Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found!
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Patterns
This theme might set your imagination going – can you come up with a piece of dark fiction involving patterns? Interestingly, the editors note that the pattern could relate to the structure of the piece, rather than the plot.
Word count: 2000–4000 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 31 May 2025
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Creature Feature
Inky Bones Press will be putting out this anthology of horror stories featuring earthbound or alien creatures.
Word count: 1500–3500 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 30 April 2025
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Planet Scumm
This well-established zine contains SF and weird fiction and slipstream fiction of all descriptions.
Word count: Up to 5000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 7 May 2025
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Jupiter’s Eye
This print and digital zine from Hiraeth Books features science fiction stories about the exploration and settlement of other worlds.
Word count: 1000–5000 words
Payment: $30
Deadline: Ongoing
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Foofaraw
This anthology isn’t genre-specific, but the editors are open to SFF and horror. The main requirement is that stories relate to ‘foofaraw’, meaning ‘a great fuss or disturbance’.
Word count: 500–5000 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 31 March 2025
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Consumed
Horror stories about food – sounds fun! Examples include cannibals, zombies, cursed birthday cakes.
Word count: 1500–7500 words
Payment: $10
Deadline: 30 April 2025
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Horrific Scribes
This new online archive of dark fiction will feature ‘provocative, scary, and strange’ horror stories.
Word count: 1500–5000 words
Payment: $25
Deadline: Ongoing
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Bullet Points
Do you happen to write ‘speculative military fiction that is sensitive to the complexity, tragedy, and hope of warfare and violence in human (and nonhuman) society’? Then this is the place to send it.
Word count: Up to 5000 words
Payment: $30
Deadline: Ongoing
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This Exquisite Topology
This anthology will feature SFF and horror stories, though the requirements beyond that are a little opaque: stories should be ‘cast through the lens of joy, exploring deformations and reformations of new landscapes and environments…’
Word count: 1000–6000 words
Payment: $25
Deadline: Open until filled
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Wet Screams
Though the editors’ request for ‘monstrous romance with high spice’ is slightly coy, the anthology’s explicit subtitle ‘A Monsterf*cker Anthology’ clarifies their intentions somewhat.
Word count: 2000–6000 words
Payment: 10 Canadian cents per word
Deadline: 14 April 2025
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Jungle Scandals
This follow-up to Sword & Scandal will feature jungle tales featuring gratuitous nudity, sex, and gore.
Word count: 2000–7500 words
Payment: 1 cent per word
Deadline: 16 April 2025
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Sex Science Fiction
More sex-themed SFF! I’m not sure why this has turned out to be this month’s trend. This one’s for the authoritative-sounding Future of Sex website.
Word count: 800–1000 words
Payment: $70
Deadline: Ongoing
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Supernatural Parables
This anthology, subtitled ‘Myth versus Reality’, will feature stories in which supernatural forces collide. A neat quirk is that the editors require two stories from each author, representing some sort of opposite elements.
Word count: 2000–6000 words
Payment: Royalties
Deadline: 1 April 2025
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The Gothic Gazette
This anthology from Pulp Cult will feature Gothic tales. Intriguingly, SF and fantasy stories are accepted.
Word count: Up to 8000 words
Payment: None
Deadline: 6 March 2025
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Circus of the Dead
As you might guess from the title, this anthology from Wicked Shadow Press will contain horror stories featuring a circus.
Word count: Up to 8000 words
Payment: None
Deadline: 14 March 2025
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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.