Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found!
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Atlas of Deep Ones
There are plenty of Lovecraftian anthologies out there, but this one sounds a little different, as the editors are seeking stories based in far-flung locations or historical periods – examples include Roman, Viking or Bronze Age settings.
Word count: 500–6000 words
Payment: $25
Deadline: 30 July 2024
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Intergalactic Rejects
This Kickstarted anthology features a high-profile roster of writers, including Samuel R. Delany and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and with an essay by Robert Silverberg. The premise is SFF stories that have been rejected from multiple markets.
Word count: Up to 5000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: Open 12 June–12 July 2024
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Leviathan
This sounds like a rich theme: industrial horror. But rather than necessarily stories of workplace or factory horror, the editors are looking for weird tales set in the Victorian period.
Word count: 3000–6000 words
Payment: $125–$200
Deadline: 30 September 2024
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Sengkang Sci-Fi Quarterly
This Singaporean zine is seeking English-language SF stories, and the editors refer to authors such as Ted Chiang, Jorge Luis Borges and Begum Rokeya as touchstones.
Word count: 1000–10,000 words
Payment: 5 cents (SGD) per word
Deadline: Ongoing
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GabaGhoul
A puzzling title, perhaps, but the subtitle A Mafia Horror Anthology clarifies things: it’s a collection of Mafia horror stories.
Word count: 3000–5000 words
Payment: 3 cents per word
Deadline: 31 July 2024
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Black Cat Tales
No trickery here. As you’d expect, this call is for stories containing black cats. Most genres are accepted.
Word count: 500–3500 words
Payment: $50
Deadline: 15 July 2024
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Zombies in the New Normal
Editor D.L. Russell is putting together an anthology of ‘real world based zombie horror’ – that is, zombie stories with an emphasis on realism.
Word count: 3000–12,000 words
Payment: $100
Deadline: 1 August 2024
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Children of the Blind Owl
This exciting-sounding anthology will feature Middle Eastern horror. Surprisingly, while the editors would appreciate writers from the Middle East, the call is open to writers from any country.
Word count: 3000–6000 words
Payment: $150–$250
Deadline: 31 August 2024
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Too Bad, You Died
This anthology will feature horror and SF stories with only one stipulation: your own death must feature in it.
Word count: 2000–4000 words
Payment: £20
Deadline: 31 July 2024
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Even Cozier Cosmic
Like its predecessor The Cozy Cosmic, this anthology will feature stories of ‘cozy cosmic horror that illuminate the elegance and grace and compassion that persists against the vast background of unrelenting emptiness’.
Word count: Up to 5000 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 30 June 2024
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Statue
This new magazine has a very broad remit, covering all genres and without many clues as to the editors’ preferences.
Word count: 1000–6000 words
Payment: £80 per 1000 words
Deadline: Ongoing
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Altitude Press
The current flash fiction anthology from this press will feature stories in any genre, but all of them about dogs.
Word count: 1500–2000 words
Payment: $20
Deadline: 1 July 2024
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Twisted Laughs
This anthology from Exploding Head Fiction will feature dark humour (or rather humor, as it’s a US publication). Stories must be funny, and must be scary.
Word count: Up to 2500 words
Payment: $15
Deadline: 15 July 2024
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High Tower Magazine
This new magazine will feature ‘superversive fiction’, i.e. the opposite of subversive fiction. The editors define this as ‘inspiring fiction that builds up civilization rather than tears down’, with examples including JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.
Word count: 500–10,000 words
Payment: $10
Deadline: Ongoing
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Good luck if you submit a story to any of these venues! And remember, you can sign up for my email newsletter for monthly open submission calls direct to your inbox.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.