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 guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

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31 August 2014 -- Abbreviated Epics -- Third Flatiron Anthologies

Short stories with epic themes: Swashbuckles and sorcery, alternate history (e.g., Napoleonic era magic, steampunk), megalomania, Frankenstein-type tales, creation myths

Third Flatiron Publishing is an e-publishing venture based in Boulder, Colorado. We are looking for submissions to our quarterly themed online anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We’re looking for tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios.

Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer.

Role models for the type of fiction we want include Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, Vernor Vinge, and Ken Kesey. We want to showcase some of the best new shorts available today.

Click through to the "Submissions" tab for preferred formats, etc.

For each anthology, we will also accept a few very short humor pieces on the order of the "Shouts and Murmurs" feature in The New Yorker Magazine (600 words or so). These can be written from a first-person perspective or can be mini-essays that tell people what they ought to do, how to do something better, or explain why something is like it is, humorously. An SF/Fantasy bent is preferred.

Your story must be original work, with the digital rights unencumbered. Accepted stories will be paid at the flat rate of 3 cents per word (U.S.), in return for the digital rights to the story. All other rights will remain with the author. We no longer offer royalties. If your story is selected as the lead story, we will pay a flat rate of 5 cents per word, in return for the permission to podcast or give the story away as a free sample portion of the anthology.

Third Flatiron will price and market your story to various e-publishing venues. We will format the story for the most popular electronic readers and platforms. You agree that we may distribute a sample (portion of the story) to potential customers.

For non-U.S. submissions, we prefer to pay via PayPal, if you have such an account.

Authors selected for publication will also be entitled to one free online copy of the anthology.

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31 August -- This Patchwork Flesh -- ed. Michael Matheson; Exile Editions

The Central Idea:

There would be no This Patchwork Flesh without Michael Rowe’s seminal anthologies, Queer Fear and Queer Fear II. Exquisite in both their execution and in their focus on putting openly gay protagonists front and centre, the Queer Fear anthologies shifted the nature of the conversation horror fiction was having in short form.

And that’s because horror fiction is, for everything else it accomplishes (and it casts a very wide net through various subgenres), primarily a way of looking at the darker aspects of ourselves. Of examining the horrors we both embody and encounter. A way of exploring both catharsis and vastation by looking inward, and then extrapolating outward. It is, then, a way of turning a mirror on ourselves, as a way of looking at the rest of the world.

But, as many readers will already be aware, the mirror of (Western) horror fiction tends to reflect a very narrow range of representations.

This Patchwork Flesh is meant to be, like the Queer Fear books, a wider lens on underrepresented stories, and on underrepresented voices. A chance for readers who identity as one of the many facets of QUILTBAG, or pansexual, fluid, and so on, to see narratives where they are not sidelined, where they are not depicted as secondary characters, always foils, aids, or victims of, or to, “normative” figures.

The inroads have already been made: LGBT horror fiction is by no means unplumbed territory. It is, in fact, a limitless, and growing, aspect of the field, the depths of which have been, or are being, mined by masters in the genre: writers like Clive Barker, Caitlin Kiernan, Poppy Z. Brite, Gemma Files, and John Ajvide Lindqvist, just to name a very few.

But it’s time to cast that net wider still. Time to explore narratives about the monstrous and the horrific, the internal and the external, through a variety of QUILTBAG voices. To bring that next needed expansion to the field.

To again widen the conversation.

To get a better look at the monsters in our midst, and in the darkness without. And see in them the terrifyingly familiar.

This Patchwork Flesh is a book about nightmares. About terrors and darkness, internal and external. Horror is a field with no limitations, and I’m looking to assemble an anthology that will encompass stories both minimalist and cosmic in scope. Quietly unsettling, balls to the wall, transgressive, or the Weird, it’s all welcome. Terrify and transcend in equal measure.

I want to see intricate, multi-layered work that is not content to explore simple, simplistic, or trite ground. I want to see three-dimensional characters (not just the protagonist – convince me your setting is alive with real, fully fleshed out people beyond the central character). Send stories about PoCs, senior citizens, and the otherwise underrepresented. Send stories about characters from all walks of life. Give me stories about rural communities, urban communities, extraplanar communities, and whatever else you want to explore.

I’m interested in a broad range of characters, narratives, settings, and approaches to storytelling. Experimental and non-standard narrative approaches are welcome. And content is wide open as long as it meets the basis for the anthology in some way.

Also, your story does have to have some speculative element to it, but that can be anywhere from interstitial, to magic realist, fabulist, slipstream, all the way up to genre work.
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Submission Details:

== Length: to 10k (under 7.5k preferred)
== Payment: .05/word (and contributor’s copy)
== Rights: First English-Language Rights & Non-exclusive Anthology Rights (Print and eBook)
== Genre: All speculative. Must be horror.
== Original fiction only. No reprints.
== Submit To: adarkandterriblebeauty [at] gmail [dot] com
== Subject Line: This Patchwork Flesh: [Story Title], [Last Name]
== Format: Standard Manuscript Format
== File Format: .doc, .docx, or .rtf only
== Cover Letter: Yes. See below.
== Reading Period: June 30, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2014
== All Responses By: Sep. 30, 2014
== Scheduled Release: Fall 2015

Please, no simultaneous submissions. The only exception to this is that you are allowed to submit a story to both This Patchwork Flesh and the $15,000 Vanderbilt/Exile Short Fiction Competition (open until March 10, 2014) sponsored by Exile Quarterly/Exile Editions (see http://www.theexilewriters.com/poetry-and-fiction-competitions/).

You may send multiple submissions over the course of the reading period, but submit only one story at a time. I’ll be rejecting stories over the course of the reading period, so if you receive a rejection before the deadline you may submit another piece.

Also, despite the fact that I’m comfortable with alternate and integrated narrative formats for short fiction, I’m not taking poetry or plays. Short fiction only, please.

Re Cover Letters: Include your name, story title, word count, contact info, a brief bio, and state your nationality (so I can keep track of the 90% Canadian authored content requirement).

Also Re Cover Letters (Optional): One of the things the Ontario Arts Council asks on their grant forms is a set of volunteered information, specifically about self-definition and identity. It helps them figure out what communities and groups they’re already reaching and aiding, and who they need to do more outreach to better aid. And if people are willing, I would like to do something similar here. Specifically, I’d like to compile and share a map of the submissions, if you will. (Both a map for all submissions, and a comparative map for selected stories.) So, please feel free to also note in your cover letter if you consider, or define, yourself as any of the following: an Aboriginal writer, culturally diverse writer, Francophone writer, and/or new generation writer. (Definitions for same below.) Anyone submitting is also welcome to note their gender (be it binary, multiple, undefined, or a lack thereof) and you can also include if you self-define along the lines of QUILTBAG, fluid, pansexual, or otherwise.

And let me reiterate: all of that volunteered information is entirely optional. And if given, it is going to be shared in a strictly anonymous fashion, and only for the purposes of the submissions mapping.

Lastly, if I’ve already read a story of yours elsewhere (say, at Apex), please don’t send it for this call unless I specifically ask to see it. And if you have questions relating to the anthology, please ask them in the Comments.

[NOTE: There's definitely more info on the guidelines page, so click through if you're thinking of subbing.]

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31 August 2014 -- Lovely, Dark and Deep -- ed. Michael Jay; Less Than Three Press

Wolves, fairies, ghosts, errant campers, and witches ... fiction is rife with tales of what happens when people dare to enter, or leave, the woods. A classic setting from the oldest fairytale to the newest thriller, the adventure and danger that comes from wandering around a forest, or a jungle, provides endless opportunity for new stories.

Less Than Three Press is seeking tales of all that can happen in the woods when those who shouldn’t be there venture into them anyway...

THE DETAILS:

== Deadline is August 31, 2014 (give or take, we won’t kill you for sending it off the following morning).
== Stories should be at least 10,000 words and should not exceed approx 20,000 words in length.
== Stories may be any pairing except cisgender M/F (trans* M/F, M/M, F/F, poly, and all permutations thereof are acceptable).
== Stories must have a happily ever after (HEA) or happy for now (HFN) end.
== Any sub-genre is gladly accepted: sci-fi, mystery, contemporary, steampunk, etc.
== All usual LT3 submission guidelines apply.
== IMPORTANT: Completed manuscripts should be emailed to michaelj.submissions@gmail.com with LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP in the subject line. Please include the title of your work, your name, pen name, word count, and a brief summary of the story in your email.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a general release anthology, which means authors will receive a flat payment of $200.00 once LT3 has a signed contract.

Authors will receive one copy each of the ebook formats LT3 produces and 2 print volumes of the compiled anthology.

Stories should be complete before submitting, and as edited as possible. They can be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, single spaced with a space between paragraphs, in an easy to read font (we prefer Calibri size 12) with no special formatting (no elaborate section separation, special fonts, etc). Additional formatting guidelines can be found here.

Any questions should be directed to the editor Michael Jay at michaelj.submissions@gmail.com.

[NOTE: LT3 is a romance press, in case that didn't come through. For whatever reason, romance presses tend to think you'll automatically know who they are and what they publish, without coming out and saying so in their calls. Romance writers will probably pick up the clues, but heads-up in case you're not a romance writer. :) ]

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31 August 2014 -- Young Explorer's Adventure Guide -- ed. Corie Weaver & Sean Weaver; Dreaming Robot Press

We’re looking for stories that:

== Have a main character a middle grade reader (ages 9-12) can identify with;
== Show a diverse set of real characters;
== Are well written, fun to read and encourage a love of reading science fiction;
== Tell of adventure, space, science. Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters, and we’re pretty happy. Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine;
== Are between 3,000 and 6,000 words.

We’re especially looking for stories:

== Where the main character is of a population that has traditionally been under-represented in science fiction, e.g. girls, people of color, differently abled people;
== Where the main character has agency, exercises it, and isn’t just along for the ride.

We’re not interested in:

== Stories where the female characters primarily exist to be rescued or as a prize for the males;
== Stories where the primary plot or subplot is romantic in nature;
== Stories with graphic violence or any form of sexual activity;
== Stories about the first girl to do X, surprising everyone;
== Stories that depict any ethnicity or gender as universally bad or stupid.

Submission deadline, mechanics and planned schedule:

== Anthology will be open for submissions from June 1, 2014 – August 31, 2014;
== While we prefer original stories, if you have something perfect that had a limited run elsewhere, query us and we’ll talk;
== August 1st will launch a crowd-funding campaign to help with pre-publication costs. Regardless of results of crowd-funding campaign, we are committed to publishing the anthology;
== Acceptance notices will be sent by September 15, 2014.

Rights and Payments:

== Authors will be provided with a complete Anthology Contract for review and consideration with the notice of accepted submissions;
== In keeping with SWFA’s new guidelines, we pay $0.06/word on final edited word count for one-year exclusive worldwide rights, print and electronic, and two contributor copies. Payment upon final edit;
== We also buy the nonexclusive right to republish, print, or reprint the complete anthology in any language or format after the first year;
== If the crowd-funding fails, please note that we are still committed to this anthology, and will find other ways to fund the project. However, there may be delays. If authors feel the need to withdraw their submission due to delays, we understand.
== We will provide professional editing, primarily for issues of grammar and spelling;
== If authors have other questions about rights or payments, please contact us before submission. We want to make sure all concerns are addressed.

Risks:

We’re new. And while every publishing company has to start somewhere, we know that can make some authors nervous. We’re doing everything we can to make this as low risk as possible for the participants. There is no entry fee; this isn’t a contest to pay the bills for the other books we’re working on. Payment is on acceptance of final edit at pro rates, and rights are for a limited time.

[Click through for more info about the editors, and for their auto-submission page.]

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31 August 2014 -- The Lane of Unusual Traders -- Tiny Owl Workshop

What is this Lane thing?

The Lane of Unusual Traders is a world building project. The aim is to write or otherwise bring the Lane, the City of Lind and the world of Midlfell into existence through stories, illustrations, comics and, well, through whatever other creative means present themselves as the story grows.

The story begins in a lane known only as The Lane of Unusual Traders.

To Begin

Read the prologue developed by short story author, Chris White. The prologue provides essential information to orient you to The Lane of Unusual Traders.

Next, take a look at the Midlfell map designed by illustrator extraordinaire, Terry Whidborne.

There are 20 Story Lots available in the Lane. Terry has numbered the Lots available from 1 – 23. Tiny Owl Workshop holds the deed to Lot 1, but more about that later.

Your options: of the 20 Story Lots available, 10 Lots are for short stories up to 3,000 words.

So, this means you:

== choose one of the 20 Story Lots you would like to write a story about
== decide whether you’d like to submit a flash fiction or short fiction piece
== begin writing

Your task is to write the story of your chosen Lot and its resident/s (if there are any) into existence.

The Rest of the Guidelines (yes, you do need to read these)

The maximum length for flash fiction submissions 500 words,

The maximum length for short stories is 3,000 words, the minimum length is 1,500 words.

While the Lane is clearly a fantastical kind of place, your stories can be in any style or genre. You really are only limited by arbitrary notions of genre and literature. For instance, your Lot could be:

== a shop that sells short visits to ‘the real world’
== a theatre known for its truly dreadful plays
== a bookshop that sells the souls of books burned by the Kraken (our evil guy, of course he burns books)
== a shambling, empty cottage where visitors find poetry appears on the walls as they wander through.

The audience you are writing for is adults or young adults (YA), although we will consider stories for middle readers (age 8-11).

There is no geographical restriction on entry although submissions must be in English (sorry).

Please format your story using a simple font, such as Times New Roman/Courier 11 pt. Submit as either a .doc/docx of Pdf document, but contact us prior to the deadline if this is a problem.

Your name and contact details should only appear on the first page of the story and not anywhere else.

The only thing that should appear in a header or footer is a page number.

Entrants may submit multiple stories, although each story must relate to the prologue.

Submissions must be sent via email to tinyowlworkshop [at] gmail [dot] com.

Entries must be wholly (like every bitty bit) the work of the entrant/s and must not have been previously published, in print or online (including websites, blogs, etc).

Entrants must not plagiarise the work of others. We’re adept at searches, have friends in unusual places, your work will be disqualified and it’s generally not worth it.
We will acknowledge receipt of your submission/s via email.

If accepted, where/how will my story be published?

Because of the nature of the project it’s going to be difficult to predict what stories will be submitted, what storylines may develop and how the stories submitted may fit together. The aim is to publish a Lane of Unusual Traders Annual (physical book format), BUT as we like to do things a little differently you may find your stories published on postcards, scrolls (of the parchment not bread variety), paper napkins or in some other form that presents itself and which fits the project. Tiny Owl Workshop will, however, negotiate this with authors prior to publishing.

Copyright

While you, of course, retain copyright of your material this is a collaborative, world-building adventure so you must be ready for other contributors to make reference to or interact with the characters you develop. This does not mean that Tiny Owl Workshop will permit other contributors to purloin or change your work and develop it as their own (NO, NOPE, NUP), merely that other contributors may reference your work in some way. E.g. Georgia strode by the rancid inn (a reference to Tiny Owl’s own Lot 1) and on toward the fen.

Tiny Owl Workshop will keep, and publish, a schedule of who owns what as the story grows. This will also help us and contributors to keep track of intellectual property (IP).

Judgement

Entries will be judged by a panel of readers, enthusiasts, grammar pedants and writers. The judging panel may select up to 10 short stories.

Short story entrants will be advised on the outcome in really quite late September-early October 2014.

The panel’s decision is final and, due to the number of submissions, feedback on unsuccessful submissions will not be given.

Payment for short stories accepted for publication is $300 (AUD)

Where there are royalties, 10% of the profit pool will be shared by the Authors published.

Should you wish to withdraw a story you submitted before the close date, please contact us via email (otherwise we won’t know).

We can’t make you read these guidelines, but we will assume that those submitting stories for consideration have read them, and understand them.

Questions

We know it’s all a little complex, so if you have any questions please contact Tiny Owl Workshop via Twitter @tinyowlworkshop or email tinyowlworkshop [at] gmail.com

BUT, make sure you’ve read the guidelines first, otherwise we can’t be friends.

[NOTE: I edited out references to flash submissions, in interest of weeding irrelevant info, because I just found this and the flash deadline was two weeks ago.]

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5 September 2014 -- Savage Beasts -- Grey Matter Press

For our next anthology of horror -- working title Savage Beasts -– we’re looking for dark and terrifying tales of fiction that have been scratched into the inside of your skull by the musical earworms to which you listen.

Hundreds of authors report getting their inspiration for their dark tales from music. Whether that musical choice be metal, classic rock, country or the far more horrifying pop tunes that ramble in and out of your head, any source of inspiration will work. Whether a complete song, or a single lyric, as long as your inspiration is musical it will qualify your exceptional piece of dark fiction for consideration into Savage Beasts.

As with our complete catalog of bestselling anthologies, we do not want to limit your creativity with a narrowly themed collection. Anywhere your mind goes, so long as it’s been taken there by some form of music, will work for your submission. But, as always, be prepared to scare the hell out of us.

Please review our Complete Submissions Guidelines below, paying specific attention to the additional information we would like to receive regarding the source of your inspiration. Feel free to contact us here on the site with any questions with a message to submissions@greymatterpress.com.

We thank you for your interest in considering Grey Matter Press as a potential home for your work.

Savage Beasts is the working title for this volume. Grey Matter Press reserves the right to change the title as necessary.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS

WORD COUNT: 3,000 – 10,000 words

DEADLINE: Friday, September 5, 2014

PAYMENT: $0.02 cents per word for each edited manuscript accepted into the anthology

MUSICAL DETAILS: Provide detailed information about the source of your inspiration — artist name(s) and song title. Give us as much information as possible to explain how the piece of music inspired your work. You may even share, in your explanation, the actual lyrics that inspired your work. (We will be looking for a direct correlation between your story and the source of your inspiration.)

NOTE: DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS, DO NOT INCLUDE LYRICS WITHIN THE STORY. All lyrics included in your story will be edited from the manuscript. However, if your muse calls for it, you may include reference to and/or mention of the individual piece of music by simply stating the title of the song and/or artist name.

FORMATS: *.doc, *.docx, *.txt, *.rtf

CONTACT ADDRESS: submissions@greymatterpress.com

Acceptable File Formats: Grey Matter Press wants to make your submission process easy and painless. We accept manuscripts that are *.doc, *.docx, .txt or .rtf file formats. If you have any questions about the formatting of your manuscript, feel free to contact us directly at submissions@greymatterpress.com

Digital Submissions: Unfortunately, we cannot accept reprints. (Reprints also include any work that has appeared online in magazines, journals, personal websites or any other online location.) Only previously unpublished work will be accepted. We will accept your submission via email at submissions@greymatterpress.com. Subject lines should contain name of Anthology and the title of the story being submitted. (ex: SAVAGE BEASTS – 'Title of Story.'

Font Usage and General Formatting: We request that all files be submitted double-spaced, using either Arial or Times New Roman 11 point font. Page margins should be no less than .5 inch on all borders. If using headers/footers, please employ standard Word header/footer tools rather than manually inserting such into the body of your Word document.

Distribution: Upon acceptance into our anthologies, Grey Matter Press will hold all exclusive worldwide publishing rights for the period defined within author contract (generally 18 months from original publication date). Copyright remains that of the author. At the end of that term, publishing rights revert to the original author, with Grey Matter Press retaining distribution rights for the format(s) originally contracted.

Contributor Copies: All contributors whose work is accepted and published in the anthology will, in the case of digital publishing, receive a digital copy of the complete anthology, and in the case of paperback publishing, will receive up to two copies of the anthology.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at submissions@greymatterpress.com.

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15 September 2014 -- Warlords & Warriors: Gay Erotic Romance & Adventure -- ed. Rob Rosen; Cleis Press

Earlier submissions are greatly appreciated!
Payment: $60.00 USD and 2 copies of the book upon publication

Dashing swashbucklers and pirates, hunky highlanders and crusaders, fierce Vikings and Huns and menacing marauders. These are the types of men who will fill the pages of Warlords & Warriors, though the location and setting of your story are just as important. Give me sweeping vistas and fields bloody with battle, snow-dense mountain passes and raging seas. Above all, give me steaming romance and hot sex and thrilling adventure!

Stories can take place in any country and during any time frame. The sex should be mutually consented to (absolutely no rape or allusions to rape). Humor is always appreciated, as are stories with unexpected plot twists. Sex between gay-identifying men is strongly preferred (confused straight men do not turn this editor on).

Please note that the Publisher, Cleis Press, has final right of refusal on all submissions. [NOTE: They're not kidding, and this is not pro forma. I've known writers who've signed contracts with an editor for a Cleis book, gone through edits, only to have the publisher dump their story. Be aware of what you're walking into.]

Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. Please do not send me a story that is being considered elsewhere.

The Editor will not accept:
Already Published Works, Underage Sex, Non-Consensual Sex, Incest, Scat or Bestiality.

How to Submit:
Early submissions are strongly encouraged. Please send your submission to: WarlordsAndWarriors@yahoo.com
Subject: Warlords & Warriors Submission

Please submit your work as follows (strict adherence is required):
Send a Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc or .rtf) 3,000-6,000 word story (no exceptions). Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space lines (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). Single space after a period or a comma. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, word count, and 50 word or less bio in the third person.

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30 September 2014 -- Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness -- Firbolg Publishing

Passions become obsessions. Obsessions become manias. And sometimes, manias turn into nightmares. What happens when one wants so badly that all else, including sanity and self, is consumed by the bonfires of desire? What happens when one achieves the dream, only to discover the nightmares lurking behind the illusions? Firbolg Publishing’s fifth anthology, Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness, explores the old adage of "Be Careful What You Wish For." We are looking for stories that step behind the veil of dreams and wishes into the unanticipated horrors of fulfillment. Journey down wishful thinking’s twisted pathway and discover what dark ends and detours await–send us your story and share a TOC with D.H. Lawrence, Mary Shelley, A.M. Burrage, H.P. Lovecraft, and more Gothic masters from yesteryear in Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness.

3000-5000 words (this is strict)

Avoid excessive gore/ violence. We are most interested in gothic dark fiction rather than splatter style horror. We are not interested in stories that are gratuitously violent, sexual, or graphic. If these elements occur within a story, they must be an integral part of the narrative, but note that we are inclined to pass on tales that rely on these elements for plot. Stories that rely on mood, atmosphere, well-crafted dialogue, and character-driven narrative find a home at Firbolg Publishing over violence and gore.

LGBT-friendly press.

RTF format as an attachment (include author biography, links to blogs/ websites)

Standard manuscript format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html)

A few formatting musts: No double spaces between punctuation and next sentence. No double spaces between paragraphs (unless indicating a time break).

Payment: $50 and contributor copy (paperback edition).

No simultaneous submissions, no poetry, no reprints

ebook and paperback format.

submission email: editor@firbolgpublishing.com

There have been quite a few invitations for this one, so space for open submissions is limited.

Release date: 7 May, 2015. There will be an official release party at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta, GA.

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30 September 2014 -- An Alphabet of Embers -- ed. Rose Lemberg

I am seeking submissions for An Alphabet of Embers, an anthology of unclassifiables – lyrical, surreal, magical, experimental pieces that straddle the border between poetry and prose.

I am looking for work that is between 500 and 1400 words in length. Ideally, I’d like to accept a mix of pieces that can traditionally be labeled stories, and pieces that defy such definitions. If you’ve been told your piece is 'too slight' or 'more of a vignette', 'too poetic' or 'too experimental,' I’d love to consider it.

While I am looking for unusual and striking work that defies definition, I would be happy to consider work that falls within any speculative genre, including science fiction, fantasy, fairytale/mythic retellings, and of course surrealism, magic realism, etc. If it has a speculative element, I will consider it, though any straightforward treatment of genre tropes will likely be a miss.

I am looking for work that is evocative, beautiful, stirring; I envision An Alphabet of Embers as a book that moves us, emotionally and intellectually, to consider the world from angles new and old and new again. I want AoE to resonate with lyrical strangeness, and pain, and vibrancy, and hope. I am always keenly interested boundary-crossing work, and want to showcase a variety of voices and perspectives.

I am NOT looking for pieces that are unambiguously poetry. (Prose poetry is welcome).

I am committed to diversity of voice and theme in all my editorial projects, and this one will be no exception (here are my thoughts on looking for diversity of voice and theme, as an editor). This anthology is not specifically diversity themed; rather, I believe that every editorial project should be diverse, and every editorial project of mine has been, and will be diverse. Examples of my work include The Moment of Change (Aqueduct Press, 2012), and Stone Telling Magazine, which I co-edit with Shweta Narayan.

I welcome and encourage submissions from creators who belong to marginalized groups, including PoC, LGBTQIA creators, people of all ages, people of various levels of (dis)ability and income, people with neuroatypicalities, immigrants, and more. I’d love to see your work regardless of whether you have prior sales. This anthology is open to everyone.

I would love to consider work in a variety of Englishes. Your language variant is welcome here.

PARTICULARS:

Pay: I will be paying SFWA professional rates at 6c a word for originals, and 3c a word for reprints.

Simultaneous submissions: NO.

Multiple submissions: YES, you can send me up to TWO pieces to consider, either in a single submission or in two separate submissions.

Please send me the piece(s) as attachment(s) in doc, docx, or .rtf format. Please use Standard Manuscript Format. If your piece has special formatting that needs a different submission process, please query first.

Please send your submission(s) to stonebirdpress@gmail.com with SUBMISSION: “Your story title” .

Cover letter: please list whether the piece is unpublished; if it is a reprint, please give full information about the first publication of your submission. I prefer short cover letters – you are welcome to list 2-3 recent publications, but it’s perfectly fine not to do so. Please address your cover letter to Editors, or Ms. Lemberg.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. I’m looking forward to reading your work!

[Click through for multiple links, which are interesting and caused me to spend far too much time clicking and reading.]

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1 October 2014 -- I Am the Abyss -- ed. Chris Morey; Dark Regions Press

The Idea:

When each of us reaches the end of our life in this world our consciousness enters a new perpetual reality during the seconds before the brain loses activity. This world is based on the subconscious and experiences we had during our mortal lives. The structures, landscapes, creatures and cities are amalgams of what we perceived during our short journeys on earth, and there our consciousness will stay (unless we find a means of escape).

These are ten stories of tortured souls and dark minds whose difficult mortal lives have come to an end. Their consciousnesses have been transported into underworlds of their own making. It is here that they rediscover forgotten corners of their minds, creatures that they never thought their imaginations could conjure, cities grander or more bizarre than anything they had experienced in their mortal lives.

In these underworlds the characters will truly discover themselves; their darkest fears and deepest desires will manifest. But within these realms they will also find peril and adventure. They will unlock secrets inconceivable during their mortal paths. Some will conquer their underworlds while others will submit. These are ten formations of the abyss on what makes us who we are: our own consciousness.

I Am the Abyss will consist of ten novelettes/novellas in the realm of horror and/or dark fantasy by ten different authors each accompanied by an original two-page color illustration by award-winning artist Les Edwards. The book will be offered in ebook, trade paperback and two signed collectible hardcover formats.

What We Want:

Adventure stories in the realm of horror and/or dark fantasy. Expansive and unique underworlds full of landscapes, cities, creatures, culture, history and more. It is essential that your version of the underworld feels like a fully realized place that has depth and connections to your central character. We want a strange and unique place to get lost in with a fascinating character to take us along for the ride. Your version of the underworld must have its own name which must also be the title of your story.

Although we seek uniqueness and creativity, you are welcome to base your version of the underworld on an established version from cultures/religions: Ancient Egypt, Greek, Christianity, Buddhism… but if you use an established mythos please explain it with your character/story. Remember: these underworlds are based on the subconscious and life experience of your main character/narrator.

We want the authors to have fun. Experiment; create sprawling cities, romances, wars! While the core idea behind the anthology is important, let this underworld be a playground for your creativity. The most exciting, interesting and creative stories will win us over in the end.

You can begin your story before your character dies in their mortal life, during their death or after death: that is up to your discretion. At least 60% of your story must take place in their version of the underworld. Please avoid overly long introductions based in the character’s mortal life or prolonged scenes in the mortal world.

We seek adventure stories. Don’t spend too much time lingering. The idea is: the reader will pick up I AM THE ABYSS and dive into one of the ten unique underworlds and experience a captivating and truly creative setting with a character that they can grow attached to taking them along for the ride. Whether the central character "lives," "dies," triumphs, fails… that’s all up to you. They must be human, and believably human at that.

Something to note: if you are half-finished with your story but October 1st of this year is coming up fast, you can submit the story in partial form. While we much prefer the finished version we understand busy schedules and if the idea is exciting enough and the portion we read well realized enough we just might accept it based on those strengths alone.

Please read over the details below before submitting. Thank you for your interest in our anthology!

Genre: Horror and/or Dark Fantasy

Length: 10,000 – 18,000 words

Book Editions: ebook, trade paperback, Your Heart is Black (signed limited edition hardcover), I Am Gateway (ultra-deluxe signed traycased hardcover) and audiobook.

Payment: $0.05/word + contributor copy + royalties + a signed and personalized high quality digital print of the full color spread that artist Les Edwards creates based on your version of the underworld. 1% NET royalties per author on all ebook, trade paperback and audiobook sales. Payments will be made via PayPal. Royalty payments will be made monthly. Royalty rates will increase based on sales thresholds being reached.

Kickstarter campaign: a campaign will be created for I AM THE ABYSS later this year, most likely in late November. Authors will be asked to record a short video describing their story, character and version of the underworld. If the author is unable to record a video we will describe their story on their behalf. They will also be asked to help promote the campaign and help us connect to anyone they know in the media, well-recognized names in the industry and others that could help in promoting the campaign. The campaign itself will be designed as a preorder with perks, giving backers the chance to reserve their copy of the book at planned retail price for each edition with free U.S. shipping and additional incentives exclusive to the campaign.

If you are uncomfortable partaking in a Kickstarter campaign please do not submit a story for consideration. For the success of the project it is crucial that all authors and contributors involved believe in the effort and are willing to help promote it. This is an ambitious project and demands a healthy budget. Something to note: the more successful the campaign is the more we can expand the project itself from additional stories to additional artworks from artist Les Edwards.

If the Kickstarter campaign does not succeed (we are very confident it will succeed) authors will be compensated in the exact same amount but will be paid in 4 payments (1 payment a month).

Format: RTF or DOC in Standard Manuscript Format. Courier New font.

Response time: 60-90 days

Edited by: Chris Morey with help from manuscript readers

Policies: No reprints. The work must be 100% original and never published anywhere else in the past, including blogs, websites, self-publishing or any form of publication. The words of your story must have only been read by yourself and your inner circle!

No multiple or simultaneous submissions. If your first story is rejected, you may submit one more story for consideration, but only after the first story has been rejected. Two story limit per author.

Rights sought: First worldwide print, electronic and audio English Language rights exclusive for three years from official publication date. Movie/film, television and video rights exclusive for five years from official publication date. Non-exclusive rights to keep anthology available across all platforms thereafter. Note: if any movie/film, television or video interest generates from any particular story in the anthology the author of that story will be notified, directly involved and will be ensured to receive payments/royalties/proper recognition from any such project. No ventures like this will move forward without the author's consent.

When Sending Us Your Manuscript Please Make Sure to Include the Following in the Body of Your E-mail (in order):

Full Name

Location: City, State/Province and Country

Story title, genre, word count and POV (point of view)

Story synopsis (500 words or less)

Publishing credits (debut authors are welcome!)

Website address (blog or social media is fine here too)

Author bio

Send your manuscript to: iamtheabyssdrp AT gmail DOT com

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31 October 2014 -- Blurring the Line -- ed. Marty Young; Cohesion Press

Do you really know what’s real and what isn’t?

A man called Arnold Paole was accused of being a vampire in 1732 in Yugoslavia, after his body was dug up five years after his death and found with long pointed teeth and nails, with blood in his mouth.

The Mothman of West Virginia was a winged man-sized creature with glowing red eyes and huge moth-like wings sprouting from its back, seen repeatedly during 1967 and 1968.

In 1977, a dead creature that looked a lot like a plesiosaur was caught in the nets of a Japanese fishing vessel, the Zuiyo-maru, offshore east of Christchurch, New Zealand.

The sage Apollonius of Tyana, born in Turkey at the start of the first century AD, hunted demons, and once saved one of his students from a vampire who was going to drink his blood and eat his soul.

These are all supposedly true stories. And there are more, more tales of monsters that shouldn’t exist, of demons and devil possession, of serial killers wearing human skin, ghosts terrorizing families…

But these tales also sound like fiction, don’t they?

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

Blurring the Line (working title) is seeking to blur the line between what is fiction and what is non-fiction. We want horror stories, tales that are serious and frightening, hard-hitting and imaginative. We want monsters; vampires and zombies and werewolves and the mummy and creatures from the Black Lagoon and giant killer plants and mutated ants and demons and devils and Mothmen and everything else you can think of or that hasn’t been thought of yet. But we also want your serial killers and demented and depraved humanity. We want it all. Push your imagination and take us into the far reaches of your darkness, without letting go of reality. Make us believe.

BUT, we want to be scared, made to feel uneasy and uncomfortable. We do not want to be shocked for no reason; if you’re going to eviscerate someone, there needs to be a good reason for doing so. We want style over shock value. We do not want supernatural romance, or weird fiction. We’re not looking for tales about a monster hunter or a covert monster hunting team (we love these stories but they’re not what we’re looking for here).

Details on the non-fiction component of Blurring the Line will be announced later in 2014, so keep an eye out for this.

Interior artwork will be by the super brilliant Alex McVey, and his pieces will combine to tell a horrifying story of their own.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WHEN SUBMITTING TO US:

1. Please put your full contact details on the first page of the manuscript top left, with word count top right.
2. Standard submission format, with minimal document formatting.
3. Courier or Times New Roman set at 12pt. Italics as they will appear. No underlining.
4. Double spaced.
5. Please don’t use TAB or space bar to indent lines. Use ‘styles’ only. If unsure or using a program that has no styles, do not indent at all. That’s still cool.
7. NO LINE between paragraphs unless a line-break is required.
8. Please put full contact details on the first page of the manuscript (yes, I said this twice… it’s important).
9. Send your submission to Marty Young at martyyoung2002[@]yahoo.com as an attachment. In the subject line of your email, please put Submission: [STORY TITLE]

(Replace [STORY TITLE] with your actual story title. Yes, unfortunately I do need to state this)

The only variation to this format is that italics MUST appear as they will be used; no underlining.

Anyone that fails to follow these guidelines will likely see their story gobbled up by spam gremlins.

[Click through for some about-the-editor info.]

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UNTIL FILLED -- Thresholds -- Dreadful Cafe ** First Posted December 2013

We cross boundaries every day - the door to a room, a crack in a sidewalk, the border of a city.

The stories in Thresholds will take the reader to another time, into the dark, into the arms of a lover, to another world, or to the dark recesses of the mind.

Are you ready?

Sometimes strange, always original, the stories we publish are of the highest production standards, from thrilling premise all the way to professional editing.

We are now soliciting query letters (fiction) and samples (art) for Thresholds, our second anthology of art and fiction. All genres are eligible, but preference is given to works that cross more than one and which reflect the flavor and theme described above.

For FICTION:

Manuscripts must be between 1,000 and 25,000 words and not previously published by anyone but the author. Self-published works are accepted and encouraged!

Please refer to our Submission Guidelines.

Upon acceptance of your completed manuscript, Dreadful Cafe pays for non-exclusive, unlimited, 5-year publishing rights on the following schedule:

== Short Stories (1,000-7,000 words) — $125
== Novelettes (7,001-13,000 words) — $250
== Novellas (13,001-25,000 words) — Negotiable

Estimated Publication: Third Quarter of 2014

[Click through for more info.]

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UNTIL FILLED -- The Lost Worlds -- Eldritch Press ** First Posted August 2014

Please refer to the Submission Guidelines page for information on how and where to submit.

Include in the subject line of your submission Sub_The Lost Worlds_authors name

Updated Payment: Eight cents a word.

Story Length: Up to 20,000 novella length stories.

Rights Requested: One year exclusive rights upon publication.

This will be released in paperback, Limited Hardcover and E-book format.

Cover art will be revealed soon.

Steampunk is a difficult and demanding genre to write in. Therefore we are only accepting the best stories you can bring to the plate. To be published early next year.

"The Lost Worlds" will be a anthology in the Steampunk Horror Genre devoted to the post-apocalyptic theme. Send us worlds rebuilt by steam powered engines and mechanical marvels. Send us characters we can root for as they fight the good fight.

Send us worlds our readers can romanticize about, characters that jump off the page. We want to set the Steampunk world ablaze with "The Lost Worlds." So we only want your best.