Events

Deadline: June 1st, 2024 Prizes: FIRST PLACE: $75. SECOND PLACE: $50. THIRD PLACE: $25, FOURTH PLACE: $10 Theme: Dark speculative prose Note: Reprints allowed FIRST PLACE: $75 SECOND PLACE: $50 THIRD PLACE: $25 FOURTH PLACE: $10 Each winning story will be featured on Weird Wide Web with its own direct URL link. What We Are Looking For: Fiction between 1K - 4K words in the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres.   This is a great place for REPRINTS. Unpublished stories are fine, but REPRINTS ARE WELCOME. Just send your best!   Submission Guidelines:   *DOC, DOCX, RTF, or ODT files only *Black 12 pt Times New Roman font *Stories with glaring misspellings and grammatical errors won't stand a chance against tightly written pieces. Double check for obvious errors before sending! *Include story title AND author name in the file name *Attach your file with the subject line "WRITING CONTEST - STORY TITLE" and send it to: [email protected]     We will accept submissions from April 15th - June 1st. Winners will be announced (hopefully) in July, but if we receive a HUGE amount of stories, by August.     Good luck! Thanks for reading! Via: Weird Wide Web.

Deadline: June 1st, 2024 Payment: 1 cent per word for original stories or a flat $10 for reprints, Theme: Time Travel! Travel through time with us! Ruth’s and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel is the third anthology from Celestial Echo Press. The theme for this anthology is time travel. We’re looking for stories that will take readers on a journey through time, from the Wild West to the future in outer space, from humor to horror. All genres accepted, except erotica. Send us well-written stories that make us believe time travel is real. Give us new, fresh stories. All stories that do not contain a time travel element will be rejected immediately. We want to read great stories and can’t wait to read your submission! We invited seven authors, and have 13 slots available. We may reserve one slot for an author who submits a great story and has not previously been published. We want to encourage, and we support, new authors. Guidelines are as follows: We will not accept any stories that have been created by AI, nor any that have used AI to assist in penning the story. Word count must be between 500 and 4000 words. Story must be submitted in Word, 12-pt font. Your story must focus on the time travel theme. Simultaneous submissions are not allowed. Submissions will be open from May 7, 2024 through June 1, 2024. Multiple submissions are allowed and encouraged. We will accept reprints. There is no reading fee. Payment will be 1 cent per word for original stories or a flat $10 for reprints, and will be paid upon publication. Authors also will receive one electronic copy of the anthology. Payment will be made via PayPal only,  in United States Dollars.  We anticipate a quick acceptance/rejection timeframe, hopefully within 30 days after...

Deadline: June 1st, 2024 Payment: £5 Theme: All styles or horror, likes the types of tales you'd see in Tales from the Crypt, Twilight Zone, and similar There is no theme. As long as your story is in the horror genre, I'm interested. Check out Fear's Accomplice Volume 1 or Fear's Accomplice: Halloween to get an idea of style. Think of Tales from the Crypt, Twighlight Zone, and similar. I want variation. Don't be afraid of violence or strong language, though. You're free to write any style of horror you choose. Zombies, werewolves, vampires, etc, are more than welcome, but they are something of a hard sell. Make it unique or interesting. Word count: 2,000 - 5,000 words. Longer stories are OK but 2,000 really is the minimum. Original stories only please. Reprints will not be accepted. Do not submit stories written or assisted by AI. As a supporter of independent art, I have zero tolerance for stories created by artificial intelligence. Stories will be exclusive to the publication for a period of six months after release. Payment: Contributors will receive £5 per accepted story, regardless of length. The book will feature one story per author. Payment will be made by PayPal only. Contributors must nominate a suitable email address as part of the contract. I aim to read and respond to submissions within one month of the end of the submission period. It may take longer if I get a large number of submissions. Feel free to query any time from July 2024. This call is open until 1 June 2024. Email submissions and questions to [email protected] Via: Tim McLean Writing Projects .

Deadline: June 1st, 2024 Payment: Royalties Theme: Horror Novellas We publish horror and fantasy stories, novels, novellas, and other content. Burial Books is primarily a horror & fantasy publisher, but we also publish Young Adult, crime fiction, and science fiction books too. Burial Books LLC Birthday CakeIf it’s good, we’ll try to publish it. Our blog also features stories and articles from authors across the spectrum. So, take a look at our articles when you get a chance too. If you have something spooky you want us to look at, then contact us anytime. If you want us to publish your story, then you’ll need to go to our submissions page to find out how to submit what we are looking for. We are always looking for some great writing. Horror Novellas: You guessed it. We want horror novellas between 25,000 and 50,000 words in length. The stories must be scary and can be on any horror subject. No specific type of story requested. If it’s a horror story, send it over. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment or a percentage of the profits from the book. OTHER STUFF: No poetry or reprints. No erotica. Submission Deadline: Extended to June 1, 2024. Email submissions to [email protected] with the story attached in Microsoft Word Format. We try to reply and let you know if we are not using your submission within 4 weeks. However, if you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of sending the email (check your Spam folder) then we did not accept it. Please put EXACTLY the following in the subject line: ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR HORROR NOVELLA. Via: Burial Books.

Deadline: June 1st, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: General horror No set theme or subjects for this anthology - just good, well-told horror and tales of terror! You can be classical, traditional, contemporary, or anywhere in between - just scare the pants off our compiling editors! PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines...  * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 2.5K - 8K word count * Write 'HORROR' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2024 NO REPRINTS - ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Capped at 100K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.

Deadline: June 1st, 2024 Payment: £20 and a contributor's copy Theme: Original short horror stories, from 2K words to 7K words max, with a pirate theme. Shivering Timbers! An anthology of pirate themed horror fiction. Title: Shivering Timbers! Story Length: 2K words – 7K words Pay: £20 regardless of story length plus a paperback and digital (pdf. & Epub.) copy. Deadline: 1st June 2024 Expected Release Date: 3rd July 2024 What we want: For our anthology, ‘Shivering Timbers!, we are looking for original short horror stories, from 2K words to 7K words max, with a pirate theme. Stories must be fictional and set in ‘The Golden Age of Piracy’ (1650s – 1730s) or before. Works slightly under 2K words or slightly over 7K words may still be considered. Reprints may be considered as long as the story rights have reverted to the author. We ask for five months exclusive print and digital rights, ongoing non-exclusive rights thereafter. You will retain copyright ownership of your work. What we don’t want: We don’t accept simultaneous submissions. We don’t want to read anything detailing animal cruelty, harm to children, gratuitous sex or any sort of prejudice. We don’t accept flash fiction or poetry. We don’t accept stories created by AI or AI enhanced work. Please be aware that submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be considered. Format: The anthology will be released in paperback print and eBook formats and sold on Amazon and via Amazon’s expanded distribution program. How to submit: Send your manuscript as an attachment to [email protected] or [email protected] Please follow the Shunn Manuscript Format leaving out headers and page numbers. On the first page, please include: Your pen name, The story title, Approx. word count, Your email address, A short bio to include in the anthology and the ‘Authors’ page of...

Submission Window: June 1st – 7th, 2024 Payment: Drabbles and Flash – £5, Short Stories 1001 to 4000 words – £10, Short Stories 4001 to 8000 words – £15 Theme: ​We do not have set issue themes but feel free to be inspired by the season, seasonal occasions and events. Note: Only publishes creators from under represented and/or marginalized communities. We’re looking for stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. We’re looking for stories that make us feel something. Warmth, love, melancholy, rage. We want it all. All genres, styles and themes will be considered and we especially love stories that are outside the box in their telling. Ambiguous endings? Non-linear storytelling? Antagonist’s point-of-view? A story told in just one scene? We love it all. Quarterly Online Anthology Submission Schedule: June 1st – 7th (Autumn Issue) or until we reach 70 submissions September 1st – 7th (Winter Issue) or until we reach 70 submissions December 1st – 7th (Spring Issue) or until we reach 70 submissions March 1st – 7th (Summer Issue) or until we reach 70 submissions ​we do not have set issue themes but feel free to be inspired by the season, seasonal occasions and events. We are unlikely to publish stories with seasonal events out of season – for example a story set in the Winter isn’t likely to make it into our Summer issue even if we adore it. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES – ONLINE ONLY These are the guidelines for our Quarterly Online Anthology. For more information on print anthologies go to Print Anthologies How to submit: Please submit via the form at the bottom of this page. If you have any problems using the form please email us for assistance. Who should submit: Please ONLY SUBMIT IF: you are aged 18 or over you belong...

Deadline: June 15th, 2024 Payment: US 4¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $4, maximum $25 Theme: Strange Mixology Eye to the Telescope 53, Strange Mixology, will be edited by Gretchen Tessmer. As your fearless bartender, I'm looking for cosmic concoctions, time-twisted tinctures and charmed potions. Give me something with a kicker, the green fairy's secret spells, the sweet sap of the old woods and the moonshine of mermaids, alien aperitifs and speakeasies in space. All spirits welcome, even the ones that don't come in glass bottles. Feel free to interpret the theme broadly but make sure there's a spec element.Give me your old-fashioned verse and cosmopolitan compositions, pink squirrels, bee's knees, gimlets and juleps, juniper berries, elderflowers, the marriage vows of Old Tom Collins and Bloody Mary. Garnish with kaleidoscopic umbrellas and a twisty straw. In Poetry Veritas. Sláinte. Submission Guidelines SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Use the form at  to submit. (If link ever is not working, please refer to the actual post at the bottom of this page in case it was updated.) Please submit 1–3 unpublished poems in English (ideally, attached as .docx or .txt) and include a short bio. Translations from other languages are acceptable with the permission of the original poet (unless public domain). Inquiries only to [email protected] with “ETTT” in the subject line. Deadline: June 15. The issue will appear on July 15, 2024. Payment and rights Accepted poems will be paid for at the following rate: US 4¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $4, maximum $25. Payment is on publication. The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association normally uses PayPal to pay poets, but can also send checks. Eye to the Telescope is an online publication. Therefore, First Electronic Rights (for original unpublished poems) are being sought. Who can submit? Any human writing speculative poetry. Please no AI-generated works or AI-human collaborations. What...

Submission Window: May 1st - June 15th, 2024 Payment: Contributors copies, 5 cents per word for original work, $55 for reprints, undisclosed sum for cover artwork Theme: Lucy’s Suitors - Quincey, Jack, and/or Arthur Issue 5: Lucy’s Suitors - Quincey, Jack, and/or Arthur (To be published November, 2024) Quincey was a cowboy who may or may not have been in cahoots with the count. Seward was a drug addicted custodian of a lunatic asylum. And Arthur was there, too! Let’s read some stories of these men - together, individually, in combination - before, during, and after the events of the novel. Did Quincey survive as the undead? How did Jack treat his other patients? When the dust settled, did Holmwood completely break down? Stoker tells us these three men adventured together prior. What might that look like? Currently this is planned as a single book, but quantity and quality may dictate a book for each man. Submissions open May 1, 2024-June 15, 2024. Submissions received earlier will be read and considered but will not be responded to until the window opens. We like stories that feel like they could be canon, but we also enjoy fun alternate takes and pastiche. Prequels, sequels, updates, divergent timelines - unleash your creative powers of darkness and show us something exciting. As with every publication the best way to get a feel for what we like is to read what we’ve put out in the past. Stories should be 1500-5000 words. Poetry will be considered, but is not necessarily sought (We are hoping to have an all poetry issue sometime in the future). Compensation will be .05/word plus contributor’s copies. Reprints will be considered. Reprints should be at least 10 years old. Compensation is $55. Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please notify us immediately if...

Deadline: June 23rd, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Theme: Enchantress, goddess, witch, predatory seductress. That isn't all Circe is, it is time to expand on her story. More details below Note: Reprints Welcome We are very excited to announce a new call for submissions which is now open! Please read through the details for submissions carefully before submitting your stories. Flame Tree are bringing you a brand new gorgeous hardcover series brimming with myths and short stories. Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. New and emerging writers from open submissions reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well-known stories, alongside specially commissioned text on the origins and the cultural background of the mythology. We’ve already closed submissions for the first two books in the series, Medusa and Odin, where stories are still under consideration. We’re now opening up submissions for the next two books, Circe and Anansi. Circe Enchantress, goddess, witch, predatory seductress… Inevitably, Circe has been best-known in these terms, through the male gaze of Homer, Hesiod et al., as interpreted by readers and storytellers until today. Rarely does the classic literature give us a rounded view of a woman subject to the same flaws and emotions as the rest of us: jealousy, desire, unrequited love; her witchcraft is perhaps not so much dreadful as awe-inspiring and led by nature. What we know of her story is piecemeal, from many sources. This enriching collection will bring together new stories and ancient origins, offering a wider perspective on the whole life of the enigmatic,...

Deadline: June 23rd, 2024 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Theme: Stories featuring Anasi: a creator god, a trickster folk hero, a wily spider and a heroic symbol of resistance. More details below Note: Reprints Welcome We are very excited to re-open our call for submissions for this title! Please read through the details for submissions carefully before submitting your stories.  Flame Tree are bringing you a brand new gorgeous hardcover series brimming with myths and short stories.  Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. New and emerging writers from open submissions reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well-known stories, alongside specially commissioned text on the origins and the cultural background of the mythology. We’ve already closed submissions for the first two books in the series, Medusa and Odin, where stories are still under consideration. We’re now opening up submissions for the next two books, Circe and Anansi. All previous submissions for Anansi are still under consideration and authors will be contacted in due course, within 4 months of the new deadline. Anansi Anansi is at once a creator god, a trickster folk hero, a wily spider and a heroic symbol of resistance. From his origins in West African folklore, to his lauded status in Jamaica, Anansi is a versatile immortal whose many stories reflect the early world of his origins, and the potential for re-imagination. Sometimes dark and chilling, occasionally light-hearted, but always lively and clever, Anansi appears in the lives of everyday folk, pricks the pomposity of the mighty and in this collection of new stories, appears...

Deadline: June 24th, 2024 Prizes: First place: $3,000, Second place: $2,000, and Third place: $1,000 Theme: Near-future to 2200 stories that are rooted in creative climate solutions and community-centered resilience, showing what can happen as solutions take root, and stories that offer gripping plots with rich characters and settings, making that future come alive. Grist is excited to open submissions for the fourth year of our Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors short story contest. Imagine 2200 celebrates stories that envision the next decades to centuries of equitable climate progress, imagining futures of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. We are looking for stories that are rooted in creative climate solutions and community-centered resilience, showing what can happen as solutions take root, and stories that offer gripping plots with rich characters and settings, making that future come alive. In 2,500 to 5,000 words, show us the world you dream of building. Your story should be set sometime between the near future and roughly the year 2200. A great Imagine story is not afraid to explore the challenges ahead – the path to climate progress will involve struggle and adaptation, and we invite you to show that – but ultimately offers hope that we can work together to build a more sustainable and just world. We want to see stories that incorporate real world climate solutions and climate science, as well as cultural authenticity (a deep sense of place, customs, cuisine, and more) and characters with fully-fledged identities. We especially want to read – and share – stories that center solutions and voices from the communities most impacted by the climate crisis. If you’re newer to climate or climate fiction, check out our FAQs page for some resources to get you started in finding inspiration from existing solutions, and some past Imagine stories to look...

Deadline: June 30, 2024 Payment: $15 Theme: Speculative fiction, primarily horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Note: Reprints welcome Formatting Guidelines This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. EMAIL AND COVER LETTERS Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman SUBMISSION FORMATTING We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Test Format (.rtf) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult to open. Please note that we no longer accept "inline" submssions; that is, submissions with the stories pasted...

Deadline: June 30th, 2024 Price: $30 Theme: Stories set in the Starship Blunder universe (links to that universe below if you're unfamiliar with the world.) The Starship Blunder is an aging military vessel and part of a small space federation. Please read the Setting Overview, Character Profiles, and Intro story before submitting your story. WHAT WE WANT: Writers must be at least 18-year-old to submit their story. Diverse Storytelling: Humorous tales are our core, but feel free to delve into darker themes, explore romance, or follow whatever path your creativity takes you. Word Count: Ideally, stories should be between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Exceptional stories outside this range will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Originality in the Universe: We welcome your fictional planets and alien species. Expand the Starship Blunder universe with your imagination! Character Diversity: Bring us characters of all shapes, sizes, and species. We love variety and uniqueness in our cosmic cast. Engaging Narratives: Whether it's a light-hearted escapade or a thought-provoking journey, we're looking for stories that captivate and entertain. Ready for Print: Submissions should be well-edited and ready for publication, requiring minimal editorial changes. Multiple Submissions: If you feel sufficiently inspired by the universe, feel free to submit multiple stories! Submission Process: Submissions must be made through this form.  Excessive Gore: While a bit of space skirmish or alien encounter is fine, we prefer gore that serves the plot and isn't gratuitous. Erotica: Romance? Absolutely! But please, no explicit erotica. Child Abuse: Stories involving any form of child abuse will not be considered. Dismantling the Core World: Please don't destroy our beloved Starship Blunder or Neptune. Also, avoid killing off any canonical characters. AI Generated Stories: AI is great, and feel free to use it to brainstorm, outline, and correct grammar, but all of the prose of your story should be your own. More Details Payment: $30 per accepted story. Publishing Details: The Starship Blunder...

Deadline: June 30th, 2024 Payment: 6 cents per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Cosmic Horror stories set in and around Arkham, Innsmouth, and other mythos related areas that take place in or are associated with Lovecraftian tales AND which feature a public or private institution of some sort Dragon’s Roost Press is please to announce the open call for our next anthology. We have previously published collections of short stories which mix Lovecraftian Mythos with elements of Romance (Eldritch Embraces: Putting the Love Back in Lovecraft) and with Humor (LOLcraft: A Compendium of Eldritch Humor). This time instead of focusing on emotions, we want to look at setting. Specifically, we want to look at how different institutions have to deal with the eldritch abominations of Lovecraftian horror. Arkham Institutions (tentative title) will feature 10 – 15 short stories focusing on the various aspects of government and business and their relationship with the oddness that creeps up in and around that most (in)famous New England Town. What We Are Looking For We want to see Cosmic Horror stories set in and around Arkham, Innsmouth, and other mythos related areas that take place in or are associated with Lovecraftian tales AND which feature a public or private institution of some sort. What does Arkham Elementary teach? What weird cases does law enforcement have to deal with? What kind of people are seen in the Emergency Room? The psych ward? The local library? We are still looking for character driven stories, but make sure that these places are characters in their own rights. Draw us in and make us feel like we are there. NOTE: We are not looking for stories set at Miskatonic University nor the Orne Library. There are plenty of stories with these settings. Give us something new. What We Want Original short stories, 3 – 5K words...