Events

Submission Window: April 1st - 30th, 2025 Extended Window May 1 - May 15th (Exclusively for Disabled, Neurodiverse, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, and other underrepresented voices.) Payment: $31 Theme: Halloween Death by TBR Books is a woman/disability owned indie online bookshop and indie press. We will be opening submissions for our upcoming Halloween horror anthology set to be released in August 2026! If you don't know the owner of Death by TBR Books then you may not be aware of her obsession for all things fall and Halloween. THIS anthology will be all about Halloween. This could be a nostalgic memory from your childhood or a more recent Halloween experience. We strongly encourage lovers of Halloween to apply even if you don't have prior publishing experience. From folk horror and vampires to psychological and werewolves and beyond. Think of nostalgic media that you watch every year. We want those who miss Halloween and October every year to have a way to stop and savor it every day of the month. Submissions Scary Stories to Tell in October A Halloween Horror Anthology Open call submission window: April 1st - April 30th Extended submission window: May 1st - May 15th (Exclusively for Disabled, Neurodiverse, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, and other underrepresented voices.) We are looking for 31 flash fiction/short stories so people can spend every day of October reading a very short story. Payment Royalties are $31 for the story and one electronic copy of the anthology. Word Count Between 1,000 and 3,000 words. What We Don’t Want Please do not send stories involving: - Graphic scenes of violence for the sake of violence - Stories that promote hate speech, defamation, or racial/ethnic stereotypes - Graphic scenes of sexual violence, especially those involving children - Work created by or with the assistance of AI in any...

Submission Window: April 15th - May 15th, 2025 Payment: $15.00 for short stories $5.00 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces. $5.00 for reprints Theme: SF/Fantasy stories that feature strong / complex female characters The Lorelei Signal is a quarterly SF/Fantasy electronic magazine - one that will feature strong / complex female characters. This does not mean your female character has to be the main hero or villain in the story. What it does mean is no shrinking violets, or women who serve only to get into trouble so the male hero can rescue them.Each issue I hope to publish:7 short stories, 1 flash fiction piece and 2 poemsthat meet the following guidelines:My primary guideline is simple:Write a good fantasy story with strong/complex characters.What I am NOT looking for - erotica / slash / or other such stories.Although well written love scenes that are IMPORTANT to the story will be considered on a story-by-story basis. 1) Stories should be no longer than 10,000 words.However, tell the story - if it takes more than 10,000 words to tell the story properly so be it.Just try to cut it down if possible - but remember the story is the important part. NOTE: stories in the 2500 - 5000 wd count range will have a better chance at acceptance.2) Stories must feature 3 dimensional / complex characters.3) I will accept reprints as long as it has been at least 1 year since the story was previously published,rights have reverted back and you tell me where it previously appeared.These will be limited to 2 per issue.4) Please keep the graphic gore down to a minimum(only what's needed for the story).5) Please keep the obscene language to a bare minimum(again, only what's needed for the story).6) Simultaneous Submissions will be considered IF:a) You tell me up frontb)...

Deadline: May 15th, 2025 Payment: 1.5 cent/word USD + a share of royalties Theme: 500-8000 word Speculative fiction Archive of the Odd is a biannual magazine of found fiction—stories told in the style of found footage, also known epistolary, neo-epistolary, found file, or found document fiction. Essentially, stories told in the form of other documents. All submissions must be found fiction. We realize this is oddly specific, so if you’re not sure what we’re looking for, the best way will be to look at the stories on our website, or buy an issue to see the full zine treatment (in fact, if you email us or DM us on Twitter we’ll give you a coupon code for being a savvy author… just saying). Alternately, think about all the things you read on a daily basis that aren’t fiction. Newspapers? Emails? Product support guides? …Submissions calls? If you read all of this and still have questions, please refer to our FAQ, or query! Alright, let’s dive in! Writing: Basics: All submissions must be speculative found fiction. We do not accept traditional prose or poetry, and all submissions must be speculative in nature. Submissions sent before or after opening dates will be deleted unread. Feel free to resubmit after opening, however! Mistakes happen. We read submissions sight unseen, so please do not include personal information (name, address, email, etc.) in the document. Please include your name in your cover letter, though! We pay 1.5 cent/word USD + a share of royalties. We are currently pursuing grants and other means of additional funding. 500-8,000 words is preferred for the main magazine, but you can check the Long Fiction Guidelines for longer pieces that you feel may fit! Microfiction is also accepted, though it may be harder for us to place. Shunn formatting is nice, but if it doesn’t work for your story, don’t...

Deadline: May 15th, 2025 Payment: $5 Theme: Flood Memory Note: Must live in: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia The theme for our Monsoon Issue is Flood Memory. Our original inspiration comes from a river that is straightened for the ease of those who live around it. When the river floods, however, it reclaims its original pattern. The water remembers. What else is water trying to tell us these days? What memories rush forward when the dam can no longer hold? Most importantly, how will you bend and mold and reclaim this theme for your own? Please review Guidelines as well as the following reminders prior to hitting Submit: Must be 18 years or older and a current resident of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia. 5000 word maximum, per fiction piece; 2 page limit, per poem. Two submission limit e.g., one poem, one short; two shorts; two poems. Preferred formats: .doc or .docx. All work must be edited for grammatical errors. We may ask for additional edits in preparation for publication. Unfortunately, we cannot comment on all submissions. We will only consider submissions written in English or translated to English (with author permission). Please inform us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. If submission is accepted, $5 honorarium paid upon publication. By submitting, you attest that all work is original and in no way utilizes AI word-processing, i.e., ChatGPT. Guideline deviations may disqualify submissions from consideration. We encourage donations. Issue 09 Submissions Open Now through May 15 Monsoon Issue Coming July 2025 Via: HamLit.

Deadline: May 16th, 2025 Payment: Contributors Copy (as this is a charity anthology outside of that.) Theme: Humorous, weird western science fiction This is a humorous, weird western science fiction anthology, created in honor of Ken Rand. Ken was a fixture at Utah writing events, whether it was workshops, conventions, LTUE, or just hanging out. He’s perhaps best known for his The 10% Solution writing book, where he helps writers learn how to effectively edit their own work in order to greatly improve their stories. He also wrote a lot of weird westerns, science fiction, fantasy, and horror short works throughout his career, and almost all of his stories had humor in them. We want humorous, weird west, science fiction tales and poetry (as long as the poetry tells a story, and long-form poetry would be awesome). Think The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr., The Wild Wild West TV series, and Cowboys and Aliens. Make your stories fun to read, make the characters interesting, and make us grin. The tales must have heart, must be solid stories, and must be positive in their outlook. About the charity and more details for submissions: Since its beginnings in the early 1980s, the Life, the Universe, & Everything Symposium (LTUE) has been a staple of the Utah and Intermountain West author and artist community. Many authors, artists, and editors have found inspiration for their careers at the feet of scores of symposium guests. Influential professors and others have mentored those planning and running the symposium, but many of these mentors have passed on. The symposium helps students of all ages by providing greatly discounted student memberships. Hemelein Publications—in conjunction with LTUE Press—created a series of memorial benefit/charity anthologies to help the symposium continue to help these aspiring creators learn about their crafts at a reasonable cost. Author, artist,...

Deadline: May 16th, 2025 Payment: $.08 per word and a contributor's copy Theme: Speculative fiction with strong narrative voices Three-Lobed Burning Eye (3LBE) is a speculative fiction digital magazine published online and ebook (thrice per year) and print anthology. Each issue features four original stories (six per issue starting in 2025), some with audio readings. 3LBE was founded by Editor Andrew S. Fuller in 1999. We recommend reading an issue or two of the magazine before submitting to have an idea of the fiction we publish. Our submission windows are open three times during the year: January 1–16, May 1–16, September 1–16. We open and close at 12:00 AM Pacific Time (UTC -8). Fiction Guidelines Three-Lobed Burning Eye is seeking original, unpublished speculative fiction: including horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. Payment is US $.08 per word for short stories or (1,500–7,499 words) or flash fiction (500–1,499 words); plus one copy of the print anthology. We welcome stories published in another language then translated into English for the first time. If the story you are submitting is a translation, please include the original author’s name and email on the submission. We purchase first world electronic rights, with non-exclusive archival rights, optional first audio rights, and non-exclusive anthology rights. You are limited to one submission per submission period. We will reject any submission that does not follow the guidelines. What We’re Looking For We publish stories across the speculative genres, including all the shadows between and fluid mixtures thereof. We like narrative voices that are full of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental. All labels aside, we want tales that value imagination in character, narrative, and plot. We want to see something new and different. We believe in diverse characters and points of view; and encourage authors of every...

Submission Window: February 23rd to May 23rd, 2025 Payment: $20 Theme: Answering the question - why are angels so compelling as anti-heroes and/or villains? Monstrous Angels is an anthology that will explore one of the most enduring questions of religious horror–why are angels so compelling as anti-heroes and/or villains? We’ve seen it time and time again: Angelfall, Constantine, Legion, Angelology, the list goes on. We love our dark angels. ​We want stories of the morally gray. Of angels and humans trying their best and failing. We want to explore all corners of this topic so feel free to be broad. Angel-like beings from other cultures are welcomed and encouraged. Our definition of angel is loose. We want winged divine creatures trying to navigate moral quandaries, being consumed by righteous anger, and experiencing the consequences of being too close to humans.  Give us your nasty angels. Your conflicted angels. We want dark, complicated stories. Looking for:  Microfiction up to 250 words Flash pieces up to 1,000 words Short stories up to 8,000 words Reprints? If you have the rights back, yes. Please include original/copyright supporting information. Simsub? Absolutely, just let us know ASAP if you get accepted somewhere else.  Honorarium: $20 Maximum: Only 15 submissions will be accepted. ​ Submission window opens February 25th, 2025 and closes May 25th, 2025.  Early or late submissions will be deleted and left unread.  Submissions should be in the Shunn format but no need to put your address or phone number, just your state/country is fine.  Include a short Bio  One submission per author, please. ​ Please send submissions in .docx or .pdf format ​ All proceeds will be donated to the Avian Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Freedom Maine Submit Here I have a question! Via: Conquest Publishing.

Deadline: May 29th, 2025 Payment: $20 CAD Theme: Diverse horror, showcasing short stories, poetry, and essays written by queer, neurodiverse, BIPOC, female, and disabled writers. Thank you for your interest in submitting your work to (s)crawl magazine. We are a Canadian-based magazine that publishes the best in diverse horror, showcasing short stories, poetry, and essays written by queer, neurodiverse, BIPOC, female, and disabled writers. We accept submissions globally, however we currently only publish works in English. We welcome both seasoned and emerging writers to submit. Please review our submission guidelines carefully before submitting your work. general guidelines » genres      › (s)crawl magazine publishes thought-provoking horror writing that lingers long after it is read. we seek stories and poems that are psychologically and/or emotionally complex and do not rely on extreme or gratuitous violence. (read more on this in our “what we’re looking for” and “what we don’t accept” sections)      › we seek work that explores social, cultural, and personal horror—think of narratives that unsettle on a deeply emotional or intellectual level.      › some examples of our favorite subgenres are psychological horror, supernatural horror, gothic horror, folk horror, existential horror, surreal horror, and body horror.       › non-fiction submissions must be related to horror literature, writing, or genre theory. » word count      › short stories: approx. 1,000-5,000 words      › poetry: up to three (3) poems per submission      › essays or articles: approx. 1,000-3,000 words » exclusivity      › we accept simultaneous submissions, but kindly inform us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.       › we do not accept previously published work (including self-published or blog posts). » fees and payment      › there is no fee to submit your work to (s)crawl    ...

Deadline: May 30th, 2025 Payment: $50 AUD and a contributors copy Theme: Edited by Greg Chapman and Cameron Trost Halloween. So much more than costumes and candy, it’s the time when the veil between our world and the other side is at its thinnest. The hour when dark forces come into the light in search of innocent souls. A time of blood and evil. Australian Shadows Award-winning and multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated author and artist Greg Chapman, and acclaimed author Cameron Trost, are seeking new original Halloween tales for this anthology, planned for release in October 2025. We want memorable, character-driven stories set on, or near, the last night of October. Give us ghosts, serial killers, rituals and monsters, heroes and villains, but most of all give us the true dark side of Halloween - and make it terrifying. Payment is $50 AUD for stories up to 5,000 words. Contributors will also receive a complimentary print and digital copy. The anthology will feature original cover art and internal illustrations by co-editor Greg Chapman. The submissions window opens March 1st and closes midnight May 30th. Send all submissions to [email protected] Story submissions should follow the Shunn format. Via: Black Beacon Books.

Deadline: May 30th, 2025 Payment: $10 Theme: Dark speculative fiction that explores various aspects of otherness and its effect on those so othered Dim Shores will be publishing an anthology in late 2025 or early 2026 — Suffering the Other. America’s blossoming fascist state is vigorously persecuting basically anyone who is not a healthy well-off cisgendered heterosexual white male: LGBTQ+ folks, immigrants, the disabled, the poor, women in general. Particular attention is being paid to immigrants/non-citizens of any stripe, and the transgender community. As such, this book will be a benefit for RAICES and Transgender Legal Center, two of the many organizations helping those who are being victimized by this roaring tsunami of oppression and vitriol. Suffering the Other will be edited by Justin Steele and myself (Sam Cowan), just like both volumes of Looming Low. Unlike Looming Low, we are taking submissions for this book. Following are some guidelines. WINDOW: March 30 through May 30, 2025. THEME: People tend to fear what they don’t understand. Throughout history these fears have festered and metastasized, again and again, into prejudicial hatred and violence against out-groups. Too many people have become very adept at dehumanizing those who are not like themselves. The stories in this book will explore various aspects of otherness and its effect on those so othered via dark speculative fiction. COMPENSATION: Please bear in mind this is a benefit book, and compensation is limited to a token payment of $10 plus a copy of the book. All other proceeds will be split between RAICES and Transgender Law Center. FICTION LENGTH: 2,500 – 10,000 words. ORIGINAL STORIES, REPRINTS: Original stories preferred but reprints are acceptable. If you are submitting a reprint, please include information about where the story was originally run. SUBMISSIONS: Please, only one story per submission, in Word format (.doc or .docx) or .rtf. Please use page numbers and...

Deadline: May 31st, 2024 Payment: Written work: .02c/word, Artwork: $75 Theme: Grim, gothic, morbidly funny, and terrifying works Calling all poetry authors AND artists! We're stepping outside of the box here and trying something new. We're calling on poets and artists this time to help us craft an illustrated poetry anthology. Give us your limericks, sonnets, haiku, ballads, and free-verse! Have visual poetry? EVEN BETTER. We want grim, gothic, morbidly funny, terrifying works. Your poetry submission: should be 150 lines (not words) max horror centric any form of poetry is allowed multiple submissions allowed Your art submission: color or black/white (a color edition is tentatively planned) various sizes/dimensions considered submit as jpg, tiff, png, or pdf multiple submissions allowed NO GENERATIVE AI ART OF ANY KIND. Est. publication date: July 2025 Compensation (written work): .02c/word Compensation (artwork): $75 Poetry+art submissions from the same submitter are allowed. If the pieces are related, please upload them in the same submission. Because of the rarity of horror poets, submissions will remain open until we feel we've received a good pool to select from. Submit Graveside Press is a new imprint focused on horror, managed by members of the publishing teams that brings you Paper Angel Press, Water Dragon Publishing, Unruly Voices, and Cupid’s Arrow Publishing. We plan to bring you sleep-shattering tales of horror beginning October 2024. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES When submitting, we would greatly appreciate if you can follow the formatting guidelines below: file type: *.doc or *.docx Spelling: US and UK/AU-spelling and colloquialisms accepted Punctuation: US (modern, e.g. single space after periods) Font: Any legible serif, e.g., Times New Roman, Garamond Include author information at the top of page 1 (see sample below) Use formatted indents and not tabs to begin each paragraph Use hard returns to start new paragraphs Use page breaks to begin chapters on a new page If you would like an example of what a...

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: $20 (CAD) or a physical copy of the magazine Theme: Slice of Life After the release of our first publication "The Stygian Collection", there was demand to continue producing anthologies. To continue growing our community and keep the anthology spirit alive, The Stygian Society presents: The Stygian Zine! January's Theme: Slice of Life Tell us about your day-to-day darkness... Released: Every January and July!​ ​ Accepting: Poems Short stories Personal musings Visual art Comics ​ For selected works, you will receive a $20 (CAD) honorarium (OR physical copy of the zine), pdf copy of the zine, and the option to purchase print copies at cost + shipping.  ​ Works received between June 1 and November 30 will be considered for the January issue Works received between December 1 and May 31 will be considered for the July issue Specifications:  We will accept Word or PDF format for written works. Written works must not exceed 2500 words (poetry included). Name, contact information and work title must be included in your submitted document. Works must be in 12 helvetica or arial, double spaced. For artwork please send pdf or png, 300dpi minimum (Colour or black and white accepted). Comics must not exceed 5 pages. ​ *All submissions are kept on file for future consideration, so please be sure to withdraw if you receive publication elsewhere. **If your piece has been previously published, please inform us on submission, and specify where it was published. Email responses will be sent upon receipt, and acceptance only.  Please note that minor edits may be made to your work after acceptance as our editor will review for spelling and grammar. Submit Your Work mail to: [email protected] "The Stygian Zine: Contribution" Via: Stygian Society.

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: 2 cents per word for poetry, $75 for artwork Theme: Grim, gothic, morbidly funny, terrifying works of poetry and artwork Calling all poetry authors AND artists! We're stepping outside of the box here and trying something new. We're calling on poets and artists this time to help us craft an illustrated poetry anthology. Give us your limericks, sonnets, haiku, ballads, and free-verse! Have visual poetry? EVEN BETTER. We want grim, gothic, morbidly funny, terrifying works. Your poetry submission: should be 150 lines (not words) max horror centric any form of poetry is allowed multiple submissions allowed Your art submission: color or black/white (a color edition is tentatively planned) various sizes/dimensions considered submit as jpg, tiff, png, or pdf multiple submissions allowed NO GENERATIVE AI ART OF ANY KIND. Est. publication date: July 2025 Compensation (written work): .02c/word Compensation (artwork): $75 Poetry+art submissions from the same submitter are allowed. If the pieces are related, please upload them in the same submission. Because of the rarity of horror poets, submissions will remain open until we feel we've received a good pool to select from. Categories: Fiction/Poetry/Art File types: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff Number of Pieces: Up to 2 pieces per submission. Single File: Not required; may include a separate file/link for each piece. Anonymous submissions are not required. Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Reprints are allowed. (We will consider reprints, however preference will be shown for new original works.) Multiple entries are allowed. AI-assisted works are not allowed. Via: Graveside Press's Duotrope.

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: $0.01 per word Theme: Dark stories with the theme of patterns PATTERNS Submission window now open. Deadline: May 31st 2025 We’re looking for dark stories (2-4k words) on the theme of patterns. Please interpret this theme however you like. Write us a quiet mood piece or an action-packed powerful, character-driven story. Make it humorous or as dark as the night. Send us your best speculative, horror, dark fantasy or dark sci-fi stories, as long as it's full of the feels. We are not, however, the market for violent, bloody, racist, homophobic, or masochistic fiction. And no poetry please, just short fiction. Some ideas: the pattern could be in the narrative technique (fragmentation, mirror writing, foreshadowing, meta-fictional repetition), the thematic composition (think cycles of death and birth, family curses, sin and retribution) for example. Or how about incorporating chants, supernatural rituals, or echoes in your prose? A story with temporal patterns in it might float our boat (although be careful, we don’t want our inbox flooded with time loops and cyclical stories, unless done exceptionally well or with a novel twist). Seasonal patterns, recurring times, patterns in nature, patterns in objects which feature in your tale, geographical patterns, repetitive architecture, patterns in weather, behavioural ticks, recurring nightmares, obsessions…any tenuous link will do, just make it your best work and give it a good edit prior to sending it our way. You get the idea. Surprise us. If you want an idea of what we publish (and my, oh my, what an eclectic range it is), why not check out some of our other publications? Links can be found by clicking here: Books.   Normally, we only allow one submission per author, but we're going to try something new this time. If you send us a story and...

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: $0.08 /word Theme: Fantasy, science-fiction, and horror short stories that embrace punk and queer rage. edited by C.L. McCartney, Trip Galey & Robert Berg We’re seeking fantasy, science-fiction, and horror short stories that embrace punk and queer rage. There’s a glass ceiling in SFF representation, and we want you to throw a brick through it. Bring us the coven that burned Salem and your roaring bear-serkers. We want gangs of acid-wash werewolves, furious bipyromancers, flesh-eating femmes, and vengeant celestial bois—a cast of the downtrodden who make ruins of their oppressors. Wrath lies at the heart of queer liberation—it can be a spur to action and the only righteous response to a world that would prefer we didn’t exist. So crash mainframes, collapse empires, and break normativity. Pride month is over. It’s time for— Wrath Month Guidelines Submissions: All stories should be submitted via our Google Submission Form as a .doc or .docx file (link below). We are seeking original fiction for this project, not reprints. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please withdraw immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere. No multiple submissions, but if you have a story rejected before the deadline you may submit again. (But note: the editors make no promises about how quickly submissions will be reviewed.) Word Count: Stories should be no more than 6,000 words long, but 4,000-5,000 is a good target. Flash fiction will happily be considered, but as the exception rather than the rule. Format: We don’t wish to create barriers to entry, so if you have a story in standard manuscript format you’re absolutely fine. However, the editors are fans of Modern Manuscript Format, Garamond, and italics as italics. Rates: Authors will be paid $0.08 /word for worldwide English language rights (including audio). Cover letters: None! Nada!...

Submission Window: May 1st - 31st, 2025 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Reprints of fantasy stories in all of its subgenres IMAGITOPIA is a new fantasy fiction podcast and digital magazine produced by Android Press and featuring narrated fantasy fiction plus other fun stuff like author and editor interviews, news and events, and nerd-outs on fantasy tropes and other related topics.  We currently accept submissions of previous published fantasy short stories for REPRINT ONLY to be narrated for the podcast. We'll also publish in print here on the webzine.  Our first submission window opens on September 1, 2023. For more information on when we're open and closed to submissions throughout the year, please see our Schedule. Submissions are only accepted through IMAGITOPIA's Moksha submission portal. Any submissions received via email or any other method will be deleted without review or response. Email accounts inevitable get tons of spam. So this policy helps make sure we don't lose your submission in the email shuffle. But if for some reason you're unable to submit via our Moksha portal, for example due to accessibility issues, please message us using the form at the bottom of this page, and we'll be happy to make alternative arrangements for your submission. *We're a womxn and trans run publication. We hope authors of all types and stripes will submit work, but we especially encourage BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, womxn, people living with disabilities, those living in the Global South, and authors from other marginalized populations. ​ WORD COUNT flash fiction: up to 1,500 words short stories: up to 5,000 words ​ PAY RATE We currently pay 1 cent USD per word for previously published flash fiction and short stories with a $10 USD minimum. ​ GENRES We accept submissions of fantasy and all its subgenres including but not limited to:  ​​ high fantasy low...

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Haunted workplace stories What I'm Looking For: Haunted workplace stories, modern day or historical, it's completely up to you. Just write a great character-driven story that hooks the reader fast and reels them in hard. There do NOT need to be ghosts. You don't need to have a truly haunted workplace. You can have spooky vibes, vampires, werewolves, the whole nine. Story length will be between 5,000 and 10,000 words. Dates: Open immediately with the final entry being accepted May 31st, 2025. The contracts will be sent out June 30th, 2025. The anthology will be published July 25th. If there are enough awesome stories for more anthologies, you will be informed as to which one you will be included in and when it will be published.  Payment: Payment will be done through Pubshare and will be royalty based.  Rights: I will require the English text exclusivity for one year. You will be paid past the first year, but you can then publish it on your own at that point.  Please send all stories to [email protected] Small details: Please use .docx or .doc to save your file.  Save the file as StoryName-Yourname.docs 12 Times New Roman, double spaced. If you are unsure as to how to format a short story, please refer to https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ .  Thank you and happy writing!!  Via: Ps and Qs Publishing.

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Stories where liminal space is a priority  M Presents Publishing is looking for short stories for its forthcoming anthology: Liminal Madness. Liminal Madness is a slight departure from the straight horror that previous anthologies had focused on; while horror is definitely a theme in this book the stories can be about anything so long as the idea of liminal space is priority. Think of the popular Backrooms or any place that is an eerie transition between places, a place that seems normal yet there is something... wrong: a hallway in a school that is strangely silent or a staircase that seems to keep descending with no discernable bottom. Liminal: adj: relating to a transitional or intermediate state, stage, or period Liminal Space: noun: a state or place characterized by being transitional or intermediate in some way; informal: any location that is unsettling, uncanny, or dreamlike Let your imagination run wild as these spaces envelop your mind, whether you've no-clipped out of reality or wandered off the forest path. Looking for: fiction pieces with a horror element with a focus on Liminal Spaces. While there is only one planned anthology, if a sufficient number of entries are received, a second anthology will also be released, title TBD.  Stories by LGBTQ+ and POC authors are welcome, disclosure is unnecessary and won't be asked. Not looking for: erotica, pornography, stories suggesting sexual abuse or child endangerment in a tactless way; if you wouldn't want to read it, do you think I will? Stories written by AI. Payment: Royalties and a digital copy of the book. If you wish to buy a physical copy yourself, it will be made available to you at cost; but it is entirely optional if you wish to do that. Submission length: 3000-5000...

Submission Window: May 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...

Deadline: May 31st, 2025 Payment: 8 cents per word and $25-$50 on poetry depending on length Theme: Cryptids Call for Submissions: Cryptid Horror – Summer Issue This summer, we’re hunting monsters—and we want you to join the chase. Our upcoming issue is diving deep into cryptid horror, where folklore meets fear and the shadows are never empty. From the fog-drenched hollows of Appalachia to the eerie stillness of primeval forests, we’re looking for stories that stir that ancient dread—the kind that makes you glance over your shoulder… just in case. Whether it’s beasts from local legend or psychological horrors born from the depths of your own personal wilderness, we want your weirdest, wildest, and most chilling creations. Think: backwoods folklore, eerie encounters, survival nightmares, and twisted myths. Unleash your inner cryptozoologist and show us what’s hiding just out of sight. Deadline: May 31, 2025 (must be received by deadline, so please mail early). PAYMENT: 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poems. 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 Decision notices are sent through email so there is no need to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Please include your email address with your submission. All submissions must be typed (cover letters preferred but not mandatory) and be properly formatted. 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...

Submission Window: May 15th-31st, 2025 Payment: 2 cents per word Theme: Reprints of self-published horror stories Calling all self-published horror authors! Get those short stories ready! Open submissions begin next week for this brand-new anthology geared toward spotlighting the best in indie horror! In this unique collaboration project, Paul Carro and Candace Nola have teamed up to create a new opportunity for self-published authors! The incredibly talented Laurel Hightower is on-board to write the foreword, and the book will be published in all formats by Uncomfortably Dark Horror. Self (S)care Submission Guidelines This is a paid opportunity for self-published horror stories only. To be eligible: stories must have been published and be available for ordering, download or purchase within 2025, on a platform such as Godless, Google Books, D2D platforms or Amazon. Submission Windows: There will be four submission windows. First & last windows will be slightly longer. No submission will be accepted outside of these windows. 1.      May 15 through May 31 2.      Aug. 15 through Aug. 20 3.      Nov. 15 through Nov. 20 4.      Dec. 15 through Dec. 31   Submission Process: Document cover page should contain Story Title and Word Count only.  Standard formatting (size 12 font, Times New Roman, 1.5 spacing). No identifying information can be on the story document. Email submission to: [email protected] with SELF (S)CARE in subject line with your story title. Email body must contain your story title, word count, and prior publication details, including original date of publication, where it is available, and if it was a solo title or part of a collection. One submission per author. (No Exceptions). Word Count: 8500 max.   Other Details: Reprints only. The selected stories will be paid at .02 per word. Anticipated Release Date is April 15, 2026. Anthology will be produced as an...

Deadline: May 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: May 31st, 2025 Payment: $1 Theme: 100-word drabble involving: Troll 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 in the first half of the next 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 (An audio edition will be available to Patreon patrons as a subscriber perk). 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 to be published as a print, digital, and audio book. 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 May 2025 is ‘Troll‘. 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)), previously unpublished, and written entirely by a person (We know it’s particularly tempting to get a generative AI to help meet the wordcount more precisely, but it’s totally against the spirit of our project.) 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...