Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found!
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Hiding Under the Leaves
This new anthology from The Slab Press will contain folk horror stories. Editor Donna Scott is on the hunt for stories featuring ‘curses and cunning folk; superstitions and the old ways; twisted rural landscapes and dark, creeping woodlands.’
Word count: 2000–9000 words
Payment: 1 pence per word
Deadline: Open 9–23 February 2025
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Remains
This came out of nowhere! Erstwhile editor of Black Static and Interzone Andy Cox has returned with a new beautifully designed magazine. The submission guidelines are vague, but dark fiction seems to be the way to impress him.
Word count: Not stated
Payment: Not stated
Deadline: Ongoing
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Ripples in Space
Samak Press are putting together an anthology of tales of first contact between intelligent species. That could relate to encounters between humans and aliens, or between two other races.
Word count: 1500–7500 words
Payment: $20
Deadline: 28 February 2025
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Myths Reborn
This anthology from October Nights Press is subtitled ‘Modern Tales of Cryptids & Dark Folklore’. That is to say, what’s required are new approaches to old tales.
Word count: 3000–5500 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 31 March 2025
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Wrath Month
The editors of this anthology are seeking SFF and horror short stories that embrace punk and queer rage. In the editors’ words, feel free to ‘crash mainframes, collapse empires, and break normativity’.
Word count: Up to 6000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 31 May 2025
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Modern Mummies
For clarity, we’re talking mummified corpses, not mothers. It could be a lot of fun to write a mummy story set in the modern world…
Word count: 1500–5000 words
Payment: 5 cents per word
Deadline: 28 February 2025
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Merganser
This new online magazine pledges to publish ‘writers and artists whose work transcends disciplines and genres’.
Word count: Up to 2000 words preferred
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: Ongoing
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Incensepunk
This new online zine is dedicated to its titular subgenre, which concerns a world (or perhaps other worlds) in which traditional faiths and churches play a major role in society.
Word count: 4000–6000 words
Payment: $100
Deadline: Ongoing
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Elder Things Expeditions
This is the seventh volume of Hiraeth Publishing’s series of Lovecraftian anthologies. This one will feature Antarctic expeditions past, present and future, though presumably not ones that end well.
Word count: 3000–6000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word for first 3000 words, then 3 cents per word
Deadline: 31 March 2025
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Fahmidan
This magazine is open to dark fiction, whimsical fantasy, thought-provoking existentialism, hopes and dreams… pretty much everything, it seems.
Word count: 1000–2500 words
Payment: $25
Deadline: Ongoing
Find out more

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.