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Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: Between A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words, but assume the lower rate for unsolicited submissions Theme: All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror that are of a “speculative” nature Note: This portion of Aurealis Magazine's open window is just for Australian and New Zealand writers Fiction guidelines Aurealis is looking for science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror that are of a “speculative” nature will be considered, but we do not want stories that are derivative in nature, particularly those based on TV series. We do not publish horror without a supernatural element. Although we are an Australian-based publication, we are open to submissions in English from anywhere in the multiverse during specific reading periods. Stories containing an unacceptable number of spelling mistakes and typos, and those that do not conform to our guidelines in other ways, will be rejected automatically. This may seem harsh, but we are being honest about it. Please take the time to polish your work in every way before you send it to us. Aurealis pays between A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words, but assume the lower rate for unsolicited submissions.  Payment is made soon after the publication of the issue containing your story. Minimum payment is A$20. You will also receive a free electronic copy of the issue containing your story. We buy First Electronic Publication Rights and the non-exclusive rights to include the story in a print and digital anthology. All other rights remain with the contributor. The story must not be published elsewhere for a period of twelve months after it appears in electronic form in Aurealis.  Aurealis does not publish reprints. We don’t publish poetry or novel extracts. We don’t serialise longer works. Our response time for subscribers...

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: An article of Pontine Scholarship about Solar Pons, characters in the Solar Pons canon, or author August Derleth The Pontine Dossier: Millennium Edition 2022 Annual Edited by Derrick Belanger The next volume of Solar Pons Scholarship from Belanger Books! Belanger Books is proud to bring back The Pontine Dossier in an annual edition. The Pontine Dossier: Millennium Edition 2022 will feature Pontine articles and scholarships. We would love it if you'd consider contributing. Guidelines: An article of Pontine Scholarship about Solar Pons, characters in the Solar Pons canon, or author August Derleth. Length can vary from as few as 1,000 words to as many as 5,000 words. We are leaving this wide open to get as many and as varied submissions as possible. Please submit your manuscript as a word document to [email protected]. Title your email: ATTN: PONTINE DOSSIER SUBMISSION. If your article is accepted, you will receive a free print copy of the Dossier. Submission Deadline: Please submit your article by September 30, 2022. We hope to release the new edition of the Dossier in November, 2022. Via: Derrick Belanger's Facebook.

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: Royalties on 4k+ stories Theme: Vikings We Were Warriors Series Title: Vikings Opens: 4 February 2022 Closes: 30 September 2022, 11:59 EST Theme: Adventurers, explorers, expert navigators and sailors--their legacy is known the world over. But we want to hear YOUR version of their stories. Tell us about their travels, their plunders, their battles, and their loves. Make it personal. Make it real, not just the stereotypes we see in media. We want the good, the bad, and everything in between. Word Limit: 100-word drabbles and/or 1k-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 drabbles and 2 short story acceptances Author Compensation: One digital copy and wordcount-based royalty split for stories 4k+ 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: September 30th, 2022 Payment: $5 Theme: Stories for a podcast that must have some elements of sci-fi/fantasy/magical realism About Tales From The Radiator is an anthology style speculative fiction podcast that strives to feature new writers and actors. What to submit We’ll take stories up to 2000 words. They must have some elements of sci-fi/fantasy/magical realism, but other than that, we have no restriction for you. Go nuts! Simultaneous/multiple submissions are okay, but please notify us immediately if the story was accepted elsewhere. We’re not picky about format, but please use Times New Roman 12 pt. font double spaced, as it’s easiest to read. Keep in mind this is a podcast, so we’re looking for stories that lend themselves well to audio and will give the voice actor a lot to work with. We read submissions anonymously, so please avoid putting any identifying information on the manuscript. This is only to prevent potential bias in our readers; if your story is selected, it will be published under whatever name you choose. Who can submit Anyone! Though we give priority to previously unpublished authors. Where to submit Here! When to Submit We are open to submissions until September 30, or until we reach 100 submissions. Whichever comes first! We hope to get back to you within three months. If you don’t hear back from us by then, feel free to query. Payment As an indie company we can’t offer much, but we believe it’s better to get paid a little rather than nothing at all. So we offer a token payment of $5 per story. We hope to one day offer professional rates. Questions? Email [email protected]. Please so not submit stories to this address. What is Strong Branch Productions? Strong Branch Productions is a queer-led new media production company that practices anarchism in the arts. We make podcasts and games that champion...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2022 Payment: Drabbles and Flash - £5, Short Stories 1001 to 4000 words - £10, Short Stories 4001 to 8000 words - £15 Theme: Stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. Note: Only publishes creators from under represented and/or marginalized communities. We’re looking for stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. We’re looking for stories that make us feel something. Warmth, love, melancholy, rage. We want it all.  All genres, styles and themes will be considered and we especially love stories that are outside the box in their telling. Ambiguous endings? Non-linear storytelling? Antagonist’s point-of-view? A story told in just one scene? We love it all. WE ONLY PUBLISH CREATORS FROM UNDER REPRESENTED AND/OR MARGINALISED BACKGROUNDS AND/OR COMMUNITIES We don't ask for any proof, we take this on trust with the expectation that anyone not from a marginalised background or underrepresented community wouldn't take up the space of someone who is. We ask you to consider this before submitting. PLEASE NOTE: Due to our move to quarterly publication our next open submissions will be September for Issue 8 (Winter) and October for print anthology "Other & Different" Quarterly Online Anthology Submission Schedule: March 1st - 31st (Summer Issue) July 1st - 31st (Autumn Issue) September 1st - 30th (Winter Issue) December 1st - 31st (Spring Issue) ​ we do not have set issue themes but feel free to be inspired by the season, seasonal occasions and events ​ Print Anthology Submission Schedule: October 1st - 31st (April Publication) SUBMISSION GUIDELINES - ONLINE ONLY These are the guidelines for our Quarterly Online Anthology. For more information on print anthologies go to Print Anthologies How to submit: Please submit via the form at the bottom of this...

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: AU$0.05c a word up to 5000 words Theme: Stories about a female-identifying Sherlock Holmes Note: Female-identifying writers An anthology about a female Sherlock Holmes, written by women What would the Great Detective be like if Sherlock was a woman? Clan Destine Press and commissioning editors Narrelle M Harris and Atlin Merrick, wonder just that, and seek stories about a female-identifying Sherlock Holmes – young or old, set in any time, place, or culture! Of course, wherever there is Holmes, Watson must follow – in this anthology Watson could be nonbinary, female- or male-identifying, queer or straight. Whatever suits your setting.  Who is Ms Sherlock Holmes in your story? Who is her Watson? Her clients? And what are the mysteries only she can solve? Submission Guidelines: Submissions requested from female-identifying writers. Sherlock must identify as a woman – all else is open to your interpretation. Her name must be Sherlock Holmes (or the local cultural equivalent). We encourage submissions from writers of diverse backgrounds. We'd love Holmesian-style adventure and mystery. No sexual or extreme violence. Payment and Deadline: Submission deadline: 30 September 2022. Payment is AU$0.05c a word for stories up to 5000 words; you may write a longer piece, but payment caps at 5000 words. Formatting: Send your story as a .doc or .docx attachment Use Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced Single quote marks on dialogue Paragraphs indented 0.5mm Left-aligned (not justified) Margins 2.5cm/one inch all around – left and right; top and bottom Questions: Email Clan Destine Press' commissioning editors, Narrelle M Harris and Atlin Merrick at: [email protected]. Via: Clan Destine Press.

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: .08 per word Theme: Science fiction and fantasy stories where the androids, robots, and/or cyborgs have been naughty, going off programming, cracking their internal code, etc. Anthology: Crack in the Code: Cybernated Stories of Rebellion edited by Venessa Giunta and Nicole Givens Kurtz Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Publication Release Date: February 2023 Payment: .08 per word Since 2010, Mocha Memoirs Press’s mission is to amplify marginalized voices in the areas of speculative fiction (science fiction, horror, and fantasy). Crack in the Code will follow the steps of our previous published bestseller anthologies An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire, and Avast, Ye Airships! What we are looking for: Science fiction and fantasy stories where the androids, robots, and/or cyborgs have been naughty, going off programming, cracking their internal code, etc. Give us dramatic stories, mischievous stories, stories that stun, but not offend us. This call is seeking unpublished short stories where the artificial lives become alive and share their stories. If you can take the story out of westernized culture, we’d love to see those, too! We want stories that speak of inclusivity. So, if your robot/cyborg/android is disabled or suffers from an ailment, send those stories too. LGBTQ+ stories are also encouraged. To point, we want stories from everyone. If you do not follow the guidelines, your submission will be deleted unread. Seriously, read the guidelines. Follow them. Upon results of a successful crowdfunding campaign, we will pay SFWA pro-rates of .08 per word for publication for First World Rights. Still interested? Here are the guidelines. • Stories for this anthology must be original (no reprints or previously published material), no more than 7,500 words in length, we accept microfiction and flash, and must satisfy the theme of the anthology, meaning the protagonist...

Submission Window: September 1st-30th, 2022 Payment: 1.5¢ per word (one and one-half cent), with a $25 (U.S.) minimum and 2 contributor's copies Theme: horror and weird fiction Weird Horror has two reading periods each year - March and September. FICTION GUIDELINES OPENS: Sept. 1, 2022 CLOSES: Sept. 30, 2022 We are seeking first publication rights. Fiction must be in English, and previously unpublished in English anywhere, in any format, on any platform, including your blog, website, newsletter, Patreon, etc. Please do not query about reprints. We will consider works translated to English, as long as you are offering first English-language publication rights. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please inform us if your story is accepted elsewhere. No multiple submissions. Please send 1 story only per reading period. We are seeking horror and weird fiction from 500 to 6,000 words, firm. Stories over or under the word count will not be read. (Please respect our word counts.) We are not interested in extreme horror. We receive over 800 manuscripts each period, and accept less than 2% of submissions. Do not be discouraged by a form rejection. Payment is (U.S.) 1.5¢ per word (one and one-half cent), with a $25 (U.S.) minimum (paid via PayPal) for first worldwide English-language rights, for use in the print, eBook, and online edition. Contributors also receive 2 copies of the print edition. We ask for a 6-month exclusivity. Copyright remains with the author, and a contract will be provided. Submit stories in Standard Manuscript Format as a Word document or PDF, and e-mail as an attachment to: WeirdHorrorMag gmail com NOTE - There is no need to provide a mailing address on your manuscript. Format the subject line of your e-mail thusly: Submission - Story Title - Author Name Do not respond to rejections, please, for any...

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: 0.08CAD per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Storytellers who have experienced—or are experiencing—homelessness. IN SHORT What: A pro-rate anthology of short fiction pieces on the theme of “home” (500-3500 words) on the theme of HOME Who: Storytellers who have experienced—or are experiencing—homelessness. When: Submissions are open from July 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. Publication is scheduled for fall of 2023. Where: While we will prioritize Canadian submissions, submissions are open to writers throughout the world. How: Scroll below to see our guidelines! ABOUT THE ANTHOLOGY There’s No Place will be a collection where storytellers who are experiencing/have experienced homelessness can tell the tales that live inside them. The theme of the collection is, simply, HOME. This is not limited to physical spaces; home can be a person, an item, a memory, a sensation. The theme can be interpreted broadly, but home should be at the heart of your story. This collection will be limited to short stories—we are seeking fiction only. While lived experience will inform the stories told, our hope is to share tales of home imagined into being. ABOUT THE SUBMISSIONS WHO CAN SUBMIT Only people with lived experience of homelessness can submit. For this anthology, we are defining homelessness as: Unsheltered (you have lived in a place not designated for human habitation, outdoors, in public spaces, etc.) Emergency Sheltered (you have used an overnight shelter, a transitional shelter, a space for those impacted by violence, displacement, crisis, etc.) Provisionally Accommodated (you have couch-surfed, lived in temporary accommodations, lived in a foster or group home, etc.) This is not an exhaustive list. Homelessness takes different shapes. We also understand that people may have moved through multiple types of homelessness. If you are unsure if your experience meets the parameters of this call, please reach out...

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: $0.10 (ten cents) per word Theme: Original short stories up to 6,000 words that explore this idea of great terror growing from the LGBTQIA community’s great strides forward. Note: Stories must have a strong, central gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer focus/slant/theme Unspeakable Horror 3: Dark Rainbow Rising Edited by: Vince A. Liaguno When the pendulum of civil rights and social change initiatives swings toward progress, the LGBTQIA community often holds its collective breath in anticipation of the inevitable backlash when the pendulum swings back. Even with these gains, we are constantly looking over our shoulder—waiting for the next shoe to drop, for the next attack on our personhood. The community’s enemies see progress as a perceived danger to their own heteronormative bubbles—and any advancement threatens to burst those fragile bubbles. Even as we hoist the rainbow flag in celebration, a dark rainbow rises on the horizon… For this third volume of the award-winning Unspeakable Horror series, we are seeking original short stories up to 6,000 words that explore this idea of great terror growing from the LGBTQIA community’s great strides forward. We want your terrifying interpretations and extensions of this theme—not a literal reading. Questions to explore: Does the unspeakable horror manifest in a subtle, growing sense of unease that our enemies must surely be plotting to thwart our efforts—or does it present in outward paranoia? Do we settle into a false sense of security and not see the unspeakable terror that rises behind us? Do we turn on each other now that our external enemies are (seemingly) defeated? Do we leave part of our community behind in some misguided act of self-preservation? Stories can be set in any time period, as long as the narrative includes some historical LGBTQ+ civil rights/social movement/moment as a direct or indirect...

Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: $0.08 a word Theme: Gothic romances that are equal parts horror and romance. Submissions Open: August 1st through September 30th  Title: TBD Gothic Romance  Type: Anthology of short stories Editors: Heather & S.D. Vassallo Theme: We're looking for gothic romances that are equal parts horror and romance. The short stories should be mysterious, atmospheric, and include a HEA (or happy for now). This is an open call with no slots reserved for invitation pieces. Women (including transgender and people otherwise marginalized because of their gender identity) and non-binary authors only. Must Haves:  - Horror and romance - Happily ever after or at least happy for now - Overwhelming sense of menace or dread - Atmosphere (weather) and/or place prominently add to the story - Traditionally spooky locations, such as old manor houses or decaying plantations aren't necessary, but the location should be spooky. - Actual supernatural horror, implied supernatural horror, or psychological horror - Haunted places/houses welcome - Sizzle: anywhere from closed door to super sizzle welcome (but the sizzle must drive the plot forward) - Time period: anytime in the past or present - Location: anywhere on Earth Won't Accept: - Racism - Anti-LGBTQIA+ - Rape - Incest - Extreme Horror (excessive gore, explicit sex just for gore/sex sake) - Reprints - Manuscripts that don't follow the guidelines Guidelines:  - Women (including transgender and people otherwise marginalized because of their gender identity) and non-binary authors only - Short Stories 2,000 to 6,000 words - First page should have your legal and author name, email address, word count, and title of story - Font 12 pt Garamond - Double Spaced - No headers, footers, or special formatting - DOC, DOCx, or RTF format - Up to 2 short stories per author (submit separately) - Simultaneous submissions acceptable, please let us know if your piece is accepted elsewhere Compensation: -...

Submission Window: September 1st-30th, 2022 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story Changing the world, one story at a time Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars? Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that. What does the timeline look like? Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout. Where do I send submissions? [email protected] What are the rules for submitting? 1. No Fees 2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form 3. Any genre 4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway's famous 6-word story "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn." 5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack - You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers. 7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. What do I get for subscribing? One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting. Anything Else? Yes! Analytics will be published monthly in terms of subscribers, the number of submissions, and anything else that might be relevant. Via: Substack.

  Deadline: September 30th, 2022 Payment: $50 CAD and a contributor's copy Theme: Women and the Sea Deep, mysterious, beautiful, dangerous… women and the sea have a lot in common and have been tied together in myth and story from the beginning of time. Stories of women being drawn to the sea or being left on the shore, waiting for their men’s return, have been passed down through the ages. This anthology of stories about women and the sea will be filled with beautiful, atmospheric stories. I’m not primarily looking for fantastical creatures but rather setting, mood. The mythic. The gothic. The tranquility of sunlight dancing upon placid waters and the deep moon energy of rising tides and waves slamming against rocks. I want lonely lighthouses on rocky outcroppings, wind-whipped hair and melancholia, transformation and exaltation. Salt and sorrow. Clarification: Because it has become a frequently asked question I want to clarify something. Speculative elements and fantastical creatures are welcome in these stories but I’m also open to non-spec stories which fit the theme. When I said ‘I’m not looking for fantastical creatures’ I meant in comparison to the other water anthologies I’ve done in the past like Sirens where the water creatures were the focus. In this case I just the primary focus to be on atmosphere and mood. Apologies for not making that clear. Rights and compensation: Payment: $50 CAD flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology. In exchange we are seeking first world rights in English and exclusive right to publish in print and electronic format for six months after publication date, after which publisher retains nonexclusive right to continue to publish for the life of the anthology. Publisher: Tyche Books Submission window: August 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022 Release window: TBD in 2023 Stories up to 7,500 words long No Reprints No...

Submission Window: August 1st, 2022 — October 1st, 2022 Payment: 3 cents per word + 1 paperback contributor copy Theme: Water, Extreme Horror, Splatterpunk, Dark Humor Title: DEAD & BLOATED - Extreme Horror Anthology Editor: K. Trap Jones Theme: Water, Extreme Horror, Splatterpunk, Dark Humor Formats: Paperback, ebook Short story MAX 3,000 WORD COUNT No reprints No simultaneous subs No multiple subs Nothing involving children and I’m not a fan of heavy religious or political plots. Manuscript: 12pt font, double-spaced and as .DOC or .DOCX Send as Attachment, not in body of email PAYMENT: 3 cents per word + 1 paperback contributor copy with ability to purchase more at wholesale cost + shipping RIGHTS: 1 year Exclusive English rights Send stories to [email protected] with subject line: BLOATED SUB: (story title) by (author name) SUBMISSION PERIOD: August 1, 2022 — October 1, 2022 Responses usually within a month, but could be longer depending on size of sub pile. Publish Date: Q1 2023 Anything sent before or after submission period will be ripped to shreds and flushed down the toilet. NOTE: BE CREATIVE! Don’t just write about someone drowning.  Via: The Evil Cookie.

Deadline: October 1st, 2022 Payment: $5 Theme: Poetry: liminal; K-mart realism; post-apocalypse; anti-authoritarian Words are dangerous. So are blank spaces. This zine is arbitrary, without clear function, and prone to injury. Welcome to the secret lair of poets, anarchists, spelunkers, and scofflaws. You are welcome to leave at any time. General strategy: Poetry, anti-poetry, or sub-poetry. Very short stories; memories; surrealism. Also: photos of abandoned lots and/or junkyards. Organizing principle: Collectivist Decision-making protocol: Consensus and/or sporadic bursts of wild individualism Mascots: The badger, the marmot, the petrel ​ Editor: Justin Bendell. Justin is a writer, podcast host, musician & professor. He was a founder/editor of Manzano Mountain Review. (justinbendell.com) Submit poems (less than 20 lines) or prose (less than 300 words) to [email protected] ​ Initial Submission Deadline: October 1 Melt our faces off. Evocate. Seduce. Catch us off guard with your authenticity or compelling artifice. General strategy: Poetry, anti-poetry, or sub-poetry. Very short stories; memories; surrealism. Jargon: liminal; K-mart realism; post-apocalypse; anti-authoritarian I will pay you $5 on paypal if I publish your work.  It will be published online & also in a zine that I will poorly & hastily distribute in greater Albuquerque, NM   Via:

Deadline: October 1st, 2022 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: October 1st, 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: Reasons to count your lucky stars! Title: Lucky Stars Opens: July 1st, 2022 Submission Deadline: October 1st, 2022, 11:59 EST or Until Full Theme: Life can be full of ups and downs for the folks of Bones Hollow, but it’s always good to give thanks. When the spells go just right, when the blood is hot, when the night is clear and the moon is full, there’s a lot to be thankful for. And when you’re in love, even more so. Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on the things that make you grateful, whether it’s a long-lasting relationship, an opportunity for new love, a harmonious house or the chaos of creation. Life, love and magic are all gifts. What do the denizens of Bones Hollow have to be thankful for this year? A Bones Hollow anthology celebrates love for all kinds, shapes, sizes, and orientations based in the fictional Vermont town where the supernatural and Hallmark collide. Heat Level: G; Sweet Word Count: 2,000-8,000 words, excluding title Author Eligibility: Open to all Reprints: Not allowed Simultaneous Submissions: Not allowed Multiple Submissions: Maximum of 2 (two) allowed Publication: Expected to release Thanksgiving 2022 Author Compensation: One digital copy; royalty split among authors How to Submit: See www.ParamourInk.com for further information 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: October 1st, 2022 Payment: US: $40 + author copy/non-US: $45 Theme: Dark fiction that invoke the nefarious spirit of the dark wizard Quill & Crow Publishing House is pleased to open submissions for another surprise anthology for 2022, Rituals & Grimoires: Gothic Tales of Dark Magic & Wizardry. For this collection, we are looking for short stories (5,000 - 8,000 words) of dark fiction that invoke the nefarious spirit of the dark wizard. We'd love to see diverse characters, male witches, and stories that turn tired tropes right on their heads. Give us haunted corridors, wayward spellcasters, and secret societies. Give us tales that explore the mortal grays in witchcraft. ​ Also, we are well aware of a certain YA book series that this theme may bring to mind. As a proudly inclusive publishing house that fully supports the trans community, we understand if this anthology brings to mind the betrayal many of us experienced with a childhood favorite. Part of our mission is to preserve the quality of independent literature/storytelling, but it's also to take back things often ruined by bigotries and act as a voice for those who have been oppressed. We'd be honored if you'd help us take back these themes and make them into something better.  Notes: We will be open to explorations of dark academia, but this is an adult fiction anthology. If you do choose to write a dark fiction story with dark academia vibes, please keep the prose and themes mature.  ​ ​ Things we are looking for:  dark fiction dark magical fantasy magical horror historical horror dark themes Gothic elements literary horror fantasy/horror blends dark academia (see above) Things we ARE NOT looking for: ​​ young adult stories extreme horror/extreme erotica  rape/child abuse sci-fi  overtly modern stories ​​ Submission Requirements  Please note: Submissions that...

Deadline: October 1st, 2022 Payment: $100 Theme: Literary fiction, personal essays, or Well-written genre-writing, especially mysteries, sci-fi and westerns. Submission Guidelines: We are happy to publish work that celebrates the joy of reading and writing across different reading preferences. The marketplace can divide us based on our reading tastes, but riddlebird can strive to make a space for more diversity (of interest, of authorship, of meaning).  Please carefully read what we are looking for below, and follow the submission guidelines. We are interested in three categories. Literary Fiction — Our favorite writers include authors like George Saunders, Souvankham Thammavongsa, and E.C. Osondu. Personal Essays — We like a memoirist’s essay that has achieved some distance and allows us to share a newfound insight. Think of Vivian Gornick’s idea of “the situation and the story.” Literary Genre Fiction — Our mission is to include a place for well-written genre-writing, especially mysteries, sci-fi and westerns. To take westerns as an example, think of Charles Portis. Riddlebird is not interested in publishing work that is demeaning. Racist, homophobic, or xenophobic prose will be promptly rejected. We will publish 6 pieces online twice a year (Jan and July) and compensate authors $100. We publish a hardcopy of all pieces once a year. We will select 6 pieces a year to submit on your behalf to the Pushcart Prize. We do accept simultaneous submissions; please inform us if (happily!) your work is accepted somewhere else. Information will be posted shortly to submit on Duotrope. Please include your name, including contact information, and your title. Include a very brief cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Include a short bio in third person, and do not send previously published work. Our goal is to celebrate your work. Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram @riddlebirdmag. We...

Deadline: October 2nd, 2022 Payment: Non-fiction pays $0.08/word. Creative works earn $0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. Comics pay $30/page, capped at $150.   Theme: Submit co-authored stories in any genre. Submit co-authored stories in any genre. Also looking for non-fiction commentary and experiences with co-created projects. Co-authoring is rising in popularity, both as a way to satiate the ravenous demand of readers more quickly, and to leverage team imaginative advantages. We're curious about the pros and cons of this strategy. Naturally, we also host a Devil's Advocate column to whoever provides the best cautionary advice regarding cooperative labor. Short stories: 500 - 2,800 words Non-fiction articles: 200 - 1,200 words Graphic-style stories and comics are especially welcome! (Limit = 8 pages. Please submit in color) Rough storyboard pitches welcome -- due April 7th. Terms & Process Mythulu eMagazine pays an average of $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays 0.08/word. Creative works earn 0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. Comics pay $30/page, capped at $150. We edit aggressively to create a dense, entertaining, high-quality publication. Non-fiction articles, especially, receive heavy edits. We may cut, rearrange, paraphrase, or even recommend additional content to maximize article quality, then send it back for your approval. We don't guarantee that an article we edit with you will be published. Author earnings listed above are based on final published word count, not your initial submission. Preview full terms here: www.mythulu.com/emag-terms Thank you for contributing! Laura Crenshaw Creator of Mythulu Terms of Publication Mythulu eMagazine pays an average of $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays $0.08/word. Creative works earn $0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. We strongly encourage contributors to boost their earnings through our contributor-exclusive affiliate program. We edit aggressively to create a dense, entertaining, high-quality publication. Non-fiction articles, especially, receive heavy edits. We may cut, rearrange,...

Deadline: October 2nd, 2022 Payment: 6 cents a word and one contributor copy Theme: Harc sci-fi and speculative fictoin SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN READING FOR ISSUE #16 UNTIL OCTOBER 2ND 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 do 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 6 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.

Submission Window: October 1st-2nd, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word for original, 2 cents for reprints, For artwork: $10 for the non-exclusive right to use each image, for as long as the site is online.  If we publish a print collection we will pay a pro-rata share for each image used. 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...

Deadline: October 3rd, 2022 Payment: 50% are split evenly among contributors Theme: Halloween Note: Reprints Welcome Black Widow Press, is publishing a Halloween Anthology titled Halloween Horrors. Submission Guidelines - Deadline: October 3rd - Stories must be 1000-5000 words and at least loosely related to Halloween - Send story in any format to [email protected] - No extreme violence/extreme sexual content/other offensive content - It's fine if the story has been published in a book before, but check your contract to make sure the rights are available for us to print it. Most anthology contracts lock up a particular story for 1 year. - We're generally looking for creepy/spooky/chilling/suspenseful tales than gruesome/violent/disturbing ones, but all submissions will be considered! Payment/Usage Details - No payment upfront. - 50% of royalties go to publisher, the other 50% are split evenly among contributors (not proportional to word count of story.) -"Royalties" means gross royalties, not net profit. All costs for marketing, cover, etc. are paid by publisher. - The book will NOT have "exclusive" rights to your story for any length of time; you retain all copyright to the story you submit; etc. This will be outlined in the contract.

Deadline: October 4th, 2022 Payment: 3 USD cents/word, 1 USD cents/word for reprints Theme: Science Fiction and Tarot Note: Reprints Welcome The Science Fiction Tarot will contain 22 stories, one tale standing in for each of the cards of the major arcana and placing the anthologies word count at approximately 90-110K words. Stories of up to 7,500 words will be considered, but please be advised that submissions of 5,000 words and under will have the best chance to be selected. Each author will be expected to submit a 1-3 word science fiction concept for a card, along with a story that exhibits that idea through character, plot or theme. Please have a clear archetype, setting, or SF subgenre and center your submission around the concept: the focus of the tale should be the idea conveyed, not tarot cards themselves. For example, take the following images. They are followed by possible sample submission details (our form will ask for a few more things, naturally): Tarot Concept: A.I Story Title: Mechanized Justice Number of words: 3,500 Tarot Concept: The Geneticist Story Title: The Vats of Dr. Qualim Number of words: 5,000 Be advised the above are examples—both 'A.I' and 'Geneticist' are not taken and could be open options for your story, complete with new, different illustrations (although another author might potentially try the same.) Other concepts might be a general location, such as a colony, or even a subgenre, such as post-apocalypse—anything that might be distilled down into a tarot card. Wow us with your ideas! Upon acceptance, an artist will be commissioned to work on a black & white illustration of the author's card concept to accompany their published story. Based on selections made, we may reach out to chosen authors concerning their card concepts. Your story will always be your story, full-stop, but your submitted card choice may require adjustment....

Deadline: October 4th, 2022 Payment: 3 USD cents/word, reprints will pay 1 USD cent/word. Theme: SF Stories in for each of the cards of the major arcana Note: Reprints Welcome The Science Fiction Tarot will contain 22 stories, one tale standing in for each of the cards of the major arcana and placing the anthologies word count at approximately 90-110K words. Stories of up to 7,500 words will be considered, but please be advised that submissions of 5,000 words and under will have the best chance to be selected. Each author will be expected to submit a 1-3 word science fiction concept for a card, along with a story that exhibits that idea through character, plot or theme. Please have a clear archetype, setting, or SF subgenre and center your submission around the concept: the focus of the tale should be the idea conveyed, not tarot cards themselves. For example, take the following images. They are followed by possible sample submission details (our form will ask for a few more things, naturally): Tarot Concept: A.I Story Title: Mechanized Justice Number of words: 3,500 Tarot Concept: The Geneticist Story Title: The Vats of Dr. Qualim Number of words: 5,000 Be advised the above are examples—both 'A.I' and 'Geneticist' are not taken and could be open options for your story, complete with new, different illustrations (although another author might potentially try the same.) Other concepts might be a general location, such as a colony, or even a subgenre, such as post-apocalypse—anything that might be distilled down into a tarot card. Wow us with your ideas! Upon acceptance, an artist will be commissioned to work on a black & white illustration of the author's card concept to accompany their published story. Based on selections made, we may reach out to chosen authors concerning their card concepts. Your story will always be your story, full-stop,...

Submission Window: August 31st, 2022 - October 7th, 2022 Payment: 6¢/word Theme: Original “dark mermaid” short stories and poetry SUBMISSIONS OPEN AUGUST 31 Old sailors tried to warn us. You can find their stories in water-stained journals and letters throughout histories and cultures. People of the land laughed at them, calling their stories mere legends and fairy tales. Now it’s your turn to tell the real stories behind these tails found in the deep, the dangers in dark waters.   MERCILESS MERMAIDS: Tails from the Deep Think deep—the deep of the sea, the deep of space, the deep of our souls, our fears, ourselves. Here, it’s not the monsters under your bed; it’s the mermaids under your boat. Can you see the shapes in the waters that watch you? Can you hear the mermaid’s call? Old sailors tried to warn us. You can find their stories in water-stained journals and letters throughout histories and cultures. People of the land laughed at them, calling their stories mere legends and fairy tales. Now it’s your turn to tell the real stories behind these tails found in the deep, the dangers in dark waters. Will the merfolk prey on humans once the land-bound civilizations fall? Do they snatch men for research? What of the siren who is wildly tone deaf? Does your merman surface on some faraway planet, stare through mists at the newcomers and think Never. Again. We're sounding the ship's bell for stories about malevolent and merciless merfolk of all kinds. Give us your mermaids who fought for the wrong reasons, made tough by their circumstances or by their own choices. Show us their schemes and villainous wiles, the fairytales that end in blood. Or laughter. Tempt us with their twisted workings across time and space, colors and creeds. Deep down you...

Submission Window: October 1st - 7th, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word for fiction. $40 per poem. $75 per essay. 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...

Deadline: October 13th, 2022 Prize: $50 Theme: Using a quote from the image blow to craft a story Welcome to our annual Halloween Challenge! Brought to you by Mr. Jason Voorhees himself along with all of the other gruesome nasties we’ve paid homage to over the years. Below you will find a list of 16 movie quotes (okay, we made one up). Your challenge is to take one movie quote and turn it into a story any way you see fit. Of course, we don’t want a retelling of the movie the quote is from, we want an original from you, simply use the quote as a guide. You do not have to use the actual quote in your story, but it’s perfectly ok if you do! Please write at the top of your submission which quote you are using. $50 goes to the grand prize winner! Below the image you’ll find the quotes listed. We realize Mr. Voorhees has many talents, but communication may not be one of them. Unless he doesn’t like you, then he’s quite an effective communicator! Stories will be judged on two criteria: How well the story is fashioned around the chosen quote Story creativity, writing quality, and style Please scroll for standard challenge rules and we appreciate when you follow them. We look forward to reading your submissions! QUOTED ABOVE: Oh yes, there will be blood They’re here Fine, walk home then Sometimes, dead is better They’re coming to get you, Barbara When there is no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly It’s not the house that’s haunted, it’s your son It’s just the wind The last man on earth sat alone in a room....

  Deadline: October 13th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition. 8/25/22: We are now OPEN to story and poetry submissions for our Halloween 2022 issue to be published October 2022. We are also open to Halloween Challenge submissions. Deadline for regular submissions and the Halloween Challenge is October 13th, 2022. To track and see if we received your story, visit: Where’s My Story? Please note: If you do not want your story title added to the tracking page, let us know when you submit your work. (Author name is not listed, only story title). Tales from the Moonlit Path publishes dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition. Gore and explicit sex for the sake of visceral shock will not find a home here, though we are not opposed to it in general, if it belongs in the story. We are interested in character-driven stories more so than plot-driven, and we prefer dark fiction that makes us think, makes us feel, wraps us in its well-spun dream. Hard sci-fi and fantasy are a hard sell for us, but not impossible. Revenge and ironic stories are also a hard sell. Although we would love to publish fiction longer than 2,000 words, it is our experience that reading stories longer than that on a monitor can be tiresome and hard on the eyes. So please, fiction must be no longer than 2,000 words. Please include a short cover letter with your story, your name, email address, paypal information for payment, word count (please make sure an accurate word count is included in your short cover letter) and bio if...

Deadline: October 14th, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: Crime Fiction Submissions for the print magazine OPEN September 1st at 1am EST. Submissions of under 1k words for the flash series also OPEN. See the flash guidelines for details. Please read the entirety of the guidelines before submitting as guidelines have changed. ​Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will deleted unread, without response to the submitter. Guilty publishes crime fiction. It is strongly suggested that you read an issue of the magazine to get a solid feel for what we are looking for. Crime fiction covers a wide range of potential topics, and we are interested in your take on it, but please note, we are looking for stories of criminals, from their perspective. There are still many ways that can be interpreted, but there are some things we will not consider: Cozies. Police procedurals. Anything with a speculative element. Anything that glories in violence for the sake of violence, particularly against women, children, minorities, or animals. Violence can be an element of many types of crime stories, but it must be an integral part of the story. Detective stories will be a hard sell, not because we don't like them, but because they are not typically crime stories, per se, but have more in common with the police procedural than with other types of crime story. We really are looking for stories from a criminal's perspective. Serial killers are also a hard sell, unless your take on them is truly unique. It shouldn't need to be said, but any type of hate-speech, whether homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism or any other type you can think of, will not be tolerated. Submissions including such will be deleted without response to the submitter. ​ For fiction for the magazine: Stories from 2,500 to 5,000 words will...

Submission Window: For Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors: October 1st-14th, For All authors: October 8th-14th Payment: Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories Theme: $0.08/word for original fiction Cossmass Infinities is open for submissions on the following dates: For Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors: February 1st-14th October 1st-14th For All authors: February 8th-14th October 8th-14th i.e. Open during the first week of February and October for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors then opening to general submission for the second week. Submission windows may close early if there is a high number of submissions. This is to allow us to meet our response deadlines. Submission windows open and close at midnight UTC. Submissions made outside of these times will be automatically rejected. Cossmass Infinities is a Science Fiction and Fantasy short story magazine edited by Paul Campbell. We are looking for original science fiction and fantasy short stories. We are NOT looking for reprints at this time. We are actively interested in stories from Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors. We encourage new authors to submit. We are looking for short stories (1000-7,500 words). We pay $0.08/word for original fiction. We can only accept manuscripts in these formats: docx, doc, html, htm, rtf, odt, txt, azw, mobi. The rights we wish to obtain are listed in the sample contract for original fiction. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Multiple submissions are not accepted. Held submissions do not count against you. Payment is through Paypal. Submit only complete stories. Please allow 3 months for a decision, then feel free to reply to your notification email to enquire as to the status of your story. An email confirming receipt of your submission will be sent within 20 minutes of us receiving it. Note that your submission is sent to us...

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: $100 or $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is greater) and a contributor's copy Theme: Stories that team up Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown Edited by David Marcum Description: In 1910, the first story of Father Brown, the East Anglican Roman Catholic priest and detective was published. Sometimes called the counter to Sherlock Holmes and the world’s second greatest detective, the plain mild-mannered Brown used intuition with his logic to solve cases. This anthology will feature stories where the two great detectives, the cold and calculating Holmes and the kind and meek Brown, team up to solve mysteries. Guidelines: Submissions should be between 5,000-10,000 words in length (okay to go over the word limit) and should feature the traditional Holmes of the canon and G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown. No stories based on TV/ film versions of the detectives. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is GREATER) and a paperback copy of the anthology. Rights: Authors shall retain rights to their work. We only retain the rights to the story within the publication. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology. Email submissions in a word document to David Marcum at [email protected] with the subject line: ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR THE DETECTIVE AND THE CLERGYMAN Submission Deadline: October 15, 2022. Publication Date: Spring 2023 Via: Derrick Belanger's Facebook.

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Possession If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 150k+ monthly 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. !!!!!!!!!!!! PROMPT HERE !!!!!!!!!!!! SUBMIT YOUR STORIES USING THIS FORM If this form isn’t working, please email your submission to [email protected] as a last resort. Title your email with the following syntax: “SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT”  (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982) Submission Guidelines • 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 that you are the original creator of the story • We will consider entrants whose work has been entered and published elsewhere, however please ensure you state where and when your story has been used elsewhere on the document • You will be allowed to place one call-to-action for your own work at the end of the episode. Be sure to include this at the end of your document, underneath the log line • Payment per accepted story is 15GBP • 2x entries per theme permitted   When will I hear if my story has been accepted or not? We carefully review every single submission that comes through our door. If you’ve submitted a story...

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: The Loch Ness Monster vs. Ghosts in Atlantis Title: The Loch Ness Monster vs. Ghosts in Atlantis Opens: 10 May 2022 Closes: 15 October 2022 11:59 pm EST Theme: How did the Loch Ness Monster end up landlocked in Scotland, becoming one of the great paranormal mysteries of our time? Is she a myth, a hoax, a trick of the eye? Or perhaps she is simply lurking there until her enemies forget, waiting for the right time to return to her home in the waters around the fabled Atlantis, where she can be reunited with her family, and take her revenge? Little does she realize that the ghosts who banished her hundreds of years ago, along with those who have joined their ghostly order since, still keep guard over the lost city. They have dedicated themselves to the protection of Atlantis, and will stop any deemed a threat, by whatever means necessary. Who is the villain? Who is the hero? What caused the rift all those years ago, and does it still matter to any of them? Only you know the answer... No idea is too out there! We want stories from all sides, tales that contradict one another, unreliable narrators, and MCs who we can both love and hate. The ghosts don't have to be FROM Atlantis, but they do need to be guarding it now. Let's get WEIRD y'all. Word Limit: 3-8k words, excluding title Author Eligibility: Open to All Reprints: Not allowed Simultaneous Submissions: Not allowed Multiple Submissions: Max of 2 (two) acceptance per author Author Compensation: One (1) digital copy and word count 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...

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: $20 per story or artwork Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease don't query us about your story submission. We don't have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it's not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don't accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up...

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: $5 Theme: The Sun The Icarus Writing Collective, a mythic magazine, was founded in 2022 by Elizabeth Zarb and Kyle Ross. The two met as undergraduates at Emerson College in 2017, finding a combined interest in classic literature and mythology. After a flash fiction workshop course in their senior year, both Elizabeth and Kyle fell in love with the short form and took that passion one step further to establish this collective. In contrast to the Icarus myth, this magazine encourages writers to go beyond their limits and get close to the sun. While hubris can be a downfall, The Icarus Writing Collective strives to create a community where there’s a balance between hubris and humility— together, we’re able to make something beautiful. We call ourselves a “collective” because we aim to create a space where lovers of antiquity can dabble, experiment, and work together to form a new canon of stories, not just the ones picked up by the big publishers. Despite the Greek influences on the aesthetics of the zine, we heavily encourage writers to adapt from their own cultures and favorite mythologies. There is no limit to the stories that can be retold. Writers from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to submit. Issue 01: "The Sun" WRITING SUBMISSIONS OPEN: 08/15 to 10/15 The Icarus Writing Collective currently uses Google Forms to collect submissions! Anything submitted through email will not be considered. We accept simultaneous submissions, as long as you notify us that your piece has been accepted elsewhere. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept previously published works. You’re welcome to submit once to each category. We are able to award writers a $5 honorarium, paid through Venmo or PayPal. Writers retain all rights to their work after publication. The magazine acquires first...

Submission Window: October 1st-15th, 2022 Payment:2 cents per word Theme: Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. **STARTING IN 2022, SUBMISSIONS OPEN JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, AND OCTOBER (1-15th of each month)** Submissions OPEN. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Firm. Author Compensation: 2c/word, paid via PayPal. (Rounded to nearest whole dollar) Publication: Dread Stone Press website (Dose of Dread). Reading Periods: January, April, July, and October; 1st to 15th. Any stories submitted outside of each reading period will not be read. 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 reading period 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. 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. Please see the General Submission Guidelines below for additional formatting information. Via: Dreadstone press.

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: Stories about escaping the darkness Out of the Darkness will be a charity anthology – with proceeds being donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We are looking for stories about escaping the darkness. The darkness of depression, the darkness of being a victim – any and all types of darkness will be considered. Stories do NOT have to have happy endings – but they should still show ways out of the darkness. Maybe one character wasn’t able to escape, but those left behind are able to find a path forward out of the darkness created by their loss. This is a bit open-ended as far as story guidelines so authors are free to explore what this means to them. Break the story-writing rules if you want. If you use a tried-and-true plotline, twist it in an original and interesting way. Original stories are preferred. Query for reprints. ALL writers are encouraged to submit. Doesn’t matter if you’re a pro with years of credits, a beginner just starting out, or a teenager - please feel free to send the editor a story. In your cover email, please tell the editor a bit about yourself and a quick one-line synopsis of the story. Include genre. If experimental, please explain the type or how so the editor doesn’t edit out the form or reject it out of hand. Thank you. In the Subject line please put Submission: Darkness: Title of your story: Your name. Attach as a .rft file, please send to: [email protected] Submissions Open:  Aug 15, 2022 (DO NOT SUBMIT PRIOR TO THIS DATE) Submissions Close:  Oct 15, 2022 Release Date:   Dec 2022 Payment:  $20.00 flat rate. ​ All payments will be made via PayPal. If you do not want to obtain and...

Submission Window: September 22nd to October 15th, 2022 Payment: $0.07/word. Payment for reprints is $0.03/word, Poems are paid at the rate of $25 to $100 Theme: All SF and Fantasy genres, but horror is unlikely to find a home here. Ideally stories with a message of hope. Note: Reprints are welcome To accept submissions, DreamForge uses our own “Submissions Portal.” The link to that portal will be supplied on this page at about Midnight on 9/21/22 and remain open through Midnight 10/15/22. When you submit stories through our portal, you will be able to provide a brief cover letter, tell us why you feel the story is right for DreamForge, and upload your manuscript doc. Our response time? At DreamForge, all staff and readers are volunteers. While we’re all set to devote time to this, our day jobs and personal lives can set us back. So, expect 2-3 weeks minimum for us to get back to you. If we respond more quickly, or take significantly longer, those are just the breaks and don’t necessarily mean anything specifically regarding your story. Because submitting stories can sometimes feel like you’ve dropped your manuscript into a time warp, we don’t mind simultaneous submissions.  If your story sells elsewhere, we’ll help you celebrate! Most stories will be returned without editorial comment. You will always get a polite response, but providing feedback often takes time we don’t have.  A quick calculation shows you the problem. Let’s say we receive 500 hopeful submissions this period and we spend just 5 minutes each giving each one some feedback.  That’s 2500 minutes.  41.6 hours.  That’s time we really don’t have, and honesty it takes more than 5 minutes to provide insightful and politely crafted commentary. However, if you want to engage with us and other writers as we welcome guest...

Deadline: October 15th, 2022 Payment: $5 for stories under 1,000 words and $10 for stories 1,000 words to 1,500 words. Theme: Erotic Halloween Stories It’s that time of year again. Pumpkin spice. Halloween decor. Scary movies. And Circlet Press Halloween Microfictions. For our Halloween microfictions we want stories that reflect our sensibilities—literary, erotic, exploring and celebrating gender and sexuality—while also harnessing the spirit of Autumn and October and Halloween. Horror is welcome so long as it is erotic and character-driven. Let your imaginations run wild. Stories can be funny or heartbreaking, steamy or sweet, and full on Pumpkin Spice Latte or just dusted with a hint of cinnamon, metaphorically speaking. A few things to bear in mind: A happy ending is not necessary. HOWEVER, I will not accept any stories where one spouse kills the other. Halloween party hookups, night club hookups, demon summoning, and hot to trot ghosts have been done to death. If you’re going to send those PLEASE make it original. I am 100% open to classic monsters. I love vampires and zombies and werewolves and lots of other creatures. Just make sure to give them your own unique spin if that’s what you do. I STRONGLY encourage authors to read the works posted to our website in order to familiarize yourselves with what we publish. REQUIREMENTS: Stories must contain erotic elements. Consent must be EXPLICIT. Nothing under the age of consent. Nothing with animals. No fan fiction. The details: Word count limit is 1,500. No reprints. Multiple submissions are okay. Please send as a Word doc or RTF (or in the body of the email) and follow standard manuscript formatting guidelines. Look up William Shunn if you aren’t familiar with manuscript formatting. The deadline is October 15th, 11:59 pm EST. Payment will be $5 for stories...

Deadline: October 16th, 2022 Payment: $0.01 per word for short stories, $25 per poem and a contributor's copy Theme: An anthology of sea horror stories SAND, SALT, BLOOD is an anthology of sea horror stories, aiming to raise money for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution – https://rnli.org). We’re looking for horror stories set on, in or around the sea, including coastal areas and islands, as long as the sea plays a key part. Let’s face it – the sea is terrifying! What’s lurking down there? What happens when that comes to the surface? What about isolated communities on small islands, or dock workers loading and unloading ships? Although the editor likes stories with sirens, mermaids, and other sea creatures, think beyond that too. Horror isn’t just about the shock and gore – consider the creepy and eerie, too, the kind of atmosphere that raises the hair on your neck and makes you feel like you’re being watched… SAND, SALT, BLOOD will be edited by Elle Turpitt and published by Sliced Up Press. What we’re looking for: Submissions must be in the horror genre. All subgenres are welcome including bizarro, splatterpunk and extreme horror, but don’t shock for the sake of shock. Poetry is also welcome. We’re especially interested in submissions from women, BIPOC, disabled and LGBTQIA+ authors. All submissions must be original. We will not accept reprints, or stories published elsewhere, including on blogs, social media, etc. (This does not include stories published on password protected websites for the intention of critique.) Submit your best work in modern or classic manuscript format (as outlined on www.shunn.net/format), as an MS Word .doc or .docx attachment. Anything sent in a different format will be rejected without reply. Authors may submit 3 (three) stories or poems maximum for consideration. Please ensure these are sent in separate...

Deadline: October 22nd, 2022 Payment: $.06/word, $.03/word for reprints - for stories in the 500 – 4,000 word range Theme: All forms of speculative fiction, prefer 'weird' fiction The Drabblecast is currently open for submissions until Oct. 22. The Drabblecast is an award-winning online speculative fiction magazine and podcast that publishes “Strange Stories for Strange Listeners,” often also classified as “Weird Fiction.” Loosely, this encompasses any and all genres, but largely centers around those of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. We’re looking for powerful stories that are simultaneously relatable and a good degree off the beaten path. We’re looking for stories that will work particularly well when read aloud and treated with full cast audio production. We’re looking for submissions that are humorous, bizarre, gross, disturbing, badass, interesting, and original — your favorite story that we both know would be a hit if only it found the right home. We’ve been expecting you! Please wipe your feet on the various dismembered feet on your way in. What We Buy Short Fiction — 500 – 4,000 words We Also Run Drabbles — Exactly 100 words. Twabbles — Exactly 100 characters. Episode Art — See the Art page. Payment Considerations: The Drabblecast currently pays $.06/word for original fiction, with a cap of $300.00. The Drabblecast accepts reprint submissions at a pay rate of $.03/word, with a cap of $300.00. Stories under 500 words (including Drabbles and Twabbles) are published on a pro bono basis. The Drabblecast accepts Simultaneous Submissions (please let us know if someone else accepts before us) Drabblecast does NOT accept Multiple Submissions, unless specifically requested or solicited by Drabblecast editorial staff. Your Submission Should: Submit stories to [email protected] Include your name and story title in the subject of the email. Include bio (including preferred gender pronouns), story word count, information regarding the submission’s publication history or indication if the work is original and unpublished in the...

Deadline: October 28th, 2022 Payment: 6 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: Coming of age with a horror twist A Coming of Age Horror Anthology open call for submissions! Do you love the nostalgic feel of the Amblin movies of the 80s and 90s? Tales that may well have impacted on your own childhood. The Goonies, Stand by Me, ET, Jurassic Park etc.? Nowhere Fast pays homage to the well-loved theme, Coming of Age, and then adds a horror element. Did you ever just wish you could have made The Goonies a little gorier? That ET was actually evil or that Hook was based on the Hookman urban legend rather than just a bumbling pirate? What if The Explorers was as violent as Aliens or The Craft had a Blair Witch vibe? Now is your chance to make your twist on these classics a reality. PLEASE NOTE – these movies and characters are IP and cannot be used without permission. Your story should be a tribute, not a sequel. Any work featuring actual characters from these movies will be rejected. Nowhere Fast is a COA anthology which is a mixture of invite and submissions. We can tell you that everyone involved is very excited about this and we have a fantastic foreword and cover lined up. TOC so far … Brian Keene Josh Malerman Jonathan Janz CJ Tudor Cynthia Pelayo Adam Cesare Richard Chizmar Hailey Piper Gwendolyn Kiste Stephen Graham Jones Kathe Koja Kasey Lansdale   INTRO BY SADIE HARTMANN TO BE EDITED BY JANINE PIPE, LEZA CANTORAL AND CHRISTOPH PAUL We would like to see varied interpretations of this sub-genre and invite diverse and own voices to bring their own flair and unique flavour to their narrative. This is open to anyone; we actively encourage all writers,...

Deadline: October 30th, 2022 Payment: €200 Theme: Defending nature and empowering communities In partnership with OceanCare, Stormbird Press’ opens a call for Our Ocean’d Earth contributions. This call is for nonfiction or fiction writing that conveys one clear and unified message: that our oceans are worth fighting for. To help restore a culture of inspiration and reverence towards Earth’s oceans we are looking for masterfully woven stories from a range of perspectives—from marine life researchers to conservationists, free divers to writers with a deep connection to the sea, and more—who can reveal secrets of the oceans and their inhabitants, or have in some way formed a unique bond with an ocean or its marine life. The ideal submission will be a short essay or story of 1000 to 3000 words that will reflect Stormbird Press’ core principle: defending nature and empowering communities. The anthology will be distributed by OceanCare and featured in Stormbird Press’ 2023 catalogue. Deadline for submissions: October 30, 2022 (11.000pm AEDT) Payment: Each published piece will receive a payment of €200. Each author will be featured on the Stormbird Press author page and receive unlimited Our Ocean’d Earth ebook downloads for one year. The copyright will remain with the author. SUBMISSIONS Please include (in a single word document) a 1000-3000 word essay, a less than 300 word author bio, and your best contact details, including current mailing address and phone number. In the subject line of your email, please write: ‘Ocean Anthology Submission’, the title of the submission and the country in which your story is set. For example: Ocean Anthology Submission: Requiem for Hope (Brazil) Send submissions to [email protected]. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered. Please refer to our submission page for further style, tone, and editing expectations, including principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Via: Storm Bird press.

Deadline: October 31st, 2022. Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: A shared-world Sword and Sorcery anthology based on Xonthian, a universe created by Daniel Dickinson. Fedowar Press is opening submissions for a shared-world Sword and Sorcery anthology based on Xonthian, a universe created by Daniel Dickinson. This is a world of magic and warriors with all the races you love: The world of Xonthian is thick with diversity and rich in history. From Xonthian City, where humans live their lives in a large city while the outskirts have some of the land’s richest crops and farms. Or the island of Juan’kij, where the elves have secluded themselves in the forests of Timilik. The Dwarves living peacefully under the Shadow Mountains, and the Atticatten, who have hidden away on the easternmost peninsula of Xecutran. Where Orcs, Ogres and darker races who live in long-forgotten jungles and swamps, or in the shadows of lost civilizations. To the undiscovered lands of the east, where magic, sword, and gunslingers travel desert vistas. This anthology is expected to release in mid-2023. Submissions will be accepted until October 31, 2022. Details Suggested Length: Between 7.5k and 15k words Region: Can take place anywhere in the Xonthian world Need more info on the Xonthian World? Take a look at it on World Anvil Want to chat with us about the world and your idea? Contact us on the Fedowar Discord Qualifying submissions must have never been published. Quick Start Guide Welcome to the world of Xonthian! A young medieval world filled with magic, sharp blades, and mysteries around every corner. From the world beginning, molded by the children of the cosmos, the gods see the world as a mortal plaything. Not every god however is invisible and sits silently by. Oblivious to the machinations of the elder gods, the world...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints and a contributors copy Theme: Mystery Stories Note: Reprints Welcome Send us your best mystery. We want excellent writing, evocative settings, intriguing characters, and most importantly, a clever puzzle complete with clues, red herrings, foreshadowing, and twists. We strongly suggest you purchase a copy of The Black Beacon Book of Mystery to find out what kind of stories we're likely to accept. 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. The preliminary deadline is the 31st of October, 2022. We regularly post news on our Facebook page. You can also get a feel for what we like by buying our previously published titles. Publishing quality fiction is an expensive passion, so the more we sell, the more we can publish. It's that simple. # Rates: Please note the rates quoted are not inclusive of transfer fees. The amount received may be slightly lower; typically 3%. We use PayPal to pay our contributors. If your submission is successful, you'll need an account. Alternatively, we can pay with an electronic Amazon gift coupon. Payment is made upon publication. 20€ for original stories and 5€ for reprints regardless of length, plus one print copy. Preferred word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Please read the full guidelines below before submitting. ANTHOLOGY GUIDELINES AND DETAILS Please only submit one story per publication. No simultaneous submissions for original fiction. The best way to get a feel for the kind of fiction we're likely to publish is to buy our previously published titles. This provides you with examples of accepted stories, demonstrates our high standard of editing, and helps finance future anthologies and increases the possibility of better pay rates. Languages accepted:  English and French / anglais et français Black...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £80 Theme: The inter-relationship between the postmodern and horror A Darkness Visible - Submissions due by Midnight GMT, 31 October 2022‍ Ontology Books is seeking submissions for its upcoming anthology A Darkness Visible focused on postmodern horror. Postmodern literature has often been an ill-defined concept. Critics have cited the deconstruction of narrative, inter-textual storytelling, and the subversion of genre conventions in attempting to define what “postmodern” constitutes. Others have noted the interplay of high and popular culture, dark humor, and literary experimentation as hallmarks of the postmodern. It is safe to say that “postmodern” is a slippery concept open to multiple interpretations and meanings. This anthology will explore the inter-relationship between the postmodern and horror. We are seeking short stories of between 3,000 and 8,000 words addressing this theme. Writers like Mark Danielewski (House of Leaves), Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), William Burroughs (Naked Lunch) or Thomas Pynchon (Gravity’s Rainbow) may be reference points, although thinking outside the box is welcome. Stories may be in the horror genre, or they may investigate horrific aspects of what Jean-François Lyotard called “the postmodern condition.” How you address the theme is up to you. Include a short cover letter with your submission in the body of the email citing any relevant writing credits or experience. A number of award-winning writers have already been contracted for the volume by invitation. We are now opening the call to public submissions, although spots will be limited. We expect highly polished manuscripts in standard Shunn formatting complete with contact information. Submissions should be sent to [email protected] and attached as a single document (.doc, .docx, or .pdf files are acceptable formats). Accepted contributors will be paid a flat fee of £80 and receive a contributor copy of the book. The editors expect to notify authors on the outcome of...

Deadline: September 1st - October 31st, 2022 Payment: 1/2 cent per word for new, $10 for reprints, $10 for accepted new, not-previously-published poetry of 14 to 50 lines; One Dime/$.10 per line thereafter with a maximum of $15.00., $10-$15 for accepted new OR REPRINTED interior illustration, $25.00 for the Illustration/Art Theme: Stories containing vampires Our current Call for Submissions is for THE VAMPIRICON: Imaginings & Images of the Vampire. SUBMISSIONS OPEN FROM 1 SEPTEMBER THROUGH 31 OCTOBER (HALLOWEEN) 2022. The Vampiricon Must be directly relevant to the subject of THE VAMPIRE. Must contain at use of the word VAMPIRE in the text, OR be a work clearly on the topic of THE VAMPIRE, VAMPIRISM, etc., OR, if an illustration, must depict the VAMPIRE or have clear reference to THE VAMPIRE in some form. Short Fiction between 500 and 3000 words. Poetry between and including 14 to 200 lines (verse or free verse). NOTE: So-called "Prose Poetry" will be considered poetry, but the syllable count of the submission will be divided by 10 to compare to the number of iambic pentameter/10 syllable lines. Thus, a 2000 syllable prose poem will be the maximum length. Scholarly Articles, Essays, and Notes between 500 and 3000 words. Illustrations/Art can be line art, greyscale, or full color at 300 dpi. Except for the selected cover illustration(s), full color will be converted to greyscale for interior illustrations. BOTH NEW and PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED SUBS WILL BE CONSIDERED, provided the rights to the work are held by or have reverted to the submitter. RATES OF COMPENSATION FOR ACCEPTED WORK $10.00 for accepted previously published work [IMPORTANT: The complete MLA citation for the place or places of previous publication will be required. ADD this information at the end of the scroll of the document presented, or, if illustration/art, submitted along with the illustration file as a separate,...

Submission Window: October 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: 8 cents per word and $500 for custom cover art and $100 for cover art drawn from an artist’s existing portfolio. 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...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $15 and 3 contributors copy Theme: No genre, fiction, poetry, essays, art The World Unknown Review has taken an unexpected hiatus in the past few years, but we are proud to announce plans for it to return on a new schedule for a potential late 2022/ early 2023 release! The submission period for the World Unknown Review runs annually from January 1st to October 31st. We’re looking for a little bit of everything, so please send us your best fiction, poetry, essays, art, or whatever else in between. There are no genre, theme, or word limitations, although anything over 17,500 words will fall automatically into the novella competition. There is no entry fee, and writers may send in as many works as they like, though only one is likely to be chosen. Authors will receive $15 USD ($30 for the winning novella) and three contributors copies. Please send submissions or questions to [email protected] , preferably in .doc, .docx, or .rft form. Please, no PDFs. Via: L.S. Engler.

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £0.005 per word Theme: Daytime-themed horror This daytime-themed horror anthology is going to be absolute FIRE! We want your original, unpublished, short horror stories set in daylight. That's it. Go wild. Think Midsommar, The Wicker Man, Benchley's Jaws, IT, The Silence of the Lambs. All great storylines, all packed with daytime fear proving you don't have to be in the dark to be afraid. Sleeping with the lights on won't help you this time. Howl at the sun, create reverse vampires, solar-powered cryptids, photosynthesising swamp monsters, make it eco-horror if you like, create an alternate world where the sun never sets, it simply grows hotter and hotter, closer and closer... You could even write about zombies (but only if you've something new to offer-zombies have been done to death, excuse the pun). Write whatever you like as long as the bulk of the action happens in broad daylight and is horror-themed. Elements of sci-fi, fantasy, dark and speculative fiction are fine, encouraged even, as long as your story is creepy, dread-inducing, and/or downright horrible. We're giving you a long time for this one, time to get those creative cogs turning so you can squeeze out something truly awful for us. Deadline: October 31st 2022 (midnight, last place on earth, yes we know that's Halloween) or until full. To be published Spring 2023. We're looking for flash pieces (500-1500 words) and longer stories (3-5k) but if you've something somewhere in between, we'd still like to read it, send it in. You may enter up to 3 pieces of flash and up to 3 longer stories, if you wish. £0.005 per word (after edits). An anthology of selected stories will be published in print and as an e-book publication. See our 'Submission Guidelines' section for information on...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Speculative Poetry About Cats In 2021, 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats were estimated to be in the world. Cats were first domesticated in the ancient “Near East”  around 7500 BC, though it was long thought that cat domestication began in Africa, in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC. Speculative Cats is an anthology of speculative verse about the domesticated cat (Felis catus), edited by Akua Lezli Hope and LindaAnn LoSchiavo, to be published in 2023. Submissions open June 1- October 31, 2022 Submit no more than 3 unpublished, speculative poems to [email protected] Black and white illustrations also sought. Submit no more than 5 illustrations of speculative cats in .jpg or .png, with a minimum 400 dpi resolution. No previously published poems (see notes) Submission Format One-inch margins, 12 point or larger type. Name and e-mail address on every page of poem. Name of file should be your name and title of poem. Send each poem/image as a separate file. Send files as attachment in .doc or .docx to [email protected]. Illustrations should be in .jpg or .png format with a resolution of 400dpi or higher. Payment: all included will receive one copy of the paperback. (Estimated value, $25 including shipping and handling). The Speculative Cat Volume I will be published as a paperback and e-Book in 2023. ### Notes This anthology is focused on speculative verse about domesticated cats so no lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, pumas, cougars, etc. If you’re using any word other than English, include a notation. Please send only speculative poetry, no longer than 40 lines mere metaphor does not a speculative poem make mere simile does not a speculative poem make Possibilities include: alien cats, astro cats, cyber cats, ghost cats, cat familiars, magic...

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: $1 per accepted piece Theme: horrorku, horror themed tanka, haibun, see below for details The Submission may include any or all of the following: · Up to seven (7) horrorku or horror tanka  · Up to three (3) haibun · Up to five (5) pieces of cover art All submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not under consideration by a print or web-based journal. Posts in closed, critique-oriented groups and social media sites are acceptable for submission, but public posts on forums such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not. By submitting a piece to us, you are guaranteeing that it is your original work and not under consideration or published anywhere else in the world. E-mail submission is required. Type poems into the body of the e-mail; no attachments of poetry will be opened. For art submissions, please include all five pieces in a .PDF file or send us a link to a private gallery. If we purchase an art piece for our cover, we will ask that you provide a 300 dpi version of said piece. E-mail: [email protected] Subject: Otoroshi Submission Please include a cover letter noting location in the world. Please include handles for Instagram and Twitter for promotional purposes. At this time, only one submission per issue will be considered unless the editors directly request a second submission. Submission periods are one month long: · January for the Spring Issue · April for the Summer Issue · July for the Fall Issue · October for the Winter Issue Acceptances will be sent shortly after the end of each period. Please note: Although most journals may publish your work as is, we are editors, too. This means we will make suggestions to your work as we see fit. This...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $10.00 USD Theme: A collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same horrifying house Imagine a Victorian house where every room is cursed with a frightful existence. Are monsters in the halls? Ghosts left to fester in the library? Or are the rooms themselves enchanted with malevolent energy? What was summoned long ago and what doorways were left open? Manor of Frights will be a collection of tales all set in different rooms of the same house. Stories MUST follow these guidelines: MUST be in 3rd person. No 1st person stories will be considered. The Manor of Frights was built in 1880. So, stories can take place between 1880-1980. Keep this in mind when writing. Is the house new in your era? Run down? Or refurbished? Has there been a fire? A flood? Are you writing about the homeowner? A guest staying at a BnB? Or maybe… You are writing about the architect renovating the place? Choose a room and write a horror story that takes place in it. 13 rooms will be picked from the submissions. Choose wisely. Be unique. You can write about the normal rooms in a house like bedrooms, bathrooms, or the kitchen, but some other ideas for rooms are: attic, conservatory, library, basement, study, billiard room, cellar, hall, parlor, boudoir, dining room, den, foyer, living room, nursery, dinette, hearth room, scullery, kit room, linen closet, landing, rotunda, nook, covered porch, widow’s walk, or maybe you have an idea of your own. The story must have an overwhelming sense of menace and dread. The KIND of horror is open to you. Is there a monster inside? Does it connect to a demon world? Has it been cursed? Is it haunted? Do vampires reside in the home? Scare us....

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: £10 Theme: Science Fiction Stories Q is for Quantum – Submissions open September 1st. Deadline October 31st We’re looking for sci-fi stories, parallel dimensions, time travel etc but firmly set in the horror genre. 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 via 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 of...

Deadline: October 31st 2022 Payment: $0.01 CAD per word Theme: Fairy tale short fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Over the last six years, the From the Rock series has become one of the preeminent anthology series’ in Atlantic Canada. We have been home to some amazing established talent and helped some new authors break through that have gone on to dominate their fields, becoming genre bestsellers in their own right. From the Rock is a title readers consistently ask for, review well, and is a great way for avid readers to get introduced to indie talent they might find interesting. Since 2018, each entry in the series has become a Canadian bestseller based on pre-orders alone! ​ We are currently accepting submissions for the tenth entry in this series: Fairy Tales from the Rock, to be available in Winter of 2023. Editors Ellen Curtis and Erin Vance are scheduled to return to helm the project. Many authors have expressed interest, but anyone can submit to be a part of this collection! Deadline is October 31 2022, but get your stories in as quick as you can, as it gives our wonderful editors more time to work with you and make sure it is as good as it can possibly be! We're looking for both fairy tales inspired by Newfoundland & Labrador culture, as well as new takes on popular fairy tales from the world over! What is the target audience? For this specific collection, we’re going for an equivalent of PG to PG-13. Rather than limit our authors creatively, we encourage them to write from the heart and allow us to work with them to fine-tune the work after the fact. What does it pay? Authors are paid $0.01 CAD per word, to an upper limit of 7000 words. Are there minimum/ maximum...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $5 (USD) per poem and $10 (USD) per short story and a contributors copy depending on location Theme: Horror stories of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. Volume IV A horror, short-story collection of regional legends and tall-tales from around the World. We've loved doing these, now it's addiction, so, we've decided to keep doing it. We are seeking short story submissions (1000-7500 words) for this anthology. The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest). We are seeking stories in the horror genre. Inclusion of elements of other genres is welcome, so long as, overall, the story is an horror story. The subject of the story can be based on any legend, so long as it has a horrific flavor. Ghosts, hauntings, alien abductions, monsters, demons, spirits, witches, etc, all are acceptable, as long as the subject is based on an actual legend or tall-tale. We want an original story involving the legend. Don’t rehash the legend itself or write an essay on the tall-tale. Instead, for example, WOW us with a new fable of some poor unfortunate who finds out that legends are sometimes all too real. For more examples; read our first three FROM THE YONDER Volumes. Please DO NOT: ~Extrapolate relationships that do not exist in the actual legends. Nessie can be a horrific monster, but she is not a servant of the Elder Gods (no matter how much we love Eldritch horror). ~Attribute characteristics or powers that do not exist in the actual legends. Jack-a-Lopes are cool, but they aren’t going to eat you in your sleep. ~Intermix legends that are...

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: Flat rate (likely listed October 1st when the call officially opens.) Theme: The theme of other and/or different - however writers wish to interpret that. ***THIS IS AN EARLY LISTING*** Not all details were available at the time of scheduling this post, we will update or enter a new post once full details are available. Other & Different will be the first print anthology from the Coup of Owls team.  ​ Encompassing a variety of styles and genres, Other & Different will feature stories focused on the theme of other and/or different - however writers wish to interpret that. This anthology will include only adult (18+) creators from marginalised and/or underrepresented communities or backgrounds. ​ Submissions open in October 2022. Publication will be in April 2023. ​ 1000 minimum, 4000 word maximum - hard limit Flat rate payment per story - TBC Rating up to and including R/18+ Reprints not accepted Full submissions information and cover art will be available from September 2022 ​ We will be donating the profits from both pre-orders and the first six months of sales from release will go to the North American non-profit Rainbow Railroad and UK charity Rainbow Migration equally.  Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps LGTBQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. In a time when there are more displaced people than ever before, LGBTQI+ people are uniquely vulnerable due to systemic, state-enabled homophobia and transphobia. These factors either displace them in their own country or prevent them from escaping harm. Rainbow Migration is a UK based charity that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the UK asylum and immigration system. Via: A Coup of Owls.

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2022 Payment: Fiction: $0.03 per word (USD) + contributor copy, Art: $100 (USD) for previously unpublished art; $50 for reprint art + contributor copy Theme: Storytelling that centers nonhuman characters and positive multispecies interactions Open for Submissions: October 1 – 31, 2022 Story Length: up to 7,000 words Payment: Fiction: $0.03 per word (USD) + contributor copy Art: $100 (USD) for previously unpublished art; $50 for reprint art + contributor copy To imagine and build better futures, we’re championing a new wave of inclusive storytelling that centers nonhuman characters and positive multispecies interactions. Whether the setting is urban or rural or a space station, we’re looking for stories and artwork that put human-nonhuman or even nonhuman-nonhuman relations in the spotlight. We encourage creators to imagine nonhuman main characters, and we welcome narratives that acknowledge the agency of multispecies actors, both in the worldbuilding and in the plot. Because this is a solarpunk anthology, stories that acknowledge the realities of climate change and address those challenges through uplifting possibilities will have the best chance. We’re defining “creature” broadly, so let us see your depictions of wild animals as well as domesticated ones, of intelligent fungi or plastic-eating bacteria, of lakes and rivers granted personhood. Reconsider the traditional tropes of alien first contact and sentient AI, and envision them in a way that doesn’t replicate the same old oppressions and assumptions of human dominance. We’re looking for work that acknowledges humans as one species in a larger ecosystem, for human characters who strive for cooperation with (rather than dominance over) other creatures, for settings that reflect a sustainable balance of nature and technology. This is a sequel-in-spirit to Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures, which reimagined our urban spaces as less anthropocentric. Read those stories to get a...

Submission Window: October 1st and October 31st of 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: Short stories set in deep space and/or on alien planets from now on. Far, far from Earth! To have your story considered for Issue 23 due out in November 2022, please submit it between October 1st and October 31st of 2022. I’ll read and reply in November 2022. Announcement Jan 2022! Since 2017, Alien Dimensions has been working hard to find its feet in the semiprozine world, while still covering costs. I’ve offered a token payment of $10 per story for stories accepted since then as, being a non-profit with no grants, that’s basically all Alien Dimensions can afford. Also, I volunteer my time to edit it. I’ve previously said that if sales increase, I’ll review that token payment. So, whether it was the double issue, covid, reduced number of issues being released, an increase in interest in space fiction worldwide, changing the release time limit from 1 year to 2 years, better advertising, a new algorithm from Amazon, more people interested in aliens, or more people reading via Kindle Unlimited, or, most likely, Issue #21-#22 being just so good, Alien Dimensions has not only been successful in 2021 it has started recovering losses for previous years. As a result, with huge thanks to all the readers and writers, from 2022, payments for accepted stories will rise to USD$20 each. I know that is still far away from professional payments but, I plan to review that every year and increase it when possible. There’s been some contract adjustments for this to happen, too. Future issues will remain available indefinitely, from issue #23, and from February 2022, the minimum story length for submission is now 5000 words. Also, Alien Dimensions issues will be 200+ pages rather than 100. Yes,...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: General Fiction" $0.07 per word. Speculative Fiction: $200 for stories accepted in annual Speculative issue, $100 for stories printed on website. Essays: $100 Theme: Any genre. Character-driven stories that leave the readers something to think about. Note: Black women writers Deadline: October 31, 2022 at 11:59pm ET (short fiction – all genres and narrative essays) CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT! short stories. essays. melanin. Whether you’re an established writer or are just starting out, we want to hear from you! midnight & indigo, a new literary magazine celebrating Black women writers, has issued a call for submissions to review short stories and narrative essays. We publish content on our digital platform and in our literary journals (paperback/ebook/audiobook). In 2022, we will publish our first long-form anthology! Writers are invited to share their original, fictional, or personal stories. Stories can funny, entertaining, serious, or sincere. Stories must be character-driven and leave readers with something to think about. All genres are welcome! How to Submit: Format:  All submissions should follow proper manuscript format and Microsoft Word .doc format. We will not accept submissions that do not follow our guidelines. All stories must be submitted via Submittable — we will not accept stories via email. You may submit up to three stories at any time. Our average response time is 120 days. Word length:  Short stories: min. 1,500 words. Narrative essays: min. 1,200 words Please note:  Call for Submissions will be held on a rolling basis with deadlines four times per year: January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, and October 31st. Submission does not guarantee that your work will be published. All submissions will be considered for our long-form anthology. Genres: All genres and writing styles are welcome. It may be helpful to view our current short stories, essays, and literary journals to get a general sense of what we publish, but don’t...

Submission Window: October 1st-31st, 2022 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story Changing the world, one story at a time Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars? Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that. What does the timeline look like? Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout. Where do I send submissions? [email protected] What are the rules for submitting? 1. No Fees 2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form 3. Any genre 4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway's famous 6-word story "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn." 5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack - You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers. 7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. What do I get for subscribing? One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting. Anything Else? Yes! Analytics will be published monthly in terms of subscribers, the number of submissions, and anything else that might be relevant. Via: Substack.

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: Contributors Copy and Royalties Theme: The Natural World NOTE: PLEASE ENSURE YOUR SUBMISSION IS INTENDED FOR THE SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY. DO NOT SUBMIT IN THIS CATEGORY UNLESS YOUR SUBMISSION IS A SHORT STORY. Submissions in erroneous categories will be rejected, and those with repeated infractions may be blocked from further submissions. The theme for our Fourth Annual Short Story Anthology is The Natural World. Stories should take place predominantly outdoors or in some natural context, with nature a defining aspect of the work. Man-made environments and situations should take a backseat in the characteristics of landscape, plot, and other elements of your submission.  Merriam-Webster defines "the natural world" as "all of the animals, plants, and other things existing in nature and not made or caused by people." We would love to see stories that explore how interactions with nature cause tension, excitement, wonder, and/or increase the knowledge of the reader and characters in the story. Reconnecting with the natural world is vital in these times of pandemic, resulting in working from home, avoiding crowds, being cooped up in enclosed spaces, away from each other. How can we maintain our humanity without nature?  How often should we try to be outside, in nature? What can happen because of it? Without it? ANNUAL SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS: 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...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Prizes: Grand Prize: $5,000, writing credits on a video of the story. Theme: Original Ghost Stories Note: Must be 21 to enter. Bogle Vineyards’ Phantom Wine Ghost Story Contest is gearing up for another year of original ghost stories with the winner being produced into a short film with a cash payout! REQUIREMENTS OF CONTEST ENTRIES: Contest Entries may not contain, as determined by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, any content that: • Is sexually explicit; gratuitously violent; derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group; profane or pornographic; • Promotes alcohol abuse, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing); promotes any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous; promotes any particular political agenda or message; • Is obscene or offensive; endorses any form of hate or hate group; • Appeals to children or minors or promotes underage drinking; • Appears to duplicate any other submitted entries; • Defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies; • Contains trademarks, logos, or trade dress (such as distinctive packaging or building exteriors/interiors) owned by others, without permission; • Contains any personal identification, such as license plate numbers, personal names, e-mail addresses or street addresses; • Contains copyrighted materials owned by others, without permission; • Contains any materials embodying the names, likenesses, voices, or other indicia identifying any person, including, without limitation, celebrities and/or other public or private figures, living or dead, without providing legal releases for such use in a form satisfactory to Sponsor; • Contains look-alikes of celebrities or other public or private figures, living or dead; • Communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which Sponsor wishes to associate; and/or • Violates any law. By submitting a Contest...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: "Contributors Copy" (Copy of the calendar + a t-shirt) Theme: Photographs must depict horror in any type of twisted, macabre, and evil images of dark artwork, soaked in whatever vile media you choose to delve into Greetings Cadavers! We are pleased to announce the 2023 Horror & Dark Art Calendar is underway! Last year's 2022 calendar was a killer success, and we were able to help float a couple of names out into the horror ether. For 2023, we are looking for much more bloodlust! Once again we are seeking photo submissions from all you independent horror artists to showcase your vile creations! There are some guidelines below that must be followed, and yes, a photograph release (a necessary document to keep everyone honest), has to be submitted. Other than that, if you have captured art in some evil form and you want to showcase it in our calendar (it's free by the way, no entry fee!), take a photograph (digital) and send it to us for consideration. We will wade through the rivers of blood to choose just the right ones. But there is more. If your photograph is chosen for a monthly wall, you will be awarded: One free calendar One free Split Skull Media T-Shirt One free Death Certificate (yup, these are back, too!) Photo credit and website listing Huge bragging rights If we use your photograph on/inside the grid (smaller photo): Honorable mention on the calendar Please understand that every entry cannot be a winner. These artworks are painstakingly viewed and reviewed. Choosing the right ones is difficult and we hold no biases. When the photos are finally chosen, we have become mere shadows of our former selves, slinking deep into our coffins in a whirlwind of self-inflicted madness... but we wouldn't have...

Deadline: February 1st, 2023 (DEADLINE EXTENDED) Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: Homebound Horror Ever felt like you weren’t alone in your own home? Like eyes were watching you through the walls and ceiling vents, or that if you just listened hard enough, you could hear footsteps creaking from the ceiling above you? Home is where you’re supposed to feel safe. But what happens when that safety is violated? When something malignant - living, dead, or something that never lived at all - enters our most sacred of places and begins twisting it to use that safety against you? You tell us. UNDER THE STAIRS wants your most horrific stories about what happens when one’s sense of home is lost. How you interpret that is up to you. We want supernatural stories and stories that deal with strictly human horrors. We want stories about stalkers, psychopaths, ghosts, monsters, urban legends, the mortician who built your home and parked his hearse in the driveway, where he used to let the bodies sit overnight. But what we want most are the stories that you are scared to tell. The splinters of painful terror from the deepest recesses of your heart. The ones that make you stop short of stepping over that threshold - whatever, or wherever “that threshold” is. Surprise us. We’re looking for original stories no more than 3,000 words. This is a hard limit. Submission Window Submissions will be accepted from August 1st-October 31st 2022. Any story submitted before or after will be deleted unread. Response Times We will try to respond to every submission within 60 days of submissions closing. Rights We are setting a 1 year, print and digital submission right to publish for submitted stories. Payment Sure, this is a passion project for us, but we wanna...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 10.00 for each short story, $5.00 for each poem, article, and flash fiction piece, and $2.50 per cartoon/Comic Strip. Theme: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Time Travel Fantasy, Grimdark, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal, Bizarro Full Moon Chronicles Submission Guidelines We will be open to submissions September 1, 2022, through October 31, 2022 Quick and to the Point: Send us your submission in a .doc or .docx attachment in an email to [email protected]. Subject line, “FMCSubmissions” otherwise, your submission may not make it to our editors. Submissions sent to any other email address will not be considered. Include in the body of the email, Story Name (your title) Author (your name/pen name) Genre (in your opinion) Word count (the number of words in your story) Your story (Please leave a single blank line in between each paragraph of your story.) Please make sure you read and understand the guidelines as outlined above before you do so, especially the part about properly spacing your paragraph breaks. Who We Want We are eager to accept submissions by published authors and unpublished writers. What We Want All fiction, (for ages 18 and up) FANTASY, DARK FANTASY, HISTORICAL FANTASY, TIME TRAVEL FANTASY,GRIMDARK, HORROR, THRILLER, PARANORMAL, AND BIZARRO. (For other fiction not mentioned, please send a 250-word pitch for consideration.) Short Fiction Length: 2,500 to 4,500 words Flash Fiction Length: Up to 1,000 words (Flash fiction should never be more than 1,000 words.) Poetry Poems should be no more than a page, (approximately 225 words) or less. Subject matter to follow the above genres, and you may submit up to two poems per submission with triple spacing between them. Articles Pertaining to authors, genres, coming releases, distribution outlets, and so on. Cartoons / Comic Strips Original works only. (See “What We Don’t Want” below) What We...

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 9 cents per word Theme: Speculative Fiction The submission window for the fall 2022 flash fiction submission cycle is October 1 to October 31. Authors will be notified in mid-November about whether their stories have been accepted for publication. Stories will be published under a non-exclusive license, at a rate of 8 cents per word. The author will retail all original copyrights. Stories must be under 1,000 words in length and fall under the genres of science fiction, fantasy or horror. Please submit only one story per cycle. Simultaneous submissions to other publications is allowed. Meanwhile, we are also accepting reviews, essays, reprints, and book excerpts for publication on this site. MetaStellar is an online publication focusing on horror, fantasy and science fiction, launched in September 2020, founded by a dozen speculative fiction writers, editors and artists from around the world. Via: Metastellar.

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: $0.005/word up to 7500 words. Minimum of $15 Theme: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Note: Reprints Welcome We are currently open to SHORT STORY submissions for Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy: Volume Two to be published in the Summer of 2023. All stories must be submitted before our deadline of October 31st, 2022. We ask for the following: 1) We are looking for great Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Don’t overthink it! Just write an incredible story and you will find yourself in this anthology. 2) Submit your work in the Shunn Standard Manuscript Format. We only accept documents in DOC, DOCX and RTF formats. 3) We accept work in the range of 1500-7500 words. Anything outside this range will be automatically rejected. 4) Payment for original fiction is currently $0.005/word up to 7500 words. Minimum of $15. Reprints paid at full rate. We retain no rights to your work. 5) Worldstone Publishing encourages submissions from writers of all races, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, etc. We want and value diverse voices. Saying that, we make editorial decisions strictly based on merit, and we do not collect any information that might clue our editors to any of these attributes other than your name, email, address, and cover letter before any decisions are made regarding your submission. 6) Ready to submit? Then send an email directly to [email protected] In the subject line, please write “Anthology Submission: “STORY TITLE” or your story will be automatically rejected. 7) No multi-submissions. We try to respond to all submissions within 30 days. Via: Worldstone Publishing.

Deadline: October 31st, 2022 Payment: 10 cents per word for fiction, $3000 for pay to play contest, $200 for cover artwork Theme: A haunted place, and silver. Note: There is also a contest with the same theme that you can enter, which IS pay to play with big rewards. However, it is not required to enter in order to submit to the magazine. Do you tremble from the chill? As the weather cools and leaves scatter the ground, can you be sure it’s not something… else. Which scares you more, the darkness or your own thoughts? Certain places are known to be haunted. Asylums, crypts, and old creaky houses. The striped-tent circus turns sinister at night. You wonder what lurks inside the fog as the mist rolls through town, as the rain blankets the manor home, as lighting illuminates the deep woods. Where do you hide when the panic sets in? Surely not that cave, hotel, or empty church. An isolated cabin in the forest? Run farther, to a station among the stars, where the echoes you hear are definitely human. Perhaps you’re haunted by memories, of things you’ve done and people you’ve lost. How do you escape the voices in your head, conversations replayed ad nauseam until you scream with guilt? Chased by ghosts—real or imagined—where do you hide? This contest invites you to explore haunted hideaways, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome. Submissions close October 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers. 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. SIGN UP NOW...

Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: 15GBP Theme: If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 150k+ monthly 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 86.) Mother Nature; deadline 1st November 2022 SUBMIT YOUR STORIES USING THIS FORM If this form isn’t working, please email your submission to [email protected] as a last resort. Title your email with the following syntax: “SUBMISSION | STORY TITLE | THEME | WORDCOUNT”  (e.g. SUBMISSION | THE MARTIAN | SPACE | 1,982) Submission Guidelines • 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 that you are the original creator of the story • We will consider entrants whose work has been entered and published elsewhere, however please ensure you state where and when your story has been used elsewhere on the document • You will be allowed to place one call-to-action for your own work at the end of the episode. Be sure to include this at the end of your document, underneath the log line • Payment per accepted story is 15GBP • 2x entries per theme permitted   When will I hear if my story has been accepted or not? We carefully review every single submission that comes through our door. If you’ve...

Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10, artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Theme: So THAT's Why THEMA literary journal was born in a Chinese restaurant in 1988 as the result of a conversation over how different writers would respond to a single quirky theme—specifically, stories involving the fortune cookies received that day. Our curiosity evolved into a mental exercise among friends—a challenge. What we didn’t expect was how much fun we would have. As we wrote about fortune cookies, we began to ponder other topics. Soon, it was like eating peanuts—we couldn’t stop. Strange themes kept popping into our heads; how would various imaginations react to them? We had to know! So now we had a list of quirky themes in one hand, a fistful of diverse but homeless fortune-cookie manuscripts in the other, and heads buzzing with potential theme-based plots. What should we do with the themes? What would we do with the resulting stories and poems? Start a literary journal and send the challenge across the country—of course! Why not?? Upcoming premises (target themes) and deadlines for submission : The Crumpled Yellow Paper (July 1, 2022) So THAT's Why (November 1, 2022) Help from a Stranger (March 1, 2023) To download a PDF file of the guidelines, click here . ALL SHORT STORIES, ESSAYS, POEMS, PHOTOGRAPHS and ART MUST RELATE TO ONE OF THE PREMISES SPECIFIED ABOVE. NOTE: Previously published pieces are welcome, provided that the submission fits the theme and that the author owns the copyright. The premise (target theme) must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not merely incidental. NOTE: Fewer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages preferred. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover...

Submission Window: October 1st - November 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: DEVOUT: Martyrs, Cults, and Madness 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. Last Girls Club Winter Issue Theme is DEVOUT: Martyrs, Cults, and Madness No more than two fiction or flash fiction stories per author per submission period. Fiction is limited to 2,500 words or less. Authors are paid $0.01 per word upon acceptance ($25 USD max). Flash fiction is limited to under 1,000 words. Authors are paid $0.01 per word upon acceptance ($10 USD max). No more than three poems per poet. Poems are limited to 200 words or less for each poem. Poets are paid $10 upon acceptance. 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]   Via: Last Girls Club Duotrope.

Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Story must begin with: When he died, their father had two requests. 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 traditional sense. Fiction: All stories must...

Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: $10 Theme: The artfully weird. Strong preference for Orlando based writers/submissions about Orlando and surrounding areas. While we prefer writers with a connection to Orlando or the greater Central Florida area, Olit will accept quality writing meeting our aesthetic and criteria from writers anywhere around the world. What do we mean by aesthetic and criteria? We’re glad you asked. Olit seeks the following: Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid, Artwork, Photography. Send us all kinds of stuff. We love the artfully weird. Strong preference for Orlando based writers/submissions about Orlando and surrounding areas. We aim to focus primarily on publishing marginalized voices. LGBTQIA+ is a big plus with us. BIPOC voices will always be uplifted here. Disabled? Incarcerated? Low income? Other marginalized voices? Please send us your work. If you do not consider yourself marginalized, your submission is still welcome at Olit if it meets our other criteria. Our aesthetic is best defined as gritty with grace, fast food parking lots in the middle of the night, the underbelly of a tourist city the locals know by memories. We want quality writing with heart and teeth. Give us words that bite back, stories full of verve, and the poems you wouldn’t let Grandma read. We are not the Academy/highbrow lit scene. We are indie and intellectual, raw yet polished. Send us only your best. We welcome simultaneous submissions. We would never ask you not to submit your work to more than one place at a time. Any lit journal still doing that should be banished and left behind. Please send us only previously unpublished works. We welcome multiple submissions. Have a short story perfect for us? Looking to publish some poems at the same time? That is fine with us, but please submit them as separate...

Deadline: November 1st, 2022 Payment: $25 + two paperback copies + one award certificate Theme: New Weird Horror as a Horror subgenre focused on progress, creatively capturing themes and questions that bleed into fiction straight from the modern reader's life and future. Note: Reprints Only *PUBLISHED WORKS ONLY*   Tenebrous Press presents the inaugural Brave New Weird Awards—to reward and further this unique blend of genres—and its accompanying Brave New Weird:the Best New Weird Horror of the Year anthology series, showcasing the winners of each year, care of editor Alex Woodroe. We define New Weird Horror as a Horror subgenre focused on progress, creatively capturing themes and questions that bleed into fiction straight from the modern reader's life and future. It acts as a challenge to break new ground in terms of form and content and to engage with the unknown. Beyond that, New Weird Horror will be defined by the winning pieces themselves. Buzzwords: speculative; eclectic; horror-centric but genre-blended; progressive and innovative in terms of content, social themes, form, or voice; concept-driven. Does this sound like your writing? Submit your previously published work to the New Weird Horror Awards today! Disclaimer: Tenebrous is a young press looking to have fun in the world of Horror and build a community of like-minded peers. We’re not claiming this award will wow your dream agent or single-handedly sell your book. It’s a way to showcase reprints that we love in a genre that we care about, and get them into the hands of more readers—no fuss, no lobbying, no hidden costs. Eligibility: Any previously published piece of short fiction under 7.499 words originally published in the English language within the eligibility period. You may submit NARRATIVE poems only; poems will be judged on their storytelling. Stories published in other languages are welcome...

Deadline: November 2nd, 2022 Prizes: Overall winner: $75, Prompt prizes: $50 for each of the three categories, $5 for every “honorable mention” (10-12 stories) Themes: Stocking Stuffer, Christmas Cryptids, Weird Cards (Details for each below!) I’m sweating, and my shorts are damp, which means it must be time to announce the FIFTH ANNUAL WEIRD CHRISTMAS FLASH FICTION CONTEST! This is year number FIVE! Last year’s results are here. I’m sticking with the Prompt Categories this time which lets me give out four top prizes rather than just one or two. It’s still an experiment to see if this gets more or better submissions, and I figured one more year will give me a good sense whether to keep doing it this way. But first, if you’re new to this, then “What,” you may ask, “the hell!?” I want your stories to help keep Christmas weird! This is a contest for flash fiction of no more than 350 words that’s somehow about Christmas and somehow about slapping a big ole scoop of oozy weird right in the middle of your Christmas pudding. What does that mean in particular? I don’t know! You’re the writer! Surprise me! Just make Christmas (or any other winter holiday) seem new and unsettling with a bit of that grinning like you’re not sure if it’s funny or creepy, and you’re on you way to fame and fortune as the winner of this little contest. There are three “Prompt Categories.” You have three ways to enter this year, and four ways to win a top prize. There will be one overall winner and then three winners in each of three separate categories: “Stocking Stuffer” – In this category, just write whatever the hell you want. Anything goes as long as it fits the rules and general guidelines down below. “Christmas Cryptids“ – Seems like odd monsters and critters...

Submission Window: November 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...