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Anthology / Events / Flat Amount / Royalties

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Taking Submissions: Search for the Any Key

Submission Window: May 1st – August 29th, 2025
Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties.
Theme: Action/adventure mixed with any drama, can’t use a physical key, the why of the search should be the most important part

This will be mostly action/adventure, but can be placed in any time period, on other planets or any type of setting. All genres accepted and may contain humor, drama, romance, etc. Diverse characters welcome, human or otherwise.

The catch – no traditional keys accepted. If the characters don’t find the key, that’s okay.

Example – on a certain TV show, characters were searching for forgiveness and the key to enter was tears of regret. Another film had a key as part of a puzzle box which opened several artifacts.

Please think outside the box when writing these stories. The Why of the search is the most important point.

ALL writers are encouraged to submit. Doesn’t matter if you’re a pro with years of credits, a beginner just starting out, or a teenager – please feel free to send the editor a story. In your cover email, please tell the editor a bit about yourself and a quick one-line synopsis of the story. Include genre. If experimental, please explain the type or how so the editor doesn’t edit out the form or reject it out of hand.

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Articles / Interviews

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Zac Thompson Interview: Cemetery Kids Don’t Die

“You’re Only Alive if You’re Online”

By Sarah Elliott

 

Why the impending feeling of doom at the thought of switching off your phone? Why does the panic-induced pounding of your heart feel like, at any moment, your insides will spew forth if you dare to disconnect?

 

Being accessible and online seems non-negotiable these days. In Zac Thompson’s graphic novel Cemetery Kids Don’t Die, it’s more than non-negotiable, it’s a matter of life and death. Gamers beware! Will you accept the same challenge as the Cemetery Kids?

 

Let’s get to know the creator of this possible future world.

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Articles

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Eye Health in Horror Stories

In horror, few images unsettle quite like those involving the eyes. Whether it’s the act of seeing something terrible or losing the ability to see at all, eye-related imagery has long been a staple in the genre. As museum specialist Aubrey Minshew noted in an American Academy of Ophthalmology article, “having something strange or violent happen to someone’s eyes is the quickest way to make an audience feel frightened or uneasy.”

 

Filmmakers and horror writers have long understood this instinctive reaction. Consider the notorious scene in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the novel A Clockwork Orange, where the protagonist’s eyelids are forcibly held open with a lid specula while he undergoes aversion therapy. Or the 2008 horror film The Eye, where a young woman’s corneal transplant causes her to see terrifying visions inherited from her deceased donor’s psychic premonitions. In this article, we’ll explore why eye health is such a compelling theme in horror fiction—and look at some chilling examples where eye health (or the lack of it) takes center stage.

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Anthology / Events / Flat Amount

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Taking Submissions: Tales of Galactic Pest Control

Deadline: July 1st, 2025
Payment: $100 or higher depending on Kickstartr
Theme: Short stories that explore the theme of pest control in creative, unexpected, and engaging ways.

We’re seeking original short stories that explore the theme of pest control in creative, unexpected, and engaging ways. However, don’t be misled by the title—this is not a shared-universe project, nor does your story have to be set in space or on an alien world. Your tale can take place anywhere—on a starship, in a medieval village, deep in the jungle, or even within the microcosm of a single human body. The crucial element is the struggle against some form of infestation, nuisance, or destructive force.

Your protagonist might be a seasoned exterminator, a desperate homeowner battling an alien infestation, or even the pest itself, trying to survive against overwhelming odds. We welcome a wide range of tones, from serious and thought-provoking explorations of ethical dilemmas to lighthearted, comedic takes on interstellar vermin problems. Whether your story leans toward hard science fiction, space opera, fantasy, horror, or slipstream, as long as it aligns with the pest control theme, we want to see it!

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Anthology / Events / Royalties

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Taking Submissions: Elven Rock of Ages

Deadline: August 31st, 2025
Payment: Royalties
Theme: A 1980s band that end up in a fantasy kingdom (a few specific details to include below.)

Announcing the latest open call by Ps and Qs Publishing! Elven Rock of Ages

 

What I’m Looking For: 

 

Rift is tired of ruling his Elven Kingdom. He’s been maintaining peace for a thousand years. His son is ready to take over and his daughter is leading his armies. He has nothing to do except sit in his court and pretend to be entertained. Enter a 1980s band that managed to stumble into his kingdom. Finally, something new. Deciding that playing rock music is how he wants to spend his time, he and three of his most trusted guards head out into the world. They take on the names, 

 

Rift – singer

Belanger – bass 

Draye – guitar 

Todd – drummer (Someone has to have a normal human name.) 

1988 – Band Name

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Articles

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Meta’s Use of Pirated Material to Train AI, and Why You Should Care

Meta’s Use of Pirated Material to Train AI, and Why You Should Care

 

It all started with a piece in The Atlantic by Alex Reisner ( https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/libgen-meta-openai/682093/ ) revealing that Meta, the organisation behind social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, have been using a library of pirated written material to train their generative AI. Of course, this is a bit of a simplistic starting point. There have been ongoing outrages throughout creative communities for years now, including legal cases brought by users of DeviantArt to MidJourney for their use of copyrighted images to train AI ( https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/10/deviantart-midjourney-stable-diffusion-artificial-intelligence-image-generators ). Similarly, a group of authors, including Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad, brought a lawsuit against OpenAI for book scraping ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/05/authors-file-a-lawsuit-against-openai-for-unlawfully-ingesting-their-books ) that were partially dismissed in February ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/14/two-openai-book-lawsuits-partially-dismissed-by-california-court ). But the recent furore, and the betrayal of the writing community, is suddenly very focused around this issue.

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Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount

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Taking Submissions: High Stakes and Bloody Business

Deadline: July 31st, 2025
Payment: One free paperback OR $10 USD
Theme: Stories that involve vampires. Your vampire(s) can be the whumpee, whumper, and/or caretaker. We will also consider stories about vampire-adjacent creatures such as dhampirs, succubi, etc.

Bring out your vampires! For WPP’s fourth anthology, we’re looking for stories that involve vampires. Your vampire(s) can be the whumpee, whumper, and/or caretaker. We will also consider stories about vampire-adjacent creatures such as dhampirs, succubi, etc.

Word Count: Up to 17,500 words

 

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Articles / For Readers / Reviews

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Epeolatry Book Review: Black Cat Tales, An Anthology of Black Cats, ed. Francesca Maria & Mark Causey

Disclosure:

Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

Title: Black Cat Tales, An Anthology of Black Cats
Author: Various, ed. Francesca Maria and Mark Causey
Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Black Cat Publishing
Publication date: 13th June, 2025

Synopsis: A black cat approaches, do you let it cross your path, or run in the opposite direction? From the superstitious to the unlucky, from a witch’s familiar to a soul stealing grave robber, black cats have captured our imagination and remain solidly in the realm of the dark. 

Join authors from around the world for never before published horror, dark fantasy and mystery short stories and poems featuring the beloved, feared and mystical black cat. Black Cat Tales showcases a diverse group of authors ranging in age from 17 to 80, some with multiple award winning publications under their belts, for others, this will be the first time seeing their work in print.

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