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Deadline: September 25th, 2023 Payment: $0.01 per word after edits are made, $50 for accepted images. Theme: Horror for the spooky season of Halloween Fall...a time for cozy sweaters, apple picking, and pumpkin spice lattes... ​ No... ​ Scratch that... ​ It's a time for brittle leaves crunching when you walk, haunting winds that leave forlorn resonance in in their wakes, and jack-o-lanterns ushering in the most magnificent season of the year. ​ Give us your sacrifices to the spooky season! What makes fall magical yet horrific for you? What does the change in seasons in conjure? What monsters wake up when the frost begins to settle? What could possibly go wrong when you're doing a little pumpkin patch fun? The possibilities are endless when it's fall! ​ This theme is a little broader than our usual—have some fun with it! Please submit your unique, unpublished, horror or dark fantasy—horror elements must be prevalent within dark fantasy—stories or images related to the fall season—fall activities, the change in weather, and Halloween   Details​ All stories and images should involve the fall season or Halloween as major components. Simply adding a fall setting to a story with an entirely different focus will not be accepted. All stories should be between 2000 and 6000 words in length. There will be no wiggle room this time. Images can be a cover image without text, a figure, or a scene.  All stories and images should be emailed to [email protected].  Stories and images will be accepted until the anthology is full or until Sept 25, 2023, whichever comes first, so it will be to your benefit to submit as early as possible.  You may submit more than one story or image if you choose; however, only one will be selected for possible publication.  Simultaneous submissions are not...

Deadline: September 25th, 2023 Payment: All rated in CAD, $100 per interview, $200 per essay, $100 per review, $150 per work of fiction, $35 per poem (or page, capped at $120 for poems running four pages or more), $50+ per experimental or hybrid work, at an increasing scale depending on the nature of the piece Theme: Any genre, though best to see previously published work for a feel for the magazine. A premier Canadian literary magazine, publishing the best in new writing. We award the annual Austin Clarke Prizes in fiction and poetry. The Ex-Puritan seeks submissions all year round, from anywhere in the world. Feel encouraged to push boundaries, play with form, and explore genre elements. Consider reading the fiction in our last few issues to familiarize yourself with work we've published. Please do not submit stories over 10,000 words, flash fiction (under 1,000 words), or novel excerpts. Please only send one story at a time. Note that all submissions must be previously unpublished and that we will not publish the same author more than once per year.We are especially interested in work by LGBTQ2S+ writers, BIPOC writers, and writing from other marginalized folks. Rates | Fall 2022 $100 per interview $200 per essay $100 per review $150 per work of fiction $35 per poem (or page, capped at $120 for poems running four pages or more) $50+ per experimental or hybrid work, at an increasing scale depending on the nature of the piece Check back with the magazine regularly; The Ex-Puritan is working ever assiduously to increase these figures. Please note that we can ONLY issue payments using e-transfer, PayPal or a cheque in the mail. We also pay in CAD. If you cannot accept payment via e-transfer, PayPal or cheque from a Canadian bank, we cannot accept your submission....

Deadline: September 29th, 2023 Payment: 8 cents a word for stories up to 1,875 words, 1 cent per word for reprints Theme: All forms of fiction Note: Reprints Welcome SUBMISSIONS TO OUR MONTHLY MAGAZINE ARE CURRENTLY OPEN THROUGH SEPTEMBER 29TH. Why submit to us? - WE PAY PROFESSIONAL RATES. It’s hard work writing good stories, and you deserve to get paid fairly for it. Or maybe you don’t, and you’re just duping us? Regardless, we pay 8 cents a word for stories up to 2,000 words (well, 1,875, to be exact). Stories longer than this are capped at $150 payment. - NO SUBMISSION FEES. We’re not saying the other guys are getting rich off $3 per submission, but there’s something about the idea that we, as writers, have you pay you, the publisher, just for the privilege of rejecting our work with a form letter, bothers us. (Costs of running an E-zine aside) We’re going to go ahead and coin a phrase right here and now - ‘Write privilege’, get it? Of course, you do. - GET YOUR WORK IN FRONT OF A LARGE AND GROWING AUDIENCE. Our aim is fixed on telling good stories, period, and because of that we have built a massive readership from all over the globe. Want to get your stories out to more than just dear old nana? Then you've come to the right place. - REASONABLE TURN-AROUND TIME. If you haven't heard from us within 90 days, then your story was rejected. Rejections stink - we get it - but its better than forever waiting and wondering. - WORKABILITY. Is that the right term? Well, we're going with it. Unlike large publishers who view you as just a number, we actually work with you to help present the story in its best possible light, while never infringing...

Deadline: September 29th, 2023 Payment: $1 per drabble, up to 10 drabbles. Theme: 100-word Christmas horror stories with exactly a 2 word title. BLACK HARE PRESS is—and has always been—an inclusive publisher. LGBTQ+ characters always welcome. All our calls are for dark speculative fiction or weird/horror. No co-authored projects, please, unless the call specifically says they are allowed. 2 word title 100 word story (excluding title and pen name). A bio of no more than 15 words, plus one link << this is really important. Don’t include links to retailers (ie Amazon) as the books get rejected when they have retailer links. If you want to include one, we suggest you set up something like linktr.ee (here’s ours: linktr.ee/blackharepress) or bio.site (here’s ours:  bio.site/blackharepress) $1 USD per acceptance. Up to 10 acceptances per pen name. Want more? Easy—use another pen name. First three to 10 get a $10 Amazon voucher. First to 10 also gets a paperback copy of the final product. One email, one drabble. We won’t look at submissions with more than one drabble, as we don’t have time to extrapolate them into the read process. Blind submissions for the actual manuscript, please. Reprints are OK, but we’ll have no space for “First Published” acknowledgements, so please check your obligations with previous publishers first (if your first publisher is BHP, then you automatically have permission, as long as it wasn’t published in the last 12 months). No simultaneous submissions, please. Theme: December, holidays around December (Immaculate Conception, St Nicholas Day, Christmas, Bodhi Day, Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Zarathosht Diso, and anything else you can think of), myths and legends, etc. Genre: Must be dark, but any genre, including (not an exhaustive list): horror, science fiction, LGBTQ+, romance/ steamy/erotic horror, cosmic, speculative, fantasy. Submit to: [email protected]. Will...

Deadline: September 30th, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: The love... And hate... Of a narcissist A departure of sorts for HellBound... It's a golden opportunity to tell your tales of terror and woe at the hands of that most heinous of monsters, a narcissist - not necessarily a spouse - and deliver the most delicious revenge in the form of the written word. Of course, names and some details may be changed to protect the innocent (and avoid lawsuits!), but we ask that you tell your true story - it's the ultimate catharsis, and will hopefully serve as a cautionary tale to others. PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * 0.3" hard paragraph indents (NOT spacebar hits, please!) * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 2.5K-6K word count (although we are incredibly flexible for awesome stories!) * Write 'NARCISSIT' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 30 September 2023 Payment - $10.00 for first rights. Capped at 120K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.

Deadline: September 30th, 2023 Payment: £20 per accepted story Theme: Unpublished sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories inspired by/based on tabletop games - roleplaying games, board games, miniature wargames. We are looking for unpublished sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories of between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Please only submit one story at a time and don't submit if it's already submitted somewhere else. All stories should be self-contained, no "to be continued". Recurring characters across multiple stories will be considered, as long as each story is a solid read in its own right. If you've already been published in an issue of Fanatical you are free to submit again, but we may hold your submission over so as not to publish the same author in back to back issues. Fanatical will pay £20 per accepted story, paid upon publication. We pay via Paypal. Upon acceptance, authors retain rights to the story but we ask they don't publish/submit it anywhere else before it is published in Fanatical. These stories should be inspired by/based on tabletop games - roleplaying games, board games, miniature wargames. Though Fanatical may take it's name from the concept of fan fiction, we're not looking to get sued here.   A story about an adventuring party consisting of a dwarf, an elf, a human and a halfling going into a dungeon to fight a dragon is fine. A story specifically set in a copyright protected world of Dungeons & Dragons, with reference to its locations and characters is not. A story about a genetically engineered super-soldier in power armour fighting aliens in the far future is fine. A story about a Space Marine fighting Xenos in the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40,000 is not. Rest assured the editors at Fanatical will work with you to ensure your stories meet our criteria in this regard.   Authors should be able to clearly...

Submission Window: September 15-30th, 2023. Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and marginalized writers open October 1 - October 7, 2023. Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Horror stories at 1000-2000 words They got sub calls for flash and sub calls for 2000+, but what about those little bastards no one wants? What about those stories YOU wrote for no call at all, just because you wanted to? Those guys that never get picked for dodgeball. Let’s find them a home. Let’s find a place for those treasures, those stories that said all you had to say in 1600 words. Those outcasts, those weirdos, those stories that Goldilocks wouldn’t look at twice. Open call submission window open September 15 - September 30, 2023. Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and marginalized writers open October 1 - October 7, 2023. This anthology is unthemed and will be made up entirely of stories from the open call. No invites! What are we looking for? We want the stories you love the most, that you wrote in a fit of fury, passion, grief, or worry. Anywhere between 1000 and 2000. Too big for flash, too small for a short story. Horror only, though we count dark fantasy and gruesome or heart-wrenching literary in there too. This anthology is open to all writers, but we strongly encourage writers from the LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities to submit. What are we NOT looking for? No cruelty/death to dogs or dog-like creatures. Those will be rejected outright and you will have made an enemy for life. Beyond that, we understand the horrors of bigotry and how that makes for great storytelling, but bigoted/queerphobic/racist/misogynistic stories will be rejected and you run the risk of being put on blast. Don’t be an asshole, though your...

Deadline: September 30th, 2023 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Gothic romances that are equal parts horror and romance. 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 and non-binary authors only (our definition of women includes transgender women and femme-identifying individuals - and always will. If you identify as woman by any definition, or identify as non-binary, this call is open to you). 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 and non-binary authors only (our definition of women includes transgender women and femme-identifying individuals -     and always will. If you identify as woman by any definition, or identify as non-binary, this call is open to you).  - 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 -...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word Canadian Theme: Blades/Swords Welcome to our four-book series, dedicated to horror inspired by the Tarot.  Does the story have to be about Tarot Cards... NO. Think cups, knives, wands, and pentacles. We are looking for the theme to be the element, not necessarily the card itself, although we would love to read that as well.  Chalice - Pentacles - Blades - Wands ​ **Patron Members get an extended submission window** ​ March 1- 31: Chalice  (Patron dates Feb 21 - April 7) June 1- July 7 Pentacles (Patron dates May 23 - July 14) Sept 1- 30: Blades/Swords  (Patron dates August 24 - October 7) Dec 1- 31: Wands (Patron dates November 23 - January 7) ​ ​ Each book will have an overriding theme of a Tarot suit and be between 50k - 60k words in length. They will be stand-alone books but will make up a four-book series. ​ ​​Word count: 1500 - 7000 firm. Payment: Flat rate payment ¢1 per word CAD after approved edits. Reprints? No ​Multiple Submission? No 💀 Only one submission per author per theme/quarter.  ​Formatting: Please use 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, set auto-indent new paragraphs. Add the story title to the top of the manuscript. Do not include your name or email in the manuscript. These stories will be read "blind" by our reading team. Title your manuscript "Title of Story - Theme" for example "Borderline Nuisance - Tarot Wands"Please make sure the title of the story and the title on the manuscript match. ​ How to submit?Submit via the Form - Which will open on the start of each quarter. (A button will appear) IF you have issues with the form, please email your manuscript to [email protected] Title your email...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: Contributors copy and $50 CDN for shorts or $20 CDN for poetry Theme: Gothic Horror in the Cold Gothic fiction is renowned for being filled with spine-chilling stories in isolated and forlorn places. What better setting could there be than the deep, dark, depths of winter? When snow and storms can isolate remote locations for days or weeks and bundling up to keep the cold away provides a different kind of anonymity and isolation even in the heart of cities. Hauntings and Hoarfrost will be filled with stories of frosty mornings, blood stained snow and ghosts who appear and disappear like breath fogging the air. I will be looking for mysterious messages scratched into frosty windows, the sound of ice skates cutting across an empty pond, wild storms and blankets of soft, white, beautiful death. Rights and compensation: $50 CDN flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology for stories. $20 CDN flat fee and a paperback copy of the anthology for poems. 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. Open submission period: September 1, 2023 – September 30, 2023 Length: Under 7,500 words No simultaneous or multiple submissions. No reprints. Canadian spelling, please. (Just do your best, we don’t judge) Submissions will be handled through Submittable. A link will be provided closer to the submission window opening. Via: Rhonda Parrish.

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word for fiction, $5 for poetry, 1 cent per word for non-fiction, $35 for cover art Theme: Speculative fiction It's our goal to publish diverse voices from around the world, and to do that, we are actively seeking stories, poems, and non-fiction pieces by authors from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in the science fiction and fantasy canon. Our submission cycle is therefore split into two categories, where every other month is explicitly reserved for submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. The interposing six months remain open to everyone. Guidelines for Fiction We are seeking stories in the English language up to 6,000 words by writers from around the world. We favor submisions that have not been published before (including on your own website), though we do accept a limited number of reprints not currently appearing anywhere online. For our two issues focused on the climate crisis, we're particularly interested in publishing stories from people displaced by or threatened by the climate emergency (see our themes below). For our other four issues, we're open to a wide variety of stories across the SFF and weird spectra. We pay 1¢ per word for fiction, and we try to respond to all submissions within ten weeks. We will also accept a limited number of previously published stories, so please indicate on the form if your submission is a reprint. All submissions must use the Shunn manuscript format (we prefer Courier New) and be either .rtf, .doc, or .docx. We like stories that are subtle in their telling and stick with us long after we've finished. We're more likely to buy stories that balance a sense of wonder with a bold plot and...

Deadline: September 30th, 2023 Payment: Royalties Theme: New Crystal Lake Entertainment imprint looking for Pulp and Extreme Horror novels and novellas. Torrid Waters is an imprint of Crystal Lake Entertainment, focused on Pulp and Extreme Horror books. Novel and Novella submissions The submission window will remain open from midnight EST August 1st, 2023 to midnight EST September 30th, 2023. Only one submission per author at a time. Simultaneous subs (to other publishers) are allowed, but please inform us of that upon submission. Be sure to let us know if and when your book is accepted for publication elsewhere. No previously published works (this includes self-published titles). Your novel/novella needs to 100% written when you submit your first three chapters, in case we ask to see the entire manuscript. Do not resubmit the same title once it’s been rejected. The submission window will remain open from midnight EST August 1st, 2023 to midnight EST September 30th, 2023. Only one submission per author at a time. Simultaneous subs (to other publishers) are allowed, but please inform us of that upon submission. Be sure to let us know if and when your book is accepted for publication elsewhere. No previously published works (this includes self-published titles). Your novel/novella needs to 100% written when you submit your first three chapters, in case we ask to see the entire manuscript. Do not resubmit the same title once it’s been rejected. Email your submissions to [email protected] with the subject of “Torrid Waters Submission 2023.” In the body of the email, be sure to mention: • The title of your book and the total word count of the finished manuscript. • A one-sentence tagline that encapsulates your main plot. • An author bio • Optional: your writer’s CV, if you want to give a detailed summary of...

Submission Window: September 1-30, Early submission period for equity-deserving groups August 24-31 Payment: $0.08 CAD per word Theme: short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships in any genre (though they prefer uplifting so probably better for Scifi/Fantasy.) Note: Looking for at least 50% Canadian authors We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years. Give us deep space, dusty frontiers, or dreamy fantasy. We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. While we are primarily looking for stories with happy endings (yeah, yeah), we also want endings that are earned. If things get a little teary or gory, that's ok. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules. Payment Payment is $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (1,000-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem. We are purchasing first publication rights, to revert back to the author after one year. Canadian Writers Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, refugees and displaced people living in Canada, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Heartlines welcomes submissions from writers of all identities. If you are comfortable, we encourage writers to indicate their intersections in their cover letter. Disclosure is not a requirement to submit, and we recognize that not all people are safe to disclose their identities. We are committed to addressing barriers and systemic discrimination faced by equity-deserving groups, which includes (but is not limited to): Racialized people People with disabilities LGBTQIA+ people Indigenous people...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story 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. What if I can’t pay right now? That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your choosing. Best of all, it is...

Deadline: September 30th, 2023 Payment: $.02/word for flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words. $30 flat rate for short stories 1,500 – 2,500 words. Theme: Short stories that feature The fighters, the curious, those who win against the odds. The intrepid. Thank you for considering Intrepidus Ink as a publisher of your work. Our process is challenging. Competitive. At least two editors give a story the “thumbs up” for publication. A story must speak to us, exemplify our aesthetic, and potentially delight readers. A tall order. Give Us The fighters, the curious, those who win against the odds. The intrepid. That’s what we want. Emotion. Write stories just for us. We explore intrepid culture: our stories feature danger elements, struggle, emotion, and OVERCOMING. Our stories are intrepid first and not subordinated to other themes. We accept many genres and writing styles, including literary, speculative fiction (science fiction and fantasy), literary speculative fiction, action and adventure, romance, magic realism, historical fiction, and others. We love odd, quirky, experimental stories, and humor. We don’t take erotica, poetry, children’s fiction, nonfiction, or horror. We love a good, scary story, but we promote FEARLESSNESS, not FEAR or tragedies. Repackaging horror stories as speculative fiction will still earn a rejection (sorry!). Read and heed submission guidelines, especially for word counts. Click on “The Rules” below. A tip: if we’ve declined your submissions multiple times, please don’t give up! Keep trying.  But also, read our published stories to clarify what we mean by intrepid culture. What are you waiting for?  Go for the Gutsy! Submit a flash fiction or short story now.  New! Submit amazing, excellent stories showcasing narrators engaging in FEARLESS CONFLICT & overcoming. Now through September 30. Submission Guidelines for Flash Fiction and Short Stories: Flash Fiction 300 – 1,000 words; Short Stories 1,500 – 2,500 words (firm).  Unpublished Work Only: Story cannot be published anywhere online or publicly, including social media, community writing sites, or personal blogs, nor may work be retitled from said...

Submission Window: September 1st - 30th, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: Stories of any genre by writers who identify with and as any of the following descriptors: trans, two-spirit, disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, queer, crip, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex. Who: We welcome submissions by those who identify with and as any of the following descriptors: trans, two-spirit, disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, queer, crip, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex. This is a space for the words, works, and worlds of and by those whose bodyminds defy social expectations and invite new ways of thinking and knowing. We do not need to know the specifics of your identity/diagnosis/experience unless you want us to. We invite closeted and questioning people to share their work, as well as those whose experiences fall outside the confines of the language we used above. We welcome submissions from creators of all ages. We particularly encourage unpublished/emerging/young creators to submit. If you know an incarcerated/institutionalized creator who would like to submit, email us for information as to where to mail the submission, or clearly indicate in your message that you are submitting on their behalf. What: We take submissions of all/no forms and genres. Please do not label your submission by genre. Submissions that are text-based should number no more than three <1,000-word pieces, or five total pages. If your spacing is funky (we encourage funky spacing) use your best judgement. Submissions that are primarily image-, audio, or video-based should number no more than three still images, one audio recording of five minutes or fewer, or one video of five minutes or fewer. All audio content must be accompanied by a transcription at the time of submission. All visual content must be accompanied by an image description at the time of submission. This magazine is english language-based, and we enthusiastically welcome translations (along the...

Deadline: October 1st, 2023 Payment: Contributor's Copies Theme: Six calls set in different decades with different themes that all have 4 requirements that you can see below Most people would agree that technical advancements have made our lives easier or, at the very least, more entertaining. But, what about the flip side? What horrors were unleashed for the sake of creation? What monsters emerged as technology evolved? We invite you to travel back in time with us as we discover the dark side of six decades. Get creative with the themes. Bring us thrills and chills. Just remember to adhere to the basic guidelines. We can’t wait to experience it. Series Submissions Guidelines Applies to all individual calls for submissions listed below Word/Entry Limits: Only 1 story per person, per book (Feel free to submit one for each book in the series!) Short stories (English only) between 1,500 words and 5,000 words Original works only - no reprints Submit your story in the official entry forms (links below). Opens: June 1, 2023 Final Submission Deadline: October 1, 2023 (or until full) Reprints: No Multiple Submissions: No Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but please alert us and/or withdraw your submission if accepted elsewhere. While it will not affect an entrant’s chances of acceptance, those entrants who tip will receive a digital copy of each of the Dark Decades anthologies that they submitted to when it is released. (Example: If someone tipped when submitting to Listen and Capture, but didn’t tip when they submitted to Lurk, they would receive digital copies of Listen and Capture, but not Lurk. And each submission would be weighted/considered for publication equally, irrespective of tip status.) A word on response times: Having been on the receiving end of things, we know what it’s like to eagerly await word about...

Deadline: October 1st, 2023 Payment: 8 Cents per word Theme: Science fiction that feature and empower large gay/bi/queer men John Bear was a mesh of wire and silicone, of nanobot lace and rare gems unearthed from mines in foreign lands. He stepped out of the cryo-chamber, his large body pulsating with a green bio- luminescence, his head throbbing with a constant data stream being jacked into his frontal lobe. The lone light, a faint, dim sliver of faded yellow from a computer monitor a room away seemed blinding, seemed to radiate the force of a violent sun. John stumbled towards what looked like a door, banged his round belly on the control panel before sliding down the wall in a convulsing lump. The door swished open and standing before him was an onyx robot with dancing dreads that looked like guitar wires. “Kiss me,” the robot said with metallic timbre. John raised his head and admired the robot’s physique — round, carbon faced, barrel-chested, and a slick, smooth belly larger than his own. “Kiss me, remember me, understand me — and then we can both be free.” After a pause, the door closed — sssswiissshh — leaving John Bear alone in the dark, leaking fluid, drifting into the blackness of sleep. We here at the Afterverse have always wondered what a queer empowered sci-fi anthology would look like. We also wondered what would happen if those stories took place in the bear and chub communities, if they featured characters that could be our friends, partners, boyfriends, and lovers and if they featured larger bodies, fat bodies, chubby, hairy bodies! We are often left wondering what queer genre fiction — from fantasy to romance to even slice of life, would look like if we found the lead characters desirable and/or reflective...

Submission Window: August 15th - October 1st, 2023 Payment: $25 Theme: NIRVANA-inspired horror Celbrate 35 years with a collection of NIRVANA-Inspired Horror! For decades, our lives have been touched by the music. We’ve cried, screamed, laughed to the punk riffs and unique vocals. NIRVANA shaped us during our formative years and it shows. For that, we honor the mark they’ve made.    Now we sing dark, twisted covers of our favorite songs.     From Book Slayer Press and Roxie Voorhees, co-editor of MINE and READER BEWARE, comes a collection of NIRVANA-inspired horror.     Forming the ultimate playlist, the stories within showcase NIRVANA’s discography with a fear inducing twist.    NEGATIVE CREEP: A NIRVANA-Inspired Horror Anthology    GUIDELINES:  Please read carefully. Submissions that don’t meet the guidelines will be rejected.    Submissions will be accepted from August 15 through the end of September 30. Deadline is October 1st, 2023, at midnight IDLW time zone. Please submit to [email protected]. Open to any and all writers, both new and established.     What we are looking for:  20-30 stories inspired by NIRVANA songs, ranging their entire discography. All horror tropes are welcome. Genre-blending is highly encouraged. Queer retellings and gender swaps, historical horror, sci-fi horror, cults, and cannibalism are a few of our favorites. Writers should have a diverse representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, gender identities, disability, fat positivity, and neurodivergence. **Please note: Only one story per song will be accepted**    What we are NOT looking for:  Please, do not submit stories about Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Kurt’s suicide (mentioning is fine), anything that has to do with band members’ personal lives and not related to NIRVANA or its music.  Submissions cannot contain sexualization of minors (under 18, yes that includes “17 almost 18”).     Trigger warnings are encouraged and will be included in...

Submission Window: October 1st, 2023 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...

Deadline: October 2nd, 2023 Payment: $200 and 50% royalties of ebook sales and 40% royalties of paperbacks. Theme: Speculative Fiction novellas for Australian or Kiwi authors Deadset Press are happy to announce that during September, we will be accepting submissions of speculative fiction novellas, with a goal to publish up to four over the next eighteen months. Submissions are open to authors from Australia and New Zealand, and we encourage everyone – especially LGBTIQ, neurodiverse, and BIPOC authors – to send through their stories. As a publisher, we want to provide opportunities to voices that have been ignored or underrepresented, and celebrate the diversity of the Australian and New Zealand speculative fiction community. If you identify as a LGBTI, BIPOC or disabled / ND author, please mention this in your email. We would prefer to publish stories which feature Indigenous characters or address LGBTI themes, for example, by authors whose stories they are to tell. The novellas must be speculative in nature, as per this definition: “Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre encompassing narrative fiction with supernatural or futuristic elements. This includes, but not limited to, science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, science fantasy, horror, utopian and dystopian fiction, supernatural fiction as well as combinations thereof.” Payment: Each successful author will receive a payment of $200 upon publication, plus 50% royalties of ebook sales and 40% royalties of paperbacks. Word limit: Between 30,000 and 40,000 words. Stories must be written by Australian or Kiwi authors. Submissions will close at 11:59PM on Sunday the 2nd of October 2022. Please only submit if your novella is completed and you’ve polished it up to a standard that you’re satisfied with. Stories must be in .doc/docx format, double spaced and in 12 point font, in an easy-to-read font like Arial or Times New Roman. Please...

Submission Window: October 1st - 2nd, 2023 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,...

Deadline: October 10th, 2023 Payment: $20 Theme: Dark Epistolaries November Issue: Dark Epistolaries SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: October 10th The Crow's Quill is an online literary magazine, brought to you by Damon Barret Roe and the rest of Quill & Crow Publishing House's editorial team, that boasts stories horrific, dark, and defiantly macabre. Submissions Requirements Submissions will be read in the order they are received. Please only submit one previously unpublished story per month. You will receive notification within one week of your chosen month's submission end date. Please be sure to send in your best work; all submissions are final. Do not send us unrequested re-writes after your initial submission. Please note, we will not consider any submissions written, developed, or assisted by A.I. writing tools; please do not submit A.I. written stories to us. We are looking for a total of 4-8 stories per month, so please get your submission in as soon as possible. We are offering $20 per short story. Please attach your 1500-2000 word story in .docx format (12 pt Times/double spaced) to an email with a brief query. Please specify which month/theme you are submitting for. *Please include a trigger warning in your submissions email for any instances of child/animal death/abuse. Poetry Submissions Requirements Note: Poetry submissions close on the 20th of each month, 10 days after the story submissions close. Submissions will be read in the order they are received. Please only submit one previously unpublished poem per month. You will receive notification within one week of your chosen month's submission end date. Please send to the correct email. We are looking for a total of two poems per month, so please get your submissions in as soon as possible. We are offering $10 per poem. Please attach your 50 word minimum (maximum of 20...

Deadline: October 14th, 2023 Payment: 15GBP Theme: Crime 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 98) Crime II: deadline 14th October 2023 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...

Submission Window: For Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors: October 1st-14th For All authors: October 8th-14th Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories Cossmass Infinities is open for submissions on the following dates: For Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors: October 1st-14th For All authors: October 8th-14th i.e. Open during the first week of 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 website 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, 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 via an email from the form processor...

Submission Window: July 15th to October 15th 2023. Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Transfeminine cyberpunk by transfem authors, including trans women, transfems, nonbinary trans women, etc. We’re excited to announce Embodied Exegesis, an upcoming transfeminine cyberpunk anthology to be edited by Ann LeBlanc. The book will be published in late 2024. Some of the incredible writers to be included in this project include Hailey Piper, TT Madden, Catherine Kim, Riley Tao, Lillian Boyd, J Jennifer Espinoza, Izzy Wasserstein and Ryka Aoki. We will be open to submissions for the anthology from July 15th to October 15th, 2023. Here’s a preview of the submissions guidelines: Submissions are open to transfem authors, including trans women, transfems, nonbinary trans women, etc. We’re not the gender cops, and you don’t need to justify or explain your identity. If you think you’d fit in an anthology of transfem authors, you belong here. We’re especially interested in submissions from disabled writers, Black writers, Indigenous/Native writers, and other writers of color. What we’re looking for: Originals and reprints. Wordcount: Under 6,000 words. Pay: $0.08/word for originals, $0.01/word for reprints Concept: Cyberbunk and posthuman short stories by transfem authors. What we want to see: Augmented bodies. Uploaded minds. Cybernetics, real cities, and virtual worlds. Putting the trans in transhumanism. We’re looking for stories that push characters' bodies and minds to their limits. This anthology will use a very broad definition of "cyberpunk"—anything from ten minutes into the future all the way through the distant and unrecognizable eons. We’re open to stories that infuse magic into the setting. We want the full spectrum: stories of trans joy and gender euphoria, and darker stories of trans sorrow, struggle, and dysphoria. What we don’t want to see: We’re not interested in stories that retread ableist tropes equating body modification with...

Deadline: October 15th, 2023 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...

Submission Window: September 15th to October 15th, 2023 Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: Speculative Fiction in the science fiction or fantasy variety Note: The first week of submissions (March 15-21 and Sept 15-21) is reserved for writers of color. We are open annually for submissions from March 15th through April 15th for our August issue, and from September 15th through October 15th for our February issue. The first week of submissions (March 15-21 and Sept 15-21) is reserved for writers of color. The remainder of the window will be for general submissions. If you’re a writer of color who submits during that first week and you hear back from us before the general window closes, you’re welcome to send a second submission during that time. We are not interested in machine-generated (AI/LLM) characters, plots, or text of any kind. Spellcheckers and grammar checkers that run off machine learning are absolutely fine by us (though we also don’t want you to let a machine strip out your natural writing voice in the name of someone else’s idealized grammar!) WHAT TO SUBMIT The short version: We pay $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20 in exchange for first world electronic rights in English. We ask for an exclusivity period of 3 months from date of publication. Maximum 5,000 words. Your story must contain speculative elements: that means science fiction or fantasy. We do not accept nonfiction. No simultaneous submissions. Only one submission per writer per open period. Save your manuscript as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf and email it as an attachment to [email protected]. As far as manuscript formatting goes, use a readable 12-point font (we like Times New Roman and Courier just fine but we’re not unreasonably picky). Italicize your italics and please double-space; we’re reading on screens and a little white space goes a long way....

Deadline: October 15th, 2023 Payment: 6 cents per word Theme: Fun and thought-provoking stories about magical animal familiars and their humans. A collection of fun and thought-provoking stories about magical animal familiars and their humans. Familiars can be feisty felines or other imaginative animals. This is the fifth anthology put together by the Publishing masters degree students at Western Colorado University, taught by bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and award-winning editor Allyson Longueira, funded by Draft2Digital. Previous anthologies include Monsters, Movies, and Mayhem; Unmasked; Gilded Glass; and the just-released Merciless Mermaids: Tails from the Deep. See the examples at http://wordfirepress.com/gpcw Please read the Guidelines carefully. Submission Guidelines for FEISTY FELINES AND OTHER FANTASTICAL FAMILIARS We're familiar with familiars ... or are we? Gifted adventurers across time and space have traveled with an animal familiar—often a cat, but other fuzzy, scaly, or prickly creatures make appearances, too. These magical companions might lead their humans into mischief, help them out of a sticky situation, or provide opinionated commentary along the way. But when the wizards are away, the familiars will play. Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars is an original collection that shines the limelight on the sidekicks, the familiars. Familiars have lives of their own, a sense of humor, and a shadowy underbelly that we totally overlook. Does the Siamese cat companion develop powers of telekinesis … maybe to knock deadly potions off the counter? What happens when a rat studies to become a familiar in a class full of cats? Is the circus leopard really the puppet master who makes her handler look good? They don’t all have to be felines. What about unfamiliar familiars? A time-traveling elephant that never forgets a grudge against his warlock? A lowly earthworm horrified to find itself bonded for life to an ungrateful enchanter? Now it's time for these fantastical...

Deadline: October 15th, 2023 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Cosmic horror and weird tales written by marginalized peoples whose experiences and worldviews have influenced their interpretation of dread. BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF INFINITY is an anthology, edited by Vaughn A. Jackson & Stephanie Pearre, of cosmic horror and weird tales written by marginalized peoples whose experiences and worldviews have influenced their interpretation of dread. The anthology hopes to bring these diverse perspectives to the forefront of the horror community and, of course, make Lovecraft roll over in his grave! We are looking for original short stories of weird fiction and cosmic horror that coil up inside us and leave us begging (and fearing) for more. Any genre is fair game so long as it has a twisted knot of horror for a heart. While stories may contain violence, sexuality, and religion, we are not looking for extreme/splatter-punk, erotica, non-fiction, or religious diatribes. Submission Window: September 15th – October 15th. Stories submitted before or after these dates will be deleted without being opened. Word Count: 2000 – 4000 words. There is a limited amount of flexibility to these, but the farther outside of this range you go the less likely we are to choose your story. Simultaneous Submissions: Yes. Just let us know in your email, and update us if the story is selected elsewhere. Multiple Submissions: No. One submission per person. Target Age Group: Mature Readers Rights: World English first rights in print, electronic, audio, and ebook, including a six-month exclusivity period. All copyright belongs to the author. Response Time: We hope to make selections and respond to authors within 1-2 Months from the close of submission. Pay Rate: 8 cents per word. Diversity – Our definition of diversity includes: Persons of Color Persons of Native American Heritage Persons identifying as LGBTQIA+ Persons with disabilities Neurodivergent persons Women Persons adhering to...

Deadline: October 15th, 2023 Payment: $10 CAD Theme: The death spiral of a great metropolis. MYRIAD is a zine series designed to give experience to emerging editors. Each subscriber-exclusive digital zine features five flash fiction pieces selected to fit a theme chosen by a guest-editor. The death spiral of a great metropolis. What happens when cities are stripped of their purpose? We’re looking for stories of the monsters that lurk in the skeletons of brutalist structures. The strange rituals of those who found ways of surviving. Labyrinths of crumbling stone. Spirits inhabiting a dilapidated ballroom. Plants flourishing in abandoned train stations. Chimaeras stalking the ruins of a long forgotten urban landscape. The cities can be real or imaginary. The editor has a fondness for strange stories which embrace ambiguity. Think weird for this call. As always, Hexagon encourages submissions from diverse backgrounds, such as LQBTQ+, BIPOC, ESL, disabled, neurodivergent and working class authors. You are welcome here. This call is open to original speculative fiction up to 1,000 words. Please submit in Shunn manuscript format. No multiple submissions, simultaneous submissions are OK, but please let us know if the piece is accepted elsewhere. Necropolis will be guest-edited by R.L. Summerling and available exclusively for subscribers of Hexagon Magazine in Winter 2023. All accepted authors will be paid a $10 CAD flat rate via Paypal and sent a PDF contributor copy. Submissions open September 15th. Deadline to submit for general submission is October 15th. An extended window for authors from marginalised communities runs from 16th-21st October. Submit here for NECROPOLIS! Via: Hexagon Magazine.

Deadline: October 16th, 2023 Payment: $10 and a contributor's Copy if in the US Theme: A collection of Pagan Yule Time Tales in any genre OPEN NOW - YULE - a collection of Yule Time Tales Submissions Open September 11 Close October 16 Word count 2,500 to 8,000 Pay: $10 payment and a contributors copy Paperback for US residence Ebook for Non-US residence Please read and Follow All Guidelines Carefully or your story may be discarded without being read. Story should be sent as a separate .doc or .docx attachment, Formatted in Shunn format style Cover letter and bio should be in the body of the email. Title your file and subject YULE-Authorname-title Email your submission to [email protected] "In winter everything lies dormant in the silent earth, it is a sacred time of rest and reflection before the awakening, and the slow build toward brighter days." We are looking for submissions of Pagan Yule stories, not Christmas stories. All genres are welcome, as long as it is Yule and Solstice centered. The winter solstice is the longest night of the year, but the light will return by degrees after that December night. We want stories about what happens in those dark and still winter months. Stories of transformation and growth. Stories of the winter witch, cold forests, elves and magical places. Old ghost stories. Some specifics we are looking for include: Creative nonfiction (aka narrative nonfiction or literary nonfiction) will also be accepted. Including stories of sympathetic or contagious magik to lure back the sun. Modern tellings of the fight between the Oak and Holly Kings. The Roman celebration of Saturnalia for the god Saturn and the Iranian celebration of Shab-e Yalda for Mithras Krampus stories but no graphic abuse toward children No stories of appropriation or using a specific culture’s god as...

Deadline: October 22nd, 2023 Payment: $20 AUD Theme: Apocalyptic stories featuring neurodivergent characters Note: Australian and New Zealand authors who identify as neurodivergent EMBRACE THE SILENCE: A Neurodivergent Anthology is now open for submissions. We want apocalyptic stories featuring neurodivergent characters, and we welcome submissions from all Australian and New Zealand authors who identify as neurodivergent, and will also encourage submissions from neurodivergent Indigenous and LGBTIQ authors. EMBRACE THE SILENCE will be assembled – from the cover to the footnotes – by a team of neurodiverse individuals, including the wonderful E. J. Dawson and the sleep deprived Austin P. Sheehan. The anthology will be open to all speculative fiction subgenres (an apocalypse can occur as easily in a fantasy realm as it can on a futuristic earth), and we should advise that an apocalypse need not be all doom and gloom – tales of hope, strength, and survival are encouraged. The idea behind the title EMBRACE THE SILENCE refers to characters accepting and embracing their neurodiversity, as well as adapting to a changing and challenging new world. We encourage you to be as creative as you like in your approach to the theme. Our preferred length for short stories is between 4,000 and 6,000 words, however this is just a guideline, we won’t auto-reject stories based on word count alone. Submissions will open on July 1st and close at midnight on Sunday the 22nd of October. Please only submit unpublished pieces. We will not be accepting AI-written stories. We will be paying contributors $20 each when the anthology is published. Please send you submissions to [email protected] with the story title, word count and ‘EMBRACE’ in the subject line. (Pleased to Unmeet You – 4,000 words – EMBRACE) We can’t wait to read your stories!   Via: Dead Set Press.

Free Submission Window: September 22nd - October 22nd, 2023 Payment: $50 Theme: Stories about how we seek out, discover, and grasp onto connection Note: This market alternates between free and pay periods, The next free window is listed above At Astrolabe, we’re looking for work about how we seek out, discover, and grasp onto connection. Into the woods. Across a line. Beneath the ocean. Along a seam. Into the branches of an alternate present or the crevasse of an alternate future. Across the rifts between one another. And then, once we find one other, the myths we make. We’re excited to see as many interpretations of this broad theme as there are stars in the night sky. We’re open to work of all genres, with a particular fondness for anything that moves beyond realism in form or content or spirit. Read about Astrolabe for details on our mission and what we’re doing with the Universe. The details Astrolabe is open for submissions year-round. We pay a $50 honorarium upon publication of one or more pieces from your submission. To help fund those payments, we alternate between free and paid submission periods throughout the year. Our free periods begin the day we publish new work—on the spring equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice—and stay open for a month. Here are the free periods for 2023: March 20th to April 20th June 21st to July 21st September 22nd to October 22nd December 21st to Jan 21, 2024 Some additional details: We currently accept three types of work: fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. See below for genre-specific instructions. We’re not a market for lineated poetry at the moment. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work was accepted for publication elsewhere—we’ll be thrilled for your good news! No multiple submissions—and if we...

Submission Window: October 23rd-30th, 2023 Payment: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum Theme: Diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Submissions received outside of these dates will unfortunately be lost and therefore not responded to. When open, we seek and offer the following: Length: 1,000-5,000 words. These are firm limits, not absolute ones. Generally speaking, the further a story goes beyond these bounds the more it will need to impress, but the door is not shut in advance. Compensation: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum. Please be aware that payment is via PayPal only. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, please get in touch. We aim to accept or reject within 14 days of acknowledgment, but rl (real life) and rl (reading load) can get in the way. If you do not hear from us after 30 days, feel free to query. REQUIREMENTS We acquire First Print and Digital rights with a six month period of exclusivity from the date of publication. We also ask permission to potentially include accepted pieces in future anthologies; in event of agreement, an additional payment and digital copy will be offered in compensation. All other rights remain entirely with the author. Simultaneous submissions are not only accepted, they are encouraged. Please tell us if you sim-sub, and we merely ask that you notify us of acceptance at another market as soon as possible. In the event that we accept first, we expect a positive and timely confirmation. Therefore we recommend sim-subbing to markets of equivalent status – we won’t wait for someone else you’d like better to turn you down. If a story has previously been rejected by Mythaxis, please do not resubmit or inquire regarding doing so, unless explicitly invited to by the editor during the original rejection. Feedback: Unfortunately, due to...

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: $0.01 CAD per word Theme: Cryptids of all kinds! Engen Books is now accepting submissions to the latest From the Rock anthology, for release in 2024. Editors Ellen Curtis and Erin Vance are accepting submissions for short fiction under 7000 words that focus on cryptids, animals whose existence permeate urban myths but are not recognized within the scientific community.  Popular cryptids include Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, the Ogopogo, the Jersey Devil, and the Loveland Frog, but stories concerning lesser known cryptids or creatures of the writer’s own imagination are also welcomed. ​ Stories for this collection might include close encounters with a cryptid, dealing with a cryptid hoax, be written as a horrifying ordeal, or as historical fiction. Writers are encouraged to let their imagination play, but we ask that you read the following carefully before submitting. ​ As always, the From the Rock collections are intended to highlight the fantastic, varied writers Newfoundland and Labrador has fostered. When submitting, we request that authors indicate if they are current or former residents of the province, and if their story is linked to the province in any way (though it need not be). While we will accept submissions from across Canada and internationally, authors with a connection to the province are given preference for this series, and this information will be given to editors during the jurying process. ​ As with all content at Engen Books, misogynistic, racist, ethnocentric, homophobic, or transphobic messaging will result in the submission being rejected and may result in the author being barred from future submissions. Authors should take care to avoid cultural appropriation or fetishization of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups and are responsible for avoiding the use of harmful stereotypes in their submissions. In an effort to...

Submission Window: July 31st to October 31st, 2023 Payment: 4c per word for original stories, 1c per word for reprints (Australian currency) Theme: Body horror that deals with the anthology's title Note: Open to Australasian writers only, where Australasia means Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the neighbouring islands of the Pacific. This call-out is open to Australasian citizens, residents and ex-pats. To be edited by award-winning author and anthology editor, Deborah Sheldon. Spawn 2: More Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies will comprise stories from Australasian writers obtained entirely from open callout. On-spec submissions are welcome from Australasian writers of every persuasion including non-parents. Stories must be between 1500 and 5000 words. Stories outside of these word counts risk being deleted unread. Reprints will be considered, but must not be available for free anywhere online. The anthology will have only a small number of reprints, regardless. The anthology will be a visceral, frightening read. Each story must nominally tick the box of “body horror” but there is no restriction on subgenre: anything from sci-fi to fantasy to gothic to supernatural to psychological and beyond will be given equal consideration. Feel free to play with the theme and not take it too literally. Ideally, your story should make the reader feel uncomfortably aware of their physicality, morbidity or mortality. While graphic violence and swearing are acceptable, submissions must have a literary bent. Spawn 2: More Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies aims to deliver an elegant—and elevated—anthology of body horror. For a clearer understanding of requirements, we recommended that you read Deb’s first anthology in this IFWG franchise, the multi-award-winning and multi-award-nominated Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies, which comprises stories by Australian writers. What to avoid: Gratuitous gore used purely for shock value. Familiar tropes, such...

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: $15 Theme: Unique ocean-themed horror stories Broken Brain Books is now taking submissions for our first anthology, Screams From The Ocean Floor. We are looking for roughly 15 stories with a mix of invited authors and open call submissions. Welcome to the scariest place on the planet. The bottom of the ocean. No air. Complete Darkness. Immense pressure. Bizarre Creatures. No chance of survival. We are looking for unique ocean-themed horror stories that will leave the reader thinking twice before stepping near the sea again. *Cover art coming soon* Submission Guidelines All stories should include the ocean as a major theme. Stories should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length. Stories will be accepted from August 1st to October 31st, 2023. Previously unpublished works only No AI generated works. Broken Brain Books will retain exclusive rights to the story for one year from the date of publication. Both parties will hold joint rights after one year. Payment of $15 + ebook copy for accepted authors Selected stories will be edited by Heather Ann Larson and reviewed with the author. Payment will be sent to the author upon return of a signed contract. Expected publication February/March 2024 Email completed stories to [email protected] as a Microsoft Word attachment. Via: Broken Brain Books.

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word for short stories, $10 for poems Theme: Speculative fiction slice-of-life stories with a focus on connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. We are open to submissions from: February–April, for a June release August–October, for a December release What to send Hearth Stories publishes speculative fiction slice-of-life stories with a focus on connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. We accept works of up to novella length. However, the ideal length may be something in the 2,000-6,000 word range. We also accept poems that fit our themes. Some things we like: Quiet stories Kindness, tenderness, hope, and support Caregiving, parenting, and partnership Stories that give us butterflies in our stomachs and/or make us smile Works that border into nature writing or touch on ecological topics Animal and non-human perspectives (but we like human stories, too) Writing that evokes senses other than just sight and sound (things with a lot of smell, touch, and taste) Stories involving food and cooking Stories involving hermits, issolated places, or wandering in the woods Bonus points for stories backed by vegan, anarchist, eco-conscious, and anti-capitalist themes (while still fitting the above) There is some overlap between what we do and various genres, such as: slice of life, hopepunk, and solarpunk. Those genres often exist within or alongside fantasy, science fiction, and surrealism; though we are happy to read literary fiction that suits the above criteria as well. We accept translations and reprints. We also accept simultaneous submissions. Please wait to hear back regarding your submission before submitting another piece. There is no wait time or cool off period for submitting another story (whether your first story was passed on or accepted). If some—but not all—of the above describes your work: send it. Definitely do not rule out your...

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: $5 Theme: Laughter and Tears Each Issue will be themed. However you interpret that theme is up to you. We do NOT need your reasoning behind it. Please Note: Deadlines may close earlier if the issue fills!~ Laughter and Tears - Oct. 31 - This time of year becomes an odd mix of happiness and sadness, let’s explore those elements, both individually and where they intersect. What’ve you got to show us? Stories and / or Poems For Stories: We’re open to micro works all the way up to 10,000 words. Just keep two things in mind: We want to be engaged and the submission must be completed (no pitches, please!) For Poems: We’d love to see up to five poems from you, but you can always just send one, too. Art As long as it has some tie to the current issue’s theme, we’re open to see any art created in any medium at any time. Just know that it will need to “work in print” and—might—be presented in black and white. We WILL NOT Accept any AI-Generated art. For ART ONLY, you may choose to submit via email by sending jpgs, PDFs, or PNGs to chrisatquarterpress(at)gmail(dot)com Graphic Stories Show us your comic strips or complete short works; we’d love to see them all! Please try to keep submissions to 20 pages or less. Feel free to also send a collection of comic strips / one shot comics, as well. (Please note that our publication size / dimensions might change between issues. Our “Norm” is 6x9”). These must be COMPLETE works. For Graphic Work / Comics, you may choose to submit via email by sending jpgs, PDFs, or PNGs to chrisatquarterpress(at)gmail(dot)com Analysis / Interviews / Reviews As long as it is tied to the...

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2023 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...

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word for fiction, $5 for poetry, 1 cent per word for non-fiction, $35 for cover art Theme: Speculative fiction It's our goal to publish diverse voices from around the world, and to do that, we are actively seeking stories, poems, and non-fiction pieces by authors from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in the science fiction and fantasy canon. Our submission cycle is therefore split into two categories, where every other month is explicitly reserved for submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. The interposing six months remain open to everyone. Guidelines for Fiction We are seeking stories in the English language up to 6,000 words by writers from around the world. We favor submisions that have not been published before (including on your own website), though we do accept a limited number of reprints not currently appearing anywhere online. For our two issues focused on the climate crisis, we're particularly interested in publishing stories from people displaced by or threatened by the climate emergency (see our themes below). For our other four issues, we're open to a wide variety of stories across the SFF and weird spectra. We pay 1¢ per word for fiction, and we try to respond to all submissions within ten weeks. We will also accept a limited number of previously published stories, so please indicate on the form if your submission is a reprint. All submissions must use the Shunn manuscript format (we prefer Courier New) and be either .rtf, .doc, or .docx. We like stories that are subtle in their telling and stick with us long after we've finished. We're more likely to buy stories that balance a sense of wonder with a bold plot and...

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: $25 Theme: Sword & Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, and Grimdark Just as the classic pulps continue to bring attention, praise, and droves of new readers to legendary writers such as Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Crimson Quill Quarterly wishes to bring attention to budding authors of the Sword & Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, and Grimdark subgenres of fantasy fiction. We appreciate creativity and talent equally and would love to see well written stories driven by developed and intriguing characters and invigorating action that unfolds throughout the plot. While we are not looking for stories that "reinvent the wheel", we appreciate originality above all else. WHAT WE WANT Original tales of nail-biting peril faced down by a fearless protagonists reliant upon their mental might as much as their physical prowess to achieve their goals and overcome their enemies in action packed tales told in no more than 10,000 words. We may be interested in serializing longer pieces in the future, but for our first issue we’re looking to keep it as simple as possible. We are currently open for submissions and will continue to accept stories until Halloween, October 31st, 2023. Feel free to send us multiple submissions, but no more than three tales from one single author. We hope to have our first issue out by January of 2024 and will feature five to six authors for our debut. All selections will be made by the second week of November and each chosen author will receive a payment of $25 via check or digital transaction. We will buy First Rights and will obtain aforementioned rights for six months. Should this venture prove even semi-successful, we hope to increase the amount we can pay our dedicated writers. Notice: Simultaneous submissions...

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story 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. What if I can’t pay right now? That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your choosing. Best of all, it is...

Submission Window: October 1st - 31st, 2023 Payment: $10 Theme: Stories of any genre by writers who identify with and as any of the following descriptors: trans, two-spirit, disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, queer, crip, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex. We welcome submissions by those who identify with and as any of the following descriptors: trans, two-spirit, disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, queer, crip, nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex. This is a space for the words, works, and worlds of and by those whose bodyminds defy social expectations and invite new ways of thinking and knowing. We do not need to know the specifics of your identity/diagnosis/experience unless you want us to. We invite closeted and questioning people to share their work, as well as those whose experiences fall outside the confines of the language we used above. We welcome submissions from creators of all ages. We particularly encourage unpublished/emerging/young creators to submit. If you know an incarcerated/institutionalized creator who would like to submit, email us for information as to where to mail the submission, or clearly indicate in your message that you are submitting on their behalf. We publish on a quarterly schedule, with issues coming out on: February 15 May 15 August 15 November 15 We are open for all submissions EXCEPT during publication months. That is to say, we are open for submissions January, March, April, June, July, September, October, and December. Things to note This is a leftist magazine. We hate capitalism, “america,” cops, prisons, borders, neoliberalism, and all the rest. We don’t tolerate white supremacy, cisheterosexism, ableism, transmisogyny, xenophobia, fatphobia, intersexism, and anti-sex worker sentiment here. We reserve the right to reject and/or remove content from creators whose work does not align with our values. We do not tolerate AI-generated or -assisted submissions. Anyone found to be using AI will have their content immediately rejected/removed and will...

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: $45 and a contributors copy Theme: Rescuing Curiosity Continuing with our thematic arc, our next anthology will focus on Rescuing Curiosity. In collaboration with Inked in Gray, we seek to publish powerful, authentic stories from members of our community. All profits from Rescuing Curiosity, as well as all previously published WriteHive anthologies go directly to WriteHive to help fund all our programming initiatives This upcoming anthology will officially open September 1, 2023, and we will be collecting submissions until October 31, 2023. We will be looking for stories that explore characters or groups discovering, reclaiming, rescuing if you will, their curiosity and interests in life, hobbies, etc. Submissions will not be accepted prior to September 1, 2023 or after October 31st. Writing the Future We Need: Rescuing Curiosity ** ABSOLUTELY NO AI WRITTEN OR AI ASSISTED SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO AI INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER PLEASE**   Theme: Rescuing Curiosity Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or horror only Age: Adult. No MG or YA There is no limitation to how you incorporate this theme into your work as long as the story falls within the Sci-Fi, Horror, or Fantasy genre. We encourage you to take the theme and show its manifestation beyond the physical, showing us something unique and engaging. Submission Period: Sept 1, 2023 to Oct 31, 2023 Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: Max of 8K words per piece, not including addition information below Payment: $45 per accepted piece plus one paperback contributor copy Rights: First edition exclusive anthology rights for the first six months of publication **Submissions and anthology communications will be managed by Dakota Rayne and WriteHive. Please submit your work at the link below, which will take you to the WriteHive Submission page. Publication details: The anthology will be printed and published by Inked in Gray Press. Inked in Gray Press is considered the publisher and...

Deadline: October 31st, 2023 Payment: 2 cents per word and 2 contributor's copies Theme: Speculative fiction with a humorous twist. Think Spider Robinson, Douglas Adams, Piers Anthony … Something funny is going on … Dragon Gems is our publishing program for your short fiction when a novel just won't do. For information about the recent changes to our Dragon Gems short fiction program, please see our announcement, "Putting a New Shine on Dragon Gems".   For this anthology we are looking for speculative fiction with a humorous twist. Think Spider Robinson, Douglas Adams, Piers Anthony … Open for Submissions: October 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023 Expected Publication: April 2024 Submission Requirements Your story: should be approximately 2,000 – 6,000 words in length. should not contain vulgar humor, racist, sexist, or misogynistic themes. (Stories containing any of these elements will be immediately rejected.) should not contain erotica, or excessive violence or gore. can be part of an ongoing series you might be writing. can have been previously published (with proof that you hold the current publishing rights). may be submitted simultaneously to other markets (but please let us know when you submit your story). Please submit only one story per submission. Send us finished manuscript in digital (.DOCx, .RTF, or .ODT) format using this Submission Form. Note: While our program is called Dragon Gems, your story does not need to include a dragon. If you're not sure if your story is something that we'd be interested in publishing, please feel free to query us at dragongems (at) waterdragonpublishing.com in advance of submitting your manuscript. Payment Payment (upon publication) will be: $0.02 per word one (1) trade paperback contributor edition one (1) hardcover contributor edition access to ten (10) digital contributor copies Manuscript Formats Send us your finished manuscript in digital (.DOCx, .RTF, or .ODT) format using this Submission Form. Please use...

Submission Window: November 1st - December 31st, 2023 Payment: $15 Theme: Speculative fiction, primarily horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Note: Reprints welcome Formatting Guidelines This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. EMAIL AND COVER LETTERS Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman SUBMISSION FORMATTING We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Test Format (.rtf) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult to open. Please note that we no longer accept "inline" submssions; that is, submissions...

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: Royalties Theme: Sword and Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy Are you a fan of authors like Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, and Fritz Leiber? Are those the type of stories that you love to write? Then you’re in the right place! We’re looking for tales of Sword and Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy that are influenced by those who established the genre. What makes a great story in this genre? Elements of romance, magic, supernatural, and of course sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures! We’re looking for new, previously unpublished stories that take us on an adventure and leave us wanting more. Genre: Sword and Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000 Opening by: TBD Edited by: William Joseph Roberts Anchor Author: TBD Due Date: November 1, 2023 Email submissions to: threeravenspublishing @ gmail dot com with “Sword and Sorcery” in the subject line Payment: Stories selected for publication in the upcoming Anthology(ies), will receive a percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES We are looking for amazing stories from any genre that are fun to read and will take us on an adventure of epic proportions. Please download our standards template by clicking here ***NOTE*** We publish genre fiction with aspects of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. If your work does not include one of these aspects, we are less likely to pick up the title unless it is of exceptional quality.   What we are NOT currently accepting: Poetry Single-author collections of short stories. Hard and fast rules of what not to send: Fan-fiction: Just simply don’t. It will be immediately deleted or tossed into the recycle bin. Gratuitous Sexuality: (i.e. smut, softcore porn) (Please, we know that there is a market out there for stories in this genre, but...

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: Short Stories: 1 cent per word, Poetry, $10 flat fee, Artwork: $25 flat fee or $50 if chosen for cover art Theme: Lies for Children NonBinary Review is open for submissions on the theme of "lies for children." “If you keep making that face, it’ll freeze that way.” “We found you under a cabbage leaf.” “If you drink coffee, it’ll stunt your growth.” “If you go to sleep with wet hair, you’ll catch pneumonia.” Adults tell children some outrageous lies. Think back to your own childhood and explanations your parents gave you for things you didn’t understand or superstitions they perpetuated. Why do adults feel that children need credulity-straining fictions rather than objective truths? What things do we find so uncomfortable that we can’t explain them to children? How do those lies affect our relationship with the children we lied to, or the adults who lied to us? Some of these lies are benevolent (although kind of weird), but some can be trauma-inducing. We want to hear the stories behind those lies, and the consequences they engendered. We’re NOT looking for fairy tales, re-tellings of children’s bedtime stories, tall tales, Santa Claus/Easter bunny/tooth fairy origin stories, or any other fictions that even children know are stories told for fun. All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme, and be double-spaced in 12pt Times New Roman or they will be rejected. NonBinary Review  pays 1¢ per word for prose with a limit of 3000 words. Zoetic Press publishes the best in new lit - experimental, interstitial, luminous. We welcome submissions from EVERYONE. The only requirement is that they be in English, or translated into English (we love a translation). If your writing is outstanding, no matter who you are, we have a place for it. NonBinary Review,...

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10, artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Theme: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle Upcoming premises (target themes) and deadlines for submission : The Missing Piece of the Puzzle (November 1, 2023) 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: Stories longer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages will not be considered. Indicate premise (target theme) on title page. Be sure to Indicate target theme in cover letter or on first page of manuscript. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with each submission. Rejected manuscripts unaccompanied by an SASE will not be returned. Response time: 3 months after premise deadline.  NO READER'S FEE. Mail to: THEMA, Box 8747, Metairie, LA 70011-8747. Outside the US: email [email protected] On acceptance for publication, we will pay the following amount: short story, $25; short-short piece (up to 1000 words), $10; poem, $10; artwork, $25 for cover, $10 for interior page display. Copyright reverts to author after publication. THEMA isn't for everyone. To find out why, click here. New to submitting manuscripts to journals? Click here to download a PDF file of a few basic guidelines. Unlike many publishers, we prefer works submitted by the authors themselves, without the involvement of an agent. Be sure to indicate premise and include SASE for each submission.  BE SURE to include a separate SASE for each premise. No handwritten manuscripts will be considered. NOTE: We do not accept e-mailed submissions EXCEPT from authors who live outside the U.S. For those living outside the U.S., submit...

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Story must begin with: It was the farthest north they had ever been. 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...

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: $50 Theme: Horror Tales of World War I Open August 1, 2023 to November 1, 2023 In the Air, the Earth, and the Sea, the World Burned. Erupting in a land pregnant with conflict, The War to End All Wars blazed from 1914 to 1918, spreading until no continent escaped the touch of its flame. By the day of armistice, no civilization in history had witnessed more death, destruction, and carnage in such a short time. Travel the Ghost Road. Part the Veil. Curated by historian Coy Hall, Death's Other Kingdom collects eight frightening tales from this baptismal storm of steel. Within these pages, horrors of the supernatural bleed into the terrors of war. In this ritual of violence, humans have never been more vulnerable. General Payment: $50 usd per story via PayPal Word Count: 4,000 (firm) to 9,000 words Submission Window: August 1 to November 1, 2023 Submit To: [email protected] Subject Line: WWI Submission: Story Title Submit as: .docx Attachment (no links) Format: Standard Manuscript Format Include: Name or Pen Name in Email Include: Brief Synopsis (3-4 sentences will suffice) in Email Publication Date: May 2024 Editor: Coy Hall (He/Him) Additional Story must be set during WWI, 1914-1918 Story must directly involve the war With setting and details, historical accuracy is vital All subgenres of horror welcome No Poetry Submissions No Reprints Stories that utilize AI in any capacity will be rejected Multiple Submissions Not Permitted Simultaneous Submissions Permitted Receipt of Submissions Will be Confirmed Acceptances sent November 2 - January 31 First Round Rejections sent August - November 2 Second Round Rejections sent November 2 - January 31 Rights exclusive publication for one year after publication date non-exclusive publication after one year All Copyright belongs to the Author Via: The Scythian Wolf.

Submission Window: October 3, 2023 through November 1, 2023 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Original gothic fiction and poetry directly inspired by "The Tell-Tale Heart" Love Letters to Poe will be open to submissions for original gothic short stories and poems inspired by "The Tell-Tale Heart" on October 3, 2023 through November 1, 2023. Submissions received outside this window will be deleted unread. What we’re looking for:  - Original gothic fiction and poetry directly inspired by "The Tell-Tale Heart" - Avoid explicit sexual content and excessive gore - This is a well-trodden story. Please push beyond your initial ideas and find new creative depths within "The Tell-Tale Heart.” We recommend reading Love Letters to Poe, Volume II: Houses of Usher for an idea of the kinds of work we publish. Submissions period: October 3, 2023 through November 1, 2023 Deadline: November 1, 2023 Word Count: Up to 4,000 words. Payment: USD $0.01/word via PayPal. You'll also receive one digital contributor's copy. This is contingent on the successful funding of the Kickstarter. Rights: We claim first worldwide and electronic rights, with an exclusivity period of six months after publication. Language: English Reprints: No AI usage: Please refrain from using AI (like ChatGPT) to create your story or poem. It will not be accepted and you will be asked to confirm that you did not use AI to create your work. Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but let us know as soon as accepted elsewhere. Multiple Submissions: Each submitter may make only one submission. If you wish to make additional submissions, consider becoming a Love Letters to Poe patron. Response Time: We aim to send responses two months after the deadline. Preferred format: Standard manuscript format How to Submit: Email your submissions as a Word document to [email protected] with "Heart - - " in the subject line. Via: Love Letters to Poe.

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: $40 Theme: Stories about rebels, insurgents and insurrectionists set in a secondary world. We are looking for stories about rebels, insurgents and insurrectionists set in a secondary world. A secondary world is a world other than our own – think Lord of The Rings or Game of Thrones. Smugglers in space? Organised rebel orcs seeking to overthrow the Dark Lord? All of this, please. Parameters: The setting must be a secondary world. Far future and distant past Earth-based settings are acceptable as long as the world is practically unrecognisable – no historical revolutions or future wars between America and Europe. The story must revolve around rebellion, insurgency, revolution, or resistance to established power in some form or another. No rape, gore, incest, or child abuse. To us, gore is when mutilation, injury, and body horror are used and the main goal is to attempt to disturb or upset the reader, or when these are gratuitously described or featured beyond what is necessary for the plot. Word count should be between 2,000 and 9,000 words. Submissions open 1st August – 1st November. Simultaneous submissions are fine, just please notify us as soon as possible if your story is accepted elsewhere so we can remove it from our reading pile. Please submit your manuscript in a standard manuscript format – 12pt Times New Roman, double spaced lines, and your name and your story’s name on the first page, along with your email address. Do not include postal addresses. By submitting, you acknowledge that your story has not been created through the use of AI at any point. If we subsequently discover the story was created through the use of AI, we reserve the right to refuse to publish, or to unpublish, the story. We encourage submissions from...

Submission Window: October 1st - November 1st, 2023 Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.015 USD per word upon acceptance ($37.50 USD max)., Poems-less than 200 words $10, Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.015 USD per word upon acceptance ($15 USD max). Theme: Clones, Drones, and Ready Made Meals Opens on Sunday, October 1, 2023 12:00 AM PDT Last Girls Club Winter Issue Theme is Clones, Drones, and Ready Made Meals. The future is here, be afraid, be very afraid. 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 $0.015 USD per word upon acceptance ($37.50 USD max). Flash fiction is limited to under 1,000 words. Authors are paid $0.015 USD per word upon acceptance ($15 USD max). No more than three poems per poet. Poems are limited to 200 words or less for each poem. Poets are paid $10 USD 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] The Last Girls Club Magazine is a quarterly feminist horror magazine that publishes international short stories and poems from the female gaze. It is an homage to the scary comics and zines of the late 20th century. Please check on the website for the theme in detail. Submissions will be accepted from Jan 1-Feb 1, April 1-May 1, July 1-Aug 1, Oct 1-Nov 1. Final notifications will be Feb 15, May 15, Aug 15, Nov 15. Authors must be 18+. Submissions from underage authors will not be considered. No more than two fiction stories per author per submission period. Fiction is limited to 2,500 words or less. Authors are...

Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: $100 for printed pieces, $25 for online pieces Theme: A place to reimagine ‘the west’ and ‘westerns’ from new angles, overlooked perspectives, in both analogue + digital. we’re into subversion and surprise. we're into road trips and weird americana, ufos and cosmic country—from the mountains to the deserts to the beaches to the plains. go west-ish. hi, we're looking for writing and art and whatever else you've got that engages with and reimagines the 'west.’ ideally you or your work will have some connection to the western usa, but this theme is wide open to your interpretation. we like  intersections and echoes, mythos and symbolism, and perspectives not as often seen. we like road stories and weird americana. most of all, tell us a great story. show us something cool. our goal is to remain open to the unexpected—to what surprises us, to what moves us, to what makes us see ‘the west’ in ways we haven't before. yeehaw 🤠 no submission fees. 1 submission per submission window. submissions will be open twice / year: september 1 - november 1 & april 1 - june 1. pitches for online content (reviews, interviews, etc.) will always be accepted. sim-subs totally fine. just please let us know if a piece is accepted elsewhere. 5k words or less for prose. up to 5 poems for poetry. pieces are read for both online and print. we aim to respond in 9-12 wks for print. online subs will likely be responded to sooner. $100 for each accepted print piece. $25 for each accepted online piece. thank you for trusting us with your work. ​ submit here Via: West West Revue.

Art by Matt Blairstone Deadline: November 1st, 2023 Payment: $25 and 2 contributor's copies Theme: Works published between the 31st of October 2022 and the 31st of October 2023 will be considered for the Best New Weird Horror of 2022. Tenebrous Press presents the SECOND YEAR of the 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 VOLUME 2, showcasing the winners of the 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 if there is an English...

Submission Window: November 1st-2nd, 2023 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: November 5th, 2023 Payment: 6 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, sci-fi that melts in your mouth-brain not your hand-brain, Speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream Submissions will close at midnight on Nov. 5, 2023. Stories submitted after Nov. 5 will be hurled into a black hole. 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. Please do not busy our big-hearted slush readers with AI-generated tripe. 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...