Events

Deadline: March 30th, 2021 Prize: US $1000 or £725 GBP Theme: When The Machine Arrived Dear Writer, Our first writing competition of 2021 explores the impact that technology has on our lives. The theme is "When the Machine Arrived" - you are free to interpret this in any way you see fit. You may choose to discuss the arrival of a new household appliance, explore a recent technological innovation, or discuss changes in how you work, study, or connect with others - it's up to you! The format is up to you. You can write fiction, non-fiction, or even a text designed for children. However, you must not exceed the word limit of 1500 words (all entries that exceed this limit will be deleted). Please submit only your own unique work that has not been published anywhere else. Multiple entries are accepted, and writers from around the world are welcome to participate. The judges will be looking for a clear and crisp interpretation of the Competition’s' title and stimulating original work that is thought provoking and enjoyable. By way of example, what happened when your first toaster, television, hair curlers or computer arrived? Or you could see the machine as being an organization’s apparatus or, of course, something completely different. That’s up to your imagination and the experiences you can draw upon. Entries will be evaluated by senior editors from Exisle Publishing and EK Books. The winning writer will be paid a monetary prize of US $1000 or £725 GBP. (One thousand US dollars or seven hundred and twenty five British pounds). The winner and up to three selected finalists will have their work published on ExisleAcademy.com. Standard entry is free, however you may choose to pay for an "assessed entry" meaning that, regardless of the outcome of the competition, you will receive detailed and...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Theme: Elements of sci-fi. Whether discovering aliens, space travel, or terraforming new planets are involved, the options are endless. Deadline – March 31st, 2021 Publication – June 2021 Word Count – 5,000-15,000 Theme – All stories must include elements of sci-fi. Whether discovering aliens, space travel, or terraforming new planets are involved, the options are endless. Publisher INFORMATION Company name:        Dragon Soul Press Anthology Submission Email: [email protected] Website:                    http://dragonsoulpress.com/ Facebook:                  http://www.facebook.com/dragonsoulpress/ Duotrope:                   https://duotrope.com/listing/26543/dragon-soul-press The Grinder:              https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Market/Index?id=9529   CHECKLIST Introduction of author                                                        This is not where the biography goes. Author Contact Information / Pen name MUST be included with real name. If real name is same as pen name, state so in email. Author Biography in Third Person in 100-200 words        Mandatory minimum of 100. Submission Word Count                                                   Also applies to poetry. Word count. Not line count.   Submission Formatted in Times New Roman 12 PT Font. One-inch margins. No indentations. No double-spacing. No extra spacing between paragraphs. No chapters. Only DOC and DOCX accepted.   Summary/Query Letter                                                      Summarized outline of all major events within the story. All emails should be addressed as “Dear Editor” Email subject and file name must be as follows – “Story Title by Author Name for (Name of) Anthology” All of the author’s social media links, including website if applicable Author must have an active social media account.   Important information Maximum of two submissions per anthology per author. Authors can submit to all anthologies simultaneously. Reprints from third party sources accepted IF author currently holds full rights. We will not publish duplicate stories within DSP. Authors get 30% Royalties for first year from date of publication. Afterwards, 30% of all proceeds go to a charity chosen by the Publisher. Story rights - The Publisher permanently reserves the right to publish the Work within...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: Royalties, starts at 1% per story of gross sales in both e-book and trade paperback. (not displayed on website at this time.) Theme: Each story must have a Pagan, Heathen, Occult influence that has a spark of truth in regards to the connection with the feminine aspect of the divine. DREAMING THE GODDESS: AN ANTHOLOGY Will be open for submissions from  September 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021   SUMMARY DREAMING THE GODDESS will be a collection of short stories between 2,500 and 20,000 words. Each story must have a Pagan, Heathen, Occult influence that has a spark of truth in regards to the connection with the  feminine aspect of the divine.  We are looking for stories that speak to the spiritual soul. It doesn’t matter in which aspect the Divine Feminine is portrayed–Maid, Mother, Crone, Dark, Warrior, Gender Fluid etc., are all welcome. Uplifting stories, inspirational  stories, dark tales, fantastic, written with truth or complete fantasy are all welcome. We are open and inclusive to LGBTQ2+ stories that meet the parameters of our main theme - the Divine Feminine in all Her aspects, which we believe includes LGBTQ2+ experiences. The main aspect is exhibit, in both fiction and nonfiction stories, the great breadth of how the Divine Feminine is portrayed across cultures and across interpersonal experiences. We welcome new authors and well experienced authors. Another goal for this anthology is to educate readers about the Divine Feminine, so including mythology, culture, politics, paganism, heathenism, Wicca, Witchcraft, geography etc., is important to the plot. If you pique your reader’s interest and get them looking up references to learn more about the Divine Feminine, you’ve done your job. The idea is for your reader to not only be entertained, but also to walk away from your story a...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: Flat rates per word/type, see below Theme: The worst work environments in the world (or underworld, or space, or...) Note: Reprints Welcome My Job is a Hellhole! Working for demons, imps, devils, and other minions of hell. You boss is a denizen of the underworld, but the story can take place in any setting. Any setting means: hell, another planet, Modern Earth, Future Earth. Heaven? Sure why not? Maybe there's an employee exchange program between heaven and hell. I'm looking for fantasy, dark fantasy, horror, humor (oh HELL YES) and science fiction if you can come up with a science fiction-y hellscape. Flash/shorts (750-1500 words. No MORE than 1500 words, no LESS than 750 words for flash, no more than 2500 words for shorts) for $10 per piece original, previously unpublished flash, shorts $15). Microfics (350-749 words) will pay at a $5 per story rate for original, previously unpublished stories.  Will consider publishing a couple of drabbles for this, at $1 per drabble. Reprints accepted for this one, $10 for shorts, $5 for flash, $3 for micro. No drabble reprints. No poetry for this one. Submissions accepted from Dec 4, 2020 til March 31, 2021.   Down to the Sea in Bits (coming in 2021) Water monsters, undead pirates, sentient murderous seaweed, what have you! Horror. Water monsters. Undead pirates. SENTIENT MURDEROUS SEAWEED, YEAH! More info will be posted on this issue in December.​ No Submissions accept for this issue at this time. Via: The Were Traveler.

Deadline: May 31st, 2021 Payment: $500 and 25 contributors copies Theme: literary fiction Note: DO NOT SUBMIT prior to January 15th, 2021 One Story Submission Guidelines: Submission Periods: January 15th - May 31st | September 7th - November 14th What kinds of stories is One Story looking for? One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone. Does One Story pay? Yes. One Story pays $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author following publication. Does One Story accept previously published material? No. One Story is looking for previously unpublished material. However, if a story has been published in print outside of North America, it will be considered. Stories previously published online—on blogs, personal websites, online literary magazines, or forums—will not be accepted. Does One Story accept simultaneous submissions? Yes, but please notify us immediately if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere. What file types can I submit? We accept PDF, RTF, and TXT files that are less than 500KB. Please include the story title and all writer contact info on the first page of the submitted file. Will you send me comments on my story? No. One Story receives close to 100 submissions each week. Please understand that we do not have time to comment on individual stories. Can I change the story I submitted with an updated draft? No. Do you consider translations? Yes. Please include the name of the original author and language, as well as the name of the translator on the first page of your submission. How do I submit to One Story? We have an automated system for you...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: A physical copy and at least 30% royalties (negotiated prior to signing.) Theme: Horror, thriller, mystery, and fantasy/dark fantasy Little Demon Books has recently opened a submissions call for writers. We're looking for short stories, anthologies, novellas, and novels in the horror, thriller, mystery, and fantasy/dark fantasy genres up until March 31st. Give us your terror tales and scary stories! Little Demon Books is now open for all submissions! Give us your short stories, your anthology collections, your novellas, novels, and yes, even graphic novels! Whatever you’ve written, we want to see it! We’re hungry for books and authors to bring under our demonic wing. Please read the guidelines below and get your submissions to us by March 31st! Please allow time for our editing team to read through each submission. Best of luck and we cannot wait to see what you’ve got! Submit to [email protected] SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FORMAT: All submissions should follow proper manuscript format. Please attach all submissions in .doc or .docx format. We will not accept submissions embedded in the body of an email. Please adhere to standard manuscript guidelines (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spaced, word count, etc). EMAIL: Please send your submissions to [email protected], include what book your submitting, your name, and your story title. WHAT WE WANT: We are primarily interested in Flash Fiction or Short Fiction submissions but are open to novellas and novels. PAYMENT: Please understand that LDB is a very small publishing brand but because of that we put greater consideration into the stories submitted. Flash Fiction (1,500-4,000 Words) – FREE DIGITAL COPY Short Fiction (4,001-8,000 Words) – $5 + FREE DIGITAL COPY Anything larger than the Short Fiction format will be handled on a case-by-case basis. All contributors will receive a free digital or physical copy of...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: $50 Theme: magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. Misspelled Now Accepting Submissions. Legion of Dorks Presents: Misspelled – Magic Gone Awry is searching for short stories no more than 7000 words exploring the theme of magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. Submissions are open from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. Your story must be an original, never-before-published creation that centers around an exploration epic in scale. You must include some sort of adventure, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world. Otherwise, have fun and let your imagination dominate. A witch casts a spell to allow her cat to talk, but then it won’t stop. A love spell hits the wrong target. A down-on-his luck magician finds a real magic box, but where are all the objects going? The ideas are endless. We are offering $50 per accepted story. Fifty percent of all revenue after cost of production will be donated to Toys for Tots in conjunction with the Legion of Dorks December fundraiser. Email all submissions to [email protected] in standard short story format with the subject “Submission for Misspelled (last name).” One story per email please and no more than three submissions total. If you’re curious about the stories we like, check out the others in the series: Laundered – An Anthology of Monster Messes and Horizons – An Anthology of Epic Journeys. Manuscript Submission Guidelines: We are accepting submissions of complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all of the niche categories under those large umbrellas. We’re only considering full length novels between...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: £10 Theme: I is for Internet I is for Internet – Submissions open February 1st. Deadline March 31st. We need short horror stories exploring the dark side of the Internet – think online dating gone wrong, killers for hire, cyber bullying etc. SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR A-Z OF HORROR We are currently calling for submissions for a series of horror anthologies – The A-Z of Horror. The series will be based on a variety of themes and will consist of twenty-six books in total. We are looking for short horror stories, between 4000 and 8000 words, on each of the themes listed below. You may submit to more than one book, but we will only include a maximum of one story from each author, in each book. Being accepted into one book does not guarantee acceptance into one of the others. The story must be your own work, to which you hold the rights. The story must not be available elsewhere and, if accepted, we will hold the rights to it for three months from the date of publication. After that time, you may use the story however you wish. Any sub-genre of horror is suitable, even extreme, so long as the story fits the theme of that book and does not include anything which may unnecessarily cause offence (glorification of child abuse, rape, etc.). Payment for the story will be £10, to be paid by PayPal, as well as a contributor’s e-book of the finished book. Please send submissions in a Word document (ideally Times New Roman 12pt, single spaced) to [email protected] with the title of the book you are submitting to in the subject line. Please ensure you have included your name on the Word document. If you have any queries, feel free to get...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: A Queer Sword and Sorcery Romance Anthology open to all LGBTQIA+ stories set in adventure fantasy worlds Queer Blades: A Queer Sword and Sorcery Romance Anthology is a twice-yearly print and ebook publication open to all LGBTQIA+ stories set in adventure fantasy worlds, particularly stories of queer romance. Follow our Twitter: @QueerBlades. Submissions for the first anthology will be open from 1 December 2020 through 31 March 2021. If you miss the submissions window by a few hours, don’t worry! Editor: Rick Hollon (they/them). Adventure fantasy settings range a spectrum of secondary worlds—not just sword and sorcery, but also heroic fantasy, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, wuxia, “Old Mars” and “Old Venus” settings, fantasy westerns, portal fantasy, and Fae realms of all descriptions. If it’s a setting in which you might readily play a D&D campaign, it will fit right in. (Though please don’t submit stories set in Faerûn, Greyhawk, or any other trademarked, copyrighted IP.) Our preference is for pre-gunpowder, magic-heavy worlds, but run wild with your imagination and bring us fresh wonders! Sword and sorcery has a lot of baggage. Its classic stories are laden with racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry. Those elements, obviously, are not welcome here. We want to get rid of sword & sorcery’s awfulness and instead explore its potential for awesome. Be inventive with your adventures! All stories must feature LGBTQIA+ protagonists and storylines. Romance is preferred but not necessary. The romance could be a nascent crush or a long established partnership or anything in between. Aromantic stories could focus on the growth of a friendship. Let your characters’ relationships be as diverse as you are! Black, Indigenous, Trans, and similarly marginalized / historically excluded authors are especially encouraged. Content. No prejudice or bigotry of any kind is permitted....

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: $.005 per word Theme: Stories of tragic love, preferably with a horror theme In “Fornever After” we seek stories of tragic love, preferably with a horror theme, although we are well aware that tragic love is often a horror story all on its own. These kinds of stories tend to be heartbreaking, but they can also be wonderful in other ways. After five years, did you finally get the nerve to confess romantic love to a friend? Did he or she feel the same? Did you get that nerve because you were both in a scary situation (fighting a vampire, home invaders, etc.) that you might not make it out of? Did they not survive it, leaving you all alone and kicking yourself that you waited so long. How tragic. At least you said something though, you know? We are not interested in tales regarding the loss of children, parents, or siblings.. Just lovers. Scary new twists on the Romeo and Juliet theme perhaps. Rip our hearts out with tales of tragic love, and if it’s within a traditional horror story, that’s what we are looking for. If you can manage some humor in it too, even better- although with this anthology, humor is not necessary. We will probably like those stories better though. Your story must include elements of both horror and tragic love. Specific guidlines are below: "Fornever After" Guidelines Here are a couple of tips to put your story in better position to be accepted. 1. Fit the theme. Tragic Love. Horror. Scare us and rip our hearts out. 2. Be within our word count guidelines (for “Fornever After”, 2000 to 6000) or query us for shorter/longer. 3. No matter how good your story is, if it hasn't been edited, there is a big chance we won't accept it. In...

Deadline: March 1st-March 31st 2021 Payment: Winner: $500, two runner ups: $50 Theme: Philosophical, Metaphysical, or Epistemological fiction Speculative Philosophical Fiction Contest A new contest will be coming to Theme of Absence this year. The theme of this contest is Philosophical, Metaphysical, or Epistemological fiction. Keep reading for the details. The contest is sponsored by a donor who whishes to remain anonymous. It will open March 1, 2021 and remain open for submissions until March 31, 2021. The winning story and runners-up will be published on June 1, 2021. Entry and submission guidelines: Only original, unpublished flash fiction is eligible for this contest. The story must revolve around some metaphysical or epistemological issue, like the nature of time or knowledge of the external world. The maximum word count for this contest is 1,000. A story that has at any point been made publicly available in print or online (including personal blogs) is considered previously published and will not be eligible. We are also not accepting multiple submissions, meaning submit only one story for the contest. The payment for the winning entry is $500.00, payable through PayPal. The top two runners-up will receive $50.00 each. I won’t seek any rights, other than the non-exclusive right to archive the story here as long as the site is live. Bear in mind that a large percent of publications will not accept pieces that have been previously published in print or online, so after your work is published at Theme of Absence, it can only be marketed elsewhere as a reprint. All copyright is retained by the author. If you agree with these terms, please submit your story in the following way: Email your story to [email protected]. In the subject, include the words PHILOSOPHICAL SUBMISSION, the story title and word count (example: PHILOSOPICAL SUBMISSION: Rappelling Into Plato’s Cave, 500 words). Paste the story in the...

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Theme: A month-long celebration of Black voices in science fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Escape Pod is pleased to announce a new special project for 2021: Black Future Month, a month-long celebration of Black voices in science fiction. We are excited to have Brent Lambert of FIYAH Magazine as our guest editor. For this special event, we are only accepting submission from authors of the African diaspora and the African continent. This is an intersectional definition of Blackness, and we strongly encourage submissions from women, members of the LGBTQIA community, and members from other underrepresented communities within the African diaspora. Episodes will air in the month of October and feature two original works of short fiction as well as two reprints. Submissions will be open from March 1 – 31. Stories must be between 1,500 – 5,000 words, and manuscripts do not need to be anonymized. Pay rate, content, and format will follow Escape Pod’s regular guidelines. The term Black Future Month is inspired by N.K. Jemisin’s essay titled, “How Long ’til Black Future Month,” (as well as a recent short story collection with the same title), and timing is aligned with Black Speculative Fiction Month (October). Submit your stories via our Moksha Portal for this project! Via: Escape Pod.

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: Contributors Copy and $25 CAD for stories up to 1000 words and $50 CAD for stories over 1000 words Theme: Better holiday celebrations featuring Canids 2020 was a hard year, with the holidays hitting harder than usual. Many traditions had to be reconfigured or dropped all together. Visitations were restricted, parties were non-existent, and travel was impossible.   Home for the Howlidays will be an anthology focusing on better holiday celebrations. What will next year look like? Or any year that isn’t hobbled by COVID-19 restrictions for that matter? Send me those stories.   Specifically, I’m looking for stories with canids. I’m also looking for winter holidays. These could include, but are not limited to: Yule, Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Diwali…any winter celebration is fair game. And finally, I’m looking for people getting together—friends, found family, family of origin, work colleagues, or even perfect strangers—during the holidays. For further inspiration, check out the cover!   I welcome and encourage submissions from writers of all backgrounds, including, but not limited to: gender/gender expression, disability, race, colour, religion, age, and national origin.   Submission period: 1 February 2021 – 31 March 2021   Story length: 7,000 words max   Payment: Flat $25 CAD for stories up to 1000 words + contributor copy; Flat $50 CAD for stories over 1000 words + contributor copy   Submission details: Standard short story formatting, with Canadian spellings, please. Send your story to: [email protected] with the subject heading of: Home for the Howlidays. Simultaneous submissions are okay; multiple submission are not. Expected publication is November of 2021.   Via: Tyche Books.

Deadline: March 31st, 2021 Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: Hotels, Motels, and Apartment buildings Note: My apologies for the short notice, this JUST hit my inbox about 5 minutes before I'm posting this. Your April Shallow Waters theme is... ...Hotels, Motels, and Apartment buildings! To celebrate the release of Jonathan Winn's Eidolon Avenue: The Second Feast (out today on paperback and Kindle), we're going with the same dark setting/theme as his shared-world collection. Authors, your word count is 1,200 words max. I'll personally read all the submissions and post the best 10 to 15 stories here on Patreon (to our $5 a month and higher tiers). Our patrons will then read all the entries, posted one per day, and vote for a winner. The winner will receive 3c USD per word, publication in a future Crystal Lake publication (anthology or magazine), and an author spotlight in our newsletter and here on Patreon. Please email your submission in the body of an email to [email protected]. Your email subject should be the title of your story. The deadline is end of March, whatever time zone you live in. And be sure to check out Eidolon Avenue. ;-) Via: Crystal Lake Publishing's Patreon.

Deadline: April 1st, 2021 Payment: 4 cents a word Theme: Sword-and-sorcery, heroic fiction, sword-and-soul, swashbucklers, and the like. Tales of adventure shot through with elements of horror and magic. Listen Well, Mortal Dogs! If you wish to submit a tale to The Magician’s Skull, you must pay heed, unless you wish to consign your story to rejection and immolation! My magazine is devoted to the greatest of all genres, sword-and-sorcery. If you don’t know what that term means, I am unlikely to appreciate your prose, but I am informed that you may find a definition of the genre by clicking here. Tales From the Magician’s Skull is currently printed twice yearly and pays 4 cents a word upon acceptance. If I find your tale worthy, my minions will purchase select rights so we may publish the story. You retain the copyright. When Will You Open for Submissions? January 22, 2021 – April 1, 2021 My minions will open their portals to receive your submissions for a limited time during 2021. They will accept your electronic manuscripts beginning with the sacred birth date of the founder of sword-and-sorcery, Robert E. Howard, and ending with that day sacred to all fools. Watch this space for news regarding activation of the submission portals! I now relinquish control of this instructional document to my chief editorial minion. Pay him heed! Manuscript format We accept e-mail submissions only, in .rtf, standard manuscript format. I.E. double-spaced, with title and contact information and all that on the first page. If you’re not familiar with standard manuscript format, please look it up. The subject line of your email needs to be structured as follows: Submission – – – . For example: Submission – Fiction – The Skull’s Day Out – Goodman If you want to tell us who you are and provide some publishing history, drop it...

Deadline: April 1st, 2021 Payment: Royalties Theme: A story about the ending of a romantic relationship, any genre. LBP is pleased to announce that we will be accepting short story submissions for the months of February/March 2021! We will choose 8-12 submissions to be published in our 2021 summer anthology, “Not Meant for Each Other”! Prompt: The topic for submissions: a story about the ending of a romantic relationship. Important note: The goal for writers here to give us characters that we care enough about within a short space to be upset or elated over their relationship ending. Accepted stories will be published in ‘Not Meant for Each Other’ summer anthology! E-book and print! Parameters Every genre qualifies. Works must be previously unpublished. Must be at least 3k but no more than 9k. Submissions must be in Times New Roman 12pt. No headers or footers, please. Name and title on top/left of first page. Submissions deadline is April 1st, 2021. All submissions must be submitted to [email protected]. Add ‘Not Meant for Each Other Submission’ in the subject line. SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN Selected Stories: Will be notified by email no later than April 15th, 2021. Winners will receive full publishing credit in the anthology w/competitive royalty. Via: Lost Boys Press.

Deadline: April 1st, 2021 Payment: One cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) Theme: Fantastic Fiction You really NEED to read the description below. The Cafe Irreal is a quarterly webzine that presents a kind of fantastic fiction infrequently published in English. This fiction, which we would describe as irreal, resembles the work of writers such as Franz Kafka, Kobo Abe, Clarice Lispector and Jorge Luis Borges. As a type of fiction it rejects the tendency to portray people and places realistically and the need for a full resolution to the story; instead, it shows us a reality constantly being undermined. Therefore, we're interested in stories by writers who write about what they don't know, take us places we couldn't possibly go, and don't try to make us care about the characters. We would also suggest you take a look at the current issue, archives, and theory (especially the essay, "What is irrealism?") pages on this web site. We accept unsolicited fiction up to 2,000 words in length. Translations are welcome. There is no minimum length. We accept only electronic submissions via e-mail at [email protected]. We cannot, due to the various computer viruses and worms, accept attachments anymore, so please paste your story into the body of the e-mail. Also include your name, address, e-mail address, and a short bio in the text of the submission; please put the word "submission" in the subject heading of the e-mail to ensure that your submission doesn't get lost among all the spam. We pay an honorarium of one cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) to buy first-time internet rights (the story will then be archived). Payment is made upon publication. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DON'T ACCEPT SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS and are only interested in reprints in unusual cases (e.g., the story has appeared in print but...

Deadline: April 2nd, 2021 Payment: 1 cent per word ($10 for every 1,000 words prorated, $50 for every 5,000 words prorated, and so on) + E-book and Audio format anthology copies Theme: Horror stories that focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales. Scare Street is once again accepting submissions for its Night Terrors anthology. Because readers loved our past volumes, we are now gearing up for more! We’re looking for unpublished short horror stories that focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales. We want dark, creepy, weird, and unsettling fiction that are expertly told. Give us character-driven narratives with clever but logical twists at the end, creative and fresh takes on common horror tropes, terrifying monsters, and suspenseful tales. Gore and violence are fine as long as it follows our guidelines and it’s not just for shock value. Length: 3,000-7,000 words (we will consider stories that are slightly outside the word count range) Reprints: No Deadline: April 2, 2021 (11:59 PM PST) Payment: 1 cent per word ($10 for every 1,000 words prorated, $50 for every 5,000 words prorated, and so on) + E-book and Audio format anthology copies Unpublished short stories must be 3,000-7,000 words and will be included in our Night Terrors anthologies consisting of ~65,000 words each. These stories will be published in e-book, print, and audio formats in English within 6 months after the submissions close date. Based on reader reception, we may also publish them in e-book, print, and audio formats in German and Spanish. WHO ARE WE? Scare Street is a horror publishing company dedicated to helping fellow horror lovers experience sleepless nights. We’ve been around since September 2015 and have published 200+ e-book and paperback titles along with 150+ audiobooks (and counting!). WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? Get visibility from thousands...

Deadline: April 1st-3rd, 2021 Payment: $50 Theme: Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk. Hi there! We’ll no doubt write more about this later in the next year, but for now, what follows below will tell you all you need to know. And the theme? It’s “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” (No more submissions are being accepted for publication in December of 2020–but we will be publishing stories that have already been accepted.) The following is relevant to all submissions for 2021, and the first submission window opens Jan. 1. More below.   Writing opportunities for 2021 include:   New Fairy Tales: Fairy tales that are almost or entirely new or are just new takes on old tales are all welcome. Mashups of existing fairy tales are welcome as well. Submissions must follow the theme below to be considered.   Essays: Nonfiction articles about any aspect fairy tales and folklore are being sought. The term “essay” just means you’ll be writing about fairy-tale related matters in a nonfiction article.  Creative nonfiction is welcome. You do not have to stick to the theme, but you can.   Poetry: Poetry inspired by fairy tales and that follows the theme is also welcome.   Please read the following in its entirety before submitting.   Want to know what is likely to get published here? There are well over 10 years of stories, essays and art on this current site. It’s the best place to start if you want to be published here.   HERE IS HOW YOU SUBMIT AND FORMAT   Only the kind of submissions outlined below will be accepted at EC in 2021.   * Writers will have a chance to submit fairy-tale inspired stories/essays/poems 11 times this year. Since we will be choosing four works per publishing month, there are 44 slots...

Deadline: April 1st-3rd, 2021 Payment: 6 cents per word for original, 2 cents for reprints Theme: Well written original work in science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form, and from around the world. Note: Reprints welcome     Submissions Schedule We have a new submissions schedule as of June 1, 2020: The first and second day of every month, 12 am of the 1st to 12 am of the 3rd, E.S.T. Only one submission per person. For reading impaired individuals, our submissions manager and ‘forget password’ have a captcha compatible with screen readers. We pay 6¢ per word for new fiction, 2¢ per word for fiction reprints, 2 – 6¢ per word for new fact-based work, 1- 4¢ per word for reprinted fact articles. For new poetry, we pay $1 a line, reprints would be 50¢ a line, up to 40 lines. We’ll look at longer poems but that would be a hard sell, and words over 40 lines would be paid at 6¢ per word. We began The Kepler Award to recognize and encourage writers of excellent science fiction and fantasy stories that creatively extrapolate on known science in constructive and exciting ways. You can learn about The Kepler Award here. You can read a copy of our standard contract here.   It can be varied as needed to include the rights of translators, voice actors, etc. Writers Guidelines We accept new work as well as reprints, prose and poetry, anywhere from 1000 word flash fiction on up, but all else being equal, shorter pieces will be favored.   We have tough standards but only care about the quality of the writing, storytelling ability, characters, plot, and ideas, not whether you’re new or established.  Submit only work you are proud of —...

Deadline: April 5th, 2021 Payment: $5 Theme: Time Travel II If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. (Vol 67.) Time Travel II; deadline 5th April !!!NEW SUBMISSION PROCESS!!! SUBMIT YOUR STORIES USING THIS FORM If, this form isn’t working, then please email your submission to [email protected] as a last resort. But please let us know why as we’re hoping to use the form going forward. Title your email with the following syntax: SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982) It is important that your story complies with our Submission Guidelines. Any stories found not to be in compliance will be immediately discarded. Click HERE for details If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: • Stories must be 2,000 (10% tolerance +/-) • Save stories in a Word document - Times New Roman font, size 12 • Include a 1-2 sentence log line for your story at the end of the document • Title your email with the following syntax: SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982). Failure to...

Submission Window: April 1st-7th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Original fantasy and dark fantasy stories. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. Note: This is an early listing to give you some time to plan ahead for next month or to remember to finish revising your story for the upcoming month! Note: We are trusting that the submission windows listed in the ongoing call are valid for this publisher. If they are not, please let us know and we'll look into revising accordingly. Instructions for submitting to Fantasy Magazine follow. Please read everything on this page and read the magazine before submitting. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES Submission Periods: Fantasy is open to submissions the first week of every month (1st-7th). Please do not query about submitting outside our open submission periods. Anonymous Submissions: Fantasy only accepts anonymous submissions. Do not include your name, address, phone number, or other similar identifiers on the manuscript. All original short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry submissions will be read anonymously on first read: moving out of slush depends on the merits of the story alone. Please make sure the title is on the manuscript. Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions: We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Please do not submit more than one set of poems at a time, more than one piece of flash fiction at a time, or more than one story at a time. You may, however, submit a single entry in each category at the same time: you can submit one batch of poems, one flash fiction piece, and one short story all at the same (or overlapping) time, and each category will be considered a separate submission. If we are already considering work in any given category, please wait until you have received an acceptance or rejection before submitting again in that same category. Instructions: All fiction must be...

Deadline: April 10th, 2021 Payment: Royalties Theme: Young Adult and New Adult Dark Academia short stories Note: I do realize that the open call has 3/10 and 4/10 listed as the deadline. 4/10 is what they've confirmed as it was recently extended! AESTHETIC: A DARK ACADEMIA ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS OPEN in 12/20 – 3/10!! From the independent editor and publisher of EDGE: A Killer Thriller Anthology and The Beckwith Brothers duology, this is a new Anthology open for Young Adult and New Adult Dark Academia short stories. Ready your Subs! We are accepting YA & NA SHORT STORIES between 1,000-15,000 words! IMAGINE STORIES WITH: Wisdom Loving, Intellectual, & Bookish Characters/Anti-Heroes Old Buildings, Dark Settings College Culture, Boarding School, Prestigious Private School Mysteries/Thrillers/Crime/etc. Fantasy/Time Travel/Sci-Fi/etc. Diverse Dark Humor Romance/Chaotic Romance/Forbidden Romance/etc. *(Any Sub-Genre of your choice)* NO ENTRY FEE! & We DO accept Simultaneous Submissions! *All contributing writers receive RIGHTS and ROYALTIES from sales through AMAZON KINDLE & PAPERBACK as well as a vote in cover design!! DEADLINE: ~ 4/10 Send ENTRIES: [email protected] or Submit through our Duotrope Listing! AESTHETIC: A Dark Academia Anthology Publishes on Amazon in e-book & Paperback on June 20, 2021!! (The first day of Summer Break)! ~ Ivana Sanders (The Novelette) Via: The Writer's Block.

Deadline: April 13th, 2021 Prizes: First, second, and third-prize winners will be awarded $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 respectively, and nine additional finalists will each receive a $300 honorarium. Theme: Hopeful, future-looking fiction. Welcome to Imagine 2200 — a new climate-fiction contest by Fix, Grist’s solutions lab. What we’re seeking: short stories that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress. What we’re offering: $8,700 in prizes, publication, and a reason to stay hopeful. The world is crazy right now, and the stakes are high: just, you know, our entire frickin’ future. Our newsfeeds are full of denial, delay, and doom that make us want to scream into our pillows. But that’s just the old story. At Fix, we are telling the new story, of a path to a clean, green, and just future, and the people who are driving it. Our mission is to make the story of a better world so irresistible, you want it right now. To that end, we decided to launch our first foray into the world of hopeful, future-looking fiction. In this inaugural year of our cli-fi contest, Fix is asking writers to assume the role of future ancestors, building the world they want our collective descendants to have — on paper. Stories will be judged by a board of literary experts including authors Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, and Kiese Laymon. Submissions close in April, 2021. First, second, and third-prize winners will be awarded $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 respectively, and nine additional finalists will each receive a $300 honorarium. Winners and finalists will be published in a stunning, immersive digital collection on Fix’s website and will be celebrated in a public-facing virtual event. Together, we can fix the future with fiction. Join this uprising of imagination, and help us turn the page on earth’s next chapter. In your story lies our...

Deadline: April 15th, 2021 Payment: $10 Theme: Portals to fantasy worlds and what is beyond them! Through the wardrobe, into the woods, going under a mysterious highway bridge, crawling into a cave, logging in to an online game, escaping into a world within your own--wherever the portal is, you no longer are. In this anthology, a collection of portal fantasies follow protagonists from all parts of our world into a new, fantastic reality. These portals could lead to another planet, a different reality, a magical land in need of a savior, or a past version of our world steeped in steam, magic, or over-run by a villainous overlord. ​ Stories of fantasy, LitRPG, sci-fi, literature, steampunk, time travel--so long as someone from one world passes into another--are acceptable. Stories between 5,000 and 9,000 words will be selected for this anthology. Submissions close April 15th, 2021. Tentative release date: June 15th, 2021.    This anthology is rated PG-13. Please see the submission guidelines on how to submit to this anthology before you send your story. No reprints, no simultaneous submissions. Up to 2 submissions per storyteller. Pay: $10 per accepted story. Via: Summer Storm Press.

Deadline: April 15th, 2021 Prizes: First-place receives $200 and publication in the 2020 Confluence program book (Confluence)., Second-place receives $100, Third-place receives $50 Theme: Still Waters, Deep Thoughts. The theme for the 2021 contest is: Still Waters, Deep Thoughts. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing. Contest opens: January 1, 2021 and closes April 15, 2021. There is no fee to enter and all entrants will be notified of the results by June 15th. Word count for all entries: No minimum, no more than 3500 words. Genre: All stories must be of the Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror genres. How to Submit: Electronic submissions will be accepted through Submittable: (Opens January 1, 2021) If this is your first time using Submittable, you will need to create a FREE account with them. Instructions for this will appear after you hit the submit link. It’s easy and quick. –> submit your story here <– Publication status: Stories must be original, unpublished, and unsold to any other market. Manuscripts should be in standard manuscript format, double-spaced, and written in either Courier or Times New Roman font. Acceptable formats include .doc, .docx, and .rtf. For an example of standard manuscript format, see: https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html Prizes and Eligibility: The contest is open to non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility requirements for SFWA or equivalent: sale of a novel or sale of 3 stories to a large-circulation publication (http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requirements/). Previous first-place winners and current contest coordinators are ineligible to enter. Requirements: The winning story will be the one that most effectively uses the contest theme as a key element. First-place receives $200 and publication in the 2020 Confluence program book (Confluence). Second-place receives $100 Third-place receives $50 Submission to the...

Deadline: April 15th, 2021 Payment: 3 contributors copies and payments range up to $75, based on length Theme: Previously published erotic stories about male vampires. These bloody assignations and trysts and relationships should be homoerotic. Note: Reprints only We are seeking previously published erotic stories about male vampires. These bloody assignations and trysts and relationships should be homoerotic. So far we have accepted: ​ "Invite the Night" A story from L.A. Fields about a boarding school student who finds at his window a boy reported missing... "Black Samba" Jeff Mann's story features an ancient Scottish vampire encountering another while in Rome. The specifics: Stories should be 1,000 to 8,000 words long. Stories can have previously appeared in print or on websites. Stories can be anywhere on the vampire spectrum of romantic to horrific, but must be erotic. Lethe is seeking one-time reprint rights for print, digital, and audiobook editions. Payments range up to $75, based on length. In addition, contributors will receive 3 copies of the finished print book. Please submit your story as an attachment (MS Word docx) in an email to the editor, Steve Berman. In the subject line put BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS SUBMISSION. Please include in the body of the email where and when the story was first published. Deadline is April 15, 2021. Via: Lethe Press.

Deadline: April 15th, 2021 Payment: $10 Theme: Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. Submissions OPEN (Monthly, 1st – 15th). Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Firm. Author Compensation: $10, paid via PayPal. Publication: Dread Stone Press website (Dose of Dread). Reading Periods: Monthly, 1st to 15th. Any stories submitted outside of each reading period will not be read. Two (2) stories will be selected out of each reading period for publication the following month. Rights: First World Electronic Rights. Non-exclusive rights thereafter. No reprint restrictions after publication. Original stories ONLY. No reprints. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but NO multiple submissions. You may submit again the next month if rejected. If your story is accepted, please sit out one reading period before submitting again. Please, for everyone’s sake, no rough drafts. Successful pieces will require little to no proofreading edits. Email your submission as a Word document attachment to [email protected] with “DOSE – – ” in the subject line. Please see the General Submission Guidelines below for additional formatting information. General Submission Guidelines Rejections for Dose of Dread submissions will be sent by the end of the month submitted. If you have not received a reply by then, feel free to follow-up. All rejections will be form rejections. It’s not personal, promise. Which also means please don’t respond to rejections. It’s unnecessary. For Dose of Dread submissions, please send your work by email to [email protected] with the subject line format: “DOSE – – ”. Address your email to “Editor” or “Alex”. Please provide a brief cover letter in the body of the email (title, word count, relevant info, etc). Do not stress over or overthink this. Please include an author bio of 100 words or less, written in third person, plus any links (e.g. to a website / Twitter) if you wish to include...

Deadline: Pitch Deadline: April 16th, 2021. Final Submission Deadline: September 30th, 2021. Payment: $100 or $50 plus 1% of the Kickstarter net profits, whichever amount is GREATER, and a paperback copy of the anthology. Theme: Stories featuring William Hope Hodgson’s character Carnacki the Ghost Finder in a major role. Carnacki’s general behaviour and mannerisms should be canonical, much as in the original tales, though inventive and reasonable extrapolations from those are welcome. We may take a handful of stories with non-supernatural resolutions. Note: Reprints are potentially welcome THE SHORT VERSION THE BOOK OF CARNACKI A Belanger Books Project, edited by John Linwood Grant Core concept: 5,000–10,000 word stories featuring William Hope Hodgson’s character Carnacki the Ghost Finder in a major role. Carnacki’s general behaviour and mannerisms should be canonical, much as in the original tales, though inventive and reasonable extrapolations from those are welcome. We may take a handful of stories with non-supernatural resolutions. Also: For this particular book, we are interested in 3000–5000 word non-fiction articles relating to Carnacki and his world (see LONG VERSION below). Your pitch must be accepted for your completed story or article to be read. See PITCH section below. Pitch Deadline: 16 April, 2021. Final Submission Deadline: 30 September, 2021. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 or $50 plus 1% of the Kickstarter net profits, whichever amount is GREATER, and a paperback copy of the anthology. The Kickstarter will run March 2022, and publication of book is expected early Spring 2022. PITCHES AND QUERIES ONLY TO [email protected] BY 16th APRIL 2021, PLEASE You MUST put CARNACKI in the subject line of your pitch or query. Failure to do so may invalidate your submission; it may also get lost in general occult detective queries. Reprints: We are open to the possibility of taking a small number of reprints, by negotiation. In order to receive...

Submission Window: April 5th-18th 2021 Payment: 6.00 CAD for 1000-2500 words and 8.00 CAD for 2500-3500 words Theme: short horror fiction with elements of supernatural, quiet, gothic, eerie, paranormal, strange, folklore, magic POETRY submissions will be closed for this issue. Newly added: drabble 100-word fiction Frost Zone Zine is a quarterly zine that is published in digital and print formats. The print issue is a digest-magazine-size paperback book that averages 80-100 pages. (Print will be changing after this year; see this post for more information.)   What we do want: Supernatural. Quiet. Gothic. Paranormal. Eerie. Strange. Folklore. Magic.       Fiction. Original, unpublished, never-broadcast short stories 1000-3500 words. Submit 1 or 2 stories for consideration. (Longer pieces may be considered if writing is concise, not to exceed 5000 words. Keep in mind only 1 or 2 stories over 3500 words can be included, if any.) Also non-paying opportunities: flash fiction 400 – 1000 words, and drabble (exactly 100 words). Submit up to 3 pieces for consideration.   What we don’t want: Do not send material that is offensive, promotes or describes hate, torture, or abuse, is excessively gory or violent; no slasher. No religious, sexual, explicitly adult situations, or politics. No space opera. No fan fiction. No ‘formula’ stories. No derivative works. No media tie-ins, or current events/pop culture references.   For more insight into what Frost Zone Zine is looking for, read this interview with editor M.M. MacLeod For more info. & tips read this page. Payment Frost Zone Zine does not charge reading or submission fees. Payment is expected to increase with time, but as a small, self-funded publication, the following compensation is offered: PAYING OPPORTUNITIES: These pieces may or may not appear on the website, other than a preview, and listed in the table of contents, but will be published in the eBooks and print books. Short Story: (1000-2500 words after editing) 6.00...

Deadline: April 19th, 2021 Payment: $5 Theme: Alternative Realities II If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. (Vol 68.) Alternative Realities II; deadline 19th April !!!NEW SUBMISSION PROCESS!!! SUBMIT YOUR STORIES USING THIS FORM If, this form isn’t working, then please email your submission to [email protected] as a last resort. But please let us know why as we’re hoping to use the form going forward. Title your email with the following syntax: SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982) It is important that your story complies with our Submission Guidelines. Any stories found not to be in compliance will be immediately discarded. Click HERE for details If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories! If accepted, we'll get our fantastic narration team to lend their voices, our editor will sprinkle some magic pixie dust on the track, and you could have your story heard by thousands of listeners each week. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: • Stories must be 2,000 (10% tolerance +/-) • Save stories in a Word document - Times New Roman font, size 12 • Include a 1-2 sentence log line for your story at the end of the document • Title your email with the following syntax: SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982). Failure to...

Deadline: April 28th, 2021 Payment: flat payment of $25.00 CAD for 1200-5000 words, flat payment of $10.00 CAD for 600-1000 words Theme: Horror stories that incorporate some element of art or craft. update March 27, 2021: New: additional length/compensation added now also accepting flash fiction 600 - 1000 words Compensation for flash: flat payment of $10.00 CAD Submission window: January 08 – April 28, 2021   The call is for: Original, never published short stories 1200-5000 words Submit one story only.   Compensation: flat payment of $25.00 CAD for 1200-5000 words flat payment of $10.00 CAD for   600-1000 words (Payment by Paypal only, or eTransfer within Canada)   Theme: Horror stories that incorporate some element of art or craft. This theme calls for stories that are fantastic, imaginative, spooky, scary, supernatural, horrifying, chilling, weird, amazing, twisted, light, or dark. No hatred, torture, abuse, explicitly adult/sexual situations. No excessive gore or violence. No politics, religion, fan fiction, space opera, media-tie ins, pop culture or current events references. Consider:   the characters - artists, crafters, hobbyists, artistic tradespeople, or those who own, interact with, or come across their work. the fruits of their labour (if they play a part in the plot) – toys, jewellery, wrought iron, stained glass, woodwork, paintings, knitted or sewn goods, ceramics, leatherwork, etc. the plot: the plot has to move and not be weighed down with frivolity. the writing:  Well-constructed, concise, smooth transitioning original tales.   Rights: First Worldwide Rights; electronic and serial rights for print and eBook, exclusive for 6 months from the publication date, non-exclusive thereafter for this book in all versions. Author retains copyright.   Edited by:  M.M. MacLeod (editor of Frost Zone Zine) Unlike Frost Zone Zine, which is a small, quarterly digest magazine, this call is for an Anthology Book to be published as POD and eBook. The estimated publishing date is Autumn 2021 (late summer 2021 – early Winter...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: Royalties Theme: A murder needs to be solved by these main characters as the stakes rise higher. Any branch of investigators can be included, even vigilantes. Murder & Mayhem (Rated R) Deadline – April 30th, 2021 Publication – July 2021 Word Count – 5,000-15,000 Theme – A murder needs to be solved by these main characters as the stakes rise higher. Any branch of investigators can be included, even vigilantes. * Introduction of yourself should be a short biography in 3rd Person between 100-200 words. Upon acceptance, this will be used within the anthology. Send a bio with every single anthology submission. We work with hundreds of authors and will not take time to retrieve yours from a previous anthology. * Poetry submissions: All poetry needs to be contained within a single e-mail. Each poem should be in a separate document. Haikus may be grouped together. * All e-mails should be addressed to “Dear Editor.” After receiving edits back, the author has two weeks to return the submission for formatting. All submissions will be reviewed within thirty (30) days of the anthology’s submission deadline. This ensures submission calls do not close early and gives everyone a chance to submit. You will know your submission has been received for consideration by receiving a generic response. Whether accepted or rejected, you will always receive a response. View our blog articles on how to submit to a publisher and how to write a proposal.   Failure to submit following all of the guidelines will result in an immediate refusal. You are able to submit again before the submission call deadline.   Rating – Check each anthologies‘ rating. Word count – Check each anthologies‘ word count requirements. E-mail address to submit to – [email protected]   NOTICE –  Failure to submit correctly will result in refusal of submission. Via: Dragon Soul Press.

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: Royalties and a contributors copy Theme: Romantic love, in all its rawness, oddity, and power, although this does not have to be the primary focus of the story. Short stories submitted in this category will be evaluated for inclusion in the annual Anthology. For stand-alone collections, please submit in the other Short Story category. Please tell us in query form the length, as well as the theme, working title, and upload the complete short story in .doc, .docx, .txt., or .rft format. Please do NOT upload a .pdf of your story. If your story is illustrated, kindly state this in the query, and we will contact you regarding these if selected. The next Short Story Anthology is tentatively titled Draw Down the Moon, from a line in Sextus Propertius's Book I, Love Poems to Cynthia. We will make final selections for this collection by the end of April, 2021. Stories may evolve along a theme of romantic love, in all its rawness, oddity, and power, although this does not have to be the primary focus of the story. This collection is scheduled to be published in the Summer of 2021. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable in this category but please tell us if you are submitting this work to other publishers, and we would appreciate being notified should you decide to contract with another publisher before we have made a final decision on acceptance of your work. Publication in this collection does not preclude publication elsewhere, as will seek a one-time publication only. Winners will receive the following: 1. One (1) print copy of the Anthology 2. One (1) digital copy of the Anthology in the format of your choice 3. Substantially reduced price on purchase of an unlimited number of copies of the Anthology 4. A pro-rata...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: $ 0.06/word Theme: Original alien horror stories with a The Thing/Alien/The Blob/Critters/Night of the Creeps kind of vibe. Note: This anthology will ONLY be open from April 1st-30th. I'm listing it here as early as possible as there will be INTENSE competition for it. Do NOT submit outside of their open window or they'll likely blast you into the cold darkness of space to never be heard from again. There’s life out there… and it’s coming for you! With the success of our first two MIDNIGHT anthologies, MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD and MIDNIGHT IN THE PENTAGRAM, it’s time to roll out the 3rd in our ever growing series - MIDNIGHT FROM BEYOND THE STARS! Silver Shamrock Publishing is announcing its upcoming Open Call for the MIDNIGHT FROM BEYOND THE STARS anthology. We are looking for original alien horror stories with a The Thing/Alien/The Blob/Critters/Night of the Creeps kind of vibe. Specific submission guidelines: Open window for receiving submissions is April 1st - April 30th, 2021 ONLY ! (anything received outside of this window will not be considered). Submit by email to: [email protected] Length: 2,500 - 6,000 words. Format: preferred format is Doc or Docx, double-spaced with author email at the top of the first page. - please use the anthology title, MIDNIGHT FROM BEYOND THE STARS, in the subject heading of your email. - A writer’s CV with a summary of previous publications, awards, recognition, influences, hometown and social media links. - The word count. - Acknowledgement of receipt of your manuscript will be emailed within 3 business days. - Successful authors will receive a contract upon acceptance. Once we have a signed contract by the author and Silver Shamrock Publishing, payment will be made within 30 days via PayPal. Payment: Professional rate of $...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: 2¢ per word for original stories ($30 flat rate for reprints) and a contributors copy Theme: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne Note: Reprints welcome The North American Jules Verne Society is seeking fictional short stories and illustrations for its upcoming anthology, Extraordinary Visions: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne, planned for publication in 2021. This is the first anthology of new fiction ever sponsored by the Society. For Authors: Extraordinary Visions: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne will contain short stories inspired by the writings of Jules Verne. Your story may be set in any time or place. You may use characters from Verne’s novels (they’re all in the public domain) or make up your own. You need not write in Verne’s style. The connection between your story and at least one of Verne’s works must be obvious and significant. We’ll accept simultaneous submissions, but let us know immediately if your story gets accepted elsewhere. We also accept multiple submissions, but it is highly unlikely we’ll publish two or more stories by the same author in this anthology. Stories should be 3,000-5,000 words (firm). Hard Sells Profane and vulgar language. Mild curses are acceptable. Excessive Gore and/or violence. Blood and guts are fine—if they’re part of the story and not the story itself. Sexual acts. Romance is acceptable. Edition and Rights: Extraordinary Visions: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne will be published in electronic, trade paperback, and possibly hardback, in English. We are asking for exclusive, worldwide rights to your work for both electronic and print for six months only, and a non-exclusive right to keep your story in the anthology after that. Payment: Payment is 2¢ per word for original stories ($30 flat rate for reprints), paid at publication. Authors will also receive one copy of both the electronic and...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Prizes: Grand prize: $250.00 and purchase for inclusion in Galaxy’s Edge, second: $100, third: $50 Requirement: An author who has not had any work (including short stories, novelettes, novellas and novels) published by any of the professional publishers listed by SFWA as an “eligible” publishing venue THE MIKE RESNICK MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION ​ Annual Award for the Best Unpublished Science Fiction Short Story by a New Author ​ Sponsored by Galaxy's Edge (published by Arc Manor) and Dragon Con Short Story (definition): A story up to 7,499 words, as defined by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). New Author (definition): An author who has not had any work (including short stories, novelettes, novellas and novels) published by any of the professional publishers listed by SFWA as an “eligible” publishing venue. Eligibility: New science fiction short story by a new author. The story must not have previously been released to the public via any means, including online, digital, or paper publications, or privately through such avenues as newsletters, Patreon and the like. This award is exclusively for science fiction stories, not any other form of speculative genres (including fantasy and horror) and Arc Manor (the publisher of Galaxy’s Edge magazine) will be the final decider of this criteria in case of any disputes. Submissions are open to everyone. They do not need to be current members of Dragon Con. Submission Fee: None. Submission Process: 1. All submissions must be made electronically as an MS Word document or an RTF (Rich Text Format) document. 2. The manuscript should be formatted with size 12 text, black Times New Roman font, lines double spaced, and the entrant’s address (physical and email), phone number and approximate word count should appear at the top of the first page of the manuscript above the title (which should be in...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: $30 for the first 3,000 words, then a 1/2 cent per word up to 7,500 words + print contributor’s copy Theme: Horror fiction focusing on the culture, history, and folklore of the Jewish people Horror is part of the human condition, but few peoples across the ages know horror quite like the Jews. From slavery in Egypt, to the Holocaust, to the crippling neuroses brought on by overbearing mothers, the Chosen People have not only endured hell on Earth, they’ve transcended it to become some of the most influential—and feared—people on the planet. THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR is an anthology of horror fiction focusing on the culture, history, and folklore of the Jewish people, to be published on the first night of Hannukah, 2021. Submissions must tie into the Jewish people or Judaism in some way, shape, or form. While we intend to publish a handful of stories about the Golem and dybbukim, Biblical times (10 Plagues!), and persecution across Europe, we also encourage authors to expand their horizons of what Jewish horror can be, and certainly not shy away from irreverence and/or humor. THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR will be published by Denver Horror Collective (publishers of Terror at 5280’, Denver Post bestseller and 2020 Best Book Award winner for anthology and finalist for horror & the newly-released Consumed: Tales Inspired by the Wendigo), and edited by Josh Schlossberg, biological horror author and lead editor of Terror at 5280’. Please take a moment to read the submission information below to ensure your story content and format fall within guidelines. While we of course encourage Jewish authors to submit, this open call is open to all authors, everywhere.  DEADLINE: Lag B’Omer, April 30, 2021, midnight. WORD COUNT: 3,000-7,500 words (please query for stories outside this range). PAYMENT: $30...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Prizes: The top three winners will receive cash prizes of $75, $50, and $25 respectively, runner-ups will be printed in the collected anthology Theme: Ink Note: There are 4 criteria to follow: Is there at least one queer character and/or obvious queer content? How well does the work incorporate speculative fiction (sci fi, fantasy, paranormal or horror) tropes and concepts? Is the work well-crafted, with a plot, a beginning, a middle, and an end? How well/cleverly is the theme used in the work? Every year, QSF holds a flash fiction contest to create an amazing new anthology of queer speculative fiction stories. We ask authors to do the nearly-impossible – to submit a sci fi, fantasy, paranormal or horror LGBTIQA story that has no more than 300 words. Our 2021 contest launches on March 1st, and closes on April 30th, but we do accept early entries. The theme for 2021 is “Ink”: 1) A colored fluid used for writing 2) The action of signing a deal 3) A black liquid ejected by squid 4) Publicity in the written media 5) A slang word for tattoos Ink is everywhere. Liquid ink the books and magazines and newspapers we read. Virtual ink in our devices. Tattoos have moved decorative body art ink into the mainstream, and our politicians and celebrities often get more ink in the press than they can handle. And ink can leave an indelible stain. Tell us about ink (and the stain it leaves) on your characters, the culture, and the world, for better or worse. We’ll be accepting works from across the queer spectrum, and would love to see more entries including lesbian, trans, bi, intersex and ace protagonists, as well as gay men. We also welcome diversity in ability (physical and mental) and...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: 6 cents per word Theme: original alien horror stories with a The Thing/Alien/The Blob/Critters/Night of the Creeps kind of vibe. There’s life out there… and it’s coming for you! With the success of our first two MIDNIGHT anthologies, MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD and MIDNIGHT IN THE PENTAGRAM, it’s time to roll out the 3rd in our ever growing series - MIDNIGHT FROM BEYOND THE STARS! Silver Shamrock Publishing is announcing its Open Call for the MIDNIGHT FROM BEYOND THE STARS anthology. We are looking for original alien horror stories with a The Thing/Alien/The Blob/Critters/Night of the Creeps kind of vibe. Specific submission guidelines: The deadline for receiving submissions is April 30th, 2021. (anything received outside of this window will not be considered). Submit by email to: [email protected] Length: 2,500 - 6,000 words. Format: preferred format is Doc or Docx, double-spaced with author email at the top of the first page. - please use the anthology title, MIDNIGHT FROM BEYOND THE STARS, in the subject heading of your email. - A writer’s CV with a summary of previous publications, awards, recognition, influences, hometown and social media links. - The word count. - Acknowledgement of receipt of your manuscript will be emailed within 3 business days. - Successful authors will receive a contract upon acceptance. Once we have a signed contract by the author and Silver Shamrock Publishing, payment will be made within 30 days via PayPal. Payment: Professional rate of $ 0.06/word. Note: This is an invitation AND open-submission anthology (approx. 75% invitation/25% open-submission). With the All-Star cast of horror writers we assemble, this will prove to be a very competitive open-submission, with us only taking the very best entries. Via: Silver Shamrock Publishing.

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: 1/2 cent per word and two contributor’s copies Theme: General audience furry stories that involve the ocean, an ocean dwelling creature, or ocean life in some way. All stories should be PG-13 at most. Note: Reprints welcome The editor is Ian Madison Keller who previously co-edited The Daily Grind and Tales from the Guild: World Tour. Publisher is Rainbow Dog Books. This will be our first anthology publication. CURRENTLY OPEN to Submissions The submission period is 1/1/2021 – 4/30/2021 We’re looking for excellent general audience furry stories that involve the ocean, an ocean dwelling creature, or ocean life in some way. All stories should be PG-13 at most. All stories must be furry. That means an anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story — it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence. We’ll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks — as long as it’s excellent. Though, the editor does have a preference for stories where the animal nature of the characters matters — if the reader can’t even remember the species of the characters by the end of the story, then that’s not a good sign. Some examples of this theme in popular media would be Spongebob Squarepants, Finding Nemo, the “Fish Out of Water” episode of Bojack Horseman, Mary E Lowd’s story “An Otter’s Mermaid” from Furry Trash, or Frances Pauli’s “Seed of Doubt” from Passing Through. Other takes on the theme could be an octopus band mistakenly booking a gig on dry land, a cross-species romance between an octopus and a dog, or a literal loan shark trying to collect on a loan. We are interested in underrepresented voices. We welcome and will be looking for diverse voices. We are not interested in stories that give...

Deadline: April 30, 2021 Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00, Up to 5000 words $15.00, Above 5001 words $20.00 Theme: Portals - Doorways - Cracks in reality ​ Submission Open: March 1, 2021 Submission Close: April 30, 2021 - End of day, last place on earth Publishing timeline: 2021 HORROR - May have elements of Dark Fantasy, Dark Fiction and Cosmic horror. But must have the intention to scare the readers. ​ Theme: HORROR -  Portals - Doorways - Cracks in reality ​ Give me your nightmares. Think rips in dimensions, portals to another universe, a forgotten or forbidden land, being pulled into something unknown. This is going to be a ride, and I want you on it. Submission date and Call out will be announced in 2020 ​ Word count: 2000 - 8000 Some wiggle room allowed. ​ Compensation: Flat rate per story (after approved edits)     - Up to 3000 words $10.00     - Up to 5000 words $15.00     - Above 5001 words $20.00 We are also hoping to be able to offer a bonus payment should the sales reach a specific target profit after expenses. This detail will be outlined within the contract ​ Formatting guidelines: Please read carefully ​ We are reading these stories blind, so please refrain from adding your name or any identifying information on the story itself. All fiction manuscripts should be in a standard manuscript format with 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, set auto-indent new paragraphs. Please make sure the title is on the first page, but no other identifying details in the manuscript itself. ​ Title your manuscript with the story title and doors " (the actual story title) - Doors" - again no identifying names on the title of the document. The form you fill out will have your...

Deadline: April 30, 2021 Payment: $0.015 USD per word. Theme: Short stories that highlight a magical or haunting Victorian setting. About the project In late 2021, Bronzewood Books is releasing a Gaslamp Fantasy Anthology, filled with short stories that highlight a magical or haunting Victorian setting. The tentative plan is to release in time for Halloween, so the more spooky you can make the story, the better. If you’re curious about what Gaslamp Fantasy entails, think about Steampunk but less about tech and more focus on magic. Goodreads defines gaslamp fantasy as: a sub-genre of both fantasy and historical fiction. Generally speaking, this particular realm of fantasy employs either a Victorian or Edwardian setting. The gaslamp fantasy genre is not to be confused with steampunk, which usually has more of a super-science edge and uchronic tone. Gaslamp fantasy also differs from classical Victorian/Edwardian faerie or pure fantasy in the J.R.R. Tolkien or Lewis Carroll style or from historical crime-novels in the Anne Perry or June Thomson style by the supernatural elements, themes, and subjects it features. Many of its tropes, themes, and stock characters derive from Gothic literature — a long-established genre composed of both romantic and horrific traits and motivated by the desire to rouse fear, apprehension, and other intense emotions within the reader — and could be described as an attempt to modernize literary Gothicism. Here is a fantastic article about the subgenre with lists of books: Best Fantasy Books: Gaslamp Fantasy Notes & Answers to questions already asked:   Question: Can it be a story I’ve already published? Answer: This should be an original short story (not previously published). Question: Can I publish the short story elsewhere? Answer: Exclusivity will be required for a short period of time, then individual story rights will revert back to the author....

Submission Window: April 1st-April 30th, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Note: You must identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. khōréō is a quarterly publication of stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. We’re especially interested in writing and art that explore some aspect of migration, whether explicitly (themes of immigration, colonialism, etc.), metaphorically, or with a sly nod and a wink. Most importantly, we’re a new magazine and we’re still finding our identity: therefore, please don’t self-reject because you’re not sure if your work is a good fit. We won’t know until we see it, so please give us a chance to look! See submission requirements & how to submit at the following pages: Fiction Non-fiction Art Voice actors Who can submit? khōréō is dedicated to diversity and amplifying the voices of immigrant and diaspora authors and artists. We welcome, but do not require, a brief description of the author’s/artist’s identity in their cover letter. We invite you to submit if you identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or...

Deadline: April 30th, 2021 Payment: A copy of the book and £50 Theme: Poems that pay tribute to the women who’ve changed our lives Note: My apologies for the short turnaround, this JUST hit my inbox. Submissions are OPEN for our 2021 anthology, The Book of Bad Betties. Deadline: 30th April Editors: VANESSA KISUULE and ANJA KONIG We’re looking for poems that pay tribute to the women who’ve changed our lives—whether yours personally, or the wider world’s. From your mum to Marsha P Johnson, Enheduanna to Joan of Arc, Maya Angelou to Marlene Dietrich. We want to hear about the baddasses, the queens, the upstarts, the legends, the bosses, the matriarchs, the hellraisers, the darlings, the dames. We aim to represent a broad range of poetic styles and approaches, so roam wild and take this wherever you want. If your work’s chosen, you’ll receive a copy of the book and a £50 fee, and be invited to perform at an online launch in September.   Submission guidelines Please send 1-3 poems (in a single PDF or Word doc) to [email protected] Please use 2021 Anthology as your email subject We’re looking for work that has not been previously published (in a book, magazine or on social media – screenshare during online events is fine) There’s no line limit or requirements for font or contact details Submissions are welcome from anywhere in the world The deadline is Midnight, 30th April — poems sent after this won’t be read The best way to get an idea of the kind of work we like is to read our books. (We don’t require any purchase and it won’t affect your chances of selection, but it will help to keep us in business and support indie publishing.) After sending work, you’ll get an immediate response confirming that we’ve received your submission. We’re aiming to make decisions and respond to...