Anthology Markets

If you've just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. :) I do these posts every month, so if this post isn't dated in the same month you're in, click here to make sure you're seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, "Until Filled" markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Note there are a couple of spot shifts -- Jack-o'-Spec was previously under "Until Filled" but now has a (very close) deadline, Warrior Wisewoman has been pushed back six months, and Panverse Three has been filled. If Panverse follows their previous pattern, number four will open for submission within a couple of months. Also, note that I included In Situ because it sounds like a neat project, but I just found it and it's due in less than three weeks. [Edit: make that five weeks -- deadline moved.]

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Jack-o'-Spec, In Situ, Bewere the Night, The Faery Taile Project, the Historical Lovecraft Anthology, Horror Library and Warrior Wisewoman 4.

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15 November 2010 [Formerly UNTIL FILLED] -- Jack-o'-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy -- ed. Karen A. Romanko, Raven Electrick Ink

Submissions open 11 October 2010; closing date will be announced when the book is close to full.

Jack-o'-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy is a planned paperback anthology of speculative short stories, flash fiction, and poetry about Halloween and the traditions and legends surrounding it. All works must contain an element of science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror. If it's not speculative, I'm not interested. Also note that this will not be an all-horror anthology. I want to see science fiction and fantasy in a variety of sub-genres. In addition, please be mindful of the caveats about gore, as stated below.

EDITORIAL CAVEATS:
Nothing sexist, racist, or above a "PG" rating; no gore (i.e. no cannibalism, evisceration, "skinning," severed body parts, dead babies, etc.); no simultaneous submissions.

FICTION:
Length up to 2500 words (word processor count ) for new fiction. Length up to 3500 words for reprints. For reprints, include story's publication history.
Send one story. (It's okay to have one poem and one story under consideration at the same time, as long as each is sent in a separate e-mail.)
E-mail fiction submissions to: jackospec@ravenelectrick.com.
In the subject line, type "Fiction Sub" with your last name, e.g. "Fiction Sub: Asimov."
Send the story in an attached .rtf file.
Use black text only.
Include your biography in a brief cover letter.

TERMS: By submitting your work to Jack-o'-Spec, you agree that:
The submitted story or poem is an original work; you are the author of the submitted original work ("the work"); you own the copyright to the work; no other publisher holds exclusive license to the work at the time of submission to Jack-o'-Spec.

PAYMENT:
New fiction: 3 cents per word (rounded to the nearest 100 words) for stories to 800 words, $5 minimum and $24 maximum. Flat rate of $25 for stories 900 words to 2500 words.
Fiction reprints : 1 cent per word (rounded to the nearest 100 words) for stories to 2400 words, $3 minimum and $24 maximum. Flat rate of $25 for stories 2500 words to 3500 words.

Also looking for poetry; see submissions page for that and other details. Query address: comments@ravenelectrick.com.


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1 December 2010 -- Male Model Anthology -- ed. Neil Plakcy, Cleis Press

Who hasn’t experienced a pang of lust or longing at a photo of a male model? Whether a hundred times life size on a billboard, or romping through the pages of a glossy magazine in his Calvins, Tommys or Ralphs, the male model is the gold standard for masculine beauty.

But what happens behind the scenes at those South Beach photo shoots or Manhattan runway shows? When the students put away their sketch pads, and the photographers shelve their lenses? Model Men will show these men at their handsomest and sexiest moments.

The editor of Hard Hats, Surfer Boys, Skater Boys and The Handsome Prince is looking for great stories focused on male models. Hand models, silver foxes, and locations around the world are fair game for Model Men. I’d love to see stories set in the traditional locales of New York, London, Milan and LA as well as other, unexpected places. Surprise me, romance me, get me hot and bothered!

Story length: 3,000 – 5,000 words

Publication Date: 2011

Payment: $60.00 per story, payable on publication, plus 1 copy of the book

You may forward this call to other erotica writers you know. Submit your story to Neil Plakcy at plax@bellsouth.net as a MS word attachment.

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15 December 2010 -- Dancing -- Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher's site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

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15 December 2010 [formerly 30 November] -- In Situ -- ed. Carrie Cuinn, Dagan Books

We will respond with acceptances after December 15, 2010, once all stories have been reviewed. Some rejections may be sent prior to the closing date. Payment will be 2 cents per word, up to $80 US, paid within 30 days of publication.

We're looking for stories of between 2,000 and 4,000 words. "In situ" is a Latin phrase meaning in the place. According to current archaeological usage, in situ refers to an artifact that has not been moved from its original place of deposition. In other words, it is still where it was left. An artifact being in situ is critical to the interpretation of that artifact and, consequently, to the culture which formed it. Once an artifact's 'find-site' has been recorded, the artifact can then be moved for conservation, further interpretation and display. An artifact that is not discovered in situ is considered out of context and will not provide an accurate picture of the associated culture.

But what if the artifact isn't from a human culture? Could we, as humans, possibly understand it? If not, what might we mistake it for? Whether it's 19th century scholars finding an alien artifact at an a dig site in the Mediterranean, or 25th century explorers uncovering ancient ruins on a recently discovered planet, far out in space, In Situ seeks to unearth something new.

SUBMISSIONS FORMAT:

Send all stories to submissions (at) daganbooks (dot) com in .doc or .rtf format. You must put the following in your email subject line:

[In Situ] "Name of your story" LastName

For example, our editor might submit a story with the following subject line:

[In Situ] "Alien Archeology" Cuinn

Use a common font in your submission, like Courier or Times New Roman, 12 pt, and if you need to note any funky formatting or spelling, please do so at the end of the document. Thank you.

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31 December 2010 -- Fire and Ice: Short Gasps of Romantic Suspense -- ed. Jessy Marie Roberts, Pill Hill Press


Email submissions to: fireice@pillhillpress.com

Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, in the subject line of your email. Thanks!

This anthology will feature SUSPENSEFUL short stories with a STRONG ROMANTIC THEME. We want interesting submissions where the protagonist(s) FALL IN LOVE through the course of the story, all the while facing incredibly SCARY situations. Love scenes are acceptable, as long as written tastefully and are integral to plot development (think romance novel sex, not Penthouse sex - we are not looking for erotica or pornography).

Most genres are acceptable as long as they contain strong elements of both suspense and romance. They can take place anywhere (Earth, outer space, other planets, etc.), at any time (past, present, future, alternate. Stories should be written in the third person.

We prefer short stories in the 4,000-6,000 word range, but will consider stories from 1,500-15,000 words.

Payment is 1 cent per word (up to 6,000 words or a $60.00 cap), plus 1 contributor's copy upon publication.

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31 December 2010 -- Bewere the Night -- ed. Ekaterina Sedia, Prime

I'm looking for stories dealing with any were-creatures; werewolves are welcome, of course, and the stories should be in a general urban fantasy vein. I'll need the stories by the end of December 2010, and I'm looking for reprints as well as originals. Reprints pay 1c/word and originals 5c/word, and the length should be between 1,000 and 7,500 words. Also, please suggest reprints by other authors if you happen to think of any.

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31 December 2010 -- The Faery Taile Project #2 -- CatsCurious Press

There are two sides to every story... And we here at CatsCurious Press think that our readers deserve to read BOTH! Again!

A Call for Submissions... of the Faery Taile Kynde! CatsCurious Press will re-open to submissions starting October 1, 2010 for all well-written, humorous fairy tale re-tellings (except red riding hood, but that's because we've been there, done that)! But there's a catch -- these stories must be written from ONE POV only... the protagonist's.

Why would we be so strict, you ask? Because Anton Strout, author of Dead To Me, Deader Still, 'Dead Matter and Dead Waters has already gotten on board to write a counterpoint story! That's right -- once we have plowed our way through the slush, Anton will review our favorite stories and then choose ONE from among them to write a counterpoint to.

The end result will be a double-sided book with two covers (one featuring artwork for Anton's story, the other featuring artwork to coincide with the protagonist's point of view). Stories will be printed upside-down from one another -- flip the book over, and start fresh from the top! I can't wait to see the end result! Check out Faery Taile Project #1 to see what we have in mind.

Here are the requirements:

Story length must be between 7500 and 12,000 words
Stories must be humorous
Stories must appeal to a broad range of folks -- from twelve years old to adult (so no raunchy humor, please!)
Stories must be single POV, from the protagonist's point of view (this will take some finesse -- leaving enough details to the imagination that Anton can create a counterpoint, yet creating a rich-enough world that the reader won't be left wanting)
Submission period: October 1st, 2010 to 11:59:59pm December 31st, 2010

Any fairy tale is fair game (except red hood of course, for obvious reasons)!

The payment? $.06 per word and seeing your name next to Anton Strout's!

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1 January 2011 -- Red Velvet and Absinthe: Gothic Tales of Erotic Romance -- ed. Mitzi Szereto, Cleis Press

A trade paperback to be published by Cleis Press, USA. Publication date: Autumn 2011. Deadline: January 1, 2011 (I’ll be selecting stories on a rolling basis, therefore earlier submissions are strongly encouraged, though I’ll still consider stories that make it in by the deadline).

Word count preferred: 3,000 to 6,500.

What I’m looking for: Well-developed story lines and well-crafted prose told in a unique voice and containing interesting characters and settings. Think atmosphere, passion, desire… imaginative stories that send a shiver up your spine and make your heart beat faster. Readers should be able to feel the red velvet beneath their fingertips and taste the absinthe on their tongue! Tales that contain supernatural beings such as ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters, demons, and other entities of a paranormal nature are welcome, as are those of the Wuthering Heights variety with tormented heroes and dark secrets. Stories may be set in the past, present, or future. Stories from female and male writers are welcome, as are those written from the POV of characters of any gender and containing characters of any sexual orientation (including those that haven’t yet been created!). Take your inspiration from the pens of the Brontë sisters, Mary Shelley, Daphne du Maurier, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Poppy Z. Brite, Stephenie Meyer, Laurell K. Hamilton…

Note that sexually explicit content is acceptable as well as a more subtle approach; however, no stock sex scenes or formulaic writing/terminology. Please refer to my previous anthologies to get an idea of the variety and style of content I look for. No excessive gore or violence. No reprints.

One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology.

Submission requirements: Stories should be formatted as follows: double-spaced Arial 12-point black font Word or RTF document. Indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch. Do not add extra lines between paragraphs or any other irregular spacing. American spelling and punctuation only (i.e. quote marks, etc). Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), postal address, and a fifty-word maximum author bio written in the third person. Contract is for one-time, non-exclusive anthology rights with one year’s exclusivity from date of publication. (This may be waived if your story is selected for a “Best Of” collection). No simultaneous submissions please.

In the subject line of your email, please state: Red Velvet and Absinthe

Send to: submissions @ mitziszereto.com

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3 January 2011 -- Historical Lovecraft Anthology -- ed. Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles, Innsmouth Free Press

What We Want: historical fiction with a Lovecraftian twist. Stories should be set in a variety of places, cultures and time periods. While we might buy one story set in 1920s New England, we want to stray far from the normal Lovecraft milieu. If you’re going to do 1920s, why not ship us off to China and tell the story from the point of view of a native of Shanghai? Please note that for our purposes we consider historical anything up to 1937 (the year of Lovecraft’s death).

Length: from flash fiction (1,000 words or under) to novelette (10,000 words). Keep in mind we have a payment cap of $50 CAD, so your long novelette might be better served by finding another home.

Payment: one cent per word up to a maximum of $50 CAD. One physical copy of the anthology and one e-book copy. Payment made via PayPal or Canadian check upon acceptance. We are purchasing first English print and electronic rights for the anthology.

Reprints: considered, with a few caveats:
1. Indicate where and when the story was originally published in your cover letter.
2. Reprints offered should not be easily available in print or online.
3. Payment is a flat $25 CAD for reprints.

If you published it in a small collection in 1985 and it’s no longer on the market, that’s fine. If it was published in a German magazine and never translated to English, we’d like to see it. If it appeared in a now-defunct zine, that’s okay, too. If it was in a recent issue of an English-language zine that is currently online, no.

Submitting: e-mail us at innsmouthfp AT gmail.com. Subject line: Historical Antho, [Title of your Story, Author's Name]. The subject line is important; otherwise, the story might go into the wrong pile.

Do not send simultaneous submissions. Do not send more than one submission. If we reject one story, you can send another one.

Include a cover letter with the story word count, salient writing credits and any reprint information (if applicable). Yes, we do read cover letters, so please include the information (Paula gets cranky when stories arrive sans byline, title or cover letter).

Attach story as RTF (preferred) or Word (doc, not docx) document. Use standard manuscript format. Italics as italics, bold as bold. No fancy fonts.

Stories can be sent in English, French or Spanish.

Submissions are accepted from September 1, 2010 to January 3, 2011. Do not send anything before or after that date.

We will reject some stories as they come in and send others to the hold pile. Final story selection will take place in January 2011. Check back for updates.

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15 January 2011 -- Canes -- Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher's site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

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[UPDATED] 31 July 2011 -- Warrior Wisewoman 4 -- ed. Roby James, Norilana Books

Warrior Wisewoman is an annual anthology series of science fiction featuring powerful and remarkable women, edited by Roby James. The first volume was published by Norilana Books in June 2008, the second volume in June 2009, and the third volume in August 2010.

The anthology was conceived as a sister volume to the classic Sword and Sorceress fantasy series originally edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with the main difference being that the story themes will involve science fiction instead of fantasy, and they will be intended for a more mature audience, allowing a mixture of serious contemporary issues and reasonable sexual content (but no erotica) in addition to action and adventure. The stories will have a stronger focus on the interface between scientific exploration and our sense of wonder.

Editor Roby James says "I am looking for stories that shed light on the truth of what it means to be female, that illuminate the wisdom and the strength of a woman, but not in cliche 'goddess' stories. I love action and adventure, grand space opera, thrilling discovery, and intelligent protagonists. Make the story thoughtful, wise, and surprising. In addition, the stories in the anthology should appeal to genuine emotions, suspense, fear, sorrow, delight, wonder. The science can be part of the background and the characters foremost, or the science can be central to the story, as long as the characters are realistic and appealing. It is strongly recommended you read the previous volumes to get an idea of what kind of material we're looking for.

"This is science fiction, but I also welcome stories of spiritual exploration, looking at the bond between the scientific and the divine. I want to see how a woman survives tragedy and disaster, overcomes impossible odds, achieves her true potential, or goes on to thrive in a marvelous universe of so many possibilities, using what is inside her, as well as what she finds in the laboratory, the alien planet, or space itself.

"The stories should contain the question of 'what if' on some level. And they should have a woman answer it."

RIGHTS PURCHASED: First English Language Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights. The anthology will be published by Norilana Books in a trade paperback edition in June 2011, to be followed by an electronic edition to be produced later.
PAYMENT: $0.02 a word on acceptance, and a pro rata share of royalties, plus a contributor copy.
WORD LENGTH: Up to 10,000 words, with longer stories having to be exceptional.
READING PERIOD begins on September 15, 2010. Please do not submit your stories before then.
DEADLINE: January 15, 2011 July 31, 2011.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Submissions are electronic only. Please submit your story as a Word (.doc or .rtf) attachment to your e-mail. The subject line of your e-mail should say "Submission: Story Title, last name of author." Also, include a brief cover letter. It should have your full name, address, e-mail address, title of story, number of words, and brief biographical information in case we don't know you, with most recent publishing credits, if applicable. We are open to new writers and seasoned veterans alike.

EDITORIAL ADDRESS: roby dot james at comcast dot net.

[EDIT: Note that Norilana is postponing most of its upcoming anthologies by six months, so the deadline is later, although the guidelines still say reading began on 15 September 2010. They're open, but it'll take a lot longer to get a response than originally indicated.]

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UNTIL FILLED -- Horror Library, Vol. 5 -- Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We're looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what's already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won't cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They're just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we'll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission - title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]