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 October 19 -- Monsters, Movies & Mayhem -- ed. Kevin J. Anderson; WordFire Press
Lights! Camera! Monsters?
We’ve all experienced a night out at the movies. Are you old enough to remember the drive in? Do you dare build a movie theater in your basement and invite monsters and mayhem to your home? Monsters, Movies, & Mayhem is a collection of tales involving monsters and the chaos they create in the movie world.
Your monster may be that unidentifiable substance growing at the back of the popcorn popper at your local theater concession stand; the zombie who wants to be a movie star but is tired of being typecast; the scriptwriter’s muse who turns out to be an alien with an agenda; the diva director who comes in to "save" your latest film. The monster does not have to be the main character, but does have to be vital to the story. (No copyrighted characters or REAL movies, please!) Movies can be interpreted as a story set within a fully conscious cinematic world, or involving the act of watching a film, or having a character who thoroughly enjoys movies. And mayhem should speak for itself.
Unleash your inner beast and keep the rest of us awake at night with your stories of humor, horror, or plain ol' weirdness. Funny or grim, unsettling or cozy, we are open to anything. Make us laugh! Make us sigh! Make us scream!
Genre: Original short stories that feature a monster in a movie setting, to include a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alien, magical, witchcraft, AI, and romance elements. Must be appropriate for a "PG-13" audience. Please, no copyrighted characters and no real movies.
Length: up to 6000 words
Rate: 6¢/word on acceptance
Rights: First Anthology Rights; rights revert to author one month after publication; publisher retains non-exclusive right to include in anthology as a whole
Submit stories in a Microsoft Word or RTF file in standard manuscript format to submissions@western.edu
One submission per person, please.
Edited by Kevin J. Anderson with an editorial team provided by Western Colorado University Graduate Program in Creative Writing, Publishing MA students.
Anthology made possible by a generous contribution from Draft2Digital.
***
31 October 19 -- Pulp Horror Phobias Vol. 2 -- Lycan Valley Press
If you're interested in submitting to Volume 2, we suggest taking a look at the stories in Volume 1 for a general idea on theme and style. Also, check out our Resources page on our website regarding pulp and the types of stories we are looking for in this series.
All stories must be considered pulp/noir and fit the theme.
Theme: Anything you might find, or come into contact with, inside or around a house or home. Please note, this is a very broad theme so get creative and come up with something new and unusual. Common phobias such as arachnophobia, claustrophobia and agoraphobia, although relevant to the theme, must bring something new. Likewise, hauntings and possessions must bring more than your average ghost story.
Stories deliberately set inside a house or in a yard/farm/etc near a house if it's fitting for the story as well.(stretching the theme is fine but simply mentioning there is a house nearby isn't enough to fit the theme).
ABSOLUTELY NO PIZZA STORIES. Sorry, bring us something new.
Details: Phobias are defined as an irrational and extreme fear to something. Some of the most widely known phobias include arachnophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, etc. Anything can be a phobia if it irrationally causes an intense and debilitating fear.
What happens when these irrational fears/phobias become reality? Make the fears and the horrors associated with that fear real. Make them come alive. Take them from irrational to rational. Give us, the readers, a reason to be scared, not just the characters.
We don’t want characters sitting on a sofa in the psychiatrist’s office detailing their childhood or even characters with diagnosed (or undiagnosed) phobias necessarily. Your story should focus on the object of the phobia rather than the phobia itself. We want you to make these phobias come to life in ways that will make readers sleep with the lights on, double check the locks on their doors and question reality. We don't want therapy sessions.
There must be a strong pulp/noir element to the story as well. If you’re unfamiliar with the original pulp magazines and stories, please do some research before submitting. Check out Black Mask Magazine http://www.blackmaskmagazine.com/ and here’s a pulp archive to get you started (warning: reading on this website may be addictive).
http://www.pulpmags.org/ and also here https://archive.org/details/pulpmagazinearchive.
Although you are free to write in your own style and that which best suits the story, Lester Dent’s Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot is here for reference should you wish to use it. http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/dent.html
Word count: 4,000 to 6,000
Payment: $0.04 per word
Titles: Please do not use the name of the phobia itself in your story titles. Submission titles must follow the format as shown on the submission form.
Formatting: Blind submissions are not required. Please follow Shunn Short Story Manuscript formatting which can be found here: http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html. Or use the downloadable template for Word found here: http://www.shunn.net/format/templates.html
Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions: No simultaneous submissions. Multiple submissions from the same author for two different phobias will be considered but please note that only one story per author will be accepted to allow for greater variety and diversity. Previously unpublished stories only, no reprints unless requested by the editor.
***
3 November 19 -- After Sundown -- ed. Mark Morris; Flame Tree Publishing
After Sundown is an eclectic, vibrant collection of tales by contemporary writers, both established and new. Mark has approached an impressive range of authors (to be revealed at a later date...) but we've reserved space for four new stories from the online submissions. This is a prestigious anthology and will be published worldwide in hardcover, paperback, and later in a stunning, Flame Tree-style decorated edition. We're looking for thrilling stories of suspense, delving into the dark spaces of the night, ideally 4000 words. Our standard rates apply.
Please send to 2019@flametreepublishing.com.
We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline.
***
26 November 19 -- Twisted Love -- ed. Sandra Ruttan; Bronzeville Books
Bronzeville is now open to submissions for an anthology called Twisted Love. Twisted Love will feature stories with unsettling and unconventional relationships. Give us stories of toxic relationships or lovers bound by crime or fetish. Think Soldier and Angel from Hap and Leonard, season 1.
PAYMENT POLICY
We pay $0.05 U.S. per word for first Worldwide English publication rights for stories up to 3,000 words in length. We have no minimum length requirements for submissions; however, we will not consider submissions that exceed 3,150 words.
PREFERRED GENRES
Preferred genres include crime, sci fi, fantasy, horror and YA.
SIMULTANEOUS AND MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS
Writers may submit one story to all open Bronzeville platforms. Those who submit a story to Twisted Love may also, for example, submit a story to Bronzeville Bee if it is open to submissions.
Writers may not submit more than one story to Twisted Love.
Writers may simultaneously submit to other venues. We ask that you notify us if the story is accepted elsewhere and withdraw the story from consideration.
FORMATTING
Format your subject line as follows: Twisted Love Submission – Story Name – word count – genre
Example: Twisted Love Submission – 'This is My Story’s Title' – 2725 words – horror
Your story should be sent as an attached Word Document. We will not read PDFs, shared Google Doc files, RTF documents or any other type of document. Submissions that do not include an attached .doc or .docx file will not be processed.
The text in your story should be black.
The font should be a standard font, such as Times New Roman.
The text should be 12 pt or 14 pt.
The first line of every paragraph should either be flush left, with a blank line between paragraphs, or it should be indented half an inch using the format settings feature, not space-space-space-space-space or tab.
Do not underline text in your story. If text is intended to be in italics, put it in italics.
Refer to the guidelines found here for the information to present at the top of your story document.
Submissions that do not include the word count will be deprioritized for review.
Take time to study submission guidelines. Many publications use comparable guidelines; there is nothing unusual about ours, but we receive many submissions that have sloppy formatting (with some paragraphs indented and others not) and other abnormalities. Presentation matters. We’re paying pro rates per Duotrope guidelines; we expect writers to strive for professional presentation.
The best submissions include:
== the story title in the subject line with the word count and genre
== the words Bee Fiction Submission in the subject line
== no more than a short introductory line or paragraph citing the word count and genre of the story — NOTE: multiple paragraph queries for short fiction will not be read. You do not need to tell us about the inspiration for the story, which authors inspire you, what size shoes you wear, or anything else.
== again, the word count of the story in the email and/or subject line
== the author’s bio (approx. 100 words written in third person)
Absolutely no adults having sex with minors or anyone having sex with animals.
We will not publish works that appear to promote hate towards people based on their religion, race, gender or orientation. While we may publish a story about racism, or that has sexism or bigotry as a component, there’s a line between writing about something and endorsing it. When necessary, we will hire a sensitivity editor to review content.
"While we will consider stories that deal with sexual abuse, the acts should be alluded to but not detailed. We are not interested in publishing stories that would appeal to pedophiles or abusers." -– Sandra Ruttan
WORD COUNT LIMIT
3,150 words
CHECKLIST
Include your story as a .doc or .docx attachment, a bio written in third person that is 80 words or less, and a high resolution photograph you own the rights to that can be published with your work.
CONTACT
Email Sandra Ruttan: thebronzevillebee@gmail.com
CONFIRMATION
An auto-reply will be sent to every email received at the appropriate email account. Receiving the auto-reply is confirmation that your submission has been delivered.
Please read the auto-reply and double-check your submission to ensure that you included your attachment and all the requested material.
REPRINTS
We are not currently considering reprints for Twisted Love.
Please note: Submissions with multiple stories or sent to the wrong address or that exceed the word count will not be processed. Writers will not be notified.
***
30 November 19 -- The Black Beacon Book of Mystery -- Black Beacon Books
Here are the details:
Response time: We'll aim for the end of January 2020 at the latest
Publication: Planned for late 2020
What we want: This anthology will combine the best new mysteries with classic reprints from yesteryear, so give us a masterful tale. You'll need an engaging and memorable protagonist who can hold his or her own against Sherlock Holmes and Auguste Dupin. Above all, we want a clever puzzle the reader can try to solve. Throw in clues and red herrings, make our readers work their "little grey cells", as Hercule Poirot puts it. The mystery could be a crime, but it could also be a historical or archaeological investigation, a treasure hunt, getting to the bottom of a local legend... it's up to you, but it must be a mystery the reader can delve into and try to solve before your protagonist. Think Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Inspector Morse, Jonathan Creek, even Nancy Drew or Scooby Doo, but be damned clever about it! Get moving! The game's afoot!
Length:
Short stories between 2,500 and 7,000 words
Novellas up to 25,000 words
Rates:
1 penny (GBP) per word for original short stories
100 pounds for original novellas / flat rate
10 pounds for reprints / flat rate
All contributors will receive one print copy
Please read the full guidelines below before submitting.
GENERAL GUIDELINES AND DETAILS
Please only submit one story per publication. No simultaneous submissions for original fiction.
Languages accepted:
English and French / anglais et français
Black Beacon Books is based in France but publishes in English. As such, we accept submissions in both English and French. Any French submissions accepted will be translated into English for publication. / Black Beacon Books est une maison d'édition de langue anglaise basée en France. Nous acceptons des nouvelles écrites en français mais elles seront traduites et publiées en anglais.
What we expect from authors:
1) We strongly recommend you purchase a copy of a previous anthology to be sure you want to be part of our team. We're choosing stories for our anthology, but you're also choosing a home for your work. We want you to feel you've made the right choice.
2) Please submit quality writing and be prepared to work with the team to make your story the very best it can be.
3) If your submission is successful, we need you to help promote the anthology through word-of-mouth and online networking.
Legal disclaimer:
1) Original Fiction: Inclusion in the anthology means that you give BBB First World English rights (this means your story will appear in this anthology for the first time in English, covering both electronic and print publications). After the official release of the anthology, all rights revert to the Author, and BBB will not publish it in any other publication without your permission.
2) Reprints: We purchase Non-Exclusive Reprint rights, which means your previously published story can be sold to other publications at the same time and at any time after our anthology. Of course, it is your duty as the Author to ensure you retain the relevant rights to reprints submitted to us. You should tell us where your story was first published so we can provide appropriate credit to the original publisher within our anthology.
Details on rights can be found at Writing-World.
How to submit:
Please note that we use British English conventions. Submissions are encouraged from all over the world but be aware that the editor may wish to make changes to those containing North American usages.
For submissions in English, the editor requires:
- All grammar and punctuation to be used appropriately. This is your best friend: https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/grammar-and-usage, and if you don't know how to use commas, visit these sites: https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/comma and https://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp
In terms of comma usage, here are three simple examples of what we require:
Yesterday, I followed him home.
As soon as I hear from him, I'll let you know.
I bought an axe, rope, and a box of matches.
- Quotation marks to be single for general dialogue.
- Only one space at the end of sentences.
- Formatted indentation for paragraphs. Do not use the space bar or tab bar.
- The use of italics. Do NOT replace them with an underline.
Once you've finished your tale and edited it... and edited again, and asked your mum and dog to proof-read it, send it as a .doc (NO .docx) or .rtf file to blackbeaconbooks (at) gmail.com
Be sure to include your contact details in your email AND in the file. In the subject of your email, write: "BBB Submission".
***
30 November 19 -- Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die -- Neon Hemlock Press
The compensation level for original stories accepted to this anthology is $0.06/word. You can view the current list of contributors here.
Please submit stories to Glitter + Ashes using the submission form here.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
== Wordcount: Under 6,000 words. 1-4,000 words is probably the sweet spot.
== Concept: They joked that the only things left would be cockroaches and Twinkies, but they were wrong. They underestimated us. Tell us stories of queer resilience and queer survival, stories set after the end of a world that could be ours but might not be. Tell us about new queer beginnings born amidst the broken promises of the future.
Be inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road, yes, but the visions of the apocalypse we love also include The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Apocalypse World by Vincent & Meguey Baker, Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller, and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.
== What we want to see: We are looking for speculative stories that explore ramifications of the apocalypse through queer narratives. We want queer stories and we want trans stories and we want indefinable stories. We welcome a broad interpretation of the post-apocalyptic genre; give us your scraps of hope in every ruined future (we love genre elements from fantasy, horror and science fiction). Throughout, we’re looking for rich, varied and nuanced understandings of gender, family and ethnicity.
== What we don’t want to see: Don’t tell us directly how it ended. You can draw implications from the sunless sky or the poison water, but don’t give us a road map. We revel in the vagueness of possibility, so rather than Lady Liberty buried the sand, give us ambiguous landmarks and amalgamations of real places.
We’re not interested in unexamined bigotry or sexual violence; pieces that include such should be nuanced or looking at the post-event experience of the survivors.
Also, no zombies please, unless you have some very unconventional ones!
GUIDELINES:
== Please submit your story in .doc or .docx file, formatted in something approaching Standard Manuscript Format. The editor has a slight aversion to Courier and a fondness for Georgia.
== Please include a cover/query letter with the title, length, and a brief bio. You may include links to your website/social media, and previous publications if any. Please don’t stress about this cover letter, if we have additional questions about your submission, we’ll ask them.
== Simultaneous submissions are fine, please withdraw immediately if you take another offer. Stories should be previously unpublished.
== Please no multiple submissions. If you receive a rejection within the submission window, you may submit another story.
Submissions are open to all. Neon Hemlock Press is particularly interested in queer stories and authors. Authors from all underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to submit. Please don’t self-reject.
You should receive a confirmation of your submission via email. Please query after January 31st if you haven't heard back from us yet about this project.
***
1 December 19 -- Bodies in the Library (Crime & Mystery); Footsteps in the Dark (Horror & Suspense) -- Flame Tree Publishing
Two new titles in our long-standing series of 480-page short story collections. As always, we combine fantastic new writing with curated classic texts. For Bodies in the Library we need tales of crime in stately houses, lonely mansions, ancient castles. Footsteps in the Dark will tease out the terror of the alleyways, the edges of the town, the frontier shacks, the winter forests and lonely mountain hideaways. An emphasis on heightened senses would differentiate the best stories from the rest! Word length is most likely to be successful at 2000–4000, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range. Payment will be 8 cents for each word (SFWA qualifying market rate) and 6 cents for reprints.
Please send to 2019@flametreepublishing.com.
We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 3 months of the submission deadline.
***
31 December 19 -- Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora -- Aurelia Leo
Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora seeks speculative fiction that grapples with the question: "What is the legacy and the future of Africa and the African Diaspora?" We want authors and poets from the African continent and the African Diaspora. More specifically, we want horror, science fiction, fantasy, and alternate history in the following sub-genres: Horror Noire, Afrofuturism, Africanfuturism, Sword and Soul, Rococoa, Steamfunk, and Dieselfunk.
SUBMIT
Format using Shunn’s manuscript style. Track your submissions using Duotrope and The Submission Grinder. Submit via email with the subject line "Dominion Anthology: [TITLE]: [FORMAT]: [LENGTH]" at subs [at] aurelialeo.com. All of the following information should be in one .doc, .docx (preferred) or .rtf document.
A short cover letter is required submitted above the text of your submission in the same document. Please include your legal name, pen name (if relevant), contact information, PayPal email address (if different), recent publications/awards (if any), preferred contributor’s copy (.epup, .mobi for Kindle™ or .pdf), and a third person bio of 50-150 words. A photo may be requested.
We take 2-3 weeks to respond to submissions. If you haven’t received a response by then, please query. If you have any questions, email info [at] aurelialeo.com.
POETRY: Any length paid $50USD per poem.
REPRINTS: Any length of poetry paid $15USD and 1,000-17,500 words of fiction paid $0.01USD per word.
FICTION: 1,000-17,500 words paid $0.08USD per word for the first 1,000 words, and $0.01USD above 1,000 words.
RULES
== Translations are accepted
== Simultaneous submissions to other markets are accepted
== Only four submissions allowed in total (one original poem, one original story, one reprinted poem, and one reprinted story)
RIGHTS
== Copyright remains with the author and poet at all times
== Non-exclusive archival rights as long as the website(s) hosting the work are online
== First world electronic and print rights in English with exclusivity for 12 months from the date of publication
== If selected to be republished in another anthology in the future, payment in royalties is $0.01USD per word
== If selected for a podcast or audiobook, payment is $0.01USD per word for non-exclusive electronic audio rights
HARD SALES
== Excerpts out of a novel
== Poorly formatted and edited work
== Overtly racist, sexist, or violent work
ABSOLUTE NO
== Fanfiction of any kind
== Works above the word count
== Taboo elements (rape in all forms, incest, pedophilia, etc.) in almost all cases
OF INTEREST
== Settings outside of the United States of America, or the United States of America as we know it
== Protagonists that are African(s), African Descendants of Slaves (ADOS) or members of the African Diaspora
== Intersectionality in regards to gender, class, ability status, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, and so on
***
31 December 19 -- Excalibur 2020: Tales from Beyond Tomorrow Volume 3 -- ed. John Paul Catton and Jacob Smith; Excalibur Books
Excalibur Books is proud to announce the upcoming anthology, Excalibur 2020: Tales from Beyond Tomorrow Volume 3 for print and electronic publication to be published in 2020, and we are asking for authors of any background to get involved.
Because Excalibur Books is an independent publisher based in Tokyo, this anthology is intended to celebrate the Tokyo Olympics of 2020, and will be published around the time of that event. With this in mind, we are seeking short stories written by both established and upcoming writers from around the world with an Olympic theme.
These are the guidelines:
The work must be in the genre of Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror).
The work must have a thematic connection to Japan and/or the Olympics. This could include:
Works set in cities during their Olympic years; for example – Paris 1924, Berlin 1936, the first Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Barcelona 1992, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and so on (We are also willing to accept non-fiction memoirs of Olympic years, depending on the circumstances).
Works of fiction with a theme and setting of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics specifically.
Works mainly based on aspects of Japanese society and culture with a tangential connection to the Olympics.
If you have an idea for a story connected to Japan or the Olympics that doesn’t fit any of the points above, then contact us on the email address below and we’ll be very happy to discuss it with you.
Reprints WILL be considered, so don’t worry if your story fits the guidelines but has already been published somewhere else.
== Word Count: Strictly 2,500 to 10,000 words.
All submissions should:
== Be typed in Courier or Times New Roman 12
== Be typed in line with Standard Manuscript Format.
== Include your full details (name/address/telephone number/email address). Multiple submissions up to a maximum of two stories per author can be submitted.
== Be saved as in Word format and emailed to: excaliburbooks@gmail.com
Your email subject header should read EXCALIBUR 2020/TITLE/WORD COUNT (include word count)
Contracts/Payments
Payment will be $100 for each story via PayPal, to be paid after the final acceptance. Contributors MUST have a PayPal account. Contributors will also receive a free, electronic contributor’s copy of the anthology.
Each contributor will need to sign a contract to be emailed to authors whose work is accepted. Initial contract length will be for exclusive print and electronic rights for one year.
We are not looking for stories that include racism, racist or sexist stereotypes, abuse, excessive sex, violence or swearing, political or religious proselytizing. We will not accept any fan fiction.
Please submit only one story at a time.
The anthology will be edited by John Paul Catton and Jacob Smith. The editors have sole discretion regarding which submissions will be included in the anthology, their decision is final. Please do not resubmit a rejected submission as it will be rejected unseen without further consideration.
***
31 December 19 -- Seasons of Rot -- Carrion Blue 555
2020 will see the release of four quarterly anthologies of original fiction, poetry, and art from Carrion Blue 555 collectively titled Seasons of Rot. These volumes hope to explore seasonal themes in unique, surreal, festering ways.
Spring is cancer blossoming in new growth, a single breath of moist soil. Summer begets overripe fruit in Persephone's withered right hand. True decay is beautiful and clashing in the cordyceptic autumn. All of winter flinches beneath the Wicker King's gaze, intimidating even the light of day.
Interpretations of seasons are purposefully elastic for your artistic benefit. A season's atmosphere is just as gripping as its setting. Less is more. We seek horror, fantasy, scifi, experimental, bizarro work.
The first volume, Seasons of Rot: A Scourge of Storms, will be released March 20, 2020. The following volumes will be released on their respective equinox/solstice, with subtitles to be determined.
Fiction:
No word limit, but we are only offering payment up to 5,000 words.
$0.02USD per word. $5 minimum, $100 maximum.
Poetry:
We are open to single poems or multi-poem cycles.
$10USD per poem, longer cycles will be negotiated.
Art:
Black-and-white only.
$10USD per piece.
All accepted authors and artists will receive one contributor copy of the volume(s) they appear in. We are asking for six month exclusivity for accepted works from time of the respective volume's release. Important: due to payment issues in the past, we will only make payments via Paypal.
Attach word document (doc or docx) or image files as an email to carrionblue555 [at] gmail [dot] com. In your subject, please include the season you are submitting to and your name. We aren't picky, but something like this will work:
AUTUMN SUBMISSION: three poems by Oswald Hullad
In the body of the email, please include your legal name, your name as it appears in print (if different), the title(s) of your submission(s), and a short bio that will be included in the anthology. We endeavor to respond to submissions within a couple weeks of receipt, but may ask to shortlist work until the end of the submission period.
No simultaneous submissions please. Multiple submissions are allowed, including for different volumes. Please attach all submissions to a single email. No reprints.
We have worked hard to make Carrion Blue 555 a home for diversity, and eagerly invite creators of all racial, sexual, and neurological bearings to submit.
By submitting, you are agreeing to all of the above, and acknowledge that the work is wholly yours to submit.
***
31 December 19 -- Apocalyptic; Galactic Stew; My Battery Is Low and It Is Getting Dark -- ed. Joshua Palmatier, S.C. Butler, David B. Coe, Crystal Sarakas; Excalibur Books
The APOCALYPTIC, GALACTIC STEW, and MY BATTERY IS LOW AND IT IS GETTING DARK anthology Kickstarter has hit its goal! If you have a story idea that fits one of the anthology themes, write it up, revise it, polish it, and send it in for consideration. I've posted the guidelines below.
Zombies Need Brains LLC is accepting submissions to its three science fiction and fantasy anthologies APOCALYPTIC, GALACTIC STEW, and MY BATTERY IS LOW AND IT IS GETTING DARK. 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.
A writing tip on coming up with an idea for a themed anthology can be found here: jaceybedford.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/generating-ideas-a-guest-post-by-joshua-palmatier/.
Some thoughts on common problems with stories that we see in the slush pile can be found here: jaceybedford.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/open-submissions-for-anthologies-a-guest-post-by-joshua-palmatier/.
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.
APOCALYPTIC is to feature science fiction or fantasy stories set during or after an apocalypse. Stories featuring more interesting apocalypses, settings, and twists on the typical apocalypse will receive more attention than those that use standard tropes. In other words, we don’t want to see 100 stories dealing with a zombie apocalypse. If we do, it’s likely that only one, at most, would be selected for the anthology. We are interested in all kinds of apocalypses: zombies, meteors, flus, robots, climate changes, space critters, alien invasions, etc. Be creative, choose something different, and use the apocalypse in an unusual and unexpected way. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. Additional comments can be found at: www.lauraannegilman.net/guest-post-zombies-need-writer-brains/.
GALACTIC STEW is to feature stories involving food, whether it be poisoning, a cultural or societal ritual, a trade meeting over dinner, etc. We are attempting to fill half of the anthology with science fiction stories and half with fantasy stories. Stories featuring more interesting takes on the use of food regarding the story will receive more attention than those that are more mundane. Make certain the story is centered on the food! If the food element is removed, the story should fall apart. We do NOT want to see stories about cannibalism. So be creative and use food in an unusual and unexpected way. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. Additional comments can be found at: www.stephanieburgis.com/2019/08/guest-post-galactic-stew/.
MY BATTERY IS LOW AND IT IS GETTING DARK is to feature stories where some type of tech has outlived its time and yet, during the course of the story, it discovers a new purpose or is used in a new, purposeful way. This theme is inspired by the Opportunity rover, which functioned long past its prime. As an example, we want stories that would take the rather sad fate of Opportunity and give it new life—a new, useful purpose—when we reach Mars, whether it be as a repaired resource for a colony or a critical piece of equipment used by spacecraft crash survivors or whatever. Submissions do NOT need to feature the Opportunity rover; in fact, we will likely only include one or two stories involving Opportunity. Submissions also do NOT need to be set in the future or include any kind of sentient tech. Stories featuring more interesting outdated technologies and twists on the resurgent use of those technologies will receive more attention than those with more standard tech. So be creative and come up with an unusual and unexpected use of an outdated technology. We are looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark. Additional comments can be found at: www.almaalexander.org/my-battery-is-low-and-its-getting-dark/.
DEADLINE and TIMELINE:
The deadline for submissions is December 31st, 2019. Decisions on stories should be completed by the end of February 2020. 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 2020.
If your story is selected for use in the anthology, you should expect a revision letter by the end of April 2020. Revisions and the final draft of the story will be expected no later than the end of May 2020. 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 8 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.
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31 December 19 -- Again, Hazardous Imaginings -- ed. Andrew Fox
Science fiction is often called "speculative fiction." Speculation and extrapolation -– asking what if? and why? or how? –- is the life’s blood of science fiction. Science fiction writers can't wrap themselves in yellow CAUTION tape. They need to be free to follow their what ifs? wherever those speculative rabbit-holes may lead… even if they lead to dark, dank, unpleasant places.
Recent controversies within the science fiction and pop culture fields illustrate a dramatic and worrisome reversal of what has traditionally been science fiction's greatest strength: the freedom it has granted its creators to confront, extrapolate, and dissect technological and social trends, from a panoply of viewpoints, using a full arsenal of intellectual and literary tools. Writers who were once lionized as key contributors to the science fiction field are now being drummed out of the community by online zealots who stir up instant outrage mobs in hopes of "canceling" those voices who do not fall in line with the current progressive zeitgeist.
Science fiction should always make room for contrarians, for heretics, for the unfashionable and unpopular, for dreamers at the fringe. Without them, the centuries-long conversation at the heart of science fiction becomes a sterile echo chamber. Writers holding viewpoints from across the political spectrum must all feel welcome. In this era of accelerating technological and social change, we need a healthy, vigorous, daring and courageous science fiction, more than ever. One with no ideological handcuffs or defensive self-censoring.
Guidelines for AGAIN, HAZARDOUS IMAGININGS:
== Stories can be up to 7,000 words, maximum. (Although if the story is truly outstanding, I'm willing to be a bit flexible on word length.)
== Stories cannot have been previously published (this is an ORIGINAL anthology).
== No simultaneous submissions (I don't want to get all hot-and-bothered about your wonderful story, only to learn it's been sold to Clarkesworld Magazine).
== I intend for this anthology to serve as a cultural snapshot in time. With this in mind, shoot for the stars –- submit your very best work, work you are proud of.
== I am looking for stories that, due to their content, viewpoint, and/or subject matter, have little or no chance of being published in the commercial market. Yesterday's transgressions (those spotlighted in Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions) are today's cultural virtues and/or commonplaces. What are TODAY'S taboos? What kinds of science fiction stories are verboten in today's commercial publishing market? What just won't fly, whether due to shared social beliefs and aversions common to editors, assumptions that editors make about their readerships' beliefs and aversions, or the commercial pressures of the corporate publishing world? How can these modern-day taboos be illuminated and explored using the unique extrapolative tools of science fiction?
== No troll submissions! I am looking for stories of high literary merit. No stories that merely (or primarily) seek to shock, insult, or provoke will be accepted. The subject matter may be outrageous by the standards of today's marketplace. But keep in mind, the more outrageous or disturbing the material, the more incisively it needs to be explored using the cognitive tools of science fiction. Your story may be humorous or satirical; the subject matter may greatly benefit from that approach. But your goals should be to induce your readers to care about your characters, their conflicts, and their predicaments, to leave your readers with something memorable to think about, and, last but not least, to entertain.
== Use of a pseudonym is acceptable. You have my word that I will not reveal your true identity if you do not wish it to be revealed, and I will be happy to disguise your PII (Personally Identifiable Information) in any story introductions.
== Payment is $.03 (three cents) per word, payable upon acceptance.
== Email submissions to: fantasticalandrewfox Atsymbol gmail.com.
== Submissions should be in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx), Word Perfect format (.wp), or Rich Text format (.rtf), double-spaced with one-inch margins and a 12 point font.
== Again, Hazardous Imaginings will be published as both an ebook and a print-on-demand trade paperback by MonstraCity Press. It is anticipated the anthology will be about 50,000 words in length. It is being published as a companion volume to Hazardous Imaginings: The Mondo Book of Politically Incorrect Science Fiction, which will be a collection of novellas and stories by Andrew Fox, author of Fat White Vampire Blues and The Good Humor Man, or, Calorie 3501.
***
1 January 2020 -- The Way of the Laser -- ed. Eric M. Bosarge and Joe M. McDermott; Vernacular Books
What we’re looking for:
Crime stories that take place in the future. Preferably these stories will go beyond simple murders or capers to reveal something about how technology and the powers that wield it have changed our world. Is poisoning the nanobots responsible for programming the ads in your neural feed a crime? Is organized crime society’s only hope or responsible for its downfall? Consider what will constitute a crime and what unique problems it poses for your characters.
Keep in mind what is criminal behavior one day may be legal the next and vice versa. We want to see people caught up in the pitfalls of society ruled by corporations, ideologies, and demagogues and what lengths people will go to when there simply is no other choice.
Wow us with your original idea and blow us away with your writing.
In addition to the contributing authors on the cover, this anthology will have a limited number of slots open for submissions from the public. We welcome submissions from authors who are from traditionally under-represented communities, and also authors writing about non-traditional gender situations of all kinds.
Length: 4,000-8,000 words
Payment: $.05/word advance + royalties.
Rights: World English in print, digital, and audio, exclusive for five years.
Send submissions to vernacularbookssubmissions at gmail dot com.
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1 January 2020 -- The Resiliency Anthology -- The Selkie Collective
[NOTE: Submissions open to Canadian writers only.]
LIMITED DEMOGRAPHIC
The Resiliency project is open only to Canadian residents, citizens, or landed immigrants and asylum seekers. Canadian citizens living abroad are also eligible to submit. We will accept submissions in French as well as Indigenous or First Nations languages if an English translation can be provided. The project is funded by Calgary Arts Development and was awarded to The Selkie Collective.
The Selkie is committed to working with marginalised and/or underrepresented voices and will only consider work by/concerned with: individuals identifying as women or non-binary; people of colour; minorities in predominantly white nations; refugees and first-generation immigrants; LGBTQIA+ and two-spirit communities; those living with mental illness, or physical or other disabilities; those persecuted for their political or religious beliefs; victims of violence, or domestic or sexual abuse; and those without access to higher education degrees, living below the poverty line, or who are/have been homeless or incarcerated.
THEME
The theme for the anthology is resiliency. The theme evokes recovery, what happens after profound change and upheaval, and how we carry on. The theme can be interpreted in any way you choose and artistic work does not have to be specifically set in Canada or feature Canadian symbols or themes. We accept all genres that fall under fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and submissions are open to writers of all ages.
COMPENSATION AND RIGHTS
Successful contributors will be paid $50 CAD and will receive one physical copy of the anthology ($15 value).
Simultaneous submissions are accepted but previously published material is not considered. For each selected story, we ask for exclusive first world English anthology rights in all print and electronic forms, and in all editions of the book. This means that the The Selkie Publications CIC has the right to publish the story first and in subsequent versions of the anthology, and contributors will retain rights to their stories and are free to submit their stories for reprint twelve months after the publication date. By submitting your story to The Selkie Publications CIC, you agree to these terms.
Art and illustration contract to be determined upon acceptance.
DEADLINE
The submission deadline is 1 January 2020 at 11:59 p.m. (GMT), and the anthology will be published in Summer 2020. You can read our 2019 anthology, Transformation, here. There is no fee to submit, but we ask for one submission per artist.
BOOK LAUNCH
A book launch will be held in Calgary, Alberta with invited guests of local literary and artistic communities. Successful contributors will be invited to attend however, travel costs will be at their own expense.
WORKSHOPS
Online and in-person workshops will be available during the submission period to provide mentorship assistance and editorial feedback. Dates to be announced shortly.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Please fill out the submission form HERE and follow the instructions on sending your file.
FORMAT
Literary submissions must be attached as a Microsoft Word compatible document. Please include the subject as 'Resiliency anthology submission' in your email. Please ensure you fill out the submission form prior to sending your file.
Fiction and Nonfiction 1,000 – 2,000 words
Flash Fiction: 250–1,000 words
Short Story (no excerpts): 1,000–2,000 words
Poetry: up to three pages (8.5 x 11)
Art and Illustration: High resolution JPEG
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UNTIL FILLED -- Burly Tales -- ed. Steve Berman; Lethe Press [First posted in July '19]
This anthology, to be edited by Steve Berman, seeks short stories and novellettes that adapt classic fairy tales. But we want them populated with Bears! Strapping heroes are fine as long as they are stout. All the stories should have a measure of whimsy and/or wonder.
Before submitting your story, please consult this page - we would rather not double-up on any original fairy tale idea (we fear we'd end up with a book that was mostly about a gang of male Goldilocks roaming the woods and asking one another "Too hot? Too cold? More please!") - so I will be listing any fairy tale that we no longer are interested in reading. Yes, rather than wait a year to hear from us, the entire open period will have "rolling acceptances."
.........please no stories based on Little Red Riding Hood
All stories should be romantic (HEA or HFN). Erotic content is not a necessity but our burly men should be sex-positive about their lives.
Specs: Please submit Word docs only, standard formatting, 12 pt Times Roman to me at lethepress@aol.com, using the title of the anthology as the subject line. No stories below 5k and none greater than 15. Reading period begins August 1st, 2019. Payment is 5 cents a word for original fiction, considerably less for reprints.
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UNTIL FILLED -- Of Witches, Warriors, and Wyverns -- TANSTAAFL Press [First Posted in September '19]
We now have an OPEN call for the high fantasy anthology “Of Witches, Warriors, and Wyverns”.
Guidelines:
We will only accept those stories emailed as text in the email OR .txt, .doc, .docx formats.
== All attachments will be destroyed if not accepted.
== All attachments MUST contain the submission title, the author’s name, the author’s contact information (email as minimum)
==== Email address is submissions@tanstaaflpress.com
== We will not accept stories by mail or post. If we receive these they will be destroyed at once.
== All stories must be original and unpublished anywhere
==== If accepted TANSTAAFL Press will take first English publication rights.
====== Note that reprint rights are yours as are first publication in alternate languages, however the value of reprints is low as are the likelihood of getting anyone to reprint.
====== This publication is likely the only location where you will likely be paid for this piece.
== Stories must be less than 8000 words. Any story over 5000 words must be exceptional to be considered.
== Stories considered for “Of Witches, Warriors, and Wyverns” must be high fantasy.
==== We will not accept urban fantasy, or combinations of technology and fantasy.
====== To be clear, no technology beyond waterwheel or windmill.
==== Any work that starts with or has as a major component a dream sequence will be rejected without a response.
==== We also advise against any of the following:
====== Write-ups of your role playing sessions.
====== Any story that has something that makes someone invincible.
====== Avoid werewolves and vampires.
== TANSTAAFL Press will attempt to get to submissions as quickly as possible, but make no commitment to how quickly. Our target is to have this work available by GenCon 2020 thus we must be complete with story selection nlt November.
== TANSTAAFL Press will read submissions until we have our target word count, which at this time is circa 70K words.
Payments / Renumeration
Of Witches, Warriors and Wyverns will pay for each story used at $0.025 per word. Authors who’ve published with TANSTAAFL Press before will receive $0.03 per word.
TANSTAAFL Press will pay upon the finalization of three criteria:
== Acceptance of your edited work
==== This means if there are changes requested that they have been completed.
== Signed contract with TANSTAAFL Press for publication of this work
==== Come see our tentative contract. It hasn’t been fully vetted but it will be close.
== All works for publication have been accepted and signed.
==== That is, we will pay you when we have the full manuscript in hand.
==== You will not have to wait for TANSTAAFL Press to actually publish.
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