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Deadline: November 31st, 2018 Payment: .03CAD per word and a contributor's copy “Their hand is at your throats, yet ye see Them not; and Their habitation is even one with your guarded threshold.” — H. P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror Monstrous Outlines will be an anthology of horror and weird fiction with a focus on the theme of camouflage: people, entities, monsters, gods, even concepts, that masquerade as things other than themselves. Predators in plain sight, deities on their down time, sublime extra-dimensional terrors slumming in 4D. We want to see stories of exceptionally well done camouflage, all the more baffling and frightening for its seamless nature. We want to see stories of seeming where the hidden thing is poorly hidden for a number of reasons: perhaps there are layers to its camouflage, or perhaps it doesn’t care how well it hides. Imagine the moment when the perfectly hidden thing reveals itself. When the poorly hidden thing reveals itself. We’re also interested in duplicates, doppelgangers, and shapeshifters. Think John W. Campbell’s Who Goes There? and its cinematic offspring, The Thing, for the latter. The seed story for this anthology will be Algernon Blackwood’s classic tale, The Willows, a story of two worlds touching, of men meeting the unnameable through the medium of the nearest natural analogue, the titular willow trees. Submission period closes 31 NOVEMBER 2018. The anthology will be released in trade paperback and electronic book formats in early March 2019. SUBMITTING Please use Standard Manuscript format when submitting. That’s double spaced, left justified, Times New Roman or Courier or something at least readable, a header on the first page (at least) with your author info and word count and… well, you know the drill. RTF or DOC files preferred, but DOCx and text files also accepted. Obviously, you could send us something that’s not in Standard Manuscript format, but it will lower your chances of it being looked...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $20 USD and a contributor's copy Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned Give me your scorned women–jilted brides, protective mothers, vengeful servants. As long as the ghost doing the haunting is female, it’s fair game. She can be trying to keep her husband from finding love again, she could be protecting her children, she could be out to ruin someone’s life in retaliation for a long-standing done-her-wrong. Why is she doomed to remain among the living? What’s her unfinished business? That ghost has a story and I want to know what it is and what she’s doing about it. But wait, there’s more. It’s gotta be a romance. Are the ghost-hunters trying to suppress a burning attraction? Is a grieving husband falling for someone new? All I ask is that there’s no banging corpses or ghosts. (What fun would either of those be?) The details: Stories 4,000 words or more Reprints accepted but not preferred. When submitting a reprint include information about its original publication in your submission email. Open to all gender pairings and multiple partners Contemporary setting preferred, but not required. Simultaneous & multiple submissions = No Payment: $20 USD and a paperback copy of the anthology in exchange for the non-exclusive right to include the story in both the print and electronic versions of the anthology. Open Submission Period: September 1, 2018 – November 30, 2018 To submit: Please submit a .doc or .rtf in something approximating standard manuscript format to [email protected] Please note: It may be several days between submitting and receiving a confirmation email because the editor is sending them manually rather than automating the process. About the Editor: Trysh Thompson has written just about every form of non-fiction you can think of–everything from news, movie reviews, magazine...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $15.00 What We Want – Fiction SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN FROM NOVEMBER 1, 2018 to NOVEMBER 30, 2018! BROADSWORDS AND BLASTERS is looking for quality submissions in the pulp magazine tradition. What does that mean? We want your tales of: sword and sorcery; westerns (Weird or otherwise); horror (Cosmic, Southern Gothic, visceral, and psychological); detective tales; two-fisted action; retro science fiction. Tales should feature strong characters and visceral action. No navel-gazing. Despite having great action, detailed settings, and iconic characters, much of old-school pulp is unfortunately emblematic of limited cultural ideals that we have no interest in propagating. As such, we encourage diverse characters and welcome stories that subvert the standard pulp formula. We prefer clear descriptions. While we appreciate poetic prose, the reader has to be able to understand what is happening. For rating guidelines (language, descriptions) we are looking at a hard R-rating as the maximum we will publish. That is to say, we don’t shy away from cursing, gore, or sex, but such content needs to serve the story, not be there for the sake of being there. Word count: Submissions must be between 2,000 to 5,000 words. Anything outside these limits will be rejected. Please submit stories in either .rtf, .doc, or .docx. Please use standard submission format. http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html We do not accept reprints. We do not accept multiple submissions. Please submit only one story at a time. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please tell us in the body of the email that you are submitting to more than one publication. If the story is accepted elsewhere, please let us know as soon as possible. Payment and terms We pay a flat $15.00 per story upon publication. All payments will be made through paypal. All published contributors will receive a...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $10 usd 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, or torture 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 will OPEN November 1st through November 30th. Any manuscripts sent outside the open submission window will be deleted unread. Follow us on Twitter @econoclashrevue for updates. EconoClash Review claims the following publishing rights: First English Language Rights, English Language Periodical Rights, World Periodical Rights, First Audio Distribution 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...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $10 In anthropological terms, liminality is the midpoint of a ritual: the threshold where a person is no longer quite who they were, not yet who they might become. In between masks, what face might you have? What might you be in transit? Where will you go? Everything is possible in that moment; change is its own goal. Liminality is the space between. Liminality is an online quarterly magazine of speculative poetry edited by Shira Lipkin and Mattie Joiner. We are very pleased to meet you. We’re looking for speculative literary poems that touch the heart as much as the head; poems of the liminal, the fluid, and the fantastic. We’d love to see work that shifts shape, refuses to be to be easily pinned down or categorised. We actively welcome diversity; we want to hear new as well as established voices. Tell us tales we thought we knew, the way only you can tell them. Give us new myths. Liminality pays $10 per poem, for first worldwide publication rights and non-exclusive anthology rights. We will be open: April 1 – May 31 July 1 – August 31 October 1 – November 30 To submit, send up to three poems to liminalitypoetry AT gmail.com with the subject line “SUBMISSION – ”. Please include your poems in the body of the e-mail; if you have formatting that makes that untenable, you may attach the poem as an .rtf. You may send up to five poems per reading period. We do not accept reprints or simultaneous submissions. (If the poem has been publicly viewable online, yes, it would be a reprint.) “Dear Editors”, “Dear Mattie and Shira”, and “Dear Shira and Mattie” are all fine as forms of address. Via: Liminality.

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $10 CA YES, PLEASE: Flash fiction stories only.  Word count: 1,000 or less. English language only. Original work only. Genre: science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, humour, western, mystery, literary…and any variation or combination thereof.  If in doubt, send it along – you never know. Multiple submissions:  feel free to send as many submissions as you wish to during the reading period.  Please send each submission in separate emails. Simultaneous submissions: all good. If your story is selected for publication elsewhere, please contact me right away to withdraw it from my consideration. NO, THANK YOU: Word count over the limit. Poetry, non-fiction, essays, children’s stories, anything other than flash fiction. Erotica, excessive gore, abuse, or ‘isms such as racism, sexism, etc.. Overly saucy language.  I don’t mind swear words, I just would prefer to keep the content on the site closer to the PG side of things. Reprints. Stories sent outside of the reading period. Artwork. Queries. They’re not necessary.  Send me your work if you think there’s a chance I might like it.  Please don’t ask me about your submission after you’ve sent it. I will get back to you by December 31, 2018. FORMATTING: I’m not picky about fonts or font sizes or margins or paragraph indentations or anything of the sort.  I will format your work to fit the site if it is accepted for publication.  If your story has an experimental form and I accept it, we’ll work together to ensure it is posted properly. Cover letters are not required. Your contact information (name, email address) MUST be included somewhere in your submission. Please watch your spelling and grammar – if your story is littered with errors, I am likely to give it less of a chance.  Don’t worry about American/Canadian/British spelling;...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: A contributor copies and stories 1000-3000 words will receive $5. Stories that are longer than that will receive $10. 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 are currently seeking submissions for Issue 7 (published in January 2019). This issue is unthemed, meaning that any speculative fiction story that follows our guidelines is welcome. 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 author per reading...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $10/contributor via PayPal. Note: While they do have pay submissions options, generall submissions ARE free which is why this is being included. 2018 Submission Periods All submissions through Submittable. February 1 – April 30 (issue 10 published in May) June 1 – July 31 (issue 11 published in September) NOTE: Submission period closed early due to volume. September 1 – November 30 (issue 12 published in December)   Important Information Read our past issues to see what we like. Please do not submit the same piece to multiple categories. Please review your piece carefully before submitting – every time we receive a submission that is withdrawn for resubmittal, it counts towards our overall per-month submittal count. If you notice a small mistake, let us know. Otherwise, please do not attempt to resubmit. We pay $10/contributor via PayPal. If we publish your work, wait one calendar year before submitting again. If we decline your work, please wait until the next submission period to submit again (don’t submit within the same issue’s reading period) Simultaneous submissions are fine, just keep us in the loop. Withdraw your work (congrats!) or leave us a comment in Submittable. Previously published work cannot be considered (this include blogs, Facebook, Wattpad, etc). We retain first serial rights on work we accept and then all rights revert to the author. If the work is reprinted, we ask that Third Point Press be acknowledged as the place of initial publication. Expedited Reading ($5) If you use the expedited reading option in Submittable for poetry or fiction, we’ll put your work at the very top of our reading pile. You won’t get anything more than that (no preferential treatment, no instant acceptance). Think of it as a way of patting us on the back while...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $0.03 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 Our themes for 2019 will be: Resistance (Submission period November 15-30, 2018, Publishing January 2019) Ambition (Submission period February 15-28, 2019, Publishing April 2019) Retribution (Submission period May 15-31, 2019, Publishing July 2019) Euphoria (Submission period August 15-31, 2019, Publishing October 2019) Our themes for 2018: Apparition (Published January 2018) – Delusion (PublishedApril 2018) – Vision (Published July 2018) – Diversion (Published October 2018) Apparition Lit also holds 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. PAYMENT: Apparition is a semi-pro rate magazine, paying $0.03 per word, minimum of 10.00 dollars (excluding flash contest. See details in the Flash Fiction dropdown for flash rates). 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 $0.03 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 only use Times New Roman or Arial font in your document Save as an RTF file and attach to an email In the text of the email, provide a brief cover letter that...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: £15 and a contributor's copy Unexpected Heroines: Why is it always the teenage girl who is the heroine? These are the stories of female protagonists who are never cast in the feature films. The awkward, the old, the forgotten, the different. Their adventures were never meant to be. Their save-the-world expeditions shouldn’t have happened. They are the ones who stepped forward when no-one else would. Our unexpected heroines. Forgotten Sidekicks: We all know what happens when the hero saves the day, but what about their sidekicks? Too often the hero is held high and celebrated whilst their sidekicks and comrades are brushed to the side; their own battles forgotten, and their actions airbrushed to nothingness from the tales of victory. These are the stories of the ones who aren’t remembered; the ones who helped save the day, and got cast aside; the ones who don’t want the applause, and the ones who deserved the applause and never received it. These stories didn’t make the headlines – but they happened, and they’re glorious. Lost Gods: They have slept for centuries. Buried. Forgotten. Lost. Until they awake. Or are awoken. When the deities of old return, will they bring blessings or destruction to a time that no long remembers them? Should they be left to lie in peace, or used for our own ends? Are they gods, or monsters? What lies out there in the realms of the lost gods? Submission Guidelines: The submission window will run from 1st September until the 30th November inclusive. Submissions to be emailed to: Lost Gods – [email protected] Forgotten Sidekicks – [email protected] Unexpected Heroines – [email protected] All sub-genre and styles will be considered – comedic, epic, grimdark, noblebright etc. We are particularly keen on diversity – think older characters, LGBTQ, ethnic...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: $300 and royalties of 40% of all monies received by the publisher, paid twice yearly. We are looking to build a kickass series of novellas that defines and redefines the Twelfth Planet Press brand. We want gritty pieces that challenge the system and punch the patriarchy in the face. We want stories that resist and rebel… and maybe also books that comfort & inspire. For when things are bad out there in the world. We are looking for books that feed the angry soul. We’re interested in hearing from marginalised writers more generally: for example, people under the QUILTBAG umbrella, including intersex people; people of colour, including Indigenous and Native writers from around the world; and disabled people. That said, we also welcome stories from authors who aren’t marginalised. Please don’t self-reject – we want your stories! If you feel your intersections are relevant to your story, you may mention them in your cover letter, but this is not required. We respect your privacy. We’re looking for a diverse range of authors, story settings, time periods, cultural backgrounds and protagonists. Magic, history, fantasy, steampunk and science fiction are all welcome. We are also looking for fun, light crime novellas that fit within our Deadlines imprint. Your novella should be between 17 000 and 40 000 words. It should be considered fantasy, science fiction, horror, or crime and not published previously in any medium, including limited audience media such as Patreon. Publication is by ebook in the first instance. Payment is by way of an advance of US$300 and royalties of 40% of all monies received by the publisher, paid twice yearly. Submissions will open on 1 September 2018 and close on 30 November 2018 No multiple submissions or simultaneous submissions. We aim to respond to...

Deadline: November 30th, 2018 Payment: Royalties Mickey Finn isn’t watered-down mysteries for dilettantes; it’s a crime-fiction cocktail that will knock readers into a literary stupor. An annual anthology of hardboiled and noir crime fiction to be released each fall beginning in 2020, Mickey Finnwill pick up where the three-volume Fedora anthology series left off, pushing hard against the boundaries of crime fiction. Contributors will be encouraged to push their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. The ideal submission will be approximately 5,000 words—less than 3,000 is likely too short, more than 8,000 is likely too long. Originals only. No reprints. The first Mickey Finn is scheduled for release fall 2020. Submissions: Use standard manuscript format. Include name, address, telephone number, and email address on the manuscript. Save as a Word document (.doc preferred) and send as an attachment to [email protected]. Deadline: Submissions open September 1–November 30, 2018. Though rejections may occur at any point during the process, do not expect acceptance and rejection decisions until February 2019. Payment: A pro-rata share of royalties. About the editor: Michael Bracken has edited six crime fiction anthologies, including the three-volume Fedoraseries and The Eyes of Texas (Down & Out Books, Fall 2019). Stories from his anthologies have been short-listed for Anthony, Derringer, Edgar, and Shamus awards, and have been named among the year’s best by the editors of The Best American Mystery Stories and the editors of The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories. He is the author of eleven books and more than 1,200 short stories, including crime fiction in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea, Down & Out: The Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Espionage Magazine, Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, and The Best American Mystery Stories. In 2016 he...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: $20 “Turning words into art is unnatural. It begins with a contrary attitude. It says, I am unhappy with the way things are and desire to make things different. Rather than represent the world, I will make something wildly and savagely new. I will defy logic. I will invest in new perceptions. I will combine and recombine and fabricate and juggle until something that I have never experienced is experienced. The process is alchemical. The process is violent. It goes to the heart of creativity. It disrupts and shatters. It is splendid with provocation. It is an aggression against banality. It is sharp and loud like a janitor scraping frost from a window. The hectic bounce of steam on a street after a truck roars by. The anarchy of waters, the comedy of the face, dangerous feelings vented from a cage of skin.” ~ John Olson Poetry — We believe poetry is contrary by nature, always defying, always tonguing the tang of novelty. We look especially for plurality of meaning, for dual reverberation of beauty and concern. Contrary’s poetry in particular often mimics the effects of fiction or commentary. We find ourselves enamored of prose poems because they are naturally contrary toward form – they tug on the forces of exposition or narrative – but prose poems remain the minority of all the poetic forms we publish. Please consider that Contrary receives vast amounts of poetry and that we can publish only a small percentage of that work. Please submit no more than three poems per issue. Our poetry editor is Shaindel Beers. Fiction — We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button. Can your story stay that finger to the end? We have published long stories on the belief...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: $0.07 CAD/word What is Moonlight? This anthology is a small collection of comics and short stories about queer werewolves. What Are We Looking For? Whether your werewolves are in space, school, or ruffing it in the outdoors, it doesn’t matter to us! We are looking for stories that span genres and tones. Your werewolves may be moody or the life of the party. All that matters is that they are openly queer and that there is an engaging story around them to be told. Content creators do not need to identify as queer and/or LGBT+, however preference will be given to own voices and/or LGBT+ creators. For a better sense of what we want, here are things we DO NOT WANT: Sexual Assault (this includes allegories) Gratuitous Violence Smut Alpha mind control If you’re concerned, please send an ask or email [email protected]. Short Story Guidelines Short stories must be completed before submission. 1,000-2,000 words is the preferred length and we will not accept any piece over 3,250 words. Submit Short Stories Here Comic Guidelines Comic pitches require a 1-3 paragraph synopsis, creator bio, and links to the artist’s portfolio (if applicable). Comics may be a maximum of 8 pages long. Creators can submit up to 3 pitches. Submit Comic Pitches Here Artists that would like to be paired with a writer may apply here. Submission Deadline All submissions are due by November 30, 2018 at 11:59pm EST. Payment Base Rates: Comic Script - $10 CAD/page Comic Art - $50 CAD/page Short Stories - $0.07 CAD/word Rates may increase depending on Kickstarter funding. Payment Schedule: Comic creators will receive 50% payment upon acceptance into the anthology. The remainder will be paid out 2 weeks after the completion of the project’s Kickstarter (scheduled for October 2019). Comic...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: 6 cents/word (1 cent/word for reprints) Note: Reprints Welcome At Compelling Science Fiction, we have two main goals: to find, publish, and promote the best science fiction stories, and to support and encourage the authors who write them. We currently pay 6 cents/word for accepted stories (we are considered a SFWA Qualifying Market). Pay rate: 6 cents/word (1 cent/word for reprints) Length: 1,000-10,000 words per work Rights: We purchase first world electronic print rights and audio rights (for podcasts). Our contract follows the lead of SFWA's Model Magazine Contract. Submission window: submissions are open from Oct 1 to Dec 1. Fiction Guidelines   The stories we accept almost always: illustrate at least one interesting concept, are engaging, and clearly explain the science/technology in the story. The ‘concept’ referenced in point (1) can be anything from new engineering ideas to novel social constructs to abstractions that help illustrate basic properties of reality. Point (2) is far more subjective, although as long as your story consistently moves forward it will probably be engaging. Point (3) is hard to attain without some knowledge of basic science/engineering; we encourage you to learn as much as you can about your subject matter. If your story is very strong in one of the above areas, we will sometimes accept weakness in the other two. Ultimately we are looking for science fiction that is entertaining, scientifically plausible, self-consistent, and technically detailed when appropriate. We have a preference for positive stories, to act as a counterweight to the currently popular post-apocalyptic genre. We certainly won't dismiss a well-written dystopian future, but we have a bias toward stories that depict technological advancement rather than decay. We do not publish fantasy stories (although we enjoy them!). For more information about what we look for, please...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: $25 Black Rabbit is now accepting submissions for Issue No. 7 through December 1st. For this issue, the Editors are looking for fiction, poetry, and visual art pieces, as well works including but not limited to installations, public art, GIFs, bathroom graffiti, and other forms that cross disciplines. In literature, the Editors enjoy Salvador Plascencia, Jay McInerney, Mavis Gallant, Anton Chekhov, Elena Kochina, Daniil Kharms, Isaac Babel, Donald Barthelme, and Gary Shteyngart, at least when he writes nonfiction. They are unapologetic Russophiles. They dislike Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Gary Shteyngart’s novels, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, though they are assured that this last is only because they have not read enough Marquez yet, and they feel slightly guilty about it. In poetry, the Editors are reading the works of Morgan Parker, Ocean Vuong, Teebs Pico, and Laura Broadbent. In art, the Editors trend strongly towards the non-representational, distorted, and abstract. Recently, the Editors have been looking at Ann Gale, Philip Guston, Anselm Kiefer, Marlene Dumas, Kerry James Marshall, Balthus, R H Quaytman, Francis Bacon, and Georg Baselitz. For further ideas, please see previous issues and check out our Instagram @blackrabbitquarterly As a reminder, please keep all fiction and non-fiction to 3000 words. Novel excerpts are encouraged, as long as they can stand narratively on their own. Submit up to three poems, for a total of no more than six pages. Generally, the shorter the better. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged, although be sure to let us know promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere. As always, Black Rabbit offers all artists and authors twenty five dollars for their work. Additionally, Black Rabbit is constantly looking for abstract paintings to go on covers. Whether a submission call is up or not please send us your abstract expressionist...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: £0.08/word Rosalind’s Siblings is an anthology of speculative stories about people of marginalized genders/sexes who are scientists: scientists doing good, changing the world, or just getting on with their work of expanding human knowledge in a speculative context, presented in a positive light. This anthology is named for Rosalind Franklin, the so-called Dark Lady of DNA, one of the most famously erased female scientists in history, and a direct relation of the founder of Galli Books. The anthology is being edited by Bogi Takács. The stories do not need to problematize gender/sex, though this is also welcome, and we would like to publish a mix of approaches. We are generally interested in positive portrayals of science and the protagonists doing research, but this can include a critical reappraisal. (E.g., we would very much like to see stories in which science is decolonized and/or Indigenized, or in some other ways incorporates approaches beyond Western neo-positivism.) We are not interested in “mad scientist” tropes or “evil science.” We are also not interested in disability cure narratives and related tropes, unless they are actively subverted / deconstructed. Stories must contain a speculative element. We are happy to read works from any speculative subgenre: science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, magical realism, fabulism, mythic work, Weird fiction and so on. Any amount of science detail is welcome with thoughtful engagement. Protagonists can be trans and/or nonbinary people, women, intersex people, genderqueer or gender-nonconforming people, people of culturally specific genders/sexes, and any combinations thereof. They do not need to identify as women, feminine or femme specifically, but those stories are particularly welcome; as are stories with trans, nonbinary and/or intersex men or masculine protagonists. Protagonists can have any sexual orientation. You do not need to belong to any marginalized group...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: $10 Token payment via Paypal and 60% of net earnings divided evenly among the authors. Announcing call for submissions for PSYCHO HOLIDAY (tentative title) All Submissions should meet this criteria: Works: short stories and flash fiction Genre and theme: Horror and dark fiction about demented psychopathic killers with a winter holiday setting Deadline: October Dec 1st 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 Tome.

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Payment: Royalties Remnants is a shared-world science fiction project created by Stephen Coghlan.  Our goal is to produce an anthology where a number of different authors can explore the world of Remnants with their own voice and perspectives. What is a “Shared-World?” An shared-world writing project is a setting, situation, or concept created by an author and then opened for other authors to contribute their own stories.  These stories are expected to be created within a certain set of specifications. The World of Remnants BASIC WORLDBUILDING The world of Remnants takes place in the near-future where the world of man has been overrun with monsters hell-bent on wiping out the human race. These are horrifying beasts and consist of The Horde and The Swarm; and possibly other abominations? WHAT IS THE HORDE? The Horde have no eyes or other facial features, just mouths filled with terrible rows of razor-sharp fangs and a tongue that rolls about in thick saliva. Their necks are little more than stumps that lead to wide, flabby chests. Their arms are long and serpentine and snake all the way to the ground. Their bulbous guts are covered in pinkish-orange skin, fattened on human flesh, and all is supported by squat legs.  They wobble deceivingly, hiding their blinding speed and terrifying strength. The ground troops of death, these squat beasts feast on humankind or any species that are or risk being domesticated.  Known for being sadistic, they may torture people; keeping victims alive for days at a time.  Bullets have almost no effect on them and they seem to be able to shrug off entire magazines without issue.  Melee weapons seem more effective, and the most effective weapon against them is their own claws and fangs.  Travelling in packs, they are on the hunt wherever...

Deadline: December 1st, 2018 Prizes: A first prize of $10,000 and second prize of $5,000 will be awarded. Runners up and other prizes will also be awarded Children born today will likely welcome in the next century. The care they receive and health they enjoy throughout their lives will be radically different than what we experience today. But how? We invite you to help us explore the question: What could health and care look like in the U.S. in the year 2100? Science fiction writing asks a central “what if...?” question that challenges us to imagine what could be. It gives us a sense of possibility, ignites innovation, exercises the imagination, and fosters a more active relationship with the future. What if we took these principles and applied them to the future of health care? Well, that’s exactly what we’re doing. Thomas Jefferson University is partnering with Kaleidoscope Health & Care to spark discussion about where health and health care in the U.S. is going through 2100: A Health Odyssey – an international science fiction short story competition on how health and health care will impact lives in the year 2100. Your job: give us your best 3,000-word short story that challenges today’s assumptions about the future of health care in the U.S. We’re offering a first prize of $10,000, second prize of $5,000 and other prizes for runners up and current employees, students and alumni of Jefferson. With Jefferson’s passion for creative expression through writing, we will use your science fiction contribution as the lens through which we explore creativity in health and health care -- in novel and impactful ways -- to propel innovation and inform future perspectives. Remember: 2100 is sooner than we all think … and the submission deadline, even sooner: December 1, 2018 Our elite...

Deadline: December 10, 2018 Payment: $5 for flash fiction (100-1,000 words); $10 for short fiction (1,001-10,000 words). Note: Reprints Welcome Note from the editor: While the anthology doesn't fit squarely in the horror genre, we accept (and encourage) dark fantasy, and based on the 3 stories we've already accepted, there will definitely be a lot of horror elements sprinkled throughout. I'd love to have more horror authors submit! Neon Druid: An Anthology of Urban Celtic Fantasy Neon Druid is a forthcoming collection of fantastical tales set in cities of the past, present, and future, where the mischievous gods, goddesses, and monsters of Celtic mythology intermingle with unsuspecting mortals. Deadline: December 10th, 2018 Payment: short stories = $10, flash stories = $5 Reprints welcome. Please read the submission guidelines below very carefully before submitting. This anthology is open for submissions until December 10th, 2018. All stories must be between 100 and 10,000 words. (Story title not included in word count.) Writers will be paid a token, flat payment of $10 US for short stories (1,001 – 10,000 words) and $5 US for flash stories (100 – 1,000 words). Writers may submit 1 short story OR up to 2 flash stories. Stories must meet ALL of the following theme/genre criteria: Urban. Stories must take place in an urban setting, whether that’s 18th-century Boston, modern-day Dublin, or 28th-century Edinburgh. The time period is irrelevant. The important thing is that the city (or town) has a presence in your story and influences the behaviors of your characters. Celtic. Stories must take place in a world where Celtic* mythology is woven into the fabric of reality. Think Percy Jackson, but instead of Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hades, and Heracles kicking about, you’ve got Lugh, Lir, Balor of the Evil Eye, Brigid, and Fionn mac Cumhail. Instead...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: Original: $0.06 USD/word for prose; $0.03 USD/word for interactivity ($0.09 USD/word for both) Reprints: $0.03 USD/word for prose; $0.015 USD/word for interactivity (0.045 USD/word) As we announced last month, from November 15 to December 15, we’ll be hosting a game jam open to very short pieces of interactive fiction or sequential art on the theme of love. We’ll also be accepting submissions for interactive fiction proposals through our Submittable portal for authors new to the idea of interactive fiction. The catch? All those submissions must be limited to 1000 words of prose, or 9 panels, put before the player. (Full rules and conditions can be found at either of the links above.) Altogether, we’ll choose four pieces from four different author/artist/developers to run in our February 2019 issue at our standard rates. Since today is November 15th, that game jam and the submission window for proposals are officially open! Both will close for entries at the end of the day (Pacific Time) on December 15th, and we hope to be able to make our final selections by early January. Links for both the game jam and the proposal submission window are above, or you can click through below! Game Jam: https://itch.io/jam/subqjam Proposal Submissions: https://tinyurl.com/subQjam18 Our February issue will also feature a 1000-word-or-less game on the theme of “love” from two invited authors, to complement the entries we accept from the game jam and the proposal submission window. Those authors will be announced soon! Excited yet? We know we are! We can’t wait to dive in to all the submitted games and proposals. Got questions? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, itch.io, or by e-mailing [email protected] Via: Sub-Q.

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $25 and a contributor's copy This is the third installment of the indie anthology, Dark Passages. Theme: Based on the following synopsis: A stranger carries a bag into Washington, DC, and within minutes of his arrival, unleashes hell on earth. As if pulling a sock inside out, America’s capital becomes the home of every imaginable monster that resides in the bowels of hell. We will look at stories that are set only in this backdrop. Writers making submissions are encouraged to use their imagination. Entering Death City is entering the bowels of hell on earth and all stories must take place during or in the aftermath of the above synopsis. We want original fiction. Not another vampire or zombie tale. We don’t want a clone of Richard Matheson’s, I AM LEGEND, or a THE WALKING DEAD reboot. We want dystopian with originality. Maybe a rescue mission from the outside? What happened to Air Force One when it all broke loose? Who rules Death City? (Formerly Washington DC) What creatures lurk in the many districts? What about someone caught behind the lines, trying to get out? Give us your best. School us in the art of demonology and rapture. Or bring something new and delicious to the table. Via: New England Horror Writer's Facebook.

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: Varies by type, see list below. However, Drabbles do pay at 6 cents/word! Selene Quarterly Magazine publishes quality fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art that dwells in the shadows. SQMdesires stories and poetry that are thrilling, reflective, and imaginative. READING PERIODS March 1-15 11:59PM EST (May Issue) June 1-15 11:59PM EST (August Issue) September 1-15 11:59PM EST (November Issue) December 1-15 11:59PM EST (February Issue) NO SERIAL SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED! Anything submitted outside of these windows will be deleted unread. Artists and photographers can submit year round. RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Non-exclusive electronic and print reprint rights Ability to use the art or photography for promotional purposes The option to archive the work online with links to the artist’s or photographer’s galleries RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR FICTION, POETRY & NON-FICTION Copyright remains with the author or poet at all times Non-exclusive archival rights as long as the website(s) hosting the work are online First world electronic and print rights in English with exclusivity for 6 months from the date of publication If the work is selected to be podcast in the future, payment is $0.01USD per word for non-exclusive electronic audio rights If selected to be republished in an anthology in the future, the work will be paid in royalties up to $0.01USD per word Please query if anything listed above is of concern. Here is a good explanation of what this entails. LENGTH & GUIDELINES ART ARTWORK: Payment dependent on the artist. PHOTOGRAPHY: Payment dependent on the photographer. COMICS: Can range from 5-25 pages (preferred). Payment is $15 per page (negotiable). Willing to serialize. COVER ART: To be used in the electronic and print editions, can be art or photography and is usually solicited. POETRY & FICTION POETRY: Up to 100 lines. Paid $0.25USD a line. MICROFICTION: Drabbles are strictly 100 words. Titles should be no longer than 3 words....

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: US/CA Authors - $20 USD, or 2 complimentary copies. Non US/CA Authors - $20 USD, or 1 complimentary copy Smoking Pen Press is issuing a Call for Submissions for a short story anthology. This will be the next title in the Read on the Run series (See A Step Outside of Normal, A Bit of a Twist, Uncommon Pet Tales and A Wink and a Smile) and the tentative title of this new anthology is Vampires, Zombies and Ghosts. Please note that this is only a tentative title and it is not intended to encompass all possibilities. We welcome stories involving all types of supernatural beings… and mixing and matching of different types of beings in the same story is acceptable.  There is no requirement as to genre; stories can be sci-fi, mystery, romance, adventure, etc. Simultaneous submissions permitted, but please let us know if your submission is accepted elsewhere.  Reprints are accepted as long as all rights have reverted to you; please identify your submission as a reprint when you send it in. The deadline for submission is December 15, 2018.  Stories should be between 1200 and 6000 words.  Submissions should be polished (ie, not first draft), in Word (.doc or .docx) format and written in English and should be sent to [email protected].  Do not use headers or footers in your manuscript. Use at least a 12 point common font such as Times New Roman. As with all previous Read on the Run titles, this title will be published in both digital and paperback form. US and Canada authors of stories that are selected will receive their choice of a one-time payment of $20 USD, or 2 complimentary copies of the paperback; non US/Canada authors will receive their choice of a one-time payment of $20 USD, or 1 complimentary copy of the paperback. For more...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $50, royalties, a contributor's copy Following the success of "Once Upon a Future Time" we are opening submissions for "Once Upon a Future Time, Vol 2." This will be a second anthology of classic tales reimagined for a science fiction setting. Submission requirements: Stories must be all ages appropriate Stories must be original in content (no plagiarism) Stories are to be 15,000 words or less Based upon a fairy tale or folk tale Submission sent to [email protected] prior to December 15th, 2018 All authors will receive feedback regarding their manuscripts. Those authors whose stories are selected for inclusion within "Once Upon a Future Time, Vol 2" will receive a $50 advance against royalties, a complimentary copy of the book, access to a special author discount rate for copies of the book." The agreement will be for a non-exclusive license to print the story in the anthology as well as an exclusive license for the audio book for 10 years, with the authors receiving a royalty for every copy sold to include print, electronic, and audio versions. Via: The Brothers Uber.

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $60 USD for fiction and $30 USD for poetry Our reading periods are as follows: February 1–March 15 for our Spring (April) issue; May 1–June 15 for our Summer (July) issue; August 1–September 15 for our Autumn (October) issue; and November 1–December 15 for our Winter (January) issue. Feel free to record your submissions at Duotrope and/or the Submissions Grinder. We are also listed on Ralan. Fiction and Poetry Guidelines Arsenika is looking for previously unpublished original fiction and poetry up to 1,000 words long. Payment is $60 USD for fiction and $30 USD for poetry for first world electronic rights and non-exclusive audio rights. We hope to raise the poetry rate to $60 as well in the future—please support us on Patreon if you’d like to help us reach our goal. Submit no more than two flash fiction pieces and five poems at a time, and please make sure you fill out the form again for each piece you send, unless the pieces are meant to be read together (e.g. a triptych of poems). All work should be in Standard Manuscript Format (fiction format/poetry format). Format poetry exactly as you would like to see it online—use italics for italics, underlines for underlines, boldface for boldface, etc. Send only TXT, RTF, DOC, and DOCX files. Please do not send simultaneous submissions (pieces that are submitted to Arsenika and another market at the same time). Multiple submissions are accepted, but please have no more than two flash fiction pieces and five poems in the submissions queue at a time. We try to respond to all submissions within 14 days. If you haven’t heard from us in 30 days, please send us a query at [email protected]. Remember: Don’t self-reject. Please ensure that you understand our guidelines. When...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $50 The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts is looking for, as you might guess, “compressed creative arts.” We accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way. Work is published weekly, without labels, and the labels here only exist to help us determine its best readers. Our response time is generally 1-3 days. Also, our acceptance rate is currently about 1% of submissions. We pay writers $50 per accepted piece and signed contract. We are open for compressed poetry, compressed prose fiction (including prose poetry), and compressed creative nonfiction during two reading periods: September 15 – December 15 & March 15 – June 15. The reader for your submission is, during this current round of submissions, the managing editor. Please be sure to submit in the correct category; we’ve been receiving several fiction submissions in the creative nonfiction category. For all submitters, we aren’t as concerned with labels—hint fiction, prose poetry, micro fiction, flash fiction, and so on—as we are with what compression means to you. In other words, what form “compression” takes in each artist’s work will be up to each individual. However, we don’t publish erotica or work with strong, graphic sexual content. In short, we want to fall in love with your work. That might happen in the way we’ve fallen in love with work we’ve previously published, or it might happen in a way we have yet to experience. Maybe reading that other work will help in knowing whether you should send your work to us, but in truth, such a thing might not be discoverable. Here are things that matter: Please do not include any contact information, including your name, in the manuscript. Do not include a cover letter...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: Original English short stories of up to 5,000 words (hard limit, shorter preferred) at $0.03/word. Reprints of stories up to 15,000 words (5,000 words or under preferred) at $0.01/word Note: Reprints Accepted Original English short stories of up to 5,000 words (hard limit, shorter preferred) at $0.03/word Reprints of stories up to 15,000 words (5,000 words or under preferred) at $0.01/word Art pieces at $50/piece (reprints accepted) Essays at $50/piece (reprints not accepted) *We define reprints as any work that has been seen by the public before, whether in another journal or online on personal sites/blogs/etc. Please inform us if your work has been printed before so we can credit. Rights The author grants Iridium Magazine for first world electronic rights (text and audio) and first print rights with 4 months exclusivity from date of publication and archiving. Format Manuscripts and essays should be in standard manuscript format as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf WITHOUT identifying information. DO NOT put your name anywhere on the manuscript—any manuscripts with identifying information (incl. email or address) will be auto-rejected. The document should be labeled “Title (Genre)”. Trigger Warnings Please warn for any potentially triggering content in the body of your email. This includes mentions of or on-screen sexual assault, suicide/suicidal ideation, child sexual abuse, child abuse, abuse, etc. Don’t try to surprise or shock us–that will only result in a rejection. How to Submit Send submissions to [email protected] with the subject line “SUBMISSION: AUTHOR NAME – TITLE” and a 100-word, third-person bio and at least one (1) link. Unless solicited, any submissions sent directly to the editors or other email addresses will be ignored. Simultaneous Submissions: Yes. Inform us in your cover letter that it is a simultaneous submission and email us if your submission has been...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $25 This project is designed to be a qualifying market for the Horror Writers Association, paying $25 per accepted story to allow folks to join or move up to the Affiliate level of HWA membership. Mechanical Miscreants  Ah, those loveable robots, androids, and cyborgs, performing plenty of chores and dangerous jobs so us humans can remin out of harm's way.But...What happens when something goes wrong? If your computer has a hardware fault, would it kill you in your sleep? Would your microwave turn on only when it was opened? What about robots living a life of crime, Asimov's 3 Laws of Robotics be damned?The only real requirements for this anthology will be that a major character must be mechanical or electronic in nature and they're doing something nefarious. All submitted stories must have a dark undertone to qualify for the HWA. Humor is welcome, as long as something is causing some harm or damage to those pesky "organics". Stories must be 5,000 words to 10,000 words. Query for longer, shorter stories will not be entertained. Tortured, maybe, but that's a hard minimum. Modified Shunn format (see blind reading note): (Times New Roman 12pt font; .docx/.doc/.rtf formats only; single paragraph spacing; one space after a period; do not use tabs to indent; American quote mark usage; both American and UK English acceptable.) No reading fee. BLIND READING RULES: These will be read blind, so put your name, address, phone, email(s), and a 100-200 word bio on a cover page and do not put any identifying information on the rest of the manuscript. Include a running page count starting with page #2 (cover page will be #1). Payment on publication, scheduled for first quarter 2019. Submission period: September 22, 2018 through November 30, 2018 (which is during...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $0.06/word and 2 contributor's copies This anthology offers new, vividly futuristic adventures featuring diverse characters, including humans from all over Earth as well as ET kids from other planets. One of the qualities that makes this yearly anthology such a treat to read is the wide range of futuristic possibilities that planet Earth and its occupants may encounter, realities that will keep readers wondering long after the book is closed. ~ Starred Kirkus Review for the 2018 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide WE’RE LOOKING FOR STORIES THAT: Have a main character that a middle grade reader (ages 8-12) can identify with; Show a diverse set of real characters; Are well written, fun to read, and encourage a love of reading science fiction; Tell of adventure, space, science.  Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters, and we’re pretty happy; Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine; Are between 3,000 and 6,000 words. To be super clear – we’re looking science fiction, in all its variants. While we love fantasy as well, please don’t submit fantasy stories for this anthology. We’re especially looking for stories: Of adventure!  We love a good dystopia as much as the next robot, but remember – this is the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide; Where the main character is of a population that has traditionally been under-represented in science fiction, e.g. girls, people of color, differently abled people; Where the main character has agency, exercises it, and isn’t just along for the ride. We are strong supporters of both the #weneeddiversebooks and #ownvoices movements.   We’re not interested in: Stories where the female characters primarily exist to be rescued or as a prize for the males; Stories where the primary plot or subplot is romantic in nature; Stories with graphic violence or any...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Prizes: One First Place winner will receive $500, one Second Place winner will receive $250, and one Third Place winner will receive $100. We may select up to 11 Honorable Mention winners (1 for each month). Any Honorable Mentions will receive $25. Since 1996 Legendary Letters has been sending magical mail to people all over the world. Some of the lesser known magical beings (who aren’t as experienced letter writers) are hoping you can help them out and give them some good ideas. Winning letters will eventually be sent to real children all over the world! Instructions: Read the example letter from Santa Claus to get an idea of what we are looking for. Choose one of the characters and holidays below. Research your character and holiday so you know interesting details to include about your life as that character. As the character you’ve chosen, write your letter to Jessie Jones using the information provided below. (This is all you know about the child.) Letters should be 3-4 paragraphs long and 200-300 words each. Reread your letter but replace Jessie’s information with that of a child you know. Does the letter work for any child the same way Santa’s does? If not, edit your letter. Submit your letter through this link: Writing Contest Submission Form by December 15, 2018 at 11:59pm PST. Repeat steps 1-5 but choose a different character and holiday. You may submit 1 letter per category for a total of 11 submissions. (Optional) Characters & Holidays (this is whom the letter is FROM): Sandman/Festival of Sleep (January) Cupid/Valentine’s Day (February) Leprechaun (you may make up a name)/St. Patrick’s Day (March) Easter Bunny/Easter (April) Mother Nature/Mother’s Day (May) Father Time/Father’s Day (June) Uncle Sam/Independence Day (July) Tooth Fairy/National Tooth Fairy Day (August) Jack Frost/Autumn Equinox Day (September) Any...

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: Kickstarter and Royalty Split Like Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells, this collection will feature all new traditional Sherlock Holmes adventures with a science-fiction edge. Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk will feature Holmes in a futuristic Victorian setting.  See him deal with airship pirates and steam powered robots. Maybe he’ll even deal with a time traveler or with alien invaders. Belanger Books is calling for submissions from writers, new or established, which are between 5,000 - 10,000 words (it is okay to be over or under some). Requirements: The stories must feel like traditional Holmes just with a futuristic, steampunk bent. For example, the stories should have the traditional Holmes and Watson even if you have altered them slightly (i.e. even if they are cyborgs, they still call each other Holmes and Watson, not John and Sherlock). The stories may use public domain characters, but you must make certain you are not using anything copyrighted (for example, you can use Holmes and Watson, but you can't use some aspects of the final Holmes stories such as his life as a retired beekeeper. That aspect of Holmes is still under copyright in America. You can use mechanical men, but you can't use a copyrighted character like the female robot from Metropolis). Payment: Authors will receive a portion of net sales (most likely between 2 - 5% depending on number of stories) from the Kickstarter campaign and from the first year of book sales. Authors retain the rights to their work. Due Date: All submissions must be received by December 15th. Please send entries to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Make sure to include your name (first and last), title of your story, story length, and attach your story as a word document. Via: Belanger Books.

Deadline: December 15th, 2018 Payment: $25 plus one contributor’s copy, $10 for a reprint Note: 1-2 reprints allowed The Concept – Still On Patrol There is a tradition in the United States Navy that no submarine is ever truly lost at sea. Those boats and the crews who don’t return to port are considered “still on patrol” in perpetuity. Active duty sailors would never dream of leaving their still on patrol shipmates behind, so every year, usually at the Christmas holiday, sailors manning communications hubs ashore and at sea send out a message. They send holiday wishes for health and happiness to those they know will receive it, and the same wishes to those listed as still on patrol. What if those submariners who never returned are still out there? What if it’s the energy of the yearly good wishes that keeps them going on their eternal patrol? And what if their eternal patrol protects the living against threats more otherworldly than mundane wars between nation states? What about other military men and women, disappeared or lost at sea, in the air, or on land? Is there a Roman Legion still manning Hadrian’s Wall? Are there ghostly flight crews who herd hapless aircraft away from the Bermuda Triangle? Tell us stories about military men and women who continue to protect humanity long after they’ve taken their last breath. Tell us what happens when they take the oath to protect their people not just from threats foreign and domestic, but supernatural as well. What we don’t want to see: Disrespect for the military – our intention with this anthology is to honor the best in the military forces, the ones dedicated enough to continue to protect humanity from beyond the grave. On page sexual assault, child abuse, or animal abuse –...

Deadline: December 21st, 2018 Payment: 10% of royalties earned through Kindle, Nook, and print on demand sales OR a one time payment of $25 Note: Reprints allowed Lustcraftian Horrors: Erotic Stories Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft will be the first multi-author anthology from Infernal Ink Books and it is now open for submissions. The submission period will run from August 20th (H. P. Lovecraft’s birthday) until December 21st (Very Scary Solstice) 2018. Guidelines: We are looking for erotic stories inspired by the mythos, characters, and stories that were created and written by H. P. Lovecraft. Both the erotic elements and connection to Lovecraft’s work should be strong and clear. We don’t want the reader to have to be a Lovecraft scholar in order to get the connection, nor do we want them left scratching their heads wondering what was suppose to be so erotic about what they just read. Our triggers do not need to be warned, but the reader’s triggers should be. The "erotic" in Erotic Horror is defined here very loosely. The sex can be either horrifying or titillating…or both. Stories should be between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Some wiggle room will be allowed, but we’re looking for stories with some real body and depth to them. No flash fiction. Reprints will be considered, but previously unpublished work will be favored. You must hold or have retained all the rights required to submit your work and enter into a publishing contract with us at the time of submission. Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. If you have a piece you would like to submit to us for this anthology that is already out to another publisher being read, let us know as soon as possible if your work has been accepted elsewhere. Otherwise, please, wait to hear from us before submitting...

Deadline: December 23rd, 2018 Payment: $3 Please make sure to read ALL the instructions on this page (especially the sections on 'Copyright' and 'Compensation' before submitting a piece of writing or artwork. We take a submission to With Painted Words as your permission for us to publish your work and do not send out other formal contracts. Thank you. Piece of Writing We accept works of fiction - and poetry - of up to one thousand (1000) words, at most, in length. This is the maximum amount - if you can tell a compelling story in as little as fifty words, for example, then you are more than welcome to do so. All submissions must be inspired by the current section (Topic: The Beacon.) Key to fiction types: Flash Fiction 501-1000 words Micro Fiction up to 501 words Poetry   Please make sure to include your full name/s, e-mail address, and bio (including a link to your personal site/blog) with your submission and, if you so choose, the thought process behind your story. Please send your submissions by the deadline stated in the current section .  Pieces received after the deadline cannot be considered for publication. 'With Painted Words' reserve the right to reject any submission without explanation. Deadline:- This will usually be the 25th of the month, each and every month - any exceptions will be clearly notified.     Piece of Artwork 'With Painted Words' is always open to artwork submissions - they are the heart and soul of the site and inspire the stories! We prefer .jpeg files for artwork submissions. Please don't upload files larger than 1mb - if your image is larger than this then use the email submission method instead. Please make sure to include your full name/s, e-mail address, and bio (including a link to...

Deadline: December 23rd, 2018 Payment: AUD$50 Submissions for issue 25 are now open! The submission period for issue 25 is between Sunday 18th November and Sunday 23rd December, so read our prompt below and get submitting! Roots Settle here. Lay your head down amongst the dirt and dust and know your home does not have to flourish to take root. Nestled under the mountain ash, gaze up at the brilliant stars peeking out from behind the leaves. Let the cold breeze soothe your sun kissed skin and send you to sleep. * Her toes dug into the rich earth, reaching down, down, down into the soil. Those who had come before called up through the ground and nourished her, passing on their essential elements so that she could live her fullest life in that place, then die and pass them on again to those who would come after. Her canopy stretched high above the surface into the sky, her roots held deep inside the earth, and she breathed the essence of that place, knowing she was one link in the chain that maintained the balance of life in her home. There is no place like it, as Dorothy said, and she felt it in her heart as the roots of her body met the roots of her soul, deep under the earth in the dark, warm, secret places, soil and soul completing each other’s cycle. * Charlotte stood in the backyard, watching her dad pack down soil around the freshly planted roses. The sweet smell of their petals permeated towards her as the afternoon breeze blew gently through their suburban front yard, mixing with the deliciously rich smells coming from their kitchen. Inside, her mother was preparing dinner – potato and leek soup – and quietly humming to herself as...

Deadline: December 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: December 24th, 2018 Payment: 2 cents USD per word and a contributor copy. MACHINATIONS AND MESMERISM: A TRIBUTE TO E.T.A. HOFFMANN Edited by Farah Rose Smith, “Machinations and Mesmerism” is an anthology of fantastic, strange fiction written in the vein of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, the oft’-unsung artistic polymath and writer of Dark Romanticism, Gothic Horror, and Fantastic literature. E. T. A. Hoffmann was a Prussian lawyer, artist, composer, and writer. His stories are ripe with strange atmospheres and peculiar characters (including automata, madmen, and spectres), which would go on to influence the Gothic and macabre writers of the following generations including Poe, Gogol, Kafka, and Baudelaire. Though his writing lingered primarily within the parameters of German Romanticism, Hoffmann’s literature would also impact the fantasy and science fiction genres as well, as many of his works illuminate the struggle between science and magic. This carefully curated anthology honors the literary dance between mesmerism, mechanics, and magic through which Hoffmann explored issues of Romantic idealism and the self. Our window will open on SEPTEMBER 1st and close on DECEMBER 24th. ULTHAR PRESS is looking for strange, gothic, and fantastic fiction in the manner of E.T.A. Hoffmann between 2,000 – 5,000 words in length. Stories that merely graft his characters into a new story will not be accepted. Fiction submissions: Email submissions to [email protected] with the subject line as follows: HOFFMANN ANTHOLOGY: . Please send in .doc, .docx, or .pdf file types, only. We are not accepting reprints, multiple submissions, or simultaneous submissions. We respond within 60 days or sooner, and ask that queries regarding submissions not be sent out until after this period has passed. Payment: 2 cents USD per word and a contributor copy. Via: Ulthar Press on Facebook.

Deadline: December 25th, 2018 Payment: Short stories: 1000 – 5000 words ($20 per story), Micro-Fiction: 2 – 5 sentences ($1 per micro story), Graphic Designs: $7 per design, Illustrated Short Stories: $10-$50 depending upon the length, Poem: $3 per poem, Reviews: $7 per book review (be sure to email us in advance to gauge interest), Essays: $10 per essay (be sure to email us in advance to gauge interest) The Islam and Science Fiction has been around since 2005. As we are entering out 14th year soon, we are launching a project that we have been thinking about many years – The world’s first magazine focused on publishing Science Fiction inspired by Islamic civilizations and ethos. It will be a quarterly magazine focused on Islamicate Science Fiction. The magazine will be published online quarterly, with the first issue being released on January 1, 2019. We are looking for original works of Sci-Fi in English with great characters, inspired by Islamic history, Islamic theology and Islamic cultures. The Science in the stories need not be hard but it needs to have godd characters. Anything that can be construed as offensive according to Islamic ethos will not be accepted. In terms of content, here is what we are looking for: Scope Short stories: 1000 – 5000 words ($20 per story) Micro-Fiction: 2 – 5 sentences ($1 per micro story) Graphic Designs: $7 per design Illustrated Short Stories: $10-$50 depending upon the length Poem: $3 per poem Reviews: $7 per book review (be sure to email us in advance to gauge interest) Essays: $10 per essay  (be sure to email us in advance to gauge interest) We are just starting out with this project and hope to increase the payment rate as we get more sponsors and contributions from the community. I implore you to share this far and wide in your...

Deadline: December 27th, 2018 Payment: $3 We are looking for winter and holiday stories for January 2019, including: New Year's Day Epiphany / Three Kings' Day Martin Luther King Day anything winter or snow related tropical getaways / escape from winter weather The deadline for these stories is December 27, 2018 at the end of the day (11:59 PM Pacific Time). Every Day Fiction is looking for very short (flash) fiction, of up to 1000 words. There’s no such thing as too short — if you can do the job in 50 words, have at it! — but our readers prefer pieces that tell or at least hint at a complete story (some sort of action or tension rising to a moment of climax, and at least a clue toward a resolution, though it doesn’t have to be all spelled out). All fiction genres are acceptable, and stories that don’t fit neatly into any genre are welcome too. While personal experiences and other non-fiction can be great sources of inspiration, please turn them into fiction for us, or send them elsewhere. Our readership is adult, so children’s stories are unlikely to be accepted unless they are relevant to adults as well. On the other hand, we are not impressed by gratuitous sex and violence, or pointlessly foul language; edgy content should be necessary and appropriate to the plot and characters. It ought to go without saying that any story submitted to Every Day Fiction must be your own unpublished original creation. If you publish a story on a blog, even your own personal blog, or any website accessible to the general public (i.e., if the story can be found and read online without a password or friend status or other limitation), it is considered published and therefore inappropriate for our...

Deadline: December 28th, 2018 Payment: AU$5.00 for stories under 2000 words / AU$10.00 for anything above 2000 words Thuggish Itch is our horror and sci-fi anthology collection. This is the place to submit your horror, sci-fi and speculative fiction stories.  Current theme: Theme Park Theme park, amusement park, fun fair or carnival - no matter what you call them, they are always a great way to escape from the ho hum of your regular life. From roller coasters to dodgem cars, ring toss to log flumes, there is always plenty of fun and excitement to be had (and plenty of opportunities for you to write some terrific speculative fiction). Think roller coasters and amusement rides. Think loose lap-bars and dark tunnels. Think long lines, carousels and food poisoning. Try to think outside the box and give us something that would wouldn't have seen before. Thuggish Itch is our horror, sci-fi and speculative fiction collection. Please make sure that your story falls within one of these genres. 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: Thuggish Itch - Theme Park - *Story Title*'. Word count: 1000 - 4000 words Deadline: December 28 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...

Deadline: December 30th, 2018 Payment: $5.00 for stories under 5000 words and $10 for stories over. 1 contributor's copy For the Creeping Dread Anthology From the slow degradation of society to the rotting of holy places. We want your stories about the corruption of basically good things into something far worse. Stories about cultists transforming into monsters, or undeath spreading across the land. We want to experience the inescapable dread of oncoming corruption that can’t be escaped. As with other submissions, there are some basic guidelines: Violence, sex, and gore must be pertinent and interesting to the story. Anything too gratuitous will be rejected. Racism/Sexism/Bigotry of any form will never be accepted here. Double check your grammar and spelling. Format your story correctly. Please submit all stories in DOC/RTF format. Reprints are ok, please include original publication information. We retain exclusive publishing rights for 12 months. We pay $5.00 for stories under 5000 words and $10 for stories over. We also provide a contributor copy at no cost. (additional copies can be bought at print cost) Deadline is 12.30.18 Send all submissions to [email protected] Via: Deep in the Heart of Madness.

Deadline: December 30th, 2018 Payment: 0.08 USD per word for accepted fiction Note: Authors must be from the Southeast Asia region. We purchase first worldwide distribution rights to the English copies of all submitted texts. We specialize in short fictions, up to 4000 words. We pay at a rate of 0.08 USD per word for accepted fiction. We accept the following formats: .odt, .rtf, .doc, and .docx. Your submission must NOT have been published anywhere else. Authors must be from the Southeast Asia region. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, though do inform us if they are accepted elsewhere. Aside from the quality of the work, submissions are viewed on a 'first come, first served' basis. Once the limit to an issue is reached, submissions will close and the remaining entries will be queued for the next volume. Submissions may also close based on the volume of submissions. Given the volume of submissions, it may take us months to respond to each submission. Please submit one story per call. Via: Ombak Magazine's Submittable.

Deadline: January 31st, 2019 Payment: 1 cent per word, a flat rate of $20 if under 2,000 words. 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 that stories of around 20-30 minutes in length are the best...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 To submit to Mirror World Publishing, please send the following:  A query letter (stating the genre, word count, and target audience of your manuscript)  A one-page synopsis of the plot, including the ending  The first three chapters or equivalent sample, attached as a .doc or .docx file All submissions should be sent to: [email protected]   Expect us to take up to six to eight weeks to respond. We try our best to provide some feedback regardless of acceptance and we respond to all queries we receive. Our submissions period annually is typically from November 1st until the end of the year. Outside of this period, we accept submissions by personal invitation only. In the meantime, we encourage you to improve your submission by watching the videos below, reading our guidelines, or keeping up with our blog for helpful tips and tricks of the trade. We're a small independent Canadian press and we are passionate about success. We partner with our authors to make the books we produce the best they can be and we aim to market them together for maximum exposure. We're proud to be able to offer full paperback and e-book services, higher royalties than the industry standard  (50% of net profits), author copies at better than wholesale rates, and worldwide distribution. We respond to all queries we receive within six to eight weeks with a personal response including suggestions on how to improve your manuscript even if it is not the right fit for us, so there is no need to send a follow-up inquiry. We're looking for Escapism Fiction... Our goal is to provide our readers with the ability to escape the mundane through wildly creative fiction. We're looking for books that act as gateways to other worlds, times, or versions of reality. We prefer strong story telling and strong character development as well as imaginative settings and...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: Short stories: 1 cent a word, to a maximum of $20. Poetry: $5 per piece. Note: NZ and Australian authors only Guidelines 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. From August, 2018 we'll also accept submissions of longer works of novella (17,000 to 40,000 words) and novelette (7,500 to 17,000 words) length. Our short stories lean toward horror and the darker side of science fiction and we'd like to carry that over to longer works. If you're interested in publishing with us, please send the first chapter and a single-page synopsis as a Word doc using the form below. All work must be original and previously unpublished. Breach pays 50% of royalties from all print and ebook sales - we don't offer advances. We pay for exclusive worldwide publication rights for one year and non-exclusive reprint rights. Copyright belongs to the author. Via: Breach.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 0.04 per word Note: Gay male writers only PLEASE NOTE: Submissions open to gay male writers only. Pink Triangle Rhapsody is our newest anthology series in celebration of and dedicated entirely to gay men and their cultural history. Although we realize this may create some controversy, this anthology series is open to gay male writers only. While we appreciate that women and straight men are able to accurately portray gay characters, our intent with this series is to highlight and explore the gay male cultural experiences on a more personal level. The Pink Triangle Rhapsody series is a non-themed anthology series, with the exception of the required genre and inclusion of one or more of Lycan Valley’s required elements. The series is intended to be a collection of stories written with “effusively rapturous or emotional expression.” Volume 1 is a mixed genre volume and will feature 5 stories in each of 5 genres for a total of 25 stories — Horror, Sci Fi, Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Pulp Mystery. See definitions at: http://www.lycanvalley.com/p/writers-resources.html Each story must include a supernatural, paranormal or occult element (horror may include psychological horror with or without one of the other elements). See definitions at: http://www.lycanvalley.com/p/writers-resources.html Regardless of genre and element, we’re looking for unrestrained and emotional writing, interpreted as you see fit for the story. Word Count: 2500 to 8000 words. Stories less than 2250 or more than 8250 will be declined unread. Payment: $0.04 per word based on final published word count. Submission: Please read our general submission guidelines before submitting, including basic Shunn formatting with blind submission requirements. http://www.lycanvalley.com/p/submission-guidelines_1.html Submissions that do not follow proper formatting guidelines or meet the minimum required elements will be declined unread. No simultaneous submissions. If you submit to us, please wait until you receive a response before submitting elsewhere. Declined story...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 3 cents per word (or 1 cent per word for reprints) and a contributor's copy Here are the guidelines for Simian Publishing’s next anthology Apotheosis 2: More Stories of Survival After the Rise of the Elder Gods.  (This anthology doesn’t open to submissions until December 1st 2018, but I like to give my writers plenty of time to ponder the sort of story they might write for me. Due to an illness in the form of a stroke for the editor, we have delayed the opening of submissions.)  Apotheosis 2 – More Stories of human survival and defiance in a world subjugated by the return of the Elder Gods. Humanity struggled to grow and evolve as a species for thousands of years forever caught in the shadow of a dread threat known only to a devoted few. When the stars are right, the Old Ones will return to claim utter dominion of the world. Lovecraft Mythos stories often climax at the moment of the fateful return of the Elder Gods and the audience is left to ponder what might happen next. This anthology features stories about humanity under the reign of the Elder Gods and ancient terrors. What do we mean by Lovecraft Mythos stories in relation to Apotheosis? We’re looking for stories inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and associated writers such as August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smit , Robert E. Howard , Robert Bloch , Henry Kuttner, and Frank Belknap Long.   We’re also interested in writers that inspired Lovecraft such as Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood and Lord Dunsany. We’re interested in classic mythos gods and monsters and originals that have inspired by the mythos. Good Fiction Examples: Apotheosis: Stories of Human Survival After The Rise of The Elder Gods “Boojum” by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 1 cent a word for reprint rights. ($60 max) Is your story too heavy and hardcore for other “best of” anthologies? Then you’ve come to the right place because Comet Press is now accepting stories for YEAR’S BEST HARDCORE HORROR VOL. 4, a yearly collection intended to give recognition to the extreme, harder side of horror, stories that break boundaries and trash taboos. Editors: Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax. Requirements: The story was originally (or will be) published in a 2018 anthology, single author collection, magazine, or online magazine. Self-published anthologies and collections are acceptable as well. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Length: Up to 6000 words. Word count is flexible and longer works will be considered but please note the max payment is $60.00. Payment: 1 cent a word for reprint rights. ($60 max) What to Send Authors: In the body of an email: Author name Story title Name of anthology or magazine or online magazine it was (or will be) published in: If the book is available on Amazon and your story credit appears somewhere on the page, send us the link. If not, send a link to the best source with that information (publisher’s page, etc). If the story was in a magazine, send us a web link to the issue TOC where your story appears, or if that’s not available send us a scan of the table of contents (print magazines, etc.). A bio A short description of the story. Attach the entire manuscript in rtf, doc format, or a PDF or mobi of the magazine or book it appears in if available. Note: if sending a doc or rtf, please make sure this is the final version of your story, exactly as it appears in the published version. Important Note: Make sure your contract allows you to...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 0.06/word and royalties, split evenly from fifty percent of the book’s gross sales profit For our first new anthology of short fiction after a two year hiatus, Bad Dream is now accepting submissions of humorous dark fiction. Editor Brett Reistroffer is looking for original horror fiction with a strong sense of comedy, and most themes, subjects, and settings are welcome but standard genre tropes are definitely discouraged (vampires, zombies, werewolves, etc.). The comedic aspect can be goofy and slapstick or black and morbid, just as long as there are equal amounts of darkness and humor. Horror has always been fertile ground for that unique juxtaposition and it’s exactly what we are looking for, so check out the specifics in the guidelines below and send in your best original horror humor.   -Stories should be between 1,500 and 8000 words in length, a few hundred on either side is fine, but if you have something significantly longer then you should inquire first. -We’re not afraid of blood, sex, and bad words but we’re also not interested in purely exploitative work. If you’re using graphic material make sure it has a point and serves the story. -The deadline for submissions is December 31st. -Multiple submissions are allowed, but limited to a maximum of two. You can submit additional stories after receiving responses for current submissions. -Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please, please let us know as soon as possible if a submission is accepted elsewhere while still in our queue. -We are looking for original fiction only, no reprints. First-time English translations are acceptable, however. -Submissions should be in standard manuscript format, with contact info and word counts on the first page. File types should be in .doc, .txt, .odt, or .rtf only. We don’t accept submissions...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: $10 Hello fellow travelers, We are now officially open for submissions for the third issue of Underbelly Magazine! If you're a writer looking for a place for your strange and disturbing fiction, check out our Submission Guidelines page and get in contact with us. If you're interested in seeing the kinds of things we're looking to publish, our first issue is available for free here. The deadline for submissions is December 31st (end of this year), so get writing and/or submitting! We look forward to exploring the Underbelly with you once more... What We Want: We are a quarterly zine interested in Extreme Horror, Splatterpunk, Bizarro, LGBTIQ+, adult content (yes, we made that up, but you know what we mean!), freaky fantasy worlds and futures, ridiculous mash-ups, or anything just plain weird. Dark, twisted, and disturbing stories that push the envelope and explore the far reaching limits of the unnerving side of humanity. The things that people won’t talk about in polite company. The things that we all think about but refuse to acknowledge. Bring it to the light, let us look at it directly in the eye, and if we like what we see, we want it. What We Don’t Want: Don’t mistake permissiveness for blithe acceptance. We don’t want your gross-out rape fantasies, sick fantasies unless there’s a good reason for it. We want art! And please don’t send us your boring-ass zombie stories. The world has enough of them. Length/Payment/Legal Stuff: We’re interested in a wide range of lengths, from 1,000 word flash pieces up to 7,500 words. We would also be willing to accept longer stories on a case-by-case basis. A token payment of $10 will be issued upon publication. Be aware if you publish with us that any future submission of...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word and royalties PORTALS is to feature science fiction or fantasy stories that contain a portal opening up between two different worlds and the consequences that come from that portal. We are attempting to fill half of the anthology with science fiction stories and half with fantasy stories. Stories featuring more interesting settings and twists on the typical portals will receive more attention than those that use standard tropes. In other words, we don’t want to see 100 stories dealing with a door in the back of the wardrobe leading to a fantasy world of gnomes, dwarves, and elves. If we do, it’s likely that only one, at most, would be selected for the anthology. We do NOT want to see time portals, connecting one time to another; however, it can be a portal from our reality to an alternate reality. We are interested in all kinds of portals: doors at the back of wardrobes, stone archways in the middle of the forest, wormholes, cracks in reality, etc. Be creative, choose something different, and use it in an unusual and unexpected way. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. The PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE anthology kickstarter has hit its goal! If you have a story idea that fits one of the anthology themes, write it up, revise it, polish it, and send it in for consideration. I've posted the guidelines below.   The PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE Submission Guidelines   Zombies Need Brains LLC is accepting submissions to its three science fiction and fantasy anthologies PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE. Stories must be submitted in electronic form as an attachment with the title of the story as the...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word and royalties TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED is to feature stories where the author explores what the phrase “temporally deactivated” could mean with regards to a person, place, or thing. Stories featuring more interesting takes on the twisting of time and how it is integrated into the story will receive more attention than those with more typical twisted time stories. We do NOT want to see stories where “temporal deactivation” means simply death. So be creative and use time in an unusual and unexpected way. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. The PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE anthology kickstarter has hit its goal! If you have a story idea that fits one of the anthology themes, write it up, revise it, polish it, and send it in for consideration. I've posted the guidelines below.   The PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE Submission Guidelines   Zombies Need Brains LLC is accepting submissions to its three science fiction and fantasy anthologies PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE. Stories must be submitted in electronic form as an attachment with the title of the story as the file name in .doc or .docx format. The header of the email should include the name of the anthology the submission is for along with the title of the submission (for example: WERE-: WereJellyfish Gone Wild!). The content of the email should also include which anthology the manuscript is intended for. Please send multiple manuscripts in separate emails; you may submit to any or all of the anthologies as many times as you wish. Manuscripts should be in manuscript format, meaning double-spaced, 12pt font, standard margins on top, bottom and sides, and pages numbered. Please use Times New Roman...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word and royalties ALTERNATE PEACE is to feature alternate history stories where the divergence from our timeline comes from some kind of peaceful change to our past. It must explore the consequences of this divergence, not simply introduce the divergence. Stories featuring more interesting historical settings and twists on the consequences of the peaceful divergence from our timeline will receive more attention than those with more standard changes to the course of history. So be creative and come up with an unusual and unexpected break from the timeline. Please note that while the divergence in the timeline must be from some peaceful change, that change CAN lead to violence; in other words, you are allowed to have violence in the story, it just can’t be what’s initiating the alternate history. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. Here are some example stories for ALTERNATE PEACE--stories where the divergence from the timeline comes from a peaceful change: Stephen Baxter: The Twelfth Album (Interzone 13, Hartwell’s Best Science Fiction of the Year 4) Michael F. Flynn: Quaetiones Super Caelo et Mundo (Analog, 7/07) Janet Kagan: Love Our Lockwood (Alternate Presidents) John Kessel: The Franchise (Pure Product, Fields of Fantasies) Mary Robinette Kowal: The Lady Astronaut series (Tor Books) Ian R. MacLeod: Snodgrass (Dozois’s Year’s Best Science Fiction 10, Past Magic) Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Recovering Apollo 8 (Asimov’s, 2/7, Recovering Apollo 8) Howard Waldrop: Heart of Whitenesse (Dozois’s Year’s Best Science Fiction 15, Heart of Whitenesse) The PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE anthology kickstarter has hit its goal! If you have a story idea that fits one of the anthology themes, write it up, revise it, polish it, and send it in for consideration. I've...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: $5 plus 1 contributor copy FRESH MEAT: Your first time is always memorable. Why not pop your cherry with the Splatter Club! Beyond the requirement that you are an *unpublished author, there are no limits on what you may submit to Fresh Meat. Obviously, we want to publish the kind of stories that Splatter Club members enjoy reading and something that will proudly highlight our unique genre of literature to the world. Email: [email protected] Length: 500 words up to 7K Deadline: December 31, 2018 Multiple Submissions: Up to 2 stories (attached to same email) Simultaneous Submissions: No Payment: $5 plus 1 contributor copy *Unpublished: Your work has not been published in a PRINT anthology, novel or novella. Via: Splatter Club.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 3 cents per word, minimum Do you write words? Specifically, do you write English words that band together to form short fiction? Are you disabled, identify with disability, manage disability, or use some other way to describe how you relate to your disability or condition? If so, this call for submissions might be for you: Not like your ableist patriarchal publishing monocultures, with standard narratives that narrowly define Here at the beginnings of our anthology we exist: two mighty women with ideas that cannot be contained. “Keep, traditional publishers and editors, your inspiration, Your stories that objectify and demean,” we cry. “Bring us your fabulous stories, With diverse characters. Bring us your Deaf heroes, your disabled, your neurodiverse, Your characters breaking free from the shackles of normativity Those who are not refuse, but fabulous Send these your homeless stories, tempest-tossed to us, We lift them up and celebrate them, at the gate of our anthology. We are seeking short fiction for the Nothing Without Us anthology. All works must be fiction—fiction based on lived experiences is welcome. The lead character must be disabled, blind, Deaf, Autistic, neurodiverse, and/or live with mental illness. We do not expect all of these in one character, although we’re sure that character would be amazing. We are accepting fiction in all genres with the exception of hard-core erotica. We are also only interested in previously unpublished works. (Sorry, we’re not accepting poetry for this anthology.) What we are not seeking Inspiration content. There’s already enough of it out there. Examples include but are not limited to: The Autistic person who overcomes their autism, presents as a quirky neurotypical, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after. The person who is in an accident, feels life is over, then overcomes it...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 0.02/word & contributor copy A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest... because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her." - Terry Pratchett What We Want We want your witch stories! Though they do not necessarily have to be female-centric, they do need to be tales of powerful, unique beings. Remember, this is a horror anthology, so while you can have elements of other genres, we want to be scared. The Details Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 0.02/word & contributor copy Length: short stories up to 5,000 words Rights: 1st edition publication rights to digital, print, and audio. ​ To submit please send your story and a short bio to [email protected]. Simultaneous submissions are allowed and you may send in as many submissions as you would like. Please allow 2 - 3 weeks to hear back. Via: The Horror Queen.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: $5 and a contributor's copy Content: An original, unpublished, story that includes a moon. Can include, but is not limited to, vampires, werewolves, lunar settlements, or lunar influences to people/events. Accepted Styles: Short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Accepted Genres: Anything that isn't erotica. Simultaneous Submissions: These are allowed, but please withdraw your submission immediately if accepted by another publisher. Reprints: No. Stories posted on the internet, including but not limited to, FB, personal websites, blogs, etc., are considered published. Number of Submissions per Author: 1 short story, 3 pieces of flash fiction, or 5 pieces of poetry. Length: A short story should be less than 5,000 words. Each flash fiction piece should be less than 1,500 words. Each piece of poetry should be less than 150 lines. Payment: Free physical copy of the book and $5 per author, regardless of number of accepted submissions. Requested Rights: First rights to digital, audio, and print formats in English. Exclusive for one year from publication. After that year all rights revert back to the author. Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Formatting: Stories must be submitted electronically as a .docx attachment in an email to [email protected]. Submission should be 12point font, Times New Roman, and double spaced. The document name should include the name of your submission. Please include the title and page numbers in the header of the attachment. In the body of your email please include your name, author name/website, address, short story title, and word count of submission. IF IN DOUBT PLEASE SUBMIT! Via: Pub 518.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: $15 Note: Reprints Allowed Publishing Schedule Volume 35/62 Submission Period: November 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018 Publication Date: May 1, 2019 Formatting Guidelines This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. Email and Cover Letters Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman Submission Formatting We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Test Format (.rtf) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: .01 cent/word plus 1 contributor copy SEASONED MEAT: Just like the title suggests, this anthology is designed for  seasoned authors with one or more stories under their belt. As with Fresh Meat, we want all varieties of stories. Email: [email protected] Length: 500 words up to 7K Deadline: December 31, 2018 Multiple Submissions: Up to 2 stories (attached to same email) Simultaneous Submissions: No Payment: .01 cent/word plus 1 contributor copy Via: Splatter Club.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: $50usd There's a stirring at Inklings Tower. Something is afoot. The time has come for the Inklings crew to throw the doors open wide again in search of submissions for the next anthology. And it's a return to our beginnings this time. The first anthology released by Inklings Press was Tales From The Tavern - a short collection of five fantasy stories by some of the early, happy crew that thought it was time to have a go. You can still read that - it's collected in the Tales From The Tower anthology that rounds up the first year of Inklings Press. Fantasy was where we began - and fantasy is where our next anthology will take us. We want you to dare to dream. We want you to imagine fantasy worlds that will surprise, that will excite. It's also a new beginning in a different way. We're trying out a new payment structure. Previously we have paid a share of royalties for each book - but we're going to test out something new this time. For the next anthology, payment is $50 per story, with payment made upon publication. Why are we doing this? Well, our ambition is to aim towards becoming SFWA eligible in time - and a flat payment works more easily for that than the royalty structure. We've got a distance to go, but it's a first step, and all great journeys need a first step. We would also love to see submissions from members of under-represented groups - and fantasy worlds that might go beyond the more familiar. We'd love to see what you've got. Send your stories to and feel free to ask us questions by email or on Twitter @InklingsPress. The deadline is December 31, 2018. Further details...

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: .01 cent/word plus 1 contributor copy We want to see your splatter, bizarro and new weird tales set in space. Space is…well, pretty vast, but still, there can only be so many stories that take place on a space station or spaceship or escape pod before it starts to get old. That’s why we’re open to non-space settings too, as long as it’s set in the distant future and/or features strong elements of advanced technology, advanced beings, or meta-physical elements. If it’s a space-age scenario, send it in. And of course, don’t forget the blood, guts, and subversive messages. Since this call was generated before we had an official website, we have extended the submission period. However, the membership requirements still stand. Please check all requirements below. NOTE: You MUST be a Splatter Club member who joined before April 1st, 2018 to be eligible to submit a story. Email: [email protected] Subject: Splatter in Space Length: 500 words up to 7K Deadline: December 31, 2018 Multiple Submissions: Up to 2 stories (attached to same email) Simultaneous Submissions: No Payment:  .01 cent/word plus 1 contributor copy Via: Splatter Club.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: £75 and a contributor's copy. For our inaugural anthology, Curse the Darkness*, we’re throwing our doors wide open and inviting submissions on the theme of darkness. That could be the absence of light, the presence of evil, or the sinister thoughts of the afflicted. However you choose to interpret the theme, just make sure you leave us afraid to turn out the lights. We’re looking for stories with compelling characters, sparkling dialogue, and strong, original voices. Send us stories that step off the well-trod paths into the unlit wilderness of the unusual, the interesting, and the provocative. Please review our submission guidelines below before submitting your story via the submission form. *Curse the Darkness is a working title. Unlit Press reserves the right to change the title as necessary. Submission Guidelines Word Count 3,000 to 10,000 words. Deadline 31 December 2018. Payment Accepted authors will receive a one-off payment of £75 (approximately $100) or the equivalent in their local currency. Format We accept .doc, .docx, .rtf or .odt. Multiple submissions No, send us one great story. Simultaneous submissions Yes, but please let us know as soon as possible if your submission is accepted elsewhere. Previously published No, we want original unpublished stories only. Formatting Double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt, with a single space after periods. Rights Unlit Press will have first world rights for an exclusive period of 12 months from the date of publication. At the end of the exclusive term, rights will revert back to the original author with Unlit Press retaining world distribution rights for the format(s) originally contracted. Contributor copies Contributors will receive one free print copy of the anthology. You can submit your work here: Unlit Press.

Deadline: December 31st, 2018 Payment: 6 cents per word “I just hate it,” says Brian's friend Andrea, whom he's known since he was five, “when some insensitive clod gets his hands on a good Modern Spacetime Opera with Lesbian Cyborg Time Nazis and Dominatrix AI Mayan Gods versus Hermaphrodite Space Pirate Dinosaurs and their Ambisexual Steampunk Alchemical Gnome allies libretto and then screws it up.” Folks, we want his snarky friend to be happy. Science-Fiction has done a very poor job over the years at giving us good Opera. Space Opera is too often seen as an extension of “Horse Opera” which is not opera at all. Where are the arias? Who is that singing coloratura diva soprano during the overture? "Doctor Dinosaur, you are cleared for blast-off in ten ... nine ... eight ..."(It's got to be "blast-off" for that pulpy 50s sensibility.) https://t.co/tO65lUP8JL— Charlie Stross (@cstross) July 20, 2018 And thus, we the editors owe a debt of gratitude to Charlie Stross for showing us the way.
Soooo… With the prelims out of the way, we’re looking for: Dramatic, large-scale stories of the distant future, focused on optimism and inclusion and blowing things up. Weird mashups. Actual arias. Fat ladies singing on funeral pyres. Watery tarts distributing swords optional. Play fast and loose. No holds barred as long as it’s a tasteful treatment written with respect. Stories between 2,500 and 7,000 words. Exceptions will be made for really great stories, but try to keep it within these limits. Original stories preferred but we will accept a few outstanding reprints. Diversity. Straight white dudes are fine. We all know a straight white dude we love. But space opera is for everyone, so we want stories about everyone. Give us women, nonbinary people, disabled folks, people of all races and beliefs (or...