Looming Submission Deadlines – Crime and Horror

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Photo by BSD on Unsplash

Darkness is Closing In. These Crime & Horror Submission Deadlines Are Imminent:

CRIME, MYSTERY, TRUE CRIME, & DARK FICTION CRIME MARKETS:

Jump to Horror Markets

Aug 2021

Crimeucopia

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints – To a Maximum of – £7.00 at present – but negotiable. New Material – 1,000 – 5,000 – up to £10 .00 at present. New Material – 6.000 – 10,000 – up to £20.00 at present.

https://www.murderousinkpress.co.uk/submissions.html

The Astronaut Only Rings Twice

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Payment: $50.00 (CAD) per story. Theme: Hard boiled detectives, in space.

We are looking for stories that have the themes, characters and plot twists of noir crime fiction crossed with all the elements of science fiction. Let your inner Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Jonathan Lethem, Michael Chabon or Adam Christopher out and file your story with us.

https://tychebooks.com/astronaut-rings-twice

Sep – Nov 2021

Crimeucopia

Deadline: November 30, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints – To a Maximum of – £7.00 at present – but negotiable. New Material – 1,000 – 5,000 – up to £10 .00 at present. New Material – 6.000 – 10,000 – up to £20.00 at present.

https://www.murderousinkpress.co.uk/submissions.html

Death of a Bad Neighbor Anthology

Deadline: October 31, 2021; opens October 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Crime and mystery fiction. Payment: Payment: 10 cents/word and royalties. 2,000 to 5,000 words.

https://www.jackcalverley.com/cozy-crime-mystery-anthology-submission.html

(I Just) Died In Your Arms: Crime Fiction Inspired By One-Hit Wonders

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Crime stories based on songs. Throughout the decades, so many musical artists have had just the one hit, and that’s a crime. So is murder. So what better way to celebrate both than by combining them into an anthology? Here’s your chance to be inspired by your favorite One-Hit Wonder and give a chance to breathe some new life into the greatest hits of our lives.Payment: Royalties.

https://www.untreedreads.com/i-just-died-in-your-arms-crime-fiction-inspired-by-one-hit-wonders/

The Zodiac Killers Series

Deadline: October 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Thriller. Length: 500-6,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/situationalhorror

The Best New True Crime Stories: Unsolved Crimes & Mysteries

Deadline: September 1, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Nonfiction, true crime accounts of unsolved criminal cases and mysteries that can take place anywhere in the world and be from any time period. Payment: $130.

https://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/

HORROR MARKETS:

Aug 2021

Bloody Good Horror (HellBound Books)

Deadline: August 31st, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

No particular theme, no particular sub-genres, no specific word length – as the title suggests, all we want is some bloody good horror for this anthology!

So, send us along your very best horror stories, and see if you can scare our jaded team of readers! 2.5K-4K word count (although we are incredibly flexible for awesome stories!) Payment: $5.

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Chlorophobia: An Eco-Horror Anthology

Deadline: August 31st, 2021

(checked Jul 29/21)

Theme of eco-horror. We’re looking for punchy, eye-catching flash fiction and poetry that tackles the subject of eco-horror. Plants, animals, weather phenomena… It’s time for Mother Nature to fight back.Payment: $5

https://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-chlorophobia-an-eco-horror-anthology/#more-584532

Chromophobia: A Strangehouse Anthology By Women In Horror

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Horror written by women on theme of color. Payment:1 cent/word. 1500-6000 words.

I’m looking for stories that use color in creative, unconventional ways. Terrify me with pastels. Use watercolors to invoke dread. Take a classic trope and redye it into something unique. I also welcome stories of chromophobia, stories with characters who have never seen color or who are color blind, or who deal with visual disabilities.

https://roosterrepublicpress.com/chromophobia-guidelines-submission-window-and-timeline/

Creature Publishing

Deadline: August 31, 2021; Opens March 6, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Length: 20,000-60,000 words. Payment: Royalties

We accept both agented and un-agented submissions of fiction, nonfiction, or genre-defying prose.

Creature publishes up to four book-length works of feminist horror a year. We are looking for books that celebrate fluidity—the ability to cross boundaries and inhabit more than one category at once. While we acknowledge that categories have a certain utility, we refuse to separate horror, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy from each other or the literary from the mainstream. Our definition of feminist horror is broad and inclusive, and we welcome writing that pushes boundaries.

We are interested in: unreliable narrators, unlikeable female characters, the monstrous, sharp critical essays and social commentary, swamp witches, your nightmares, dystopias, psychological suspense, unraveling minds, unraveling social constructs, possession, intersectionality, hybrid genres, metafiction, dark nights, and writing on sexuality/the body, gender, race, class, disability, technology, religion, and anything and everything that makes our spines tingle.

https://creaturehorror.com/submit

Nightlight

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Jul 23/21)

Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 – $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints.

https://nightlightpod.com/submissions/

The Prairie Soul

Deadline: August 31, 2021, Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jul 22/21)

The vision for this anthology is to create a collection of scary and supernatural horror stories featuring witches living in the Canadian Prairies. But we do not want to read stereotypical witches. This anthology will be restricted to female authors, women or people who identify as women, and must be Canadian residents of the Canadian Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba). 2,000-6,000 words. Payment $100.

https://www.theprairiesoul.com/submissions

Dose of Dread

Deadline: August 15, 2021; opens August 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked Jul 26/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Vanishing Point

Deadline: August 13, 2021

(checked Jul 29/21)

Horror, Sci-fi, Dark Fantasy. The Vanishing Point is a literary magazine for works that bend reality.  Horror, Sci-fi, Dark Fantasy, and all things speculative are welcome here. Fiction: 1500-6000 words. Non-Fiction: query first.  Payment: $25.

https://vanishingpointmagazine.com/index.php/submissions/

Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories 

Deadline: August 8, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Horror based on found footage. “We’re looking for your best, original, found footage tales. Stories can be written in first person, third person, as a transcript, journal, radio play, poetry, as a script. Play with the format. Do something you haven’t read before.” Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words. Payment: $0.03 per word. Questions / submissions: whatwasfound@gmail.com

https://twitter.com/andrewcull/status/1383737217953112074

The Dead Inside (Dark Dispatch)

Deadline: August 2, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Identity horror. “Explorations of what happens when our core identities are stripped, altered, suppressed, or denied to us, whether by choice or not.” Payment: Poetry: $25 per poem. Flash Fiction: $25 per story. Short Stories: $50 per story. NonFiction: $50 per piece for print and ebook rights.

https://darkdispatch.com/submissions/identity-horror-submission-guidelines/

Demonic Vacations: Go Home Already! (4 Horsemen Publications)

Deadline: August 1st, 2021

(checked Jul 25/21)

Payment Details: 2 contributor’s copies

Theme: Demonic Vacations – Humorous horror, thriller.

Our collection continues with dark humor, bizarre, and creepy vibes. We often need a vacation. Heck, sometimes you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. We invite authors to submit 2,500-5,000 words of vacations from the cabin getaway, to Auntie’s house down south, to even that free cruise you won tickets from…. huh, I don’t remember entering anything? Make us laugh, make us do double takes, and make us regret spending our time on a “dream” vacation from hell.

https://4horsemenpublications.com/demonic-vacations/

The Ghastling

Deadline: August 1, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Biannual magazine publishing literary fiction and illustration devoted to psychological horror, folk horror, ghost stories and the macabre. Payment: £15 per story plus copy of magazine. 3500 words max., no minimum.

https://theghastling.com/submit/

2022 to Sep 2021

The Cellar Door: Dark Highways

Deadline: July 15, 2022; opens July 1, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror/suspense stories that take place on a highway, road, or inside a vehicle. Payment: $25. 2,000 – 7,500 words.

https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/the-cellar-door-issue-3—dark-highways.html

Dragon Soul Press: Beautiful Darkness 1 (R)

Deadline: June 30, 2022

(checked Jul 21/21)

Genre: Horror. “In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties. Note: This series replaces All Dark Places.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Dragon Soul Press: Haunt (R)

Deadline: May 31, 2022

(checked Jul 21/21)

Genre: Horror. “In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: February 1, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror on theme of Metamorphosis. Payment: 15 GBT. 2,000 words.

Guidelines are here.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

The Cellar Door: Forbidden Magic

Deadline: January 15, 2022; opens January 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror/dark fantasy stories featuring forbidden or taboo magic. Must include some form of spell casting or alchemy. Payment: $25. 2,000 – 7,500 words.

https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/the-cellar-door-issue-2—forbidden-magic.html

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: January 1, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror on theme of Victorian England. Payment: 15 GBT. 2,000 words.

Guidelines are here.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Dec 2021

Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology

Deadline: December 31, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror. Haunted houses, ghost stories, creature features, splatterpunk, serial killers, witches, monsters, you name it. Just make sure your story features at least one fat protagonist. Payment: $25.

https://nicole-jarrell.squarespace.com/diet-riot-a-fatterpunk-anthology-submission-info

Dose of Dread

Deadline: December 15, 2021; opens December 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked Jul 26/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: December 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror on theme of Superheroes. Payment: 15 GBT. 2,000 words.

Guidelines are here.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Scary Dairy Press: Bloody Rock Anthology

Deadline: December 1, 2021; opens August 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror. “Does the rock of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s take you back to the nightmares of yore? If you can brew a scary tale that Alice Cooper and the Dead would love, we just might love it too!” Payment: $.03 per word.

http://scarydairypress.com/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: December 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror on theme of Surgery. Payment: 15 GBT. 2,000 words.

Guidelines are here.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Nov 2021

Red Cape Anthologies: M is for Medical

Deadline: November 30, 2021; Opens October 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Think surgery gone wrong, sadistic nurses, organ trafficking, creepy doctors etc.” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: November 15, 2021; opens November 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked Jul 26/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Lamplight

Deadline: November 15, 2021; opens September 15, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Dark fiction, both short stories and flash fiction. No specific sub-genres or themes, just good stories. For inspiration, we suggest “The Twilight Zone”, “The Outer Limits”, and LampLight, Vol1 Issue 1 which is free. We go for stories that are dark, literary; we are looking for the creepy, the weird and the unsettling. We do not accept stories with the following: vampires, zombies, werewolves, serial killers, hitmen, excessive gore or sex, excessive abuse against women, revenge fantasies, cannibals, high fantasy.Payment: Unpublished Fiction: 3¢ per word, $150.00 max. Reprints: 1¢ per word up to 7,000 words.

There are two submission periods for LampLight:

15 March – 15 May for the September and December Issues

15 September – 15 November for March and June Issues

Submissions sent outside of these periods will not be considered.

https://lamplightmagazine.com/submissions/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: November 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror on theme of Cults. Payment: 15 GBT. 2,000 words.

Guidelines are here.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Haunted MTL

Deadline: November 12, 2021. (Or until filled)

(checked Jul 27/21)

We want you to scare us. We want you to grip us. We want you to make us check under the bed, desk, and/or lawnmower. Swearing? OK. Killing? Sure, why not? Rape? Not our sponsor. Sex? You bet! Horror. Payment: Not specified. Micro-fiction all the way up to 4500 words.

https://hauntedmtl.com/current-submission-calls-and-guidelines/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: November 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Horror on theme of Video Games. Payment: 15 GBT. 2,000 words.

Guidelines are here.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Oct 2021

Dead Stars and Stone Arches: A Collection of Utah Horror

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Cosmic Horror. Payment: Poetry – $10 USD, Flash – $15 USD, Short Fiction – $35 USD, Novelette – $75 USD.

https://www.timberghostpress.com/dead-stars.html

Eerie River Publishing: It Calls from the the Veil

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

“Give me your nightmares. These stories should take place in our reality with a supernatural twist. Think evil entities.” May have elements of Dark Fantasy, Dark Fiction and Cosmic horror. But must have the intention to scare the readers. Word count: 2000 – 8000. Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00; Up to 5000 words $15.00; Above 5001 words $20.00.

https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/open-submission

The Toilet Zone (Hellbound Books)

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Payment: $5. HellBound’s third outing to the smallest room…

And no, don’t panic, we’re still not looking for lavatory-themed tales of terror – although should your short story involve the smallest room in the house, we’d be more than delighted to read it!

The theme for this anthology is short horror stories that will make an ideal sit-down read, just long enough for those extended stays at the convenience, and terrifying enough that they really are best read whilst over water….

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Dose of Dread

Deadline: October 15, 2021; opens October 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked Jul 26/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Negative Space 2: A Return to Survival Horror (Dark Peninsula Press)

Deadline: October 1, 2021; opens September 1, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Survival Horror. It is a sub-genre of horror video games in which the protagonist(s) must face dire situations in locations far off the beaten path by using the environment, or items found in the environment, to survive. While it’s safe to assume that “survival” is a common element in most horror stories, there is an extra emphasis in a survival horror story. It could mean finding escape, or fortifying a position and awaiting rescue, or fighting the threat head on with the use of traps and/or under-powered weaponry. Think of Neil Marshall’s film The Descent, or the last thirty minutes of Predator; that’s what we’re looking for.Payment: $50. 2,000 – 7,500 words.

https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/negative-space-2-opening-soon.html

Slash – Her

Deadline: October 1, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Horror written by women. We would like to see varied interpretations of this genre. Of course, we (Janine!) are hoping to see some splatterpunk submissions but this anthology will be filled to the brim with nuance. Wow us with your quiet horror, surprise us with your humour. You want an axe wielding soccer mom who has had enough of the other yummy mummies with their lattes, do your worst! Show us what you believe women can bring to the slasher sub-genre. Payment: Royalties. 3000-5000 Words

https://kandishapress.com/submissions/

The Nightmurr Before Yiffmas

Deadline: October 1, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Payment: $10 and a contributor’s copy Theme: Holiday monsters with a furry twist. The editor of 12 Days of Yiffmas is back with another holiday erotic anthology for furries, but this time, it’s horrific, too! Stories must be furry in nature. That means anthropomorphic animals that walk on two legs and can talk. Stories must be erotic in nature. Stories must be horror as well. And of course, stories must focus on Christmas, Yule, etc. The winter holiday!

https://weaselpress.submittable.com/submit

Sep 2021

Club Plum

Deadline: September 30, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Please send your dark, surreal, horrific, and strange flash fiction, prose poetry, hybrid forms, and art to Club Plum for the October 2021 issue.  Send your unsettling. Send your beautifully morbid. flash fiction of no more than 800 words. See www.clubplumliteraryjournal.com for guidelines.

https://clubplumliteraryjournal.com/submit/

Red Cape Anthologies: L is for Lycanthropes

Deadline: September 30, 2021; Opens August 1, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Where werewolves turn on a full moon, lycanthropes are not as restricted. This opens up to more possibilities as they may turn at the most awkward moment, leading to terrifying carnage.” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

From the Yonder

Deadline: September 19, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

“The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest).” Payment: $5.

https://warmonkeypublications.com/submissions

Dose of Dread

Deadline: September 15, 2021; opens September 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked Jul 26/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

SFWG and Cloaked Press: YA & NA Horror

Deadline: September 15, 2021; opens June 10, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Speculative fiction for young adults and new adults. Genres accepted: Mystery, Paranormal, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror; and anything in those sub-genres. Word Count Range: 2500-7000 words. Payment: $10. 

https://www.cloakedpress.com/sfwgs-nightmare-fuel/

Parhelion Literary Magazine

Deadline: September 9, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Parhelion is accepting short story and flash submissions for our annual Halloween Issue. We’re looking for wonderfully creepy, give-me-the-shivers, keep-me-up-at-night stories—bonus if the setting is Halloween/fall. Think James’ TheTurn of the Screw or Jackson’s The Lottery. Or, the way ghosts haunt the living in Jesmyn Ward’s Sing Unburied Sing. Send us your best work! https://parhelionliterary.submittable.com/submit

Sinister Smile Press: Screaming in the Night: Sinister Supernatural Stories Volume 1

Deadline: September 8, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Horror. Payment: $40. Beware of the night, for it shows no mercy.

The Sinister Supernatural Stories series brings you delicious horror that focuses on elements of the supernatural. Pull up a chair and dig in, but never after dark—everyone knows bad things always happen after dark.

https://www.sinistersmilepress.com/sitn-submission-guidelines

A Woman Built by Man

Deadline: September 5, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Open to women and femme-identifying individuals. Genre: Short stories that explore the ways in which women are shaped by the men around them. “There is no restriction on sub-genre or subject matter, but the story must incorporate how a feminine figure is shaped by male hands through a horror lens. From supernatural creature features to the farthest reaches of space, down to the darkest depths of the sea, what does a woman built by man look like to you?” Payment: $.05 USD per word. 2000-5000 words.

https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/submissions/

Madame Gray’s Vault of Gore (Hellbound Books)

Deadline: September 1, 2021

(checked Jul 27/21)

Horror. Payment: $5. Madame Gray is back and looking for blood-drenched tales of terror to add to her Vault of Gore. The weird, the gruesome, and the downright shocking are welcome. A happy ending is not required, but a twist ending is a big plus. 2.5K – 8K word count.

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Slice of Paradise

Deadline: September 1st, 2021

(checked Jul 29/21)

Theme of Beach Vacation Horror. What we are looking for:

Horrifying short stories that occur on a tropical beach paradise. We also encourage writers to have good representation of POC, LGBTQ+, and strong female characters. Submissions must be between 5,000 and 8,000 words.

Complimentary flash fiction submissions must be between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Payment: $0.01 per word for new stories and/or $25 for reprints PLUS $5 for complimentary flash fiction.

https://horroroasis.com/slice-of-paradise/

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Fast Approaching Submission Deadlines For You – General Fiction:

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Here are a few fast approaching submission deadlines for you – general fiction:

Feb 2022

Dragon Soul Press: Chance on Love

Deadline: February 28, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

“Everyone deserves a chance at love. Whether it lasts forever or ends up being temporary, these characters will fight for the chance at happily ever after.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: February 21, 2022; opens February 1, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Fantasy Magazine

Deadline: February 7, 2022; opens February 1, 2022 (1st week every month)

(checked Jul 26/21)

All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. If you’re not sure whether your story is fantasy (vs. horror or science fiction) go ahead and submit and let the editors decide.. Payment: 8 cents per word for original short stories and flash fiction. $40 per poem. Short Story: 1500-7500 words. (Stories of 5000 words or less are preferred.) Flash Fiction: Up to 1500 words.

https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/fantasy/guidelines

Dragon Soul Press: Beyond Atlantis

Deadline: January 31, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

“Unique retellings of Atlantis-like civilizations. Preferably with mermaids, selkies, krakens, or other mythological sea creatures included.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Mythic

Deadline: January 31, 2022; Opens December 1, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Payment: 4 cents/word.

Reading Periods:

• June 1 through July 31
• December 1 through January 31

https://www.mythicmag.com/p/submissions.html

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: January 21, 2022; opens January 1, 2022

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Dec 2021

Allegory

Deadline: December 31, 2021; opens November 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Payment: $15. There is no minimum or maximum length for fiction. Short-shorts (less than 500 words) and flash fiction (less than 100 words) are usually hard sells for us, as are stories longer than 5000 words. We’ll consider them, but they will have to be exceptional.

https://www.allegoryezine.com/submissions

Dancing Star Press

Deadline: December 31, 2021; opens October 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative fiction novellas 17,500 to 40,000 words. Space operas, solar punk, dark fantasy, and urban fantasy. Hard science fiction with an emphasis on biology or chemistry rather than physics. Fantasy based on non-Western cultures. Optimistic futurism. Polar Tesla pop and soft science fiction. Payment: Royalties. 

https://www.dancingstarpress.com/submissions/

Dragon Soul Press: Surge

Deadline: December 31, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Cyberpunk. 5,000-15,000 words. “These characters are trying to survive in a dystopia of advanced technologies. Living alongside Artificial Intelligence has its perks, but also many deadly downfalls.” Payment: Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2021

Deadline: December 31, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Queer speculative short fiction reprints from 2021. Payment: 1 cent/word.

https://www.neonhemlock.com/submissions

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: December 21, 2021; opens December 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: December 2, 2021 – submissions closed while the publisher moves – to approx Sept 1st?

(checked Jul 25/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. 

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Nov 2021

Cast of Wonders

Deadline: November 30, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction.

https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

Dragon Soul Press: Everlast

Deadline: November 30, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Romance. “Romance can be difficult on its own, even before adding the complications of time travel to the equation. These couples find themselves from separate timelines in history, but cross paths due to unforeseen circumstances.” Word Count – 5,000-20,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Dragon Soul Press: Rogue Tales

Deadline: November 30, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Fairytale. “Fairytales will never be the same in this reverse harem anthology. All versions of bedtime stories, folklore, etc are welcome.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties. 

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Pirating Pups

Deadline: November 30th, 2021, opens October 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Stories with adventure-loving dogs, puns, water and fun. “I’m looking for sailors, submariners, explorers, Vikings and more. Fun stories filled with excitement, drama, treasure-seeking, sword fights, discovering new worlds and dogs, dogs, dogs.” Payment: $50 CAD. 

http://tychebooks.com/pirating-pups

Podcastle

Deadline: November 30, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. We’re open to all the sub-genres of fantasy, from magical realism to urban fantasy to slipstream to high fantasy, and everything in between. Fantastical or non-real content should be meaningful to the story.

http://podcastle.org/guidelines/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: November 21, 2021; opens November 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Luna Station Quarterly

Deadline: November 15, 2021; Opens September 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Genre: Speculative fiction by woman-identified writers. Payment: $5. Accepts reprints.

Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. We think women write awesome characters and really cool stories and we want to show it to the world. We will consider stories submitted by any woman writer, regardless of experience or writing resume. If you consider yourself on the woman end of the gender spectrum in any significant capacity, you’re welcome here!

Publication Date Submission Dates

March 1st September 15th – November 15th

June 1st December 15th – February 15th

September 1st March 15th – May 15th

December 1st June 15th – August 15th

http://lunastationquarterly.com/submissions/

Timber Ghost Press: Out of Time: True Paranormal Encounters

Deadline: November 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

True ghost stories, unexplained occurrences, and weird encounters with the paranormal or supernatural. Payment: $20.

https://www.timberghostpress.com/out-of-time.html

One Story

Deadline: November 14, 2021; Opens September 7, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Genre: Short story. Payment: $500. 

One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.

Submission Periods: January 15th – May 31st | September 7th – November 14th

https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit&pubcode=os

Space Opera Digest 2021: Have Ship, Will Travel

Deadline: November 14, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Short space opera stories. 2,000 to 7,500 words. Payment: Royalties. Space Opera heroes and heroines explore the stars and discover cool new places in ships which range from beat-up rust-buckets to sleek technologically advance craft that are the envy of the galaxy. Space ships are quintessential for the adventures and challenges our favourite characters face.

https://storiesrulepress.com/space-opera-digest-2022-call-for-submissions/

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: November 13, 2021; Opens November 11, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: November 2, 2021 – submissions closed while the publisher moves – to approx Sept 1st?

(checked Jul 24/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. 

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Lethe Press

Deadline: November 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative fiction, especially queer speculative fiction, historical fiction. Full-length manuscripts. Payment: Royalties.

https://www.lethepressbooks.com/call-for-submissions.html#/

Oct 2021

Black Hare Press: War Anthology

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Short stories. THEME : War/conflict. Must be dark, any genre. 5,000 words minimum. Payment: $50.

https://www.blackharepress.com/submissions/

Mythaxis

Deadline: October 31st, 2021; Opens October 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. 1,000-7,500 words.

https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html

Titanic Terastructures

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Speculative fiction set in or about megastructures, gigastructures, TERASTRUCTURES! Payment: $5 per thousand words. Reprints accepted.

http://www.jayhenge.com/callforstories.html

Trees Anthology

Deadline: October 31, 2021. (Or until filled.)

(checked Jun 25/21)

Dark speculative fiction involving trees. Payment: $10. 

We want a 2,500 word or less dark speculative fiction story involving trees in some way. By speculative fiction we mean horror, fantasy and soft sf. Stories can be no longer than 2,500 words. Flash and micro fiction is acceptable.

No graphic violence, rape scenes or abuse to children.

https://www.jerseypinesink.com/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: October 21, 2021; opens October 1, 2021 (each month)

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500 to 1000 word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Howlers series: Devilish Deals

Deadline: October 15, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Payment: $10 usd. Theme: Deals involving the devil. Word count: 2,500-8,000; a little above and a little below will be acceptable. This anthology challenges you to come up with stories where people make unique deals with the Dark Lord. Horrific. Erotic. Comedic. As long as it’s unique and has that Satanic deal!

https://weaselpress.submittable.com/submit

Translunar Travelers Lounge

Deadline: October 15, 2021; opens September 21, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative fiction. Your story must contain speculative elements: that means science fiction or fantasy. Swashbuckling adventure, deadly intrigue, and gleeful romance are some of the most obvious examples of what we’re looking for, but we won’t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider “fun” umbrella.Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20. Maximum 5,000 words.

https://translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: October 13, 2021; Opens October 11, 2021 (3-day submission windows)

(checked Jul 24/21)

Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Luna Press

Deadline: October 10, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Speculative fiction novellas by writers who identify as “Other than White.”    Payment: Royalties. For our purposes, speculative fiction deals with elements that are nonexistent in reality, covering various themes in the context of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (e.g. science fantasy).

https://www.lunapresspublishing.com/submissions

Havok: Innocent/Sage Theme

Deadline: October 3, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of innocent / sage. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: October 2, 2021 – submissions closed while the publisher moves – to approx Sept 1st?

(checked Jul 24/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. 

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Sep 2021

Dragon Soul Press: Dragons and Heroines

Deadline: September 30, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Genre: “Any stories involving a female Main Character and dragons.” Word Count – 7,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Dragon Soul Press: History

Deadline: September 30, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Historical Fiction. “Any person, location, or time period accepted as long as dragons are included. Note: Dragons need to be part of the storyline. They cannot be mentioned in passing.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Where Giants Fall

Deadline: September 30th, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Fantasy. The theme of this fantasy anthology is light in the darkness. Your story should contain the element of hope shining through the dark, whether this is subtle or a leading theme throughout the story’s fabric. The editors are seeking bold stories with a lot of heart and stories that do not shy away from gritty themes or dark topics. 2000-8000 words. Payment: Royalties.

https://angelarwatts.com/submissions/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: September 21, 2021; opens September 1, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Translunar Travelers Lounge

Deadline: September 21, 2021; Opens September 15, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Restrictions: BIPOC writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20.

https://translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/

Zombie Works Publications: Natural Instincts Tales of Witches and Warlocks

Deadline: September 19, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Short-stories that involve Witches and Warlocks. 2000 to 3000 words in length and content must be between a Rated “PG-13” to Rated “R”. Please no NC-17 stories, they will be rejected as our contract with the printer does not allow us to produce that sort of content.Payment: 10 cents per book (per each book sold on Amazon, I assume. So, if they sell 100 books, each author will get $10)

http://zombieworks.us/

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: September 13, 2021; Opens September 11, 2021 (3-day submission window)

(checked Jul 26/21)

Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Havok: Caregiver/Lover Theme

Deadline: September 5, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of caregiver / lover. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: September 2, 2021 – submissions closed while the publisher moves.

(checked Jul 24/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. 

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Books and Bikes in Space

Deadline: September 1, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Stories about bicycling and books, from a feminist perspective. Stories can be in any speculative or fantastical genre—hard science fiction, space opera, epic fantasy, alternative history, paranormal romance, hope punk, modern fairy tales and anything around or in between. Payment: $50 minimum.

https://takingthelane.com/2021/04/04/call-for-submissions-books-and-bikes-in-space/

Young Dragons

Deadline: September 1, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Middle Grade and Young Adult full-length manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. 

https://youngdragonspress.com/submission-guidelines-writers/

Aug 2021

Camden Park Press: Holiday Hijinks!

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Short stories centered around holidays. Three anthologies:. For Whimsical Winter Wonderland, we’re looking for stories with a healthy scoop of whimsy and a sprinkling of magic. Happy Holiday Historicals will be stories that take us back to days gone by – set prior to 1970. The unbreakable rule for Crazy Christmas Capers is “Nobody gets hurt (in any meaningful way).” Beyond that, feel free to let your larcenous characters run wild. Payment: Royalties. 

http://www.camdenparkpress.com/holidayhijinks/

Dragon Soul Press: Timeless 2

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Fairytale. “Anything involving a twist on old fairy tales, whether it be the classics or lesser known ones.Note: As long as you keep to the theme and use a fairytale, originality is fully appreciated. Cliff-hangers are more than welcome.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Grindstone Short Story Prize

Deadline: Final closing August 31, 2021; Regular Submission: £10.00

Deadline: Early bird closing May 1, 2021; Early Bird: £8.00

(checked Jul 26/21)

The Grindstone Short Story Prize returns this year, seeking out the best short fiction writers from around the world. Writers are asked to submit a piece of short fiction between 1,000 and 3,000 words, of any genre, aimed at adult readers. Grand Prize – £500. Runner Up – £200. Four Shortlisters – £50. The top 20 entries will be curated into our yearly anthology and published in print.

https://www.grindstoneliterary.com/short-story-prize

Madness Heart Press: Nafallen University – College Catalog

Deadline: August 31st, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

This is a call for a new anthology chapbook from John Baltisberger and Matthew Henshaw. The conceit is that the chapbook is a course catalog for a strange and horrible university in North Texas, (think Miskatonic of the south). Submissions should follow the example on the site, with a department heading followed by course descriptions. Each description can be anywhere from 1-200 words long. They may be written to be funny, bizarre, or horrifying. They will take as many courses from submissions as we feel are a good fit. Payment: $0.01/word. 

https://madnessheart.press/submissions/nafallen-university-college-catalog-submissions-call/?v=7516fd43adaa

Spartan

Deadline: August 31, 2021; Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jul 26/21)

Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20.

We have four submission windows each year. Any pieces submitted outside of the submission windows will be deleted unread. The submission windows are:

     Fall: October through November

     Winter: January through February

     Spring: April through May

     Summer: July through August

https://spartanlit.com/submissions

The New Gothic Review

Deadline: August 31, 2021, opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Gothic fiction. Eerie atmosphere is key, but they are not a horror magazine. “We’re looking for previously unpublished short stories that reimagine Gothic fiction for the 21st century. We want stories that are beautifully written, heavily atmospheric, and psychologically chilling.” Payment: $50. 1500-5000 words.

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: August 30, 2021; Opens June 14, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Flash fiction competition (theme to be decided). Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: August 21, 2021; opens August 1, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Life Beyond Us

Deadline: August 20, 2021; Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Science fiction short stories exploring the unknown: life forms we’re not familiar with on Earth (from extreme environments, to those right beneath our noses) and beyond our planet; strange life’s discovery, peculiarities, and the ethical questions arising from these. Payment: 8 cents/word. 

https://laksamedia.com/life-beyond-us-submission-guidelines/

Cast of Wonders

Deadline: August 15, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

YA Speculative fiction by young adults. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction.

https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

Luna Station Quarterly

Deadline: August 15, 2021; Opens June 15, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Genre: Speculative fiction by woman-identified writers. Payment: $5. Accepts reprints.

Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. We think women write awesome characters and really cool stories and we want to show it to the world. We will consider stories submitted by any woman writer, regardless of experience or writing resume. If you consider yourself on the woman end of the gender spectrum in any significant capacity, you’re welcome here!

Publication Date Submission Dates

March 1st September 15th – November 15th

June 1st December 15th – February 15th

September 1st March 15th – May 15th

December 1st June 15th – August 15th

http://lunastationquarterly.com/submissions/

Planet Scumm

Deadline: August 15, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, horror, speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream on theme of Winter Horror. Payment: 3 cents/word. Stories, or collections of flash fiction, should be 2000 – 6000 words.

https://www.planetscumm.space/submit

Ruminate

Deadline: August 15, 2021. Note: Ruminate also accepts short fiction on a rolling basis.

(checked May 31/21)

We welcome submissions from both emerging and established writers and are looking for fiction that engages the contemplative spirit of our journal and embraces curiosity and discovery rather than resolution. Fiction under 5,500 words. Payment: $20 per 400 words. 

https://ruminatemagazine.submittable.com/submit/8428/2021-nonfiction-general-submissions

Lucent Dreaming

Deadline: August 8, 2021; opens June 1 , 2021

(checked May 31/21)

New/emerging writers (someone who has been published in 10 or fewer publications in the past 5 years, and has not published a book or full collection). You must be a Lucent Dreaming subscriber, or have read a recent issue to submit work to the magazine. Genre: Speculative and surreal fiction. Word Limit: 1500-3,999 words. Payment: £100 and a free contributor copy.

https://lucentdreaming.com/submit/

Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth

Deadline: August 7, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

Queer speculative fiction on the theme of plants and growth. Prefers stories that have an uplifting and affirming feel. Payment: 8 cents/word. Up to 7,000 words. Will accept up to 10,000 words.

https://speculativelyqueer.moksha.io/publication/3/guidelines

Kate Bush Anthology

Deadline: August 3, 2021; Opens July  13, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Short stories with elements of weird or dark fiction (horror, bizarro, and magical realism, etc). Original ideas must be drawn from the work of Kate Bush, though the end product need not closely resemble its inspiration. Payment: $15.

https://headsdance.press/kate-bush-anthology/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: August 2, 2021 – Jun/Jul/Aug submissions closed while the publisher moves.

(checked Jul 24/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints.

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Third Flatiron

Deadline: August 2, 2021

(checked Jul 24/21)

SF/Fantasy/Horror short stories on theme Things with Feathers: Stories of Hope. Stories need not be exclusively positive. For example, after the long pandemic, you might recall the old proverb, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” Sharpen your Sharpies and tell us where you think hope will get us. (The title is based on an Emily Dickinson poem.) Payment: 8 cents per word. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer. For each anthology, we will also accept  a few very short humor pieces (600 words or so).

https://thirdflatiron.com/

Best Indie Speculative Fiction

Deadline: August 1, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Previously published speculative fiction, between January 1 2019 and December 31st 2020. This project only considers previous-published stories that are either self-published or published with a small press. Length: Up to 20,000 words. Payment: $25.

https://www.bardsandsages.com/contact_us/fiction_submission_guidelines

Havok: Everyman/Jester Theme

Deadline: August 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of everyman / jester. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Jul 2021

Aurealis

Deadline: July 31st, 2021; Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. 

All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror that are of a “speculative” nature will be considered, but we do not want stories that are derivative in nature, particularly those based on TV series. We do not publish horror without a supernatural element.

https://aurealis.com.au/submissions/

Beneath the Yellow Lights (Oddity Prodigy Productions)

Deadline: July 31, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Payment: $10 and a contributor’s copy Theme: A modern world overrun by fantasy, details below! Imagine your favorite coffee shop is run by elves, or the band playing speed metal at the club is made up entirely of orcs. That graffiti on the side of the building that seems too high for humans to have reached? Maybe it was painted by wizards? Beneath the Yellow Lights is the place to explore the urban fantasy landscape! Finding the places where magic and modern day meet is our goal. We are looking for urban fantasy stories that feature fantasy elements such as magic and mythical creatures in urban environments.

https://www.oddityprodigy.com/beneath-the-yellow-lights

Mythaxis

Deadline: July 31st, 2021; Opens July 15, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. 1,000-7,500 words.

https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html

Mythic

Deadline: July 31, 2021; Opens June 1, 2021

(checked Jun 25/21)

Sci-fi and fantasy fiction. 2,000-6,000 words. Payment: 4 cents/word.

Reading Periods:

• June 1 through July 31
• December 1 through January 31

https://www.mythicmag.com/p/submissions.html

Oddity Prodigy Productions: Beneath the Yellow Lights Anthology

Deadline: July 31st, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Theme: A modern world overrun by fantasy. A collection of stories featuring urban magic and fantasy. Payment: $10 and a contributor’s copy.

https://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-beneath-the-yellow-lights/

Spirit Machine

Deadline: July 31, 2021, Opens: June 1, 2021

(checked May 25/21)

1500 and 3500 words. Payment: $0.08/word

Theme: Seance Fiction – A mashup of Spiritualism (seances, ouiji/spirit boards, kirlian auras, discarnated entities, ghost talking) and Science Fiction and/or Steampunk genres.

Be wild, take chances, submit stories that are left of center. Show us your fireworks!

Stories must combine elements of both Spiritualism and Science Fiction/Steampunk SF. No fantasy stories, no standalone ghost stories, no SF without aspects of Spiritualism.. To be published in the Winter of 2021 by the Air and Nothingness Press.

http://aanpress.com/submissions.html

Timeworn

Deadline: July 31st, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

(checked May 26/21)

Historical fiction. Payment: $25. 2000 to 5000 words. 

https://www.timewornlit.com/submit

Eerie River Publishing: Of Fire and Stars

Deadline: July 30, 2021; Opens June 1, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

LGBTQ+ Dark Fantasy anthology. Theme: Encounters with the fae world and its creatures. Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00; Up to 5000 words $15.00; Above 5001 words $20.00. 

https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/open-submission

Read Full Post »

Looming Submission Deadlines – Crime and Horror

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Photo by BSD on Unsplash

Darkness is Closing In. These Crime & Horror Submission Deadlines Are Imminent:

CRIME, MYSTERY, TRUE CRIME, & DARK FICTION CRIME MARKETS:

Sep – Nov 2021

Crimeucopia

Deadline: November 30, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints – To a Maximum of – £7.00 at present – but negotiable. New Material – 1,000 – 5,000 – up to £10 .00 at present. New Material – 6.000 – 10,000 – up to £20.00 at present.

https://www.murderousinkpress.co.uk/submissions.html

(I Just) Died In Your Arms: Crime Fiction Inspired By One-Hit Wonders

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Crime stories based on songs. Throughout the decades, so many musical artists have had just the one hit, and that’s a crime. So is murder. So what better way to celebrate both than by combining them into an anthology? Here’s your chance to be inspired by your favorite One-Hit Wonder and give a chance to breathe some new life into the greatest hits of our lives.Payment: Royalties.

https://www.untreedreads.com/i-just-died-in-your-arms-crime-fiction-inspired-by-one-hit-wonders/

The Best New True Crime Stories: Unsolved Crimes & Mysteries

Deadline: September 1, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Nonfiction, true crime accounts of unsolved criminal cases and mysteries that can take place anywhere in the world and be from any time period. Payment: $130.

https://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/

Jun – Aug 2021

Crimeucopia

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints – To a Maximum of – £7.00 at present – but negotiable. New Material – 1,000 – 5,000 – up to £10 .00 at present. New Material – 6.000 – 10,000 – up to £20.00 at present.

https://www.murderousinkpress.co.uk/submissions.html

The Astronaut Only Rings Twice

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Payment: $50.00 (CAD) per story. Theme: Hard boiled detectives, in space.

We are looking for stories that have the themes, characters and plot twists of noir crime fiction crossed with all the elements of science fiction. Let your inner Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Jonathan Lethem, Michael Chabon or Adam Christopher out and file your story with us.

https://tychebooks.com/astronaut-rings-twice

Autumn Noir: A Crime, Mystery, Noir, Suspense & Thriller Anthology

(Unsettling Reads)

Deadline: July 11, 2021 (or until full)

(checked May 26/21)

Payment: $20. Stories (1,500 words and 7,500 words), poems, and/or artwork.

Theme: Stories about the other, moodier season of change from Summer to Fall

Announcing our FALL anthology!

The slide from Summer into Fall can sneak up on you, like footsteps keeping pace until they speed up and overtake you. Whether the mystery unfolds as gently as a wisp of chimney smoke or brings the heart-thumping thrills of an end-of-summer storm is up to you. Just make sure to bring your creations to life with language as vibrant as Fall foliage and dialogue as crisp as Autumn air.

https://unsettlingreads.squarespace.com/submissions

Hawkshaw Press

Deadline: June 30th, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Full-length mysteries, thrillers. Payment: Royalties. You wrote a book… a book full of intrigue, crime, maybe a few people die, but that’s just the cost of doing business. You could call the cops, but why not call us instead? We’ll take your case, and we never close.

https://hawkshawpress.com/submissions/

Partners in Crime

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. Payment: $130. 

https://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/

The Best New True Crime Stories

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. These couples can be married, domestic partners, or lovers. 4,000-7,000 words. Payment: $130, and 2 print copies of the book. 

Important: Query first with a brief pitch.

https://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/

HORROR MARKETS:

Dec 2021

Dose of Dread

Deadline: December 15, 2021; opens December 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked May 30/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Red Cape Anthologies: M is for Medical

Deadline: November 30, 2021; Opens October 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Think surgery gone wrong, sadistic nurses, organ trafficking, creepy doctors etc.” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: November 15, 2021; opens November 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked May 30/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Lamplight

Deadline: November 15, 2021; opens September 15, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Dark fiction, both short stories and flash fiction. No specific sub-genres or themes, just good stories. For inspiration, we suggest “The Twilight Zone”, “The Outer Limits”, and LampLight, Vol1 Issue 1 which is free. We go for stories that are dark, literary; we are looking for the creepy, the weird and the unsettling. We do not accept stories with the following: vampires, zombies, werewolves, serial killers, hitmen, excessive gore or sex, excessive abuse against women, revenge fantasies, cannibals, high fantasy.Payment: Unpublished Fiction: 3¢ per word, $150.00 max. Reprints: 1¢ per word up to 7,000 words.

There are two submission periods for LampLight:

15 March – 15 May for the September and December Issues

15 September – 15 November for March and June Issues

Submissions sent outside of these periods will not be considered.

https://lamplightmagazine.com/submissions/

Oct 2021

Eerie River Publishing: It Calls from the the Veil

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

“Give me your nightmares. These stories should take place in our reality with a supernatural twist. Think evil entities.” May have elements of Dark Fantasy, Dark Fiction and Cosmic horror. But must have the intention to scare the readers. Word count: 2000 – 8000. Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00; Up to 5000 words $15.00; Above 5001 words $20.00.

https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/open-submission

The Toilet Zone (Hellbound Books)

Deadline: October 31, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Payment: $5. HellBound’s third outing to the smallest room…

And no, don’t panic, we’re still not looking for lavatory-themed tales of terror – although should your short story involve the smallest room in the house, we’d be more than delighted to read it!

The theme for this anthology is short horror stories that will make an ideal sit-down read, just long enough for those extended stays at the convenience, and terrifying enough that they really are best read whilst over water….

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Dose of Dread

Deadline: October 15, 2021; opens October 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked May 30/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Nightmurr Before Yiffmas

Deadline: October 1, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Payment: $10 and a contributor’s copy Theme: Holiday monsters with a furry twist. The editor of 12 Days of Yiffmas is back with another holiday erotic anthology for furries, but this time, it’s horrific, too! Stories must be furry in nature. That means anthropomorphic animals that walk on two legs and can talk. Stories must be erotic in nature. Stories must be horror as well. And of course, stories must focus on Christmas, Yule, etc. The winter holiday!

https://weaselpress.submittable.com/submit

Red Cape Anthologies: L is for Lycanthropes

Deadline: September 30, 2021; Opens August 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Where werewolves turn on a full moon, lycanthropes are not as restricted. This opens up to more possibilities as they may turn at the most awkward moment, leading to terrifying carnage.” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

From the Yonder

Deadline: September 19, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

“The stories must be based upon a regional/cultural legend or tall-tale from any location or culture in the World. “Regional” can be a specific place (Loch Ness) or a larger region (Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest).” Payment: $5.

https://warmonkeypublications.com/submissions

Dose of Dread

Deadline: September 15, 2021; opens September 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked Apt 23/20)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Madame Gray’s Vault of Gore (Hellbound Books)

Deadline: September 1, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Horror. Payment: $5. Madame Gray is back and looking for blood-drenched tales of terror to add to her Vault of Gore. The weird, the gruesome, and the downright shocking are welcome. A happy ending is not required, but a twist ending is a big plus. 2.5K – 8K word count.

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Aug 2021

Bloody Good Horror (HellBound Books)

Deadline: August 31st, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

No particular theme, no particular sub-genres, no specific word length – as the title suggests, all we want is some bloody good horror for this anthology!

So, send us along your very best horror stories, and see if you can scare our jaded team of readers! 2.5K-4K word count (although we are incredibly flexible for awesome stories!) Payment: $5.

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Chromophobia: A Strangehouse Anthology By Women In Horror

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Horror written by women on theme of color. Payment:1 cent/word.

I’m looking for stories that use color in creative, unconventional ways. Terrify me with pastels. Use watercolors to invoke dread. Take a classic trope and redye it into something unique. I also welcome stories of chromophobia, stories with characters who have never seen color or who are color blind, or who deal with visual disabilities.

https://roosterrepublicpress.com/chromophobia-guidelines-submission-window-and-timeline/

Creature Publishing

Deadline: August 31, 2021; Opens April 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Length: 20,000-60,000 words. Payment: Royalties

We accept both agented and un-agented submissions of fiction, nonfiction, or genre-defying prose.

Creature publishes up to four book-length works of feminist horror a year. We are looking for books that celebrate fluidity—the ability to cross boundaries and inhabit more than one category at once. While we acknowledge that categories have a certain utility, we refuse to separate horror, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy from each other or the literary from the mainstream. Our definition of feminist horror is broad and inclusive, and we welcome writing that pushes boundaries.

We are interested in: unreliable narrators, unlikeable female characters, the monstrous, sharp critical essays and social commentary, swamp witches, your nightmares, dystopias, psychological suspense, unraveling minds, unraveling social constructs, possession, intersectionality, hybrid genres, metafiction, dark nights, and writing on sexuality/the body, gender, race, class, disability, technology, religion, and anything and everything that makes our spines tingle.

https://www.darkmarkets.com/2020/06/creature-publishing.html

Nightlight

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Apt 23/20)

Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 – $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints.

https://nightlightpod.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: August 15, 2021; opens August 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked May 30/20)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories 

Deadline: August 8, 2021

(checked May 26/20)

Horror based on found footage. “We’re looking for your best, original, found footage tales. Stories can be written in first person, third person, as a transcript, journal, radio play, poetry, as a script. Play with the format. Do something you haven’t read before.” Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words. Payment: $0.03 per word. Questions / submissions: whatwasfound@gmail.com

https://twitter.com/andrewcull/status/1383737217953112074

The Dead Inside (Dark Dispatch)

Deadline: August 2, 2021

(checked May 25/20)

Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Identity horror. “Explorations of what happens when our core identities are stripped, altered, suppressed, or denied to us, whether by choice or not.” Payment: Poetry: $25 per poem. Flash Fiction: $25 per story. Short Stories: $50 per story. NonFiction: $50 per piece for print and ebook rights.

https://darkdispatch.com/submissions/identity-horror-submission-guidelines/

Demonic Vacations: Go Home Already! (4 Horsemen Publications)

Deadline: August 1st, 2021

(checked May 25/20)

Payment Details: 2 contributor’s copies

Theme: Demonic Vacations – Humorous horror, thriller.

Our collection continues with dark humor, bizarre, and creepy vibes. We often need a vacation. Heck, sometimes you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. We invite authors to submit 2,500-5,000 words of vacations from the cabin getaway, to Auntie’s house down south, to even that free cruise you won tickets from…. huh, I don’t remember entering anything? Make us laugh, make us do double takes, and make us regret spending our time on a “dream” vacation from hell.

https://4horsemenpublications.com/demonic-vacations/

Jul 2021

34 Orchard

Deadline: July 31, 2021, Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Apt 17/20)

We like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad. We like things we can’t put down and things that make us go “wow” when we’ve finished. But our main goal here at 34 Orchard is to publish the stuff we like to read, and you’re not in our heads. So don’t over think it. Just submit.

Short fiction from 1000 to 7500 words. Poetry any style or length. No reprints. Payment $50.

Reading periods:

• Spring Issue is January 1-January 31.
• Fall Issue is July 1-July 31.

https://34orchard.com/guidelines/?fbclid=IwAR2TYAMV6QUBES8KnAscatmqHZ6gn3GqiIWnk3pDtu3oxylpwPABWIrEVj8

Aurealis

Deadline July 31, 2021, Opens July 1/21

Due to a large number of submissions from outside Australia and New Zealand, the next window for non-Australian/NZ submissions to Aurealis will now be from 1 July 2021 to 31 July 2021.

(checked Jun 27/20)

Aurealis is an Australian Magazine that publishes compelling reads from both established and emerging writers. The magazine publishes horror, fantasy and science fiction. The magazine is partial to horror stories that are speculative rather than derivative. They are particularly strict about stories based on TV series and will not publish any superficial horror stories.

The online publication accepts submissions from Australian and New Zealand writers from 1 February – 30 September. Short horror stories should be between 2000 – 8000 words. Pay is between A$20 – A$60 for 1000 words and is only made after the publication of your story. Contributors also receive a free copy of the issue containing their story.

https://aurealis.com.au/

Ceci n’est pas une histoire d’horreur (This is Not a Horror Story)

Deadline: July 31, 2021. (Open until filled)

(checked Apr 23/20)

First and foremost, we are looking for the unusual and the provocative. We are seeking horror-focussed stories inspired and influenced by the transgressive fiction genre.. Payment: £15. 

https://nightterrornovels.wordpress.com/2021/03/13/announcement-our-debut-anthology-is-now-open-for-submissions/

Dragon Soul Press: All Dark Places

Deadline: July 31, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Genre: Horror. “In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Monsters, Monsters, Monsters (HellBound Books)

Deadline: July 31st, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

We are looking for monsters, of course, be it werewolves, vampires, unspeakable creatures from the darkest depths of space or the innermost circles of hell, and any manner of earthly animals running amok. And, don’t forget the most heinous monster of them all, who just may be the sweet, unassuming neighbor who lives in the house next to yours… 4,000-10,000 words. Payment: $5

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Red Cape Anthologies: K is for Kidnap

Deadline: July 31, 2021; Opens June 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Being kidnapped must be a pretty terrifying ordeal – we’re looking for stories that convey that feeling of terror but we’re also looking for diversity. Think about who is being taken and by whom, are the kidnappers even human?” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

Tales from the Moonlit Path

Deadline: July 27, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition. We are interested in character-driven stories more so than plot-driven, and we prefer dark fiction that makes us think, makes us feel, wraps us in its well-spun dream. Payment: $10.

http://talesmoonlitpath.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: July 15, 2021; opens July 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked May 30/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

Fearful Fun (Thurston Howl Publications)

Deadline: July 15, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Payment: $10. Word count: 2,500-8,000.

Theme: Horror with a blend of fun themes

A carnival. A circus. An escape room. An amusement park. A haunted house attraction or corn maze. And each of these has its own history in horror. Movies like FREAKS, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and ESCAPE ROOM. The Legend of McKamey Manor. Remember those times we were all scared of killer clowns? Or the urban legend of the person who actually killed someone in a haunted house attraction? Sometimes fun just isn’t so fun, huh? Sometimes, it’s more fearful fun. We will take preference with stories that are unique. Don’t just write another killer clown story or a basic demonic carnival story, UNLESS your story genuinely has a unique take on that trope.

https://weaselpress.submittable.com/submit/188636/thp-howlers-fearful-fun

Mythulu: Horror vs Hemophobia. 

Deadline: July 15, 2021. Pitches only.

(checked May 26/21)

Short stories, nonfiction, art, comics. “This issue explores the ethics of gore in literature. Bring your fighting words and debate either side.” Payment: 4-8 cents per word. 

https://mythulu.submittable.com/submit

The Cellar Door Issue #1: Woodland Terrors

Deadline: July 15, 2021; Opens July 1, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

2,000 – 7,500 words. Payment: $25.00 + digital copy. Theme: Horror/thriller stories that take place in or near the woods.

https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/the-cellar-door-issue-1—woodland-terrors.html

Deadly Love (Dark Dispatch)

Deadline: July 9, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Payment: Two-Sentence Stories: $10, Flash Fiction: $25 per story (300 to 999 words), Short Stories: $50 per story (2,000 to 5,000 words).

Theme: Deadly Love

Note: Reprints welcome at a lower, undisclosed pay rate.

The second issue of Dark Dispatch will be a themed issue, featuring stories on Deadly Love. Let your mind wander to the dark places and share your horror love stories about relationships gone wrong.

https://darkdispatch.com/submissions/deadly-love-submission-guidelines/

Generation X-ed (Dark Ink Publishing)

Deadline: July 3, 2021; Opens June 20, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Theme: Any aspect of horror that contains element(s) specific to Generation X

Note: Open only to writers of Generation X (aka born 1965-1980. A year wiggle room is okay.)

Payment $0.01/word, eBook copy, and discounted pricing on print copies

Length: 3000-6000 words

Content should fall within horror genre parameters, any sub-genre, including splatter-punk, psychological, quiet, body, sci-fi terror, creature-feature, dark fable, or paranormal horror, etc, (though we’re not big fans of bizarro fiction or glittery vampires) AND contain element(s) specific to Generation X. This includes (but is not limited to).

https://aminkpublishing.com/open-calls

The Zodiac Killers Series (Black Ink Fiction)

Deadline: July 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Thriller. Restrictions: Author Eligibility: Authors accepted into any unpaid BIF collection. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/submissions

Jun 2021

Angela’s Recurring Nightmares

(Great Lakes Association Of Horror Writers)

Deadline: June 30, 2021 

(checked May 25/21)

2,000 to 5,000 words. Payment: Contributor’s copy. Theme: Each story must contain a character named Angela and a penguin.

http://glahw.com/recurring-nightmares-submission-guidelines-annual/recurring-nightmares-guidelines/

Dates from Hell (Hellbound Books Publishing)

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Horror. Payment: $5. We want your stories of dates gone horrifically wrong, seemingly innocent meetings that deliver death and terror instead of romance, of psychopathic stalkers who will stop at nothing to possess their love’s still-beating heart…

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Field Notes from a Nightmare

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Ecological horror. Length: 1,000 – 4,000 words. Payment: 3 cents/word. Field Notes from a Nightmare will be a print and e-book anthology about environmental and ecological horrors.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/#antho-jump

Gravelight Press 

Deadline: June 30th, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Seeking novel-length works: horror fiction for 2022-2023 publication. A small press that primarily publishes horror anthologies. Payment: Royalties. 

https://gravelightpress.com/submissions/

Merry Scary Christmas (Fedowar Press)

Deadline: June 30th, 2021

(checked May 25/21)

Payment: Shared royalty pool of 30% of sales revenue Theme: Creepy Christmas stories, your Hanukkah horrors, your New Year’s Eve Evils, with a dose of speculative fiction tossed in.

https://fedowarpress.com/submissions/merry-scary-christmas/

Nightlight

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 – $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints. 

https://nightlightpod.com/submissions/

Nightfire

Deadline: June 21, 2021; Opens June 15, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Horror novels and novellas. Payment: Advance and royalties.

The Nightfire team is looking for novels and novellas for adults across the breadth of the horror genre—from the cosmic and Lovecraftian to the beloved undead tropes of zombies, ghosts, and slashers and the more uncanny and internal terrors of isolation, lost love, and aging.

https://tornightfire.com/nightfire-slush-submission-guidelines/

Nightmare: An Anthology of Ecological Horror (Dreadstone Press)

Deadline: June 30, 2021; opens June 1, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

1,000 – 4,000 words. Payment: 3 cents/word Theme: Ecological Horror Field Notes from a Nightmare will be a print and e-book anthology about environmental and ecological horrors.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/#antho-jump

Dose of Dread

Deadline: June 15, 2021; opens June 1, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

(checked May 30/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: June 14, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Horror on theme of Doppelgängers. Payment: 15 GBT. 

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

If I Die Before I Wake volume 6

Deadline: June 9, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Horror. Payment: $40 per piece.

Submissions must fit the theme of the Dark Deep and should be centered around bodies of water and anything connected to them, such as sea creatures, mysterious disappearances, pirates, the Bermuda Triangle, etc, and must be written in the horror genre.

https://www.sinistersmilepress.com/submissions-v6

Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror

Deadline: June 1, 2021 or until filled

(checked Apr 16/21)

Menopause-Themed Horror. Payment: 1 cent/word.  Menopause can be hell – so show us your demons, your darkest dreams, bloodiest crimes or scariest transformations. It’s called the change of life, but transitions can be deadly.

https://sliceduppress.com/submissions-2/

Cemetery Gates: Generation Dread

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Restrictions: Open to writers 15-19 years of age. Genre: Horror. 1500 to 3000 words. Payment: $100 scholarship. 

https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/2021/03/09/generation-dread-submissions/

The Zodiac Killers Series (Black Ink Fiction)

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Thriller. Restrictions: Author Eligibility: Authors accepted into any unpaid BIF collection. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/submissions

Read Full Post »

Fast Approaching Submission Deadlines For You – General Fiction:

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Here are a few fast approaching submission deadlines for you – general fiction:

PoArtMo Anthology: 13-16 Year-Old Artists Edition – Auroras & Blossoms

Deadline: December 31, 2021

(checked Apr 28/21)

A Winnipeg publication.

Topics / Themes: Anything that is positive, uplifting and inspirational in nature, with the exception of erotica and politics. Also, coronavirus-related pieces that do not contain strongly positive / uplifting / inspirational elements will be automatically rejected.

What we are looking for:

Positive art. Positive as in stimulating, optimistic, confident, uplifting, inspirational.

No matter what topic you choose to tackle (e.g., death, disease, mental illness, suicide, depression…), the pieces you send us should answer three basic questions:

– “How do they help others?”

– “How do they open their minds?”

– “Do they bring a better understanding of the situations or stories I am describing?”

https://abpoetryjournal.com/13-16-year-old-artists/

Aug 2021

Dragon Soul Press: Timeless 2

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Aug 28/20)

Fairytale. “Anything involving a twist on old fairy tales, whether it be the classics or lesser known ones.Note: As long as you keep to the theme and use a fairytale, originality is fully appreciated. Cliff-hangers are more than welcome.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Gindstone Short Story Prize

Deadline: Final closing August 31, 2021; Regular Submission: £10.00

Deadline: Early bird closing May 1, 2021; Early Bird: £8.00

(checked Jan 24/21)

The Grindstone Short Story Prize returns this year, seeking out the best short fiction writers from around the world. Writers are asked to submit a piece of short fiction between 1,000 and 3,000 words, of any genre, aimed at adult readers. Grand Prize – £500. Runner Up – £200. Four Shortlisters – £50. The top 20 entries will be curated into our yearly anthology and published in print.

https://www.grindstoneliterary.com/short-story-prize

Spartan

Deadline: August 31, 2021; Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20.

We have four submission windows each year. Any pieces submitted outside of the submission windows will be deleted unread. The submission windows are:

     Fall: October through November

     Winter: January through February

     Spring: April through May

     Summer: July through August

https://spartanlit.com/submissions

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: August 30, 2021; Opens June 14, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Flash fiction competition (theme to be decided). Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: August 21, 2021; opens August 1, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Cast of Wonders. 

Deadline: August 15, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

YA Speculative fiction by young adults. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction.

https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

Luna Station Quarterly

Deadline: August 15, 2021; Opens June 15, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Genre: Speculative fiction by woman-identified writers. Payment: $5. Accepts reprints.

Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. We think women write awesome characters and really cool stories and we want to show it to the world. We will consider stories submitted by any woman writer, regardless of experience or writing resume. If you consider yourself on the woman end of the gender spectrum in any significant capacity, you’re welcome here!

Publication Date Submission Dates

March 1st September 15th – November 15th

June 1st December 15th – February 15th

September 1st March 15th – May 15th

December 1st June 15th – August 15th

http://lunastationquarterly.com/submissions/

Ruminate

Deadline: August 15, 2021. Note: Ruminate also accepts short fiction on a rolling basis.

(checked May 31/21)

We welcome submissions from both emerging and established writers and are looking for fiction that engages the contemplative spirit of our journal and embraces curiosity and discovery rather than resolution.Fiction under 5, 500 words. Payment: $20 per 400 words. 

https://ruminatemagazine.submittable.com/submit/8428/2021-nonfiction-general-submissions

Lucent Dreaming

Deadline: August 8, 2021; opens June 1 , 2021

(checked May 31/21)

New/emerging writers (someone who has been published in 10 or fewer publications in the past 5 years, and has not published a book or full collection). You must be a Lucent Dreaming subscriber, or have read a recent issue to submit work to the magazine. Genre: Speculative and surreal fiction. Word Limit: 1500-3,999 words. Payment: £100 and a free contributor copy.

https://lucentdreaming.com/submit/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: August 2, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints.

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Best Indie Speculative Fiction

Deadline: August 1, 2021

(checked May 31/21)

Previously published speculative fiction, between January 1 2019 and December 31st 2020. This project only considers previous-published stories that are either self-published or published with a small press. Length: Up to 20,000 words. Payment: $25.

https://www.bardsandsages.com/contact_us/fiction_submission_guidelines

Havok: Everyman/Jester Theme

Deadline: August 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of everyman / jester. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Jul 2021

Aurealis

Deadline: July 31st, 2021; Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. 

All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror that are of a “speculative” nature will be considered, but we do not want stories that are derivative in nature, particularly those based on TV series. We do not publish horror without a supernatural element.

https://aurealis.com.au/submissions/

Beneath the Yellow Lights (Oddity Prodigy Productions)

Deadline: July 31, 2021

(checked May 30/21)

Payment: $10 and a contributor’s copy Theme: A modern world overrun by fantasy, details below! Imagine your favorite coffee shop is run by elves, or the band playing speed metal at the club is made up entirely of orcs. That graffiti on the side of the building that seems too high for humans to have reached? Maybe it was painted by wizards? Beneath the Yellow Lights is the place to explore the urban fantasy landscape! Finding the places where magic and modern day meet is our goal. We are looking for urban fantasy stories that feature fantasy elements such as magic and mythical creatures in urban environments.

https://www.oddityprodigy.com/beneath-the-yellow-lights

Mythaxis

Deadline: July 31st, 2021; Opens July 15, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Speculative fiction. Payment: $20. 1,000-7,500 words.

https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html

Oddity Prodigy Productions: Beneath the Yellow Lights Anthology

Deadline: July 31st, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Theme: A modern world overrun by fantasy. A collection of stories featuring urban magic and fantasy. Payment: $10 and a contributor’s copy.

https://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-beneath-the-yellow-lights/

Spirit Machine

Deadline: July 31, 2021, Opens: June 1, 2021

(checked May 25/21)

1500 and 3500 words. Payment: $0.08/word

Theme: Seance Fiction – A mashup of Spiritualism (seances, ouiji/spirit boards, kirlian auras, discarnated entities, ghost talking) and Science Fiction and/or Steampunk genres.

Be wild, take chances, submit stories that are left of center. Show us your fireworks!

Stories must combine elements of both Spiritualism and Science Fiction/Steampunk SF. No fantasy stories, no standalone ghost stories, no SF without aspects of Spiritualism.. To be published in the Winter of 2021 by the Air and Nothingness Press.

http://aanpress.com/submissions.html

Timeworn

Deadline: July 31st, 2021 – SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

(checked May 26/21)

Historical fiction. Payment: $25. 2000 to 5000 words. 

https://www.timewornlit.com/submit

Eerie River Publishing: Of Fire and Stars

Deadline: July 30, 2021; Opens June 1, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

LGBTQ+ Dark Fantasy anthology. Theme: Encounters with the fae world and its creatures. Payment: Up to 3000 words $10.00; Up to 5000 words $15.00; Above 5001 words $20.00. 

https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/open-submission

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: July 21, 2021; opens July 1, 2021

(checked Feb 21/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Electric Spec August Issue 2021

Deadline: July 15, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Payment: $20 per story. 250 and 7000 words.

Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres.

Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary.

We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions.

February closes January 15

May closes April 15

August closes July 15

November closes October 15

http://www.electricspec.com/Submissions.html

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: July 13, 2021; Opens July 11, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words.  Disabled and/or neurodivergent  writers only. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Buckmxn Story Service 

Deadline: July 4, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Buckmxn Story Service is a snail-mail subscription of ten short stories, with one story delivered each week via the United States Postal Service. Genre: Fiction and CNF up to 5,000 words. Payment: $120. 

https://buckmanpublishing.submittable.com/submit/192494/buckmxn-story-service

Havok: Creator/Explorer Theme

Deadline: July 4, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of creator / explorer. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: July 2, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. 

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

The Periodical, Forlorn: Mythos Reborn (Volume I, Issue VI)

Deadline: July 2, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Word Limit: 6,000 words. Payment: $15

Theme: Mythos Reborn. For this issue, we’re looking for stories that give us a unique take on mythological figures and characters from all the cultures of the world. Retell a classic tale from a minor character’s perspective. Reintroduce us to a story lost to the ages. Or invent your own mythology.

https://www.periodicalforlorn.com/submission-guidelines

Constelación 

Deadline: July 1, 2021. See themes

(checked May 26/21)

Quarterly speculative fiction bilingual magazine. Publishes stories in both Spanish and English. Writers can submit their stories in either language. Fifty percent of the stories we publish in every issue will be from authors from the Caribbean, Latin America, and their diaspora. Payment: 8 cents/word. 

https://www.constelacionmagazine.com/submissions

The Cafe Irreal August 2021

Deadline: July 1, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Up to 2,000. Payment: One cent U.S. per word ($2 minimum) Theme: Fantastic Fiction. You really NEED to read the description below.

The Cafe Irreal is a quarterly webzine that presents a kind of fantastic fiction infrequently published in English. This fiction, which we would describe as irreal, resembles the work of writers such as Franz Kafka, Kobo Abe, Clarice Lispector and Jorge Luis Borges. As a type of fiction it rejects the tendency to portray people and places realistically and the need for a full resolution to the story; instead, it shows us a reality constantly being undermined. Therefore, we’re interested in stories by writers who write about what they don’t know, take us places we couldn’t possibly go, and don’t try to make us care about the characters. We would also suggest you take a look at the current issue, archives, and theory (especially the essay, “What is irrealism?”) pages on this web site.

http://cafeirreal.alicewhittenburg.com/

Jun 2021

Dragon Soul Press: Extinct Worlds

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Fiction on the theme of Extinct Worlds. “After killing Earth, humans have been launched into space exploration. Discovering aliens and new technologies, future generations are unrecognizable from the Earthlings that once were. There are a select few who want to go back to their roots, some who will prevent this at all costs, and others who don’t care. Where do your characters fit within the vast universe full of the unknown?” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties..

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Exploring Infinity

Deadline: June 30, 2021 

(checked May 25/21)

5,000 to 10,000 words. Payment: $20.00 USD and a contributors copy Theme: Exploring the hotel in ‘Escaping Infinity’, details below Subs are now open for, Exploring Infinity, a new sci-fi/fantasy anthology based on the Dragon Award nominated novel, Escaping Infinity ( https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Infinity-Richard-Paolinelli/dp/1541392582 ).

https://scifiscribe.com/2021/04/09/anthology-submission-call-exploring-infinity/

Interstellar Flight Press

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked May 25/21)

Payment: Royalties, potentially an advance. Theme: Speculative genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural, Weird, Mystery/Thrillers or any combination of the above. Hybrids or difficult to categorize novellas are welcome. Note: Authors must be BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color)

https://magazine.interstellarflightpress.com/call-for-submissions-bipoc-novellas-6e19ad3e250

The Rebel Diaries

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked May 25/21)

Word count: 2,500–7,500 words. Payment: royalty split via Draft2Digital (an account will be required but is free to set up)

Theme: The Rebel Diaries is looking for stories starring characters with a dubious shade of morals. We want characters who aren’t afraid of getting what they want, causing a bit of chaos, dabbling in mischief and mayhem, and slathering on the sarcasm. We want stories that slip into the grey areas, that are bulging with villains, deviants and rebels. We’re after sassy tales littered with questionable morals and happy endings—for the villains anyway.   We are not looking for horror or gratuitous violence, but dark stories that are fun, light hearted explorations of the characters usually hidden in obscurity.  We actively encourage submissions from own voices, characters or authors with disabilities or from underrepresented backgrounds, LGBTQ+ etc.

https://sachablack.co.uk/rebelsubmissions/

Us/Them

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Stories that revolve around the process of creating an US / THEM situation and what happens to both sides because of it. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories. 

https://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/us-them-guidelines

Writing the Future We Need: Navigating Ruins (WriteHive)

Deadline: June 30, 2021; Opens May 1, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Theme: Navigating Ruins.

There is no limitation to how you incorporate this theme into your work as long as the story falls within the Sci-Fi, Horror, or Fantasy genre. We encourage you to take the theme and show its manifestation beyond the physical, showing us something unique and engaging.

Word Limit: 10K words. Payment: $30 per accepted piece plus one contributor copy (with opportunity for bonus royalties based on sales).

https://writehive.org/our-first-anthology/

Luna Press

Deadline: June 27, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. For our purposes, speculative fiction deals with elements that are nonexistent in reality, covering various themes in the context of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (e.g. science fantasy).

https://www.lunapresspublishing.com/submissions

Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas

Deadline: June 27, 2021; Opens June 21, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Dark tales intrinsically rooted in South America. “We seek haunting and folkloric tales where setting is character and landscape is an essential part of the story. We want stories that draw from the wellspring of cultural destinations and local folklore in their shaping – most especially, stories that are tied to a specific and concrete location. This can include places that never existed, or those with connections created by the author, but they must take place in South America.” Payment: $250 for short fiction; $25 for poetry. 

https://www.hexpublishers.com/submissions.html

Story Seed Vault

Deadline: June 24, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story.

We’re looking for stories that act as story seeds – prompts for spin off plots and weird tangents. We want to think in new ways about how our world works and the possibilities for future worlds, expanding tangentially from what we know now.

https://storyseedvault.wordpress.com/submissions/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: June 21, 2021; opens June 1, 2021

(checked Feb 21/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Baffling

Deadline: June 15, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Speculative flash fiction. Length: Under 1200 words. Payment: 8 cents/word.  Speculative stories that explore science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a queer bent. We want queer stories and we want trans stories and we want aro/ace stories. We want indefinable stories. We welcome weird, slipstream, and interstitial writing. 

https://www.bafflingmag.com/submissions

Muddy Paw Press Speculative Fiction Contest

Deadline: June 15th, 2021

(checked May 25/21)

Word Limit: 5000 words. Prizes: 1st place: $700, 2nd place: $200, 3rd place: $100

Theme: Engaging and original stories in the Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror realm

https://www.muddypawpress.org/submission-guidelines

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: June 13, 2021; Opens June 11, 2021

(checked May 26/21)

Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Havok: Hero/Magician Theme

Deadline: June 6, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of hero / magician. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: June 2, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints.

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Strange Orbits Sci-fi Series (Black Ink Fiction)

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Space Opera. Restrictions: Author Eligibility: Authors accepted into any unpaid BIF collection. Theme: Melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, futuristic weapons, advanced technologies, risk-taking–all set primarily in space. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title.  Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/submissions

Read Full Post »

Looming Submission Deadlines – Crime and Horror

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Photo by BSD on Unsplash

Darkness is Closing In. These Crime & Horror Submission Deadlines Are Imminent:

CRIME, MYSTERY, TRUE CRIME, & DARK FICTION CRIME MARKETS:

Jun – Aug 2021

Crimeucopia

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints – To a Maximum of – £7.00 at present – but negotiable. New Material – 1,000 – 5,000 – up to £10 .00 at present. New Material – 6.000 – 10,000 – up to £20.00 at present.

https://www.murderousinkpress.co.uk/submissions.html

Hawkshaw Press

Deadline: June 30th, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Full-length mysteries, thrillers. Payment: Royalties. You wrote a book… a book full of intrigue, crime, maybe a few people die, but that’s just the cost of doing business. You could call the cops, but why not call us instead? We’ll take your case, and we never close.

https://hawkshawpress.com/submissions/

The Best New True Crime Stories

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. These couples can be married, domestic partners, or lovers. 4,000-7,000 words. Payment: $130, and 2 print copies of the book. 

Important: Query first with a brief pitch.

https://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/

May 2021

Crimeucopia

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Crime Fiction. Payment: Reprints – To a Maximum of – £7.00 at present – but negotiable. New Material – 1,000 – 5,000 – up to £10 .00 at present. New Material – 6.000 – 10,000 – up to £20.00 at present.

https://www.murderousinkpress.co.uk/submissions.html

Die Laughing: An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Mystery/crime stories with off-beat characters, bungling detectives, or funny premises. Length: 1k-8k words. Payment: 2 cents USD per word, B&W comics $25 USD.

https://www.mysteryweekly.com/submit.asp?p=HUMOUR

Apr 2021

Dragon Soul Press: Murder and Mayhem

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Mystery. “A murder needs to be solved by these main characters as the stakes rise higher. Any branch of investigators can be included, even vigilantes.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

HORROR MARKETS:

Aug 2021

Bloody Good Horror (HellBound Books)

Deadline: August 31st, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

No particular theme, no particular sub-genres, no specific word length – as the title suggests, all we want is some bloody good horror for this anthology!

So, send us along your very best horror stories, and see if you can scare our jaded team of readers! 2.5K-4K word count (although we are incredibly flexible for awesome stories!) Payment: $5.

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Creature Publishing

Deadline: August 31, 2021; Opens April 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Length: 20,000-60,000 words. Payment: Royalties

We accept both agented and un-agented submissions of fiction, nonfiction, or genre-defying prose.

Creature publishes up to four book-length works of feminist horror a year. We are looking for books that celebrate fluidity—the ability to cross boundaries and inhabit more than one category at once. While we acknowledge that categories have a certain utility, we refuse to separate horror, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy from each other or the literary from the mainstream. Our definition of feminist horror is broad and inclusive, and we welcome writing that pushes boundaries.

We are interested in: unreliable narrators, unlikeable female characters, the monstrous, sharp critical essays and social commentary, swamp witches, your nightmares, dystopias, psychological suspense, unraveling minds, unraveling social constructs, possession, intersectionality, hybrid genres, metafiction, dark nights, and writing on sexuality/the body, gender, race, class, disability, technology, religion, and anything and everything that makes our spines tingle.

https://www.darkmarkets.com/2020/06/creature-publishing.html

Nightlight

Deadline: August 31, 2021

(checked Apt 23/20)

Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 – $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints.

https://nightlightpod.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: August 15, 2021; opens August 1, 2021

(checked Apt 23/20)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Dead Inside

Deadline: August 2, 2021

(checked Apt 23/20)

Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Identity horror. “Explorations of what happens when our core identities are stripped, altered, suppressed, or denied to us, whether by choice or not.” Payment: Poetry: $25 per poem. Flash Fiction: $25 per story. Short Stories: $50 per story. NonFiction: $50 per piece for print and ebook rights.

https://darkdispatch.com/submissions/identity-horror-submission-guidelines/

34 Orchard

Deadline: July 31, 2021, Opens July 1, 2021

(checked Apt 17/20)

We like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad. We like things we can’t put down and things that make us go “wow” when we’ve finished. But our main goal here at 34 Orchard is to publish the stuff we like to read, and you’re not in our heads. So don’t over think it. Just submit.

Short fiction from 1000 to 7500 words. Poetry any style or length. No reprints. Payment $50.

Reading periods:

• Spring Issue is January 1-January 31.
• Fall Issue is July 1-July 31.

https://34orchard.com/guidelines/?fbclid=IwAR2TYAMV6QUBES8KnAscatmqHZ6gn3GqiIWnk3pDtu3oxylpwPABWIrEVj8

Aurealis

Deadline July 31, 2021, Opens July 1/21

Due to a large number of submissions from outside Australia and New Zealand, the next window for non-Australian/NZ submissions to Aurealis will now be from 1 July 2021 to 31 July 2021.

(checked Jun 27/20)

Aurealis is an Australian Magazine that publishes compelling reads from both established and emerging writers. The magazine publishes horror, fantasy and science fiction. The magazine is partial to horror stories that are speculative rather than derivative. They are particularly strict about stories based on TV series and will not publish any superficial horror stories.

The online publication accepts submissions from Australian and New Zealand writers from 1 February – 30 September. Short horror stories should be between 2000 – 8000 words. Pay is between A$20 – A$60 for 1000 words and is only made after the publication of your story. Contributors also receive a free copy of the issue containing their story.

https://aurealis.com.au/

Ceci n’est pas une histoire d’horreur (This is Not a Horror Story)

Deadline: July 31, 2021. (Open until filled)

(checked Apr 23/20)

First and foremost, we are looking for the unusual and the provocative. We are seeking horror-focussed stories inspired and influenced by the transgressive fiction genre.. Payment: £15. 

https://nightterrornovels.wordpress.com/2021/03/13/announcement-our-debut-anthology-is-now-open-for-submissions/

Dragon Soul Press: All Dark Places

Deadline: July 31, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Genre: Horror. “In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Monsters, Monsters, Monsters (HellBound Books)

Deadline: July 31st, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

We are looking for monsters, of course, be it werewolves, vampires, unspeakable creatures from the darkest depths of space or the innermost circles of hell, and any manner of earthly animals running amok. And, don’t forget the most heinous monster of them all, who just may be the sweet, unassuming neighbor who lives in the house next to yours… Payment: $5

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Red Cape Anthologies: K is for Kidnap

Deadline: July 31, 2021; Opens June 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Being kidnapped must be a pretty terrifying ordeal – we’re looking for stories that convey that feeling of terror but we’re also looking for diversity. Think about who is being taken and by whom, are the kidnappers even human?” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: July 15, 2021; opens July 1, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Zodiac Killers Series (Black Ink Fiction)

Deadline: July 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Thriller. Restrictions: Author Eligibility: Authors accepted into any unpaid BIF collection. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/submissions

Jun 2021

Dates from Hell (Hellbound Books Publishing)

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Horror. Payment: $5. We want your stories of dates gone horrifically wrong, seemingly innocent meetings that deliver death and terror instead of romance, of psychopathic stalkers who will stop at nothing to possess their love’s still-beating heart…

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html

Field Notes from a Nightmare

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Ecological horror. Length: 1,000 – 4,000 words. Payment: 3 cents/word. Field Notes from a Nightmare will be a print and e-book anthology about environmental and ecological horrors.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/#antho-jump

Gravelight Press 

Deadline: June 30th, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Seeking novel-length works: horror fiction for 2022-2023 publication. A small press that primarily publishes horror anthologies. Payment: Royalties. 

https://gravelightpress.com/submissions/

Nightlight

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 – $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints. 

https://nightlightpod.com/submissions/

Dose of Dread

Deadline: June 15, 2021; opens June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Submissions open monthly: 1st – 15th. Un-themed, general horror flash fiction. Preference to dread-inducing stories.. Length: 500 – 1,000 words. Payment: $10.

https://dreadstonepress.com/submissions/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: June 14, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Horror on theme of Doppelgängers. Payment: 15 GBT. 

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror

Deadline: June 1, 2021 or until filled

(checked Apr 16/21)

Menopause-Themed Horror. Payment: 1 cent/word.  Menopause can be hell – so show us your demons, your darkest dreams, bloodiest crimes or scariest transformations. It’s called the change of life, but transitions can be deadly.

https://sliceduppress.com/submissions-2/

Cemetery Gates: Generation Dread

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Restrictions: Open to writers 15-19 years of age. Genre: Horror. 1500 to 3000 words. Payment: $100 scholarship. 

https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/2021/03/09/generation-dread-submissions/

The Zodiac Killers Series (Black Ink Fiction)

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Thriller. Restrictions: Author Eligibility: Authors accepted into any unpaid BIF collection. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title. Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/submissions

May 2021

Darkness Blooms

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Dark fiction on themes of Identity, Security, and Community. Payment: 8 cents/word.

https://www.thedreadmachine.com/submit/submit-darkness/

Madness Heart Press

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Horror. “Give us your stories of grave robbing, necrophilia, necrocannibalism, necromancy, necrophobia, desecration, deification. Bring out your dead and paint the streets in the blood of the living and the rot of the disrespected dead.” Payment: $10.

https://madnessheart.press/submissions/trigger-warning/?v=7516fd43adaa

Red Cape Anthologies: J is for Jack-o’-Lantern

Deadline: May 31, 2021; Opens April 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Horror. 4,000-8,000 words. “Halloween in theme for these stories but the Jack-o’-Lantern must play a key role.” Payment:  £10.  

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/

The Other Stories (Audio)

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Horror on theme of Mythology. Payment: 15 GBT.

https://theotherstories.net/submissions

Classic Monsters Unleashed

Deadline: May 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Dark, scary stories featuring a classic monster or monsters (think famous creatures from pre-1960 horror movies). Length: 1500 to 5000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word.

https://www.crystallakepub.com/authorcentral/

Madness Heart Press: Trigger Warning

Deadline: May 30, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Horror. “Give us your stories of grave robbing, necrophilia, necrocannibalism, necromancy, necrophobia, desecration, deification. Bring out your dead and paint the streets in the blood of the living and the rot of the disrespected dead.” Payment: $10.

https://madnessheart.press/submissions/trigger-warning/?v=7516fd43adaa

Sanitarium Magazine. 

Deadline: May 30, 2021

(checked Apr 17/21)

Dark verse, flash fiction and short horror stories. An honorarium will be paid for any accepted piece at $5 for flash fiction or dark verse and $10 for short stories. Short stories must be 1,500 words and above, any piece below that word count will be considered flash fiction. No stories above 10,000 words will be considered unless agreed beforehand. A PDF copy of the issue will also be provided to all accepted contributors as well as credit as contributor on the back cover of the issue and on social media and a bio (optional) following the piece. Sanitarium editions are published in Kindle and paperback formats.

https://www.thesanitarium.co.uk/submissions

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Fast Approaching Submission Deadlines For You – General Fiction:

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Here are a few fast approaching submission deadlines for you – general fiction:

Jun 2021

Dragon Soul Press: Extinct Worlds

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Fiction on the theme of Extinct Worlds. “After killing Earth, humans have been launched into space exploration. Discovering aliens and new technologies, future generations are unrecognizable from the Earthlings that once were. There are a select few who want to go back to their roots, some who will prevent this at all costs, and others who don’t care. Where do your characters fit within the vast universe full of the unknown?” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties..

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

Us/Them

Deadline: June 30, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Stories that revolve around the process of creating an US / THEM situation and what happens to both sides because of it. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories. 

https://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/us-them-guidelines

Luna Press

Deadline: June 27, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. For our purposes, speculative fiction deals with elements that are nonexistent in reality, covering various themes in the context of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, and supernatural fiction, as well as combinations thereof (e.g. science fantasy).

https://www.lunapresspublishing.com/submissions

Story Seed Vault

Deadline: June 24, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story.

We’re looking for stories that act as story seeds – prompts for spin off plots and weird tangents. We want to think in new ways about how our world works and the possibilities for future worlds, expanding tangentially from what we know now.

https://storyseedvault.wordpress.com/submissions/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: June 21, 2021; opens June 1, 2021

(checked Feb 21/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: June 13, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. We are looking for an engaging science fiction or fantasy story, something that gives reality a tweak on the nose – an idea that makes us stop and think.

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Havok: Hero/Magician Theme

Deadline: June 6, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of hero / magician. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: June 2, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints.

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Strange Orbits Sci-fi Series (Black Ink Fiction)

Deadline: June 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Space Opera. Restrictions: Author Eligibility: Authors accepted into any unpaid BIF collection. Theme: Melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, futuristic weapons, advanced technologies, risk-taking–all set primarily in space. Length: 5000-10,000 words, excluding title.  Payment: Royalties.

https://www.blackinkfiction.com/submissions

May 2021

Alien Dimensions

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Science Fiction. Payment: $10. Minimum 3500 words, maximum 4,500 words.

https://aliendimensions.com/submission-guidelines/

Cast of Wonders

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

YA Speculative fiction on Seasonal Holidays. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction of any length (yes, including flash!). For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction.

https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/

Crunchy With Ketchup

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Apr 16/21)

Speculative stories that feature really badass dragons. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories.

https://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/crunchy-guidelines

Dragon Soul Press: Glitch

Deadline: May 31, 2021

(checked Dec 30/20)

LitRPG genre. “Playing Virtual Reality games is a favorite pastime, but getting trapped in them due to a glitch is another story. It’s a true fight for survival now and the only way out is to finish the game.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000.  Payment:  Royalties.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/

One Story

Deadline: May 31, 2021; Opens January 15, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Short story. Payment: $500. 

One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.

Submission Periods: January 15th – May 31st | September 7th – November 14th

https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit&pubcode=os

Pole to Pole Publishing: Re-Enlist Anthology

Deadline: May 31, 2021. Reprints accepted

(checked Mar 30/21)

Dark science fiction stories related to the military and war. “Send us military science fiction stories, ones you’ve had published before, for which full rights have already reverted back to you. We have open minds about what constitutes “military” and “science fiction” but we’re insisting on good stories told well.” Payment: $10.

https://poletopolepublishing.com/submissions/

Re-Enlist Anthology

Deadline: May 31, 2021. Reprints accepted

(checked Apr 16/21)

Dark science fiction stories related to the military and war. Payment: $10.

https://poletopolepublishing.com/submissions/

Spartan

Deadline: May 30, 2021; Opens April 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20.

We have four submission windows each year. Any pieces submitted outside of the submission windows will be deleted unread. The submission windows are:

     Fall: October through November

     Winter: January through February

     Spring: April through May

     Summer: July through August

https://spartanlit.com/submissions

“What One Wouldn’t Do”

Deadline: May 29, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Short stories. “I’m looking for sacrifices, risky wagers, high stakes, and especially—if you’re familiar with my own writing—the unintended consequences and fallout of said things. I’m interested in the lengths characters would go to “fill-in-the-blank-here.” I’m open to anything in the dark speculative fiction realm. I think blending genres/sub-genres around this theme could make for something special.” Payment: 2 cents/word. 

https://www.scottjmoses.com/what-one-wouldnt-do

Story Seed Vault

Deadline: May 24, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story.

https://storyseedvault.wordpress.com/submissions/

Flash Fiction Online

Deadline: May 21, 2021; opens May 1, 2021

(checked Feb 21/21)

Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions. 

Beginning in January 2021, our submission portal for original stories will be open from the 1st to 21st of each month. Reprint submissions will remain CLOSED until April 1, 2021.

https://ffo.submittable.com/submit

Luna Station Quarterly

Deadline: May 15, 2021; Opens March 15, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Speculative fiction by woman-identified writers. Payment: $5. Accepts reprints.

Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. We think women write awesome characters and really cool stories and we want to show it to the world. We will consider stories submitted by any woman writer, regardless of experience or writing resume. If you consider yourself on the woman end of the gender spectrum in any significant capacity, you’re welcome here!

Publication Date Submission Dates

March 1st September 15th – November 15th

June 1st December 15th – February 15th

September 1st March 15th – May 15th

December 1st June 15th – August 15th

http://lunastationquarterly.com/submissions/

Time Capsules

Deadline: May 15, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Stories about opening time capsules. Payment: $15.00 plus equal share of 50% of the anthology’s royalties for stories.

https://www.wolfsingerpubs.com/time-capsules-guidelines

Brilliant Flash Fiction: Print Anthology Autumn 2021 

Deadline: May 14, 2021

(checked Apr 17/21)

Wants your best and most brilliant 300-word flash fiction stories for a print anthology to be launched Autumn 2021. Your story must be original and unpublished. Theme: None. Let your imagination run wild. All genres accepted. Word Count: 300 words or less. One submission per author, please. Author Payment: One complimentary copy of the print anthology. Deadline: May 14, 2021. Please submit your story at bffnonprofit@gmail.com with “Anthology” in the subject line, and include a short bio (60-word limit). Your story should be pasted in the body of your email and also attached as a Word document (.doc). Accepted stories will receive an email notification by June 15, 2021.

https://brilliantflashfiction.com/?utm_source=newpages&utm_medium=classified&utm_campaign=flash_fiction_anthology_cfs&utm_content=brilliant_flash_fiction

Shoreline of Infinity

Deadline: May 13, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Restriction: LGBTQ writers only. Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. 

https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/submissions/

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

Deadline: May 2, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints.

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/

Havok: Ruler/Rebel Theme

Deadline: May 2, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words on theme of Ruler / Rebel. Payment: Pays for anthologies only.  See accepted genres.

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Cryptids Emerging: Tales of Dark Cheer

Deadline: May 1, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: “Contemporary supernatural or historical fantasy about cryptids living with humans, or just at the edge of our vision, stories of what the world would look like if cryptids were real.” Payment: 0.05¢ American per word for stories up to 5,000 words.

https://improbablepress.co.uk/blogs/improbable-press/call-for-submissions-cryptids-anthology?fbclid=IwAR0_lq266gcKNAHMQnwDiE_2DrQQVOR3aDKjUfSLgwKAZESOR3v77TirkoM

GRINDSTONE SHORT STORY PRIZE

Deadline: Early bird closing May 1, 2021; Early Bird: £8.00

Deadline: Final closing August 31, 2021; Regular Submission: £10.00

(checked Jan 24/21)

The Grindstone Short Story Prize returns this year, seeking out the best short fiction writers from around the world. Writers are asked to submit a piece of short fiction between 1,000 and 3,000 words, of any genre, aimed at adult readers. Grand Prize – £500. Runner Up – £200. Four Shortlisters – £50. The top 20 entries will be curated into our yearly anthology and published in print.

https://www.grindstoneliterary.com/short-story-prize

Hybrid Ink: Future//Tense: Love

Deadline: May 1, 2021

(checked Apr 23/21)

Transfuturistic science-fiction. “The stories within will explore the way love, relationship, and identity issues may change over time, from the near future to far, on Earth or other planets, in humans or those from the stars.” Payment: 2½¢ per word (maximum $100 per story.) 

https://hybrid.ink/submit/anthologies/future-tense/love/

Mythulu Magazine

Deadline: May 1, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Short stories that feature wildly original biomes or bizarre weather. Payment: $0.06/word or $15/page. Non-fiction pays 0.08/word. Creative works earn 0.04/word, with short stories capped at $75. 

https://mythulu.com/emagazine-submission-call/

Apr 2021

Autostraddle

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Apr 15/21)

Stories by trans writers. Payment: $150.

Short stories, 5,000 words or less. You, the author, must identify as trans. If you think you are trans, you are trans. There’s no thematic requirement. The work need not contain queer and trans characters or content (though by all means, it can).

https://www.autostraddle.com/call-for-submissions-trans-fiction-trans-imagination/

Devil’s Party Press

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Full-length literary fiction.

https://devilspartypress.com/submissions/

Draw Down the Moon

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Romantic fiction. Payment: Share of net proceeds. 

Stories may evolve along a theme of romantic love, in all its rawness, oddity, and power, although this does not have to be the primary focus of the story.

https://propertiuspress.wordpress.com/2020/06/12/2021-short-story-anthology/

Gaslamp Fantasy Anthology

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Gaslamp fantasy. “Generally speaking, this particular realm of fantasy employs either a Victorian or Edwardian setting. The gaslamp fantasy genre is not to be confused with steampunk, which usually has more of a super-science edge and uchronic tone.” Payment: .015 cents/word.

https://bronzewoodbooks.com/gaslamp-fantasy-anthology-submission/

Extraordinary Visions: Stories Inspired by Jules Verne

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Short stories inspired by the writings of Jules Verne. Payment: 2¢ per word for original stories ($30 flat rate for reprints). $100 for art.  Stories should be 3,000-5,000 words (firm).

Your story may be set in any time or place. You may use characters from Verne’s novels (they’re all in the public domain) or make up your own. You need not write in Verne’s style. The connection between your story and at least one of Verne’s works must be obvious and significant.

http://www.najvs.org/anthology.shtml

Propertius Press: Draw Down the Moon

Deadline: April 30, 2021

(checked Jan 24/21)

Genre: Short fiction on theme of romantic love. Payment: Revenue sharing. 

ANNUAL SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS:

Short stories submitted in this category will be evaluated for inclusion in the annual Anthology. For stand-alone collections, please submit in the other Short Story category.

https://propertiuspress.submittable.com/submit/166065/2021-short-story-anthology

Story Seed Vault

Deadline: April 24, 2021

(checked Mar 30/21)

Fiction based on science. Up to 200 characters. Payment: Up to $3AUD per story.

The Vault is an online periodical that adheres to the limitation of Twitter publishing. We consider all types of fiction with one condition – your story must be based on science. We’re looking for stories that act as story seeds – prompts for spin off plots and weird tangents. We want to think in new ways about how our world works and the possibilities for future worlds, expanding tangentially from what we know now.

https://storyseedvault.wordpress.com/submissions/

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Looming Submission Deadlines – Crime and Horror

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Photo by BSD on Unsplash

Darkness is Closing In. These Crime & Horror Submission Deadlines Are Imminent:

The Best New True Crime Stories
Deadline: February 15, 2021
(checked Dec 30/20)

Genre: Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. 4,000-7,000 words. Payment: $130, and 2 print copies of the book. 
Important: Query first with a brief pitch.
https://mitziszereto.com/call-for-submissions/



Red Cape Anthologies: J is for Jack-o’-Lantern
Deadline: February 15, 2021
(checked Dec 30/20)

Genre: Horror. “Halloween is the theme for these stories but the Jack-o’-Lantern must play a key role..” Payment:  £10. 
https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/



The Other Stories Podcast
Deadline: February 8, 2021
(checked Dec 30/20)

Genre: Horror on theme of Newly Discovered Creatures. Payment: $5.
https://theotherstories.net/submissions



Supernatural Drabbles of Dread
Deadline: February 1, 2021; Opens December 21, 2021; reprints allowed
(checked Jan 24/21)

100-250 words not including titles. Up to five acceptances per author, seven submissions allowed.
The real world contains so much horror, but not all evil has a worldly explanation.
Supernatural Drabbles of Dread is a collection of paranormal and supernatural horror stories. 
All stories must contain an element of both horror and the supernatural.
Due to story length this anthology is unpaid, however, authors will receive ebook copies and have access to paperbacks at cost
This is book 3 in the Drabbles of Dread collection.
https://macabreladies.wixsite.com/website/submissions



Last Girls Club
Deadline: January 31st, 2021
(checked Dec 30/20)

Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems on theme of Strange Births. Payment: Short Story-$20 upon acceptance and copy of magazine; Art-$15 for full page; Poems-$15 less than 200 words.
https://www.lastgirlsclub.com/submit?fbclid=IwAR08gYkHWAeJir6HQ9bn_W9iJjBju_-ACVisC77Oesm3s00LYl9SBwO8UdE

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Fast Approaching Submission Deadlines For You – General Fiction:

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

Sharpen your writing pencils. Here are a few markets whose deadlines are looming over us.

Here are a few fast approaching submission deadlines for you – general fiction:

Havok

Deadline: February 7, 2021

Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of Blue. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. 

https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/

Dragon Soul Press: Valiance

Deadline: January 31, 2021

Fiction on the theme of Valiance. “Female samurai are rarely written in books and are shrouded in mystery. With no limitation on genre, the only special requirement for this anthology is that a female samurai be the main character in each of these stories.” Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment:  Royalties.

DSP Anthology Calls

Orca

Deadline: January 31, 2021

Literary fiction. Payment: $25. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee. 

Literary Issue Guidelines

The Great Void

Deadline: January 31st, 2021

Genre: Speculative fiction. Length: 4000 – 15,000 words. See themes. Payment: 30% of profits shared equally among contributors.

http://adityadeshmukh.com/the-great-void/

The New Gothic Review

Deadline: January 31, 2021

Genre: Gothic fiction. Payment: $30.

https://newgothicreview.com/submission-guidelines/

Every Day Fiction

Deadline: January 27, 2021

Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words. Payment: $3.

https://everydayfiction.submittable.com/submit

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Episode 1 (Butterflies in the Garden): Danger Above by Vivian Munnoch

via Episode 1 (Butterflies in the Garden): Danger Above by Vivian Munnoch

Episode 1:

Butterflies In The Garden

Danger Above

by Vivian Munnoch

 

Photo by Jessa Crisp on Unsplash (edited by Vivian Munnoch)

The dully gleaming ebony feathers of the crow seemed to absorb the daylight into its black mass. The motionless bird stared unblinkingly at the motion below from its perch in a tree, looking more like its deceased and stuffed counterpart than a living creature.

Below him the little butterfly flitted weightlessly, bobbing on its wings over the flowers in the garden, oblivious to the danger above.

The crow blinked just once, the thin membrane moving across its cold emotionless eye a heartbeat behind the eyelid in a slightly off double motion. The bird tilted his head.

Spindly legs reaching, the little butterfly landed on a flower. Its wings moved slowly to some soundless rhythm. It tasted the air with its antennae, picking up only the sweet pollen of the flowers.

Feeling safe, the butterfly stilled its wings, letting them soak in the delightful warmth of the sun.

With slow languid motion, the crow spread his wings and took flight, his shadow passing on the ground below.

The fleeting shade was a cooling pulse across the insect’s back, the warmth returned as quickly. Only its antennae moved in response.

Landing soundlessly on a wooden post closer to the flowers, the crow ruffled his feathers and settled to watch the little butterfly.

 

More…  Episode 1 (Butterflies in the Garden): Danger Above by Vivian Munnoch

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Book Review – Dreams of Mariposa by L. T. Getty

What you learn about this narcissistic vampire … you have to read L. T. Getty’s lovely story.

 

 

Marie is a loner and something of a self described self-exiled outcast who, centuries later, is still mourning the loss of the love of her life. The story doesn’t tell the why and how of this. That is a story set before this one. Was she always like this? Or was she driven to it? Her one friend, Rosa, follows her through the events shaping her, always at her side in her own shallow personality as the, ‘Let’s party and have fun,’ girl.

 

One question in my mind through this book was whether all the vampires are truly as vain, shallow, and self-centered as Marie says they are, or is that a construct of her own depths of those attributes which she must deflect on others in her need to feel she fits in.

 

I had reservations about the cover at first, it gave me a strong ‘romance’ vibe, but found it surprisingly suiting to the main character.

 

 

Dreams of Mariposa by L. T. Getty is a first person account of a vampire telling her story.

Taken unwillingly from her plans to relocate when Raoul shows up to tell her she is summoned by the Council with no option to refuse, Marie is thrust into their scheme without knowing the depth of their intentions.

 

As a vampire who is so ancient and powerful that even the sun cannot touch her, allowing her to walk in daylight, and who easily fits into the social circles of mortals, the Council needs her help in uncovering a mystery hiding powers possibly much older than their own order’s beginnings.

 

The events after that can best be described as leading her down into the madness in the darkness of her vampiric soul and which she chose to be blind to because perfection is to be sane and adored by all. As her world unravels at the end of her narrative, the truth of some of her tale is revealed, and the lies she told herself to keep her shield of perfection in place.

 

I found the main character, Marie, to be entirely unlikable. That doesn’t mean you won’t like her, only that I failed to see any redeeming qualities in her personality. I rather liked L. T. Getty’s portrayal of Marie as being flawed by her own perfection. It gives Marie more personality than if she were simply evilly and immortally perfect. Her view of the world she lives in revolves around her need for everyone including herself to be fully immersed in the glory of her self-perceived flawlessness. As I read, I hoped more than once that she would be staked.

 

As a vampire, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to character development. If anything, it made her more real to me. This narcissistic view of herself is entirely fitting, considering she is immortal on an almost godlike level compared even to her nearly immortal brethren. Centuries of seeing yourself as being superior far above all mortal, and even most immortal, creatures would turn more than a few to narcissism, I would think.

 

Marie sees the other senior vampires as being similarly shallow and self-absorbed narcissists incapable of caring for anyone. Is that merely a reflection of herself? You will need to read L. T. Getty’s lovely story and decide for yourself.

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