this publisher. Additional details welcome. Wilder Publication is calling for Vampire stories to be used in a reprint anthology in its Super Pack series. Payment is $25.00 on acceptance in exchange for non-exclusive hard cover, trade paper back, and e-book rights. While we’ll consider original stories the payment would remain the same so we recommend you sell first rights to a more lucrative market. We’re looking for vampires with fangs. Stories should be atmospheric and moody. Submissions should be e-mailed to [email protected] and marked Vampire Submission. Reading period from 1/21/18 to 2/21/18. Responses will be prompt.

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: fifty percent of the royalties divided equally. Darkhouse Books seeks poetry, flash, short fiction, and creative nonfiction reflecting the theme of sanctuary, refuge, shelter, or asylum, from the perspective of those offering, seeking, denying, or destroying it. From Bangladesh to the city animal shelter, all are welcome, as are all genres. TIPS: If you are familiar with the Darkhouse Books anthology Descansos you will have some idea what the editors are looking for. This series leans toward the literary while welcoming all genres, so long as the author has paid close attention to craft. Send us work that stands out because of its excellence, of course, but also because of its creative take on the theme and on the craft of writing. Take a risk and do it with skill! When it comes to prose, the editors tend to prefer short and tight, but if you write long and you can prove us wrong, you’re in. We will accept reprints so long as the piece was published more than a year before you submit it, and you are submitting in accordance with the previous publisher’s guidelines, along with ours. SUBMISSION Requirements: Please include whether your submission is poetry or prose in the subject line of your email, and include a cover page that lists the title, your name, and your contact information, as well as the name and date of any previous publication, if it is a reprint.   DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME OR CONTACT INFORMATION in the body of YOUR PIECE. IF YOU DO, IT WILL NOT BE READ. Format your piece in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier, double spaced, with initial indents of .5”, and 1” margins. Send your manuscript as .doc or .docx. Please submit no more than five poems and/or two prose...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: Contributors will share equally fifty percent of the royalties received. Scheduled for release in late spring of next year and timed for summer reading, this anthology will feature cozy to cozy-noir stories featuring libraries and librarians. Extra points will be shamelessly awarded to writers with personal ties to libraries. The submission period for this anthology runs from November 1st to February 28th, upon the last stroke of midnight, Pacific Standard Time. We are looking for stories from 2500 to 5000 words, but will consider stories outside that range, at our discretion. Contributors will share equally fifty percent of the royalties received. We expect between fifteen and twenty stories to be accepted and are aiming at a volume length of around eighty-five thousand words, and around two-hundred and thirty pages—all dependent, obviously, upon the length of the material chosen. We will accept work previously published, provided it was not published after May of 2017, and that you hold the rights. Simultaneous submissions are fine, with the usual proviso that we should be notified should the work be accepted elsewhere, so that we may withdraw it from consideration. Submissions and questions may be sent to [email protected]. Here are some manuscript formatting tips. Via: Dark House Books.

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: $.03 cents a word Red Rabbit Publishing is seeking submissions for Red Rabbit Presents, a new anthology of sci-fi short stories. I’m looking for action-filled stories told well. That simple. NOTE: Please Like Red Rabbit’s Facebook group for just-in-time information. THEME: The first issue will release around mid-2018 and the theme will be military sci-fi. Professional soldiers, command structure, mechs beating down aliens, things like that. Explosions and heroes. Think of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers as an example of military sci-fi. PAY & LENGTH: Rate is $.03 cents a word, original content (no reprints) only. A minimum of 3,000 words and up to 6,000. Story length can go beyond (up to 8,000), but pay will only be to 6,000. ($90.00 to $180.00). Payment will be at time of publication through PayPal. If print books are created, all contributing authors will receive a copy. RIGHTS: First Worldwide print and electronic English Language rights. Exclusivity for 180 days from date of release. Red Rabbit retains non-exclusive reprint and e-book rights afterward. DEADLINE: Story deadline for submission is February 28, 2018. Story selection will be made by April 1, 2018. All entrants will be notified around that time or shortly thereafter. EDITING: A professional editor will work with all authors to ensure a quality story is published. If you prefer, you can secure professional editing at your own expense. (BYOE – Bring Your Own Editor) BOOK COVERS & PRODUCTION: Red Rabbit Publishing will handle all aspects of design, formatting, and story placement. SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: That’s fine, as long as I’m notified (by email) if your submission is accepted elsewhere. SUBMISSION: Send an email to RRPsubmissions (at) akmeek.com with story attached as a Word document. Please use “Mid-2018 Submission” for email subject. Include the following in the email: story name, word count, author name, along with a blurb of any...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: 2 cents a word and a contributor's copy Triangulation will be accepting submissions as of December first 2017. This year’s theme: “Music”. We are Parsec Ink’s speculative fiction annual, now in our 14th year. We’re looking for outstanding fantasy, science fiction, and horror–from new and established writers. Take the theme and run with it. Tell us a story we won’t forget. Theme:  “Music” We’re looking for fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror stories where music, a musical instrument, the parts of music, or musical culture make an appearance in a meaningful way. As a thematic element, you can apply a light touch or go full tuba. Be aware that we may, in this case, retool the title a bit, depending on the exact quality and character of the submissions we receive. But if you’ve got a better title than “Triangulation: The Musical”, let us know in your cover letter. Submissions Open: December 1, 2017 Submissions Close: February 28, 2018 Word Count: We consider fiction up to 5,000 words, but the sweet spot is 3,000. There is no minimum word count. Genre: We accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror–and enjoy intelligent blends of the three. Stories without a speculative element will not be considered. Compensation: Pay is semi-pro: 2 cents a word. Authors will receive an e-book and one print copy of the anthology, plus wholesale pricing for additional print copies (typically 50% off the cover price). Rights: We purchase North American serial rights, and electronic rights for the downloadable version(s). All subsidiary rights released upon publication. Submissions: We are a meritocracy. New authors are as welcome as those with a laundry list of accomplishments. But it’s going to be the story that wins us over. Grab us by the lapels, drag us onto that plane, take us for the ride of our lives… but...

Missile rocket flying high in dark sky Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: $10 Note: Reprints Only Pole to Pole Publishing is seeking short, re-print fiction for two anthologies to be published in 2018 as the forerunners in our Re-Imagined Stories series: Re-Launch and Re-Quest. Re-Launch requires dark science fiction reprints on the theme of “launch” or “re-launch.” Re-Questrequires dark fantasy reprints on the theme of “quests.” For both anthologies, stories should be 3,000-5,000 words and meet the central theme of the anthology. Reprints currently available on line are not eligible. Preference is for stories that haven’t been published in at least a year. Older reprints will carry more weight than new ones. Author must possess the rights to offer the story for submission. Hard Sells: Profane and vulgar language — because we market to both adult and YA readers. If we are interested in your story, we may ask you to edit profane and vulgar language as a condition of publication. First Person and Present Tense. We’ve published both: when the stories were very, very good. We want to let you know up front that we’re going to reject this most of the time. It’s just not our preference. Excessive Gore and/or violence. Blood and guts are fine—as long as they’re part of the story and not the story itself. Sex. See above about marketing to a wider audience. Right Purchased: – The non-exclusive right to publish the story to the new Pole to Pole Publishing Patreon blog (for patron’s eyes only). – The non-exclusive right to collect the stories into an anthology, published in 2018. Payment: Payment is $10 per story, paid on acceptance (contract must be signed), via PayPal only; plus, one electronic and one print copy of the antho your story appears in. Sorry: If you do not have a PayPal account, please...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: $50 (AUD) and a contributor's copy It's time to put the grey matter to use and start planning for the next anthology. With a working title of "Beneath the Waves - Tales from the Deep," this will be our fourth anthology in the Things in the Well series, and will be published in 2018 (Deadline is end of February. Eta is April.) Email: [email protected] when your story is complete, and as good as it can be! Note By all means draw inspiration from them, but I'm not looking for Lovecraft/Mythos fiction, or rehashes of Greek mythology, etc. unless these are outstanding, different, and memorable! I want something new and exciting! New psychological terrors, new fears, new creatures and new stories of the supernatural. If you need more ideas, take a look at Brian Lumley's work, or H.G. Wells, or Cornish myths, Japanese legends, etc. Archetypes Clive Barker's story from the Books of Blood "The Madonna" will be one of our archetypes, so if you don't know that story, please familiarise yourself with it... I'd also urge you to look at some of Brian Lumley's work, e.g. Haggopian for some fresh ideas. But don't forget I've read all these stories, so no pastiches or cheap imitations, please :) Stop! Before putting fingers on keyboards (or pen to paper) you would do well to read my Editor’s blog at http://thingsinthewell.webs.com/editor-s-blog or buy and read some of our previous themed anthologies on Amazon. (You may have to look for them in your stores, or ask for them!) Word Count, etc. Word count is expected to be 5,000 - 8,000 and I am flexible to a degree, on the basis that if the story fits you should wear it. Having said that, although it's a flat-rate payment, I don't think a writer should limit themselves based on the payment rate. I anticipate a...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: $25 and a contributor's copy The basics Payment is $25 + 1 contributor copy, additional copies at discount. Genre is crime. But there's more to it. Word count is 2000-5000 words. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Reprints and multiple submissions are not. Submissions close end of day February 28, 2018. Diverse is good. Submit it. Pay rate Well, we aren't the majors, so we offer a flat pay rate of $25 and one contributor copy of the published anthology. Payment will be sent within 30 days of publication. You will also be able to purchase additional copies at a discounted rate. Genre This time around, it's crime. Now having said that, we want to put our twist on it. First off, if you don't write crime, that's great -- it goes toward our tagline of "Try something different." So, we are actually encouraging non-crime writers to give it a shot. Need some guidance? Check out the articles here and here. Now, for those of you that actually do write crime, we're still going to ask you to try something different as well. Break the conventions. Shake up the tropes. Want some examples? Well, hey, have you tried layering a different genre on top of it? Science fiction? Horror? Western? Mystery? War? Historical? Diverse stories and characters are always something that we look for. Don't limit yourself. Don't play it safe. Surprise us. Surprise yourself. Word count The sweet spot is between 2000 and 5000 words. Got something that's outside that range? Fair enough. We'll still take a look at it, but bear in mind, if you're going to bend the rules, you have to ensure it's a mind-blowing read. Reprint/Multiple/Simultaneous submissions Let's take these one at a time, shall we? Reprints: No. We want to ensure that we can market the anthology as all-new...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: $.05 per word Open for Nothing’s Sacred Vol. 4 From: January 26th – February 28th Projected Release Date: October 1, 2018 Nothing’s Sacred is Jack of No Trades Productions’ horror magazine. It is made up of  original short fiction, poetry, articles, book reviews, two sentence short stories, and comics. As said in the magazines’ namesake, nothing is off limits. The horror within can range from subtle to grotesque, psychological to physical, dark to full out terror so long as it is character driven. Theme wise, Nothing’s Sacred is relatively open outside of distasteful stories of rape, the degradation and/or humiliation of women, and child content of any kind. What we’re  looking for: Fiction – 3,000 word max. NO REPRINTS Pay rate $.05 Articles – Should be related to or about the horror genre. 2000 word max. Pay rate $.05 Poetry – 3 poems max per submission. 250 words max per poem. Pay rate $10 per poem. Two Sentence Fiction – Just as implied, these stories are extremely short. We will consider up to five submissions per author. Pay rate $5 per story. Comics – We first introduced comics into Nothing’s Sacred in Vol. 3 to include a humorous element to our layout. Comics should include elements of horror in them, and may be either a full page or a banner size (as you would find in your Sunday paper), strip. Pay rate $90 per comic. Pay out for all material: Upon publication Seeks North American Serial Rights and Electronic Rights. Guidelines for Submission: The following guidelines are intended to be used for all of the categories mentioned above. All Submissions should be double spaced and be typed in either Courier or Times Romans (preferably), 12 font. Submissions with multiple pages will be required to have page numbers after the first page. To submit, email material as an attachment with a description of the story in the body of the email. Also, to...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: Stories that are between 1000-3000 words will receive $5. Stories that are longer than that will receive $10 and a contributor's copy Submission Guidelines 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. We will be seeking submissions for our 4th issue in February 2018. The theme is ‘retold.’ Think famous stories retold, like sci-fi Jane Eyre or Cinderella with werewolves. 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. Please no simultaneous submissions 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. Submissions received outside of reading periods will not be considered. 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...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: $0.01 per word, minimum of 10.00 Apparition Lit is open for poetry and short story submissions four times a year. February 15-28 May 15-31 August 15-31 November 15-30 Starting January 2018, Apparition Lit will also hold monthly flash fiction contests. These stories will follow selected themes and be published online. For more information on themes and submission guidelines, please see the flash fiction drop down below. Our themes for 2018 will be: Apparition (Now CLOSED to submissions, publishing January 2018) Delusion (open for submissions February 15-28, 2018, publishing April 2018) Vision (open for submissions May 15-31, 2018, publishing July 2018) Diversion (open for submissions August 15-31, 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. If the story is complete with an extra hundred words, then it will still be considered. Any stories over 5,200 words will automatically be rejected. 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 Please retain all proper formatting marks. Keep font italicized and bolded. We’re not in the typewriter age anymore. Please only use Times New Roman or Arial font in your document Save as an RTF file and attach to an email In...

Deadline: February 28th, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word advance up to $300 and royalties. Edited by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore What inspired us to create The Twisted Book of Shadows, and what can readers (and writers) expect from this anthology? Anthologies were a vital, formative part of our development as writers — and as readers. We look back with love and wonder at the efforts of the legendary Charles L. Grant to bring the cream of the horror crop into readers’ hands. His eleven-volume SHADOWS series contained familiar names, but every installment also presented us with the unfamiliar, and often the brand-new. Other Grant anthologies — TERRORS, NIGHTMARES, MIDNIGHT, the quartet of GREYSTONE BAY books — provided the same. Charlie Grant helped move unknown writers into the horror community’s conversation. There were other anthologies that contributed to the trend. Thomas F. Monteleone’s BORDERLANDS series. Kathryn Ptacek’s WOMEN OF DARKNESS. Stuart David Schiff’s WHISPERS series. Kirby McCauley’s legendary DARK FORCES. Skipp & Spector’s milestone BOOK OF THE DEAD. David J. Schow’s SILVER SCREAM. And on and on… But those books were published during horror literature’s glory days. In the years since, it has grown more and more difficult to persuade publishers to invest in horror anthologies (or anthologies of any sort, really). If Golden wants to pitch an anthology to a mainstream publisher, it’s necessary to compile a list of contributors first. Which means that there’s little opportunity to bring in unknown writers. Yet those memories remain. We have talked for years about the desire to present an anthology that is open to anyone, and which allows us to follow some personal rules (outlined below). Yes, it’s a massive time commitment, but we—and John McIlveen of Haverhill House—believe it is absolutely worth it. We want to create a market for horror stories...

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: $5 for flash fiction and $10 to $20 (depending on length) for short stories and nonfiction to authors Issue #10: Primal Fears (Spring/Summer 2018) Footsteps follow but you turn around, and no one's there. You're alone in the dark. Lost in a strange and terrible place with no exits. You have no control. See and hear monsters under the bed, bogeymen and bad guys. Creepy-crawlies. Things that squish, splat, burst and ooze. Trapped in your body, trapped in your mind. Reality slips away. You're nothing more than an animal. Prey. Meat. Here are all the old terrors of childhood, the primitive, reptilian fears that have haunted our species since we first slunk from the mud and the fears that will chase us into the future. Submission deadline: 3/01/2018 "We are not afraid." Body Parts Magazine is an online literary magazine of horror, erotica, speculative fiction, essays and art. Each themed issue honors Eros and Thanatos, the Greek gods of libido and mortido—life and death. We celebrate the vast and various expressions of dreams and darkness, our primitive desires and urges, and seek to encounter—and embrace—those shadowy monsters who dwell in the dimly lit corners of human experience.  Fiction Body Parts accepts well-written, thoughtfully structured horror, erotic horror, speculative fiction, dark fantasy (including fairy tales and mythology), exceptional stories about ghosts, ghouls, monsters and wretched creatures, Gothic fiction, and all combinations of the above. Our boundaries are few and far between. Flash Fiction: 1,000 words or fewer. Short Stories: up to 8,000 words. Serialized or Longer Fiction: query us with total word count. Art/Photography We accept your original artwork and photography reflective of an issue’s theme. Email a query with a link to your art online (web, Dropbox, Google album, etc.) Payment varies. Essays & Interviews We accept short essays and interviews (up to 1200 words) about topics that fit...

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: ½ cent per word for original works, $10 for reprints, and a contributor's copy Note: Reprints Allowed Edited by Howard Rachen Deadline: March 1st, 2018 The curse is as old as folklore itself. They are the malediction of gods and witches, protections of the pharoh's tombs, the warnings for would-be thieves. Before the days of Hollywood, the werewolf was the victim of a curse. Today they linger with sports teams and in the theatre. Armoured Fox Press is looking for all manner of horror stories related to curses. Bloodlines with a black mark, tainted objects, locations under a hex, and anything else cleverly twisted into a curse. Be creative, don't just send us yet another unlucky penny, but something new that makes us hesitate to step on a crack or ignore that warning. We will NOT accept: Racism, sexism, or discrimination presented in a positive light. Pedophilia or sex with characters under the age of 18. Rape, torture, dubious consent, forced seduction. If you are in doubt, ASK. Better to ask then to get a straight up rejection! And remember, this is a non-erotic anthology, so please, no sex on screen. (this line can be changed) Furry (as this is not a furry anthology) Submission Details: Length: Max 7,500 words. . Payment: ½ cent per word for original works, $10 for reprints. Authors will receive a contributor copy. How to submit: Please use standard manuscript format. (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) Email a doc, docx or RTF file attention to Mr. Rachen at [email protected]. No simultaneous submissions please (Don’t also send your story elsewhere at the same time), and no more than one submission. Original stories and reprints welcome. (see Payment) We purchase exclusive publication rights in print and electronic formats for the period of one year from date of publication...

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: $25.00 You must be eighteen or older. Stories must be the previously unpublished, original work of the submitting author. Your story must be written in English, double-spaced in 12pt. Times New Roman font, and submitted by email as a .doc or .docx file attachment, or copied directly into the body of the email to [email protected]. Your story must be complete, edited, and publication-ready, between 3,000 and 10,000 words. Your story must be written (fully or partially) from a cat’s point of view. The cat (or cats) does not need to be a principal character, but its character should impact the plot in some manner. All genres and time periods will be considered excluding erotica, but including mainstream literature, romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, steampunk (or any “punk” sub-genre), humor, paranormal, or horror. Achieving a variety of genre will be a component in selection. Most adult language is acceptable, but indiscriminate or extreme usage may affect selection. Multiple stories by the same author will be considered but each story must be submitted separately and will be treated contractually as a separate submission. Simultaneous submissions are okay; but, please notify us immediately if your story has been picked up by another publisher. (This is a generous provision, and failure to advise us that your story is no longer available can jeopardize your future standing as a contributing author.) You will be notified of your submission status within thirty days of receipt. If your story is selected, emailed notification will include an attached Publishing Agreement for your review and signature. The following summarizes the major terms in the agreement, but the summary is not part of the agreement nor intended to replace the necessity to read the agreement in its entirety prior to signing. Publication: The story will be included...

Deadline: March 1st, 2018. Payment: $0.08 per word and royalties A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR This project is born of rage and sorrow and hope. Rage at the way America has been stolen and how those thieves have been eating away at its infrastructure. Sorrow at the lives being destroyed in the sorrow as well as for the earth as its protections are stripped away by a kleptocratic and corrupt regime. Sorrow for the way words themselves have been distorted and twisted away from truth. And hope. Because humans continue to progress and evolve, even though that climb is a rocky one and we slide back sometimes. We seem to have done so recently. And so this anthology, an attempt to rally, to inspire, and to awaken. Some stories will despair, but others will have the light we seek, lamps to light the path and show the pitfalls as we continue upwards. This anthology is part of my resistance. I hope it will be part of yours as well. – Cat Rambo 20 September 2017 FROM THE PUBLISHER The idea for IF THIS GOES ON came as a reaction to the isolationism, divisiveness, anti-science rhetoric, and fear-mongering that we saw all-too-frequently from our national leaders after the 2016 election. I was finally called to action by the hateful rally in Charlottesville, VA this summer. This project is very personal to me. A mezuzah is nailed to the doorframe of my house, here in Virginia, and I proudly top my Christmas tree with a Star of David every year. When I watched Vice’s powerful documentary on the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, as I watched a mob in broad daylight chanting anti-Semitic messages in my relative back yard, I could no longer ignore the fear I felt for the future of my country...

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: $25 You must be eighteen or older. Stories must be the previously unpublished, original work of the submitting author. Your story must be written in English, double-spaced in 12pt. Times New Roman font, and submitted by email as a .doc or .docx file attachment, or copied directly into the body of the email to [email protected]. Your story must be complete, edited, and publication-ready, between 3,000 and 10,000 words. Your story must be written (fully or partially) from a cat’s point of view. The cat (or cats) does not need to be a principal character, but its character should impact the plot in some manner. All genres and time periods will be considered excluding erotica, but including mainstream literature, romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, steampunk (or any “punk” sub-genre), humor, paranormal, or horror. Achieving a variety of genre will be a component in selection. Most adult language is acceptable, but indiscriminate or extreme usage may affect selection. Multiple stories by the same author will be considered but each story must be submitted separately and will be treated contractually as a separate submission. Simultaneous submissions are okay; but, please notify us immediately if your story has been picked up by another publisher. (This is a generous provision, and failure to advise us that your story is no longer available can jeopardize your future standing as a contributing author.) You will be notified of your submission status within thirty days of receipt. If your story is selected, emailed notification will include an attached Publishing Agreement for your review and signature. The following summarizes the major terms in the agreement, but the summary is not part of the agreement nor intended to replace the necessity to read the agreement in its entirety prior to signing. Publication: The story will be included...

Deadline: March 1sst, 2018 Payment: $50 and a contributor's copy Baba Yaga Anthology (actual title TBD) Anthologist: Kate Wolford Open for Submissions: January 1 to March 1, 2018 Expected Publication: late 2018 Story Length: 7,500 to 20,000 words Payment: $50 per story + contributor copy Baba Yaga, the terrifying witch of the forest in Slavic folklore, lends herself to all kinds of interpretations. Notorious for traveling in a mortar while wielding a pestle, Baba Yaga sometimes wreaks havoc on humans, but can turn around and help when she feels like it. And she is an early Tiny House owner--hers moves on chicken feet. Baba Yaga may be recognizable from classic images by Ivan Billibin, but, in the US and some other countries, her qualities are not as widely known as they are in Slavic countries. A link to learn more is HERE. Kate is looking for stories from Baba Yaga’s point of view, or the point of view from those she helps or hurts, or from anyone who might be a protagonist worthy of the Baba Yaga story. You can set the story in the past or present. The story can take place anywhere in the world. It can include romance or action or tragedy or comedy. Kate wants well-developed stories that don’t disintegrate at the end because they’re rushed or major plot lines are unfinished. Develop characters. Draw readers in with specific details. Make them root for the protagonist. The audience is age 15 and up. Please, no sci-fi, dystopian, erotica, high fantasy, time-travel, futuristic, space travel, or western submissions. No love triangles, please. Kate will not provide feedback at any point during the submissions period. Submission Method: Send your story pasted into the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened. Please email with Submission: in the subject line....

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: $0.01USD per word. Announcing Radiant Crown Publishing’s upcoming anthology of weird western tall tales in the Subterranean Series, Hex Gunslinger! UBMISSIONS WINDOW January 1st, 2018- March 1st, 2018 Anything submitted outside of this window will be deleted unread. THEME ISBN-10: Coming Soon ISBN-13: Coming Soon Hex Gunslinger is an upcoming anthology of speculative, mysterious, and romantic weird western tall tales! Framed as an unearthed secret library years after the civil war, each story should hold the ethos of western expansion beginning in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase, and ending around the 1850s not necessarily restricted to a North American audience. Do not take manifest destiny as a mantra to live by. Shape a world with all the magic and mystery of the frontier without letting the ugliness of conquest be consumed with fantastic whimsy. We want wide open plains where violence ruled, underground movements brewing with tension, and the Wild Wild West in all it’s beauty and madness. Bring us your stories marking the age of the gold rush, injustice, genocide, mass immigration, transcontinental railroads, vigilante justice, telegraphs, outlaws, gunslingers, slick talkers, setting suns, and the impending civil war that would rip a nation apart. Deadline March 1st, 2018 11:59 EST. INSPIRATION Preacher (TV)                 Jonah Woodson Hex (Comic)                 RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR FICTION Non-exclusive archival rights as long as the website(s) hosting the work are online If an audiobook is produced, payment is $0.01USD per word for non-exclusive electronic audio rights First world electronic and print rights in English with exclusivity for 8 months from the date of publication Please query if anything listed is of concern. Here is a good explanation of what this entails. LENGTH & GUIDELINES SHORT STORIES: 1000 to 7,499 words. Paid $0.01USD...

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: $50 and a contributor's copy Calling all authors—we've got a new collection of short horror in the works, and we want you! See below for details. Deadline: March 1, 2018 Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words Payment: $50 plus contributor's copy ​Submission Criteria We are interested in short horror fiction about people who sneak into abandoned, forgotten, shunned, or cursed communities and survive to tell the tale. For example: Centralia, Pennsylvania—the mining town abandoned because of an uncontrollable underground coal fire; Love Canal—the New York neighborhood declared off-limits due to extreme environmental pollution; and Pripyat—the Ukrainian city evacuated after the Chernobyl disaster. The emphasis is on communities—a haunted house or other such localized place is not large enough to qualify. The place in your story must not ever have existed in the real world (i.e., no stories about the vanished Roanoke Colony), but must be described as a place that could plausibly exist. For instance: Stephen King's fictional town of Derry. Your story must be set in the present, told in first person after the fact, from the point of view of someone who visited that place and returned to tell the tale. Supernatural elements are permitted, but not required. Your story's title must be the name of the place that is the subject of your story and the larger region in which it is located; for instance, "Derry, Maine." The horror of your story should lie in the characters discovering the long-lost reasons why that community was abandoned in the first place. Via: Dark Water Syndicate.

Deadline: March 1st, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word Stories featuring a woman or non-binary battle poet as a main character. Word Count: Up to 5000 words Payment: US 6c per word Originals only.  No reprints. No multiple submissions.  No simultaneous submissions. Standard Manuscript Format. Doc, Docx or RTF. The Sword & Sonnet Kickstarter successfully funded and a wonderful group of writers — Alex Acks, C. S. E. Cooney, Malon Edwards, Spencer Ellsworth, Samantha Henderson, S. L. Huang, Cassandra Khaw, Margo Lanagan, Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali, Tony Pi, A. Merc Rustad and A. C. Wise — have agreed to write for us. We’ll be holding an open submission period in February 2018 and actively encourage writers from all backgrounds to send us their stories. What kind of stories are you looking for? Stories featuring a woman or non-binary battle poet as a main character. Although we envision the bulk of the stories will be fantasy, we’re also open to science fiction or horror. We’re looking for lyrical Shimmery stories, epic fantasy tales, and gritty poetpunk. Stories could feature secondary, historical or contemporary settings. Although they don’t feature battle poets (and we’re not looking for carbon copies) here are some stories which give some examples of some of the flavors we’re looking for: Feed Me the Bones of Our Saints by Alex Dally MacFarlane The Half Dark Promise by Malon Edwards Piety, Prayer, Peacekeeper, Apocalypse by Rati Mehrotra What do you mean by battle poet? A poet who fights. We’re flexible on the definition. Does my story have to have lines of actual poetry in it? No. We’re looking for stories, not poems. Can I submit a poem? No. Your story can have some lines of poetry in it, but it doesn’t have to. We want stories, not poems. Are you accepting reprints? No. Original stories...

Deadline: March 4th, 2018 Payment: 8 cents per word CA, 1 cent per word for reprints Note: Reprints allowed If it isn’t perfectly clear by now, we are looking for Ho ho, oh hell, is it that time of year again? Already? When the muzak starts cranking out lousy Casio versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” non-stop? When the flavour du jour switches from pumpkin spice to eggnog every goddamn thing? When everything gets all twinkly and glittery and your eyes just want to roll out of your skull from the sparkle overload? Worse: how about when every other person you come across wants to infect « Back to War on Christmas We’re looking for deranged and demented stories and poems that snap back against all that holiday schmaltz. Our leanings are toward the dark, the speculative (SF, fantasy, horror), the flat-out weird, the humourous, but that covers a lot of ground. But basically, if it would piss off Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly or that stuffy old grandma that always gave you hideous socks for Christmas, we’re in. One cautionary note: it’s likely there will be a lot of Santa stories submitted. We’d urge you think more widely, especially outside the white, Judeo-Christian canon. There’s really plenty to hate about Christmas, so it shouldn’t be that hard. Some guiding stars, if you like: The Ice Harvest Robert Devereaux’s Santa novels Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Star” (not the wussed-out version they did on the Twilight Zone, neither!) Donald E. Westlake’s “Nackles” Neil Gaiman’s “Nicholas Was . . .” Joe Hill’s NO54A2 Damon Runyon’s “Dancing Dan’s Christmas” Don Bassingthwaite’s Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Submission window: Monday, January 15, 2018 to Sunday, March 4, 2018, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Open to submissions by authors of all backgrounds, from...