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Deadline: May 1st, 2022 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Story must begin with: Thomas hadn't expected to be alive when the town's time capsule was opened. We love that writers around the world are inspired by our first lines, and we know that not every story will be sent to us. However, we ask that you do not submit stories starting with our first lines to other journals (or post them online on public sites) until we've notified you as to our decision (usually four weeks after the deadline). When the entire premise of the publication revolves around one sentence, we don't want it to look as if we stole that sentence from another writer. If you have questions, feel free to drop us a line. Also, we understand that writers may add our first line to a story they are currently working on or have already completed, and that's cool. But please do not add our first line to a previously published story and submit it to us. We do not accept previously published stories, even if they have been repurposed for our first lines. And, just to be clear, we do not accept simultaneous submissions. One more thing while I've got you here: Writers compete against one another for magazine space, so, technically, every literary magazine is running a contest. There are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. Occasionally, we run contests to help come up with new first lines, or we run fun, gimmicky competitions for free stuff, but the actual journal is not a contest in the...

Deadline: May 1st, 2022 Payment: 7 cents per word Theme: Horror stories that take place in a cemetery/burial place. Horror Anthology Open Call Right now we’re reading stories for an anthology entitled Picnic in the Graveyard. 2000-4000 word horror stories that take place in a cemetery/burial place. No reprints. $0.07/word. Send stories to [email protected] w/ attached doc file. Deadline May 1st or until the graveyard is full. ……………………………………………………. FUNDAMENTAL FORMATTING FOR FICTION SUBMISSIONS Uncategorized No SASE necessary. Always follow the submission guidelines of the call if they’re provided, however tedious they might be. The information above and below works for subs you send us and where there aren’t specific formatting guidelines. How To Write a Publishing Bio with Few or No Credits Sending a submission for a call without saying something about who you are isn’t a deal breaker, but it can certainly help your cause. A brief third-person bio in a sub email has become as common as double-spaced formatting. There’s no reason why you can’t leave an impression on an editor in addition to the quality of your story, regardless of your writing credits. Here are a few examples of how you can dress up your pub bio: After stating your pen name, open with what genre or niche you most like to write. And don’t just say you like to write stories that you know an editor likes; it’s not memorable. Reggie MacReginald crafts contemporary urban legends in his spare time, some have called him a creepypasta aficionado. You might want to avoid humor. I don’t mind a little humor in a bio, but some folks go overboard. If you have a writing credit you can insert it here. Make sure to include a link to it if it can be read for free online. Editors like to learn about...

Submission Window: April 1st - May 1st, 2022 Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.01 USD per word/$25 USD max, Poems-less than 200 words $10, Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.01 USD per word/$10 USD max Theme: Sex works: Exposed, Exploited, and Missing The Summer 2022 Issue’s theme is SEX WORKERS: EXPOSED, EXPLOITED, AND MISSING. This theme’s focus is autonomy, legalization, and equal protection under the law. It is not sex focused, but lifestyle focused. LGC is sex positive and wishes to explore the possibilities of sacred prostitution and social acceptance of a profession that has existed since humans began. All submissions through Duotrope link above. Acceptances will be notified on May 15. The Last Girls Club Magazine is a quarterly feminist horror magazine that publishes international short stories and poems from the female gaze. It is an homage to the scary comics and zines of the late 20th century. Please check on the website for the theme in detail. Submissions will be accepted from Jan 1-Feb 1, April 1-May 1, July 1-Aug 1, Oct 1-Nov 1. Final notifications will be Feb 15, May 15, Aug 15, Nov 15. No more than two fiction stories per author per submission period. Fiction is limited to 2,500 words or less. Flash fiction must be under 1,000 words, no more than two from an author. No more than three poems per poet. Poems are limited to 200 words or less for each poem. I prefer to use PayPal to pay authors, but will work with authors where PayPal is not available. Nonfiction columns will must be pitched to editor in chief before submission. Email your idea to [email protected] Submit at the link below: Via: Last Girls Club Duotrope.

Deadline: May 1st, 2022 Payment: £30 payment and a contributors copy Theme: Powerful crime fiction short stories In November 2022, we will publish the first Red Dog Press Crime Fiction Anthology. Edited by Stephen J. Golds, this will be a collection of stories under the title GONE. ​ We are looking for powerful crime fiction short stories, of between 3500 and 6000 words, within all sub-genres of crime fiction. ​ GONE will combine stories from world-class, best selling authors, with debuts and as yet unsigned authors. We will open submissions on March 1st and close them on May 1st, so you don't have long to get your story in shape. All that we ask is that what you submit is a unique and powerful piece of crime fiction, clearly related to the theme 'GONE'. ​ Submissions must be sent before closing to [email protected], with the subject line GONE: (Your Story Title) and (Your Name). ​ All selected contributors will receive £30 payment and a contributors copy of the anthology. ​ Stories which don't match the theme, are too long or too short, will be instantly discounted. Successful authors will be alerted by email by 6th May 2022. ​ Good luck, we're looking forward to reading your words. ​ Via: Red Dog Press.

Deadline: May 1st, 2022 Prizes: The top three winners will receive cash prizes of $75, $50, and $25 respectively Theme: A sci fi, fantasy, paranormal or horror LGBTIQA story that has no more than 300 words with the theme of: Clarity 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 2022 contest launches on March 1st, and closes on May 1st, but we do accept early entries. The theme for 2022 is “Clarity”: 1) Coherent and intelligible 2) Transparent or pure 3) Attaining certainty about something 4) Easy to see or hear The whole world is murky right now. Covid waves, climate change, and right-wing pollution of our airwaves have made even truth suspect and subject to dispute. What we need most is clarity. Clarity about the world around us and the path forward. Tell us about clarity in all its forms and the difference it can make 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 in race. We had our most diverse set of entries yet in 2021 – let’s keep up the trend! We always get tons of gay sci fi shorts every year, so if you try your hand at fantasy, paranormal or horror, especially with the other letters of the queer alphabet, you’ll have a better chance of standing out. Try for something unique – take...

Deadline: May 1st, 2022 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Ageing 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 83.) Ageing; deadline 1st May 2022 !!!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 • Ensure that your name and an email address are somewhere on the document • Stories must fit an upcoming theme • By submitting your story to us, you are...

Deadline: May 2nd, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, sci-fi, Speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream Planet Scumm accepts submissions from writers across the world. (Our HQ is a roving meteor-sized space station—Earth’s borders mean nothing to us. We want to hear from writers of every race, nationality, and gender identity. WHAT TO SUBMIT Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, sci-fi that melts in your mouth-brain not your hand-brain Speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream Basically anything that pleases Scummy, our megaphone-toting slime buddy, will be considered for entry to the interstellar archive aboard Scummy’s saucer HOW TO SUBMIT Include submissions as a .doc or .docx attachment to [email protected] along with a brief cover letter in the email body. Please attach only your story (no images, do not put your story in the body text of the email). Stories, or collections of flash fiction, should be no more than 5,000 words in length, and submitted in standard manuscript format. Submit only one previously unpublished short story or flash collection. We will not accept multiple submissions from the same author in one reading period. Simultaneous submissions are okay, as long as you promptly withdraw a story accepted elsewhere. SCHEDULE, RIGHTS, AND PAYMENT Accepted authors receive 5 cents a word and one contributor copy. Our publication operates in print, e-book, and audiobook. Some accepted stories will also be published on our website. We purchase exclusive English language print, audio, and electronic publishing rights for six months, with non-exclusive rights thereafter. Authors will receive payment within 3 months of signing their contract.   Via: Planet Scumm.

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents a word for stories up to 2,000 words. Stories above 2,000 are capped at $100 payment Theme: Accepts ALL genres, prefers: memoir, bizarro, and speculative, humorous, strange, and thoughtful Note: Reprints Welcome Note: You do need to be a free subscriber to submit Whatever happened to the art of storytelling? It's become a lost relic, along with our identities. But here, we're revitalizing this once great craft. Don't worry, you're in good hands. After all, if laughter is medicine, then Story Unlikely is therapy for broken souls. Why submit to us? WE PAY PROFESSIONAL RATES. It’s hard work writing good stories, and you deserve to get paid fairly for it. Or maybe you don’t, and you’re just duping us? Regardless, we pay 5 cents a word for stories up to 2,000 words. Stories above 2,000 are capped at $100 payment.NO SUBMISSION FEES. We’re not saying the other guys are getting rich off $3 per submission, but there’s something about the idea that we, as writers, have you pay you, the publisher, just for the privilege of rejecting our work with a form letter, bothers us. (Costs of running an E-zine aside) We’re going to go ahead and coin a phrase right here and now - ‘Write privilege’, get it? Of course, you do.GET YOUR WORK IN FRONT OF A LARGE AND GROWING AUDIENCE. Our aim is fixed on telling good stories, period, and because of that we have built a readership from all over the globe. Want to get your stories out to more than just dear old granny? Then you've come to the right place.REASONABLE TURN-AROUND TIME. If your story hasn’t been published within 90 days after being submitted (or you haven’t heard from us on the occasion of a story holdover), then it was...

Submission Window: May 1st-3rd 2022 Payment: $50 Theme: Weather. A new theme, weather, starts in January 2022. 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. Added March 3, 3021: Although it states below that only one work per author per submission, I am suddenly getting multiple poems at a time. Only one story or poem per submission, per author. (Kate Wolford, Editor-In-Chief.) And the theme for 2022? It’s “WEATHER.” (No more submissions are being accepted for publication in December of 2021). The following is relevant to all submissions for 2022, and the first submission window opens Jan. 1. More below.   Writing opportunities for 2022 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.   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 2022.   * Writers will have a chance to submit fairy-tale inspired stories/poems five times in 2022. Since we will be choosing eight to 10 works per publishing month, there are up to 50 slots to be filled in 2022. That’s a lot! And it does not...

Submission Window: May 1st-3rd, 2022 Payment: 8 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 8¢ 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: May 8th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Modern gothic literature, cosmic horror Submissions: OPEN (Issue 2) WITCH HOUSE is an amateur magazine that seeks to discover, inspire, and publish emerging horror authors who are enthusiastic about the pulp fiction tradition of a modern gothic literature called "cosmic horror." Writers in this tradition include (but are not limited to) the following: Edgar Allan Poe, M.R. James, Arthur Machen, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Bloch, August Derleth, Shirley Jackson, Karl Edward Wagner, Thomas Ligotti, Stephen King, and many more. "Cosmic horror" emphasizes helpless protagonists, unexplainable monstrous menaces, and fictional occult themes such as forbidden lore and evil conspiracy. Some "cosmic horror" blurs the lines separating mystery/noir, crime fiction, and horror, but it is distinguished by a dramatic deviation from the reality principle. At Witch House, we prefer lyrical, literary, and artful terror of the sublime that unsettles subtly rather than gross-out gore. Published by Spiral Tower Press. • Submission deadline for our second issue: Sunday, May 8th, 2022, 11:59p. • Editorial decisions: Sunday, June 12th, 2022. • Publication of Issue 2: Friday, August 19th, 2022. Fiction Length: We prefer short, compressed stories that are nevertheless complete and cohesive narratives (1500 to 2500 words). These limits are firm. No more, no less. Fiction Style: We prefer atmospheric horror that emphasizes disturbing and suggestive settings. We prefer renderings of supernatural horror to be artfully sketchy and sublime. Documentary descriptions of monstrosity rarely works for us. We generally prefer the first person perspective. We are open to experimental narrative techniques. Poetry Length and Form: Submit up to three short poems, no more than 500 words of verse total. We are open to both formal and free verse poetry. We have a soft spot for sonnets. Publication, payment, and rights: Issues will be published as .pdf files. If work is selected for publication in WITCH...

Deadline: May 8th, 2022 Payment: Small advance + royalties Theme: sleaze, body horror, unhinged characters, oddball premises, anti-commercial, weirdo shit that’ll get you kicked out of any major NY publishing house should you even discuss it on their property. Ghoulish Books is open for horror novella submissions, and we will remain open until Sunday, May 8th (11:59 P.M. CST). What we are looking to publish: sleaze, body horror, unhinged characters, oddball premises, anti-commercial, weirdo shit that’ll get you kicked out of any major NY publishing house should you even discuss it on their property. Art for sickos and by sickos. Perverted material that makes you feel weird and uncomfortable. Characters drowning in filth and loving it. Books that subvert normality. We want you to bring us the material you’re too scared to show anyone else. General Guidelines Word count: 20,000 – 40,000 Deadline: May 8th (11:59 P.M. CST) Payment: Small advance + royalties Reprints: No Simultaneous Submissions: Yes   Submit all manuscripts as a doc or docx file to [email protected] with the following subject line: GHOULISH NOVELLA – – . Please don’t forget to include “GHOULISH NOVELLA” in the subject line, otherwise we might lose your submission. Note: we are NOT interested in short story collections. Do not submit story collections. They will be rejected unread. You can direct any questions to the same email address. Okay, we lied, here are a few other ghoulish things we wanted to mention: We produce a podcast called GHOULISH and it’s available for free wherever you download podcasts. Two years in, we have released well over 100 episodes with guests such as Chuck Tingle, Jeff VanderMeer, Stephen Graham Jones, Mary Roach, and so on. Visit the podcast’s website HERE. Subscribe and leave a review! It really helps!   Via: Perpetual Publishing.

Deadline: May 9th, 2022 Payment: $30 & 2 print copies of the anthology. Theme: Your interpretation of "Running Away" Ever wish, with every cell in your body, that you could run away? From home, from a person, from your job, from yourself? Physically or emotionally, on foot or purely in your own mind? We want you to write about this for an anthology we’ll be publishing in the summer of 2023. We’re looking for short prose—fiction or creative nonfiction—that explores the need to leave, to escape, to run. We love a speculative slant, whatever that means to you. It can mean the strange or surreal. It can mean horror or fantasy. It can simply mean it’s not what you’re supposed to wish for. We're flexible. Just keep it between 500-3000 words. We are extremely interested in publishing pieces from BIPOC and LGBTQIA perspectives. You must be at least 18 to submit. All work must be the author’s own, in English or accompanied by an English translation. Single pieces by multiple authors considered. Previously published work will not be given top consideration, but it isn’t a deal-breaker. Please be very clear about your piece being previously published if you decide to go that route! You may submit 1-3 flash fiction pieces (just keep the total count under 3000 words) or one short story up to 3000 words. Please only submit once during the submission period. Submit only through our Submittable link, which will open on March 28th, 2022 and close on May 9th. There is no cost to submit! Payment per author: $30 & 2 print copies of the anthology. About us: ASP is an independent literary press founded in 2010 to publish books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry that are beautifully written and beautifully made, with the avid reader and...

Deadline: May 9th, 2022 Payment: $0.01 per word and $10 for each accepted flash piece Theme: Speculative fiction centered around Eastern European folklore, culture, and heritage. The current state of our world cannot be ignored, nor can the need for visibility and support during times of violence and turmoil. At Starward Shadows, our hearts go out to everyone who is currently experiencing suffering and hardship as a result of the conflict in the Ukraine. We realized there’s no better way to break our hiatus than with a special themed issue of the Starward Shadows eZine that’s centered around Eastern European folklore, culture, and heritage.   Our submissions window will run for exactly one month, from April 9th to May 9th, 2022. No matter who you are or where you come from, we want your voices to be heard, and we want to share your stories with the world. As long as your story pays homage to Eastern European culture, or even touches on the horrors of war in some other form we can’t articulate, please send it our way. Just be sure that it falls within this issue’s word count requirements, and includes plenty of speculative elements! Since funding is still a difficult area for our publication, we’re launching a Kickstarter campaign to pay our authors what they deserve for their work and give Eastern European voices and themes a much-needed boost voice in the literary world. Any other donations that aren’t needed to pay for the publication will be put towards providing relief for the Ukrainian people. To keep our goals achievable and provide a platform for as many authors as possible, we’re lowering the word count limit for short fiction pieces and strongly encouraging flash submissions. Short fiction: 1,500 – 4,000 words  Flash fiction: 500 – 1,500 words Any...

Deadline: May 9th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents a word Theme: General Horror Note: Unpublished Authors Only Every month we publish a short story on our website and in our newsletter. For May’s story, we’re accepting submissions only from unpublished authors. This means you have never been paid for a piece of fiction before. Theme: There’s no theme. It just has to be a horror story. Payment: 5 cents a word Length: 1000 words or fewer (don’t worry if you’re a few words over) Submission Period: Now until May 9, 2022 No reprints, multiple subs or simultaneous subs. Use Classic Shunn formatting. Send to james at monstrousbooks.com and use this format for the subject heading: Flash Fiction - Title - Author Name. Include a short bio in your email. Via: Monstrous Books.

  Deadline: May 10th, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Rebirth Note: Apologies for the short window, I didn't realize they were open again. Submission Guidelines Send submissions to [email protected] with "Submission" as the subject. Please read before submitting. Thank you. Submissions are currently: OPEN Summer 2022 theme: Rebirth. Submissions will be open from March 15th - May 10th. We publish OwnVoices stories in all genres. All works including common triggers will be prefaced by a trigger warning. How we define OwnVoices: an author from a marginalized, persecuted, or underrepresented group writing about their own experiences/from their own perspective, rather than someone from an outside perspective writing as a character from an underrepresented group. All works must be own voice. Any graphic depictions of sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, etc. must be own voice. We do not publish work that encourages violence or hatred toward others. You must be 18 or older to submit. All submissions must: be in English be double spaced be 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font have tab-indention on all paragraphs have a one-inch margin on all pages be a Microsoft or Google Docs file All submissions must include a cover page. The cover page should include: title author’s name (pen names allowed) an indication that the author is over 18 an approximate word count identities relevant to the piece trigger/content warnings for your work, if applicable Flash Fiction pieces should be under 2k words. Any Flash fiction piece over 2k words will not be considered. Short stories should be between 6k and 8k words. Any short stories below 6k or over 8k will not be considered. You may submit artwork you have created with your piece. We do accept multimedia submissions. You must own the rights to the artwork. Do not submit first drafts...

Submission Window: May 8th-14th, 2022. Payment: $0.01 (one cent) per word Theme: Swashbuckling action in all genres Rakehell buys First Worldwide Serial Rights to swashbuckling tales from 3,000 to 8,000 words long. We currently pay $0.01 (one cent) per word. We know that’s not much, and we hope to increase our rate as soon as possible. Rakehell Accepts All Genres We’re looking for stories of swashbuckling action in all genres. We love fantasy, steampunk, and historical fiction, but we’ll read anything that fits the Rakehell vibe. We’re looking for small-scale conflicts with personal motivations. We’re less interested in epic quests and straight military fiction. Think Robin Hood, Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser, the Three Musketeers, Horatio Hornblower, Felimid mac Fal, Flashman, Khlit the Cossack, the Gentleman Bastards, Captain Blood, the Greatcoats, Inigo Montoya, Indiana Jones, Rudolf Rassendyll, Richard St. Vier… Feel free to draw on other genres, like mystery, comedy, and romance. No erotica. “Swashbuckling” implies a sense of fun and excitement. Don’t sugarcoat the realities of violence, but don’t dwell in the darkness. Readers should come away from your story exhilarated, not depressed. Stories will probably have a pre-modern technology level. Swords stopped being quite so useful once firearms advanced past the black powder stage. (Flintlock-era technology is welcome.) If your story has a reason why guns/grenades/missiles/lasers/phasers/blasters aren’t an option, we’ll consider it. For sci-fi, think Star Wars or Dune. If your story captures the Rakehell attitude, we can be flexible. Put another way: a duel at dawn between two libertines with flintlock pistols is a yes. A showdown at noon between two cowboys with revolvers is a maybe. A shoot-out between a mobster and the cops is a no. Magic is fine, but will probably be low. Worlds where battle magic is common and/or powerful tend to have the same problems as worlds with modern firearms. Rakehell is at...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: $50 flat fee Theme: stories from throughout Kolchak’s life A Kolchak: The Night Stalker graphic novel anthology for the show’s 50th anniversary next year. Moonstone Books is the publisher. ​ A Kickstarter is coming soon. Sign up for the email alert here  ​ As part of the campaign, we're also looking for PROSE short stories. This call is NOT for comic scripts. ​ GUIDELINES FOR KOLCHAK 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROSE ANTHOLOGY ​ Payment: $50 flat fee (This will increase when we hit certain stretch goals through the Kickstarter) Length: 1500 to 5000 words Submission Period: Immediately following the Kolchak 50 Kickstarter campaign (probably some in February or March) until May 15, 2022 or filled Expected Release Date: Late 2022 No multiple submissions ​ WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Here’s your chance to write a classic Kolchak story. Like the theme for the 50th anniversary graphic novel, the prose anthology will consist of stories from throughout Kolchak’s life, from the late 1930s to the late ’90s. Please, be familiar with Kolchak before writing your story and watch the TV movies and series! Here's a bio for the character. While we’re looking for writers to submit full stories, you can send a story pitch to the editor before you write the story. But, please, don’t send stories before the submissions period opens. ​ Don't get hung up on the personal details of Kolchak's life. Like the TV shows, keep the focus on the investigation. You're best off not adding a wife or long-lost cousin to Kolchak's biography.  ​ SUBMISSIONS A Kickstarter campaign for the graphic novel and prose anthology will launch early in 2022, after which we’ll open to submissions. Since this is a licensed character, you cannot retain rights to the story. Use classic Shunn formatting. Send as an...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: Novelettes with the theme "The Wizard Must Be Stopped!" Edited by Tracy Cooper-Posey Stories Rule Press (SRP) is now seeking submissions for Urban Fantasy Digest 2022: The Wizard Must Be Stopped!, the third anthology in this series.  The anthology will be published on July 28, 2022. Deadline: May 15, 2022 Length: 7,500 to 10,000 words Payment: Revenue share Genre This is an anthology of urban fantasy novelettes. Theme The theme is “The Wizard Must Be Stopped!” – which can be interpreted by the author in any way that provides a story featuring a wizard in some shape or form.  The wizard does not have to be the antagonist, nor does she have to be strictly human. Stretch the theme as far as your imagination allows.  We’re looking for twelve unique takes on the idea of what a wizard might be up to that requires halting them. Please see the retail book description, below, for more on this. The story should conform to urban fantasy genre expectations.  Epic fantasy, fantasy set in secondary worlds, non-contemporary city settings, or remote settings do not fit the genre. The retail book description This is the description that will appear on the back of the book, and on retail sites. (Please note: the actual number of stories to be included in the anthology is to be finalized during the reading period.) ========Retail Book Description============ Wayward wizards are among us. Stories Rule Press presents Urban Fantasy Digest 2022: The Wizard Must Be Stopped! Of all the fantasy and paranormal species who inhabit our urban fantasy worlds, wizards are the epitome of magical persons.  Dark or good, powerful or not, enemy or friend, a wizard has vast influence over people and stories…and can change the fortunes of all. Discover twelve very different wizards in twelve spellbinding...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: horror/dark fiction QUARTERLY PRINT MAGAZINE   Breakdown of content:   8 fiction pieces (approximate word lengths) – 1x 5000, 1x 3000, 1x 2500, 2x 1500, 3x 500 3-5 non-fiction pieces – 1 article, 1-2 briefs, 1 interview and/or review – Fiction:   We are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-5000 words firm. Common sense when submitting please. We do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors direct or implied. We are not looking for pure shock value. All components of your story should have merit. Gore for gore’s sake is not what we are looking for. Our pay rates 5 cents per word All payments are made in US funds via PayPal.   We accept submissions during the following reading periods , with an expected response time of up to 16 weeks. This way we are able to accommodate all the submissions we receive. If you have not heard back from us after 16 weeks, please feel free to send us an update query.   WINTER ISSUE: August 15 – November 15   SPRING ISSUE: November 16 – February 15   SUMMER ISSUE: February 16 – May 15   FALL ISSUE: May 16 – August 15   While not a requirement, we strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the digital magazine to help better understand the types of work we’re looking for. All submissions must be sent via e-mail to: [email protected] as an attached word document or .rtf with the word “Fiction Submission – STORY TITLE” in the subject line. In the body of the email include a word count. A short bio is welcome, but not mandatory. Please also include if you wish your story considered for both the quarterly print and the website publication. Note compensation rates are different for website so be certain....

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: $50 Theme: Speculative fiction (horror, science fiction, fantasy) that takes place in Hawaii. Note: The author must have 'some' connection to Hawaii. Note: Reprints welcome, though might be a hard sell if enough quality original work comes in Theme: Short stories in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, or any mixture thereof, taking place on the Hawaiian Islands. Authors may not currently live in Hawaiʻi but must have some significant connection to the islands. Bonus points if your story draws from traditional folklore, but more bonus points if your story reflects authentic experience. Word count: 2,000 – 5,000 (wiggle room allowed) Payment: Flat rate payment of $50 dollars per story. Reprints: May be considered. Multiple and/or simultaneous submissions: Allowed. Please contact us immediately if your story was accepted elsewhere. Formatting: We accept standard manuscript format, 12-point Times New Roman. (shunn.net/format/classic/) Submissions: Please submit your manuscript as a .docx attachment to [email protected] as well as a brief cover letter mentioning any relevant experiences or publication history and your connection to the Hawaiian Islands. Response Time: Please reach out if you haven’t heard a response within 90 days of submission. Established in 1974 with the publication of Hawaii Planner, A Travel Diary, Mutual Publishing is proud to offer one of the largest selections of Hawaiiana titles found in the Islands. We publish books about everything from Hawaiian, history, and natural sciences to fiction, and local arts and crafts. Mutual Publishing draws from a diverse group of dynamic authors, artists, photographers, and experts to be Hawaiʻi’s largest trade publishing house. Mutual Publishing also offers a full range of private label products and services. Although Mutual Publishing’s product lines have grown considerably, our goal has remained simple: “To be Hawaiʻi’s premier provider of Hawaiiana books and private label merchandise.” Via: Fletcher Stories.

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: 15GBP Theme: 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 84.) Faeries; deadline 15th May 2022 !!!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 • Ensure that your name and an email address are somewhere on the document • Stories must fit an upcoming theme • By submitting your story to us, you are confirming...

Deadline: May 15th, 2022 Payment: £100 and a free contributor copy Theme: Writing that is a source of comfort, inspiration, learning and escape. Note: All genres are acceptable but keep the theme in mind, not overly looking for horror unless it really fits. Note: Apologies for the short window, this hit my inbox this morning. We are looking for prose and poetry to publish in our For a Friend anthology, a giftable collection of writing for oneself or a friend. We are open to a wide range of genres and styles that fit the theme. As a guide, we think we are looking for pieces that range from words of encouragement to life advice-styled poetry and prose, to love letters you might send to a friend, i.e. writing that is a source of comfort, inspiration, learning and escape. We are looking especially for work from writers of colour and working class writers living in the UK. The submission window for the anthology is open until May 15th. We encourage you to read our previous publications to get a feel for the style of writing we enjoy and give you the best chance. If you do not have access to a copy of Lucent Dreaming via your library, and have no or very low income, please email [email protected] to receive a free copy. Word Limit: 400-3,999 words for prose Line Limit: 72 lines for poetry Pay Rate: Fixed £100 and a free contributor copy. Language: English We enjoy beautifully written prose and poetry, especially writing that embraces and explores inner-lives.  We do not publish the following: Fan fiction based on copyright texts Gratuitous gore/torture and other violence for the sake of violence Erotica     Submissions Process: Please use our submission form to upload your submission. You may need to create a Gmail address....

Submission Window: May 1st-15th, 2022 Payment: 02 per word, .01 per word for reprints Theme: Cyberpunk Note: Reprints Welcome This anthology is open May 1st-15th. Pease do not submit beforehand. Wordcount: Up to 2,000 words. Genre: Cyberpunk Formats: eBook and Print on Demand Rights: Nonexclusive with no exclusivity outlined in a contract. Compensation: .02 per word, .01 per word for reprints, and an eBook copy of finished product. Reprints: Yes! Just let us know where it was pubbed so we can credit original publication. Multiple Subs: Yes! Just no more than three at a given time. Simultaneous subs: Yes! Please let us know if it gets accepted elsewhere. Submit each story with the subject line “The Mods Submission: Story Title by Author Name” to [email protected]. Send stories attached as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf. If submitting more than one story send each in a separate email. Please include a bio in third person of no more than 20 words. Via: Shacklebound Books.

Deadline: May 20th, 2022 Payment: USD $0.08 cents per word for the first 5000 words. $10 per poem. Theme: Hopeful science fiction and fantasy (see below!) Mithila Review is inviting submissions for a special global Hopepunk issue of science fiction (and fantasy) devoted to positive and powerful character-driven stories that imagine an open and inclusive tech-empowered democratic future for all people, species and countries on Earth. Who we are Mithila Review is a readers-supported international journal of science fiction and fantasy established in 2015. We have published the best of speculative fiction, poetry, non-fiction and conversations with new, emerging, and Hugo-winning authors over the years. You can read all our issues for free here on our website or on your favorite reading device. Why Hopepunk? With funding support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a US-based NGO that works to strengthen democracy, we are collaborating with our sci-fi friends at Mafagafo + A Taverna (Brazil) and Omenana (Nigeria) to re-imagine positive visions for a high-tech democracy that can out-inspire and out-govern digital tyranny, censorship, surveillance, and authoritarianism.  The final stories from all three journals will be collected and published in a global anthology edited by Dr. Amy Johnson (editor: Drones & Dreams, 2019) in 2022. What do we want? For this special issue of Mithila Review, we want excellent, hopeful and memorable stories. Your story and characters should make us think, turn us into believers, and make us want to fight for and be part of a truly democratic future. What positive interventions do you think could bring us closer to the future you want for all of us? Here are a few questions to help you get started: Governance: What does a high-tech democracy look like? What does it mean for you, your family, community, or our planet? How can we reform elections, their mechanisms and instruments, for equal...

Deadline: May 20th, 2022 Payment: $3 Theme: Mischief, trouble, and challenging the status quo in LGBTQ+ science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and dark fantasy Thank you for your interest in submitting work to our gay fantasy arts & literary journal! ​ No entry fee is required, and all rights in the story remain the property of the author or artist. All types of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and dark fantasy are welcome. ​ We accept submissions on a rolling basis. We are a quarterly publication publishing 4 times a year; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. For our summer publication, please submit your works by May 20th, 2022. The theme for our summer issue will be mischief, trouble, and challenging the status quo. ​ Before submitting to us please keep in mind that we are devoted to LGBTQ+ fantasy. Your work should strongly reflect that. We are interested in work that elevates dreams and fairy tales in the gay community and its supporters. We're looking for original works of magic and fantasy. Even in darkness, hope can exist. We want to be transported to new worlds or fascinating new versions of our own! When considering submitting to us please ensure the work meets the above criteria. ​ All entries must be in English and original works. Plagiarism, which includes the use of third-party poetry, song lyrics, characters or another person’s universe, without written permission, will not be accepted. Submissions may not have been previously published in professional media or anywhere accessible online without a friend request or password. This includes personal blogs. ​ Fiction: We welcome fiction, 5,000 words or less. If you have a longer piece and your interested in publishing the work in separate issues, you can send those along as well. Submit as a Word document only. No PDFs. For flash fiction...

Deadline: May 20th, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: character-focused, weird sword-and-sorcery: stories of a dark and transgressive nature, set in a secondary or historical-paranormal world What We Are Looking For: Old Moon publishes character-focused, weird sword-and-sorcery: stories of a dark and transgressive nature, set in a secondary or historical-paranormal (“our” reality, but with a twist, if you will) world, with a focus on rounded characters undergoing some sort of conflict, resolved (though not always successfully!) by the might of their main or mind. ​ We love stories that combine that sense of action and adventure with well-rounded characters who make us question our own realities and perceptions. We love to see the gothic, the baroque, the eldritch, and we love to see it hit with an axe. Weird fiction and sword-and-sorcery can both be slippery terms. That is part of the fun! But, for our purposes we know it may help prospective writers if we list a series of authors and their stories we feel encompass (at least in part) what we love about the borderland of sword/sorcery and weird fiction: Laird Barron ("Oblivion Mode," "Ode to Jode the Toad") E.R. Eddison (The Worm Ouroboros) John R. Fultz ("Chivaine") Robert E. Howard ("The Shadow Kingdom," "Worms of the Earth") Caitlin R. Kiernan ("The Sea Troll's Daughter") John Langan ("The Savage Angela in: The Beast in the Tunnels") Tanith Lee (Birthgrave, "Southern Lights") C.L. Moore ("The Black God's Kiss") Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Return of the Sorcereress) Michael Shea (Nifft the Lean) Clark Ashton Smith ("The Charnel God," "Necromancy in Naat") E. Catherine Tobler ("The Living, Vengeant Stars, "And After the Fire, A Still Small Voice") Gene Wolfe ("Bloodsport") ​ The list could go on and on, of course, but we feel those provide a representative sample of the work...

Deadline: May 24th, 2022 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy Theme: Tell us what really happened during the dancing plague of 1518 (full details below) The Dancing Plague: Our 4th Collection of Utter Speculation Tentative Deadline: May 24, 2022 October 2022 Release Pay: $10 payment and a contributors copy 10k words or less (less words will have a better chance of being included) In the summer of 1518, in the free city of Strasbourg, Frau Troffea stepped into the street and started to dance. Unable to stop, she danced until she collapsed from exhaustion. Then she got up and danced some more. Soon other citizens of Strasbourg joined her. At the peak of this bizarre mania, up to four hundred people danced, against their will, for months on end, until, just as mysteriously as it began, the dancing plague began to taper down. What happened in Strasbourg was not the only case of the dancing plague, but it was the most carefully documented. So, what happened? Wizards? Ergot? Brainwashing? That is what we want you to tell us. Send us your stories of utter speculation on the cause of the dancing plague, for our fourth collection. 10k words or less (less is more) How to submit: Name your file: Title – Dancing sub Include your title in both your submission email and on your piece. No cover letter necessary. Do not include your name on the work. All files will be downloaded into a folder and read blind to ensure fairness. Again, make sure you include the title of your piece in your email so that we can match them up later. Email submissions to: [email protected] Some tips for what we’re looking for First of all, we want stories that speculate, not speculations that are forced into a story. If...

Deadline: May 30th, 2022 Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: Shared world science fiction anthology based on the short story at the end of this post A Shared World Anthology based on an existing short story contained at the end of the this description. 500 to 5000 words. Obviously no repritns. Poetry considered. Pays 3 cents a word upon publication. Closes May 30, 2022.  Anticipated Pub Date, February 2023. This is the short simple story the world is set in. Use your imagination.  This is not the only settlement.  These are not the only characters.  I'm looking to fill a world here. Scott's Planet I set my gear on the shelf outside the back door and wiped my feet.  There was a downside to free range chickens. Lois spoke from the kitchen. “So it’s happened.”  She said the words matter-of-factly. “Yup.”  I answered.  I began shedding my boots--even cleaned, they didn’t enter the house. She continued. “I downloaded the details.  They say we have three weeks to be ready for transport. There’ll only be one ship.  A one-way trip to almost anywhere.” We had known this was coming.  Now it was final. Scott’s Planet, once in the first wave of colonization planets, was now determined by the Union to no longer be economically viable. “We don’t have to go.” I said. “Don’t be silly.  You know we’ve always talked about leaving.” She was right.  She often spoke of leaving. I let the silence speak for me. All sounds from the kitchen stopped.  There were footsteps.  Lois appeared in the doorway.  “You don’t want to go.” The bottom fell out of my stomach.  All the make-believe conversations I’d held in my head dropped with it. “I thought we might could talk about it.” “Talk about what?  Living in caves and eating...

Submission Window: May 1st – 30th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Is There Anybody Out There? Stories about unexpected encounters in isolated places. What we’re looking for We want stories that challenge our relationship with space—past, present, and future. Get wild. Show us new mythologies and undiscovered gods. Show us what emerges from a black hole when its egg finally cracks. Show us the place where science becomes magic. Your characters don’t need to be human, but there should be something undeniably human in their story. We want social outcasts and lovable bastards. We want courageous optimism in the face of despair. We love dark fiction and elements of horror, but there should be a glimmer of hope in it all. For a sense of our taste, our favorite authors working in this genre include Kameron Hurley, Nnedi Okorafor, and Tamsyn Muir. What we’re not looking for Humans conquering/dominating as a monolithic group. We love unapologetically kickass characters, but we want more nuanced interactions with power. Moralizing from the author. We eagerly welcome stories that reveal a reader’s blindspots and/or biases. We believe the most impactful stories accomplish that through character and narrative, not by telling us how to feel. Gore Erotica Poetry or nonfiction Hateful content directed/analogized toward any group   Issue #1: Is There Anybody Out There? The call for our inaugural issue will be May 1 – 30, 2022, with the theme, Is There Anybody Out There? We’re seeking stories about unexpected encounters in isolated places. We will publish one story a month from June through November 2022. All six stories will be compiled in a PDF and made available for download as Issue #1 in December 2022. Here is a sample of our contract: PDF link Before You Submit Our submission window will run from May 1...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: Charity anthology that pays: £25 Theme: Horror-themed fictional stories that simply feature a house that was once somewhere, but is no longer. “𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘜𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘦 𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘒-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺.” We are now officially open for submissions to our third anthology and our first charity anthology, titled There Used to Be a House Here. This anthology is raising money in support of the UK-based charity, Shelter, which strives to tackle poor housing and homelessness across the country. Our cover art will be finalised and uploaded to this page in the near future. If this has piqued your interest, please scroll down for the full details! What are We Looking For? We are looking for horror-themed fictional stories that simply feature a house that was once somewhere, but is no longer. Why the house no longer stands where it once did is up to you; perhaps it was simply torn down, or maybe it was sucked into another dimension entirely. Setting and theme-wise, we are open to any approach; classic haunted house stories, tales of gentrification or displacement, or maybe the house isn’t even a physical object at all—how you interpret the premise of this anthology is really up to you. We are also open to poetry pieces for this anthology too, provided they fit the general concept of the anthology. IMPORTANT: This is a charity anthology. 100% of proceeds from the sale of this anthology will be going directly to the UK-based charity, Shelter. Shelter is a charity that does terrific work across England and Scotland to help combat poor housing conditions and homelessness. Charities of...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: $500 and 25 contributors copies Theme: literary fiction Submission Periods: January 15th - May 31st | October 4th - 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 withdraw your submission immediately if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere. What file types can I submit? We accept DOC, DOCX, PDF, and RTF files. 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 200 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? We strongly prefer that you only send us final drafts, but if you must upload a new version, please withdraw your submission through Submittable and resubmit. Can I send a revision of a story that was previously rejected? No. Please send us new work. Revisions of previously rejected stories will not be considered and will be automatically declined. Do you consider translations? Yes. Please include...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: $5 Theme: Vampires In celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the first publication of Dracula, the grandaddy of them all, we are courting vampire stories of all kinds. So, send us your very best vampiric tales - gothic, contemporary, speculative - chill our bones and have us panic-buying garlic and wooden stakes... PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 4K- 10K word count (although we are incredibly flexible for awesome stories!) * Write ''VAMPIRES' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email.   To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 31 May 2022 Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Capped at 120K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: Dark Fantasy Title: Into the Darkness - Book One Title: Out of the Darkness - Book Two ​ Opens: 01 February 2022 Closes: 31 May 2022 ​ Genre: Book One - Dark Fantasy           Book Two - Light Fantasy ​ Reader Age Range: Teen ​ Word Count: 4000 - 8000 10% wiggle room over. ​ Info: Very open call. No specific theme besides genre. Must be a clear distinction between light and dark. ​ Reprints: Not allowed Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed, but please email if accepted elsewhere. Multiple Submissions: Up to 1 accepted per author per book - You may submit to both books Author Compensation: £10 per story accepted. Paid via Paypal only Please note any submissions accepted before or after the varying Submission dates will be deleted. Additionally, any submissions sent without the anthology title in the subject or email body will be automatically rejected. Via: Raven and Drake Publishing.

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: Light Fantasy Title: Into the Darkness - Book One Title: Out of the Darkness - Book Two ​ Opens: 01 February 2022 Closes: 31 May 2022 ​ Genre: Book One - Dark Fantasy           Book Two - Light Fantasy ​ Reader Age Range: Teen ​ Word Count: 4000 - 8000 10% wiggle room over. ​ Info: Very open call. No specific theme besides genre. Must be a clear distinction between light and dark. ​ Reprints: Not allowed Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed, but please email if accepted elsewhere. Multiple Submissions: Up to 1 accepted per author per book - You may submit to both books Author Compensation: £10 per story accepted. Paid via Paypal only Please note any submissions accepted before or after the varying Submission dates will be deleted. Additionally, any submissions sent without the anthology title in the subject or email body will be automatically rejected. Via: Raven and Drake Publishing.

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: 5 cents per word Theme: Lovecraftian gods featured in the wildly successful The Gods of HP Lovecraft OPEN CALL Anthology Title: Azathoth: Ordo ab Chao Edited by Aaron J. French Based on The Gods of HP Lovecraft Publisher: JournalStone Publishing Anthology Theme This project will be the first in a series of anthologies focusing on each of the Lovecraftian gods featured in the wildly successful The Gods of HP Lovecraft (published in 2015 by JournalStone Publishing). This first anthology begins with primal origins and the god Azathoth, who represents primordial chaos in the world of the Lovecraftian Mythos. H.P. Lovecraft described Azathoth as a demon king ruling from a dark throne in the middle of the fiery cosmic void, out of which all created things emanated. Surrounding this orbiting spiral of infinite chaos and creation sounded the repetitive notes from an incessant flute. This is a reference to the god Pan in Greek mythology and the symbol of created chaos behind the apparent orderliness of the natural world. Taking this imagery as our departure, the stories presented in this first anthology will deal with the notion of “order out of chaos” (Latin: Ordo ab Chao) and will engage with the cosmic demon Azathoth as ruler standing over this endless chaotic process. Stories must include Azathoth in some shape or form, the more creative and different the better. Furthermore, some aspect of the story must include the theme of order out of chaos. How this looks and develops in the story is up to the author. Not interested in overt Lovecraft pastiche. Elements of occultism, esotericism, and magic are very much appreciated. Submission Guidelines – Submissions Now Open Seeking stories: 5000 to 7000 words Format: double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font Payment: 5 cents a word and a copy...

Submission Window: May 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $0.01 per word, minimum of $20 payment Theme: Astronomy or night-sky themed horror stories about humans and our connection to the stars. Nightmare Sky:  Stories of Astronomical Horror Submission window:  May 1 – 31, 2022 Since the dawn of humanity, we have looked to the stars with awe. They call for us to gaze upon their brilliance while we sit around campfires and make up tales of their histories. Tales that are often fraught with horrors. The very dust of their explosive pasts traveled lightyears across the unknown, and now that dust pulses through our veins, drawing our eyes up, back to our origins. What we’re looking for: I am seeking astronomy or night-sky themed horror stories about humans and our connection to the stars. Get scientific. Get mystical. Get psychological or supernatural. Get cosmic or earthly, but make it about the character’s experience. While I love the science of astronomy, I’m very excited to see different interpretations of this theme. Give me psychological horror about an astronomer. Give me witches with a connection to the stars. Give me cosmic horror, folk horror, sci-fi horror, or ghosts. If the theme is deeply entwined with the night sky, I’m excited to read it. This anthology is open for all to submit, and I strongly encourage writers from all marginalized communities to send their stories. We are many people of many backgrounds, living under one enormous sky. I would love for this anthology to reflect that diversity. 1,000 – 5,000-word stories Poetry welcome! Approximately 50 lines or fewer preferred (this is not a strict upper limit) No reprints Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know as quickly as possible if you need to withdraw. Please do not send multiple submissions. Just send your best...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: $0.06/word Theme: Ghost stories Do you love All Hallow’s Eve? Ghost stories? Tales from beyond that leave you feeling unsettled while walking to the kitchen at night? The orange-and-black vintage Halloween aesthetic? Haunted houses with shuttered windows? We’re inviting writers of dark fiction to submit short stories of classic paranormal, poltergeists, ghosts, spirits, haunted places and objects, and the eerily unexplained that take place on or around Halloween. Bonus points if they’re about families, siblings, longtime pals, or pets. #ownvoices BIPOC, gender-diverse, LGBTQIA, and authors of other marginally represented groups highly encouraged to apply. NOT looking for: children’s or middle grade stories, poetry, long fiction, novellas, flash fiction, slasher horror, vampires, werewolves, zombies, extreme horror, or creature horror (unless they’re ghosts). Just creepy-ass ghost stories. Ghosts. Spirits. Hauntings. The supernatural. Creepy and dark. GHOSTS. Rated PG-13 and R. Okay? Okay. ​ Contributors so far: Jonathan Maberry, Gwendolyn Kiste, Tim Waggoner, Cynthia Pelayo, Sara Tantlinger, Catherine Cavendish, and Lee Murray No reprints, multiple submissions, or simultaneous submissions. Original fiction only.  Pay: $0.06/word Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words Submission Deadline: May 31, 2022 (no extensions; on tight production schedule) Expected Publishing Date: Oct. 1, 2022 Submit .doc or .docx to: [email protected] Subject line: GHOST ANTHOLOGY - “Story Title” by “Author Name” Good luck! Via: Gaby Triana.

Submission Window: May 1st-31st 2022 Payment: ¢1 per word CAD Theme: Stories of horror with the theme of 'FIRE' - Rated R welcomed Stories of horror with the theme of 'FIRE' - Rated R welcomed ​Fire - Volcanoes - Smoke - Burning - Ignition Welcome to our four-book series, dedicated to horror from the elements.   Each quarter has been assigned an 'element'. Please review the elements and open submission windows below. Each quarter submission window is only one month, so please make sure to submit during that specific time period Patreon members will be allowed to submit one week early, and be given a one-week extension to each quarter call. Although there can be some fantasy elements tossed in there, the overall feel of the stories must remain in the horror genre. Aim to scare. ​ Each part will be approximately 70,000 words and have its own ebook and paperback. Once all four sections are complete we will release a 'collection' containing all four books in ebook, paperback and hardcover form.  ​​Word count: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: Flat rate payment ¢1 per word CAD after approved edits. Reprints? No ​ Multiple Submission? No 💀 Only one submission per author per theme/quarter. (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) ​ Formatting:  Please use 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, set auto-indent new paragraphs. Add the story title to the top of the manuscript. Do not include your name or email in the manuscript. These stories will be read "blind" by our reading team. Title your manuscript "Title of Story - Theme"  example "The Ruin - Earth" Please make sure the title of the story and the title on the manuscript match. ​ How to submit? Submit via the FORM - Which will open on the start of each quarter. (A button will appear) IF you have issues with the form,...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: A non-zombie outbreak O is for Outbreak – Submissions open April 1st. Deadline May 31st. Think outside the box for this one, and no zombies please! We’re sure Book 26 will cover that! 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 in touch using the Contact page. We aim to respond to submissions within 2 weeks...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: $15 CAD upon publication ($10 for reprints) Theme: Exhaustion: Limited Reserves Note: Reprints Welcome “Exhaustion: Limited Reserves” Chapbook – Poetry and Flash Fiction Deadline: May 31, 2022 A common human experience is exhaustion in its many guises. Feeling used up or worn out. Reaching the limits of our personal and collective resources. Tapping out. Laying waste to the planet. Burning fuel until there’s nothing left but fumes. Covering a topic in its entirety, until everything that could be said has been said. This chapbook will engage these and other notions of exhaustion. Submission Guidelines: Flash Fiction: maximum 1000 words (no minimum). All genres welcome. The more imaginative, the better. Poems: maximum 60 lines each INCLUDING BLANK LINES (shorter is preferred – long pieces will need to earn their length). All styles welcome. Payment: $15 CAD upon publication ($10 for reprints) All payments through PayPal, Wise, or bank transfer. No submission fee. Multiple submissions: Yes. You can submit as many pieces as you like. Please submit each poem or story as a NEW SUBMISSION. Simultaneous submissions: Yes. Please email [email protected] right away if your piece is accepted elsewhere. Reprints: Previously published pieces will be considered, although we prefer original works. If you do send a reprint, please provide the name of the journal/date of publication, so that we can give proper attribution. Format: We aren’t too hung up on formatting. Just make it easy for us to read. No PAGES files. DOC or DOCX preferred. PDF accepted for poetry. Please title your file as follows: Title – Author Name SUBMIT TO “EXHAUSTION” HERE Via: Off Topic Publishing.

Submission Window: May 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $.01 per word Theme: Quiet Horror We want quiet horror at Dread Imagings. No slashers, no zombies, no vampires, no werewolves (though transformation tales interest us). Also, no ghost stories. This last one is a personal preference. There are many fine ghost stories and authors who write them; we just don’t want them here. Stories of dread don’t need to be supernatural in nature. Think Poe. Or, better yet, think Shirley Jackson (The Lottery, The Witch), Flannery O’Conner (A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Good Country People), Ursula K. LeGuin (The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas). Not necessarily horror fiction at all but fiction that gets under your skin. In the vein of Thomas Ligotti is always welcome. We want new writers as well as established ones. We want voices from outside the U.S. and diverse voices from anywhere. We publish one story a month, and the collection of stories on our site should represent the full spectrum of human experiences. We’ll accept stories from 2,500 to 4,000 words. This isn’t a hard rule, but don’t stray too far from these limits. Use Shunn formatting (doc/docx/pdf). We pay $.01 per word. No reprints. No multiple submissions. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know if your story is selected elsewhere. Authors retain all rights to their stories. We ask for first digital rights with no period of exclusivity and permission to keep the story on our site. Our response time should be within thirty days, and we respond to all submissions. If you haven’t heard back after six weeks, please inquire. Via: Dread Imaginings.

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word (there is also a contest to win $3,000 though it has submission fees.) Theme: Open Road Write a story involving roads, and a glove. Does the road call to you? To some, it offers freedom, adventure, and opportunity. To others, injury and death. Or, as you slow for the shadowed hitchhiker, you wonder if the risks aren’t more sinister… Roadtrips, van life, and fugitives on the run. From deserts to coastline to deep-shadowed forests, the open road has a place in our hearts. Whether it calls you to drift or confronts you with the long road home, it’s undeniably a place of self-discovery. Of new faces and new attitudes. Just don’t take a wrong turn, blow a tire, or stop in ghost towns. Beware the long grass and mutant bikers. Don’t roll down the window for strangers, but do give them a lift. Travel by horse and buggy, sneaker and bag, or get behind the wheel, but hit the dusty trail and head into the unknown. Our Mission: Help new talent go pro, award life-changing prize money, and promote fiction writers worldwide. HOW IT WORKS Each month we hold a contest based on a short fiction prompt. You write a wonderful story and enter the contest. We choose the winner who receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors above-professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. WHO CAN ENTER? Anyone can submit work to the magazine for free, but you must be an Elegant+ Member to enter the contests and win prizes. Membership is $10/month and includes over $250 in exclusive discounts from our partners like Scrivener, ProWritingAid, Novel Factory, and more. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? The odds depend on the number of members who...

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: Royalties on 4k+ stories Theme: Pirate stories that involve but don't focus on famous pirates. Title: The Call of the Sea Opens: 1 February 2022 Closes: 31 May 2022, 11:59 EST Theme: Gather round, ye bilge rats, and send the landlubbers back whence they came! These tales are for the strong of heart, the courageous corsairs, adventurous scallywags, and lads and lasses loyal to the lawlessness of the sea. Give us ADVENTURE, searches for treasure, sea battles, the perils of loving a Jack Tar, and the dangers of the briny deep. You can use any of the big names in your story (Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Ching Shih, Sir Francis Drake, Black Bart, etc.), but they should be secondary characters, with your MC as an ordinary, unknown person. These are the stories that created legends. Word Limit: 2-8k Author Eligibility: Open to all Reprints: Allowed if rights belong to author, royalty paid at a lower percentage Simultaneous Submissions: Not allowed Multiple Submissions: Max of 2 acceptances Author Compensation: One digital copy and wordcount-based royalty split Send your story and up to a 100-word author bio with 2 (two) links as a Word doc attachment to: [email protected] Please include the Anthology Title, Story Title, and Author name in your email subject line, with your document file name as: Author Name - Story Title. Via: Black Ink Fiction.

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: $0.03 per word for the winner, and 2 cents per word and 1 cent for second and third place respectively Theme: Open Water Your June theme is... ...Open Water. Whether it’s lost at sea, trapped in a boat, being a stowaway, kidnapped, going down with the ship, etc. But keep it dark and psychologically disturbing. Bonus challenge: write the story in a pre-21st century setting. The winner will receive $0.03 per word, publication, and an Author Spotlight on our newsletter and Patreon page. Since we’ve reached out goal of 180 patrons, we can once again offer $0.02 a word to 2nd and $0.01 per word to third place respectively. Submission guidelines: -Max 1,500 words -Submit your entry in the body of an email to [email protected] (no attachments) -The email subject line should be the story’s title and your author name / pseudonym -The deadline is midnight at the end of May, wherever in the world you may reside. -No multiple submissions (only your best story) Please take note… You do not need to be a Crystal Lake Patreon patron to enter. This is a contest and only the top three placing stories will receive payment. I'll personally read all the email submissions and post the best 10 to 20 stories on the Crystal Lake Publishing Patreon page (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. Some editors/publishers may consider having your story posted on a subscription-based platform, like Patreon, as a first publication. If your story does not win, we will remove it upon request.   Via: Crystal Lake Publishing's Patreon.

Deadline: May 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: Earth Song—Stories of animal or ecological-themed horror, or of Mother Nature’s wrath, in support of World Environment Greetings boils, ghouls, and other creatures of the night! Starting in December, 2021, we are open for submissions of flash fiction horror stories on a different theme each month. We will be seeking horror fiction of all forms and flavours to be published as part of a new and ongoing series from Night Terror Novels Publishing, titled The Theatre Phantasmagoria. If this has piqued your interest, please scroll down for the full details! What are We Looking For? Each month, a new theme will be announced, and we will be accepting flash fiction submissions based around this theme. From these submissions, four stories will be chosen to be published each Friday of the subsequent month, and at the end of the year, these forty-eight pieces will appear in a similarly titled anthology. As always, if your story is blatantly racist or homophobic it will be instantly rejected. We also encourage submissions from female, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors, as we’re striving to offer a range of experiences and perspectives in this series. Our current lineup for The Theatre Phantasmagoria, January to April, includes Mia Dalia, Paul Wilson, Angela Sylvaine, Yvonne Lang, Mark Robinson, James Van Pelt, D. Matthew Urban, Ali Seay, Alex Ebenstein, Nikki R. Leigh, Andrew Jackson, Safia Mlani, Michael H. Hanson, Matt Bliss, Megan Kiekel Anderson, Andrew Gehlsen, and Samuel M. Hallam. If you want to see your name alongside these terrific writers, then send a piece our way! The anthology will be edited, and the stories selected, by J. D. Keown. He can be found on both Instagram and Twitter @JDKAuthor, and we can be found on Instagram @nightterrornovels. All updates and announcements regarding this project will be posted on each of those accounts, so give us a follow...