Pill Hill Press
Taking Submissions: Leather, Denim, & Silver
Taking Submissions: Leather, Denim, & Silver Legends of the Monster Hunter Imagine Clint Eastwood in a classic Western. Then make it a hair-raising hunt for werewolves. Picture an elite military group chasing Djinn through war-torn Iraq, or a Victorian vampire hunter sacrificing their own life to save the children in the next room… History is filled with those that keep us safe by hunting the things that hunt us, and now is the time for their stories to be told. Give us your meanest, your baddest, your most clever and inventive, or your frail but tragically fated slayer. Make them heroes, or make them more evil than the creatures they hunt. Give them blind determination and a hell bent desire to win no matter what the cost, or let them face a moral uncertainty that they’re doing the right thing by killing… Please keep in mind: The story must include a human hunter, or a group of hunters, after a monster (any fictional monster. No human monsters...). New takes on the classic Vamp and Werewolf myths are most welcome. The hunter(s) can live or die. The monster(s) can be killed, kill the hunter(s), or get away. The story may take place in the past, in current times, or the near future (no sci-fi please). The story can, and in most cases should, include the hunter's chase and confrontation with the monster. Guns, knives, explosives and steel-traps are good. Falling in love with the monsters is unacceptable, unless the hunter dies. Make it an open-ranged Western. Make it a gas-lit London mystery, or make it a modern chase through the streets of New York. Just make sure you make it 3,000 to 7,000 words in RTF or DOC format. No reprints or sim-subs, please, and keep it to one sub at...
Taking Submissions: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night... A Horror Cliché Parody Edited by Shane McKenzie With Introduction by Jeff Strand (Tentative) Submission Deadline: 28 Feb 2011 To submit, please use our ONLINE SUBMISSIONS MANAGER. Our standard writer’s guidelines apply. Clichés. As horror writers, we have all been warned to avoid them at all costs. Whether your character is trapped in a shack in the woods surrounded by zombies while his partner slowly deteriorates from the bite he got on the arm during their struggle out of the military camp where the virus started when a scientist knocked over a vial... Or your character is a vampire that is depressed about being alone for eternity, staring forlornly out of his castle window, sipping a virgin’s blood from a wine glass… Or a serial killer’s story told through first person point of view where we get to see into his sick mind as he hacks his teenage, female, prostitute cheerleader victims into bits, all the while thinking back on his abused childhood and how his druggy parents beat and raped him. You know, the usual. Clichés have been so widely used that even avoiding them has become a cliché of its own. And don’t even get me started on the twist endings. It was all a dream, right? Well, Pill Hill Press is giving you the chance to stab these clichés in the stomach and twist the blade. We want you to lay into them, really have fun with it. We are looking for comedic, slapstick stories that poke fun at these aphorisms; let out all that aggression you’ve built up as a horror writer working around these clichés. The more ridiculous, the better. Make me laugh. All horror fans have a natural sense of humor, so bring it out and have...
Taking Submissions: How The West Was Wicked
How The West Was Wicked DEADLINE: March 31st, 2011 PAYMENT: ¼¢ per word, and if 5001+ words 1 contributor copy Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: 31 MARCH 2011 To submit, please use our online submissions manager. PLEASE include a brief biography with every submission (either in the email or the attachment). Our standard writer’s guidelines apply. How the West Was Wicked is an anthology of WEIRD WESTERN fiction with dark overtones and elements of horror; Let the imagination go crazy. Think little haunted houses on the prairie, demonic gunslingers, creatures unearthed while panning for gold, vampire brothels, vengeful Indian spirits such as the Wendigo, etc.—a complete dark & weird free for all in an old west setting. The central ingredients should be: 1) Takes place in the American Old West (Wild West) 2) Has a dark, horror element 3) Is weird, disturbing and/or unsettling *** Expected response time is under THREE months (please query if you have not received a response within 90 days). We regret that, due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to give personal criticism. No reprints, no multiple submissions, no simultaneous submissions. Word count should be approximately 1,500-15,000 words Payment: 5,000 words & under – ¼¢ per word, payable upon publication; no contributor’s copy 5,001 words & above – ¼¢ per word, payable upon publication; one contributor’s copy
Taking Submissions: The ePocalypse: e-mails at the end CONTEST
The ePocalypse: e-mails at the end DEADLINE: May 6th 2011 PAYMENT: Editor's Choice: $150, Contributor's Choice: $100, Runner's Up: $50.00, Ten free contributor's copies for other runner ups The ePocalypse: e-mails at the end Compiled by Jessy Marie Roberts CLICK TO SUBMIT (VIA OUR ONLINE SUBMISSIONS MANAGER) SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 6 MAY 2011 The world is ending. Humanity is on the brink of extinction. Read the electronic communications of Earth’s last survivors… What are we looking for? The ePocalypse will feature apocalyptic collaborative stories told/narrated exclusively through e-mail. Each story MUST have 2 or more collaborating authors. All e-mails must take place as the world as we know it is ending… earthquakes, floods, virus/disease, meteors, aliens, etc. We’re not really looking for zombie stories, though we will consider them if unique to the apocalyptic genre. About the contest… Editor’s Choice Award: $150.00 (split between teammates) The Editor’s Choice Award will be picked by the editor/compiler of the anthology; decision will be at her sole discretion Contributor’s Choice Award: $100.00 (split between teammates) The Contributor’s Choice Award will be picked by the contributing authors of the anthology. When the anthology is compiled, copyedited and typeset, we will send out an interior proof to the authors to check their stories for last minute copyediting/formatting errors. At this time, contributing authors have the option to read through the other stories and vote for their favorite story. Authors can’t vote for their own story, and each contributing author can only vote once. No contributing author is required to vote, but all authors who do are entered into a “consolation drawing” for a free copy of the anthology. Contributor’s Choice Runner-Up Award: $50.00 (split between teammates) The team with the second highest Contributor’s Choice Award votes will win the Contributor’s Choice Runner-Up Award. Consolation Drawing: Every...
Taking Submissions: There Was A Crooked House
There Was A Crooked House Deadline: June 3rd 2011 Payment: ¼¢ per word Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts DEADLINE SET! DEADLINE: 3 JUNE 2011 To submit, please use our online submissions manager. PLEASE include a brief biography with every submission (either in the email or at the end of the story). Our standard writers guidelines apply. We are looking for stories that are inspired by the prompt THERE WAS A CROOKED HOUSE or by the cover art (see above). Any genre of speculative fiction (except erotica) is welcome and will be considered. *** Expected response time is under THREE months from opening of the reading period (please query if you have not received a response within 90 days within the opening of the reading period). We regret that, due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to give personal criticism. No reprints, no multiple submissions, no simultaneous submissions. Word count should be UNDER 5,000 words (firm). Payment: ¼¢ per word, payable upon publication; no contributor’s copy *** To keep updated about this anthology (and all of Pill Hill Press’ projects), please visit our forum at http://pillhillpress.lefora.com
Taking Submissions: Dark Heroes
Dark Heroes Deadline: July 2nd 2011 Payment: ¼¢ per word, Contributor's copy depending on word count Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts Submission Deadline: 2 July 2011 To submit, please use our online submissions manager. Our standard writer’s guidelines apply. We are looking for *** Expected response time is under THREE months (please query if you have not received a response within 90 days). We regret that, due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to give personal criticism. No reprints, no multiple submissions, no simultaneous submissions Word count should be approximately 1,500-15,000 words; Payment: 5,000 words & under – ¼¢ per word, payable upon publication; no contributor’s copy 5,001 words & above – ¼¢ per word, payable upon publication; one contributor’s copy