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Articles / Interviews

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An Interview with Award-Nominated Poet Deborah Sheldon

Interview with Award-Nominated Poet Deborah Sheldon

I’m a fan of award-winning horror author and anthology editor, Deborah Sheldon. I’ve read most everything she’s written, including short stories, novellas, novels, and anthologies as well as flash fiction and drabbles. She’s a master of the horror genre in all its forms, and I await each of her regular new publications with eager anticipation, always wondering what it might be – a novel, a collection of short stories, an anthology? I’m happy to report that Deborah Sheldon’s latest publication The Broonie and Other Dark Poems is available now through Hiraeth Publishing. For those of us who read her horror stories with relish, the contents of this poetry collection will not disappoint. Intrigued that Sheldon has now turned her hand to verse, I caught up with her recently to talk about her multi-faceted writing journey.

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Events / Flash / Online

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Taking Submissions: Short Story Substack May 2025 Window

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?
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Articles

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Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Chef’s Special

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Chef’s Special

Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.

Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.

This week’s writing prompt:

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Articles

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What Is Romantasy?

In 2024, the fantasy genre experienced a surge in sales of 35.8% over the previous year. This was largely due to the prominence of a new genre called “romantasy”. A portmanteau of the words “romance” and “fantasy,” romantasy has become a buzzword in the publishing industry over the recent years, but what exactly is it? What makes it different from fantasy that has romance in it, or vice versa? 

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Artwork / Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry / Reprints Allowed / Semipro

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Taking Submissions: NonBinary Review #41

Deadline: August 1st, 2025
Payment: 1 cent per word for fiction, $10 for poetry, $25 for artwork or $50 for cover artwork
Theme: Solarpunk
Note: Reprints Welcome

NonBinary Review is currently open for submissions on the theme of SOLARPUNK.

We want your rusting Teslas still chugging along for a hundred years. Your wooden bicycles pulling hitches rigged with wind turbines. Your crumbling brutalist towers, softened by time, now home to moss, mushrooms, and grizzly bears.

Solarpunk is not just about sustainability, it is about adaptation, resilience, and the beauty of a world where humanity and nature thrive together. If you are looking for inspiration, think Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers; Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke and Castle in the Sky; or the quiet satisfaction of making coffee with a Chemex, dumping the used grounds in your compost, and watching the worms enjoy their breakfast too.

We are NOT looking for “climate change is a myth, stop worrying!” stories, sexual coming-of-age narratives, or anything that does not fit within the speculative genre.

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Events

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Taking Submissions: Spook Hollow: Tales of Ozark Horror

Deadline: July 31st, 2025
Payment: $50 and a contributor’s copy.
Theme: Horror stories set in the Ozark mountains

Calling all Ozark writers, storytellers, folklorists, and tale collectors!

Parlor Ghost Press, an imprint of Watertower Hill Publishing (publishers of 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴, and 𝘏𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴), is taking submissions for our upcoming anthology, 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸: 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳, edited by Heather Daughrity, to be released February 2026.

What we are looking for: horror stories set in the Ozark mountains–either your own take on a story from Ozark folklore or an original tale featuring Ozark locations/atmosphere/beliefs/etc.
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Articles

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Horror Writing and Anxiety

Anxiety is something that I’ve struggled with for years. I was recently told that I am a fatalist. I had always considered myself “half a stoic”. Half, because a stoic imagines the worst-case scenario and then relaxes. I imagine worst case scenario and then my mind is stuck there in a repeating loop. So, when my friend said I was a fatalist, I looked it up and discovered that it absolutely does better describe my condition. 

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Artwork / Events / Other / Pay / Reviews

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Taking Submissions: Lizzie Borden Anthology

Deadline: June 1st, 2025
Payment: $10 and a contributors copy
Theme: New and unique takes on the legends and realities of the Lizzie Borden story

Everyone knows the legend of Lizzie Borden, especially the dark nursery rhyme…

 

Lizzie Borden took an axe

Gave her mother 40 whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

Gave her father 41

Riverdale Avenue Books has teamed up with the Historical Lizzie Borden house to put together an anthology of stories, under the direction of award-winning horror author Sèphera Girón, who has visited the house multiple times over the past few decades.

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