Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found!
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Punk Goes Horror
This anthology from Truborn Press is described as ‘A Mixtape of Musically Inspired Goth-Rock-Horror Bangers’ – each story should reference a single punk song, which should also be its title.
Word count: 2000–4000 words
Payment: 5 cents per word
Deadline: Open 1–25 August 2024
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V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize
This contest is in a different league to most of the venues I tend to list, as it’s organised by the Royal Society of Literature and is very, very prestigious.
Word count: 2000–4000 words
Payment: £1000 prize
Deadline: 13 September 2024
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Story Unlikely
This well-presented online zine seeks stories of all genres – the editors state ‘We like stories that cross genres, experiment, and push the boundaries of literature’.
Word count: Up to 10,000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word up to 2500 words, $200 max
Deadline: 29 September 2024
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Abyss & Apex
Ordinarily this pro SF market is open only for a week in August and in February, but it’s currently open for midwinter holiday stories, until the issue is filled – there’s no indication how many stories that involves, so send your work quick!
Word count: Up to 10,000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: Open until filled
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Little Red Flags
This interesting-sounding anthology has the subtitle Stories of Cults, Cons and Control and will feature stories about fanaticism and ‘monsters who hide in plain sight’. The editors’ preferences tend towards ‘fast-paced and dark psychological and suspense thrillers’.
Word count: 1000–4000 words
Payment: 5 cents per word
Deadline: Open 1–16 August 2024
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Close My Eyes Forever
A surprising pairing, this one – an anthology of crime fiction inspired by heavy metal hits. Each story must be based on a single heavy metal song.
Word count: Around 3000–5000 words
Payment: $25
Deadline: 31 August 2024
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Dolls in the Attic
The horror stories in this anthology will form a sort of shared world, as the prompt specifies that each story should relate to a specific porcelain doll from a fictional Lady Hawthorne’s collection. I like the sound of this one, though it’s a tricky brief.
Word count: 5000–10,000 words
Payment: $20
Deadline: 31 July 2024
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Sally Port
A new online zine specialising in fantasy fiction from mid-grade to YA to adult. Upcoming themes include ‘Opening the door, entering into the new’, ‘Worlds of opportunity’ and ‘Sudden turns’.
Word count: Varies according to intended reader age
Payment: 5 cents per word
Deadline: Ongoing
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Stories to Take To Your Grave
The Undertaker Books editors are on the lookout for stories about ‘souls wandering the earth after being separated from their body’, which will feature first in their newsletter, then in a hardback book.
Word count: 2000–5000 words
Payment: $20
Deadline: 15 July 2024
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If There’s Anyone Left
This publication will feature flash SF stories written by people of color, the LGBTQ2S+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled and neurodiverse people.
Word count: Up to 1000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 15 July 2024
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21 Futures
The editors of this anthology are seeking stories that respond to the prompt ‘financial fallout’.
Word count: Up to 3000 words
Payment: Various prizes from $100 to $1000
Deadline: 31 August 2024
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Evergreen: Tales of Winter Shadows
Speculation Publications is currently accepting winter-flavoured tales for its annual Yule anthology.
Word count: 2000–7000 words
Payment: $20
Deadline: Open 4 July–6 September 2024
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Hellbound Books’ Anthology of Creature Features
There are several submission calls from this publisher in the upcoming months, but I thought this one would be likely to appeal to some of you – classic tales of animals on the attack!
Word count: 4000–10,000 words
Payment: $5
Deadline: 30 August 2024
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Weird Lit Magazine
I find this magazine’s long list of accepted styles very pleasing: ‘absurdist, ambiguous, avant garde, bleak, dark, deadpan, existential, grotesque, hopeful, horror, humorous, literary, speculative, supernatural, transgressive, weird’.
Word count: Up to 3000 words
Payment: No payment
Deadline: Open 15 July–31 August 2024
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Sinister Soup
This new podcast/online zine from Grendel Press will feature dark fantasy, dark sci-fi, horror and dark romance stories.
Word count: 1000–4000 words
Payment: $25
Deadline: Ongoing, until filled
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In The Gallows Wake
Is it just me, or has pirate horror been cropping up a lot lately? If you’ve been writing such things, here’s another anthology seeking tales of ‘the heart of darkness on the high seas’.
Word count: 4000–6000 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 1 August 2024
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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.