Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Rotting Leaf I think this will appeal to lots of you out there: this new magazine from Brief Ecology will feature ‘literary and experimental explorations of the eco-gothic, the eco-horrific, the eco-surrealist, and the eco-weird.’ Word count: Up to 1500 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 1–7 December 2025 Find out more
Adventitious The title of this new zine means either ‘Born elsewhere, arriving uninvited’ or ‘Rooted in the wrong place, thriving anyway’. Its list of influences includes Carmen Maria Machado, which is a good sign, as the cute logo. Word count: Up to 17,000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–5 December 2025 Find out more
Obsidian The Slab Press are putting together an anthology of dark SF tales about the harsh conditions of space (think Sunshine and Event Horizon). Note that these will be novelettes or even novellas, rather than short stories. Word count: 9000–25,000 words Payment: 1p per word (up to £100) Deadline: Open 15 December 2025 – 15 February 2026 Find out more
Summer in the City This anthology from Ruadán Books will contain SF and dark thriller stories set in real-world cities. Note that your chances of acceptance are higher if you pick a city that’s been written about by fewer people. Word count: 3000–7500 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 31 January 2026 Find out more
State of Matter This publication’s 20th issue will contain imagined folk tales that inform South Asian experiences. Word count: 1000–15,000 words Payment: $150 CAD Deadline: 15 December 2025 Find out more
Tales of Steel and Sorcery Oddity Prodigy Productions is currently putting together a volume of fantasy and pulp stories. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 31 December 2025 Find out more
More Alternative Liberties The editorial team at B Cubed are searching for political stories set in the next few years: ‘Not just in the White House, but in the day-to-day world.’ Styles suggested are ‘satire, humor, redemption, and new looks at the world’. Word count: 1500–3000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 20 December 2025 Find out more
Gavagai The editors of this new fiction-based social platform are on the lookout for horror short stories, no theme specified. Word count: Around 2000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Plasma Pulp: Lost Worlds Do you write pulp SF in the vein of Flash Gordon or John Carter of Mars? Sendit here, but do it fast! The deadline is very soon. Word count: 5000–8000 words Payment: Royalty share Deadline: 5 December 2025 Find out more
Uncertain Stories This magazine was founded as a home for The Fiction Desk’s ‘New Ghost Stories’ series of anthologies, which gives you an idea of the required tone. Note that there’s a £5 submission fee for this one. Word count: 1000–15,000 words Payment: £25 per 1000 words Deadline: 30 January 2026 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Strange Pilgrims The submissions page of this new magazine includes an enticing list of writers as influences (Gabriel García Márquez, Susanna Clarke, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ted Chiang), and it will publish ‘surreal, speculative, and fabulist stories’. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $200 Deadline: 30 November 2025 Find out more
Gilgamesh / Helen of Troy Two more anthology calls featuring mythological characters, from the excellent Flame Tree Press… Word count: 3000–4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 9 November 2025 Find out more here and here
Of Blood & Petals / The Tarot of Love …and two more! These anthologies are part of Flame Tree’s new Romantic Fantasy series – the first themed around gardens, the second around Tarot and divination. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 10 November 2025 Find out more
Humans From Earth!! This is a great pitch: the editors of this anthology are seeking stories in which humans are a source of terror to extraterrestrials. Word count: 3000–7000 words Payment: $100 AUD Deadline: 31 October 2025 Find out more
Cozy in the Apocalypse Personally, I’ve always found apocalyptic scenarios quite comforting (fewer deadlines! no social media!) so the idea of cozy/cosy SFF and horror stories set during an apocalypse works for me. Word count: 500–8000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: Open until filled Find out more
Drek Death and Doom Here’s a fun mix: this publisher is putting together an anthology of folk horror stories linked to Thanksgiving. Word count: 2000–6000 words Payment: 1 cent–4 cent per word Deadline: 31 October 2025 Find out more
Walpurgis Witcheries Following on from an anthology titled Samhain Sorceries, DMR Books are now working on another volume featuring stories themed around Walpurgisnacht. Word count: 4000–8000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 October 2025 Find out more
Aspec Paranormal Anthology Another very specific theme for this one: stories that centre asexual and aromantic characters in a paranormal context. Word count: 2000–7500 words Payment: $20 AUD Deadline: 30 November 2025 Find out more
BAM! The editors of this new zine are looking out for pulp fiction – think space opera, gritty crime and gunslinging westerns. Word count: 3000–7500 words Payment: $50 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Fantabulosa! There are plenty of exclamation marks in the publication titles this month! This new queer literary magazine will launch in February 2026, ‘showcasing tales of the uncanny, the dangerous and the fantastical’. Word count: 500–6000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
The Lantern Keepers Stories submitted to this anthology from Eldritch Cat Press must include characters who serve as guides, guardians, or messengers between the threshold of the living and the dead. Word count: 1500–4500 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 1 December 2025 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Quest In the words of its editors, ‘Quest is a new online magazine publishing literary, visual, and critical work that uses sci-fi and fantasy to reflect the world around us’ and emphasises experimentation. The first issue is themed around ‘Thresholds’. Word count: Minimum 2000 words Payment: $25–$100 depending on word count Deadline: 15 September 2025 Find out more
Write Before Midnight Previous writers for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists include Arthur C. Clarke and Albert Einstein, but don’t let that put you off. It’s now running a contest for stories featuring, for example, ‘nuclear weapons, climate change, biological and chemical weapons, artificial intelligence, killer robots, doomsday drone submarines, bioengineered zombies, the gray goo of nanotechnology gone wild…’ Word count: Up to 7000 words Payment: $3,000 for first place, $500 for runners-up Deadline: 30 September 2025 Find out more
Creepy This horror podcast has produced an impressive 2000 stories already! Maybe yours would be a good fit. Single-narrator stories are preferred. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Thalia Press This publisher of crime and contemporary stories is putting together an anthology themed around cats, featuring both cosy (or cozy) and dark tales. Word count: Not specified Payment: $25 Deadline: 30 September 2025 Find out more
Trans/Port This anthology from Lonely Cryptid Media has the subtitle Trans Speculative Fiction for a Queer, and will feature SF stories about ‘bodies changing and being changed, bodies that are permeable, bodies that resist, bodies resisted, bodies transcended, bodies that become and are becoming’. Word count: 3000–7000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 15 September 2025 Find out more
Africanfuturism This roundup isn’t complete without a call from the prolific Flame Tree Press. This time the editors are seeking Africanfuturism short stories. Note the subtle distinction from Afrofuturism, as these stories must be set in and about Africa. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 2 November 2025 Find out more
Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night The editors at Death by TBR Books are on the lookout for Christmas horror stories of pretty much all subgenres. Word count: 500–2000 words Payment: Royalties Deadline: 31 October 2025 Find out more
Claudine This online microfiction zine is identified as literary, but the editors preferences include ‘myths, fairy tales, fabulism, slipstream, and haunting vibes’. Word count: Up to 400 words Payment: $25 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
It Came From The Pulp There isn’t much time to write one before the deadline, but have you already written a story about monsters, with retro B-movie vibes? Then send it here. Word count: 5000–8000 words Payment: Royalties Deadline: 7 September 2025 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Bog Matter This new SF magazine will be published in print and digital twice a year. As well as SF it welcomes all sorts: ‘horror, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, New Weird, utopian, dystopian, satirical, cross-genre, experimental, or exuding a general air of oddness.’ Word count: Up to 3500 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 1 September 2025 (for current issue) Find out more
Tales of Horror The tastes of the editors of this new horror zine lean towards classic writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, Shirley Jackson and HP Lovecraft. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Cosmic Chronicles Literary Prize Here’s a big opportunity for SF writers! This prize is run by the SETI Instituteand welcomes fiction themed around ‘Intelligence and Consciousness’. There’s no entry fee, but only writers who haven’t yet published a novel are applicable.Word count: Up to 2000 words Payment: First prize $1000 Deadline: 1 September 2025 Find out more
Merganser Magazine This well-designed SF online zine appears to be accepting submissions on an ongoing basis, and pays pro rates. Word count: Up to 2000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
No Gods No Masters Before submitting to this anthology from Sans Press, I’d advise reading the criteria carefully. While all genres appear to be welcome, the editors want stories that are ‘fresh and weird’ which are ‘motivated by the authentic pursuit of change’. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $200 Deadline: 31 August 2025 Find out more
Uncharted This online zine accepts SF, fantasy and horror, but also thriller and mystery stories, which is more of a rarity. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: $200 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Fascination Editor Rhonda Parrish is seeking stories featuring ‘nature-fueled magic, witches and dark fae. Creepy cottages, haunted homesteads and bespelled woods.’ Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: $50 CDN Deadline: 3 September 2025 Find out more
Cliffhanger! Another new journal inspired by classic fiction, this time pulp fiction writers such as H. Rider Haggard and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Word count: 5000–6500 words Payment: $10 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Synthesized Sunsets The upcoming issue of this online speculative fiction zine will have a solar theme. Its editor has included a list of influences, a classy collection of hard-SF and weird-fiction authors. Word count: Up to 12,500 words Payment: $50 Deadline: Open until full Find out more
Humber SFF Humber Speculative Fiction is a popular meetup in northeast UK, and now the group is putting together its first anthology. Stories should relate to the very zeitgeisty genre of solarpunk, should also be set in East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and its coastal areas, and is open to writers from those areas. Word count: Up to 8000 words Payment: Nominal fee Deadline: 1 September 2025 Find out more
Deadly Duos This imprint from Dreadstone Books is currently accepting horror stories that feature funfairs, carnivals and circuses. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 30 September 2025 Find out more
Stolen This anthology from Easton Tales will feature stories that involve theft in a literal or figurative sense – for example, kidnapping, identities, possession, lifeforce… Word count: 2000–6000 words Payment: $10 CDN Deadline: Open until full Find out more
Mande If you’re a writer and bipolar, consider sending work this ‘journal of bipolar talent’ Word count: No limit Payment: $50 per 1000 words (up to $250) Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
BloodClot!Zine The editors of this new horror and speculative fiction online zine describe it as ‘powered by the work and voices of BIPOC horror writers, artists, and creators.’ Word count: Unspecified Payment: None Deadline: 20 August 2025 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Mmeory I love this sound of this new anthology from air and nothingness press, with its theme of memory manipulation, which allows for my favourite trope: unreliable narrators. Word count: Up to 2000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 7 July – 15 August 2025 Find out more
Romantic Fantasy Flame Tree Publishing are delving into this popular subgenre with two new anthologies titled A Breath of Time and Of Love & Dragons. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 20 July 2025 Find out more
Unseen Agreements This anthology from Beaches and Trails will contain SF stories about ‘hidden bargains, mysterious contracts, and eerie agreements’. Word count: 3000–5000 words Payment: $50 (Canadian) Deadline: 15 August 2025 Find out more
Common Bonds This second volume in the series will feature aromantic SF stories – that is, stories focused on platonic relationships. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 15 August 2025 Find out more
Posthuman Press This publisher’s upcoming anthology on the theme of ‘Neurodiversity and the More-Than-Human’ will feature some speculative fiction alongside academic works. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $50 (Australian) Deadline: 31 August 2025 Find out more
Diabolical Plots This long-running submissions listing site also publishes science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction, and pays very well! Word count: Up to 3500 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open 7–21 July 2025 Find out more
EnDROIDS This short story contest is run by Engineering Data Structure Organoids, and stories should relate to the theme of DNA data storage. Thankfully, there are explanatory videos on the submissions page. Word count: 2000–3000 words Payment: Prizes of £750/£500/£250 Deadline: 15 July 2025 Find out more
Slugger This new webzine specialises in body horror, and seeks ‘stories that hit you in the mouth’. Word count: 1000–4000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 15 July 2025 Find out more
Quills & Tales The publishers of this new fantasy zine are seeking ‘high fantasy, cozy fables, dark folklore, or wild sub genre mashups’. Word count: 500–1000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Carnyx Press The first anthology from this new publisher dedicated to the work of authors from the north of England will be on the theme of folklore. Word count: 2000–10,000 words Payment: £20 Deadline: 30 September 2025 Find out more
Myths, Gods and Immortals Two more submission calls from the excellent Flame Tree series, this time seeking stories featuring either Odysseus or the Valkyries. Word count: 3000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 24 August 2025 Find out more here and here
Horrific Scribes This magazine from Horrific Scribblings features dark fiction of all descriptions. Word count: 1500–5000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Penumbric The editors of this well-established PDF zine are on the lookout for edgy SF. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: Open 15 July 2025, closes after 200 submissions Find out more
Cemetery Songs Here’s a fun prompt: horror stories submitted to this anthology must feature a cat, a cemetery and a song. Word count: 1500–4500 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 1 September 2025 Find out more
Weird West The Editors at Shacklebound Books are looking for stories mashing up the western genre with speculative or horror elements. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 31 July 2025 Find out more
Keyed This very specialised anthology from Iron Faerie will be a tribute to Buffy actress Michelle Trachtenberg. Word count: 2500–7000 words Payment: Royalties Deadline: 3 August 2025 Find out more
The Daily Tomorrow Stories accepted by this publication are sent out to its subscribers in 500-word serialised segments. Word count: 2100–3500 words Payment: None Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Bullet Points A witty title for a magazine of dark military SF! Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $30 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Dracula Beyond Stoker I’ve featured this well-established magazine in previous round-ups, but it’s worth flagging again, as the current issue will feature stories about one of the most interesting characters in Dracula: Mina Harker. Word count: 1500–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Bending the Arc This excellent new Substack zine is dedicated to ‘thrutopian’ fiction, which the editors describe as imagining ‘ways through to a world we would be glad to leave to future generations. It tells stories about tangible change and walks us along the challenging path from now to a more hopeful, liveable tomorrow.’ Word count: Up to 2030 words Payment: None Deadline: Open 7–31 July 2025 Find out more
Tractor Beam Following on from thrutopias, this online magazine specialises in ‘soilpunk’ – speculative fiction focusing on farming, food and earth science, with an emphasis on positive outcomes. Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: $1200 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Enter Here This anthology is subtitled ‘An Anthology of Portals’, and will feature speculation-fiction stories of physical or magical doorways of all descriptions, by writers who identify as marginalized. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 15 June 2025 Find out more
Anomaly This venue publishes very short SF stories on its Patreon. Word count: Up to 300 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–7 June 2025 Find out more
Encounters with Cryptids Have you written a horror story involving some sort of creature not scientifically proven to exist, but which is believed to exist? Then send it here. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 9 June 2025 Find out more
America’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism The title makes the theme clear, but the editors of this anthology to be published by the International Human Rights Art Movement would also like submitted stories to suggest what can be done about it, which is a tricky brief. Word count: Up to 2500 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 1 July 2025 Find out more
Deep This anthology from Death’s Head Press will feature tales of ‘the unexplored depths of our planet and the universe’. Word count: 2500–10,000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 31 July 2025 Find out more
Dirty Magick Urban fantasy was a hot buzzword a few years back, but I don’t see so many submission calls focused on the sub-genre now. But here’s one! Word count: 2000–12,500 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Allegory This well-established online magazine of SF, fantasy and horror is open for submissions for its next volume. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $15 Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
The Pink Hydra The new minizine ‘Something Old, Something New’ will appear on this venue’s Ko-fi site, and will feature stories that revolve around some aspect of ‘unreality’. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $10 per 5000 words Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Cooking Up Death A fun challenge for mystery writers! This anthology will feature cosy (or rather, ‘cozy’ with a ‘z’) mysteries in which food is used as the method of murder. Word count: 6000–9000 words Payment: Share of royalties Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Kozy Krampus It’s tough to get in a festive mindset right now, but if you can manage it, the editors at Underland Press are on the search for Christmas-themed gothic horror stories. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Open 15–30 June 2025 Find out more
Writing contests
In addition to the usual short story open submissions, here are four writing contests which all seem worth your time:
Sustainable Story Award This new award organised by online book reseller World of Books will celebrate the opening chapters of novels that tackle urgent environmental and social themes. Word count: First three chapters Payment: £15,000 first prize, £5000 runner-up prizes Deadline: 6 July 2025 Find out more
Big Finish Have you ever wanted to write for Doctor Who? (Of course you have. Who wouldn’t?) This year, audio publisher Big Finish’s annual Short Trip contest requires writers to conjure a story for the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker. Word count: Synopsis and first 500 words Payment: None, but the winning story becomes an official audio release Deadline: 12 June 2025 Find out more
The British Fantasy Society The annual BFS short story contest is open now! It’ll be judged by Steven Poore and Pete Sutton, the editor of BFS Horizons, which will publish the winning stories. Word count: 500–5000 words Payment: £100 first prize, £50 runner-up prize Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Art of the Near Future World This new contest rewards the best flash fiction, which, in the words of its judges, relate to ‘our near future world, the world a few months to a few years away.’ Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: $250 first prize Deadline: 30 June 2025 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Book Worms Issue 8 of this online horror zine will feature cryptid horror based on monsters from folklore or your own imagination. Word count: Up to 1500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2025 Find out more
Memento Mori Ink The editors of this new anthology are seeking stories about ‘ancient objects or seemingly mundane items that have the power to whisper to those who possess them.’ You’ll find the submission guidelines if you scroll through the onscreen PDF. Word count: 3000–5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 1 June 2025 Find out more
Saturday Mourning Television This excellent anthology title speaks for itself: the editors are seeking horror stories about Saturday-morning TV. (Of any decade.) Word count: 1000–4000 words Payment: $35 Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Other This mysteriously-titled anthology from Bannister Press will feature fantasy short stories. Word count: 2500–3500 words Payment: 8 Canadian cents per word Deadline: 13 August 2025 Find out more
Small Wonders Here’s a handy evergreen market for SF and horror writers, as long as you tend to produce concise stories. They even accept reprints! Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Body Shots The mantra of this publication is “Genre is a construct; genre does not exist.” So as long as you don’t admit you’re a writer of SFF or horror, you’re good to go. Word count: 5000–7500 words Payment: $150 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Skull X Bones Is it just me, or have we seen a lot of pirate-themed horror calls in recent months? This one seems fairly high profile, published by Zombies Need Brains and with some familiar names already attached. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Tableware Not a magazine name that suggests it’d take SFF, horror or mystery stories, but the open submissions call is specified as ‘open-genre’, so it ought to be fine. Word count: ‘Up to 15 pages’ Payment: $50 Deadline: 15 May 2025 Find out more
Protocolized This magazine publishes SF ‘protocol fiction’, which is a new concept to me. The editors describe it as ‘fiction focused on both real and speculative protocols that explore regimes of strange new rules, and the dynamics of the worlds that grow on those protocols.’ Prospective contributors are asked to pitch their ideas before submitting. Word count: 1500–2500 words Payment: $750 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
The Lorelei Signal This SF magazine specialises in stories featuring strong and complex female characters. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $15 Deadline: 15 May 2025 Find out more
British Czech & Slovak Association I’ve no idea how I came across this, but the British Czech & Slovak Association are running a writing contest with the theme of ‘Liberation’. Submissions from any nationality are permitted, but stories must relate to the links between Britain and the Czech and/or Slovak Republics. Word count: Up to 2000 words Payment: First prize £400, second prize £150 Deadline: 31 July 2025 Find out more
Hope in A Grimdark World The editors of this new anthology seek stories that chime with today’s world: ‘gritty sci-fi in which the personal message is hopeful while the external world is dark.’ Word count: 2000–7000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Hellbound Books There are several upcoming anthologies listed on the Hellbound Books website, all accepting submissions. The ones that catch my eye are Pandemic and Outbreak Horror, Campfire Stories and Hellbound Highway (road trip horror). Word count: Varying Payment: $5–$15 Deadline: Various dates between June–August 2025 Find out more
Haiku Shack This is certainly the month for writers of very short fiction! Despite the name, this new magazine also accepts microfiction alongside poetry. Word count: Up to 100 words Payment: None Deadline: 30 June 2025 Find out more
Raconteur Press There are lots of upcoming anthologies with open submissions listed on this publisher’s website, including Goblin Souk, Vice Noir and Artifact Origins. Word count: 5000–8000 words Payment: Royalties Deadline: Various 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
The Morning After This is a great theme! The editors of this anthology want stories about what happens after a sudden transformation. ‘This could be an individual person transforming into something new or a mass change that effects humanity as a whole. How does this person or society react to no longer being human?’ Word count: 2000–10,000 words Payment: 1 Australian cent per word Deadline: 1 June 2025 Find out more
Solarpunk This well-established magazine specialises in fiction in which humanity has solved modern challenges such as climate change and, generally, in which society is more positive. Word count: 1500–7500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–14 April 2025 Find out more
Last Girls Club The fiction in this established PDF zine features ‘genre/gender bending powerful women facing terrors using their abilities to overcome them or succumb to them’. Word count: Up to 2500 words Payment: 1.5 cents per word Deadline: 1–15 April 2025 Find out more
It Was Paradise This special edition of Reckoning Magazine edited by Sonia Sulaiman will feature stories about war, extinction, genocide and climate crisis. Fiction by people with lived experience of war and conflict will be prioritised. Word count: Up to 20,000 words Payment: 15 cents per word Deadline: 22 June 2025 Find out more
Women of the Weird West Have you written a pulpy, weird western tale featuring a female main character? Then send it to the editors at Brigids Gate Press. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–30 April 2025 Find out more
Monstrous Angels This anthology with the subtitle ‘An Anthology of Religious Horror’ will contain stories of literal angels from any culture. Word count: Up to 8000 words Payment: $20 Deadline: 25 May 2025 Find out more
Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mystery 1889 & 1890 There are several Sherlock Holmes anthologies listed on the Belanger Books website. These ones will feature stories that fill in the canonical gaps in 1889 and 1890. The process is to send a proposal to be approved before you write your story. Word count: 5000–10,000 words Payment: $125 Deadline: 30 April 2025 (for proposals) Find out more
Home Constellations Stories submitted to this anthology must be set in the future and also feature non-traditional families. Word count: No limit specified Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 30 September 2025 Find out more
Kinpaurak This online zine specialises in the esoteric, the absurd and the sublime, and references Dadaism and absurdist philosophy in its guidelines. Word count: Up to 2000 words Payment: $5 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Some Thing Out There I’m getting Spielberg and Stranger Things vibes from this anthology, which will feature alien-encounter horror stories set in the 1980s. Word count: 2500–7000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 30 April 2025 Find out more
The Canadian Sepulchral This new, terrifically titled online zine will feature horror fiction of all sorts. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: None Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Tales from the Crosstimbers The title of this SFF magazine refers to a forest in Oklahoma, and while the editors hope local authors will send stories, submissions are open to all. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 15 April 2025 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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.
Happy new year! For any writer, sending short stories to publishers is a great way to mark the start of a fresh new year. Here are the more interesting open calls I’ve found recently:
Witch Craft This new volume in the ‘Beyond and Within’ series is again being put together by award-winning editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. Most stories will be by invited contributors, but around four will be from open submissions. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 6 pence per word Deadline: 19 January 2024 Find out more
Cottage Crimes Stories submitted to this crime and mystery anthology from Unnerving must take place at a private vacation property, though pay close attention to the list of settings unwanted by the editor, such as ski chalets or timeshares. Word count: 2000–6000 words Payment: 1.5 Canadian cents per word Deadline: 14 February 2025 Find out more
Seaside Gothic I’ve had my eye on this British zine for a while now – seaside gothic is a genre that needs to be popularised! The brief word count is a tricky restriction, though. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: 1 pence per word Deadline: Open 13–19 January 2025 Find out more
Carnival of Horror This is another title that speaks for itself – the editors seek stories of abandoned amusement parks, travelling carnivals and haunted attractions. Word count: 750–3000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 January 2024 Find out more
The Joining Grotesque fun! The subtitle ‘Scenes of Wedding Terror’ tells you all you need to know about the theme, though some of the editors’ suggestions are wedding-adjacent: ‘proposals gone wrong, literal bride-zillas, unsettling in-laws, bachelor parties that end in bloodshed’. Word count: 2500–5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 1 March 2025 Find out more
Meetinghouse While not an SFF, horror or mystery magazine per se, the editors at Dartmouth College are open to stories that are ‘genre-bending & genre-blending’. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: $100 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Writing the Future We Need This anthology of SF, fantasy and horror stories has the subtitle – and the theme for your interpretation – of ‘Surviving Humanity’. Word count: Up to 8000 words Payment: $45 Deadline: 31 January 2025 Find out more
Phantom Worlds This issue of The Cellar Door will feature ‘horror stories that take place when alternate realities invade our own’. Word count: 2000–8000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 31 January 2025 Find out more
Space Opera Stories Residential Aliens is lining up four anthologies each focused on a single aspect of space opera: First Contact / Alien Invasion / Generation Ship / Colony World. Word count: 6000–8000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 31 January 2024 Find out more
Exquisite Death The editors of this new zine are seeking dark fantasy and horror stories – specifically, ‘the dark, the surreal, the atmospheric and macabre’. Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: None Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Factor Four This online zine publishes speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy, and also supernatural and superhero tales. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: 11 cents per word 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Silent Nightmares This anthology of ‘dark holiday horrors’, which will be published this time next year, has a star name among its editorial lineup: Chuck Palahniuk, the author of Fight Club. Most of the contributions will be by invited writers, but there are few additional slots available. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline Open 1–31 December 2024 Find out more
Book Worms The upcoming issue of this horror e-zine will feature space and science fiction horror stories, with horror being a crucial element. Word count: Up to 1500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 25 December 2024 Find out more
Plott Hound It’s important that new publications cover a specific niche, and this e-zine certainly does: speculative fiction featuring animals. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–15 December 2024 Find out more
The World of Vile Wonder This anthology from historical-horror publisher The Scythian Wolf is subtitled ‘Horror Tales of the Scientific Revolution’. It may be a demanding theme (which is why I’m listing it now, well ahead of time), but I’d love to read the selected stories. Word count: 5000–10,000 words Payment: $75 Deadline: 1 January–28 February 2025 Find out more
Baffling Throughout December, this magazine that specialises in ‘speculative fiction with a queer bent’ will be open to stories themed around ‘strange forms’ alongside unthemed submissions. Word count: Up to 1200 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–15 December 2024 Find out more
Dark Hearts This anthology is the latest in the Triangulation series from Parsec Ink, and will contain speculative fiction about women who are anti-heroes. The editor’s preferences include ‘Women with a mastery of weapons or powers. Women in STEM or in disguise. Cyborgs. Hackers. Heists. Underdogs. Romance!’ Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 30 March 2024 Find out more
Relics This first anthology from Memento Mori Ink will feature stories about ‘ancient objects or seemingly mundane items which have the power to whisper to those who possess them’. Word count: 3000–5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 1 June 2024 Find out more
Ricochet I don’t see many new venues specialising in Western stories, so if that’s your thing, the arrival of this new magazine will be most welcome. Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Silk and Foxglove Editor Z. K. Abraham will edit this anthology dedicated to another niche almost certainly not yet covered by any other venue: erotic eco-horror. Word count: 1500–4000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 December 2024 Find out more
The Other Stories This podcast of narrated horror, SF and thriller stories has more than 150,000 monthly listeners. Uncoming themes include heavy metal, tarot, Shakespeare, bleeding hearts and found footage. Word count: Approx 2000 words Payment: £15 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn The editors at Middle West Press are seeking micro-fiction about monsters in the 21st-century American Midwest. Word count: Up to 300 words Payment: None Deadline: 3 March 2024 Find out more
The Welkin Mini Can you create a compelling story in 100 words? Any genre is allowed, but still… only 100 words, yikes. Word count: Up to 100 words Payment: Various prizes from £10 to £50 Deadline: Open 1 December 2024–2 January 2025 Find out more
Just Keep Up The editors of this rather blandly titled new publication are seeking science fiction and horror stories. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $10 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Fever Dreams The ABCs of Horror anthology series from respected author and editor Mark Morris is now up to its sixth volume. He’s seeking four horror stories from up-and-comers to be placed alongside commissioned stories from some of the greats of the genre. Word count: 3000–5000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 14 November 2024 Find out more
Vivid Worlds This anthology from Best of British Science Fiction editor Donna Scott will feature solar punk stories – that is, SF/F stories focusing on hope for the future. Word count: 2000–9000 words Payment: 1 pence per word Deadline: Open 24 November–15 December 2024 Find out more
Hexagon This beautifully designed Canadian SF magazine has been restricting its open submission periods recently, so this is a relatively rare chance to impress them with your work. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: 1 cent (CAD) per word Deadline: Open 1–30 November 2024 Find out more
Once Upon a Moonless Night The subtitle of this anthology is ‘Tales of Betrayal, Revenge, and Redemption’, which doesn’t necessarily indicate horror, and apparently all genres are welcome. Word count: 250–15,000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 15 December 2024 Find out more
Aphrodite / Loki Two more submission calls from ‘Myths, God and Immortals’ series from the prolific Flame Tree Press. Keen to write about Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, or Loki, the Norse trickster god? Get to it. Word count: 3000–4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 24 November 2024 Find out more here and here
Spoon Knife While this publication from Autonomous Press is a literary magazine, it describes itself as ‘genre-bending’, so there’s room for us genre writers. The theme for the upcoming issue is ‘polarities’. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $30 plus 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 July 2025 Find out more
Glen Must Die! This is unique-sounding anthology – stories about the member of a group who, in the editor’s words: are ‘good people, we like them, we’re friends, and the way we communicate our love is by endlessly tormenting them’. And in each story Glen must die, of course. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 1 January 2025 Find out more
Springtime Fair The editors of this anthology from Hearth Stories are seeking stories centred around a craft, recipe, or ritual – examples include crochet, cooking, yoga. Furthermore, each story should be accompanied by a tutorial, lesson, pattern or recipe. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 20 January 2024 Find out more
Latin American Shared Stories Another call from Flame Tree Press, this time in their Beyond & Within series. This anthology of speculative stories by authors from Latin American countries or writing in the traditions of the Latin American diaspora will be edited by V. Castro. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 15 December 2024 Find out more
Our Dust Earth There’s some complexity to this submission call from Air and Nothingness Press, as stories must be themed around a mini-RPG which is explained at length on the website. Word count: 1000–3000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1 November – 31 December 2024 Find out more
JayHenge Publishing There are a couple of ongoing open calls from this publisher at the moment: The Apparatus Almanac, featuring stories of ‘Gizmology & Technomancy’, and Masque & Maelstrom, which has the subtitle ‘The Reluctant Exhumation of Edgar Allan Poe’. Word count: Up to 12,000 words Payment: $5 per 1000 words Deadline: Open until filled Find out more
Liminal Tales This podcast run by Three Coin Theatre will feature readings of subtle horror stories, performed either by actors or the author themselves. Word count: Up to 2500 words Payment: £10 Deadline: Unclear, but the show will be recorded in January 2025 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Dust & Dark This new British magazine aims to publish ‘stylish, atmospheric horror fiction’ – that is, stories more focused on lingering dread than jump scares. Word count: 2000–7000 words Payment: 7p per word Deadline: 31 October 2024 Find out more
Stop Surveillance Copaganda The instructions on the website are a little opaque, but nevertheless this sounds like an exciting project. Stories must engage with the rise of surveillance technologies in modern life, and successful stories will appear in Strange Horizons and COMPOST Magazine. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 21 November 2024 Find out more
Afrofuturism The editors of this upcoming anthology from Flame Tree Press are seeking authors writing ‘from an authentic perspective of the Black experience, whether based in the diaspora or in Africa’, and engaging in technology and ‘liberated futures for Black life’. Word count: Around 2000–4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 27 October 2024 Find out more
Dread Mondays The editors of this anthology of workplace horror cast around references such as Office Space, American Psycho and Alien as potential influences for stories. Word count: Up to 4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 31 October 2024 Find out more
Starship Librarians I love the prompt for this upcoming anthology from Tyche Books: librarians of tomorrow! To clarify, the librarians don’t have to be starship-based. Word count: Unspecified Payment: $50 CDN Deadline: 15 November 2024 Find out more
The Forge This classily designed online zine publishes fiction of all genres. You’ll need to time your submission carefully, though, as the portal is only open on the first day of each month. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $100 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Planet Black Joy Rosarium Publishing will publish this anthology of speculative fiction by Black women and non-binary people at the end of 2025. Word count: 3000–7000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 1 January 2025 Find out more
Choices This anthology is subtitled ‘An Anthology of Reproductive Horror’; stories must be written by people of marginalized genders and relate to ‘the horrors that occur when reproductive choices are threatened or taken away’. Word count: Up to xx words Payment: 8 cents (CAD) per word Deadline: 30 November 2024 Find out more
Phano The masthead of this new zine states it intends to ‘deliver wondrous, thought-provoking content about the future to the questioning masses’. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Feral Lands This first horror anthology from Samak Press will feature stories about isolation ‘set in untamed lands beyond the reach of civilization’. Word count: 1500–7500 words Payment: $20 Deadline: 31 October 2024 Find out more
Syncopation Literary Journal The odd-sounding prompt ‘Must Love Music’ makes sense when you understand that this literary journal is aimed at musicians and writers inspired by music. The series of story ideas represent terrific starting points. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: No payment Deadline: 2 November 2024 Find out more
Inanimate Things This is the second volume of a horror series from Burial Books featuring, as you might expect, inanimate things that are somehow living. Examples provided include ‘a doll, the dead flesh of zombies, or your Ford F-150’. Word count: 1500–6000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 1 December 2024 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
You, Human This anthology published by Written Backwards and edited by Michael Bailey and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is the second volume containing dark SF stories riffing on Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics – this time applying equivalent laws to humanity. The first volume, published in 2016, did well in awards season, so places in this book will be hard fought. Word count: 7500–15,000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Solarpunk Conflicts While its editors define Solarpunk as being about ‘change and unity’, the stories in this anthology will concern issues of conflict related to the concept. Word count: 2500–8500 words Payment: 5 cents (CAD) per word Deadline: 1 November 2024 Find out more
Nature Futures Many SF writers will already know about this opportunity, but I think it’s worth flagging for those who haven’t come across it. Each issue of the very respected magazine Nature contains a piece of very short SF fiction, and some of the best-known SF authors have been featured over the years. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of competition for available slots! Word count: 850–950 words Payment: £85 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Morgana le Fay / Achilles Two more calls from the excellent and prolific Flame Tree Press: the shadowy Arthurian sorceress Morgana le Fay, and flawed Trojan warrior Achilles. Word count: Around 3000–4000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 22 September 2024 Find out more here and here
Dreamforge Utopian SF seems to be the genre of the moment, as I keep seeing more and more short story calls crop up. Throughout September, Dreamforge magazine is accepting submissions on the theme of ‘Each and Other’. Word count: Up to 7000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Tales of Folk Horror This anthology of folk-horror stories from Red Cape Publishing is open only to British residents or people with a strong link to the British Isles. Word count: 4000–8000 words Payment: £20 Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Unréal Stories submitted for this SF anthology must take place in and be indelibly linked to Montréal. While Canadian and Indigenous writers are preferred, anyone can submit. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 12 cents (CAD) per word Deadline: 15 November 2024 Find out more
Hundred Word Horror Can you write an effective horror story in under 100 words? If you’re up to the challenge, this contest may be for you. Word count: Up to 100 words Payment: $100 first prize, $25 runners-up Deadline: Open 15–30 September 2024 Find out more
Strange New Moons This anthology of werewolf stories from French Press Publishing already has contributions secured from Tim Lebbon and Simon Clark, so if you make the cut you’ll be in good company. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Bright Mirror The editors from Oddity Prodigy Productions are seeking utopian SF, listing influences such as Star Trek, The Fifth Element, Arrival and Contact. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Santa Rage If the title didn’t tip you off, the subtitle of this anthology is ‘12 Tales of Murder and Mayhem’. Stories must be based on the idea that one night, while out making deliveries, Santa snaps thanks to the holiday stress and goes on a killing spree. Word count: Around 3000–5000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Train Tales / Aliens Among Us The titles of these two upcoming anthologies for Fahrenheit Books are fairly self-explanatory, I think! Stories from all genres are accepted. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 30 November 2024 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.
There are some fantastically exciting opportunities for writers this month! The first couple end within the next couple of days, though, so you’ll need to work fast if they’re of interest to you…
Roots of My Fears This anthology of ‘ancestral horror’ will be edited by Gemma Amor and published by Titan Books. It already boasts a lineup including Ramsey Campbell, Premee Mohamed and Adam Nevill among other high-profile authors, but there’s room for a single story from this open submissions period – which ends very soon! Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 4 August 2024 Find out more
Motives Unknown This is an exciting opportunity, if you fit the bill! Fantastic indie publisher Dead Ink, in partnership with literary agencies Curtis Brown and C&W, is seeking stories for a new crime anthology. But to qualify, you must be writer in (or with strong ties to) the north of England, and you must also be unagented. If that’s you, act quickly – the deadline is very soon! Word count: Up to 1000–6000 words Payment: Unspecified fee, plus a consultation with a literary agent Deadline: 5 August 2024 Find out more
This Way Lies Madness Editors Lee Murray and Dave Jeffery are seeking dark fiction about ‘monstrous manifestations of trauma and guilt, paranoia and persecution, anxiety, addiction, and crippling terror’ for this anthology to be published by Flame Tree. Word count: Around 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 13 October 2024 Find out more
Uncanny Uncanny is one of the very best SF/F fiction websites around, with its stories frequently winning big awards – and it rarely opens for submissions, so get to it! Word count: 750-10,000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open 5 August–2 September 2024 Find out more
Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction This high-profile contest is free to enter, and this year’s theme is ‘The Unspoken’. Shortlisted stories will feature in an ebook anthology published by the excellent Comma Press. Word count: 2000–7500 words Payment: £500 prize, and publication for shortlisted authors Deadline: 22 September 2024 Find out more
Gwyllion This well-designed zine, which has reached its ninth issue, features science fiction and fantasy by writers with links to Wales. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: £15 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Saros This brand-new speculative fiction magazine will have an emphasis on literary SF and stories with ‘a touch of the bizarre’. Word count: 2000–15,000 words Payment: $40 Deadline: Open 5–18 August 2024 Find out more
Apparition Lit This quarterly magazine accepts speculative fiction based on a specific theme which changes each issue – the upcoming prompt is the word HARBINGER. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: Open 15–31 August 2024 Find out more
Flunk This Australian online zine is up to its fifth issue, and is seeking SF/F and horror stories. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: $50 AUD Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Bookworms Horror Zine In the words of the editors: ‘We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction.’ Word count: Up to 1500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 1 September 2024 Find out more
Rabid Otter The editors at Riverfolk Publishing are currently putting together an anthology of technology-based horror. Word count: 6000–10,000 words Payment: $100 Deadline: 30 September 2024 Find out more
Black Cat Weekly It’s nice to see more crime-fiction venues popping up recently. Unlike most, Black Cat is explicitly open to speculative mysteries alongside classic styles. Word count: Around 1500–15,000 words Payment: From $15–$50 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Starspawn: A Miskatonic Mystery This anthology is not only linked to HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos, it’s actually linked to an in-development indie video game. That means stories need to relate to very particular worldbuilding detailed on the submissions page. Word count: 2500–7500 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 15 September 2024 Find out more
Gods & Services This anthology will contain stories that adhere to a very specific prompt about a flea-market shop that sells gods. Word count: 3000–10,000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 30 August 2024 Find out more
Tales Untold: Underdogs of Society The editors of this anthology are seeking stories about societal underdogs that promote diversity, representation and inclusion and which also include ‘a unique twist/climax’. Word count: 3000–8000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 30 September 2024 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
Little Red Flags This interesting-sounding anthology has the subtitle Stories ofCults, 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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 Find out more
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 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Trollbreath This new magazine will feature ‘dark fantasy to hope punk to surrealism, and everything in between’ (quite a complex calculation, that ‘in between’ part). Its name and title font are very much in its favour. Word count: 1500–7500 words Payment: 4 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
The Orange & Bee This new zine specialises in fairy tales, either reimagining existing ones or ‘unique creation[s] waiting to be added to the rich tradition of the continually evolving literary canon.’ Word count: Up to 4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Imagine 2200 This is a short story contest rather than a magazine, with the subtitle Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Judges Omar El Akkad and Annalee Newitz will assess stories of any genre ‘imagining futures of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope’. Unlike many contests of this sort, it’s free to enter. Word count: 2500–5000 words Payment: $3000 first prize, with 12 winners in total Deadline: 24 June 2024 Find out more
Little Guts This anthology from Little Ghosts Books will feature ‘gross, goopy horror’ that ‘evoke fun and disgust’, which is… possible… I suppose. Unusually, they request pitches rather than completed stories. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: 12 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Rhapsody of the Spheres This anthology from Third Flatiron will feature hopepunk speculative fiction stories – that is, SF stories that the editors feel ‘would make us happy right now’. Word count: 1500–3000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 19 May – 1 June 2024 Find out more
Terrific Tomorrows Positive SF seems to be more and more popular. The editors of this anthology are seeking family-friendly SF stories ‘with positive visions of the future, stories that leave the reader excited about the possibilities ahead.’ Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Witchcraft in Your Lips This anthology from Lethe Press will contain only three or four novellas, all themed around ‘lesbian-themed folk magic and witchcraft’. Word count: 20,000–30,000 words Payment: $750 Deadline: Not stated Find out more
Skull and Laurel Tenebrous Press has an excellent track record in publishing New Weird fiction. Now it’s publishing a magazine along similar lines. They’d like to see stories that are ‘dark and Weird with a capital W’. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
The Robots Were Right This anthology from Weird Little Worlds is subtitled Tales of Unstoppable Technology. The editors are looking for stories that wouldn’t be out of place on Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone. Word count: 500–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Arkham Institutions Do you write Lovecraftian cosmic horror? If so, this upcoming anthology from Dragon’s Roost Press should be of interest. The angle is that stories should be based around aspects of government and business in Lovecraft’s fictional town of Arkham. Word count: 3000–5000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 30 June 2024 Find out more
Other This anthology from Bannister Press will exclusively feature fantasy fiction by writers who identify as women, and the focus will be on ‘what it means to be on the outside looking in, or comfortably or uncomfortably out of step with the world(s) at large.’ Word count: Up to 3500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 1 June 2024 Find out more
Shivering Timbers! Fun! Pirate-themed horror! Though it wouldn’t necessarily be fun to meet a zombie pirate. Most likely it would be fairly traumatic. Word count: 2000–7000 words Payment: £20 Deadline: 1 June 2024 Find out more
Bite / Soul / Howl Graveside Press is putting together three anthologies. Bite is for vampire stories, Soul for ghostliness and Howl will contain werewolves and shape-changers. There’s also an unthemed horror magazine, Tiny Terrors. Word count: 2000–6000 words (2000–12,000 words for Tiny Terrors) Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Circe / Anansi The next two titles in the Myths, Gods & Immortals series from the excellent Flame Tree Publishing will feature stories about Circe and Anansi, respectively. Word count: 3000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 23 June 2024 Find out more
Heartlines This is interestingly different: a magazine themed around ‘long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial.’ It sounds like all SFF subgenres are welcome… but it’s only open to writers with a link to Canada. Word count: 1000–3500 words Payment: 8 cents (CAD) per word Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Weird Wide Web Another contest, and despite the title the judges will accept horror, SF and fantasy – and reprints are welcomed. Word count: 1000–4000 words Payment: $75 first prize Deadline: 1 June 2024 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Cursed Cooking Alongside actual recipes, this anthology will contain stories of food-based horror. (But note that, reasonably enough, its editors state that cannibalism is a hard sell.) Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 30 April 2024 Find out more
khōréō This very well-designed online zine features SFF and horror stories with a speculative element. Its editors are particularly partial to tales about migration. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open 15 April – 15 May 2024 Find out more
Eat the Rich In the words of the editors: ‘Eat the Rich is a speculative fiction anthology of billionaires being eaten. That’s it, full stop. Give us carnivores, cannibals, kaiju, cryptids, and, of course, capitalist comeuppance.’ They say other, ruder, things too. Word count: Up to 8000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 30 April 2024 Find out more
Long Division This anthology has the subtitle Stories of Social Decay, Societal Collapse, and Bad Manners. Well-respected editorsDoug Murano and Michael Bailey are on the lookout for ‘stories of transgression, of the mechanisms behind what’s fraying the bonds that bind us.’ Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open 1 May 2024, with 500 submissions permitted in total Find out more
Nonbinary Review The new issue of this online zine will feature stories related to the theme of heredity. Word count: 1000–3000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 1 May 2024 Find out more
Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell This is quite a specific call for submissions, but the book that results from it ought to be interesting. Editors Vince A. Liaguno and Sirrah Medeiros are seeking horror stories loosely related to military service, by writers who identify as LGBTQ+. Word count: Up to 2000–5000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 30 April 2024 Find out more
Stories to Take To Your Grave Have you written or would you like to write a mortuary-themed horror story? Then send it here! Word count: 3000–6000 words Payment: $20 Deadline: 30 April 2024 Find out more
100-Foot Crow I mean, that’s some title, isn’t it? This new zine will publish 100-word horror stories with a speculative element. Word count: Exactly 100 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Open 15 April – 15 May 2024 Find out more
Impressions The first volume of this new anthology series from Emberletter Press will feature dark speculative fiction. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 15–30 April 2024 Find out more
foofaraw This new zine will feature SFF and experimental stories. The list of influences is encouraging, including Cory Doctorow, Haruki Murakami and McSweeney’s. Word count: 250–2500 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Nightmares of Strangers Despite the quite specific-sounding title, this annual anthology from TouchPoint Press accepts unthemed horror stories. Word count: 3000–7000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 31 May 2024 Find out more
Back Into The Ground In contrast, this generic-sounding anthology is actually veryspecific – only horror stories inspired by the Pacific Northwest are wanted. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: $40 Deadline: Open until filled Find out more
Costs of Living Whisper House Press seeks ‘carefully constructed horror stories with a focus on the oft-unclear distinction between a scary-enough reality and our less-or-more-frightening imagination, both in personal and social realms’ – which covers quite a lot of ground, really. Word count: 500 to 4000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: Unspecified Find out more
New Edge Sword & Sorcery A slightly confusing pitch, this one: the editors of this magazine are seeking a single 850-word short story to be printed on a sticker in the upcoming issue. I think. Word count: As close to 850 words as possible Payment: $70 Deadline: 1 May 2024 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Grimm Retold This sounds brilliant: an anthology of horror and dark fantasy stories retelling Grimms’ fairy tales. Pay close attention to the guidelines – the editors provide a list of valid fairy tales from the Grimm ‘extended universe’ (a term I’ve just invented, but which totally should be a thing). Word count: 2000–8000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 19 April 2024 Find out more
Weird Horror This terrific and prestigious magazine from Undertow Publications doesn’t open for submissions often – if you have a weird and horrific at the ready, now’s your chance. Word count: 500–5000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 15 March 2024 Find out more
Body Shots A new literary journal with impressively broad preferences: ‘from Carver-esque to Lynchian, Hemingway-esque to Burroughsian, traditional to postmodern, realist to magical realist, genre to non-genre’. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: Ranging from $35 to $150 Deadline: Open until issue is filled Find out more
Monstrous The next issue of this magazine will contain time-travel horror stories, which is an intriguing mix. Word count: 1000–1500 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 15 March 2024 Find out more
The Stygian Zine Issues of this new magazine will be published by The Stygian Society twice a year and, judging by the name, will feature pretty dark and gloomy tales. Word count: Up to 2500 words Payment: $20 CAD Deadline: 1 May 2024 for current issue Find out more
Creature Features The first volume in this new anthology series will feature tales of lycanthropy, i.e. werewolves. Word count: 3000–8000 words Payment: £20 Deadline: 1 April 2024 Find out more
Nordic Horror Another brilliant concept, and a book I’d like to read when it’s published: this anthology will feature weird tales set in the Nordic Region. Word count: 3000–6000 words Payment: Likely between $125 and $200 Deadline: 31 March 2024 Find out more
Worlds of Possibility Whereas most anthologies in my monthly roundups tend to contain dark fiction, Editor Julia Rios is on the lookout for stories ‘that leave the reader feeling hopeful, peaceful, or happy’. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 23 March 2024 Find out more
Boreal This anthology, subtitled ‘an anthology of Taiga Horror’, will contain stories set in the wild, dark woods of Norway, Scandinavia, Iceland, Canada, Russia and Japan. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Open 15 March – 1 April 2024 Find out more
Cold Death’s Head Press is putting together an anthology of cold or wintry horror short stories. Word count: 2500–10,000 words Payment: 4 cents per word Deadline: 31 March 2024 Find out more
Hellbound Books’ Anthology of Horror The editors of this anthology are seeking horror stories with no set theme. Word count: 2500–8000 words Payment: $5 Deadline: 1 June 2024 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.
Here’s this month’s list of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found! Sign up for my email newsletter if you want advance notice of open calls like these.
Once Upon a Future Time This is the fourth volume in this anthology series that specialises in fairy tales retold in science-fiction contexts. Word count: 250–15,000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 29 February 2024 Find out more
Laughs in Space New publisher Slab Press and editor of the Best of British SF series Donna Scott are seeking humorous SF stories for this anthology. Many of the references mentioned on the website are British: Douglas Adams, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who. Word count: 2000–9000 words Payment: £10 per 500 words, up to £55 Deadline: Open 1 March – 7 April 2024 Find out more
What Was Found Too Andy Cull and Gabino Inglesias are seeking stories for the second volume of their found-footage horror series of anthologies. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 31 March 2024 Find out more
Max Blood’s Mausoleum This new online zine will feature all types of horror stories, and its editors are keen to stress they’re not squeamish and hope to be truly terrified. Word count: 1500–8000 words Payment: $30 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Fear of Clowns Editor Kenneth W. Cain is on the lookout for stories about (or which will inspire) coulrophobia for this anthology from Kangas Kahn Publishing. Word count: 1000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 1 April 2024 Find out more
Dark Tales from the Tarot Each month, publisher Spindle House is open to horror flash stories inspired by the tarot deck. February’s prompt is the Ace of Wands. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 15 February 2024 (then open 1–15 of each month, with new prompts) Find out more
Strange Locations: An Anthology of Dark Travel Guides This month, Apex Magazine’s monthly flash fiction contest is open to ‘speculative microfiction in the form of tourist brochures, travel blogs, and travel guides to the strangest, darkest places you can imagine.’ Word count: Up to 250 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 15 February 2024 Find out more
Roads Less Travelled The stories featured in this new magazine from Midnight Street Press will be ‘horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi and slipstream, that explore original themes or traditional themes from an original perspective.’ Word count: No word limit Payment: £40 Deadline: 29 March 2024 Find out more
Baubles From Bones It’s encouraging to see new SFF online zines pop up. This one aims to feature ‘compelling adventures, folk-retellings, stories of hope in the dark, emotional healing, love of all sorts, environmentalism, and the humanity (or lack of it) among the fantastical and speculative’. Word count: 1000–10,000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Potter’s Field This eighth volume of the print anthology series from Hiraeth Publishing seeks ‘tales from the graveyard’ – meaning horror stories themed around literal graveyards, though not necessarily conventional ones. Word count: 2000–8000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 March 2024 Find out more
Riddlebird The remit of this new online and print literary zine are broad, but the stated reference points are interesting: George Saunders, Souvankham Thammavongsa, E. C. Osondu. Word count: Up to 650–5000 words Payment: $100 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Epic Echoes This newish PDF zine features ‘punchy, genre-oriented’ stories. Word count: 1000–3000 words Payment: ‘minimal payment’ Deadline: 29 February 2024 Find out more
Anvil Submissions for the fifth issue of this new magazine are now open. A wide variety of genres are accepted, from SFF to westerns. Word count: 2000–8000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 29 February 2024 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.
CatsCast Who knew that the excellent audio fiction company Escape Artists has a cat-themed podcast? Pretty savvy, given how much the internet loves cats. Personally, I’m a dog person, if anything. Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–11 February 2024 Find out more
Winter in the City This anthology from the newly revived House of Gamut is subtitled ‘A Collection of Dark Urban Stories’, which is clear enough. One caveat, though: the city in your story should be real and identifiable, regardless of the fantastical approach you take. Word count: 3000–7500 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 31 March 2024 Find out more
The Devil You Know Best Have you or do you fancy writing a story featuring Devil? If so, then this third volume of the anthology series from Critical Blast is the place to send it. Word count: 2000–10,000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 January 2024 Find out more
Leadership Gone Right This anthology from Farthest Star Publishing will feature science-fictional and fantastical tales which, in the editors’ words, ‘transport us to new realms where leadership shines brilliantly or takes a haunting turn’. Word count: 1000–8000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: 25 January 2024 Find out more
Triangulation This series has been around for a long while and is very well-respected. The theme for the 21st is an interesting one: hospitium, which the editors describe as ‘a Greco-Roman concept of hospitality, where both the guest and host have an obligation to treat the other with kindness and respect, regardless of external quarrels’. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 29 February 2024 Find out more
Egaeus Press Gothic anthology Egaeus produce some of the most gorgeous anthologies around, and this is a rare opportunity to submit a story. Their forthcoming anthology is as-yet unnamed, but will feature stories in the Gothic tradition (though not necessarily period pieces). Word count: Up to 12,000 words Payment: 80 pence per 100 words Deadline: 31 April 2024 Find out more
Luna Station Quarterly The editors are looking for speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. Their list of preferences is detailed, and I particularly like ‘Stories that explore the nooks and crannies of an original world’ and ‘Big events from the everyman perspective’. Word count: 500 to 7000 words Payment: $5 Deadline: 15 February 2024 for current issue Find out more
Moving Across the Landscape in Search of an Idea This anthology from Air and Nothingness Press will have a very odd structure, but promises to be an interesting read. It’s due to feature stories with long titles (minimum 250 words), concise narratives (maximum 600 words) and copious footnotes, endnotes, marginalia, indices and glossaries. I think it sounds brilliant. Word count: 1500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1 February–31 March 2024 Find out more
The Lost Poetry Club It’s a bit of a misleading title, as this ‘audible zine’ actually focuses on short fiction rather than poetry. All the same, it sounds great, covering SF, slipstream, weird fiction, folk-tales, fantasy, surrealism among other genres. The prompt for the first edition is ‘The Chronicle’. Word count: 1800–3000 words Payment: 1.5 pence per word Deadline: 29 Feb 2024 Find out more
Story Unlikely This publication doesn’t specialise in a particular genre, but the editors do say: ‘We like stories that cross genres, experiment, and push the boundaries of literature.’ There’s also a short story contest which is open until the end of January – see here. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Opens 2 February 2024 Find out more
Augur Magazine This magazine attempts to fill a particular niche that I find very appealing – its website states: ‘Our perfect submission defies categorization—pieces that could be “too speculative” for CanLit or literary magazines or “not speculative enough” for speculative magazines.’ Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 11 cents (CAD) per word Deadline: 31 January 2024 Find out more
Haven Speculative The editors of this online SF magazine state: ‘We like stories that are subtle in their telling and stick with us long after we’ve finished. We’re more likely to buy stories that balance a sense of wonder with a bold plot and emotional depth.’ Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–28 February 2024 Find out more
Heathen This new magazine specialising in horror and dark fantasy fiction will be published in both text and audio format, with the best stories published in a print annual each year. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 31 January 2024 for the first issue Find out more
The Lorelei Signal This new quarterly magazine will feature stories involving strong or complex female characters. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $15 Deadline: No deadline Find out more
Xanax Hamster No, I don’t understand the title either. But it’s looking for horror flash fiction. Word count: Up to 1500 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: Open 3–4 February 2024 Find out more
Mystery Magazine The editors of this Canadian magazine are always on the lookout for mystery stories. Word count: 1000–7500 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Bigfoot Country Here’s another fun prompt: Celticfrog Publishing is looking for stories about Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti. Word count: Up to 4000 words Payment: $100 CAD Deadline: 1 February 2024 Find out more
Crepuscular The editors of this online mag seek micro-fiction ‘exploring places, characters, and questions buried in the gray areas between this and that, here and there, night and day, alive and dead, evil and good, feminine and masculine, up and down, real and unreal. If you’re not quite sure what that means, lean into that feeling.’ Word count: Up to 250 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Puzzling Another publisher seeking mystery stories! However, the editors of this anthology are specifically looking for mystery stories with a speculative element. Word count: 3000–6000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 January 2024 Find out more
BFS Horizons I really should have flagged this sooner given that I was once co-editor of this publication – but the excellent fiction anthology of the British Fantasy Society is now a paying market. Word count: 500–5000 words Payment: £20 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Kaiju In the words of the editors, this anthology from Broken Sleep Books ‘will explore the many and varied ways that monsters inspire, thrill, and frighten us’. But we’re talking reallybig monsters, mind you. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: No payment, with royalties going to charity Deadline: 31 January 2024 Find out more
The Cellar Door Stories are currently being considered for the fourth and fifth issues of this new magazine of dark fiction, with themes ‘After Tomorrow’ (i.e. post-apocalypse) and ‘Marshland Horrors’. Word count: 2000–10,000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 January 2024 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.
The Map of Lost Places This sounds brilliant. Apex editors Sheree Renée Thomas and Lesley Conner are putting together an anthology of stories relating to ‘places where weird things happen’, which could relate to folk tales or old wives tales, or invented places and situations of your very own. Suggested influences include Jeff VanderMeer and films Midsommar and The Lighthouse. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–31 December 2023 Find out more
The Way of Worlds This anthology from Underdog Press will orbit around space exploration and colonization, though the editors state that stories don’t need to be hard SF. Word count: 3500–12,000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Sunshine Superhighway: Solar Sailings SF with a positive outlook seems to be becoming more and more popular. The editors of this anthology are seeking stories in which technology serves to make life better, as I suppose it’s fair to say it generally does. Word count: Up to 15,000 words Payment: $5 per 1000 words Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Rattus Futura The SF anthologies are coming thick and fast this month! This one has a more specific prompt than most, requiring stories about the future which feature rodents. All types of SFF are welcome, but no horror, despite how you may feel about rats. Word count: No word limit specified Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
In the Eyes of the Hungry You thought SF stories about rats was specific? How about horror stories in the style of John Steinbeck? Don’t tell me you don’t fancy having a try… Word count: 2500–6000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Nightmare Diaries For this anthology, the editors at Moonstruck Books are on the lookout for dark fiction, presumably with a link to the title unless that’s simply to set the mood. Word count: 500–10,000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 27 December 2023 Find out more
Familiars Have you written, or do you like the idea of writing, a story featuring a magical or technological animal familiar? Then this anthology to be published by Zombies Need Brains is where you should send it, probably. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Arithmophobia Another brilliant theme: Polymath Press and editor Robert Lewis are seeking horror stories with some sort of mathematical content. Word count: 3000–15,000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Carpe Noctem In the words of the editors, this anthology from Tyche Books will feature ‘stories and poems about darkness, night, and the multitude of things that thrive (or hide) in those elements’. Word count: Up to 5500 words Payment: $50 CDN Deadline: 30 November 2023 Find out more
Dracula Beyond Stoker Little by little, successive issues of this magazine are working through different aspects of Bram Stoker’s masterpiece. For the next issue, the editors are seeking stories specifically about the brides of Dracula – which, I’ll be honest, I was very surprised to find appearing in the novel at all when I first read it as an adult. Word count: 1500–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Radon Journal This online magazine has the strapline ‘radical perception’ and states that it’s open to stories ‘relating to science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, and dystopia’. Past issues have terrific cover images. Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
The Lycanthropicon The title’s a bit of a tongue-twister, but the subtitle clarifies things: ‘Imaginings & Images of the Werewolf’. The editors at Mind’s Eye Publications are looking for stories about werewolves ‘from ancient times, through classical accounts, through folklore and legend, and up to modern and contemporary times.’ Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: $10 plus 1/4 cent per word Deadline: 21 December 2023 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.
Best of British Science Fiction This reprint anthology, edited by Donna Scott and published by NewCon Press, is very important to me – not only because my own stories have featured in several volumes in the past, but because the annual anthology always features many of my favourite writers in the genre. The deadline is earlier than usual this year, and even then it’d be kind to send your submissions sooner rather than later, to avoid a huge influx… (And please note that it’s a reprint anthology of SF stories first published by British writers in 2023.) Word count: No restrictions, but 10,000 words is a sensible upper limit Payment: 1p per word, up to £50 Deadline: 17 December 2023 Find out more
The Midnight Labyrinth This SFF and horror anthology from Grendel Press will have a neat quirk linking stories. From the website description: ‘Each story should feature a tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected. On their journey, they will notice a book called Midnight Labyrinth.’ Word count: 2500–7000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
We Are All Thieves of Somebody’s Future This anthology to be published by Air and Nothingness Press will features stories themed around resource scarcity. Interestingly, the editors stress that stories needn’t necessarily be dystopian, and will even accept fantasy tales. Word count: 1000–3000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Mythaxis This well-established online zine will be open for a brief period at the end of October. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Open 23–30 October 2023 Find out more
The Fabulist Flash Another established online zine, this one featuring speculative fiction (with a very inclusive definition of all the subgenres that may contain), which will soon launch a new outlet for flash fiction. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: $100 Deadline: Open 6–12 November 2023 Find out more
Horns & Rattles Press Here’s a theme that I think will chime with a bunch of my writer friends: Horns & Rattle Press is currently open to submissions of stories themed around flora and fungi. Word count: Up to 4000 words Payment: $20 Deadline: 18 November 2023 Find out more
And One Day We Will Die This anthology edited by Patrick Barb is close to my heart not only because it will feature stories inspired by one of my favourite bands, Neutral Milk Hotel, but because it’s already been confirmed that I’ll be writing a story to be included in it. Even though it doesn’t open until December, it’s such a specific theme that I thought I’d better give you all plenty of time to prepare. Word count: 2000–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: Open 5 December 2023 – 16 January 2024 Find out more
The Black Beacon Book of Pirate Tales The editor of this anthology of stories featuring pirates and buccaneers is generous in its genre inclusivity, and the front cover is truly lovely. Word count: 3000–9000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
The Ghostly Commission This is a peculiar opportunity for Halloween month… The International Ghost Appreciation Society is looking for ideas for stories or other artistic works to commission to celebrate its one-year anniversary. Don’t sell complete stories initially, though – just a pitch. Word count: Not specified Payment: £100 Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
The Neurodiversiverse Anthology A difficult title to pronounce, but an excellent concept based around the question: ‘Would neurodivergent folks find themselves at an advantage in dealing with aliens?’ Thinking Ink Press are particularly interested in short stories written by people who are neurodivergent. Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: $100 Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
I Want That Twink OBLITERATED! This anthology from Bona Books will feature ‘classic pulp adventures centring non-traditionally masculine queer heroes and villains’, and has already smashed its Kickstarter goals. Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 17 December 2023 Find out more
Interstellar Flight Press This online zine will soon open for flash fiction. Word count: Up to 1250 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1 November–31 December 2023 Find out more
Dusty Attic This new downloadable zine seeks stories that are ‘spooky or fantastical or both’. Word count: 500–2000 words Payment: $10 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Last-Ditch This anthology from Zombies Need Brains will contain SF and fantasy stories of espionage, which sounds like a fun mix. Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Empyrean Tree Another new SFF/horror publication, with its first edition themed around ‘home’. Word count: 1000–15000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 12 November 2023 Find out more
Confingo This well-respected UK print magazine is currently open for short story submissions. Note that this publication doesn’t define itself by any genre. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: £30 Deadline: Not stated Find out more
Here There Be Dragons This editors of this anthology are seeking stories about dragons, naturally! Word count: 3000–6000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 1 January 2024 Find out more
Spooky I presume you’re feeling spooky given that Halloween is coming up soon, so this new venue should be the ideal home for your stories this month. Its editors reference points include Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson and Roald Dahl. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 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.
Tim Major 
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