Events

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: $50.00 and contributor copy. Yes, Clash Books is at it again, and this time they’re letting me take the wheel. If you needed more proof that these folks are crazy, look no further. In any case, hot on the heels of Tragedy Queens: Stories Inspired by Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath, we’re celebrating The Notorious B.I.G. and his music. You know I’m looking for that good barrio noir, horror, bizarro, whatever goodness. Details below. Gimme the Loot: Stories Inspired by The Notorious B.I.G. Listening to Biggie is listening to the streets. There is something gritty and powerful in his bars, something real and dripping the kind of authenticity that makes songs and stories stand out and claim a corner of your brain. Listening to Biggie is hearing how things are done in the streets, and anybody with at least a day of street experience knows that the man understood what he was talking about. From Brooklyn to San Juan, I’ve heard his impact in music, and none told is as clear as he did. Violent, real, and raw; those are the qualities of Biggie’s music that we’d like to capture in story form. That’s right, we’re talking crime, horror, and bizarro, but with a Biggie flavor. The cover is done, and it’s fantastic because it was done by the supernatural entity known as Matthew Revert.   Now, if you listen to Ten Crack Commandments, you know there are some rules to everything, and this anthology is no different. Listen up and keep these things in mind: We love Tupac, Nas, and Rakim. We dig Big Pun, Snoop, and have already published an anthology celebrating the world of Wu-Tang Clan. This time? This time it’s all about Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie,...

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: $.01 per word for your story or poem with a $5 minimum Note: This market is open only to individuals who identify as anything other than cisgender. What we're looking for. Send us excellent speculative fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, or horror). We are interested in speculative fiction of any design. As long as it's fiction, and there's a speculative element, send it. Send us short stories, poetry, one-act plays, or comics. Send us your cool weird shit. Who should submit. This market is open only to individuals who identify as anything other than cisgender. If you identify as as anything under the transgender and/or non-binary umbrella, you are encouraged to submit. Please don't self-reject. If you are worried that you are not "trans enough" to submit, please consider submitting. You are quite probably "trans enough." At one time or another, most of us have wondered if we were really "trans enough." How to submit. Submissions should be emailed to SubmitVultureBones at gmail dot com. The header of the email should include SUBMISSION: or else your submission may get caught in the spam filter. Embed your work in the email; no attachments will be opened. Take care to make paragraph breaks clear when you copy/paste your submission in the body of your email. Specifics: There is a hard upper limit of 5000 words. Anything over that will not be considered. This is not an erotica market. Bonus points if content warnings are provided and clearly marked. Multiple submissions are welcome. Simultaneous submissions are also welcome; please let us know if your submission has been accepted elsewhere as soon as possible.   If your work is acccepted. If your work is accepted, it will be published online in Vulture Bones. Vulture Bones does not publish print issues at...

Deadline: October 1 2018 Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2000 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2000 words Current theme: Devilish Over the years, there have been many different depictions of the Devil. From Lucifer, the fallen angel with his immense wings and tufted tails to the bright red, horned beasts of modern pop culture.For their third collection, Thuggish Itch wants your stories about the Devil, demons and Hell. There is a short turn around on this one as we already have several stories for inclusion in the collection. Thuggish Itch is our horror, sci-fi and speculative fiction collection. Please make sure that your story falls within one of these genres. Please ensure that you read through the general guidelines below and format your submission accordingly. If you have any specific questions please contact us using the form on the home page or via the listed social media accounts. To help make sure that your submission gets to the correct place, please include the following in the subject line of your email: 'Thuggish Itch - Devilish - *Story Title*'. Word count: 1000 - 4000 words (we're willing to consider longer or shorter submissions if the story is good) Deadline: October 1 2018 Payment:  AU$5.00 for stories under 2000 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2000 words General guidelines: Please no extremeerotica or stories that feature excessive violence or vulgarity (unless otherwise specified). All stories should be formatted appropriately. Please see here for more details. Ensure that your name, address, and email contact and word count are at the top of your manuscript. Double check your spelling and grammar before sending your work through. Please submit all stories in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats. International submissions are accepted. No simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions are encouraged. Where possible, we will provide feedback on request. No reprints. Please send all submissions to [email protected] Via:...

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Prize: $50 and a book of the winner's choosing Our annual Halloween contest is open to submissions from now until October 1, 2018, 11:59 pm EST. The contest is free to enter. The first place winner will receive $50 and a book in the genre of their choosing. Send us your Halloween-themed poetry, fiction, short plays and creative non-fiction as an attachment to [email protected], and put “Halloween contest” in your subject line. Each writer may submit up to five entries to the contest, totaling 5,000 words or under. Use that however you want, for example send a 4,900 word short story and a 100 word flash piece, or send 5 poems, or 3 poems and 2 stories, the possibilities are endless. Via: The Furious Gazelle.

Deadline: October 1st 2018 Payment: 3 cents per word The future is now. At least, that’s what we’re told, but the more advanced technology gets, the more ways people find to hurt each other. Many say that technology changes the way we define ‘human.’ In this anthology, we’ll erase the definition entirely. That’s what you’ll answer. In Crash Code, we want to see the pinnacle of our technology meeting the depths of our depravity. Let’s talk voluntary amputations so we can wear cybernetic limbs as fashion statements. Tell us how commercial interplanetary flight changes human tracking. Show the world what the criminal underworld can do in an age of quantum computers. This anthology is going to focus on just how far human kind is willing to fall in pursuit of the next innovation, whether it’s paying for bionic sex in bitcoins, five-year-olds browsing the Dark Web, bar code tattoos, mainstream holographic snuff films, or corrupted neural implants driving their users mad. Think Neuromancer with even more drugs and crime. Imagine Blade Runner meets Saw. Picture Wrath James White’s version of Brave New World. Imagine a test-tube baby made from George Orwell and Jack Ketchum. If your story makes people think American Mary merged with Altered Carbon, we want it. These are just some ideas. Pick one if you like, or come up with your own sick, twisted future. Just make sure it answers one question: In a world where everything demands a dollar sign and subscription fees, is humanity something we can afford to lose? Stories must be previously unpublished in any form Email: [email protected] Length: 1,500 words up to 7K Deadline: October 1st 2018 Multiple Submissions: No Simultaneous Submissions: No Payment: 3 cents/word Editor: Kevin Holton Publisher: Blood Bound Books Via: Blood Bound Books.

Deadline: October 1st, 2018. Payment: $100 Red Room Press is seeking stories for a new dark crime/thriller/horror anthology, American Psychos: A Serial Killer Anthology. Inspired by the most disturbingly violent and graphic crime thriller novels of our time, including Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho, Shane Steven’s By Reason of Insanity, Michael Slade’s Headhunter, our goal is to make American Psychos a brutal, suspenseful, nightmare-inducing hard ride into hell. Stories must be about a serial killer, obviously. The story can either be based on a real serial killer or a fictional serial killer. Stories should primarily be set in the USA, but the character may travel abroad. We want stories that are brutal, graphic, disturbing and violent. The above referenced books will give you a good idea of what we are looking for. Serial killers must be human; no supernatural elements, monsters, or vampires. They can have supernatural beliefs, however, and they can be any gender or race. Editors: Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax. Deadline: October 1, 2018. Publication Date: Early 2019 Length: 3500-5500 words. (Word count is somewhat flexible) Payment for original stories: $100. Note: If we meet our crowdfunding campaign goal, accepted authors will receive an additional $50 bonus. See sidebar for details. No unsolicited reprints or multiple submissions. What to Send In the body of an email: Author name Story title Word Count A brief bio A short description of the story. Attachment of entire manuscript in rtf, doc, or docx format only. Standard formatting. We’ll send a notification within 48 hours that we received your submission. If you don’t get this, please inquire. We may not have received it. EMAIL TO: [email protected] Via: Red Room Press.

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: Contributor's copy, free cover art for a future book. Note: Reprints Welcome Why are we doing this Anthology? My father used to say Well said, O, Toothless One as one of those typical dad jokes. When my dad was diagnosed for the second time with cancer I knew I wanted to put something out into the world to celebrate my father. My dad is dyslexic like I am but he always supported me in my writing. I'm hoping he will get to see a few of these in the time he has left. Those judging the entries will be my sister who is my editor and my mother who along with being my Alpha reader is also a writer herself. I will also be part of the judging process and along with my sister will edit the anthology. When to submit? Submissions are open from now to the 1st of October. The Anthology will be published in December. What are we looking for? The genre is a bit loose but Science fiction or Fantasy would fit fine with what I'm looking for but I will accept other genres as long as it fits in with the tone of the Anthology. The theme for 2018 is to have an inhuman character. This could be a monster or a creature that is more benign. If you can fit a nice guy winning and diversity those are things that appeal to me as well. It will be my family who will be judging the stories as we want to pick stories that either reflects our father or something that would amuse him. So dad jokes allowed. Actually dad jokes encouraged. Humour is certainly sought after in your piece. Keep it PG 13. Swearing and sex can be implied but discretion...

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: Contributor's copy Thurston Howl Publications is now accepting submissions for its first volume of its HOWLERS series, Sinister Sheets. Deadline: October 1, 2018 Word count: 2,500-8,000; a little above and a little below will be acceptable Sex and horror are often considered separate. Notable exceptions include the the “sex means death” rule of slasher films; Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game; and the danger of sex throughout Gillian Flynn’s dark novels. We want to see a collection of erotic horror at its finest. For this editor, erotic horror is best defined as literature that arouses the reader...and then makes them complicit in the horror that ensues because of that arousal. We will NOT accept: Racism, sexism, or discrimination presented in a positive light. Pedophilia or sex with characters under the age of 18 presented in a positive light. Rape, torture, dubious consent, forced seduction presented in a positive light. Snuff or Necrophilia presented in a positive light If you are in doubt, ASK. Better to ask then to get a straight up rejection! If you are unsure, just shoot me an email at [email protected]. (restrictions borrowed from Voice: https://t.co/MWykJ6RY36) You can submit up to three stories, but we will only accept one per author (if any). Reprints are fine, but you have to own full permission of the work in order for us to consider it. We will not accept simultaneous submissions. Payment: Authors will receive a free copy of the print book. Send submissions in .doc or .docx format to [email protected]. Title your email with the story title in all caps. If you are sending more than one submission, send multiple emails instead of putting them all in one. We will inform all authors regarding decisions within a week or two after the deadline.

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: $15 BANJAXED BOOKS is proud to announce short story submissions for our second anthology, Deductions, Delinquents, and Detectives, a collection of mystery/detective stories set in whatever genre the authors choose. Whether it’s a murder mystery set in a world of High Fantasy, a science fiction who-done-it, or the tale of a hard-boiled detective in the near or distant future, Deductions, Delinquents, and Detectives will gather together the best mystery stories from any and all genres. Steampunk, monsters, robots, myths and legends, and–yes–even post-apocalypse…we’re looking for short stories that combine genres in interesting new ways. (We’ll even take a look at realistic mystery stories set in modern times…or during the heyday of detective stories. No monsters or flying cars? No problem! Mystery is a genre all its own.)   SUBMISSION SCHEDULE Submissions open April 1, 2018 and close October 1, 2018. Publication is planned for April 2019. An official date will be announced later in the year. This will launch initially as a paperback. We will get word to you concerning acceptance or rejection as soon as we can, but please remember that we typically get many, many submissions a week, so it could be as long as a month, maybe a bit longer as we get closer to the end of submissions. But not to worry: If you submit and get concerned after a reasonable amount of time has passed, inquire through email. We would never hold that against any author. And we’ll work as fast as humanly possible to get word out to you. If you are interested in sending a story, email it (and a brief cover letter in the body of the email) to: [email protected] Subject line: Submission, Detectives, “Title of Story,” Word Count (Example: Submission, Detectives, “A Corpse in the Rain,”...

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: $5 It might be HOT, HOT, HOT outside but here at Circlet Press we’re already thinking autumn thoughts and you know what that means! It’s time to submit your spooky/sexy/scary October microfictions and flash fiction.  As in years past, these microfictions will be posted on our website during the month of October leading up to Halloween. Payment is $5 and you retain all rights. Details: Stories can be any length up to 1500 words.  No reprints. No excerpts from novels. Multiple submissions are okay. All stories must be erotic and fit within the theme. All gender pairings are welcome and we strongly encourage marginalized writers to submit work to us.  All stories must also be sex positive. DO NOT: Send stories where underage characters engage in sexual acts. Send fan fiction with or without the serial numbers filed off. Send stories where the consent is ambiguous or takes place after the act. Consent MUST be apparent BEFORE the sexual act. Send demon summoning stories. Send stories set at Halloween parties that focus on sexy costumes. Send me stories longer than 1500 words. Send me stories with no erotic content. Send me stories where lovers kill each other. Send stories where witches are evil monsters. Send stories set inside haunted attractions. DO: Think outside the box. The theme here is pretty broad. We want stories that are erotic that also fit into horror/autumn/Halloween. Send us stories that celebrate the season in some way. Scare us while turning us on. Give us period pieces or pieces set in the far future. Make us think of leaves crunching underfoot, the smell of wood smoke carried on chill air, and harvest festivals in preparation for the dead of winter. Do this in a way that celebrates physical pleasure. A...

Deadline: October 1st, 2018 Payment: $15 April 1 through October 1, 2018 BANJAXED BOOKS is proud to announce short story submissions for our second anthology, Deductions, Delinquents, and Detectives, a collection of mystery/detective stories set in whatever genre the authors choose. Whether it’s a murder mystery set in a world of High Fantasy, a science fiction who-done-it, or the tale of a hard-boiled detective in the near or distant future, Deductions, Delinquents, and Detectives will gather together the best mystery stories from any and all genres. Steampunk, monsters, robots, myths and legends, and–yes–even post-apocalypse…we’re looking for short stories that combine genres in interesting new ways. (We’ll even take a look at realistic mystery stories set in modern times…or during the heyday of detective stories. No monsters or flying cars? No problem! Mystery is a genre all its own.)   SUBMISSION SCHEDULE Submissions open April 1, 2018 and close October 1, 2018. Publication is planned for April 2019. An official date will be announced later in the year. This will launch initially as a paperback. We will get word to you concerning acceptance or rejection as soon as we can, but please remember that we typically get many, many submissions a week, so it could be as long as a month, maybe a bit longer as we get closer to the end of submissions. But not to worry: If you submit and get concerned after a reasonable amount of time has passed, inquire through email. We would never hold that against any author. And we’ll work as fast as humanly possible to get word out to you. If you are interested in sending a story, email it (and a brief cover letter in the body of the email) to: [email protected] Subject line: Submission, Detectives, “Title of Story,” Word Count (Example: Submission,...

Deadline: October 8th, 2018 Novels Castrum Press is open to unsolicited NOVEL submissions! Starting August 7th, 2018, our team will be reading and evaluating original novellas submitted by authors here: http://www.castrumpress.com/submissions/form/ You can find full guidelines here (we highly recommend you read them before submitting). We will be open for eight weeks beginning on August 7 around 9:00 AM EST (UTC-1:00) and ending on October 8 9:00 AM EST (UTC-1:00). This open period is intended for authors who have completed works ready or close to ready for submission. We will reopen a second time in October 2018 for authors who are actively working on (or beginning) something that would fit our list. In other words, don’t panic if you’re not ready to submit in August! We would rather see a polished novel in October than a rushed one in August. Until the end of this open period, Castrum Press will be considering novels of between 75,000 and 110,000 words in both the science fiction and fantasy genres. If it’s speculative and fits the bill, we want to take a look at it. Novellas Castrum Press is open to unsolicited novella submissions! Starting August 7th, 2018, our team will be reading and evaluating original novellas submitted by authors here: http://www.castrumpress.com/submissions/form/ You can find full guidelines here (we highly recommend you read them before submitting). We will be open for eight weeks beginning on August 7 around 9:00 AM EST (UTC-1:00) and ending on October 8 9:00 AM EST (UTC-1:00). This open period is intended for authors who have completed works ready or close to ready for submission. We will reopen for a second time in October 2018 for authors who are actively working on (or beginning) something that would fit our list. In other words, don’t panic if you’re not ready to submit in August! We would rather see a polished novella in October than a rushed one in August. Until the end of...

Deadline: October 10th, 2018 Payment: $2 for 6 word story, $2 for 50 word story, $3 for under 1000 words, $5 for poetry, $15 for 1,000-20,000 words. One editor's choice winner will receive $50 Note: No Romance or Horror Our magazine is currently accepting short fiction and poetry for its Fall 2018 issue Writers…and readers: Publish in  a brand new literary magazine. The Hickory Stump is for you. Showcase your work. Experience the work of others. We are a quarterly periodical, without endowment or sponsors, for people who truly love creative fiction. The Hickory Stump is free online. We pay everything from our own personal pockets – writers, promotion, developers, hosting and more. We aim to establish close relationships with our writers, to the advancement of all concerned. Please submit by October 10th for inclusion in the fall issue. We take submissions in the following categories (all work must be unpublished unless otherwise specified): Short fiction Stories may be sad, funny, thought-provoking, or any other tone. Any genre is accepted, excluding romance and horror.  We need character-driven, thought-provoking stories. Insights into foreign lands and subcultures, alternative voices are welcome. Your story should either be unpublished, or else you should tell us all the details of the previous publication or publications. Truly excellent stories may be republished here. Please check your story for correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. When characters speak, they of course may use bad grammar if that is the sort of people they are (naturally first person narrator may also speak in whatever voice suits their personality). Stories will fall into the following categories: Short story 1000-20,000 words Payment takes the form of a mini-contest. This is NOT the same as the Hickory Stump Short Story Contest, which has different criteria and a much higher prize. $50 dollars for the winner, plus...

Deadline: October 11th, 2018 Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2000 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2000 words Colp is our 'anything goes' anthology collection. Expect to see a little bit of this and a little bit of that within each issue, so feel free to submit stories from any genre. Current theme: Suplex "Well let me tell you something, brother!" Colp is looking to bodyslam your story into their next collection as they grapple with all things wrestling. We're looking for your wrestling-inspired tales - whether they be based in the professional wrestling world of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, the college circuit or feature legendary luchadors. Increase your chances at selection by avoiding libellous comments about any current or past performers. Colp is for everyone and therefore we are willing to read stories that fall into any genre. So, no matter whether your story is a horror, romance, sci-fi or historical fiction piece, please send it on through. Be original. We also encourage new and unpublished writers to take the leap and get in touch. Please ensure that you read through the general guidelines below and format your submission accordingly. If you have any specific questions please contact us using the form on the home page or via the listed social media accounts. To help make sure that your submission gets to the correct place, please include the following in the subject line of your email: 'Colp -  Suplex - *Story Title*'. Word count: 1000 - 4000 words (we're willing to consider longer or shorter submissions if the story is good) Deadline: October 11 2018 Payment:  AU$5.00 for stories under 2000 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2000 words Via: Gypsum Sound Tales.

Deadline: October 12th, 2018 Payment: $40 CAD per short story or $20 CAD per flash fiction Note: Authors must have a geographical Asian heritage From the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop and Dark Helix Press Call for Submissions: Immersion: An Asian Anthology of Love, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction Deadline: Open February 15, 2018 – October 12, 2018 Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop and Dark Helix Press are collaborating! We are searching for submissions for “Immersion: Love, Fantasy, Science” an anthology of speculative fiction stories to be published in the summer of 2019. The anthology editors are Allan Cho, (Inside the World’s Major East Asian Collections), JF Garrard (Trump: Utopia or Dystopia, The Undead Sorceress) and William Tham (Kings of Petaling Street). Construct a story about an Asian main character set in an immersive alternate past, present or future. Fill this reality with hints of reality, magic, or fantastical but believable science. If you are interested in writing about a motorized caravan train across the Silk Road, or sages searching for magical apprentices in the South China Sea, now is your chance. We also like good wuxia swordplay and other martial arts as much as we enjoy postcolonial politics and other contemporary topics. Draw on your heritage and transport us to a different world. We are collecting short stories and flash fiction; please make sure there is a beginning, middle and an end. Stories may be dark in nature, but no gratuitous violence, sex, or racist content. Novel excerpts not encouraged unless they tell a complete story.       Submission Requirements: Authors must have a geographical Asian heritage Use standard manuscript format, but with emphasized words in italics. We only accept file formats of .doc, .docx, or .rtf only. Works submitted must be completely original. Previously published work is fine as long...

Deadline: October 14th, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word American Gothic: With handsome young men who never grow old, and the strangest of relatives appearing from dark corridors and long shadows, the frenzied imagination of the American Gothic is a fertile theme for this new anthology in the Gothic fantasy short story series. Call for submissions to be published later in the year. 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 stories for 'American Gothic' and 'Urban Crime' by email to [email protected] Fees, Copyright and Other Terms We pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 6 cents per word. We would prefer to pay via PAYPAL because bank charges to the US and Canada in particular can be crippling for all concerned. Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although we might choose to pay some early. Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel. Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 3 months of the submission deadline. The anthologies will be...

Deadline: October 14th, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word Urban Crime: Stories from this collection will feature gritty murders on the streets of London and Paris, horrors in dark alleys, as well as many more scenes from urban crime that elicit a dark curiosity. Think classic authors such as Edgar Wallace and E.W. Hornung. Call for submissions to be published later in the year. 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 stories for 'American Gothic' and 'Urban Crime' by email to [email protected] Fees, Copyright and Other Terms We pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 6 cents per word. We would prefer to pay via PAYPAL because bank charges to the US and Canada in particular can be crippling for all concerned. Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although we might choose to pay some early. Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel. Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page. We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 3 months of the submission deadline. The anthologies will be published worldwide, available online...

Deadline: October 15th, 2018 Payment: $20 per story Please don't query us about your story submission. We don't have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it's not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don't accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up front and tell us as soon as it's accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints, including anything that has appeared on a website. We pay $20 for each story we publish. We buy first-printing world exclusive rights for four months....

Deadline: October 15th, 2018 Payment: AUD$75 The Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Vol IV Words required: 5000 - 10 000 words ( Opens Feb 1 2018. Deadline = 15th October 2018 -- firm) Payment for each story - AUD$75 PAID FROM THE EDITOR'S POCKET - NO CROWD FUNDING USED IN THIS PRODUCTION. Genres - any variation on the title is suitable. NOTE: This anthology is given away free as an e-book in many formats, and through amazon sold at cost price, or the minimum price amazon will allow. Usually what they make from any sale is what the cost price is for e-book and print. Altair Australia Pty Ltd, the publisher creates these works as a promotion for authors. Robert endeavours to get new and known voices out to a wider reading audience who may then buy something with these authors in, or a novel they have written. All authors are paid on day of acceptance, and the anthology is usually launched on, or before January 31 each year - 2019 The World's of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Volume III was released January 31 2018 now buying for volume IV To get an idea of what was in Volume I and II you can download a FREE copy from smashwords.com All submission need to be double spaced and sent as rtf documents or .doc  no other formats will be accepted. No double space after full stops. Double quotes for dialogue. No line space for paragraphs and paragraph indents not tab indents. If tab indents discovered then the work will either be rejected or asked to be resubmitted in the correct format. What is wanted: Original - (previously unpublished - NO REPRINTS) genre fiction that explores as well as entertains. Readers like to get involved with bright characters and strange worlds. They like to...

Deadline: October 15th, 2018 Payment: For original fiction: USD $0.06 per word for original fiction; Reprints: USD $20 for flash fiction, and USD $100 for short fiction Notes: Reprints welcome Escape Pod is looking for a holiday-themed story to run at the end of the year. We are accepting reprints and originals for this limited submissions call, which will run from Oct 1 – Oct 15, 2018. Stories should follow our general guidelines for subject matter and word count. They should also incorporate a holiday that could take place in November or December by an Earth-based Gregorian calendar. If you have a story in our general submissions that you would like considered for the special call, let us know by email to [email protected], otherwise, please use the Submittable portal below for our Holiday Special. Via: Escape Pod.

Deadline: October 15th, 2018 Payment: $5 for 500 to 1000 words, $10 for 1000 to 3000 words, and $25 for 3000 to 5000 words. Note: Reprints Allowed Tell-Tale Press is looking for short stories in the fantasy, horror, mystery and science fiction genres to publish online and via Kindle. We're looking for stories with the theme WINTER HOLIDAYS. This includes Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Krampusnacht, New Year's, Chinese New Year, and any other winter holidays you can think of. Submission Period: September 1 through October 15 (General public will be September 15 through October 15) Publication Date: December 20 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: 500 to 5000 words as a short story only. WORD COUNT IS FINAL. NO LONGER OR SHORTER STORIES WILL BE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE IMMEDIATELY REJECTED. No poetry or audio submissions for this theme. Extreme and erotica is allowed. Your story will be marked with an "X" for "extreme" so readers will know what to expect. Pulp-style writing is also acceptable. But please, no fanfic. Please use standard manuscript formatting for your story. This means Times New Roman font at 12 point, double-spaced, and header with your name and contact information and word count. Email your submission with a short bio to [email protected] with the subject being WINTER HOLIDAYS SUBMISSION - AUTHOR NAME - GENRE TYPE. Example: if you have a horror story to submit, your subject would be Winter Holidays Submission - Edgar Allan Poe - Horror Since this is a short submission period, reprints are okay as long as the writer has legally received rights back to their story. Simultaneous submissions are also accepted because of the short submission period. Multiple submissions are okay, BUT ONLY IN SEPARATE GENRES. SUBMISSIONS CLOSE OCTOBER 15. NO EXCEPTIONS. PAYMENT: 500 to 1000 words (flash fiction): $5 1000 to 3000 words (microfictions...

Deadline: October 15th, 2018 Payment: 2 contributor's copies Silver Needle Press is currently accepting submissions through Submittable from March 15th to October 15th. Simultaneous submissions are allowed; we ask only to be notified promptly upon acceptance elsewhere. Please do not include your name or contact information in the submission file, as all submissions are read blind. Feel free to include a short bio in the comments section, but this information is not required. Multiple submissions are allowed. Poetry Up to 5 poems, no longer than 10 pages combined, in a single word document. Short Fiction Up to 2500 words in a single Word document. Novel excerpts and flash fiction allowed. Creative Nonfiction Up to 2500 words in a single Word document. Visual Art Up to 5 images in a single .jpg, .gif, or .png file. If accepted, we will require 300 dpi tiff files for each image. If your work does not fit neatly into the aforementioned genres, feel free to contact us! We love creative work that pushes the envelope, and will do our best to accommodate your style. If this is your first time submitting to a literary journal, we would be glad to field any questions regarding the submission process. All contributors will be compensated with two copies of the issue in which their work appears, and a 25% discount on five additional copies. Contributors will also be invited to participate in an interview series regarding creative process. submit Via: Silver Needle Press.

Deadline: October 15th, 2018 Payment: $10 Token payment via Paypal and 60% of net earnings divided evenly among the authors. Announcing call for submissions for PEDOWOOD All Submissions should meet this criteria: Works: short stories and flash fiction Genre and theme: Horror and dark fiction about the seedy underbelly of Hollywood. Stories would need to be based on true stories or allegations. Deadline: October 15th Format: Attach the .RTF, .DOC, or .DOCX Word Count 5k – 7k words approx. for short stories, no limit for flash. Payment: $10 Token payment via Paypal and 60% of net earnings divided evenly among the authors. Multiple Submissions okay. Submit a brief bio, we don’t care if you have no work history, give us a brief bio of yourself. Send submission to [email protected] Via: Deadman's Tomb.

Deadline: October 17th 2018 Payment: $10 and royalties. Accepting Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Multimedia, Artworks Open for Submissions: August 17th-October 17th 2018. If you submit before or after these dates, your pitch will be deleted. Chrysopoeia is Ground Zero, Proof-of-Concept; it’s a place for you to write about characters or plots influenced by and taking place in the Alkimia universe, and to explore how said characters might have gotten their powers (the nature of their trauma), what they do with those powers, and how they exist. What we Want: Trauma healing/recovery, whodunnits, romances, horror tales, mythic retellings, magical realism – as long as it takes place within the confines of the universe! We’re particularly inspired by the works of Neil Gaiman, Amy Tan, Gregory MacGuire, Charles de Lint, Nalo Hopkinson and Guillermo del Toro. We also really, REALLY want to hear from disabled creators, creators of colour, transgender creators, mentally ill creators, etc. This is for you. What we Don’t Want: -Anything that breaks the world. The verse is still somewhat fluid, but if you’ve read the page on Alkimia, you’ll know what is and isn’t worldbreaking. -Non-human main characters. For this anthology we also want to focus on human characters – the fae, half-fae, monsters, and other such creatures will come later! The creatures can show up in the story, but expect to work closely with the loremasters. All mythoi and folklore are up for grabs, though. -No erotica, fanfiction, science fiction, or westerns. -NO racism, sexism, homoantagonism, transantagonism, anti-Rroma sentiment, fatphobia, ableism – this is an anthology about marginalization and taking back stories. -We ask that you only submit if you have some personal experience with trauma, marginalization or discrimination. You do not need to disclose details, but you may choose to self-identify in your cover letter. Genre(s): Centrally urban...

Deadline: October 18th, 2018 Payment: USD 3¢/word, minimum $5, maximum $25 for previously unpublished poetry or prose and a $5 flat payment for reprints. Note: Reprints Allowed For our Fall 2018 issue, Riddled with Arrows is seeking writing-related fiction and metafiction, ars poetica, essays, visual art and non-classifiable written objects that explore the physical manifestations of the written world: think books, paper, letters, writing implements, stone tablets, engraved jewelry, illuminated manuscripts, gravestone etchings, writing on skin, holy texts, ancient scrolls, etc.  We are also interested in submissions that incorporate physical written objects (found poems, epistolary fiction, collage, paper art, etc.). Remember: Riddled with Arrows exclusively publishes writing about writing.  That is to say, all submissions should touch on writing as well as the “tangible” theme. Works that skimp on the meta- or writing-related  part will be rejected.  Not sure what we mean by “meta” or “writing-related”? Read past issues for examples of writers who got it write right.  While you’re at it, pay close attention to our guidelines (below). We have particular tastes. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to our email list for updates, insider tips, and meta-shenanigans You might also be interested in our interview with the “Six Questions For…” Blog or Sapling (Black Lawrence Press).   Guidelines for General Submissions Please read all of this before submitting.  No, really. Editorial Focus: Riddled with Arrows seeks (short) metafiction and metapoems, and writing that celebrates the process and product of writing as art. No restrictions on genre or form, so long as the work is about writing, or comments on itself (consciously or not) in interesting and meaningful ways..  (What is metafiction? We’re so glad youasked…) You might also want to read Genre/Style: We prefer tight, clean (as in no typos), vivid, evocative writing.  Spare the purple prose. We are open to all genres and styles.  Literary? Yes.  Fantasy/Sci-Fi? Absolutely.  Horror? Ok. Experimental? Surprise us. In short, don’t be misogynistic, homophobic, racist, or a...

Deadline: October 24th, 2018 Payment: Short Fiction (<150CH) $3AUD per story, Long Fiction (>150CH/<200CH) $2AUD per story What is the Story Seed Vault? The Vault is an online periodical that adheres to the limitation of Twitter publishing. We consider all types of fiction with one condition – your story must be based on science. We’re looking for stories that act as story seeds – prompts for spin off plots and weird tangents. We want to think in new ways about how our world works and the possibilities for future worlds, expanding tangentially from what we know now. Who can submit to the Vault? The Vault will takes submissions from all sorts of writers, from established writers to new, science communicator, or people who have a personal passion for science. As long as you adhere to our guidelines, we will publish your work! In accordance with the ethics and values of our editorial team, the Vault is also a diversity-oriented publication. As such, we welcome and encourage submissions from a multiplicity of voices and perspectives, particularly those from marginalized and under-represented groups. Science communication is done by all sorts of people – and we want writers who reflect that diversity. Where can I find science to be inspired by? We suggest taking a look at science news websites and science magazines, such as the below: Ars Technica Technology news, provides breakdowns on the latest scientific advancements. Main focus is IT and ‘gadgets’. Science Daily Scientific research news. Does not report on general science news. Science Mag Reports on research and general science news. Almost always evidence-based reporting. Science Alert and Live Science Pop science news. An easily accessible form of science news that doesn’t use academic language. Prone to clickbait titles. If you’re still stuck on what to write, take a...

Deadline: October 25th, 2018 Payment: Contributor's Copy Detective Fantasy Anthology Submission Period: August 1 - October 25 Word Count:    500-10,500 (If over this, please ask before submitting). Theme:    For this anthology, we are wanting you to tell us a story about a mystery, be it a murder, a theft, or something else all together. However, we aren't just looking for normal detectives, we want a fantasy element! The detective doesn't have to necessarily have powers, but we want the story to take place in a fantasy setting. Use your imaginations and run with it! The possibilities are endless for this mystery/fantasy genre mash up! We will consider any sub-genre, but the story must involve solving a mystery in a fantasy setting. No poetry. ALWAYS READ THE FULL THEMES AND GUIDELINES WHEN SUBMITTING. PIECES THAT FAIL TO MEET THE GUIDELINES/THEME WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED. 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. In some cases, we may wait until the end of the submission period to start sending out acceptance emails.   Compensation: Contributor copy of the anthology. 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.  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 DETECTIVE ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION: . In the body of your email, please include your name, pen name, and word count. If the story is under 2,000 words, please paste the text in the...

Deadline: October 25th, 2018 Payment: $10 Tales from the Moonlit Path publishes dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition. Gore and explicit sex for the sake of visceral shock will not find a home here, though we are not opposed to it in general, if it belongs in the story. We are interested in character-driven stories more so than plot-driven, and we prefer dark fiction that makes us think, makes us feel, wraps us in its well-spun dream. Although we would love to publish fiction longer than 2,000 words, it is our experience that reading stories longer than that on a monitor can be tiresome and hard on the eyes. So please, fiction must be no longer than 2,000 words. Please include a short cover letter with your story, with your name, email address, word count and bio if we choose to publish your work. We accept email submissions only at [email protected]. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ATTACHMENTS. Please submit your story embedded within the email, with this format in the subject line: Your last name: Fiction-submission. For poetry guidelines, please submit them to: [email protected] and embed the poetry in the body of the email. Please only submit 3-5 poems at a time. Please format your subject line: Your last name: Poetry-submission. For full poetry guidelines, please click here. For article or movie/book review guidelines, please submit to: [email protected] and embed the article in the body of the email. Articles and movie reviews should be no longer than 2,000 words. Please format your subject line: Your last name: Article-submission. We offer $10 for every published story. Please allow one month before querying about your submission. Simultaneous submissions are welcomed (and encouraged, you have to get your...

Deadline: October 25th, 2018 Payment: $0.50/word To honor Halloween (no, not that one), Gizmodo and io9 are presenting a very special editorial package focused on death in its many forms—we’ll be running essays, investigations, and a work of short fiction on what goes on beyond the veil. And as part of it, io9 is announcing an open call for works of short, speculative fiction that interrogate what death might mean, or be, in the future. Perhaps death has become a thing of the past—for some humans, at least. Maybe a newly sentient AI must decide whether to program some form of death into its universe. Whatever the premise, we’re looking for creative takes on what it means for an object or entity to cease to be. We’re most interested in futuristic and science fiction-infused tales; no gore or straight horror, please. We’re looking for pieces under 2,000 words and the deadline for us to receive your submission is October 25, 2018. Our rates start at $0.50/word and authors will retain the copyright to their work, granting Gizmodo a right to first publication and a 90-day exclusive period. To submit, please email a short summary (a few sentences will do) of the scope and plot of the story, as well as links to any other published work you’d like for us to see, to [email protected]. Please include your story as an attachment. Via: io9.

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: $0.01 per word Note: Non-audio reprints allowed Note: They love speculative fiction but aren't looking for horror, make sure to read the guidelines. The Overcast is currently open to submissions three times a year, during the months of January, April, and October. (Note we are no longer reading during July. Our summers have just gotten too hectic. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for understanding.)   What We Want We are interested in speculative fiction, whatever that means to you, be it Science Fiction, Fantasy, Steampunk, Magical Realism, Slipstream, or an as-yet-unnamed genre. Anything that looks at the world and life from an unexpected angle. We want the original vision of William Gibson. The magic and beauty of Erin Morgenstern. The uncompromising voice of Margaret Atwood. The technical brilliance of Ted Chiang. We want to read stories that transport us to places that we've never imagined. We want to still be thinking about a story days after reading it. Be original. Be amazing. We are based in Portland, OR, and shine a spotlight on writers hailing from, living in, or connected in some way to the Pacific Northwest, as loosely defined by the bioregion of Cascadia. We feel there is an exceptionally strong talent pool of speculative writers in Cascadia, and we want to celebrate and promote them to a larger audience. Roughly half the stories we publish are by PNW writers. That said, we are not exclusive, and the other half of our stories come from authors all over the globe. So no matter where you live, send us your stories. If they make us laugh, cry, or turn cartwheels of astonishment, preferably all at once, we will find a place for them on The Overcast. This is an audio format publication. We feel...

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: $0.06 and $0.08/word DreamForge Magazine is now open for limited submissions. We’re a new and exciting magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Our first issue is scheduled for publication in early 2019. Limited Submissions? If you’re reading this page, it’s probably because: We have sought you out in the hope you would consider submitting a story for one of our early issues. One of our friends or contacts has passed this link on to you. If, after you review what we’re looking for, you know a writer whose work might be a good fit for us, please feel free to share a link to this page. By Tithi Luadthong That said, we are not open to general submissions, so we ask that you not post this link to social media, your website, or otherwise generally broadcast. It will only lead to disappointment for us all. An Overview of DreamForge Magazine At DreamForge, our goal is to publish positive science and fantasy fiction. You can gain some sense of what we mean by this in reading our Rules of Fiction page. While we agree there will always be new and often tremendous struggles for humankind to overcome, we do not subscribe to hopelessness or futility as a vision of the future or of any setting or situation. DreamForge is about the triumph of reason and of humane-ity. Submission Guidelines By SFIO CRACHO To aid us in reviewing (and hopefully working with) your manuscript as efficiently as possible, it would help for you to read and follow our guidelines as presented here. Once you have everything in order, submit an electronic file in Word DOC or RTF format to [email protected] One submission at a time, please, but simultaneous submissions are OK. Our Current Submission Deadline: October 31,...

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: Fiction - 1 cent a word, to a maximum of $20. Poetry - $5 per piece. Note: Must be a NZ or Australian author We publish SF, horror and dark fantasy short fiction from NZ and Australian authors. We publish bimonthly and open for submissions for the month prior to release. Our submission periods for 2018 are as follows: Issue #08: August (to publish in September) Issue #09: October (to publish in November) Issue #10: December (to publish in January 2019) In the Zine All work must be original and previously unpublished. We pay for first worldwide publication rights for six months and nonexclusive reprint rights. Copyright belongs to the author or artist. We simply ask for you to credit Breach as the site of first publication if your work is then subsequently reprinted elsewhere (after the six month exclusive period). Stories between 500 and 2000 words, in doc format. Poetry of a page length, doc format. Cover art in A4, 600dpi, RGB. Payment Short stories: 1 cent a word, to a maximum of $20. Poetry: $5 per piece. Cover art: $20 per piece. Via: Beach Magazine.

Icarus with broken wings Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Prize: $300 The Contest: Write a story of 5,000 words or less about the myth below. Deadline: October 31 by midnight Entry Fee: FREE! Prize: $300 * To understand Icarus, let’s start with his father, Daedalus, and the mess he got himself into on Crete. Because this whole Cretan mess might inspire your story. (If you want to skip the Cretan mess and get right to Icarus, scroll down to the heading that says GET RIGHT TO ICARUS.) Daedalus was blessed by Athena, goddess of wisdom, strategy, and craftsmanship. He came from “a noble Athenian clan called the Metionids,” and he was renowned throughout the Ancient world for his ability to come up with fantastical, innovative feats of architecture, engineering, and design—and for actually being able to pull these visions off. He wasn’t just an idea man. Daedalus got things done. * HERE’S WHERE THE CRETAN MESS STARTS. The King of Crete was really proud to be the King of Crete, and he declared that he’d been granted this position by the gods. He further declared that anything he prayed for would be granted, because he was so favored by the gods. So what did he pray for? A bull to come out of the sea. Obviously. He declared, “When this divine bull appears, I shall sacrifice it to Poseidon to prove my devotion to the gods!” He’d been pretty confident in himself so far, but I think he might’ve been a little shocked when a white bull actually did come out of the sea. Then the King was like, “Ohh, umm . . . that’s actually a pretty badass looking bull . . . if I could keep it, I could really enrich my own herds . . . and really, it’d be a shame to sacrifice...

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: $10.00 USD “The Future is Broken.” – Black Mirror What horrors will our technological hubris bring us in the future? When technology takes over more of our lives, what will it mean to be human, and will we fear what we have created? Artificial intelligence, robotics, bionics and cybernetics, clones, and virtual reality. These are a few of my favorite things. The technological singularity is fast approaching, and post-humanity is a frighteningly dark future. First and foremost, your submission must be a horror story and contain something emotionally, physically, or mentally horrifying. Secondly, the technology should be front and center, not just a deus ex machina. Whether it be a modern technology we are creating now with a purpose yet fully realized, or some new horror as yet to be discovered. We are looking for stories in the same vein as NETFLIX’s Black Mirror. Post-apocalypse is welcome, as are dystopian societies, but technology must have brought them about. Supernatural elements are welcome in conjunction with the technology. What we don’t want is aliens attacking humanity as the core conceit. What qualifies as “modern” technology is debatable; anything from the Cold War is the farthest back we’ll consider. Manuscript Format: *Font: either Courier or Times New Roman. *Double spaced, font 12 point. *Your manuscript must be in either DOC or RTF format. *Do not place your name in the manuscript, just the title.** *Following pages header to state: author name, story name, and page number. **This year, we are doing blind submissions. Wow us with your story.** In the body of the email: *With no header on the MS, the header info should be in the email as such: author name, mailing address, email address, and word count. *100 words or less biography about you. *One sentence explaining the story...

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: 5 contributor's copies Critical Blast Publishing is taking submissions for the anthology GODS & SERVICES. This anthology will be a collection of modern and post-modern fantasy stories revolving around the trope of the mysteriously appearing and disappearing shop. It settles onto any street as though it's always been there. The plate glass window hosts a letterboard sign advertising "GOODS & SERVICES."  The first "O" has fallen and lies stuck in the bottom of the letterboard.  The proprietor sells bric-a-brac to unsuspecting customers, which releases or puts them into contact with a god from any time or place in mythology or history. Chaos ensues as the protagonist gets the god he or she needs -- or deserves (and "deserves" can be widely interpreted).  Think along the lines of Tony Randall and Burl Ives in THE BRASS BOTTLE meets TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY. Stories should be between 2000 and 10,000 words, submitted in manuscript format to [email protected] a Word attachment. Feel free to query the address to clarify and ask questions. For published pieces we ask for First Serial Rights. Understand most publications will not publish pieces that have been published in print, eBook, or on the web; as such, once your work is published by Critical Blast Publishing, it can only be marketed as a reprint, severely limiting the number of markets that will accept it, and could drastically reduce future potential pay rates. It is up to you, the author, to decide if publishing your work in print and/or eBook formats and/or on the web, giving up your First Publishing Right for a token payment, is really what you want to do. Payment: 5 copies of printed book. Deadline for submissions is October 31, 2018. Via: Critical Blast.

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: $15 In our stories, we crave the wild, weird, wonderful, and witty. Make us laugh, make us cry, surprise and shock us. Make us feel something. After all, isn’t that what writing is for? We are currently accepting submissions for our debut online literary magazine, Winter Solstice, which will be published on December 21, 2018. Submissions will close on Hallow’s Eve – October 31, 2018 Our next reading period will run from January 5, 2019 to May 18, 2019 for Summer Solstice, Volume 1 exclusively featuring writers between the ages of 13-20. We pay $15 per piece, and we buy first North American serial rights. Payments are made through PayPal on the date of publication. All rights revert to the author upon publication. Pieces and bios accepted for publication will be edited for any grammatical errors. We do not charge submission fees. Multiple submissions are allowed, but they must be in different genres. For example, you may not submit two fiction pieces, but you may submit a piece of fiction and a poem. If you are submitting more than one piece, please send each document in separate emails. Details for genres are listed below. We allow simultaneous submissions. Please inform us if your piece is accepted elsewhere. Work must be your own and not previously published, including on personal blogs. TO SUBMIT Email all submissions to [email protected] in docx format. For visual art and cartoon submissions, send in jpeg, jpg, png, or pdf. Put your name, title of piece, and category in the email subject line. Submissions will be read blindly, so please make sure your name does not appear anywhere on the document. Include your short bio and PayPal email address in the body of the email. We do not accept mailed submissions. We...

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: One penny Sterling per word, with a minimum payment of £10 Sterling for poems and very, very short stories, I am looking for stories and poems for a new anthology that involves British Folklore. The stories may be short or long, even as long as a novelette. The stories or poems can be of horror, humour or psychological. But, I don’t want any twee stories. I will pay one penny Sterling per word, with a minimum payment of £10 Sterling for poems and very, very short stories. For illustrations, I will pay £30 for ‘header’ illustrations to a story, £100 for full page illustrations and £200 for the cover illustration. All rights are reserved by the author and the artist. If your story, etc. has been published elsewhere, please let me know where and when the work was published. I would like to have all the material in by Halloween this year as I would like to have enough to keep me busy over Christmas. The anthology, hopefully, will be ready for release by February/March 2019. Contact me by email ([email protected] or [email protected]) or by post to Jon Harvey, 56 Mickle Hill, Sandhurst, Berkshire, GU47 8QU, UK. The following is a list of festivals, people and creatures of British folklore that I can think of. There are likely to be numerous others that either I don’t know or have forgotten about: There are festivals like Beltane (the Gaelic May Day festival), Samhain (the Gaelic celebration of end of the harvest) normally held on the night of the 31st October and there are other festivals held in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, such as Lughnasadh, which is similar to Samhain. There are folk such as the ‘The Green Man’, ‘John Barleycorn’, ‘Wayland Smith’ and ‘Herne the Hunter’. There’s the ‘Wild Hunt’ or the ‘Eternal Huntsmen’....

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: Royalties and a contributor's copy Off the Beaten Path Press is proud to announce a call for submissions for a brand new anthology titled "HEROES OF THE APOCALYPSE". We're looking for submissions in the 5,000 - 15,000 word limits with stories of the end of the world. You pick the way. Whether it be natural disaster, zombies, pandemic, alien invasion, space asteroids, killer AI, supernatural demons or ghosts, giant monsters, nuclear war, or however you envision the end of everything coming for civilization. The only thing that these stories need to share are the heroes who fight against all odds to prevent the end (either in success or failure). This is what the stories need to be all about. The human response to the end. So even if you have a 1000 foot Lovercraftian demon stomping on major cities, we need to see the courage on the ground before the boot goes to ant. Please send your story copied into an email with your contact info to [email protected]. We're looking forward to seeing what you've got. Payment will include royalties paid for sales and a copy of the print version of the anthology. Close Date: Oct 31. Thanks!

Deadline: October 31st, 2018 Payment: $10. 13 Postcards from Hell (partnered with The Bold Mom) This anthology is a PAID anthology ($10 plus e-copy of the book or audiobook, paid on publication) due to the level of difficulty. All stories are due by Halloween and the book will be released on Xmas. Also keep in mind, this will be an audiobook. What it is about: The theme behind each story is that Satan has decided t deliver postcards from 13 evil people condemned to Hell to someone who is living. Each story is made up of three stories. 1) First story: How did the bad guy die? 2) Second story: What did he encounter in Hell? and 3) Third story: The postcard, which is a message to anyone they believe is still living (can’t be someone who is dead and in heaven, I have a feeling God won’t let him deliver the correspondents) and the person’s reaction to the postcard. Each story can be anywhere from 300 to 7,000 words (they obviously don’t need to be the same length, the post card, most likely will be the shortest piece). I’m looking for extreme horror, but no violence against animals, no ….. Now, I know this is limiting, but I’m hoping this will bring out the creativity in the writers. After all, there is still a wide range of possibilities. How did the guy die? Natural causes, killed by a victim defending themselves, stupid accident, cops shoot him? Why did he get sent to Hell? What happened in Hell? Is it his worst nightmare or is he enjoying himself? Is he being tortured or he the one giving out the torture? Does he/she know they are in Hell? Also…has he/she escaped from Hell…I said condemn, never said they were still in...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: $5 and a contributor copy GRAVELY UNUSUAL accepts all genres (Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Noir, Crime, Western) BUT material submitted MUST contain the element of HORROR! WE OFFER ALL ACCEPTED SUBMISSIONS PAYMENT OF $5 USD VIA PAYPAL + A CONTRIBUTOR COPY OF ISSUE 2 ( Outside of U.S. receive .PDF version + $5 USD) PLEASE SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO [email protected] ATTENTION! ALL WORK SUBMITTED MUST BE ORIGINAL!MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS ARE COOL! BUT WE DO NOT ACCEPT REPRINTS! OR SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS! SUBMISSIONS WILL CLOSE NOV 1ST 2018 FICTION SUBMISSIONS Up to 5,000 words Please include a brief synopsis of the story All work must be submitted in MANUSCRIPT FORMAT (https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) PLEASE SUBMIT AS A .DOC or .ODT FILE NON-FICTION SUBMISSIONS Up to 3,000 words Please include a brief synopsis of work All work must be submitted in MANUSCRIPT FORMAT (https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) PLEASE SUBMIT AS A .DOC or .ODT FILE COMIC/ART SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN.PDF FORMAT ANY OTHER INQUIRIES OR IDEAS PLEASE GO AHEAD AND SEND THEM! WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO CREATIVE THOUGHT! THANKS! Via: Gravely Unusual.

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: Contributor's Copy Editor in Charge: Fanni Suto Submission Period: September 1 - November 1 Questions and Emails: [email protected] Word Count:    500-10,500 (If over this, please ask before submitting). Theme:    To continue our collection of mythology anthologies, we next present to you Japanese. Japan is a culture with a long history. Although the religions have changed over the years, like many others, it first started with grand tales of gods and goddesses. These deities were very important and the tales of some still exist today and are retold. It is said, that the emperors were descended from the sun goddess, Amaterasu, the most well known, however there are stories of many others including her father and brother. Which god or goddess will you choose?  We will consider any sub-genre, but the story must feature Japanese myths of some kind. ALWAYS READ THE FULL THEMES AND GUIDELINES WHEN SUBMITTING. PIECES THAT FAIL TO MEET THE GUIDELINES/THEME WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED. 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. In some cases, we may wait until the end of the submission period to start sending out acceptance emails.   Compensation: Contributor copy of the anthology. 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.  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 JAPANESE ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION: . In the body of...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: Contributor's Copy Enchanted Gardens Anthology Editor in Charge: Fanni Suto Submission Period: September 1 - November 1 Questions and Emails: [email protected] Word Count: 500-10,500 (If over this, please ask before submitting). Theme: Gardens are known to be both beautiful and peaceful. Here, we are wanting a twist, enchanted gardens. The garden must be prominently featured and be enchanted/magical/cursed in some way. Are the flowers made of crystals and jewels? Does whoever enters never want to leave? Do the flowers bloom right before your eyes? We want to know what you think! We will consider any sub-genre, but the story must feature a garden. ALWAYS READ THE FULL THEMES AND GUIDELINES WHEN SUBMITTING. PIECES THAT FAIL TO MEET THE GUIDELINES/THEME WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED. 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. In some cases, we may wait until the end of the submission period to start sending out acceptance emails. Compensation: Contributor copy of the anthology. 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. 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 ENCHANTED GARDENS ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSION: . In the body of your email, please include your name, pen name, author bio, and word count. If the story is under 2,000 words, please paste the text in the body of...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Upcoming premises (target themes) and deadlines for submission : The Critter in the Attic To download a PDF file of the guidelines, click here . ALL SHORT STORIES, ESSAYS, POEMS, PHOTOGRAPHS and ART MUST RELATE TO ONE OF THE PREMISES SPECIFIED ABOVE. NOTE: Previously published pieces are welcome, provided that the submission fits the theme and that the author owns the copyright. The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. Fewer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages preferred. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover letter or on first page of manuscript. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with each submission. Rejected manuscripts unaccompanied by an SASE will not be returned. Response time: 3 months after premise deadline. NO READER'S FEE. Mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747. Outside the US: email [email protected] On acceptance for publication, we will pay the following amount: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Copyright reverts to author after publication. THEMA isn't for everyone. To find out why, click here. New to submitting manuscripts to journals? Click here to download a PDF file of a few basic guidelines. Unlike many publishers, we prefer works submitted by the authors themselves, without the involvement of an agent. Be sure to indicate premise and include SASE for each submission. BE SURE to include a separate SASE for each premise. No handwritten manuscripts will be considered. NOTE: We do not accept e-mailed submissions EXCEPT from authors who live...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: $300 and royalties The following are the submissions guidelines for Unlocking the Magic. Word limit: 3000-6000 words. Pay rate: $300/story + royalties Genre: Fantasy only (no Science Fiction or Horror, although horror elements may be present in the story). Urban Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Steampunk, and other genres of fantasy are all encouraged. Language: English (translations are welcome). Submissions open: June 2, 2018 Submissions close: November 1, 2018 Rights: We claim first world English rights (no reprints). For an excellent break down of what this means, please see Neil Clarke’s post here. In fantasy, we read about how people with mental illness are more susceptible to magic, closer to breaks in reality, more likely to be able to see the unseen. These stereotypes are harmful and contribute to keeping people from seeing the good in getting help, taking their meds, or talking to someone. This anthology is about changing the narrative and telling stories of strength and perseverance, of getting help despite the darkness. Not the myth that getting help will kill creativity and magic. Not the story our society tells about mentally ill people: that art and magic must come from suffering. I want stories that show what can be accomplished when we take care of ourselves and seek help. I want stories that show the reality of being mentally ill within a fantasy setting. I want to see how mental illness and its treatment affects the magic that lies within all of us. I want to read realistic portrayals of mental illness in magical worlds. Send your stories formatted in Standard Manuscript format attached as a .doc to cuppateaanthologies at gmail dot com. Include your name, byline, email address, mailing address, and approximate word count. In your cover letter, also include the mental illness...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: 4¢ per word if funded through Kickstarter Concrete Dreams — an Urban Fantasy anthology of Magic and Gears that we will be attempting to fund via a Kickstarter campaign. This anthology has an open call for manuscripts and will pay at least 4¢ per word, if funded. Word count guidelines 5-10k, for a total anticipated length of 120k. Open for any Urban Fantasy ("Modern" fantasy, essentially fantasy set in the era of paved roads) submission with a magic and gears flavor. Juried. Deadline for submission is November 1st 2018. Accepted authors are expected to participate in anthology promotion during the Kickstarter campaign. Via: Prospective Press.

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction Winter: As she trudged down the alley, Cenessa saw a small _________________. Due date: November 1, 2018 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:...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: Royalties, 80% Split evenly among the fiction writers. Stories: You keep copyright and all rights associated with the story. You give Millhaven Press first North American print rights, and permission to use the story in any anthology stemming from the original printing (such as a “best of” type anthology). Stories should be between 2,000-8,000 words (we may accept something shorter than 2,000 words or something longer than 8,000 but it has to be phenomenal). Do not submit a story for reprint. We are only interested in previously unpublished material (a story published on a personal blog is ok). No simultaneous submissions. Please do not submit the story to another outlet while waiting for a response from us. Multiple submissions are ok, but we will only print one story per author, per issue. If you aren’t sure which is your best, send more than one and we’ll decide. Use an easily readable font, double-space as .doc or .docx. Send as an e-mail attachment to [email protected]. Send a cover letter with contact information. Use story title, genre and approximate word count in the subject header of the e-mail. This is a quarterly print publication and the deadlines for the genre themes are as follows. Spring: Science Fiction/Fantasy (Submission Deadline 2/1/19) Summer: Mystery/Crime/Espionage (Submission Deadline 5/1/19) Autumn: Horror/Dark Fantasy (Submission Deadline 8/1/18) Winter: Action/Adventure/Western (Submission Deadline 11/1/18) We realize a lot of stories cross genres (the best usually do). Submit your story with all possible genres in the subject and we’ll sort it out. Not all submitted stories will be published. Stories are chosen solely by the publishers. We will read all submissions and respond with an acceptance or rejection letter via e-mail (Generally, within 2 weeks). If accepted, a standard royalty contract will be sent shortly after...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: $0.01 / word and a contributor's copy Details: Stories can be 1,000 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 August 1, 2018, and ends November 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 strongly prefer “clean” noblebright stories. For more on noblebright, please see noblebright.org. The story must...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: Royalties Note: Canadian authors only Open for submissions from Extended date: November 1, 2018   SUMMARY Canadian Dreadful will be a collection of short stories between 2,500 and 10,000 words, each one set in one of the provinces or territories of Canada. We are looking for horror stories written by Canadians that employ elements of dark fantasy or magical realism. We welcome new authors and well experienced authors. Dark Fantasy combines fantasy and horror and creates a suspenseful, dread-inducing mood for the reader. A movie like “Pan’s Labyrinth” is an excellent example of this genre. You are welcome to utilize the darker elements of fantasy just as long as the story takes place the real world, not a mythical one. Magical Realism or “The Unreliable Narrator” is a style of fiction where magical, fantastical, or supernatural elements are brought into the “real world” of the story—and by the end of it, your reader will have to decide whether or not the magical events actually took place or not. Is the narrator crazy, telling the truth, or deliberately lying? Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” is an example of this. So are the novels (and movies) “The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel and “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson. Another movie that employs magical realism is “Big Fish”, directed by Tim Burton. Tell us a horror story that leaves the reader questioning whether or not the narrator was reliable. Leave “clues” for the reader to interpret as either confirmations or negations of the narrative. And most of all, let your reader feel a weighing sense of dread from the first to the last page. Another goal for this anthology is to educate readers about Canada—include content that somehow relates to Canada’s history, culture, politics, or...

Deadline: November 1st, 2018 Payment: $10 As of July 2018, we pay $5 for winning contest stories and $10 for accepted anthology submissions. Subject to change with each anthology and contest. Guidelines will vary depending on the current call for submissions, but there are a few things we will always require: All submissions must be formatted with Shunn formatting. All submissions must be sent via the submission form on the right. If you do not have a Google account, contact us for submission options All submissions must be edited to the best of your ability. We highly recommend getting at least one beta reader to help you proofread it before submission. If you need help finding a beta reader, try Writing Bad on Facebook. Questions? Send an email to [email protected] Pixie Forest Publishing is now open for submissions for our second anthology! September 5th – November 1st at 11:59pm CST Genre/Theme: Modern Fantasy Word count: Minimum 4000/ Maximum 8000. All submissions must be formatted according to Shunn Formatting Submit your story via the form on pixieforestpublishing.com What you submit should be the final version of the story and edited to the best of your ability. No previously published works. If your story is hosted on a website, blog, or social media platform and you want to submit it, you need to remove it until you receive your acceptance/rejection email. If it has been accepted, it needs to remain unavailable, as the anthology will hold exclusive rights for the first six months. Expect to wait anywhere between four to six weeks after the closing date for all notifications to be made. Each author will receive $10 via PayPal after they sign their contract. You will receive a full publishing contract that details all the specifics, including details about author copies. For this anthology we are...

Deadline: November 4th, 2018 Payment: Royalties Guidelines and rules:  Word count: 3500-6000 Genre: Young Adult Romance Theme:  Masquerade A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation. Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4, 2018 How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group. Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges. This year, we are honored to have seven incredible judges: Elizabeth S. Craig, author Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, Memphis Barbeque mysteries, and Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Elana Johnson, author USA Today bestseller Elana Johnson writes young adult and adult contemporary romance. She is an inspirational adult romance author under the pen name of Liz Isaacson, and her work includes the young adult dystopian romance series Possession, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster). Learn more at Elana Johnson. S.A. Larsen, author S.A. Larsen is the international award-winning author of the middle grade fantasy-adventure MOTLEY EDUCATION and the young adult contemporary-fantasy romance MARKED BEAUTY. When she’s not chasing her characters around a graveyard or antagonizing them with young love, she can be found in Maine with her husband and four children. Visit her cyber home at S.A. Larsen Books. DL Hammons, Write Club founder When DL isn’t running the online writing contest WRiTE CLUB on his blog, he splits his time crafting YA and adult Mysteries, with a little bit of...