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Deadline: January 19th, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Retro-future adventures Plasma Pulp! Edited by LawDog Ultronic supersonic tales of retro-future adventure! We’re looking for science fiction pulpy goodness that hearken back to Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Evil intergalactic warlords face off against ray gun-slinging heroes! You can call it raypunk, if you like—we’re calling it Plasma Pulp! Your homework for this anthology. Opens: 11/17/24 Closes: 01/19/25 Contracts: 02/08/25 Publication: 03/07/25 Guidelines for all our anthologies (psst! this is important!): 5,000 to 8,000 words. Length and genre are negotiable, as long as the story fits the concept and is entertaining. Any submission must be in Times New Roman (preferred, but you can use Georgian or other readable font), 12PT, double-spaced, with your name, title of the story, and your email on it. Name the file as -—. Send it in a .docx format as an attachment—no links. Refer to the submission guideline graphic below for how to format your story—It has all the information you need! Feel free to download it for reference. Raconteur Press will hold the rights for one year after publication; after one year, the rights will revert to the author, but we continue to pay you as long as the anthology is selling. Authors receive an equal percentage share of the proceeds from the anthology, along with the Press, our editors, and administration. Yes, you read that right. We don’t take 80% off the top and split the 20% left over between all the authors. We’re all in this together. This is why our anthologies are limited to ten stories. IMPORTANT: PLEASE do NOT submit stories until the date the call opens. We don’t want to hang on to your piece for longer than necessary. You might find another market for it, or it decides to grow into a novel,...

Deadline: January 19th, 2025 Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word. Theme: Folk Horror that deals with what it means to be a witch. Read on for more! 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. Witch Craft A New Collection of Folk Tales & Horror Stories We are very excited to give you advance notice of a new call for submissions on the theme of Witch Craft, for our Beyond & Within series. We’re looking for around four stories to join the selection curated by the team who brought you Folk Horror: Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. The call is open to all, though we expect to see a greater proportion of stories by authors identifying as women. We expect the stories to deal with what it means to be ‘witch’, and the rediscovery and reclaiming of that power, its links to nature – and the exploration of whether a witch is drawn to 'good' or 'bad', and why. Stories should be in the horror and folk horror veins, and we’d like to see as wide a range as possible – the history, stigma and varying interpretations from around the world that feed into this concept should yield some exciting results... Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane are the award-winning authors and editors of many books. Together they have co-edited anthologies such as The British Fantasy Society: A Celebration, A  Carnivàle  of Horror: Dark Tales from the Fairground, Hellbound Hearts, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, Exit Wounds, Wonderland (a Shirley Jackson Award finalist), Cursed, Twice Cursed and The Other Side of Never, featuring authors such as Neil Gaiman, Joanne Harris, Dean Koontz, Catriona Ward and Stephen King. They have also been involved in organizing conventions for twenty years, co-chairing ChillerCon in Scarborough in May...

Deadline: January 19th, 2025 Payment: $5 usd Theme: Splatter Friendly Horror Taking Submissions: Carnage House Issue 6 Deadline: January 19, 2025 Release Date: April 1st, 2025 Format: Online Pay: $5.00 upon publication 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 our back issues at carnagehouse.com. We invite LGBTQIA and BIPOC themes, and we encourage authors from diverse backgrounds to submit to us. Hard NOs: NO sex with children, NO sexualization of children, and NO child rape. 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. No stories written by AI; all work must be 100 percent original. We seek only original, unpublished work. No reprints, please. Also please send only one submission per issue. 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. “SplatterPUNK” also contains the word “Punk.” Punk has an ethic. Punk is antifascist, anti-conservative, and anti-establishment. We are for free speech, pro-choice, freedom of expression, the freedom to read, the freedom to be weird, and the expression of political ideas in art. We look forward to reading your work in all its splattertastic glory. The Editors [email protected] Submissions: We want solid entertaining writing. That...

Deadline: January 20th, 2025 Payment: 2 cents per word, 1 cent per word for reprints Theme: Stories that center around a craft, recipe, or ritual AND each author will provide a set of instructions to make/enact the craft, recipe, or ritual that was featured in their story Note: This is a vegan magazine. They will not generally publish mentions of leather/animal-products, meat/animal consumption, etc. and will request that they be changed to a vegan alternative during the edit process Note: Reprints welcome Reading periods/When to send Submissions are currently open. They will close on January 20th, 2025 @ 10pm PST. About the Anthology Welcome to the Hearth Stories Springtime Fair! In this anthology we will be featuring stories that center around a craft, recipe, or ritual (see below for specifics). In addition to the story, each author will provide a set of instructions to make/enact the craft, recipe, or ritual that was featured in their story. The idea is that this will let readers enjoy a great story while also learning something and engaging with the story in an interesting way. The story and the instructions should be firmly related (not just a random thing to make, paired with a random story). So, what are we talking about when we talk about crafts, recipes, and rituals? Here are some examples, but you are by no means limited to these: Crafts Crochet, Knitting, Sewing, Weaving, Macrame Basketry Woodworking Smithing Jewelry Making Recipes (Vegan Only) Baking (bread, pastry, etc) Cooking (soups, sides, mains) Remedies, Medicines, Tinctures Rituals Magic or Spellcraft Meditation Yoga, Qi-Gong, Tai-Chi, etc. Ceremonies When using the above suggestions keep in mind that you can be very specific—a specific knitting pattern, for example—or you can be fairly general—an introduction to knitting, for example. Either is fine. For the most part we are...

Deadline: January 20th, 2025 Payment: Contributors Copy Theme: Longing Have you ever eaten cold waffle fries in your underwear at like, 2am? No? Well, you should. Leftovers you’ve convinced yourself you’ll heat up later and eat but then just eat them by the light of the fridge – though it’s unclear why you’re in your underwear. It’s a wonderfully strange experience and that’s kind of what we’re aiming for. A wonderfully strange experience but in words and art. Got a piece that doesn’t quite fit elsewhere? We want to read it. Experimenting with format or style? Love it; send it our way. We want your abandoned words, your collection of phrases tucked away in your Notes app, that strangely-written but oddly elegant poem that doesn’t play well with others. We’re looking for hybrids, lyrics, prose, poetry; whatever you’ve got, we’ll read (within reason).   Issue #1 longing noun a yearning desire   Waffle Fried is currently accepting unpublished creative non-fiction, poetry, short fiction, journalism, and visual art that explores the theme of longing – whether it be for something or someone once had or never found, the tale of the one who got away, or even an overwhelming craving (for waffle fries, perhaps?). However you interpret the theme is what we’d like to see, so long as it obviously fits. Published authors and artists will receive a print copy of Issue #1, which may or may not be available for purchase. Submissions can only be sent via Duosuma. Any submission sent by email will be deleted without being read. Word count limit for fiction and creative non-fiction is 2,000 words.  Poetry line limit is 30. General Guidelines While we’re open to basically anything, we do have some things we won’t tolerate or consider. Artificial Intelligence If you include AI as part of your...

Submission Window: December 21st, 2024 to January 21, 2025 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 Please read below for details about our next submission window, guidelines, honorariums, and rights. 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 We pay a $50 honorarium upon publication of one or more pieces from your submission. We open for submissions on the day we publish new work and remain open for a month, or until we reach 150 submissions. Here are our next open submission periods: Here are the next free periods: December 21st to January 21, 2025 Some additional details: We currently accept three types of work: fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. See below for genre-specific instructions. We’re not a market for lineated poetry at the moment. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your work was accepted for publication elsewhere—we’ll be thrilled for your good news! No multiple submissions—and if we don’t accept your work, please wait until our next submission period before trying...

Submission Window: January 15th - 21st, 2025 Payment: $25 Theme: Seeking Sleeping Beauty tales and poems for the first issue of 2025. Submission Guidelines    We changed our guidelines and updated our instructions on November 21, 2024 Please read thoroughly! ​​ The Fairy Tale Magazine is an online lit magazine that publishes twice per year. We seek fairy tale stories and poems from and about a wide range of backgrounds. Our issues are released online on April 15th and November 1st. ​ The Fairy Tale Magazine is NOT a children's publication. It is intended for those who are 15-years-of-age and older. We understand young children may see our publication, but it is intended for teens (age 15+) and adults.  ​ Themes for 2025 No submissions will be considered or acknowledged if received outside of the windows stated.​ ​ Spring/Summer Theme: Sleeping Beauty Seeking Sleeping Beauty tales and poems for the first issue of 2025. Submissions will be open January 15 at 12am EST through January 21 at 11:59pm EST. (no fee)  Prose & Poetry Guidelines ​ The Fairy Tale Magazine accepts only previously unpublished work. ​We accept unsolicited submissions. No more than one piece per submission period. Please submit only in one category. If you were published in our latest issue, please sit one submission period out before submitting again. Use the following word counts for submissions:  ​ Short Stories (between 900-2,000 words): Fairy tales inspired by any aspect of the above-listed themes. (1 piece per submission period)  Poetry (500 word limit): Poetry inspired by any aspect of the above-listed themes are welcome. (1 piece per submission period)  We are not seeking art or nonfiction. We are not hiring. No inquiries please. ​​​​​​ How to Format and Submit Your Work Only submissions that follow these guidelines will be accepted Submit by email only to this address: [email protected]. ​​The subject line of your email must...

Deadline: January 23rd, 2025 at the earliest, may run later Payment: 50/50 royalty split Theme: Horror of all kinds, huge fan of sci-fi and cosmic horror. Rabid Otter Horror is currently open to submissions in novella and novel form. If you have a story you would like to submit that is 30,000+ words, we would like to hear from you! To submit, please email [email protected] with the following: The first 20% of your manuscript (for under 50,000 words) or first three chapters (for over 50,000) in doc or docx format, Times New Roman and double spaced. A cover letter with your title, name, pen name, email address, full word count, and quick synopsis of your story. Please title the email “Rabid Horror Submission”. Feel free to include the title in the body of the email, but don’t forget it on the cover letter. Via: River Folk Books.

Deadline: January 26th, 2025 Payment: Royalties Themes: Stories that experiment with narrative, plot and structure. in darker genres Wild Hunt Books are open to unagented submissions from 13-26 January 2025. For this submission period we are looking for novels only (50K-90K words with a grace of 1000 words, over/under). We are only looking for standalone novels and are not acquiring series or duologies. We are not seeking short story collections or novellas this time. We are not a home for poetry, non-fiction, screenplays, translations, and children’s or YA fiction. If you'd like to read more about what the editor is looking for, please read her recent blog post about this. The editor has set up a #mswl which she will periodically update so best to head over there to get a good sense of what she’s looking for. The list is not meant to be exhaustive but to give writers an idea of the sorts of manuscripts we are looking for. The editor is seeking manuscripts that speak to the heart of the company: Our mission is to foster strong and distinct literary voices and those who experiment with narrative, plot and structure. We are also a home for authors dabbling in the darker genres and liminal spaces. She loves language that evokes place, voice and mood, and loves when this works as a visceral entry point for the reader into a story. Some of her favourite writers are: Shirley Jackson, Daisy Johnson, Charlotte Brontë, Margaret Atwood and Franz Kafka. I love books that have clear, engaging prose from the start, and don’t sacrifice on character or story. I’m looking for novels that are close to their characters and worlds. I also like a strong authorial voice. I tend to gravitate towards fiction rooted in reality even if it incorporates genre notes....

Submission Window: January 23rd-30th, 2025 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 Mythaxis seeks speculative fiction (sf/f/h) of all stripes for our first three issues each year. We are also interested in submissions of crime fiction for our end-of-year “all crime” issue. All these genres are equally welcome in each submission window. We acquire First Print, Digital, and Audio 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 compensation will be offered. 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...

Deadline: January 30th, 2025 Payment: $1 per story accepted Theme: 100 word story about the Sun Submissions for the 100 Word Project from Manawaker Studio are open January thru May and July thru November. The 100 Word Project is an ongoing project focused on 100 word stories which will be published as a monthly, themed online journal and in a yearly print anthology. Each month (except for June and December) will bring a new prompt, and on the last weekday of the month nine of the submitted drabbles for that prompt will be posted in the public-facing section of the Manawaker Patreon alongside one drabble from Manawaker EiC, CB Droege. At the end of the year, the ten stories from each of the ten prompts will be assembled into the next volume of the 100 x 100 series. The project is curated and edited by CB Droege. 100 x 100 is published by Manawaker Studio as part of their regular line of anthologies. Current prompt The Prompt for January 2025  is ‘Sun‘. The stories The only restrictions are that the stories are 100 words long (granting small leeway for different methods of counting, and not including the title (you don’t have to have a title, but we do like them)), and previously unpublished. The idea is that each contributor is writing a brand new story for each prompt as they are announced, but if you happen to have an unpublished drabble that already fits the theme, that works too. There are no genre requirements, but please keep content family friendly (No gore, no explicit sex, use profanity sparingly. General guideline: Would you feel uncomfortabel reading the story to a group that includes at least one 12 year old child? If so, maybe it’s not right for us). If your work is accepted, you will grant Manawaker Studio the right to publish the work non-exclusively (we will ask nicely for exclusivity for one...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: Unlisted at this time, they're usually good about listing pay and as details are scant as this is a super early heads up, I'm sure more will come in time. It 'should' be competitive rates so this is just to keep in mind for when they open if you have a novel ready or almost ready to go. We'll update this post when we hear more. Theme: Speculative Fiction of 40-100k words. We are currently closed for submissions. However, we will open for one month next year to fill in the gaps in our 2026 schedule. So polish your manuscript and follow the directions below. We can’t wait to explore what you create during January of 2025. (If you send in a manuscript before January 1, 2025, it will be automatically rejected.) Manuscript Submission Guidelines – January 1-31, 2025 When we reopen for submissions in January 2025, we’re looking for complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all the niche categories under those large umbrellas. Requirements: Full-length novels between 40K and 100K. If it’s shorter or longer, please don’t send it to us No middle grade No picture books Spice is perfectly acceptable Must be formatted in standard manuscript format https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html Email queries to [email protected] with a subject of “{Specific Genre} – {Author Name}” For instance, “Epic Fantasy – Brandon Sanderson” or “Space Opera – Kevin J. Anderson” query letter in the body of the email first three chapters attached as a .doc or .docx file synopsis attached January will be here quicker than we imagine. So get to those manuscripts. We can’t wait to work with you in the future! Via: Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing.

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: $0.01 USD per word and a contributors copy Theme: Eco-horror Note: BIPOC authors only Z. K. Abraham (she/her) is a writer and psychiatrist. She has been published in Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Fantasy Magazine, FIYAH Magazine, JMWW, and more. She will be a Royal Literary Fund Reading Round lector for 2024-2025. She is represented by Carleen Geisler at ArtHouse Literary Agency. Read Abraham's interview here! Eco-horror explores the idea of nature becoming the source of terror; in an article for MUBI, Danielle Burgos describes eco-horror as “nature becomes uncanny and maliciously turned against man.” In a Teen Vogue article “Ecosexuals are Queering Environmentalism,” musician Peaches describes Mother Earth as a lover. “Sex-ecologist” Annie Sprinkle amusingly reflects on how “all this wood here is very sensual.” Ecosexuality might include, “masturbating with water pressure, using eco-friendly lubricant, or literally having sex with a tree.” Nature as setting or character contains so much possibility for the sensual and horrifying. Nature is inherently physical and erotic; we are stripped down to our most grounded, raw selves in nature. We can experience the tactile and sensual when we touch plants, bark, earth, when we smell flowers, when we feel the shift in temperature or moisture in the air. However, nature contains decay as well as growth. Shadows move between distant trees, while legends and folktales come to life in forests and valleys and deserts. In nature’s beauty, there is a sense of power beyond our grasp, an awe-inspiring terror, as well as a delicate intimacy. With this anthology, we are looking for stories between 1500 to 4000 words (firm) that explore eco-horror with a sexy or erotic spin. Please note that for this call, we will only be considering submissions from BIPOC authors. Additionally, while a portion of the anthology will be from...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (500-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem Theme: Speculative fiction focused on long-term friendships and relationships. We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years. Give us deep space, dusty frontiers, or dreamy fantasy. We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. While we are primarily looking for stories with happy endings (yeah, yeah), we also want endings that are earned. If things get a little teary or gory, that's ok. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules. Payment Payment is $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction (500-3,500 words) and $60 CAD flat per poem. We are purchasing first publication rights, to revert back to the author after one year. Canadian Writers Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, refugees and displaced people living in Canada, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Heartlines welcomes submissions from writers of all identities. If you are comfortable, we encourage writers to indicate their intersections in their cover letter. Disclosure is not a requirement to submit, and we recognize that not all people are safe to disclose their identities. We are committed to addressing barriers and systemic discrimination faced by equity-deserving groups, which includes (but is not limited to): Racialized people People with disabilities LGBTQIA+ people Indigenous people Women Neurodivergent people Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content. Submission...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: Contributor's Copy and 1 cent per word Theme: Death-related fiction that was published between January 1st 2024 through December 31st 2024 Afterlives: Year’s Best Death Stories, 2024 We want to read your death-related fiction! Psychopomp will be publishing Afterlives: The Year’s Best Death Stories 2024, curated by Sheree Renée Thomas. Please read the full guidelines before submitting so you can learn about: what we’re looking for how much we’re paying what rights we are buying and how to submit Submission link below the guidelines. What We’re Looking For: We’re looking for stories specifically that have been published on and between January 1st 2024 through December 31st 2024, with a word count between 1,000 words and 19,000 words (so: short stories and novelettes) that are about death. This could mean exploring what happens to us after we die, traveling to the Underworld, Death gods, Death personified, metaphors for death, grieving, funerals, graves, stories based on death myths from cultures across the world, death magic, ghosts, resurrection, and so on. We specifically are not interested in stories that are centered around:   the traditional Christian afterlife/pearly gates zombies Note: in our experience publishing The Deadlands, we know that a lot of people interpret “stories about death” to mean slasher/true crime/gore-y horror. We are not opposed to horror as a genre, but it should be ABOUT death, not just MURDERING PEOPLE. Stories should be previously published online, in print, in audio, or via email subscriber list, by a magazine or press (that you don’t own). Stories published via your own Patreon, blog, or tumblr are not eligible. If the story will be printed before 12/31/24, but has not yet appeared, you may submit the work as soon as you have the final edited version. We will be accepting submissions through January 31, 2025. We DO...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Prizes: $1,500 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 third place Theme: Contest guidelines below. READ CAREFULLY. Failure to do so may result in disqualification! Story Guidelines: Attention storytellers: we just want good stories! There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci-fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc - we don't care as long as it's written and told with quality and care. The story itself cannot exceed 4,000 words (exept for paying MEMBERS, who get a bonus 1,000 words added!). There are no restrictions on age or location of participant, and no need to ask us for permission to participate in the contest - just follow the guidelines below. What do I win? A $1,500 $3,000 prize package will be divvied up like so: $1,500 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely's website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up, which means a lot of exposure to the winner. All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated. Don't forget about the honorable mentions! That's right, you honorable little losers, you. Is that harsh? It's supposed to be a compliment. Anyway, we do NOT notify honorable mentions ahead of time, because we're lazy busy, so very, very lazy busy. Rather, we announce them in the monthly issue along with the winning story, which you need to sign up for in order to be eligible to enter. If your name appears on this list of honorables, you'll be prompted to contact us and we'll send you a fancy-schmancy certificate for proof that you, indeed, almost won a writing contest. But not quite. Plus, if there is a strong showing, some of the finalists may be considered for publication in our monthly...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Unpublished speculative Fiction novels, ideally with series potential. We are currently closed for submissions. However, we will open for one month next year to fill in the gaps in our 2026 schedule. So polish your manuscript and follow the directions below. We can’t wait to explore what you create during January of 2025. (If you send in a manuscript before January 1, 2025, it will be automatically rejected.) Manuscript Submission Guidelines – January 1-31, 2025 When we reopen for submissions in January 2025, we’re looking for complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all the niche categories under those large umbrellas. Requirements: Full-length novels between 40K and 100K. If it’s shorter or longer, please don’t send it to us No middle grade No picture books Spice is perfectly acceptable Must be formatted in standard manuscript format https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html Email queries to [email protected] with a subject of “{Specific Genre} – {Author Name}” For instance, “Epic Fantasy – Brandon Sanderson” or “Space Opera – Kevin J. Anderson” query letter in the body of the email first three chapters attached as a .doc or .docx file synopsis attached January will be here quicker than we imagine. So get to those manuscripts. We can’t wait to work with you in the future! Via: Cursed Dragon Ship.

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: $50 per story and a contributor's copy Theme: Space Opera with one of the following 4 sub-themes: First Contact, Alien Invasion, Generation Ship, Colony World Here's a new project I'll be launching early next year, 2025. And I'd like to invite you to submit a story for consideration! Feel free to share the link to this page with others. New Sci-Fi Anthology Series 24 Space Opera Short Stories Wanted Sub Window Open: January 1-31, 2025 Genre: Space Opera   Four Volumes of Six Stories Each Each Volume Will Feature a Specific Theme:   First Contact Alien Invasion Generation Ship Colony World   Deets: * Send 2 stories maximum (each story with a different theme) * Mainly wanting brand new stories; simultaneous submissions okay * Reprints considered, query first (basically, no longer widely available and older than 2020) * 6,000 to 8,000 words; use standard manuscript format, American quotation marks; American or British spelling okay More Info:  * Launching via Kickstarter, Spring 2025 * Payment is $50 per story (upon successful Kickstarter campaign); additional one-time payment possible; plus contributor paperback and ebook copy * Eventually published on Amazon and beyond; ebook, audio, and paperbacks * Will have non-AI illustrated covers (artists and graphic designers, contact me!) * Author retains copyright - asking for 9 month exclusive use; no royalty share Send submissions to Lyndon Perry at tulefogpress @ gmail . com with last name and volume theme in subject line (e.g., Perry, First Contact) starting Jan 1, 2025. Space Opera Stories Edited by Lyndon Perry Published by Tule Fog Press Via Kickstarter, Spring 2025 Via: Residential Aliens.

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Dark Speculative Fiction that takes place in a city Spring. Even in the shadows of skyscrappers, spring sees an awakening in the concrete jungle that we call "the city." Spring in the City: A Collection of Dark Speculative Fiction is an anthology that takes place in different cities around the world during the changable, unpredictable return of life from its cold slumber. Your story submission must conform to the guidelines, and feature the city—in fact, the title of each story will be the City of which you write. We are not looking for vampire/werewolf love trysts. We are looking for fantastical and horrific elements within the City itself. Because we all know—deep in our hearts—that even nightmares and fairies, monsters and ghosts, and terrors of the real and imagined call the City their home. If you are ready to submit, please scroll to the end of the page for submission Before submitting work, please read the following carefully.  Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will automatically be rejected unread. How to Send Your Work: Submissions may be anonymous for specific open calls via our MOKSHA system. We do not accept submissions through postal services or email. Your manuscript must be in one of the following file forms: .doc, .docx, and .rtf The exception is when we request an author to submit a specific piece of work. Technical Difficulties:  Contact Us if you have questions or encounter technical difficulties. How to Format Your Manuscript: Use 12-point type Use a serif font; the most common choice is Times Roman Double space your manuscript No extra space between paragraphs Only one space between sentences Indent each paragraph half an inch (PLEASE set a TAB using your writing application software. Help for this feature should be found in the application) Text should be flush left and ragged right, not justified Please...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: 8 cents/word and 4 cents/word for reprints Theme: Speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology Note: Reprints Welcome Open to fiction submissions each year during the months of January and July. Open to art submissions year-round. We are looking for speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology, and for artwork for this site. Fiction Guidelines Technical details Stories can be up to 9000 words (thanks, Patreon supporters!). This is a hard limit--our submission system will enforce it. We pay 8 cents/word for original stories (or original translations of stories that have not previously appeared in English), and 4 cents/word for reprints (thanks again, Patreon!). Authors are paid once we've agreed on edits and signed a contract, prior to earliest publication (generally on our Patreon page). We are seeking 6 months' exclusive worldwide publication rights for original works (with exceptions for established Best of the Year anthologies), and non-exclusive worldwide print and electronic rights thereafter for both original works and reprints. We want to publish your story online in our webzine and keep it there indefinitely. We're also acquiring the right to offer ebook versions of the stories we publish, as Patreon rewards or for purchase; and to publish a print and ebook anthology of all the stories that appeared in the webzine over a given 1- or 2-year period. For original fiction, we want to be the only place publishing it for the first 6 months; after that, you're welcome to publish it anywhere else in any format you like. No multiple or simultaneous submissions. If multiple writers co-write a story, we consider each distinct group of writers a different submitter. In other words, if two people co-write a story, and they submit the co-written story, and each of them also submits...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: $25 Theme: Horror in abandoned amusement parks, traveling carnivals, haunted attractions, chilling circuses and more! Amid the lights, games, and shows, in the shadows the bright lights don’t reach, are horrors of all kinds... We’re looking for stories of abandoned amusement parks, traveling carnivals, haunted attractions, chilling circuses and more! Get ready: the Carnival of Horror is coming to a horror bookshelf near you! Word Count: 750-3,000 Payment: $25 and a digital copy of the anthology. Call Open: January 1-31, 2025 Publication: April 2025 Simultaneous submissions are accepted. One submission per author. No reprints. No translations. Submit to: [email protected]. Please put CARNIVAL - - as the email subject. SUBMISSIONS MUST BE IN MODERN SHUNN FORMAT (info and templates here: https://www.shunn.net/format/story/ For templates, switch the font from Courier to Times New Roman) Please attach your submissions to your email as a .doc or .docx file titled - Call will be posted on: https://undertakerbooks.com/pages/submissions Via:

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: Royalties and if in the US a contributors copy Theme: Spooky stories that aren't horror which contain at least one paranormal entity and ideally will include a scene at night or take place at night Submission Period: November 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025 We’re searching for the spooky stories. This is not horror, though there may be suspense and even a dash of horror. A spooky, haunting, incorporeal element is certainly expected. Humor and mystery beats are welcome. Incorporeal – At least one paranormal entity must be not composed of matter; having no material existence. Nightfall – Some stories selected will have a component of night to them, it is not required for submission Express yourself as the theme moves you. There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. However, we’ll be seriously impressed if you can work within Sci-Fi or Fantasy, but they might not be the bulk of the accepted submissions. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story may rise to the top. Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. Submission Period: November 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025 Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions; Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used. Genres: Spooky Anticipated Pay: Royalty share of D2D sales Each story will receive a share, as will the editor, contributors, and publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include: Kickstarter...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: 3 cents per word Theme: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words What do we want? Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words When do we want it? Twice a year: January 1-7 and July 1-7 How do we want it? Submitted via Publications | Moksha. This is a new submission tool we are using. Please do not submit fiction submissions by email. Other Stuff! Please submit your work only once, and please submit only one work per submission period. Please only resubmit works that have already been rejected if invited. We believe that the horror genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and submission queues. We are especially interested in hearing from those whose voices are underrepresented in the cosmic/weird. If comfortable, feel free to drop this information in your cover letter. We strongly favor stories that use contemporary narrative styles. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please withdraw immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. We pay 3 cents (USD) per word for original fiction. We do not take unsolicited reprints. What we don’t want We do not take any work that used AI in its creation, work that uses established genre tropes in a standard way, and queries. Work written in an antiquated, Lovecraftian style is a hard sell. Authors we love Mike Allen, Paula D. Ashe, Mona Awad, Laird Barron, Nadia Bulkin, Nicole Cushing, Brian Evenson, Gemma Files, John Langan, Thomas Ligotti, Premee Mohamed, Jon Padgett, Hailey Piper Via: Cosmic Horror Monthly.

Submission Window: December 1st, 2024 - January 31st, 2025 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...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: $50.00 and a contributors copy Theme: The Otherworld of Silent Hill. The Upside Down of Stranger Things. The Other Side in Fringe. Looking for horror stories that take place when alternate realities invade our own. Compiled & Edited by Aric Sundquist Short Story Submission Call: Dec 1, 2024 to Jan 31, 2025 EST (Open) The Cellar Door is a biannual anthology of dark fiction. Each issue will contain 8 to 12 stories based around a specific theme and will include a brand new story from a featured author. The majority of the anthology will be filled from open submissions. Title: Phantom Worlds: The Cellar Door Issue #6 Theme: The Otherworld of Silent Hill. The Upside Down of Stranger Things. The Other Side in Fringe. Looking for horror stories that take place when alternate realities invade our own. Type: Parallel universe, alternate reality, survival horror, post-apocalyptic, cosmic horror. Word Count: 2,000 - 8,000 words. Payment: $50.00 + digital & paperback copy. Featured Author: TBA Accepted Authors (so far): Scotty Milder, (more coming soon...) Cover Art: Mikio Murakami Rights: We are seeking first time rights for 1 year after publication. After that time all rights revert back to the author. The publication will appear in both print and digital formats. Reprints: None. Previously unpublished only. Multiple Submissions: None. Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but state in your email that it is a simultaneous submission, and please email us immediately if the story is sold elsewhere. Also, be sure to follow the Manuscript Format guidelines below when submitting. File Format: Include your story as an attachment in MS Word, LibreOffice, or Rich Text Format. Manuscript Format: Use the Modern or Classic Shunn Format. Include a short bio in the body of your email. Your subject line should read, PW Submission: ("Title") by (Author's Name). For Example, PW Submission: "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" by Stephen King. Attach the story as a...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: Poem (per poem): $25, Work (less than 1500 words): $50, Art (1-3 Images) : $50, Art (4+ Images): $100, Work (more than 1501 words): $100 Theme: Hybrid fiction with the theme of Renewal Brink has two reading periods per year: January and July.  January 1 - 31 we will open for submissions engaging the theme of Renewal. Through Submittable, we accept a variety of creative work from Nonfiction to Fiction, from Poetry to Translation. But our hearts beat strongest for hybrid work. We are interested in work that presses boundaries by using more than one medium to tell a story; work that looks and feels different on the page. Additionally, we look for submissions that engage the issue's theme and the notion of being on the brink.  Please submit only unpublished pieces and notify us if your simultaneous submission is accepted elsewhere. Payment for each contributor is one copy of the issue in which their work appears as well as: $25  ||  Poem (per poem)$50  ||  Work (less than 1500 words)$50  ||  Art (1-3 Images)$100  ||  Art (4+ Images)$100  ||  Work (more than 1501 words) Submissions portal About Brink: Brink is an in-print literary journal dedicated to publishing hybrid, cross-genre work of emerging and established creatives who often reside outside traditional artistic disciplines. By providing space primed to instigate new ideas, Brink fosters dialogue and collaborative community across disciplines and cultural divides. At Brink, we actively work to engage, promote, and expand the reach of voices from diverse groups and communities. We seek out work from creatives of all races and ethnicities; genders and gender identifications, especially trans writers; and those in various stages of their career, from emerging to established and a wide range of ages. ​ Hybrid writing often includes multiple mediums such as visual and written...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: $500 to $2000, negotiated royalties, set number of contributor copies Themes: Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Literary Fiction The next Open Submissions begins on January 1, 2025. Who We Are Dark Age Press is a small, independent publisher. We presently focus on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Literary Fiction. We are not looking for picture books, children's books, or works focused on themes for Young Adult (YA), religious, or erotica. We are not a vanity press. Our mission: to support local, independent bookstores and pop-up bookstores, and, as such, we only sell to those bookstores. Our goal is to publish two works per year. Open Submissions We have open submission twice per year during the months of January and August. Simultaneous Submissions: Simultaneous submissions—submitting a work to more than one publisher at the same time—are permitted. We respectfully ask that you notify us promptly when you are accepted by another publisher. Multiple submissions: Multiple submissions—an author submitting more than one work per submission window—are accepted, but please limit the number to three works per submission window. We only accept completed novel-length works of at least 90,000 words that are unpublished, were not self-published, and not made freely available. Works generated with A.I. (artificial intelligence) tools are not accepted. Authors wishing to submit a work must send a PDF of the first three chapters to: [email protected], and mail a print version of the first three chapters to the address below. The email subject line should say: Attention Submissions - . Start the body of your email by telling us the genre of the work (Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Literary Fiction) and then give us a short paragraph of the synopsis. Authors wishing to have the printed work returned should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (S.A.S.E.). Submitted works must be postmarked...

Submission Window: November 15th 2024 - January 31st, 2025 Payment: $45 and a contributors copy Theme: Science fiction, fantasy, or horror that focuses on the theme of "surviving humanity" Continuing with our thematic arc, our next anthology will focus on Surviving Humanity. In collaboration with Inked in Gray, we seek to publish powerful, authentic stories from members of our community. All profits from Surviving Humanity, as well as all previously published WriteHive anthologies go directly to WriteHive to help fund all our programming initiatives. This upcoming anthology will officially open November 15th, and we will be collecting submissions until January 31, 2025. We will be looking for stories that explore the theme of surviving the struggles and traumas of this world, giving a sense of hope, determination, and resilience. Submissions will not be accepted prior to November 15, 2024 or after January 31, 2025. Writing the Future We Need: Surviving Humanity ** ABSOLUTELY NO AI WRITTEN OR AI ASSISTED SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO AI INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER PLEASE** Theme: Surviving Humanity Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or horror only Market: Adult. No MG or YA There is no limitation to how you incorporate this theme into your work as long as the story falls within the Sci-Fi, Horror, or Fantasy genre. We encourage you to take the theme and show its manifestation beyond the physical, showing us something unique and engaging. Submission Period: November 15, 2024 to January 31, 2025 Submission Cost: Free Word Limit: Max of 8K words per piece, not including addition information below Payment: $45 per accepted piece plus one paperback contributor copy Rights: First edition exclusive anthology rights for the first six months of publication **Submissions and anthology communications will be managed by Dakota Rayne and WriteHive. Please submit your work at the link below, which will take you to the WriteHive Submission page. Publication details: The anthology will be...

Deadline: January 31st, 2025 Payment: Fiction: 3 cents per word, minimum ($5.50 minimum payout), Poetry: 25 cents per line. ($5.50 minimum payout) Theme: Speculative stories and poems about women who are anti-heroes Theme for 22nd anthology: Dark Hearts Dark Hearts is a women-centered theme for which anyone can submit stories. The anthology will feature speculative stories and poems about women who are anti-heroes. Send us your stories about shady ladies: women and female-presenting characters breaking the rules, defying social norms, and getting up to no good! Genre: We accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and enjoy intelligent blends of the three. Stories and poetry outside these main genres’ will not be considered. Editor loves: supportive female friendships. Women with a mastery of weapons or powers. Women in STEM or in disguise. Cyborgs. Hackers. Heists. Underdogs. Romance! Sex, violence and swearing are fine, but execute thoughtfully. We love creative interpretations of our themes, but require stories and poems to be a solid fit. Eligibility: All writers; including those who are known or related to the editorial staff, may submit to Triangulation. New as well as established authors are welcome to submit. AI Policy: Parsec Ink does not accept AI or AI-assisted stories, poems, or artwork. Submission Requirements Submissions Open: November 1st, 2024 Submissions Close: January 31st, 2025 Short Story Guidelines Word Count: We will consider fiction up to 5,000 words, but the sweet spot is 3,000. There is no minimum. Stories over 5000 words will be rejected unread. Reprints: no Multiple submissions: no Simultaneous submissions: yes No fanfic Poetry Guidelines Word Count: No max or min length, but our preference is for poems under 100 lines. Reprints: no Multiple submissions: yes, up to 5 pages of poetry Simultaneous submissions: yes No fanfic Manuscript Format We accept manuscripts in the following formats: .doc or .docx (MS...

Submission Window: January 1 - 14 Members of marginalised groups only., January 15 - 31 General submissions. Payment: £0.02 per word for each piece accepted, with a minimum £20 payment. £50 for artwork Theme: Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose with a strong emotional or psychological focus. Note: Reprints Welcome What to submit Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose with a strong emotional or psychological focus. We are mainly interested in fiction, but we're open to speculative memoir or creative non fiction, as long as it has speculative elements. Please see 'What We Like' below for some examples. Stories in English, between 500 and 2,500 words. Please send only one story at a time. Simultaneous submissions (when you send your story to more than one magazine at once) are welcome, please just let us know straight away by emailing us at ourinnerworldsprotonmail.com if your story is accepted elsewhere and you need to withdraw it. Reprints are welcome, as long as they're not already available somewhere free to read online.   When to submit Inner Worlds will publish four times a year, in February, May, August, and November, with four reading periods. The first two weeks of each reading period are reserved for members of marginalised groups, primarily BIPOC, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women and other marginalised genders, neurodivergent authors, Deaf and disabled authors, and authors with lived experience of mental health challenges or who identify as Mad. The second half of each reading period is for general submissions and is open to everyone. January 1 - 14 Members of marginalised groups only. January 15 - 31 General submissions. April 1 - 14 Members of marginalised groups only. April 15 - 30 General submissions. July 1 - 14 Members of marginalised groups only. July 15 - 31 General...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue Theme: Any genre, short story Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars? Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that. What does the timeline look like? Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout. Where do I send submissions? [email protected] What are the rules for submitting? 1. No Fees 2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form 3. Any genre 4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway's famous 6-word story "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn." 5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. 6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack - You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers. 7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. What do I get for subscribing? One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting. What if I can’t pay right now? That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your choosing. Best of all, it is...

Submission Window: January 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Science Fiction, Fantasy, or horror We are currently closed for submissions. However, we will open for one month next year to fill in the gaps in our 2026 schedule. So polish your manuscript and follow the directions below. We can’t wait to explore what you create during January of 2025. (If you send in a manuscript before January 1, 2025, it will be automatically rejected.) Manuscript Submission Guidelines – January 1-31, 2025 When we reopen for submissions in January 2025, we’re looking for complete, previously unpublished manuscripts in the speculative fiction genre that have series potential. Speculative fiction encompasses horror, fantasy, and science fiction—and all the niche categories under those large umbrellas. Requirements: Full-length novels between 40K and 100K. If it’s shorter or longer, please don’t send it to us No middle grade No picture books Spice is perfectly acceptable Must be formatted in standard manuscript format https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html Email queries to [email protected] with a subject of “{Specific Genre} – {Author Name}” For instance, “Epic Fantasy – Brandon Sanderson” or “Space Opera – Kevin J. Anderson” query letter in the body of the email first three chapters attached as a .doc or .docx file synopsis attached January will be here quicker than we imagine. So get to those manuscripts. We can’t wait to work with you in the future! Via: Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing.