Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, "Until Filled" markets (if any) 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 guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.
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28 February 2018 -- Making Monsters -- ed. Emma Bridges and Djibril al-Ayad; Futurefire.net Publishing and the Institute of Classical Studies
Futurefire.net Publishing and the Institute of Classical Studies are looking for retellings or reimaginings of classical monsters in fantasy, horror or science fiction short stories, for a mixed fiction and nonfiction volume titled Making Monsters to be published in mid-2018, edited by Emma Bridges and Djibril al-Ayad. Classical monsters may include those from Greco-Roman mythology, ancient Egypt, the Near East, or any other ancient world cultures far beyond the Mediterranean.
We are particularly interested in stories and poems that explore the marginality and transgressiveness of female monsters and monstrous women such as Medusa, Scylla, Lilith, Kiyohime or Krasue, in the context of disadvantaged and marginalized women, including intersections with other axes of oppression and violence such as race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, language and religion. We especially welcome “own voices” fiction and stories by authors from marginalized groups, but we do not require authors to self-identify in any way.
Making Monsters will pay:
== £50 for short stories (between 2,000-5,000 words)
== £25 for flash stories (up to 1,999 words) or poetry
Rules:
== Maximum of 5,000 words fiction (with a preference for 3,000-5,000 words).
== Maximum of 50 lines poetry.
== No reprints or simultaneous submissions. Please only send one story and up to three poems (in separate documents, but a single email) at one time.
== We are not seeking nonfiction or scholarship—essays have already been commissioned for this volume.
== Please send fiction or poetry submissions as an attachment in .doc, .docx or .rtf format to makingmonsters.cfp@gmail.com, with your name, the story title, and the wordcount in the covering email.
***
28 February 2018 -- Triangulation: The Music Edition -- ed. Frank Oreto & Douglas Gwylim; Parsec Ink
Triangulation, Parsec Ink’s themed speculative fiction annual, is now in its 14th year, and open for submissions. Whether you’re a new or established author, we hope you’ll send us your outstanding fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, or speculative horror. Just tell us a story we won’t forget.
Theme: This year’s theme is “music”. Tentative title, Triangulation: The Music Edition. We’re looking for stories where music, a musical instrument, the parts of music, or musical culture make an appearance in a meaningful way. As a thematic element, you can apply a light touch or go “full tuba”. Be aware that we may retool the title of the collection, depending on the exact quality and character of the submissions we receive. If you’ve got a better title than “Triangulation: The Musical”, don’t forget to let us know in your cover letter.
Word Count: We consider fiction up to 5,000 words, but the sweet spot is 3,000. There is no minimum word count.
Genre: We accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror–and enjoy intelligent blends of the three. Stories without a speculative element will not be considered.
Compensation: Pay is semi-pro: 2 cents a word. Authors will receive an e-book and one print copy of the anthology, plus wholesale pricing for additional print copies (typically 50% off the cover price).
Rights: We purchase North American serial rights, and electronic rights for the downloadable version(s). All subsidiary rights released upon publication.
Submissions: We are a meritocracy. New authors are as welcome as those with a laundry list of accomplishments. But it’s going to be the story that wins us over. Grab us by the lapels, drag us onto that plane, take us for the ride of our lives… but get us back on the ground safely and home in time for dinner.
We do not accept reprints, multiple submissions, or simultaneous submissions. If we reject a story before the end of the reading period, feel free to send another.
We love creative interpretations of our themes, but we do require the stories to be a solid fit.
We run mature content only if we like the story and find the mature content to be integral to it.
We do not accept fanfic, even if it’s based in a fictional universe that has passed into the public domain.
How To Submit: Electronic submissions make our lives easier. Please upload your story via Submittable. If this is your first time using Submittable, you will need to create an account with them. Don’t worry: it’s free.
Manuscript Format: Please use industry standard manuscript format. We’re not testing you or trying to make you jump through hoops, but we do want a manuscript that is easy for us to read.
We accept manuscripts in the following formats:
== .doc or .docx (MS Word)
== .rtf (Rich Text Format — generic document format that most word processors can create)
Editorial Process: We aim to read submissions as they are received. If a story doesn’t work for us, we reject it. If we think the story has great potential but isn’t quite there yet, we request a rewrite. The ones we love the most, we hold on to for further consideration, but we won’t keep you guessing: you’ll get an email. Next, the stories fight it out amongst themselves until we have our final lineup. At which time, final acceptances are sent out. It’s sort of like Enter the Dragon, but without the nunchucks. When a story is accepted, the changes we suggest will typically be minor and/or cosmetic.
Response: Final decisions are made by March 31st.
Eligibility: All writers, including those who are known or related to the editorial staff, can submit to Triangulation. That doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily get in, but we are happy to consider their work.
***
28 February 2018 -- Red Rabbit Presents: Military Sci-Fi -- Red Rabbit Publishing
Red Rabbit Publishing is seeking submissions for Red Rabbit Presents, a new anthology of sci-fi short stories. I’m looking for action-filled stories told well. That simple.
NOTE: Please Like Red Rabbit’s Facebook group for just-in-time information.
THEME: The first issue will release around mid-2018 and the theme will be military sci-fi. Professional soldiers, command structure, mechs beating down aliens, things like that. Explosions and heroes. Think of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers as an example of military sci-fi.
PAY & LENGTH: Rate is $.03 cents a word, original content (no reprints) only. A minimum of 3,000 words and up to 6,000. Story length can go beyond (up to 8,000), but pay will only be to 6,000. ($90.00 to $180.00). Payment will be at time of publication through PayPal. If print books are created, all contributing authors will receive a copy.
RIGHTS: First Worldwide print (unpublished) and electronic English Language rights. Exclusivity for 180 days from date of release. Red Rabbit retains non-exclusive reprint and e-book rights afterward.
DEADLINE: Story deadline for submission is February 28, 2018. Story selection will be made by April 1, 2018. All entrants will be notified around that time or shortly thereafter.
EDITING: A professional editor will work with all authors to ensure a quality story is published. If you prefer, you can secure professional editing at your own expense. (BYOE – Bring Your Own Editor)
BOOK COVERS & PRODUCTION: Red Rabbit Publishing will handle all aspects of design, formatting, and story placement.
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: That’s fine, as long as I’m notified (by email) if your submission is accepted elsewhere.
SUBMISSION: Send an email to RRPsubmissions (at) akmeek.com with story attached as a Word document. Please use “Mid-2018 Submission” for email subject. Include the following in the email: story name, word count, author name, along with a blurb of any other information you think I’d like to know. Examples are: awards, social reach, newsletter subscriber count, etc. I’ll leave it up to what you feel is important.
QUESTIONS: Please check out Red Rabbit’s Facebook group (link above). If you prefer, send an email to the submissions email address (above). Please use “question” in the subject line.
Peace out,
A.K. (Red Rabbit Publishing)
***
28 February 2018 -- The Twisted Book of Shadows -- Twisted Publishing
The editors of The Twisted Book of Shadows want your very best horror story. That’s it. We’re making this call as open as we can make it. Just scare us.
We will be paying professional rates — a minimum of six cents per word, with a cap on advances of $300 per story. We will also be paying royalties — a pro rata share of 50% of all royalties earned.
Stories should be 3,000 words and up. Payment will be capped at 5,000 words, but we won’t reject a story for exceeding that length. (Though stories above 10,000 words will be frowned upon.)
All submissions must be original, previously unpublished stories (i.e. no reprints).
Don’t send us trunk stories. You’re wasting your time and ours.
Don’t send multiple submissions. We want your best. If you’ve got more than one story hanging around, chances are at least one is a trunk story. If you just happen to have recently written more than one story, only send the one you think is best.
Simultaneous submissions are fine, as long as you inform us immediately at the following email address if you’ve sold the story elsewhere.
All stories must be submitted via the following email address, attached as either an MS Word or RTF file. We prefer to receive stories that follow “standard professional formatting;” in other words, double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman (or a similar font). CLICK HERE for a concise formatting checklist (although again, we’d prefer Times New Roman as a font, but that’s a minor request). All stories will be received by our web-master, who will log your submission, strip any personal information from your file, and then forward it to the editors.
We’re going to repeat ourselves because this part is that important — all stories must be submitted via the following email address. Don’t attach your submission to a personal email or a Facebook message to one of the editors or the publisher. This is how we’re keeping the submission process truly blind, so it is therefore the one and only portal to have your story considered for The Twisted Book of Shadows.
Please email your submission to: bookofshadows@haverhillhouse.com
Thank you, and we look forward to reading your work!
***
1 March 2018 -- If This Goes On -- ed. Cat Rambo; Parvus Press
A Visionary Look at America's Future
If This Goes On is dedicated to inclusiveness and is open to all writers. If you have a story that needs to be told, we want to read it. Please do not self-reject.
Who:
== Genre writers
== Literary writers
== Writers from under-represented communities and groups
== Established writers, new writers, pro and amateur.
== All are welcome to contribute to If This Goes On.
We are looking for unique stories that offer insights into the shared future of our planet. Tell us how our climate will change if we don’t better protect our planet. Show us how the racial divide in this country is only growing wider. Warn us of a coming era of neo-colonialism if we don’t develop conscientious trade practices. Scare us into taking digital security more seriously as we hand over the keys to our digital lives to governments and non-state powers.
Open our eyes to our future.
What:
== Stories must be 5,000 words or less (Flash fiction is accepted)
== Must be set at least one generation in the future (You are welcome to write an epic fantasy in the Friedman tradition, so long as it is in the far future!)
== Must include the impact of current political policy (social, scientific, legal, criminal, etc.) as a meaningful aspect of the story.
== Stories are strongly encouraged to avoid focusing on current political personalities and, instead, to focus on the policy impacts and long-term changes to our world.
== Stories must be original
== Publisher requires worldwide first electronic and first print English-language rights
== Pay is $0.08 per word (half on delivery, half on publication) and a royalty share for contributors
How:
Submissions and queries should be emailed to submissions@parvuspress.com and addressed to Cat Rambo. Attach your manuscript as Word (.doc or .docx), PDF, or RTF files only. Your submission should include your name and relevant contact information in the attached file as well as the body of the email. Attach only your submission document. Submissions containing any other files will not be opened.
In your email, we ask that you identify the particular policy, trend, or shift which your story involves. You are encouraged, but not required, to tell us if there is any personal connection between yourself and the anthology topic.
Please feel free to email for an update if you have not heard a submission response within 90 days.
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
This project is born of rage and sorrow and hope. Rage at the way America has been stolen and how those thieves have been eating away at its infrastructure. Sorrow at the lives being destroyed in the sorrow as well as for the earth as its protections are stripped away by a kleptocratic and corrupt regime. Sorrow for the way words themselves have been distorted and twisted away from truth.
And hope. Because humans continue to progress and evolve, even though that climb is a rocky one and we slide back sometimes. We seem to have done so recently. And so this anthology, an attempt to rally, to inspire, and to awaken. Some stories will despair, but others will have the light we seek, lamps to light the path and show the pitfalls as we continue upwards.
This anthology is part of my resistance. I hope it will be part of yours as well.
– Cat Rambo
20 September 2017
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The idea for IF THIS GOES ON came as a reaction to the isolationism, divisiveness, anti-science rhetoric, and fear-mongering that we saw all-too-frequently from our national leaders after the 2016 election. I was finally called to action by the hateful rally in Charlottesville, VA this summer.
This project is very personal to me. A mezuzah is nailed to the doorframe of my house, here in Virginia, and I proudly top my Christmas tree with a Star of David every year. When I watched Vice's powerful documentary on the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, as I watched a mob in broad daylight chanting anti-Semitic messages in my relative back yard, I could no longer ignore the fear I felt for the future of my country and the safety of my family.
This anthology is my contribution to the effort to preserve the America I know, love, and believe in. An America where all children can grow up without fear and where love is more powerful than hate. To paraphrase (poorly) President Obama, I believe in an America where we all recognize that there is more that binds us together than sets us apart. I know this America doesn’t exist beyond an ideal, but I see this anthology as one small brick in the long road to that ideal.
– Colin Coyle
October 27, 2017
***
1 March 2018 -- Sword and Sonnet -- ed. Aidan Doyle, Rachael K. Jones, and E. Catherine Tobler
Stories featuring a woman or non-binary battle poet as a main character.
Word Count: Up to 5000 words
Payment: US 6c per word
Originals only. No reprints.
No multiple submissions. No simultaneous submissions.
Standard Manuscript Format. Doc, Docx or RTF.
The Sword & Sonnet Kickstarter successfully funded and a wonderful group of writers have agreed to write for us. We’ll be holding an open submission period in February 2018 and actively encourage writers from all backgrounds to send us their stories.
== What kind of stories are you looking for?
Stories featuring a woman or non-binary battle poet as a main character. Although we envision the bulk of the stories will be fantasy, we’re also open to science fiction or horror. We’re looking for lyrical Shimmery stories, epic fantasy tales, and gritty poetpunk. Stories could feature secondary, historical or contemporary settings. Although they don’t feature battle poets (and we’re not looking for carbon copies) here are some stories which give some examples of some of the flavors we’re looking for:
Feed Me the Bones of Our Saints by Alex Dally MacFarlane
The Half Dark Promise by Malon Edwards
Piety, Prayer, Peacekeeper, Apocalypse by Rati Mehrotra
== What do you mean by battle poet?
A poet who fights. We’re flexible on the definition.
== Does my story have to have lines of actual poetry in it?
No. We’re looking for stories, not poems.
== Can I submit a poem?
No. Your story can have some lines of poetry in it, but it doesn’t have to. We want stories, not poems.
== Are you accepting reprints?
No. Original stories only. (Or a translation where the story hasn’t been published in English before).
== What rights are you buying?
First worldwide print and electronic rights in English, with an exclusivity period of 6 months. The right to keep the story in print in the anthology. This is what our contract template looks like.
== What are you paying?
US 6c a word + contributor copy. Payment via PayPal or TransferWise.
== What length of story are you looking for?
Up to 5000 words. Between 2000-5000 is ideal. Flash fiction will be a harder sell.
== Manuscript Format
Something approaching standard manuscript format please. http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html Doc, docx or rtf. (No PDF).
== Multiple Submissions
Please only submit one story at a time. If you get a response back before the submission window closes, you’re welcome to submit another story.
== Simultaneous Submissions
Please don’t. (Don’t send the story to another market at the same time you send it to us).
== Response Time
You’ll have a response (perhaps a hold notice) before the end of March.
== Do you actually have any space left in your anthology for open submissions?
Yes. We have a wonderful group of writers who have agreed to write us stories, but we wanted to leave room for the open submission period too! We don’t know exactly how many stories (that will depend on the word count), but we’ll be looking to take around 8-10 stories from the open submission period.
== When is the anthology being published?
The second half of 2018.
***
4 March 2018 -- War on Christmas -- ChiZine Publications
If it isn’t perfectly clear by now, we are looking for Ho ho, oh hell, is it that time of year again? Already? When the muzak starts cranking out lousy Casio versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” non-stop? When the flavour du jour switches from pumpkin spice to eggnog every goddamn thing? When everything gets all twinkly and glittery and your eyes just want to roll out of your skull from the sparkle overload?
We’re looking for deranged and demented stories and poems that snap back against all that holiday schmaltz. Our leanings are toward the dark, the speculative (SF, fantasy, horror), the flat-out weird, the humourous, but that covers a lot of ground. But basically, if it would piss off Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly or that stuffy old grandma that always gave you hideous socks for Christmas, we’re in. One cautionary note: it’s likely there will be a lot of Santa stories submitted. We’d urge you think more widely, especially outside the white, Judeo-Christian canon. There’s really plenty to hate about Christmas, so it shouldn’t be that hard.
Some guiding stars, if you like:
== The Ice Harvest
== Robert Devereaux’s Santa novels
== Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Star” (not the wussed-out version they did on the Twilight Zone, neither!)
== Donald E. Westlake’s “Nackles”
== Neil Gaiman’s “Nicholas Was . . .”
== Joe Hill’s NO54A2
== Damon Runyon’s “Dancing Dan’s Christmas”
== Don Bassingthwaite’s Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
== Submission window: Monday, January 15, 2018 to Sunday, March 4, 2018, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
== Open to submissions by authors of all backgrounds, from anywhere in the world.
== Please do not submit by email. We will accept digital submissions only via the Moksha submissions system at https://chizinepub.moksha.io/publication/war-on-christmas.
== Length:
- Fiction: 500–5,000 words. This isn’t super-firm (we won’t impale you with a candy cane for 5,100 words, even if you ask us to) but do try to keep it in the ballpark.
- Poetry: No more than 2 pages (8.5 x 11) in length. (Maximum word count set arbitrarily to 2,000 words as our system won’t allow max lines or pages.) No need to double-space.
== Preference will be given to stories previously unpublished in English, however, we will consider previously published material.
== Stories published in languages other than English, but MUST come accompanied by a good English translation.
== Multiple submissions welcome; up to two stories maximum per author, sent under separate cover.
== NOTE ON PSEUDONYMS: we will only publish one story per author, even if you write under several names; please use your real name on all correspondence and indicate your pseudonym in the cover letter and on the byline of the story itself.
== We prefer no simultaneous submissions, please (we promise to respond promptly).
== Final responses no later than 30 days after the deadline.
== Payment is 8 cents per word in Canadian funds (SFWA qualifying after exchange to US funds) for original submissions, 1 cent per word in Canadian funds for reprints.
== Rights: First World Rights, including audio and translation rights. (NOTE: CZP has a foreign rights agent who will be presenting the anthology in foreign markets.)
== File formats accepted: .docx, .doc, or .rtf.
== Formatting: Standard Manuscript format: double-spaced, 1-inch margins, etc. Times New Roman 12 point or other readable serifed font (NOT Courier); indented paragraphs; italics in italics (not underlined); Canadian or U.S. spelling; use # (or other unambiguous symbol) to indicate scene breaks; no outlandish formatting, please; full contact info (name, street address, email, phone number) and word count on the first page.
== Please include a cover letter with a brief author bio, title of story, and full contact info, including street address.
== Please do not summarize or describe the story in the cover letter.
== To be published by ChiZine Publications in late 2018. Yup, this one’s going right to press!
***
30 March 2018 -- 2018 Halloween Anthology -- Corpus Press
Corpus Press is now accepting submissions for a new Halloween-themed horror anthology. Submissions will be accepted according to our publishing needs, regardless of author publication history or status. Submissions should appeal to a wide audience (late teen to adult).
What we are looking for:
Not previously published short stories of 4,500-8,500 words that have a central theme associated with Halloween and can be characterized within the broad realm of “horror” fiction.
Successful submissions will be highly original, well written and cleanly edited.
Stories can be frightening, thought-provoking, atmospheric, humorous or satirical (or any combination thereof), but MUST contain a complete tale.
What we are NOT looking for:
Stories that have been hastily retrofitted with a coating of “Halloween” references to fit the submission guidelines. These are easily spotted and will be immediately rejected.
Stories that contain excessively explicit language, sexuality and violence, or that have a main goal of shocking the audience with poor taste (language, sexuality and violence is acceptable, however, if it is essential to the story and is handled in a tasteful manner). This IS NOT an “extreme horror” or “Splatterpunk” anthology.
Abstract mood pieces, vignettes, and highly experimental approaches to literature are discouraged. We are not accepting poems.
Stories featuring exaggerated dialects, colloquialisms or excessive references to pop culture or current fads are discouraged.
We will not be accepting epistolary fiction for this anthology.
Document Requirements: Submissions must be in an editable format. No PDFs or scanned documents sent as image files will be accepted. Preference is for author name, email address and word count information to be placed at the end of the document to assist in blind review process.
Submission window: October 29, 2017 – March 30, 2018. No multiple submissions. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please disclose this in your submission. Notifications of acceptance / rejection will be sent no later than May 31, 2018.
Pay Rate: $.03 per word. Two (2) free contributor copies (paperback) will be provided, with contributors having the option to buy additional quantities at cost post-publication. Payment on publication.
Anthology target length: 300-350 pages. Title TBD.
Terms: Corpus Press maintains exclusive paperback, hardcover and eBook publishing rights from date of publication until November 2019, at which time full republication rights revert back to the author. Author retains all audiobook rights. Publisher retains future publishing rights to maintain the submitted work in print as part of the published anthology. Final contract required to be signed upon acceptance which may contain additional terms and conditions.
CLICK to Submit
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31 March 2018 -- Weird Nature Anthology -- ed. Lynne Jamneck
What are we doing?
Where are we going?
What will we find?
Though some among us have realised the importance of sustainable living, in the broad sense of everyday life, we still demand too much. Our capitalist dispositions have driven a wedge between ourselves and nature; we have become transfixed by the shine of chrome, the luxury of packaged lives, no longer seemingly aware of the solid earth beneath our feet.
At an ever-advancing tipping point, humanity persists in its war against the natural world. Running a trail of extinction and cutting down vast swathes of oxygen-producing forests, we breed at an alarming pace, overpopulating a planet we seem hell-bent on reigning in – but at what cost? It seems we’re playing a cruel joke on the system that sparked our existence, and which has sustained us ever since.
Or could the joke be on us?
There is something inherently weird in our behaviour toward Nature. Two distinct energies, two conscious mentalities, humanity and the natural world find themselves at loggerheads. Can we be held accountable if – as part of nature ourselves – we are driven by the need for survival, the way all species are? And if the answer is no, should we not anticipate that Nature will do the same?
Force of Nature (working title) will be an anthology of original short fiction that explores the physical and metaphysical boundaries between humanity and the natural world.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Story length: 2500 to 10 000 words
Payment: 7c p/w up to 7K – 5c p/w for stories longer than 7K
Send submissions to: forceofnaturesubs AT gmail DOT com
Please send files in any of the following formats: .doc, .docx, .rtf
Deadline: 31 March 2018
Though our scientific knowledge has increased exponentially alongside technological development, there remains much about the natural world we still do not understand. Stories for Force of Nature should involve nature and the weird at their core; how the author wishes to interpret these themes is entirely up to them. Comedic stories will be a tougher sell but by all means, if you have a story that otherwise fits the guidelines, don’t hesitate to submit it. Try to avoid anything that is overtly cautionary. While the idea for the anthology was significantly inspired by climate change and the impact wrought on the planet by human habits, I don’t want stories that lecture. That said, I’m not opposed to stories in which the human factor gets served the short end of the stick.
While I don’t want a collection full of quiet stories, I will mention here that I am a big fan of the sublime. Wordsworth with a modern sensibility. Or just Wordsworth.
In terms of genre, I have no stipulations. Use a blank canvas and fit your story to the genus that suits it best.
I look forward to reading your work!
***
1 April 2018 -- The Internet Is Where the Robots Live Now -- Paper Dog Books
Expected Publication: Late 2018
Story Length: 1500 - 5000 words
Payment: .06 / word ( SFWA professional rates )
We're looking for works of short speculative fiction that consider the future of the internet, artificial intelligence, the mind, and robots. Give us your optimistic, fantastic, bittersweet stories of fantasy and science fiction.
Please, no YA dystopian, robots will destroy the world, high fantasy tropes. Take a more original and nuanced view on the subject.
No multiple submissions. No simultaneous submissions. No reprints.
Submission Method: Send a brief cover letter in the body of an email with the story name, approximate word count, and author contact info. Attach your piece to the email in Rich Text ( .rtf ) format. Send all submissions to paperdogbooks [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com .
We try to respond to all submissions within 60 days. If you have not heard a response from us in that time please send a query.
***
15 April 2018 -- Galileo's Theme Park -- Third Flatiron
Galileo's Theme Park -- Space opera, SF, physics. The great Italian scientist is famous for standing up for science in the face of the Inquisition, doing his best work while under house arrest. He also brought us our first views of Jupiter's moons by combining a convex lens with a concave one to invent a high quality telescope. We invite you to take us on a journey to the lands beyond earth revealed to us by Galileo and other space scientists. Suggested reading: "The Old Astronomer" by Sarah Williams.
Reading Period: March 1 - April 15, 2018. DO NOT SUBMIT before 1 March.
Publication Date: June 15, 2018
Stories should be submitted in either Microsoft Word (using double spacing), RTF, or plain text. They should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Flash humor pieces (Grins and Gurgles) should be short, around 600 words.
Please don't send simultaneous or multiple submissions. If a story has been rejected, you can then send another (limit 2 per reading period).
Submit by email to:
flatsubmit@thirdflatiron.com
either as an attachment (Word, RTF) or in the body of the mail (text).
In the Subject: line of the email, please put:
flatsubmit:Title_of_Your_Work
to avoid being deemed a canned meat product based on ham.
If the work is for the humor section, please note that in the body of your email. A brief bio and a one- or two-sentence synopsis in the body of your email would also be helpful to us.
Use the following template (basically, follow William Shunn's Standard Manuscript Format):
Your Name
Address (mailing)
Email address
Word count
[10 blank lines]
Title
Byline
Body of story
--------
Our response time is expected to be about 8 weeks (or less if the writer deadline is coming up soon).
REMUNERATION
As of: November 1, 2016
Your story must be original work, with the digital rights unencumbered. Accepted stories will be paid at the flat rate of 6 cents per word (U.S./SFWA professional rate), in return for the first publication rights to the story for six months after publication. All other rights will remain with the author. We no longer offer royalties. If your story is selected as the lead story, we request permission to podcast the story as a free sample portion of the anthology. We welcome new writers.
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.
Most books (except "year's best" collections) will be available for sale in trade paperback.
Authors selected for publication will also be entitled to one free online copy of the anthology.
***
15 April 2018 -- Speculative Masculinities -- ed. Jay Wolf, Ronan Sadler, Brandon O'Brien, D Franklin; Galli Books
Masculinity has, almost since the category of speculative fiction emerged in the early 20th century, been a concern of fiction written in the genre. A culturally dominant, Western, toxic form of masculinity has dominated storytelling in speculative fiction. In worlds as varied and diverse as the distant past of magical worlds and the far future of this one, models of maleness and masculinity tend to be the same toxic form of masculinity that dominates modern Western culture. We want to interrogate that model of masculinity, to problematise it, and to question it; we want to see other possible models of masculinity, models not centred on dominance and violence and repression of feelings; other role models for men. We are looking for fiction, essays and poetry which do this.
We are particularly looking for submissions from authors from marginalised identities and backgrounds, especially where those identities complicate the author’s relationship with masculinity, including but by no means limited to disabled writers, trans writers, and writers of colour.
Reading Period: January 15th-April 15th 2018. No responses to submissions will be sent out before May 2nd, 2018.
Fiction editors: Jay Wolf & Ronan Sadler
Masculinity, as so much of our media defines it, is discouragingly narrow; the constructs that define “masculinity” are often rigid and unforgiving. Toxic masculinity engenders violence to those marginalized by, as well as to those contained within, it. This violence looks and feels different to everyone, depending on their social location. But what if it didn’t have to be this way?
We’re looking for speculative short fiction that looks past the fitted mold of masculinity, the known and assumed qualities of what constitutes “manliness” that enforce an artificial exclusion. We want to see thoughtful futures, alternate histories, or far-flung fantasies that examine masculinity without boxing it in. We’re not looking for gender-based “gotcha” moments or punchlines. What can masculinity be when it is not a rigid social construct? The stories we are looking for will examine what it means to be masculine while leaving pre-judgments at the door.
Length: 1,000-7,500 words.
Payment: £0.08/word
Fiction Submissions Procedure:
•Please submit your essays as 14pt font, serifed (ex: Time New Roman, Courier, Garamond), double spaced, .RTF, .DOC, or .DOCX format documents.
•The subject line of your email should read FICTION SUBMISSION: [Title], where [Title] is the title of your story.
•Please include the wordcount of your story in the email.
•Email your submission to galli-books [at] galli-books [dot] co [dot] uk
•Please do not send multiple submissions at once, or submissions simultaneously submitted to another market or anthology.
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1 May 2018 -- The Decadents -- ed. Steve Berman; Lethe Press
[NOTE: Deadline is currently just “May 2018,” so I’ve listed it as May 1st. It’ll probably be set more precisely as the deadline gets closer. Be sure to check the guidelines before you submit.
ETA: Lethe's Submissions page currently (as of 8 Feb, when I'm assembling this post) lists no anthologies, and says they're not accepting submissions at all. I poked around and also noticed there hasn't been a new post to their blog since late 2016. I dropped them a note asking about The Decadents, and whether they've cancelled the book, or are shutting down their anthology line. I'll post when/if I get a reply. Something's squirrely here; I'm hoping it's just whoever's supposed to keep their site updated dropping the ball.]
Wan poets with ink-stained fingers and laudanum-tainted breath. Hirsute bankers embezzling funds to pay for nightly trysts at less-than-savory clubs. Lethe Press is seeking gay male short stories, either reprints or original works, for an anthology of historical fiction that embraces the Decadent Movement. Stories may have fantastical or horrific elements. All work must be queer positive (i.e., the men and trans-men in the tale cannot be self-loathing, cannot be punished because they have same-sex attraction). Stories should be set during the 18th or 19th century. Stories need not be set in European cities.
Other details: stories should be from 4,000 to 14,000 in length. Payment for reprints is 1.5 cents per word. Payment for original fiction is 5 cents a word. All payment is upon publication in Summer of 2019.
Deadline is May of 2018. Please submit to Steve Berman at lethepress @aol.com with the Subject line of The Decadents - Submission. Include an embedded copy letter with biographical details, if the story is original, and some sense of prior publications (if any).
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1 May 2018 -- Midnight Hour Vol. 1 & 2 -- Midnight Hour Media
Strange things happen when the clock strikes twelve...
Our flagship anthology is now open for submissions. These books will be available on Kindle, hardcover, paperback, and audiobook format. The title page of each story will be illustrated. We are looking for horror, dark sci-fi, dark speculative fiction, neo-noire, and cyberpunk themes. Please read the general submissions for more details.
Below is a little more about the project.
Word Count: 1500-8000 words. This is not a hard word count. If you think you have a story that fits what we're looking for, but is a little long or a little short, send it our way.
Payment: We are offering 2 cents per word up to 8K words. You are free to send us longer stories, but we cap payments at $160 per story for this project.
Rights: We are not asking for ownership of your story. Just the right to print it.
Reprints: Yes, we accept reprints. Beggars can't be choosers and we understand we're a fledgling brand. If your work appears elsewhere, please make sure you double check with the other publication to make sure your story is eligible to print.
Multiple Submissions: Yes.
Send submissions to: submissions@midnighthourmedia.com
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UNTIL FILLED -- Black Superheroes Do It Too! -- Black Books Publishing -- First Listed January 2018
We are currently accepting submissions for our Black Erotica/Superhero Anthology (Working Title: Black Superheroes Do It Too!). Submissions should be full stories, not just sex scenes and between 3500 and 10,000 words. Writers, feel free to query to ensure your story idea hasn't already been submitted.
This anthology pays $100US. The submission period will remain open until our goal of a 225+ page anthology has been reached.
Thoroughly edited material has the best chance of acceptance. You don't need to pay someone to edit your material, but if you're serious about your writing, we do recommend it. At a minimum, we suggest you have others read over your work for typos and grammatical errors.
All manuscripts should be in Microsoft Word and should be double spaced with an extra space between each paragraph. THIS EXTRA SPACE SHOULD BE DONE IN MICROSOFT WORD, THROUGH YOUR PARAGRAPH SETTINGS, NOT BY YOU ACTUALLY HITTING "ENTER" TWICE. There should be no indention at the start of each paragraph.
Send to: submissions@blackbookspublishing.com with "Superhero Erotica" in the subject heading.
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If you've found this listing useful, and especially if you've sold a story to a market you found here (score!) I'd love to hear about it. You can e-mail me at angiepen at gmail dot com.
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