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Deadline: April 1st, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Monsters have feelings too, even if it’s used to rage against the machine. Genre: Speculative Fiction Theme: Monsters have feelings too, even if it’s used to rage against the machine. Concept: Sometimes we’re all misunderstood… and this is doubly true when you are a monster living in a human’s world. We want you to tell the story of one creature’s struggle to survive in an uncaring world. Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000 (standard word count) Opening by: TBD Edited by: JR Handley & Bayonet Books Anchor Author: TBD Due Date: April 1, 2024 Email Submissions to: [email protected] with “Beast Hunt” 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. 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 it’s not for us. Contact our affiliate, Tanglewood press for submissions in this genre at tanglewoodromance (at) gmail.com Gratuitous Abuse/Violence: While we at Three Ravens Publishing understand that graphic situations can alter or otherwise move the plot forward in ways that the reader may not expect when properly used, these elements should...

Deadline: April 1st, 2024 Payment: $.08 per word Theme: Clowns Kangas Kahn Publishing is seeking unpublished horror short stories for an upcoming anthology titled Fear of Clowns: A Horror Anthology to be published in September of 2024. We've brought back editor extraordinaire Kenneth W. Cain who did such a great job on our first hit anthology October Screams. As usual, we're less concerned with theme than we are with entertaining stories. We're not necessarily looking for a clown-murdering-people story--if that's your story, it better bring something new to the table. Ask yourself, does this story belong in a book called Fear of Clowns? If the answer is yes, send it! Length: 1,000-4,000 words. Note: We are the same people that put out the movies "Fear of Clowns" and "Fear of Clowns 2", but we're not looking for stories that have anything to do with that, so please don't send movie tie-ins. We will accept up to two submissions per author. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable but please let us know if it's sold elsewhere. If a story is accepted or rejected, notification will be within sixty days of submission(if 60 days have passed and you have not heard from us, check your spam folder--if nothing is there, feel free to reach out.) Please attach your story in .doc or .docx format and email it to [email protected] with the subject "Fear of Clowns Anthology Submission". In the body of the email, please give us a short bio with credits, if any. Not having credits doesn't mean anything to us; the story is what counts. Make sure your story is in proper format(Shunn)--you can find details here: https://www.shunn.net/format/ We're buying global first print and digital publication rights for one year exclusively from the date of print(Sept 2024). After that, all rights revert to the...

Submission Window: March 15th-April 1st, 2024 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Stories set in the taiga or boreal forest biome (details below) A conservationist stumbles into a part of the forest untouched by humans for centuries. A hiker encounters a bear and her cubs on a lonely section of a trail. Two lovers abandon their tents when they hear screams calling across a Northern Light-filled sky. A dilapidated, forgotten cabin becomes temporary refuge for a documentary film crew in the midst of a violent snow storm. The taiga or boreal forest biome is one of the largest land biomes in the world. Norway, Scandinavia, Iceland, Canada, Russia, and even Japan have locations where these wild, dark woods and the creatures that inhabit them roam. Strange Wilds Press is looking for stories cemented in the taiga biome for its first anthology. I love stories that are character-driven, gothic, gloomy, and full of grief or existential horror. The idea of the lost and the unknown nestled in those deep, dark woods is something I get really excited about. Some other things I like include: eco-horror, supernatural, creature, cult, ghost, and cosmic horror. Hard sells are extreme, splatterpunk and slasher. Stories should be firmly 2000-5000 words. Traditional Shunn format. Payment is 1¢ per word. Unpublished stories at this time; no reprints please. Multiple submissions are okay. Maximum of 2 stories, please. Simultaneous submissions are okay. If it gets published elsewhere, please let me know. I will not accept anything that involves sexual assault. I will not accept anything with gratuitous animal violence. I understand some may be necessary to tell a creature horror story but I do not need excessive violence represented. I will not accept stories that promote hate, bigotry, antisemitism, transphobia, racism, or sexism. I DO NOT accept AI generated...

Deadline: April 1st, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Speculative Fiction about Tarot Tarot cards have long been looked upon as a window to the past and future of human existence. Fortune tellers of old have utilized the power within the cards to advise or warn away inquisitive souls from the potential folly of their choices. What happens when the power of the cards escapes into the realm of humanity with the desire to play out their core intentions on the unsuspecting? A mortal once controlled the power of the past, present, and future. In his innocent desire for companionship, he made a mistake: he got too close to his creation and lost control. The foolish mortal’s artistic magic escaped the confines of the cards and trapped their maker to pursue their magical intent. Walking carnations of the major arcana of the tarot are free to roam and manipulate the mortal world without the constraints of their maker, who has been recreated as The Fool. The Magician, the first excommunicated card, will do anything to free his friend from the confines of art. But can he convince the others to put aside their petty urges and use their magic to help, even if it puts their livelihood at risk? Or have the cards become too accustomed to life in the modern world to allow anything, or anyone, to send them back to a one-dimensional life? The tarot is the only magic left in the mortal world, and they’ve had their way with it for a long time… We’re looking for new, previously unpublished stories that take us on an adventure and leave us wanting more. Genre: Speculative Fiction Word Count: 5,000 – 10,000 Opening Essay by: TBD Edited by: Charity Ayres Anchor Author: TBD Due Date: April 1, 2024 Email submissions to:...

Deadline: April 1st, 2024 Payment: $10 and a contributors copy Theme: The kiddos are ready for their night of mischief and mayhem as the evening of Trick 'r Treating gets started. Write a horror story that takes place on Halloween night and centers around a child/children visiting the neighborhood's houses. The horror element can be from either angle: either there is something spooky going on in the house or with the child/children. Location details below Deadline: April 1st, 2024 at 11:59pm CST Length: 2,000-6,000 words   Format: Must be submitted as a Google Doc file which must have [email protected] as an owner with editing turned on. You will provide the shareable link in the form upon submission. Use only one tab and do not use spaces to start a new paragraph. Do not write "The End" at the end of the story. In the header, please include the following: 1) your name, 2) the title of the story, and 3) the word count of the story. Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will not be read. The title of your story cannot include "Doors of Darkness" in it or the house number.   Eligibility: If you were published in the first volume of Doors of Darkness, please note that this is not a continuation of what happened on Fern Street. There should be absolutely no connections to characters from that volume. Compensation: Selected authors will receive (1) contributor mass market paperback copy of the anthology as well as a one-time payment of $10. The $10 may be used in order to purchase additional author copies to be shipped at the same time as the complimentary contributor copy. The $10 will buy up to an additional 2 copies of the book. Please refer to the chart below:  Printed Copies Compensation 1 Copy $10 2 Copies $5 3 Copies $0 For additional author copies beyond the compensation value, you will...

Deadline: April 1st, 2024 Payment: One cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) Theme: Fantastic Fiction You really NEED to read the description below. The Cafe Irreal is a quarterly webzine that presents a kind of fantastic fiction infrequently published in English. This fiction, which we would describe as irreal, resembles the work of writers such as Franz Kafka, Kobo Abe, Clarice Lispector and Jorge Luis Borges. As a type of fiction it rejects the tendency to portray people and places realistically and the need for a full resolution to the story; instead, it shows us a reality constantly being undermined. Therefore, we're interested in stories by writers who write about what they don't know, take us places we couldn't possibly go, and don't try to make us care about the characters. We would also suggest you take a look at the current issue, archives, and theory (especially the essay, "What is irrealism?") pages on this web site. We accept unsolicited fiction up to 2,000 words in length. Translations are welcome. There is no minimum length. We accept only electronic submissions via e-mail at [email protected]. We cannot, due to the various computer viruses and worms, accept attachments anymore, so please paste your story into the body of the e-mail. Also include your name, address, e-mail address, and a short bio in the text of the submission; please put the word "submission" in the subject heading of the e-mail to ensure that your submission doesn't get lost among all the spam. We pay an honorarium of one cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) to buy first-time internet rights (the story will then be archived). Payment is made upon publication. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DON'T ACCEPT SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS and are only interested in reprints in unusual cases (e.g., the story has appeared in print but...

Deadline: April 1st, 2024 Payment: £20 & 3 author copies Theme: Lycanthropy Currently accepting submissions for Creature Feature Classics #1 Lycanthropy ​ Creature Features #1 will launch an anthology series exploring everybody's favourite horror monsters. We're starting off with a classic; the full-moon afflicted lycanthropes.  We're looking for a variety of stories so feel free to go in any direction your brain might wander - tales set in the medieval ages, tales set in a dystopian nuclear fall-out, tales set in a robot-dominated 2050 where werewolves live underground in the sewers and hunt survivors of the robot revolution, literally any sub-genre and time goes. ​ Hard word limits of 3,000-8,000 ​ Follow the guidelines found under the 'submissions' page for formatting, content and how-to-submit guidelines. Include in the body of your email the amount of times the work has been rejected thus far. The subject line should read SUB/LYCAN - TITLE - SUBGENRE - WORDCOUNT - SURNAME ​ Compensation: £20 & 3 author copies ​ Submissions close April 1st 2024 ​ Via: Snake Bite Books.

Submission Window: April 1st - 2nd, 2024 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,...

Submission Window: April 2nd, 2024 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: April 7th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Theme: New interpretations and visions of moon-based fantasy, folklore or supernatural settings. Note: Reprints Welcome We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully as we’ve changed some of our guidelines and it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them. Supernatural, Fantasy, Folklore and Myth This collection will bring a potent mix of superstition and belief that reaches back to the gods of Babylon, Ancient Egypt and Greece. Khonsu, Innana, Artemis and Thoth are just a few of the deities who brought a mix of love, sensuality and war to the ancient perceptions of the world. In one tradition regarding the Ancient Japanese Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the moon, he was the estranged husband of the sun goddess Amaterasu, ever to chase her across the sky. From the Cherokee there are tales of the Moon being held captive, with Coyote hurling the moon each night out of reach of rescue, and for the Celts of Ireland the Moon Goddess Rhiannon was a symbol of rest and wisdom, the Queen of the Fairies. And of course the moon brings to mind curses, howling wolves, the wolf moon and the harvest moon, while offering a guiding light at night for the weary traveller. There are so many inspirations for the modern storyteller, whether ancient, gothic, fantastical or futuristic, to contribute to this intimate portrait of the seductive, powerful moon. Submissions can explore new interpretations and visions of moon-based fantasy, folklore or supernatural settings.  Submissions to: [email protected] Terms: Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails. Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology. For accepted stories...

Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Theme: humorous science-fiction stories Laughs in Space – an anthology of humorous science-fiction stories. August 2024. Science fiction is often a very serious genre, but it shares something with comedy in that it can reflect the world back to us, inspire us, evoke our curiosity, and help us to appreciate human creativity and wit. Many of us find our route to a love of science fiction via comedy, too, be it through the books or radio plays of Douglas Adams, watching Red Dwarf or Doctor Who(or reading the books), or getting into the MCU. As an editor, I’ve been championing science fiction for many years. As a stand-up comedian, much the same! So naturally I wanted to bring out an anthology of humorous science fiction. What I’m looking for: Short fiction stories from 2000 words to 9000 words. I’m looking for great stories first and foremost, with relatable characters. They do not need to be riddled with dad jokes or puns. They do not need to be set in space! They do need to fit the broad remit of science fiction, but any kind of science fiction or humour is welcome, be it silly, generic parody*, grotesque, or black humour. No punching down in your humour though, please. * Generic parody is fine, but please, no utilising other people’s content for the sake of parody, regardless of whether that content has entered public domain due to age. No AI-generated content. If you are unsure whether a story will fit, you are welcome to send a query email. Submissions: please send stories between 1st March 2024 and 7th April 2024 only. Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55. Via: The Slab Press.

Deadline: April 7th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints Theme: Modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales about the sun Note: Reprints Welcome We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully as we’ve changed some of our guidelines and it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Folklore and Myth This will be a feast of modern fiction, folklore and mythology, and ancient tales of the looming, life-giving, eye-burning solar entity that dominates our sky. The sun has inspired many stories – tales of its origins, in the myths and traditions of the ancient world, to modern storytellers who employ technology and deep space exploration to discover the many suns of the universe. For ancient Egyptians, the sun deity Ra was the first Pharaoh; in the ancient Vedic culture the sun, Surya, was guarded against the darkness by Usha and Pratyusha; for the Norse, the beautiful siblings Sol and Mani drove the sun ahead of the snarling wolf Sköll; for the ancient Chinese, it was a demon or dragon who threatened the sun and an eclipse was a sign of near success; for the Cherokee, the Sun was jealous of the moon because the people could only squint during the day, but looked adoringly at the pale moon light of the night. The Maori of New Zealand tell of the sun being ambushed by Maui, and for the Romans, Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, brought renewal and relief across the lands. Such stories reveal the foundations of humanity, with modern writers who explore the other worlds and many stars that dispense both life and fear to civilizations on our...

Submission Window: April 1st - 7th, 2024 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Solidarity Forever – fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. (See below for specifics) The Solidarity Forever zine will be included with all preorders of The Nightmare Box and Other Stories by Cynthia Gómez placed through the Cursed Morsels store. Cynthia Gómez and Eric Raglin will be coediting this zine. See submission details below. Theme: Solidarity Forever – fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Word Count: up to 500 words Pay: 10¢ per word Dates: April 1st through 7th Send to: cursedmorsels@ericraglin1992 Simultaneous submissions are fine. No multiple submissions. Absolutely no AI submissions. FAQ Does my story/poem/nonfiction have to be horror? No. We welcome varied creative approaches to the theme. What does “solidarity forever” mean? It refers to the old union song of the same name. This song explores the workers’ struggles, triumphs, and collective power against oppressive capitalism when organized as a union. However, your submission does not have to be specifically about unions. It could be about all sorts of problems solved through collective resistance and people standing together. Cursed Morsels Press specializes in Weird, queer, often splattery horror with an anti-capitalist and anti-fascist spirit. Releases include No Trouble at All, Bitter Apples, Shredded: A Sports and Fitness Body Horror Anthology and Antifa Splatterpunk. Follow the press on Twitter or BlueSky @CursedMorsels and on Facebook or Instagram @cursedmorsels. For general inquiries, contact cursedmorsels gmail com. About The Nightmare Box: A young queer man finds love at a magical clothing shop—and the courage to stand up to the homophobic cops. A witch who makes custom nightmares wonders why all her victims are connected to the Black Panthers—and who she's really working for. A soon-to-be father encounters a mysterious hitchhiker who tries pulling him back to the days of his violent past. A brand-new vampire, freshly hired at the blood bank, delights in her heightened sexual desire and...

Deadline: April 10th, 2024 Payment: Royalties of 50% of profits Theme: Ideally, Horror Western, but will also read those in the Historical Horror subgenres Undertaker Books is seeking a novella for publication in August of 2024. Our editors are looking for a work between 15,000 and 30,000 words, preferably in the Horror Western or Historical Horror subgenres, but they will consider all submissions. The editor is not opposed to blood, gore, or erotic elements, but draws the line at animal abuse and depictions of sexual assault against children. Payment will be 50% of distribution payouts through our distribution channels. Submit a cover letter that includes your name, pen name, word count, and a brief bio along with a one page synopsis and the first twenty pages of your manuscript (in Modern Shunn format) to [email protected]. Please title your email “Novella-.” This call will close on April 10, 2024. Undertaker Books is a royalty-paying, full-service publisher. This means we do not charge fees to the author at any time. We pay a royalty rate of 50% of distribution payouts. This can mean you will earn different rates for books sold through different outlets. Our contracts are for digital and print worldwide English rights. At this stage, we do not provide advance payments unless specified for anthology calls. SUBMISSIONS ARE TO BE SENT TO: [email protected] Modern Shunn Format is preferred. Please review this website if you are unsure how to proceed. Submit the first 20 pages of your manuscript as a single .doc(x) file attachment. If submitting for general consideration, please include a one page synopsis of the plot (including the ending) with working title, category or subgenre, and word count. In the body of your email, please include a cover letter containing: a short author bio,your legal name, pen name (if applicable), social media...

Deadline: April 15th, 2024 Payment: Fiction: 2¢ per word for original, 1¢ per word for reprints. Poetry: $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints. Theme: Stories and poetry containing elements of science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, or dystopia. Note: Reprints Welcome Submission Guidelines Radon welcomes short stories and poetry containing elements of science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, or dystopia. ​We publish quality work every January, May, and September. Submissions accepted year-round. Simultaneous subs are welcome. Reprints taken if writer has rights. AI submissions are not allowed. ​ Please click below to submit your work through our no-fee Submittable: SubmittableWe kindly request a third person bio that is 100-words or shorter in your cover letter.Author rights: For original work, Radon asks for first English digital rights and non-exclusive, indefinite archival rights. ​ Authors published in Radon cannot be accepted into the issue immediately following, but may submit after this period. ​ Our reading periods are: ​ January issue: Aug. 16 - Dec. 15 ​​ May issue: Dec. 16 - April 15 ​​ September issue: April 16 - Aug. 15 Prose We accept flash fiction and short story submissions up to 3,000 words. Radon pays a semi-professional rate of 2¢ per word for original work and 1¢ for reprints. ​ For quicker processing, please use a submission style similar to the modern manuscript format. We ask that you utilize single-spacing. Please note that we do not publish fantasy stories and are looking for work that includes leftist social commentary. Poetry Please submit up to five poems in a single Word document. There is no line limit. Radon pays a semi-professional rate of $20 per original poem and $10 for reprints.We request single-spaced formatting using a standard 12pt font such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Lato. The poetry editor prefers free verse poems with narrative elements. Page and spoken word poems...

Submission Window: April 1st - 15th, 2024 Payment: $35 per page of the adapted script, up to 12 pages, paid via PayPal, and a print copy of the issue. Theme: Scripts for comics in the style of Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, etc. Vault of Shadows: Issue 1 A New Generation of Horror Comics Wish your story could be adapted as a comic book? Here’s your chance to make it happen. Open call submission window open April 1 - April 15, 2024. Extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and other marginalized writers open April 16 - May 1, 2024. Do you love old-school horror comics? Think Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, etc. We want to work with you to adapt your short story (original stories and reprints welcome) into a comic with artwork by the incredible Christopher Castillo Díaz (It Was All a Dream, It Was All a Dream 2 interior illustrator). If your story is selected, you’ll have the opportunity to adapt your story into an 8-12 page comic script that will be inked, colored, and included in the first volume of Hungry Shadow Comics’ Vault of Shadows. Only 3 stories will be selected for the first issue, with a fourth selected from an invited author (TBD). What are we looking for? Short horror, weird, dark fiction between 3000 and 7500 words (not really a firm limit - the final product will be the comics script, not the short story), that can be adapted into a comic book script of 12 pages or less. We want to read the story, not an already created script. The challenge is to adapt the story after it’s selected. Really dig in to your experience with horror comics. Visual stories full...

Deadline: April 15th, 2024 Payment: $20 per story or artwork Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease don't query us about your story submission. We don't have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it's not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don't accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up...

Deadline: April 15th, 2024 Payment: Split Payment from Kickstarter (Minimum of $50) and a contributor's copy Theme: Queer Halloween from authors who are queer/part of the queer/LGBTQIA+ community, in some way, shape or form. It’s that time of year—we’re carving pumpkins, installing ghosts in the front yard, and putting out the next Bikes in Space call for submissions. This time around, it’s for volume 13, which needed an appropriate theme. Fortunately, guest editor Summer Jewel Keown came up with one for the ages: Queer Halloween! Here’s the info: Please submit your original queer Halloween short fiction (in written or comics form) about bicycling from a feminist perspective. We’re looking for stories that give us a shiver or make us leave the hallway light on at night. Raise our hair and make our spines tingle. We’ll also consider Halloween-themed stories that aren’t as frightful, but they should still be infused with all things spooky season. Stories should be written by authors who consider yourself queer (in whatever way you identify), and should feature Halloween and/or otherworldly elements, and queer characters/themes, as well as feminism. All four elements should be intrinsic to the narrative: Halloween (or stories sufficiently scary or thematic enough to be read around Halloween) Queer Feminism (it is sufficient to simply not include sexist themes or tropes) Bicycles The genre can be anything fantastical—ghost stories, horror, hard sci-fi, comedic fantasy, slipstream, or anything in that constellation—despite the series title, stories need not be be set in space. No fanfic, poetry, nonfiction, or erotica for this series, please. Stories should not include extreme body horror or graphic violence. For this volume of the anthology, we ask that all authors be queer/part of the queer/LGBTQIA+ community, in some way, shape or form. We aren’t the queer police (which sounds both fabulous and like...

Submission Window: March 15th-21st POC, March 22nd-April 15th, everyone Payment: 3 cents per word, with a minimum of $20 Theme: Speculative Fiction in the science fiction or fantasy variety 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!) HOW TO SUBMIT SUBMIT YOUR STORIES HERE 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. We aim to make our final decisions within a month and a half of the close of submissions (i.e. by May 31st for the spring period, and by November 30th for the fall period). You will often receive a response much sooner. If you haven’t heard from us by that time, please query at the above address. The long version: Broadly...

Submission Window: April 1-14th, 2024 Payment: $.08 per word for fiction ($100 minimum), $40 per poem. $75 for for nonfiction, $100 for reprint cover art, $200 for original unpublished cover art, $50 for reprint interior art, $100 for original unpublished interior art Theme: All forms of Solarpunk, however, this issue is open to BIPOC authors only Solarpunk Magazine publishes hopeful short stories and poetry that strive for a utopian ideal, that are set in futures where communities are optimistically struggling to solve or adapt to climate change, to create or maintain a world in which humanity, technology, and nature coexist in harmony rather than in conflict. We also publish solarpunk art as well as nonfiction that explores real world, contemporary topics and their intersection with the solarpunk movement for a better future. Submission Guidelines for Solarpunk Magazine *Our nonfiction department is always open for submissions. If the fiction portal is closed and you submit fiction through the open nonfiction portal, your submission will be rejected. All submissions are done via Moksha. Any submissions received via email will be deleted without response. Please don't email us to describe your story and ask if it's something we'd be interested in before submitting. We appreciate the consideration, but its easier if you just submit the story here through Moksha. Additional guidelines for each specific submission category are available below. For fiction and nonfiction, please format your submission document as follows: double-spaced 12pt Times New Roman font indented paragraphs no extra space after paragraphs A cover letter is not required. However, we appreciate a brief paragraph telling us a little bit about yourself like where you're from and why you love solarpunk. There is no need to include a third person bio. We will collect that and other needed info if your submission is accepted...

Deadline: April 18th, 2024 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy Theme: Beach Horror We’re back baby and we’re looking for your best creepy stories. The talented team - Nora B. Peevy (Managing Editor and Submissions Reader) and Thomas Stewart (Art Director and Submissions Reader) will be working together to bring you the newly vamped version of Eidetic Quarterly. Our inaugural summer issue is coming out on July 4th, Independence Day, 2024.  We are accepting ten stories. Theme: Beach Horror Submissions are open: From March 18, 2024, through April 18, 2024. You may submit another story, if yours is rejected, but please, only one at a time. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, if you let us know. If your story is accepted elsewhere, please tell us immediately, so we can pull it from consideration. It is not fair to our other authors to miss out on an opportunity because your lack of communication. Word Count – 1,500-3,000 words, not including your story title or byline. Standard Formatting: Use Modern Shunn Format. If you are not familiar with Modern Shunn format for stories, you can check it out here: Modern Manuscript Format | William Shunn Send a cover letter with a short bio to: [email protected] Name your file: “Beach Horror-(Story Name)-(Author Last Name)” Payment: $10 and one free hard copy of the publication. What we do want: Your best tales about beach creature features, vacations gone wrong, and anything else you can scare up beach horror related. Be original.  What we don’t want: Hate towards any group of people, child molestation, violence against animals, children, or any group of people, beastiality, and extreme gore. This is not a splatterpunk magazine. Please don’t send us Jaws rewrites. We don’t want to deal with copyright issues. Lovecraft stories are wonderful, but we also don’t want...

Deadline: April 19th, 2024 Payment: $25 for stories 2000 - 5000 words (after edits), $35 for stories 5000 - 8000 words (after edits), $15 for poems, $10 for reprints Theme: Horror and dark fantasy collection of Dark Grimm Fairy Tales, retold in new and horrific ways. Note: Reprints Welcome Open for submission February 9th – April 19th Fairy Tales can be frightening, and while many have been watered down over the years, their grim roots are steeped in black magic, forced marriage, abduction, murder, curses and cannibalism. And we’re here for it. Grimm Retold is a horror and dark fantasy collection of Dark Grimm Fairy Tales, retold in new and horrific ways. We’re looking for stories 2000 – 8000 words and Poems 1 - 4 pages  email a brief cover letter, bio and attached full manuscript, .doc or .docx formatted to standard Shunn Manuscript style to [email protected] $25 for stories 2000 - 5000 words (after edits) $35 for stories 5000 - 8000 words (after edits) $15 for poems $10 for reprints Stories should be based on specific Grimm Fairy Tales and recognizable to their source material, even if they drastically diverge from them. We want voice-y weird and terrifying. We welcome blood, violence and gore, but be careful with gratuitous and exploitive sexual violence, and keep it away from children and animals. (To be clear, there are many fairy tales with children and animals in danger and killed, but watch how those are described) We would particularly love to receive retellings from the perspective of other cultures or marginalized points of view. Tentative Release Date: September 2024 Some ideas: The Robber Bridegroom Sleeping Beauty The Goose Girl The Juniper Tree Rumpelstiltskin Hansel and Gretel And for your reference here is a link to a List of All Grimm Fairy Tales...

Submission Window: March 20th to April 20th, 2024 Payment: $50 upon publication Theme: Stories about how we seek out, discover, and grasp onto connection in all genres with a particular fondness for anything that moves beyond realism in form or content or spirit 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 temporarily closed for submissions. 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. We’re temporarily closing for all submissions beginning on December 21, 2023 to help us catch up with the queue and spend time with our families. We'll re-open to free submissions on March 20, 2024. Here are the free periods for 2024: March 20th to April 20th June 20st to July 20st September 22nd to October 22nd December 21st to Jan 21, 2025 Some additional details: We currently accept three types of work: fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. See below for genre-specific...

Deadline: April 21st, 2024 Payment: $200 CAD and a contributors copy Theme: Canadian characters living their ‘super’ lives while still retaining their national/regional identity/connection. We’re looking for stories that push the usual superhero tropes while shining a spotlight on unique corners of Canada. We want stories set in and around the nation’s more often overlooked locales—isolated small towns, remote reservations, bedroom communities, and other underrepresented areas of Canada. Give us rural superheroes, backwater supervillains, and tales of characters/communities at a crossroads.How does place impact your character? Are they unable to reconcile their superpowers with their residence or is it the people who pose the problem? Does your hero struggle to maintain a secret identity where everyone knows everyone or do they find that familiarity weirdly comforting given the challenges of being superpowered? Submission Guidelines:   Word Count: 500-3500 Canadian characters living their ‘super’ lives while still retaining their national/regional identity/connection. Stories that know the tropes and cliches—those applied to superheroes and Canada both—and either explore or subvert them. Heroes that reconcile their superpowers with the limits of their home—geographic, political, economic…heck, tie in the weather—so long as they’re original characters with strong connections to specific parts/cultures of Canada. Have your protagonists face situations unique to our nation/their region thereof. These can be silly or serious, inspired by reality or entirely fictional. Tell us about everyday Canadians. Folks often excluded from mainstream literature—the ignored, overlooked, and undervalued. (Including cultures, genders/sexual orientations, ages, economic groups, and faiths.) Genre-busting tales are encouraged. A superhero mystery or an origin story couched as a romance. Submitted stories do not have to be about superheroes per say (tales of supervillains and anti-heroes are welcome), but should tie into that theme in some way. Please avoid extreme violence, unnecessary profanity, and/or graphic sexual content. Submission deadline: April...

Deadline: April 21st, 2024 Payment: 9 cents per word Theme: Offshoots: Humanity Twigged – SF, fantasy, positive futures Theme: Offshoots: Humanity Twigged – SF, fantasy, positive futures The dictionary defines “twig” as a shoot branching off a tree, the result or descendant of something, or a style of fashion. How will humanity cultivate the strongest branches from among myriad potential futures? Please give us your science fictional and fantasy speculations. Possible subjects might include: bioengineering, space exploration, future societies, magical futurism, and extrapolation of trends (think Asimov’s Foundation or Loki’s Sacred Timeline). Stories about effects of AI and virtual reality are fine, but they must be written by people. Flash humor is welcome. Reading Period: April 1 – 21, 2024 Writer Deadline: April 21, 2024 Publication Date: July 15, 2024 Themes and Schedules Continuing with Third Flatiron’s quarterly themed anthologies, we will be soliciting SF/Fantasy/Horror short stories with stated themes. Themes are designed to be open-ended, allowing authors considerable leeway. We appreciate short, imaginative tales, preferring those that work with the theme in some way. Short stories should be 3,000 words or less. Flash humor pieces (<=1,000 words) can be on any theme. We aim to be inclusive and encourage submissions from all creators. Please submit during the reading periods. We do themed anthologies. We are not currently accepting unsolicited reprints. We have also discussed the types of stories we prefer in an interview (note that the pay rate has increased) at D.L. Snell’s Market Scoops. We are currently closed for submissions. Please see our main page for the current theme . Stories should be submitted in either Microsoft Word (using double spacing), RTF,  or plain text. They should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Be sure they are the final version (any Review comments removed). Flash humor pieces (Grins and Gurgles) should be short, around 600-1,000 words. Please don’t...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $30 CAD for features, $20 CAD for film diaries Theme: TEN + Films Note: This outlet looks more for non-fiction though does take poetry and some fiction on their topics, see details below to see if your work will count! In honour of our 10th issue, we’re getting literal and asking for submissions on film, TV, music videos, and pop culture relating to the number 10! This could look like: Cinema’s 10 Most Ineffectual Therapists, movies with “10” in the title, 10 Times I Fell Asleep in the Theatre, or movies celebrating their 10-year anniversary. At In The Mood, we don’t believe in taking ourselves too seriously, and this might be our least serious theme yet!* *But on a serious note, please read our full guidelines below before submitting 😉 This special issue will only feature 10 pieces, so send us your best! - Theme: TEN - Deadline: April 30th, 2024 - Word count for completed pieces: max 1,000 words for features, max 300 words for film diaries - Honorarium: $30 CAD for features, $20 CAD for film diaries 💡 Some ideas for inspiration: - 10-year anniversaries - Movies from 1910 or 2010 (but not ‘11s to ‘19s) - Top/Bottom 10 lists - 10 blindspots (and what you thought of them after watching) - Movies with “10” in the title (e.g. 10 Things I Hate About You, 10, 10 Items or Less, Ten Years, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days) - What you loved watching when you were 10 - If you had 10 days left to live, what would you watch? - 10 times I ___ during a movie (e.g. cried, fell asleep, got horny, screamed) - First 10 movies you remember seeing - 10 frames from a movie - Focus on 10 of something in a movie (e.g. costumes, meals, furniture) - A celebrity/ famous...

Deadline: April 30, 2024. Submissions will be kept open for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, chronically-ill/disabled, and writers from other historically marginalized groups until May 15, 2024. Payment: $.05 per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Speculative fiction about billionaires being eaten Submissions will be open from April 1 – April 30, 2024. Submissions will be kept open for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, chronically-ill/disabled, and writers from other historically marginalized groups until May 15, 2024. The Rules Eat the Rich is a speculative fiction anthology of billionaires being eaten. That’s it, full stop. Give us carnivores, cannibals, kaiju, cryptids, and, of course, capitalist comeuppance. So long as some kind of obnoxiously wealthy fuck gets eaten — somewhere, somewhen, somehow — the sky’s the limit. *we’re looking for interpretations of literally being eaten, but what that means is entirely up to you *billionaires are the cause of 9 out of 10 problems, but if you want to set your sights on lower-tier wealth, go ahead *from 100 up to 8,000 words is acceptable, but between 2K – 6K is the sweet spot *close is okay, but please be reasonable *if you’re so far out of range you feel the need to query, you probably already know the answer *the answer is no *please send only one story at a time *simultaneous submissions are cool, just let us know, if, when, etc. *if you’re rejected, feel free to try again — once, for a total of two submissions per anthology *no reprints *misogyny, sexism, racism, ableism, and homophobic and transphobic bullshit will not be tolerated *pulp, bizarro, and transgressive writing are all a-okay, so long as they don’t do any of the above *anything that could be a right-wing talking point is emphatically not for us *to reiterate: pro-capitalism, pro-cop stances are a surefire way to get yourself an ice-cold form rejection *no...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $20 Theme: Horror stories that center around undertakers, funeral homes, mortuaries, cremations, and other aspects of the funeral trade We are looking for 10 short stories that center around undertakers, funeral homes, mortuaries, cremations, and other aspects of the funeral trade for “Stories to Take To Your Grave”. We are open to all subgenres of horror, from suspense to splatterpunk! WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR -Complete stories with a beginning, middle, and end. -Stories that leave us feeling satisfied yet also wanting more. -Stories that make our reformed undertaker feel like he’s back in the business. WHAT WE DON’T LIKE -Boundaries. If you think it meets the call requirements, send it our way. Please read are standard submission guidelines if questions. WHAT WE WON’T ACCEPT -Depictions of sexual violence against children. -Racism, sexism, homophobia, or other displays of focused hatred that don’t further the story’s plot. -Animal torture. -Dealing with lawyers. No stories containing anything that might cause issues with copyrighted characters, lyrics, or anything of that nature. This means no Fan Fiction. SUBMISSIONS Submit via email to [email protected]. In the subject line, please put GRAVE – – PAYMENT $20 per story and a digital copy of the anthology. SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify us as soon as possible if your story is accepted elsewhere. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS Authors may submit up to two stories. REPRINTS No reprints will be accepted. LENGTH 3,000-6,000 Words FORMATTING Modern Shunn. Please submit your files in .doc or .docx format, named “CHAMBER--” CALL CLOSES April 30, 2024 Via: Undertaker Books.

Submission Windows: March 15th to March 31st and April 8th to April 30th Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Dark speculative fiction that transports the reader somewhere interesting, see below for details. Themes that will fit well are death, loss, love, grief, trauma, self-exploration, discovery, and hope. EARLY WINDOW — March 15 at 12:01 am EST to March 31 at 11:59 pm EST GENERAL WINDOW — April 8 at 12:01 am EST to April 30 at 11:59 pm EST REVIEW WINDOW — May 1 to May 26 OFFERS FINALIZED — May 28 to May 30 (tentative) WORD COUNT — 2000 to 5000 (hard limit) PAY — 8 cents per word SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS — Yes MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS — No REPRINTS — Yes, but with some caveats (see TOC GOALS below for more info) AI-GENERATED SUBMISSIONS — Don’t bother ABOUT THE PROJECT “I knew they'd speak to you," the Curator says, anticipation in his tone. But his voice seems far away now, carried off on a hollow wind, and you swear you can hear the rhythmic ticking of a pocket watch, beating like the cadence of a gallows drum. "I call these works IMPRESSIONS," says your host, leaning in, quieter still. "They give you a glimpse into another life, a scene playing out in some other realm. And a mind as alive as yours, well... it just fills in the rest..." Fills in the rest? You think. What does that mean? But the question barely registers now, your thoughts little more than dreams fleeing the sunrise. The image—the impression—has its hold on you... EMBERLETTER PRESS, in association with HAMLET PRODUCTIONS and STUDIOCOR3, presents IMPRESSIONS VOLUME 1, a new multimedia anthology series from the mind of author and filmmaker Geoff Emberlyn. Life and death, denail and loss, sadness and the surreal are all captured here in 22 tales...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Prizes: The GRAND PRIZE winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at industry-standard rates for professional story submittals. The author will also receive a handsome engraved award and a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. SECOND place winner will receive a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. THIRD place winner will receive a prize package containing $300 of free Baen Books. Theme: Any form of fantasy Baen Books is excited to announce the eleventh annual Baen Fantasy Adventure Award. The award recognizes the best original adventure fantasy short story in the style of fantasy greats like Mercedes Lackey, Larry Correia, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Elizabeth Moon, Andre Norton, Brandon Sanderson, J.R.R. Tolkien, and David Weber. Contest Rules Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc. No entry fee. But only one submission per person...we suggest your best one! No reprints (i.e. the story must be unpublished). All entries must be original unpublished works in English. Plagiarism, poetry, song lyrics, settings and/or characters from published gaming worlds or another author’s works of fiction will not be considered. Any AI-generated stories will be automatically disqualified.   E-mail submissions only. Send entries as .RTF attachments to: [email protected] Please put BFAA SUBMISSION in the subject line when sending a contest entry and BFAA QUESTION in the subject line for questions to the contest administrator. Please include the following in the body of your email: the title of the work the author's name, address, and telephone number an approximate word-count The manuscript should be a RTF attachment, in standard manuscript...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $10 + Contributor copy Theme: Gorey and Whorey works that seamlessly blend the Splatterpunk and Smut or Erotica subgenres. PsychoToxin X is seeking short stories and flash fiction for a new anthology, SCREAM and CREAM: A Splatterphuck Collection. Title: Scream and Cream: A Splatterphuck Collection Publisher: Crimson Cult Media Word Count: 2,000 - 8,000 words Pay: $10 + Contributor copy Format: .doc or .docx Font: 12 pt Times New Roman Spacing: Double spaced Send To: [email protected] Write “Scream and Cream” along with your name and story title in the subject of your email (Subject: Scream and Cream: Name, STORY TITLE) *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * Submit Word (.doc or .docx) documents as attachments to your submission email. Rights returned after six months of publishing date. Submission Deadline: April 30, 2024 Publishing Date: Summer 2024 Edited by: Marie Lestrange What We Want: Gorey and Whorey works that seamlessly blend the Splatterpunk and Smut or Erotica subgenres. What We Don’t Want: Any works that are not a BLEND of Smut/Erotica and Horror. Depictions of child r*pe or pedophelia of any kind will not be accepted. (I don’t want to read it.) Smut vs. Erotica: Smut refers to a work of fiction, typically written, that is highly sexual in nature and intended to arouse the reader. It is characterized by an excessive focus on explicit sexual details and descriptions. The primary purpose of smut is to provide sexual stimulation, rather than to develop a narrative or explore themes. Think “porn on the page.” Erotica is ALSO a type of literature that is intended to arouse sexual desire in the reader. It typically has a stronger focus on the emotional and narrative aspects, with sex scenes serving to advance the plot...

Submission Window: April 1st - 30th, 2024 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: April 30th, 2024 Payment: 8 cents per word and a contributors copy Theme: “fun”, “80s style” horror that involve Rock n Roll Note: Only accepts Mail-In Submissions so don't wait until the last moment! Seeking short fiction for our Rock n Roll Issue! From hair-raising riffs to head-banging oblivion, horror and rock n roll are a match made in Hell! Book Worms Horror zine is a limited-edition print only publication sold on Etsy and selective bookstores. Frequently Asked Question: What kind of stories are you looking for? We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction. That being said, the best chance for your story being accepted by Book Worms is to follow the submission guidelines. Make sure your story is of the horror genre (you’d be surprised how many we receive that aren’t), mail in your submission versus email, meet the deadline, and don’t exceed the word count limit. And if your story doesn’t make it, please keep trying. We’ve had to turn down many excellent stories due to space constraints alone. It might be helpful to explain what we don’t want. Paranormal romance (Love the genre. It’s not right for Book Worms.) Anything with a political theme. We read to escape that stuff. Beyond the pale violence or pornographic material. Keep it fun, kids. Submission Guidelines Deadline: April 30, 2024 Payment is 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). Includes one contributor copy. No reprints or multiple submissions please. Exclusive rights for six months after publication. ACCEPTING MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY! Mail your submissions to: La Regina Studio/Grundy Commons/925 Canal Street/Bristol, PA 19007 *In the past, we’ve made some special allowances for writers living outside the USA....

Submission Window: April 1st - 30th, 2024 Payment: $100 Theme: Telling the cannibus-positive tales of the last survivors of a specific neighborhood. Details found below Opens: April 1, 2024, midnight est  Closes: April 30, 2024, midnight IDLW Compensation: $100 USD Theme: Adult horror, including genre-chimeras Submissions must be between 3,000 and 6,000 words Expected release April 2024 Submit to [email protected] On the night of April 19, 2021, something happened in the suburban town of Brookhaven that changed the course of humanity. In the fancy Southtown gated community, The Sanctuary at Lemongrass Lake, a cosmic event occurs, destroying most of it in the impact. Over on the North end, middle-aged, overweight, cannabis grower, Pam Goodall, determined to save her holy holiday—4/20, bands with unlikely neighbors to not just survive the night, but save humankind. HENTAI ECTOPLASM is not your average anthology. Twelve - fifteen authors will tell a story of survival as their neighborhood is cut off by the destruction, each delivering the perspective of their respective home. You can read the introduction here.  What we are looking for: First exclusive (1 year) US rights for cannabis positive stories written from the perspective of a residence stuck inside “The Danger Zone”. Submissions must be between 3,000 and 6,000 words. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL ANTHOLOGIES:  Please read carefully. Submissions that don’t meet the guidelines will be rejected. Open to any and all writers, both new and established, unless otherwise noted. ALL horror subgenres and tropes are welcome, including comedy and splatter.  Genre-blending is highly encouraged. Queer retellings and gender swaps are our favorites.  Writers should have a diverse representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, gender identities, disability, fat positivity, and neurodivergency. What we are NOT looking for: Submissions cannot contain sexualization of minors (under 18, yes that includes “17 almost 18”). Sexual assaults are encouraged to happen off-page and only if it serves...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $10 USD Theme: Poems inspired by feminine rage. All speculative tropes are welcome Opens: March 1s 2024, midnight EST  Closes: April 30, 2024, midnight IDLW Compensation: $10 USD Theme: Adult speculative poetry Submissions must be under 50 lines OPEN to any and everyone that identifies (now or in the past) as femme in the most inclusive of definitions. Expected release: March 2024 Submit to [email protected]   HEMORRHAGING FLOWERS: A COLLECTION OF 100% FEMME RAGE is a collection of speculative poetry showcasing the spectrum of femininity and the rage contained within.   What we are looking for: First exclusive (1 year) US rights for poems inspired by feminine rage. All speculative tropes are welcome.   Submissions must be under 50 lines Via: Bookslayer Press.

Submission Window: April 23rd-30th, 2024 Payment: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum. Theme: Diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. We are open to submissions within the following periods: January 23rd-30th April 23rd-30th July 23rd-30th October 23rd-30th 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. Shorter or longer works will be considered, but the further a story goes outside these bounds the more it will need to impress. 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. See here for an overview of our editorial process. 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. We do not accept multiple submissions. Please wait until your first submission has been rejected before submitting...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $25 and a contributor's copy Theme: Hillbillies and Horror 2024 is upon us, and with it comes From the Ashes From the Ashes first official open call from the newly minted press. We’re trying things a bit different with this in that this is only an announcement for the upcoming open call. The reason for this is to give authors who are interested in submitting a story extra time to hone in on the tale they want to tell, without the added pressure of rushing to get it completed. So, without further ado… HOOTENANNY HORRORSHOW We’re going to the mountains with this one, folks. The theme - HIllbillies, Rednecks, Mountain Folk, and all the lore and traditions surrounding these majestic creatures. Think outside the box with these tropes and archetypes. Or, if you go with the old cliches, put a fresh spin on them and make them your own, new tales. OPEN CALL SUBMISSIONS The actual submission period for stories will be the entire month of April, and only in April. Any submissions received before or after April 1st - April 30th will not be considered for publication. GUIDELINES A standard docx word file. 12 pt font (garamond is nice!) Word Count 3-7k No Indentions at all preferred. ***no reprints*** Authors of accepted stories will receive a flat pay out of $25 & a paperback contributor copy of the anthology—with the ability to purchase additional copies at printing cost. Send your submission to [email protected] Via: From The Ashes Facebook Group.

Submission Window: March 1st - April 30th, 2024 Payment: $0.03/word Theme: Strong, character-driven stories where your main characters struggle in some way with their ghosts—or the ghosts of others—against truths being either suppressed or exposed Note: Open to those who identify as LGBTQ+, especially the following individuals: Will be open for short story submissions on March 1, 2024. Do not submit early! The second of three charity anthologies loosely related to military life/service. Edited by Bram Stoker Award Winning Editor, Vince A. Liaguno and TSP Editor-in-Chief, Sirrah Medeiros Theme: “Truths can be hidden, pushed down, and repressed, from those around us. But the ghosts—of our past, our present, and our future—know our most intimate truths. We cannot hide from our ghosts. For Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell, we’re looking for strong, character-driven stories where your main characters struggle in some way with their ghosts—or the ghosts of others—against truths being either suppressed or exposed. In these stories, the outcomes can be varied—truths remain hidden, or truths exposed—to whatever consequence(s) to the main character. Will your character(s) be silenced by their ghosts? Will the truth set them free—or doom them to some horrible fate? Your latitude with this basic theme is wide and interpretation is strongly encouraged.” ~ Vince A. Liaguno Title: Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell Word Count: 2-5K words for short stories. Poetry will be by invitation only. Deadline: April 30, 2024 No reprints. Simultaneous submissions are okay. Just let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere. Author Pay: $0.03/word (USD) for short stories with potential for increase based on Kickstarter success. Who May Submit: Open to those who identify as LGBTQ+, especially the following individuals: With military service (active, retired, veterans welcome). Wanted to join a service organization but was denied. Served but forced out due to sexual orientation. Current or former military dependents who identify as...

Submission Window: April 1st - 30th, 2024 Payment: 8 cent per word for fiction, $20 for poetry, 8 cent per word for non-fiction, $125 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. As writers ourselves, we do our best to handle each submission with the care and attention it deserves. Every submission is an act of bravery, and we know that putting yourself out there as a writer can be tough. Just know that any submission we receive, unless it contains something illegal, will be kept in confidence. When in doubt, don't self reject! Submit submit submit! Guidelines for Fiction We like stories that are subtle in their telling and stick with us long after we've finished, and we're more likely to buy stories that balance a sense of wonder with a bold plot and emotional depth. 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. Pay: 8¢ per word for original fiction Word limit: 6000 words Language: English Rights: We buy first serial print and electronic rights for publication of the story in the English language and throughout the world. We also buy non-exclusive archival rights for...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $20 Theme: Speculative fiction set in the Greater Charlottesville Area: Charlottesville City, the Counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Green, Nelson, or Shenandoah National Park. Announcing Charlottesville Fantastic edited by James Blakey and Catherine Simpson. Charlottesville’s a magical place, and we want to read all about it. We’re talking anything from vampires in the Rotunda to Cinderella set in Monticello, from a sentient Rivanna to sirens singing at a Rapunzel’s open mic. What We Want: Dazzle us with High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic Realism, etc. Stories can be set in the past, present, future, or sideways (Alternate History). Smash genres and mix in Mystery, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Western, as long as you include a fantastical or supernatural element. Stories must be set in the Greater Charlottesville Area: Charlottesville City, the Counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Green, Nelson, or Shenandoah National Park. What We Don’t Want: Your trunk stories with a couple of Charlottesville references bolted on. Gore, Violence, Sex, Language: Nothing worse than you’d see in a PG-13 movie. Word Count: 1,800 to 5,500 (Hard Limits) with 3,500 being the sweet spot. Formatting Requirements: Shunn Standard or Modern Format. Courier or New Times Roman, size 12. Use Italics for Italics. DOC or DOCX file type. We are conducting Blind Submissions. Remove your name and all personally identifying information from your document/file. File name should be your story title in ALL CAPS. Example: THE WIZARD OF OLD RAG.docx Bio: In the submission form (not in your story file), include a 50-125-word third-person biography. Original Works Only: Your story should not have been published anywhere (in print, eBook, Patreon, etc.) with the exception of password protected critique forums. Simultaneous Submissions: Please don’t do this. Multiple Submissions: You may submit up to two stories (separately), but only one will be accepted for...

Submission Window: March 1st - April 30th, 2024 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, zionism, 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...

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: Wet A Literary Journal with Some Art, Comics, and Analysis Thrown in for Good Measure As Quarter Press continues to grow, we’re adding another coin to our pocketful of change. We want to offer a space for shorter works to mingle with art and other bits of nonsense, so we bring you The Quarter(ly): It just makes cents. Issues are themed; however, we consider all interpretations. 2024’s Themes and Deadlines: WET (April 30) hat’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 /...

Deadline: May 1st, 2024 Payment: $25 Theme: Horror stories with a focus on the oft-unclear distinction between a scary-enough reality and our less-or-more-frightening imagination, both in personal and social realms Whisper House Press is pleased to announce its first call for submissions. We’re looking for carefully constructed Horror stories with a focus on the oft-unclear distinction between a scary-enough reality and our less-or-more-frightening imagination, both in personal and social realms. Our working title is Costs of Living.   These are some possible interpretations of this potentially broad theme: The Neighbors/HOA/City Council Really Are Trying to Kill Us A Bad Element… is Already Here in the Neighborhood Why do I feel like everyone is watching me in my new town’s grocery store? “How can I be sure I am not dreaming?” without the “Oh, it was all a dream” cliché Philosophical quandaries run amok in one’s mind Attic dweller keeps neighborhood watch via security cameras on smart home system starts seeing what they/he/she cannot explain Payment Until we find our footing, we will offer token payments for short fiction. Authors will be paid $25 per accepted work.   Who We Are & What We Love Whisper House Press is an independent press based in Salt Lake City, Utah. We believe in inclusion and equity and in using the privileges we’ve been gifted to boost the voices of those with fewer opportunities. We celebrate submissions from frequently marginalized groups. We love horror that reminds us of Event Horizon (McDonald then adapted by Eisner, 1997), Knocking (Broström & Theorin, 2021), Master (Diallo, 2022), The Handyman Method (Cutter & Sullivan, 2023), Get Out (Peele, 2017), and of The Last House on Needless Street (Ward, 2021) or Dear Hannah (Stage, 2024). We’ve got a small web presence on the editor’s website. You can find it...

Deadline: May 1, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: Splatter/Gore-friendly horror The Carnage House editors invite submissions for Issue 3, due out in summer 2024. We want solid, entertaining writing that evokes feelings. Carnage House is a splatter friendly web ’zine—so nothing against cozy, but cozy, we’re not. We’re looking for gore, extreme horror, splatterpunk, and horror with sexual elements to it. For a better understanding of what we’ll take, think of the Hot Blood book series or Love in Vein. Or, as a more practical proposition, read Issues 1 and 2 at carnagehouse.com. We invite LGBTQIA and BIPOC themes, and we encourage authors from diverse backgrounds to submit to us. Hard NOs: Nothing with children in an adult manner. If you’re writing a story about a child predator who gets what’s coming to him—great. But we don’t want to read about that predator violating his victims. We won’t publish anything supporting a racist, transphobic, or homophobic agenda, so don’t try it. Our description includes the words “splatter” and “friendly” for a reason. We love splatter, and we’re super friendly. Carnage House is about supporting writers and entertaining readers, and we’re dedicated to both in equal measure. Please review the guidelines (below and at our website) for more important details, including submission format and word count. We look forward to reading your work in all its splattertastic glory. We want solid entertaining writing. That has to be clearly stated because we are open to gore, extreme horror, splatterpunk, and horror with sexual elements to it. Sounds great? Like anything too good to be true, there is a catch. We have some hard “Nos.” Before you go off about the freedom of expression, remember, this is a web ‘zine, not a government. We donate our time to it and if we’re not getting joy...

Deadline: May 1st, 2024 Payment: $10 and a contributor's copy Theme: Horror stories about inanimate things that are living Inanimate Things: Volume Two. With the success of Volume One, we decided to do it again! We are looking for horror short stories between 1500 and 6,000 words in length (can go over a little bit, we aren’t too particular. Just not shorter than 1500 words) about inanimate things that are living. It could be a doll, the dead flesh of zombies, or your Ford F-150. The story needs to involve this subject in some way…and be scary too. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $10 along with a paperback copy of the anthology once it is completed. Rights: First Print and Electronic Publication rights, the non-exclusive rights to include the story in a print, audiobook, and digital book, and a one-year (12 month) period of exclusivity from the date of publication. All other rights remain entirely with the author. OTHER STUFF: No poetry or reprints. No novel extracts. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology (no more than two per author though) but please submit them in separate emails. Submission Deadline: May 1, 2024. Expected Publication Date: January 15, 2025. Email submissions to [email protected] with a story either: 1) attached in Microsoft Word; or 2) with the entire story pasted inside the body of the email. Either one is fine. We try to reply and let you know if we are not using your submission within 4 weeks…but if you do not hear from within four weeks from submission (check your Spam folder) then we did not accept it. Please put EXACTLY the following in the subject line: ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR INANIMATE THINGS.  Via: Burial Books.

Deadline: May 1st, 2024 Payment: Prose: 1¢ per word, Poetry: $10, Artwork: $25 (Cover art is $50.) Theme: Heredity NonBinary Review is open for submissions on the theme of "heredity." Maybe you have your mother's nose, or your father's eyes, or your grandmother's hair, or your uncle's earlobes. There are so many things that run in families - not just physical characteristics, but so many of our habits, tastes, and ways of thinking. The "nature vs. nurture" debate has been raging forever, although science is finding that a surprising amount of what we think of as learned behavior might actually be biological. But what else might we inherit from our families? Magic powers? A tail? ESP? We're looking for speculative takes on heredity - the unexpected, the impossible, the very furthest out there. We're NOT looking for stories about inheritance - things given to us by families or friends. We're not looking for werewolves or vampires (or any other well-known fictional monsters). We're looking for something new - something we've never seen before. Prose: 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. Poetry: All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme and be submitted in 12pt Times New Roman, or they will be rejected. Submitters may include up to THREE poems per submission, but each must be a separate file. NonBinary Review pays a $10 flat fee for poetry. Artwork: All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme and be submitted as a jpg., .png., .tiff., or .psd file of 300dpi or greater (accepted pieces must be PRINT QUALITY). Submitters may include up to five pieces per submission, but each must be a...

Deadline: May 1st, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Stories related to Robin Hood or Sherwood Forest with at least one grumpy character that are amusing and speculative fiction Hear ye!  Hear ye!!  It’s time for another Grumpy Anthology and this time we’re heading to those forests of yore to revamp tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. That’s right, we’re off to the land of leather jerkins and longbows for another chance for a Grumpy twist on a classic mythos.   Why Robin Hood you ask? We’re so glad you asked. Authors are readers, and for many of us, this group of stories are a cherished childhood memory.  Robin Hood wandered in and out of English Literature leaving a trail of tales (looking at you Ivanhoe), despite being the original rebel bad boy. He literally robs from people who are in power. How did these tales even survive?  These stories survived because the common people loved them.  As early as the 1300’s May Day celebrations featured Robin Hood stage plays.  They were entertainment for the masses, and the masses loved seeing the tricksy Robin pulling the wool over the eyes of influential figures.  Some of the first cheap short stories were Robin Hood broadsheets. He’s had more incarnations than Dr. Who.  A lot more. Like all good mythologies, Robin Hood has grown and changed with his audience. We took a deep dive when we began discussing this idea, and to our delight and joy – there’s no set cannon.  There is no written version of this story that can be pointed to as the definitive beginning of Robin Hood.  Like our Grumpy Gods, his traditions were mostly oral and he was only later canonized. What does that mean for us as Grumpy authors? It means it’s open season on storytelling.  It...

Submission Window: April 1st -May 1st, 2024 Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.015 USD per word/$37.50 USD max, Poems-less than 200 words $10, Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.015 USD per word/$15 USD max Theme: Fire! Last Girls Club Summer Issue Theme is Fire Season. The world is on fire, environmentally and politically. On the US West coast we have rains of ash in the fall from all the forest fires. The Canadian border was plagued with smoke pollution from raging fires. It's a thing now. Your characters can be fleeing a fire, starting one, or surviving one. Take it where you want. Acceptances will be notified on May 15. 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] Authors must be 18+. Submissions from underage authors will not be considered. All submissions must be submitted as .doc or .docx 12 pt Times New Roman. Please do not copy/paste onto an email. Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.015 USD per word/$37.50 USD max upon acceptance and a PDF of the magazine issue Poems-less than 200 words $10 upon acceptance and a PDF of the magazine issue Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.015 USD...

Deadline: May 1st, 2024 Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry Theme: Story must begin with: "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today." 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....

Deadline: March 1st – May 1st, 2024 Payment: $50 Theme: Writing that attempts to salvage something pure from the collision of warmth and cold, that says what it can about the world it finds itself in. A Note on Our Aesthetic We believe there is beauty in scars on smooth skin, in the small fissures where things begin to break apart. Sundogs are not the sun itself but phantom stars appearing on the horizon, illusions produced by the play of the sun’s heat with crystals of ice. They shed their light all the same. Many are tinged with color. We look for this same quality in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We want writing that attempts to salvage something pure from the collision of warmth and cold, that says what it can about the world it finds itself in. We seek a diversity of voices speaking from visceral, lived experience. We like truth we can stare at until our eyes water, words so carefully chosen we want to reread them as soon as we have finished. Schedule We publish two issues a year, September 1 and March 1. We accept general submissions for poetry, nonfiction, and fiction between two reading periods, and the first 300 submissions to each are free. We also run a collaborative writing contest in August. We also accept visual art all year. General Submissions: March 1 – May 1 General Submissions: October 1 – December 1 Collaboration Contest: July 15 –  August 31 Payment We are thrilled to finally be able to say that, starting with issue 17, we will be able to offer our contributors a small payment of $50 upon publication. Practical Matters We are grateful to be a part of a literary community that is taking action against systemic racism. We will also be donating submission fees...

Deadline: Opens and likely closes May 1st, get in on midnight folks! Payment: 10 cents per word for original fiction, 2 cents per word for reprints Theme: Science Fiction and Fantasy A magazine, publishing house, and academy for writers & readers of dark speculative fiction. Gamut was made to showcase and celebrate readers, writers, and artists who love dark speculative fiction. We have three guiding principles: Enrapture your senses and ensnare your minds via our magazine and our published works. Support writers through all stages of their careers. With courses crafted to inspire, educate, and elevate. Embrace our foundational principles of equity and diversity and uplift and amplify those readers, writers, and artists who’ve been marginalized in the past. Fiction: Gamut magazine is open to dark speculative fiction. FOR THIS CALL WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION. Stories should be in the 1,000-5,000 word range. We support diversity here at Gamut, across the board, especially those voices that are marginalized. Please remove all identifying information from your submissions as we read blind. Simultaneous submissions are okay, just let us know immediately if your story gets accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are only allowed for poetry. But you may submit one entry to each category—so that means one submission each to new and reprint fiction, new and reprint non-fiction, and new and reprint poetry. Thank you for thinking of us, and we look forward to your work. Non-Fiction: THIS MONTH WE ARE FOCUSED ON FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION ONLY. Gamut magazine is open to speculative fiction, so our non-fiction articles should keep that in mind. As far as content, we tend to lean toward the tragic and uncanny, exploring transgressive themes—the taboo, the emotional, global experiences, you name it. So, for example, we might be open to a travel...

Submission Window: May 1st-2nd, 2024 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: May 3rd, 2024 Prizes: $35 for first place, $25 for second, $15 for third Theme: 25 to 50 word story about hats, details below! Premise: For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which a hat of some kind matters to the story. We're going with the fairly traditional definition of "hat" for this one. Scarves, hijabs, earmuffs, wigs, hoods, and other head coverings do not qualify. I'm going to say that even helmets don't qualify. Caps are okay; they're an informal hat. The judges will not care if anyone wears the hat in the story, so that's up to you. Deadline: Friday, May 3, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern US time. Length: Between 25 and 50 words. Hyphenated Words: Words that are normally hyphenated, but generally considered one word, are considered one word for this contest. Examples: "Twenty-three", "Jack-o-lantern", and "Mother-in-law" are each one word. However, stringing a bunch of words together with hyphens for artistic effect will result in each connected word being counted separately. Example: "It was a get-out-of-my-way day." That hyphenated phrase counts as five words. Prizes: $35 for first place, $25 for second, $15 for third, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published but make no money. If international currency exchange fees are necessary to pay an author, that fee comes out of the mini-contest prize money. Other Rules: One entry per author. There is no fee for entering this contest. On The Premises is an on-line fiction magazine founded in 2006 by Tarl Kudrick and Bethany Granger. We publish issues in HTML and PDF formats (and maybe someday, ebook formats). Stories published in On The Premises are winning entries in short story contests launched every June and December. Each contest challenges writers to produce a great story based on a broad...