Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, with "Always Open" and "Until Filled" markets (if any) at the bottom.
Markets open only to writers in a limited demographic are marked with a [NOTE:] from me, in italics, right after the main header.
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.
***
31 December 2018 -- Apotheosis 2 -- ed. Jason Andrew; Simian Publishing
Apotheosis 2 – More stories of human survival and defiance in a world subjugated by the return of the Elder Gods. Humanity struggled to grow and evolve as a species for thousands of years forever caught in the shadow of a dread threat known only to a devoted few. When the stars are right, the Old Ones will return to claim utter dominion of the world. Lovecraft Mythos stories often climax at the moment of the fateful return of the Elder Gods and the audience is left to ponder what might happen next. This anthology features stories about humanity under the reign of the Elder Gods and ancient terrors.
What do we mean by Lovecraft Mythos stories in relation to Apotheosis? We’re looking for stories inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and associated writers such as August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, Henry Kuttner, and Frank Belknap Long. We’re also interested in writers that inspired Lovecraft such as Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood and Lord Dunsany. We're interested in classic mythos gods and monsters and originals that have inspired by the mythos.
Good Fiction Examples:
== Apotheosis: Stories of Human Survival After The Rise of The Elder Gods
== "Boojum" by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette
== "A Colder War" by Charlie Stross
== In the Hall of the Yellow King by Peter Rawlik
What type of stories are we looking for? We're looking for character-driven stories set during a time in the future where the ancient terrors that once ruled the Earth have claimed complete and utter dominion of the Earth. We’re less concerned about the strict interpretation of the Elder Gods than good stories that deal with real human concerns. How do people survive? How does life change? Will people accept their new gods or will they rebel? What will it mean to be human in such a world of gods and monsters? Surprise us. Don’t give us stories that we’ve read before. We want worlds that feel real populated by characters from different cultures, genders, and ethnicities. Avoid cultural appropriation. Do your homework. We recommend that you read our last anthology to see the types of stories we enjoy.
What types of submissions should I avoid? We’re not as interested in the moment the ancient horrors return and conquer the world, but how humanity survives after the war is lost. Flashbacks are OK, but the story should not be about that time. We enjoy historical mythos fiction, but this is not the anthology for it. Stories must be set in the future. We are not looking for poetry for this anthology.
Submission Details:
== Word-count: 2,000 to 7,000
== Worldwide print and e-book rights (exclusive for 6 months, non-exclusive for an additional 30 months).Exceptions will be made for stories accepted for “Best Of” anthologies.
== Apotheosis will be available in both Print on Demand and e-book formats.
== Submissions open December 1, 2018, and will close at 11:59 PST on December 31, 2018. You may submit at: apotheosis.anthology@gmail.com via an attachment. (Do not submit before December 1st 2018 or your submission will be deleted)
== Queries and questions may be sent to : apotheosis.anthology@gmail.com. (You may send queries and questions anytime.) All responses will be accepted or rejected by August 15th, 2018. Please do not query about submitted stories before then. No multiple or simultaneous submissions. Our word count limits are hard for open submissions. Reprints may be submitted, but we’re only accepting three or four at the most. (It should be clearly stated that the submission is a reprint in your cover later or this will be an automatic rejection later.)
== Please use standard format guidelines. If it is difficult to read, we will reject your story. Your story must include your name, address, telephone number, email address, and approximate word count on the first page. Your cover letter should include your complete contact information, story title, approximate word count, and a short bio.
== We're only accepting a limited number of reprints. If you are submitting a reprint, please tag the subject with #Reprint. If we find out later your submission is a reprint and it wasn’t tagged, it will be dropped from the anthology.
== Payment: 3 cents per word (or 1 cent per word for reprints), paid within 90 days after publication. Plus contributor copy of print and e-book.
***
31 December 2018 -- Pink Triangle Rhapsody: Volume 1 Mixed Genre -- Lycan Valley Press
NOTE: Submissions open to gay male writers only.
Pink Triangle Rhapsody is our newest anthology series in celebration of and dedicated entirely to gay men and their cultural history.
Although we realize this may create some controversy, this anthology series is open to gay male writers only. While we appreciate that women and straight men are able to accurately portray gay characters, our intent with this series is to highlight and explore the gay male cultural experiences on a more personal level.
The Pink Triangle Rhapsody series is a non-themed anthology series, with the exception of the required genre and inclusion of one or more of Lycan Valley’s required elements. The series is intended to be a collection of stories written with "effusively rapturous or emotional expression."
Volume 1 is a mixed genre volume and will feature 5 stories in each of 5 genres for a total of 25 stories — Horror, Sci Fi, Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Pulp Mystery. See definitions here.
Each story must include a supernatural, paranormal or occult element (horror may include psychological horror with or without one of the other elements). See definitions here.
Regardless of genre and element, we're looking for unrestrained and emotional writing, interpreted as you see fit for the story.
Word Count: 2500 to 8000 words. Stories less than 2250 or more than 8250 will be declined unread.
Payment: $0.04 per word based on final published word count.
Submission: Please read our general submission guidelines before submitting, including basic Shunn formatting with blind submission requirements.
Submissions that do not follow proper formatting guidelines or meet the minimum required elements will be declined unread.
No simultaneous submissions. If you submit to us, please wait until you receive a response before submitting elsewhere. Declined story notifications are sent out immediately upon making that decision. If your story is still in-progress, it means it is still under consideration pending the final TOC.
No multiple submissions. Submit only one story per open submission call unless invited to resubmit.
No unsolicited reprints or poetry submissions.
Please do not send email inquires asking us to consider a reprint, adjust the word count, alter the genre or element requirements or make other exceptions to the guidelines.
All status updates are made via submittable. If you have not received a notification that your story has been declined, it is still under consideration. Short-listed stories will be held until the final deadline as we make the final TOC decisions.
***
31 December 2018 -- Portals; Temporally Deactivated; Alternate Peace -- ed. Joshua Palmatier, Patricia Bray, S.C. Butler, David B. Coe, Steven H. Silver; Zombies Need Brains, LLC
Zombies Need Brains LLC is accepting submissions to its three science fiction and fantasy anthologies PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE. Stories must be submitted in electronic form as an attachment with the title of the story as the file name in .doc or .docx format. The header of the email should include the name of the anthology the submission is for along with the title of the submission (for example: WERE-: WereJellyfish Gone Wild!). The content of the email should also include which anthology the manuscript is intended for. Please send multiple manuscripts in separate emails; you may submit to any or all of the anthologies as many times as you wish. Manuscripts should be in manuscript format, meaning double-spaced, 12pt font, standard margins on top, bottom and sides, and pages numbered. Please use Times New Roman font. The first page should include the Title of the story, Author’s name, address, and email, and Pseudonym if different from the author’s real name. Italics and bold should be in italics and bold.
Stories for this anthology must be original (no reprints or previously published material), no more than 7,500 words in length, and must satisfy the theme of the anthology.
PORTALS is to feature science fiction or fantasy stories that contain a portal opening up between two different worlds and the consequences that come from that portal. We are attempting to fill half of the anthology with science fiction stories and half with fantasy stories. Stories featuring more interesting settings and twists on the typical portals will receive more attention than those that use standard tropes. In other words, we don’t want to see 100 stories dealing with a door in the back of the wardrobe leading to a fantasy world of gnomes, dwarves, and elves. If we do, it's likely that only one, at most, would be selected for the anthology. We do NOT want to see time portals, connecting one time to another; however, it can be a portal from our reality to an alternate reality. We are interested in all kinds of portals: doors at the back of wardrobes, stone archways in the middle of the forest, wormholes, cracks in reality, etc. Be creative, choose something different, and use it in an unusual and unexpected way. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark.
TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED is to feature stories where the author explores what the phrase "temporally deactivated" could mean with regards to a person, place, or thing. Stories featuring more interesting takes on the twisting of time and how it is integrated into the story will receive more attention than those with more typical twisted time stories. We do NOT want to see stories where "temporal deactivation" means simply death. So be creative and use time in an unusual and unexpected way. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark.
ALTERNATE PEACE is to feature alternate history stories where the divergence from our timeline comes from some kind of peaceful change to our past. It must explore the consequences of this divergence, not simply introduce the divergence. Stories featuring more interesting historical settings and twists on the consequences of the peaceful divergence from our timeline will receive more attention than those with more standard changes to the course of history. So be creative and come up with an unusual and unexpected break from the timeline. Please note that while the divergence in the timeline must be from some peaceful change, that change CAN lead to violence; in other words, you are allowed to have violence in the story, it just can’t be what’s initiating the alternate history. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark.
Here are some example stories for ALTERNATE PEACE -- stories where the divergence from the timeline comes from a peaceful change:
Stephen Baxter: The Twelfth Album (Interzone 13, Hartwell's Best Science Fiction of the Year 4)
Michael F. Flynn: Quaetiones Super Caelo et Mundo (Analog, 7/07)
Janet Kagan: Love Our Lockwood (Alternate Presidents)
John Kessel: The Franchise (Pure Product, Fields of Fantasies)
Mary Robinette Kowal: The Lady Astronaut series (Tor Books)
Ian R. MacLeod: Snodgrass (Dozois's Year’s Best Science Fiction 10, Past Magic)
Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Recovering Apollo 8 (Asimov's, 2/7, Recovering Apollo 8)
Howard Waldrop: Heart of Whitenesse (Dozois's Year's Best Science Fiction 15, Heart of Whitenesse)
DEADLINE and TIMELINE:
The deadline for submissions is December 31st, 2018. Decisions on stories should be completed by the end of February 2019. Please send submissions to contact@zombiesneedbrains.com. You will receive a receipt email within a few days of receiving the submission and having it filed for consideration. Notices about decisions on the stories will be sent out no later than the end of March 2019.
If your story is selected for use in the anthology, you should expect a revision letter by the end of April 2019. Revisions and the final draft of the story will be expected no later than the end of May 2019. These dates may change due to the editors' work schedules. Zombies Need Brains LLC is seeking exclusive world anthology rights (including electronic rights) in all languages for the duration of one year after publication/release of the anthology, non-exclusive world anthology rights (including electronic rights) in all languages after that. Your story cannot appear elsewhere during that first year. Pay rate will be an advance of a minimum of 6 cents per word. The anthology will be published as an ebook and an exclusive mass market paperback edition, distributed to the Kickstarter backers. The book would be available after that to the general public in ebook and trade paperback formats. Advances would be immediately earned out by the success of the Kickstarter. Royalties on additional sales beyond the Kickstarter will be 25% of ebook cover price and 10% of trade paperback cover price, both split evenly (not by word count) between the authors in and editors of the anthology.
Questions regarding these submission guidelines should be sent to contact@zombiesneedbrains.com. Thank you.
[NOTE: I had a story published in one of the ZNB anthologies a few years back. I found the ZNB people good to work with, they paid promptly, and I've received several royalty checks since then. Highly recommended for anyone who writes short SFF.]
***
31 December 2018 -- Curse the Darkness -- Unlit Press
For our inaugural anthology, Curse the Darkness*, we're throwing our doors wide open and inviting submissions on the theme of darkness. That could be the absence of light, the presence of evil, or the sinister thoughts of the afflicted. However you choose to interpret the theme, just make sure you leave us afraid to turn out the lights.
We're looking for stories with compelling characters, sparkling dialogue, and strong, original voices. Send us stories that step off the well-trod paths into the unlit wilderness of the unusual, the interesting, and the provocative.
Please review our submission guidelines below before submitting your story via the submission form.
*Curse the Darkness is a working title. Unlit Press reserves the right to change the title as necessary.
Submission Guidelines
Word Count: 3,000 to 10,000 words.
Payment: Accepted authors will receive a one-off payment of £75 (approximately $100) or the equivalent in their local currency.
Format: We accept .doc, .docx, .rtf or .odt.
Multiple Submissions: No, send us one great story.
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but please let us know as soon as possible if your submission is accepted elsewhere.
Previously Published: No, we want original unpublished stories only.
Formatting: Double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt, with a single space after periods.
Rights: Unlit Press will have first world rights for an exclusive period of 12 months from the date of publication. At the end of the exclusive term, rights will revert back to the original author with Unlit Press retaining world distribution rights for the format(s) originally contracted.
Contributor Copies: Contributors will receive one free print copy of the anthology.
***
31 December 2018 -- Unnamed Horor/Humor Anthology -- ed. Brett Reistroffer; Bad Dream Entertainment
For our first new anthology of short fiction after a two year hiatus, Bad Dream is now accepting submissions of humorous dark fiction. Editor Brett Reistroffer is looking for original horror fiction with a strong sense of comedy, and most themes, subjects, and settings are welcome but standard genre tropes are definitely discouraged (vampires, zombies, werewolves, anything Cthulhu, etc.) The comedic aspect can be goofy and slapstick or black and morbid, just as long as there are equal amounts of darkness and humor. Horror has always been fertile ground for that unique juxtaposition and it's exactly what we are looking for, so check out the specifics in the guidelines below and send in your best original horror humor.
**UPDATE: Please make sure to read the guidelines before submitting; this is a horror/humor anthology, meaning that stories should have elements of both. Straightforward horror stories will NOT be considered, you’re just wasting your time (and ours) by submitting ones without humor or comedic elements.**
-Stories should be between 1,500 and 8000 words in length, a few hundred on either side is fine, but if you have something significantly longer then you should inquire first through our regular contact email.
-We're not afraid of blood, sex, and bad words but we're also not interested in purely exploitative work. If you're using graphic material make sure it has a point and serves the story.
-Multiple submissions are allowed, but limited to a maximum of two. You can submit additional stories after receiving responses for current submissions.
-Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please, please let us know as soon as possible if a submission is accepted elsewhere while still in our queue.
-We are looking for original fiction only, no reprints. First-time English translations are acceptable, however.
-Submissions should be in standard manuscript format, with contact info and word counts on the first page. File types should be in .doc, .txt, .odt, or .rtf only. We don't accept submissions in PDF format.
-Payment for accepted stories will be $0.06/word, and Bad Dream Entertainment claims First Rights for electronic and print mediums (in English only). All authors included in the anthology will also receive royalties, split evenly from fifty percent of the book's gross sales profit.
-Response times will be between two and four weeks unless the volume gets out of hand, and we will update everyone as necessary here and on social media if that is the case.
Send submissions to: submissions [at] baddreamentertainment [dot] com, and keep it creepy!
***
31 December 2018 -- Vex Me No More -- ed. Christina Escamilla; Horror Queen Media
"A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest... because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her."
- Terry Pratchett
What We Want:
We want your witch stories! Though they do not necessarily have to be female-centric, they do need to be tales of powerful, unique beings. Remember, this is a horror anthology, so while you can have elements of other genres, we want to be scared.
The Details:
Payment: 0.02/word & contributor copy
Reprints: Yes, but it will be $25 token payment.
Length: short stories up to 5,000 words
Rights: 1st edition publication rights to digital, print, and audio.
To submit please send your story and a short bio to info@thehorrorqueen.com. Simultaneous submissions are allowed and you may send in as many submissions as you would like. Please allow 2 - 3 weeks to hear back.
***
31 December 2018 -- Space Opera Libretti -- ed. Jennifer Lee Rossman and Brian McNett
"I just hate it," says Brian's friend Andrea, whom he's known since he was five, "when some insensitive clod gets his hands on a good Modern Spacetime Opera with Lesbian Cyborg Time Nazis and Dominatrix AI Mayan Gods versus Intersexed Space Pirate Dinosaurs and their Ambisexual Steampunk Alchemical Gnome allies libretto and then screws it up."
Folks, we want his snarky friend to be happy. Science-Fiction has done a very poor job over the years at giving us good Opera. Space Opera is too often seen as an extension of "Horse Opera" which is not opera at all. Where are the arias? Who is that singing coloratura diva soprano during the overture?
"Doctor Dinosaur, you are cleared for blast-off in ten ... nine ... eight ..."
— Charlie Stross (@cstross) July 20, 2018
(It's got to be "blast-off" for that pulpy 50s sensibility.) https://t.co/tO65lUP8JL
And thus, we the editors owe a debt of gratitude to Charlie Stross for showing us the way. Soooo…
With the prelims out of the way, we're looking for:
Dramatic, large-scale stories of the distant future, focused on optimism and inclusion and blowing things up. Weird mashups. Actual arias. Fat ladies singing on funeral pyres. Watery tarts distributing swords optional. Play fast and loose. No holds barred as long as it's a tasteful treatment written with respect.
Stories between 2,500 and 7,000 words. Exceptions will be made for really great stories, but try to keep it within these limits.
Original stories preferred but we will accept a few outstanding reprints.
Diversity. Straight white dudes are fine. We all know a straight white dude we love. But space opera is for everyone, so we want stories about everyone. Give us women, nonbinary people, disabled folks, people of all races and beliefs (or lack thereof -- atheists and agnostics are more than welcome!), LGBTQIAP (I prefer "QUILTBAG" but that leaves of the "P" —Brian) people!
Intersectionality, too. Is your character a nonbinary autistic mixed race wheelchair user? We want their story. Definitely want that one!
Same goes for authors. We want to hear from people who haven't had a voice in publishing. This doesn’t mean we won’t take established authors if their stories meet our criteria. Just don't self-reject if you've unpublished or under-published. We've all been there.
What we're not looking for:
Space Nazis are out, as are Lovecraftian gods. Both are overdone. But there's nothing barring Time Nazis, and Aztec gods would give old H.P. the serious willies.
More seriously, we're not interested in:
Poems.
Erotica.
Violence against children or animals.
Stories that perpetuate misogyny, queermisia, ableism, racism, or any other hateful ideology. (Individual characters can be hateful, of course, but we'd like the stories themselves to be positive and inclusive.)
Don't self-reject. If the story is really good but contains something on this list, we'll try to work together in edits to make it as good as it can be.
Formatting:
Don't stress about this. We're not going to fault you if you use single spacing instead of double, or Calibri instead of Courier. As long as it's legible, you're good.
That said, it'd be awesome if you could put your name and the word count somewhere at the top of the manuscript, and send it as an rtf, doc, or docx. Or, if you prefer, just copy and paste that bad boy in the body of an email.
If you’d really LIKE to submit a "proper" manuscript we won't stop you. In fact, here's a helpful article from SFWA: https://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/the-obligatory-manuscript-format-article/
Cover letter:
In your email, please tell us the following things:
Your name and/or pen name.
Your pronouns, if you're comfortable doing so. Most people are happy being referred to as she or he, but if you use they/them or ze/zir or another set, just let us know and we'll make sure to use them.
The story title. (We hate titles, too, but nothing needs to be set in stone right now. If we accept your story and you're not in love with the title, we'll help you come up with something.)
The approximate wordcount. No need to tell us it's approximate. We know they're all approximations. (I did not actually know this when I started writing, and I definitely updated the exact word count every time I edited a story. --Jen)
If your story is #ownvoices (ie, you're a gay author writing about gay characters or an Asian author writing about Asian characters) and you're comfortable sharing, your marginalized identities.
Has this story been published before? Your bio, including any recent publications.
Payment and rights:
For original stories, we're asking for non-exclusive first world digital and print rights. That means you keep the rights to your story, but we're paying you for the privilege of printing it in this anthology. As soon as it's published, you can publish it elsewhere. (Just be sure to credit us as the original publisher.)
For reprints, we're asking for non-exclusive world digital and print rights, which also revert to you upon publication.
Payment depends on how much we earn with the Kickstarter, but we're aiming for a minimum of 6 cents a word.
If the Kickstarter fails, we will still pay the accepted authors but it will be royalties -- ie, you get paid a percentage of what the book earns.
How to submit:
Send your story as an .rtf, .doc, or .docx or in the body of an email, along with your cover letter, to
jenniferleerossman@gmail.com
Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please let us know if you get accepted elsewhere.
Multiple subs are not encouraged, but if you have two stories you really love, feel free to send both. We will not accept more than one story per author.
Everyone will hear back within a week after the end of the submission period with a rejection or to let you know we're holding it for consideration, though most will hear back much sooner. Final decisions may take a few weeks depending on the volume of submissions.
[NOTE: okay, this sounds like a way-fun project, but if their Kickstarter doesn't fund, all you get is a royalty split. If you wouldn't be satisfied with a royalty split -- and if you read my listings, you probably wouldn't -- I suggest waiting until their Kickstarter deadline (14 Dec 19) to see how it went before subbing.]
***
31 December 2018 -- Rosalind's Siblings -- ed. Bogi Takács; Galli Books
[NOTE: Deadline extended.]
Rosalind's Siblings is an anthology of speculative stories about people of marginalized genders/sexes who are scientists: scientists doing good, changing the world, or just getting on with their work of expanding human knowledge in a speculative context, presented in a positive light. This anthology is named for Rosalind Franklin, the so-called Dark Lady of DNA, one of the most famously erased female scientists in history, and a direct relation of the founder of Galli Books. The anthology is being edited by Bogi Takács.
The stories do not need to problematize gender/sex, though this is also welcome, and we would like to publish a mix of approaches. We are generally interested in positive portrayals of science and the protagonists doing research, but this can include a critical reappraisal. (E.g., we would very much like to see stories in which science is decolonized and/or Indigenized, or in some other ways incorporates approaches beyond Western neo-positivism.) We are not interested in "mad scientist" tropes or "evil science." We are also not interested in disability cure narratives and related tropes, unless they are actively subverted / deconstructed.
Stories must contain a speculative element. We are happy to read works from any speculative subgenre: science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, magical realism, fabulism, mythic work, Weird fiction and so on. Any amount of science detail is welcome with thoughtful engagement.
Protagonists can be trans and/or nonbinary people, women, intersex people, genderqueer or gender-nonconforming people, people of culturally specific genders/sexes, and any combinations thereof. They do not need to identify as women, feminine or femme specifically, but those stories are particularly welcome; as are stories with trans, nonbinary and/or intersex men or masculine protagonists. Protagonists can have any sexual orientation.
You do not need to belong to any marginalized group to submit, but we are very happy to consider submissions from people who belong to underrepresented / marginalized groups in speculative fiction, including Black, Indigenous people and/or people of color, non-Western and/or non-Anglophonic people, migrants, QUILTBAG+ people, disabled, chronically ill and/or neuroatypical people. We welcome people from all letters of the QUILTBAG+, including trans, intersex, asexual, aromantic and bisexual people, who are more commonly ignored. Please don’t self-reject!
You do not need to disclose your marginalizations in your cover letter, but you are welcome to do so. Please send submissions to galli-books@galli-books.co.uk with "ROSALIND" in the subject line and the story title. Format submissions reasonably close to Standard Manuscript Format, and send them in .doc, .odt, .rtf formats, or .pdf if the story has unusual formatting that needs to be preserved. Please do NOT send .docx files.
Submissions open on 1st November and close on 31st December. Please do not submit outside that window.
We pay £0.08/word upon signed contract and are interested in previously unpublished short stories between 500 and 7500 words, and nonfiction essays on our theme.
***
1 January 19 -- Tales from the Lake, Vol. 6 -- ed. Mercedes M. Yardley and Eugene Johnson; Crystal Lake Publishing
We will accept submissions for the non-themed anthology Tales from the Lake Vol. 6 from November 1st, 2018 through January 1st, 2019. Compiled and edited by Mercedes M. Yardley and Eugene Johnson. Pays 3c a word (USD) upon publication.
Don't miss out! In previous volumes we've published Jack Ketchum, Joe R. Lansdale, Graham Masterton, Ramsey Campbell, Elizabeth Massie, Tim Curran, Edward Lee, Gene O'Neill, Tim Waggoner, Bev Vincent, Kealan Patrick Burke, and many more.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
= Create believable, three-dimensional characters just as real as your friends and neighbors. The world these characters inhabit should be equally authentic, hitting all the senses.
= We want stories that'll haunt the readers for months to come.
= Stories should be between 500 and 5,000 words max, with 3k to 4k being the sweet spot.
= Originality is important—we don't want your version of someone else's story from yesteryear.
= Although our arms are wide open, we're more interested in fiction that reflects the modern. Kelly Link, Karen Russell, Joe Hill, and Damien Angelica Walters are prime examples of current dark fiction writers encapsulating the above in their work.
= Quality of the work must be top notch! The authors mentioned above represent the high-water mark we're looking for.
WHAT WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR:
= Stories sent before or after the submission window. These will not be read.
= Rape stories or sexual abuse or any explicit abuse toward children or animals is expressly forbidden. This can however be mentioned or remembered by your character, but be subtle.
= Stories that are not short horror stories.
= Novels or novellas.
= Stories with flat worlds.
= To avoid too many writers writing about lakes, please keep in mind this is a non-themed anthology.
PAYMENT:
For this anthology we are paying 3 cents (USD) per word up to 5000 words via PayPal.
REPRINTS:
We DO NOT accept reprints, unless we approach an author for a specific reprint deemed suitable.
SIMULTANEOUS/MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS:
We prefer you do not submit your story elsewhere while it's being considered by us, especially if it's been shortlisted. No multiple submissions, either. You get one shot. Make it count.
RESPONSE TIME:
For the most part, acceptances will not go out until some time after the deadline. Rejections and shortlisting notices will go out sooner. Feel free to query by April 1, 2019.
RIGHTS:
We are seeking FIRST world rights, both in print, electronic, and audio forms as well as translation rights for an exclusive period of 1 year and then non-exclusive after that.
FORMATTING:
Submit your manuscript in Shunn Format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) as a .doc or .docx attachment. Keep your cover letter brief, but relay any pertinent information. You should also include a short bio. Subject of your email should start with SUBMISSION and then the title of your story.
Please email your submission to: Lake6subs@gmail.com.
***
15 January 19 -- Would But Time Await -- ed. Scott T. Goudsward and K. H. Vaughan; Ulthar Press
[NOTE: the only "official" guidelines I can find for this one is this Facebook page, which seems to belong to one of the editors. If your only publicity is Facebook or similar, that comes across as kind of fly-by-night. There's no mention of this book on the Ulthar Press web site, and some poking around shows that both Duotrope and Grinder have delisted this market. Sub at your own risk.]
Would But Time Await:
An Anthology of New England
Ulthar Press is seeking original, unpublished short stories for an anthology of folk horror with New England ties, scheduled for release at Necronomicon-Providence in 2019. For the purposes of this project, we are defining folk horror as horror literature in which the present (in the story, not necessarily current day) collides with the history, folklore, traditions, and psychogeography of a region. The term "folk horror" came to prominence in describing a subgenre of film represented best by the "unholy trinity" of Witchfinder General (1968), Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and The Wicker Man (1973). In general, themes include:
== Psychological and physical Isolation
== The effects of geography on emotion and behavior
== Old and strange traditions that persist despite the encroachment of the modern world
== Contrast between folklore and formal, academic, or “official” knowledge
== Conflict between the urban outsider and the rural insider
== Supernatural strangeness hidden beneath the surface of civilization
Some excellent discussion of what does and does not constitute "folk horror" can be found online (see links below), but there is no source that we consider authoritative. If your story can convince us that it is folk horror, then it is. We want to see fresh takes on old tropes.
We are looking for work that uses the physical, historical, and social landscapes of New England as a focal point (rather than a story that could be set anywhere else but just happens to be set in New England.) There is a long and rich history of horrific and strange folklore in New England but that doesn’t mean a writer needs to restrict themselves to it and writers are perfectly welcome to invent their own folklore, traditions, and fictional New England locations. Although Lovecraft certainly wrote stories that could be considered folk horror, we do NOT want Lovecraft pastiche.
A few examples of what we consider Folk Horror in literature:
[Click through for an extensive list of examples.]
PAYMENT
We will be paying a flat rate of $75USD within 30 days of publication for first rights in print and digital, plus a physical and digital contributor’s copy.
STORY CRITERIA.
Length:4,000 - 6000 words.
No reprints.
No simultaneous or multiple submissions.
Standard MS format
Send all submissions with a brief cover letter to wouldbuttimeawait@gmail.com by January 15, 2019.
SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE SUBMITTING:
New England is an ethnically diverse region of the United States with a long (and often sordid) history so please keep the contemporary effects of that history in mind when submitting and avoid work that portrays the indigenous people and tribes of New England in a racist, bigoted, or stereotypical sense and please avoid stereotypes of the poor, and economically disenfranchised, all races, genders, sexes, sexualities, (dis)abilities, faiths, and anything that targets marginalized people.
In general, we are looking to avoid depictions of sexual violence (unless written with extreme care, an actual point beyond the simple violence of it, and, above all, empathy toward victims of sexual violence.)
***
31 January 19 -- To Seoul, from the World -- ed. Sollee Bae; Fiction Writers in Seoul
Fiction Writers in Seoul is a creative writing community based in Seoul, South Korea. Since 2013, we have critiqued over 250 submissions by writers from all around the world. Though varying in themes and genres, together they represent a diverse voice of travelers and expats who have called Seoul their passion, their home. And now, our aim is to weave these stories into an anthology that promotes the unique perspective and creativity of the expat community in Seoul.
HOW TO SUBMIT
We are seeking unpublished short stories under 6000 words that are set in and/or about the city of Seoul. Writers are encouraged to interpret this broadly and freely; submissions of all genres are welcome. We are looking for stories that 1) provide a fresh and relatable insight into the city and its culture, and 2) are intensely engaging, with all the appeals of a traditional story. As a token of our dedication to quality, we will pay $.05 per word for accepted submissions.
Please send your submission to submission.ficwriseoul@gmail.com as an attachment. Multiple and simultaneous submissions are accepted, and there is no reading fee. Estimated response time is up to twelve weeks.
Please note that the anthology will also be translated into Korean and pitched to traditional Korean publishers.
WHO WILL BE JUDGING THE SUBMISSIONS?
The submissions will be considered by a team of readers on a voluntary basis. The readers consist of the members of Fiction Writers in Seoul. Each submission will be guaranteed two reads: one by a volunteer, and another by the editor. The final decisions will be made and announced after a monthly editorial meeting.
Sollee Bae (Editor) is the organizer and founder of Fiction Writers in Seoul. She has translated many books from English to Korean, including Zorba the Greek and Mara, Daughter of the Nile. "Arpan," a South Korean short story by Park Hyoung-su that she co-translated from Korean to English, has appeared in Acta Koreana, Vol.17, No.2.
HOW WILL THE ANTHOLOGY BE PUBLISHED AND MADE AVAILABLE?
It will be independently published by Fiction Writers in Seoul in both print and e-book forms. The print books will be distributed across English bookstores in major cities of South Korea, and marketed by a hired specialist. In addition, the anthology will be translated into Korean (please see the item below for specific rights we are acquiring) and pitched to traditional Korean publishers.
WHAT RIGHTS DOES THE PUBLISHER ACQUIRE FROM THE WRITERS?
For the publication of this anthology, we are buying the following rights from the authors of accepted submissions:
1) First world rights, which guarantee that we will publish the story for the first time across the world;
2) Korean translation rights, which allow us to translate the story (as part of the entire anthology, not for the publication of the individual stories) into Korean.
The rights to the individual story remain with the author; the rights to the entire anthology belong to the publisher. We do, however, include the exclusivity clause in the contract, which gives us the exclusive rights to publish the story for 12 months after the publication date of the anthology.
To see the sample publishing contract, please click here.
***
31 January 19 -- Hidden Histories -- Third Flatiron
A secret history (or shadow history) is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars. Your tale can be based in the real world, past, present, or future, as long as it has a speculative fiction element. We're not exactly looking for alternate history, but there can be a fork in the road timewise.
Reading period: January 1-31, 2019 DO NOT SUBMIT before 1 January.
Publication date: April 1, 2019
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.
***
1 February 19 -- Hashtag Queer, Volume 3 -- Qommunicate Publishing
[NOTE: Submissions open to LGBTQ+ writers only.]
Like its successful predecessors Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology, Volume 3 will be released in June of 2019 to once again celebrate LGBTQ Pride season.
Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology is the annual collection of creative literary work by and about LGBTQ+. It includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and scripts up to 7,500 words.
Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology, Volume 3 will be published in print & ebook (compatible with the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows devices in addition to PDF and other downloadable formats and web-viewable formats.)
Submission Guidelines:
Please read the following submission guidelines carefully before submitting your work to Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology, Vol 3. If you have any questions not answered below, please write us at submissions@qommunicatepublishing.com and we will be happy to answer.
Theme:
= By and/or about LGBTQ+.
Genres:
= Fiction (including flash non-fiction of 1 page or less).
= Creative non-fiction & memoir.
= Poetry.
= Scripts (including plays and screenplays).
For this book, we are NOT considering:
= Erotica.
= Work written for children.
Length:
= Prose: up to 7,500 words
= Poetry: Up to 5 pages
= Scripts: Up to 10 pages
= Submissions of longer than 10 pages must be numbered.
Formats:
= All submissions must be typed. No handwritten submissions will be accepted.
= If you send your submission in, please do NOT mail us your only copy of your work. We can not be responsible for returning submissions.
Multiple Submissions:
= Multiple submissions (submissions of more than one work) are fine. Send us what you’ve got!
Simultaneous Submissions:
= Simultaneous submissions (submitting work you’ve already submitted–or are planning on submitting–elsewhere) are fine too.
= Please just be sure that if your submission gets accepted elsewhere, you contact us at submissions@qommunicatepublishing.com to withdraw it from consideration for Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology, Vol 3.
Reprints:
= Reprints will NOT be considered.
Rights:
= We are seeking First English Anthology Rights and First World Anthology Rights in print and ebook formats.
= NOTE: These rights only allow the material to be used in the anthology and its reprints, and the writer retains all rights to their work not specified here (i.e. in the contract), including copyright to their work.
= We are also seeking, for all material, Non-exclusive Excerpt Rights (for the purposes of promoting the Anthology on the website).
Compensation:
= Contributors will receive $5 per printed page.
[NOTE: There's no way to tell exactly how many cents/word they'll be paying; it depends on the size of the pages, the size of the typeface, and the density of the writing on any given page. (A page with many short lines of dialogue will have a lot fewer words than a page full of long paragraphs of description or narration.) A standard manuscript page is counted as approximately 250 words, which works out to about 2 cents per word. I'm assuming a "printed" page will be less than twice that, which means this market squeaks in just past my guidelines, to give them the benefit of the doubt. Keep this in mind, though, when you decide whether to sub here.]
What to Submit:
= Your submission
= A brief bio telling us something about you and (if applicable) any publishing experience
= At least one form of contact information (phone number, email, or mailing address. Please do not give a social media account handle as your only form of contact information.
= IMPORTANT: Pen names are acceptable. However, for contractual purposes, all submissions must also include the author's legal name.
Where to Submit:
= Submissions may be emailed to us at: submissions@hashtagqueer.com
or mailed to us at:
Qommunity
201 Lancelot Lane
Becket, MA 01223
AGAIN, MAILED SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE RETURNED
Response Time:
= We will respond to all submissions by March 1, 2019.
Check out Hashtag Queer, Volume 1 & Hashtag Queer, Volume 2 to see what kinds of work we’ve published already, plus we're always looking for new voices and perspectives!
***
28 February 19 -- Triangulation: Dark Skies -- Parsec Ink
Triangulation is open for submissions. We are Parsec Ink's speculative fiction annual, now in our 15th year. We're looking for outstanding fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror–from new and established writers. Take the theme and run with it. Tell us a story we won't forget.
Theme: Triangulation: Dark Skies will be a celebration of the dark. This year, we are joining forces with the International Dark-Sky Association to raise awareness of the dangers of light pollution—to human health, to animals and plants in the nighttime ecosystem, and to the future of astronomical research on our planet. We'd like to see proactive characters experiencing firsthand the dangers and consequences of a world without darkness, but even more than that, we want stories celebrating our place in the universe, and our ability, as sentient beings, to see into the depths of space. Give us past, present, and future accounts. Cautionary tales. Secondary worlds and altered timelines. The effects of light pollution are many and varied—feel free to explore any aspects, from neurobiological studies, to life in an alien star system, to legends out of time.
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.
SUBMIT YOUR STORY HERE!
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: 4 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, audio 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.
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.
***
ALWAYS OPEN -- Future Visions Anthology Series -- ed. Brian J Walton; Camton House Publishing
The Future Visions Anthologies is a science fiction anthology series, aiming to deliver excellent and diverse short story collections on a quarterly basis. In the tradition of great television anthology series such as The Twilight Zone, and Black Mirror, the Future Visions Anthologies will broadly explore all genres and traditions of science fiction and speculative fiction, seeking in each story to explore deeply themes that are relevant to a modern audience.
Themes:
What do you hope the future will bring? What are you afraid we may become? How do our visions of the future inform and give shape to the hopes and fears that we have today?
These questions are what defines anthology series like The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror. Rather than mandating a theme for each publication, (one publication for cyborgs, one for time travelers, etc...) I want authors to feel free to explore these larger questions using any and all of the popular science fiction tropes: new technology, exploration, nightmarish dystopians, alien species, baffling utopias, the list goes on...
Diversity:
The Future Visions Anthologies seeks to bring diversity to all aspects of their publications, from the stories and authors we publish, to the themes and genres we explore. All authors may apply regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or political affiliation.
Terms:
The Future Visions Anthologies seeks to engage authors with fair and equitable terms through participation in the anthologies. The anthologies will be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited for an initial six-month term, during which stories will be exclusive to the anthology. After this, anthologies will continue be available as an ebook (not in KU) for an additional six-month term. During this term, partial publication rights will return to the author to publish as an ebook, except for in KU. After one year, the ebook will be unpublished, returning all rights to the author.
Payment will be based on a profit-share model with a guaranteed minimum payment of $150. Authors will receive royalties during the first six months of membership. At the end of the royalty period, if the author's royalties do not meet the minimum payment of $150 then the remaining amount will be paid. There is no cap to the amount of royalties that may be earned. Earning reports for the anthology will be provided to all participating authors to ensure complete transparency. Specific terms will be available after initial acceptance of the author's story.
Submission Guidelines:
== Authors must read and be in agreement with the above before submitting.
== There is no fee to submit.
== Submissions must be original, never before published works.
== Submissions may be set in a larger universe, but should be a complete story; do not send excerpts, parts, or volumes.
== Word Count is 2k-7k words (exceptions for up to one story per anthology can be made).
== Submissions should be written to the best of the author's ability. Professional editing is not required but may help in the consideration of your piece. Camton House Publishing will provide professional editing and proofreading, approved by the author, and a final, edited version will be submitted to the author upon publication.
== Adult language and sexual situations are permitted, but no hate speech, erotica or "X-rated" material.
== Formatting: 12pt Times New Roman font with 1.5-line spacing; 1-inch margins on all sides; no extra spaces between paragraphs; leading indentations, but no tabs.
== Include "Future Visions Short Story Submission" in the header and the following information in the body of the email:
o Author Name
o Story Title
o Word Count
o Brief Bio, written in the third person. 100-300 words.
== Submissions should be submitted in docx format as an attachment.
== Submissions should be emailed to futurevisionssubmissions@gmail.com
Submissions that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered.
Deadlines:
Submissions are always open. Authors who have submitted will be notified within 4-6 weeks of submission regarding whether their story has been selected.
[Okay, this is different. I'll be treating this one like an "Until Filled" market, in that I'll be checking every month to make sure they're still alive. Unlike a UF, I'll keep posting this so long as it's still alive. (Unless it turns morbid or skeevy, the usual.) Note that this is a royalty split with a guaranteed minimum, which works out to pro rates up to 2500 words, and semi-pro after that. Best practice IMO is to assume that the minimum is all you'll ever get from this market; that way, so long as you do get paid, all your surprises will happy ones.
Interesting business model; it's basically a magazine that's being treated like an antho series, more or less. I'll be keeping an eye on this one, and may revisit the listing in the future.]
***
UNTIL FILLED -- Black Superheroes Do It Too! -- Black Books Publishing -- First Listed January 2018
[NOTE: I've listed this until-filled market for a year now. This is the last month I'll include it in the listing. If you're still interested in submitting, copy/paste the guidelines or bookmark the page for yourself; it's going away next month.]
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.
***
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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