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Taking Submissions: It Was Paradise
Deadline: June 22nd, 2025 Payment: 15 cents per word for fiction and $75 per page for poetry and artwork. Theme: In a world devastated by catastrophes, we need stories that confront these horrors. Note: Prioritizing work by people with lived experience of war and conflict. It’s time to announce the call for submissions to It Was Paradise*, a special issue of Reckoning edited by Sonia Sulaiman and with cover art by Moníca Robles Corzo. In a world devastated by catastrophes, we need stories that confront these horrors. This is all out war on the planet, on life itself. War and conflict are the themes for this volume of Reckoning. Probe into the heart of extinction, genocide, and climate crisis. Expose the exploitation of the earth. Show us how the world could be on the other side. Send us your stories of environmental justice, of violence, imperialism, fascism, and resistance, of destruction, survival, and of triumph. It Was Paradise is open for submissions now through the summer solstice, June 22, 2025, with tentative release scheduled for October. Payment rate will be 15 cents (US) per word for prose, $75 per page for poetry and art. As always, we’re seeking submissions from Black, Brown, Indigenous, queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent, imprisoned, impoverished, and otherwise marginalized human beings from everywhere, but in particular for this issue, we will be prioritizing work by people with lived experience of war and conflict. We’ll continue to accept submissions to our communication-themed regular issue, Reckoning X, throughout. Also, during this submission window only, we’re relaxing our usual rule about multiple submissions to allow folks to submit to both calls simultaneously. We’re always open to submissions. There are never any fees to submit. We pay SFWA-qualifying “professional” rates upon acceptance; click below to see how much for different...
Taking Submissions: Dawn Woven Books’ First Anthology
Deadline: June 22nd, 2025 Payment: £10 and each contributor will receive one free contributor copy of the book. Theme: Triumph, Love and Becoming. We are honoured to open submissions for our debut anthology. This anthology is the first offering from Dawn Woven Books, a publishing space devoted to soulful and authentic storytelling. Rooted in love, truth and creative expression. This collection will gather stories that explore themes of triumph, love, healing and becoming. This project is being developed as part of the Artist Incubator Programme with the Black South West Network, supporting creatives to bring powerful, purpose driven work into the world. As a writer, storyteller and vessel of love. I believe that every voice holds wisdom and every story, when told with heart can bring healing. This anthology is a call to Griots, truth-tellers and heart led writers to share the lived experiences that shaped them. Together, we are weaving a tapestry of voices that honour the past, illuminate the present and make space for new light to rise. If you have a true story that speaks to the power of perseverance, ancestral memory, self-love or the beauty of becoming, we would love to read it. Payment: £10 and each contributor will receive one free contributor copy of the book. Genre: Creative Non-Fiction (Personal essays, memoir style pieces and narrative reflections). However, we are very flexible and both fiction and creative non-fiction are equally welcome. We are open to any short story as long as it speaks to the theme. Theme: Triumph, Love and Becoming. Word Count: 1000 - 3,500 WORDS. Rights: We get the first publication rights and hold the rights to your story for three years from publication. After the three years, the rights revert back to you. Join us in bringing forward stories that heal, inspire and...
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Taking Submissions: Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 7
Submission Window: May 1st - June 30th, 2025 Payment: .05/word plus contributor’s copies Theme: Mina Harker Issue 7: Mina Harker(To Be Published November, 2025) Mina is teacher, a wife, and the heart and the hero of the novel. Her spirit and intelligence keep her resilient even when darkness closes in. But who is Mina beneath the surface? Did her experiences leave her haunted? How did her connection to Dracula affect her view of the world or her family? Whether it’s before, during, or after the events of the novel, let’s explore her strength, her struggles, and her secrets. Submissions open May 1, 2025-June 30, 2025. Submissions received earlier will be read and considered but will not be responded to until the window opens. We like stories that feel like they could be canon, but we also enjoy fun alternate takes and pastiche. Prequels, sequels, updates, divergent timelines - unleash your creative powers of darkness and show us something exciting. As with every publication the best way to get a feel for what we like is to read what we’ve put out in the past. Stories should be 1500-5000 words. Poetry will be considered, but is not necessarily sought (We are hoping to have an all poetry issue sometime in the future). Compensation will be .05/word plus contributor’s copies. Reprints will be considered. Reprints should be at least 10 years old. Compensation is $55. Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please notify us immediately if accepted elsewhere. Some stories may be chosen for the website, but not the publication. Please adhere to the Shunn format - https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ Please only send .doc, .docx, or .pdf Filename and email subject should be - “lastname_title_jonathan or “lastname_title_mina” Include short 3rd person bio Email story submissions to: [email protected] Cover Art Submissions What we want Eye catching design....
Taking Submissions: Hellbound Books’ Anthology of Pandemic & Outbreak Horror
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: $5 Theme: Plagues, pandemics, original takes on zombies, outbreaks, and everything related! The HellBound Books team felt enough time has passed since the COVID-19 pandemic to warrant an appropriately themed anthology. We are looking for horrific tales of diseases ravaging mankind, viruses, bacteria, and fungal spores infecting and threatening to eradicate all of humanity - and, yes, we would love to see your terrifying, unique takes on the zombie trope! PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines... * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 2.5K - 8K word count * Write 'PANDEMIC' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2025 (please note: all submissions are assessed only AFTER the deadline date and, due to the overwhelming response HBB receives for all anthologies, we are only able to contact the the authors of sucessful submissions). NO REPRINTS - ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Anthology Capped at 120K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.
Taking Submissions: Hellbound Books’ Anthology of Extreme Horror
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: $5 Theme: Extreme horror, brutal, splatterpunk, etc We are looking for your most brutal, bloodied,horrific stories - no holds barred; we challenge you to disturb our most seasoned, desensitized curators with your tales of extreme horror and mind-bending terror... PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines... * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 4K-8K word count * Write 'EXTREME' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 30 June 2025 (please note: all submissions are assessed only AFTER the deadline date and, due to the overwhelming response HBB receives for all anthologies, we are only able to contact the the authors of sucessful submissions). NO REPRINTS - ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Capped at 120K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.
Taking Submissions: HellBound Books’ anthology of Campfire Stories
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: $5 Theme: Terrifying Tales to be told around a campfire! Send us your creepiest, most spine-chilling tales of terror best told around the campfire or a late-night sleepover! We're looking for mysterious strangers calling from inside the house, weird, inhuman beings lurking in the woods, inexplicable behaviours from once-trusted friends and relatives that may be madness, a brain-altering disease, demonic posession, or something much, much worse... PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines... * Word format saved in .doc, or .docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs! * 4K-8K word count * Write 'CAMPFIRE' along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter. * The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.doc or .docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email. To submit, email your polished story to [email protected] - Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 30 June 2025 (please note: all submissions are assessed only AFTER the deadline date and, due to the overwhelming response HBB receives for all anthologies, we are only able to contact the the authors of sucessful submissions). NO REPRINTS - ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment - $5.00 for first rights. Capped at 120K words in total. Via: Hellbound Books Publishing.
Taking Submissions: Saturday Mourning Television
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: $35 and a contributors copy Theme: Short horror fiction inspired by early morning kids TV Send us your best short horror fiction inspired by early morning kids TV for our next anthology, Saturday Mourning Television. Tune us in to something scary based on any decade you like: the educational/bizarre 1960’s & 70’s, the advert-packed 80’s, the radical 90’s, the wayward & wacky 2000’s or anything beyond. Even web-based entertainment is fair game. And don’t limit yourself to tales involving kids, what about parents, or performers & hosts, workers behind the scenes, even animated creations. Let your imagination go wild, and remember not to sit too close to the screen! What we’re looking for: All submissions must be in the horror genre. Bizarro, splatterpunk and extreme horror are welcome. Preference will be given to submissions from LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC authors. If you don’t like this, don’t submit. All submissions must be original. We will not accept reprints, or stories/poetry published elsewhere, including on blogs, social media etc. We realise this is a TV-related call but no fanfic or direct use of real-life persons please! No AI/machine generated anything– any AI/machine generated submissions (including covering emails) will be deleted without reply, and the submitter will be blacklisted from any future submission calls, grant programmes & other services offered by Sliced Up Press. Please try to avoid simultaneous submissions. Submit your work in modern or classic manuscript format (as outlined on www.shunn.net/format. Poems may be submitted in whatever form best suits the piece. Please send your submission as an MS Word .doc or .docx attachment. Anything sent in a different file type will be rejected without reply. You do not need to include your postal/mailing address or full birth name anywhere in your submission. These will only be requested if your...
Taking Submissions: SpecPoVerse Second 2025 Window
Submission Window: May 1st - June 30th, 205 Payment: $5 Theme: Speculative Poetry SpecPoVerse accepts poems with or without known formalism and also experimental forms. An illustrated poem in which the illustration was created by the poet is also acceptable; this must be submitted as a .pdf file with the embedded illustration. Poems created by AI are not acceptable. To submit your poem, fill out this form by clicking the "SUBMIT" button below. You will be asked to provide contact information and to upload your poem. You may upload 1 -3 files with 1 poem per file, including an illustrated poem. You may submit up to 3 poems per submission period, Because we review all poems author blind, please make sure that your poem(s) has(have) no informatio n identifying the poet; these will be automatically rejected. Note: Google will automatically append your name to your file name. IGNORE THIS. We strip your name from the files before review. Your poem must be submitted in .doc, .docx. or .pdf file format. Once a poem is accepted, the poet may later send an audio or video file of their spoken or sign language-interpreted poem, which will be made available on the Readings page from YouTube or Vimeo. Maximum length: 100 lines or 499 words for a prose poem Rights: SpecPoVerse acquires first publication rights only, so please do not submit poems that have already been published elsewhere. Poets retain their copyright on all works after first publication on the specpoverse.org website. By submitting content to SpecPoVerse, you agree that, should the content be accepted, you grant SpecPoVerse a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right and license to digitally archive and display the content (aka Digital Archive Rights). In the case that we later desire to include your content in any other format (e.g. print, anthology, etc.), those...
Taking Submissions: Skull X Bones
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: 0.08 USD / word and royalties Theme: Science Fiction or Fantasy pirate stories Avast, ye scurvy dogs! It’s time to plunder! Pirates have enchanted and haunted readers for generations, from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island to the ill-fated Firefly. Whether it’s Blackbeard, Mal, or Han Solo, we love our swashbucklers, our One-Eyed Willies, and our scruffy-looking nerfherders. In SKULL X BONES, we want writers to give us their best science fiction or fantasy pirates, whether they be on the sailing ships of the deep wide ocean or the spaceships of the black void! The Zombies Need Brains Kickstarter for an SF&F pirate themed anthology called SKULL X BONES has funded! You can check out the Kickstarter here: tinyurl.com/ZNBSkullXBones . This means that the anthology is now open to submissions!!! Submission guidelines are below. If you've got an SF&F idea involving pirates, either on land, at sea, or in space, then writer it up, revise it, polish it, and send it on in! Deadline is June 30th, 2025. Zombies Need Brains is a SFWA Professional market. SKULL X BONES: Submission Guidelines Zombies Need Brains LLC will accept submissions to its anthology, SKULL X BONES, from the moment the Kickstarter funds until June 30th, 2025. This is a one-time open call; there will be no follow-up open calls. Follow us on BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/joshuapalmatier.bsky.social) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/zombiesneedbrainsllc) to keep track of the Kickstarter and the open call. Stories must be submitted in electronic format through the submissions management system Moksha here: https://zombiesneedbrains.moksha.io/. Word count: up to 7500 words. No exceptions. Pay rate: 0.08 USD / word (SFWA professional rate), plus royalties for anthologies (see below) Simultaneous submissions: No. Multiple submissions: Up to three per open call period; please submit each separately. You do not need to wait for one...
Taking Submissions: Something Old, Something New
Submission Window: June 1st - 30th, 2025 Payment: Stories under 5,000 words will receive $10. Stories up to 10,000 words will be serialized over 2 months and will receive $20 Theme: Speculative Fiction that fits the vibe of unreality, suggest reading previous work from the publisher before submitting Note: Reprints are acceptable if the story is not freely available online Our Ko-fi minizine for subscribers Submissions for this call will be OPENING for the month of June 2025. The Pink Hydra is starting a Ko-fi minizine! This is a way to build a subscriber base and steady income without sacrificing our commitment to accessible fiction. Starting July, every ‘off’ month when we’re not publishing The Pink Hydra, we will post a new, exclusive short story on our Ko-fi, paired with a piece of classical artwork, and accompanied by short reviews of stories or books The Pink Hydra loves. For this eclectic mix of classic and new elements, the minizine will be known as Something Old, Something New. Length: Your story must be a minimum of 1,500 words long. We will read stories of up to 10,000 words, with the possibility of serializing them. However, we will give preference to stories which fit in one issue and are less than 5,000 words long. Simultaneous submissions: Allowed and welcome. Let us know at the submissions email if you need to withdraw a story. Multiple submissions: Only send one story at a time, and please send only one story per open submission period. We aim to get back to you within a month of receipt. Reprints: For this project, we will prefer originals, but reprints are acceptable if the story is not freely available online. Rights: If accepted, we require exclusive digital-only rights to the story for a month after publication. For original stories, we ask for First World Rights, which means you can’t publish the...
Dancing Star Press Is Open to SciFi and Fantasy Novellas
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Queerer weirder softer ragier hopier anarchier lovelier transier resistier indigenousier earth-lovingier resiliencier justicier LESS WHITE stories that are science fiction or fantasy What am I looking for? I want to publish queerer weirder softer ragier hopier anarchier lovelier transier resistier indigenousier earth-lovingier resiliencier justicier LESS WHITE stories. I love both fantasy and science fiction, but tend to be pretty picky about horror. Please no: Splatterpunk Graphic depictions of rape or sexual assault Needless brutalization of women and children Depictions of brutalization or abuse of people with disabilities Graphic abuse of animals I am not currently interested in works that are a part of a series, but works that are a part of a shared universe are okay. I am not looking for young adult, middle grade, or children’s works at this time. I am not interested in publishing works created in whole or in part with generative AI. If I unknowingly accept an AI-generated manuscript for publication, I reserve the right to remove that title from publication at any time. Please submit only one manuscript at a time. I currently have one reading period planned for 2025: April 1 – June 30 To submit: Email a copy of your completed manuscript in .pdf form only to [email protected]. Submissions in any other file format will not be considered. In the email, please include a short biographical statement including publishing history and the word count of your manuscript. What happens after submission? I generally email confirming the receipt of your submission within a week. I do my best to let you know whether or not I am interested in publishing your submission within six weeks. Royalties are based on 30% of gross profits for paperback sales, and 50% of gross profits for ebooks. Dancing Star Press does not charge...
Taking Submissions: Yay! all queer: Free and Queer
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: Royalties Theme: Stories where the main character falls in the LGBTQ+ community in any genre Submission Period: April 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025 Theme: Yay! all queer II – An LGBTQ+ anthology. We’re searching for LGBTQ+ characters who have a central position within the story. This will be a diverse and inclusive anthology. There are no restrictions on gender or sexuality. Feel free to create an engaging story with your favorite genre or setting. Mystery, romance, fantasy, or sci-fi are all welcome if the story and characters grab the reader’s interest. Stories that contain infanticide, gratuitous gore, or rape, including dubious consent, will not be considered. Explicit romance will not be appropriate for this anthology, bring it down a notch, and we’ll certainly give it a look. Submission Period: April 1, 2025, to June 30, 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: LGBTQ+ Anticipated Pay: Royalty share of D2D sales Each contributor will receive a share, as will the publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals, wholesale to authors, or other retail outlets. Timeline Projections: Submissions close: June 2025 Review: July 2025 Acceptance / Rejection: July/August 2025 Edits: August/September 2025 Production: October 2025 Published: November 2025 Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editors on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be in 2025; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing...
Taking Submissions: Stellar Parallax: Hope in A Grimdark World
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: $50 Theme: Science fiction that follows the title of the book We at Inked in Gray Press are excited to announce a new anthology in collaboration with AJ Van Belle! STELLAR PARALLAX: HUMAN HOPE IN GRIMDARK WORLDS. Let’s not sugarcoat it — things are rough, and we don’t know what the next year or even month will bring. This is why we need stories in which hope shines through the darkness. Give us your grimdark in space, in a near-future dystopia, in a far-future galaxy, or in a sci-fi version of the present day. This anthology will feature gritty sci-fi in which the personal message is hopeful while the external world is dark. We want world-building that’s vivid, immersive, and believable, with the focus on the characters’ direct experience. Sweeping spans of time and vast civilizations aren’t necessary here, nor are nifty tech or clever political machinations — but feel free to include any of these if they serve the story. Regardless of scale or time period, show us the characters’ sensory perceptions, physical experience, and emotional arc. Sci-fi is a genre uniquely equipped to allow expression of character growth because it lets us explore universal human experience within specific, sharply imagined futures. STELLAR PARALLAX will sit at the place where seemingly impossible circumstances meet the inventiveness of human agency, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with! ANTHOLOGY DETAILS Submission Details Submission Period: April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 Theme: All stories should have a message of hope whilst surrounded by darkness Parameters: Please include all trigger warnings, even if only mentioned and not described on the page (ie: References to alcoholism, but character does not drink on the page). Absolutely NO AI Please give us diversity! Mental health rep! Fat rep!...
Taking Submissions: Taking Submissions: Allegory Volume 48
Submission Window: May 1st, 2025 - June 30th, 2025 Payment: $15 Theme: Speculative fiction, primarily horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Note: Reprints welcome Formatting Guidelines This is proving to be a recurring problem, so we're putting it up front. Please, for all our sakes, read this next part carefully. All submissions should be sent by e-mail (no letters or telephone calls please) to [email protected]. Below are some formatting rules to help us process your submission more quickly. EMAIL AND COVER LETTERS Email is accepted in both text and HTML formats. When submitting, please put this in the subject line: Submission: (Title) - (First and Last name) Include the following in the body of the email and in the attached submission: Your name Name to use on the story (byline), if different Your preferred email address Your mailing address The story's title The story's word count You may also include a cover letter in the body of the email. We get a lot of strange stuff in cover letters, so if you're unsure of what goes in them (and especially what doesn't) please refer to these cover letter tips: How to write a cover letter | What not to put in a cover letter by Jed Hartman SUBMISSION FORMATTING We ONLY accept submissions as attachments! All stories submitted as an attachment must follow standard manuscript formatting. We will no longer read any story not properly formatted. (And we much prefer Courier New to Times New Roman) For explanations and tips on what SMF is and how to do it with word processing programs, please see this article. Please send your submission as an attachment in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or Rich Test Format (.rtf) only. Other formats, such as Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc., have proven difficult to open. Please note that we no longer accept "inline" submssions; that is,...
Taking Submissions: Short Story Substack June 2025 Window
Submission Window: June 1st - 30th, 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...
Taking Submissions: Kozy Krampus
Submission Window: June 15th-30th, 2025 Payment: 1 cent per word Theme: Merry and monstrous, cozy and cosmic tales about Krampus This fall, Underland Press will explore the cosmic horror inherent in the holiday season with Kozy Krampus, a collection of stories merry and monstrous, cozy and cosmic. The gothic nightmares and horrific haunts of our forebears persist in our fever-fueled dreams. Some monsters are never vanquished; they merely find new shapes. Slip into the dark shadows behind the million flickering holiday lights. Stare down the prehistoric fruit log in which lurks something truly eldritch and batrachian. Hark to the songs sung after midnight by carolers with extra-long tongues and extra-sharp teeth. This is the holiday season with the masks ripped off. Remember: not all gifts are good, and if you open it, you have to keep it . . . The reading period for Kozy Krampus will be June 15th to June 30th. Stories should run less than 5,000 words. Poetry should run more than a few lines. Pay rate with be $0.01/word, along with standard industry contract terms. Stories should be sent in a .doc or .rtf format to [email protected]. Stories that arrive prior to the reading period will be ignored until the reading period begins. As this reading period is short and succinct, we ask that you not send simultaneous submissions. Via: Underland Press.
Taking Submissions: Sapphic Horror Anthology
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: 2 cents per word Theme: Dark sapphic horror tales You asked for it, and we're doing it... Graveside Press's next themed anthology will be SAPPHIC HORROR! What are we looking for? WLW stories don't get enough attention, and we're fixing to change that. In time for Pride month next year, we're going to have a kick-ass collection of dark sapphic horror tales to share with the world. Please remember, this is still a horror anthology. Happy endings and sweet romances aren't a requirement! WE ARE LOOKING FOR ART, POETRY, AND STORIES. How many pieces can I submit? You may submit up to one of each type of sub. E.g., you can submit an art piece, a story, and a poem, but you cannot submit two stories and an art piece. Do these stories have to be #OwnVoices? We waffled on this a bit, but ultimately decided no. Since the theme is highlighting sapphic stories, we want everyone to have a shot. The submissions readers for this call are a majority queer and/or sapphic themselves, and we trust their judgement to find the best submissions! Requirements: wordcount: approximately 2,000 - 6,000 words. art: can be spicy, but must be tasteful due to distributor guidelines. central focus: sapphic authors, characters, and storylines. 18+ content is allowed but is not a requirement. any character involved in sexual activities must be 18+. NO: non-con, r*pe, or other s*xual assault. dubcon tentatively considered on a case-by-case basis. Estimated publication date for this anthology is June 2026. STANDARD PAY RATES Anthology submissions - 2¢ per word to be paid 90 business days after publication Illustrations - $75 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES When submitting, please do not send your manuscript already formatted as a book with fancy chapter headers, fonts, margins, etc. We would greatly appreciate if...
Taking Submissions: Santa Rage, Volume 2
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: 2 Paperback copies or $25 Theme: Very dark stories involving Santa. He still has to be the hero, he just doesn't have to be jolly We had so much fun the first time, we had to bring it back! Inspired by a suggestion from legendary book reviewer, author and multi-term Short Mystery Fiction Society President Kevin R. Tipple, here’s the holiday anthology that’s definitely NOT going to fill you with Christmas cheer. It will, however, be sure to entertain the darker side of your imagination. Christmas time is a season full of stress. Cooking, decorations, trying to find the perfect gift for people you barely know. It’s enough to make anyone snap. Now, imagine you’re Santa Claus and you’ve got the entire world to take care of. Yeah, cookies and milk isn’t going to make that kind of pressure go down any easier. Add in reindeer, elves who slack and Mrs. Claus nagging that you never spend enough time with her during the holidays and it’s enough to make your Kris wanna Kringle, if you know what we mean. Welcome to Santa Rage 2, in which Santa Claus finally snaps and gets his just desserts…and we’re not talking gingerbread. This anthology is based on the idea that one night, while out making deliveries, Santa snaps thanks to the holiday stress and goes on a killing spree. Bonus points awarded for story elements involving meth or drug dealing, strippers, and the best dose of karma Santa ever dealt that did not involve coal. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 1. In case it isn’t readily obvious, we’re looking for dark, dark, dark fiction here. Violence welcome. Horror welcome. Cursing welcome (within reason, not just to be gratuitous). This is NOT an anthology for kids. If you think you’ve gone over the top, you may not have...
Taking submissions: Dirty Magick Magazine Summer 2025
Deadline: June 30th, 2025 Payment: $50 Theme: Urban fantasy, swords & sorcery, and gothic and supernatural horror Dirty Magick Magazine publishes original short fiction, from 2,000 to 12,500 words. We pay a single-story rate of $50 which is halfway to SFWA qualification and fully HWA eligible. E-mail “submissions dirtymagickmagazine.com” with your story attached. Authors should send only one story per reading period (no multiples). Simultaneous submission is fine as long as you withdraw your submission upon acceptance elsewhere. As of now, we are not interested in reprints. Translations, however, are accepted. We like a variety of stories but will only publish a few styles. Please read closely as these are the rules and they will not be broken. First and foremost, we are interested in urban fantasy which we define as fantasy adventure fiction which takes place in modern settings. These places can be real or imaginary (although we prefer the former), but the story must have some combination of those typical elements: magic, other sentient races, enchanted objects, and mythical backgrounds. These all may be underground and hidden, but they must play a part in the story. Next, we want sword and sorcery which we define as fantasy adventure fiction taking place in an ancient or alternative world where the protagonists must use their wits and weapons to survive. We contrast this with high fantasy (which we are not interested in) where quests taken on behalf of the rulers are world shaking. We are much more interested in the street level like the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser tales of Fritz Leiber and the Conan/Bran Mak Morn tales of Robert E. Howard. Finally, we will consider gothic and supernatural horror. We won’t define this directly, but this is a market to submit vampire, werewolf, ghost, and cryptid fiction. Be warned, it...
