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.
I’m very pleased I can now announce this… The excellent Salò Press will publish my story ‘Echec!’ as a chapbook next month. It’s one of my Great Robots of History stories, about the chess-playing automaton known as the Mechanical Turk. It’s a bit of a departure for me, being a comedy (sort of) and presented as a play script.
I’ll show the people a true spectacle.
For years, Schlumberger has operated the chess-playing automaton known as the Mechanical Turk… and it’s killing him. Tonight, trapped together in the backstage area of a Cuban theatre, it’s time for their final game.
Some excellent writers have said some very kind things about it:
As box-cutter-sharp as Ellison and as wickedly deadpan as Douglas Adams at his finest, Tim Major’s Echec! is a true science-fiction masterclass. – Chris Kelso, author of Voidheads
Tim Major’s bold tour de force reanimates Johann Nepomuk Mälzel’s Mechanical Turk for the AI age, with a lightness of touch that we’ve come to expect from the grand master. Checkmate! – Dan Coxon, editor of Writing the Uncanny
The chapbook is pre-orderable now from the Salò Press website and will be shipped in early March.
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.
I made five other sales of short stories that will be published in 2024.
Next year I’ll be focusing on the publication of Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives in September, from Titan Books. I’m very excited about it! More details soon.
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.
It seems that editors have spent the summer months preparing their next projects! Here are 16 of the most interesting open submissions calls for writers I’ve found.
Language Evolves This contest supported by Cardiff University has a really exciting prompt relating to the field of language evolution. As its website states, this could include ‘imagining situations in the past or the future, speculating on how language might have evolved in a different species, or thinking about the consequences of our methods and practice.’ Word count: Up to 2500 words Payment: £400 prize, with awards for the best Welsh language story and English language story Deadline: 30 September 2023 Find out more
Crab Tales Magazine You’re unlikely to have already written a story to meet the requirements of this magazine, but with a word limit of only 250 words, maybe you’d like to have a try at writing a fantastical crab story, finally? Word count: Up to 250 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 24 September 2023 Find out more
Negative Creep A very specific call, but one rich with possibility… The editors of this anthology to be published by Book Slayer Press are seeking horror stories themed around Nirvana songs. Word count: 1000–3000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 1 October 2023 Find out more
Night Time Economy The editors of the new Birmingham-based publisher Floodgate Press are looking for night-time tales by writers from the West Midlands. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: £20 Deadline: 31 January 2023 Find out more
Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars This prompt is a nice twist, with emphasis placed on magical animal familiars rather than their witchy or wizardy partners. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: 15 October 2023 Find out more
Hauntings and Hoarfrost This anthology will be filled with Gothic stories. In the words of editor Rhonda Parrish: ‘What better setting could there be than the deep, dark, depths of winter? When snow and storms can isolate remote locations for days or weeks and bundling up to keep the cold away provides a different kind of anonymity and isolation even in the heart of cities.’ Word count: Up to 7500 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 7 October 2023 Find out more
Gamut This well-regarded magazine has recently been revived. When the submission portal opens, you’ll need to hurry, as the submissions slots fill up fast! Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open at the start of each month until submission slots are filled – next opening 1 October 2023 Find out more
Northern Nights This opportunity’s limited to Canadian writers, but it’s a great opportunity if you fit the bill. Undertow Publications produce some of the best, and most beautifully designed, horror and weird-fiction collections imaginable. Word count: 500–5000 words Payment: 10 Canadian cents per word Deadline: Open 1 October–1 December 2023 Find out more
The Way of Worlds This anthology from Underdog Press will feature stories themed around space exploration and colonization. The editors note that stories don’t have to be hard SF, though. Word count: 3500–12,000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 31 December 2023 Find out more
Screams from the Ocean Floor For their first anthology, the editors at Broken Brain Books are seeking ‘unique ocean-themed horror stories that will leave the reader thinking twice before stepping near the sea again.’ Word count: 3000–5000 words Payment: $15 Deadline: 31 October 2023 Find out more
Love Letters to Poe The third volume of stories connected to Edgar Allan Poe will feature tell-tale tales relating to ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’. Word count: Up to 4000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 1 November 2023 Find out more
Decapitate It’s a slightly misleading title, this one, as it has nothing to do with horror as far as I can see. Pandemic lockdown project Quaranzine has now relaunched with a new name, and its editors are looking for stories themed around social justice. Word count: No limits specified Payment: $25 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Death’s Other Kingdom: Horror Tales of World War I Historical horror specialists The Scythian Wolf are looking for WWI stories that involve the supernatural. Word count: 4000–9000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 1 November 2023 Find out more
Crimson Quill Quarterly The editors of this fantasy magazine are looking for stories with the subgenres of sword & sorcery, dark fantasy and grimdark. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 31 October 2023 Find out more
Paranoid Tree The flash fiction featured in this online and print zine appear to be unthemed and not limited by particular genre. Word count: Up to 400 words Payment: $50 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Stonecoast Review Despite the fairly generic title (it relates to the Stonecoast MFA Program), this magazine features speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, with an emphasis on character. Word count: Up to 5000 words Payment: None Deadline: 1 October 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.
No newsletter this month due to the usual summer-holiday chaos, but I was determined not to neglect my gathering of open submissions calls for writers…
Microbes to the Rescue! This short story competition from Green Stories and sponsored by the Environmental Biotechnology Network is open to SF stories concerning microbial systems. Word count: 1000–3000 words Payment: £500 prize for 1st place, £200 for 2nd place, £100 for 3rd place Deadline: 21 September 2023 Find out more
Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize I don’t normally flag contests with entry fees here, but Galley Beggar are a fantastic publisher, so I can’t resist adding this to the list despite the £10 entry fee. There are 200 free slots for low earners. No genre restrictions. Word count: Up to 6000 words Payment: £2500 first prize, plus runner-up prizes Deadline: 30 September 2023 Find out more
The Quiet Ones The third issue of this creepy online zine will feature horror and dystopian stories themed around ‘The End’. Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: $25 Deadline: 10 September 2023 Find out more
Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction Another contest, this one free to enter. It may hold particular appeal for SFF and horror writers as the theme is ‘The Uncanny’. 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 10 shortlisted authors Deadline: 22 September 2023 Find out more
African Ghost Short Stories This is the latest anthology from the excellent Flame Tree Press. The editors seek stories from African and African-diaspora writers, and describe the anthology as featuring ‘the deep-seated supernatural element in African storytelling – whether reaching back to the spirits, ancestors and ogres of folklore or the vibrantly modern ghosts of today’s African horror’. Word count: Around 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 27 August 2023 Find out more
Escalators to Hell: Shopping Mall Horrors For this unusual themed anthology, From Beyond Press are looking for horror and dark sci-fi stories about shopping malls past, present and future. Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 31 August 2023 Find out more
Orion’s Belt This online magazine seeks (very) short stories with ‘significant speculative elements’. Word count: Up to 1200 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 1 September 2023 Find out more
Hearth Stories This new magazine will feature ‘speculative fiction slice-of-life stories with a focus on connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world’. Word count: Around 1500–5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 31 October 2023 Find out more
Good luck if you have a try at any of these openings! And remember, you can sign up for my email newsletter for monthly open submission calls direct to your inbox.
Here are the most interesting open submissions calls for SFF writers I’ve found this month – and there are some very exciting ones included. If you’d like advance notice of calls for submissions, sign up for my monthly email newsletter.
Image from The Off-Season submissions page
The Off-Season Oh, this sounds good. Editor Marissa Van Uden is seeking ‘new weird’ stories featuring ‘ocean-loving cults, crumbling seaside mansions, empty resort towns’ and more. I don’t think I’ll have a chance to write something for this call, but I’d certainly like to read the finished anthology. Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: Open 31 July – 6 August 2023 for marginalized voices; 7 August – 28 August 2023 for all submitters Find out more
Beyond and Within This is a terrific opportunity for any horror writers out there. Prolific editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have teamed with Flame Tree Press for a folk horror anthology, and while most of the stories are by invited authors, four slots have been reserved for open submissions. But you’ll need to work fast! Word count: 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 6 August 2023 Find out more
More Fey A new anthology from Lethe Press, with stories featuring queer/LGBT speculative elements about ‘the strangeness of the fey folk and their interactions with mortals’. Note the distinction between fairy tales and tales with fairies before submitting! Word count: 2500–10,000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 1 September Find out more
Hidden Villains: Betrayed The Inkd Publishing editors seek dark fantasy, horror or SF stories. Elements of betrayal, cheating, deception etc are vital. Word count: 2000–8000 words Payment: 2 cents per word Deadline: 31 August 2023 Find out more
Shoreline of Infinity A one-off flash fiction contest from the excellent Scottish SF magazine. The theme is ‘Close to the Edge’, to be interpreted as you see fit. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: £50 for the winning story, plus 1-year digital subscription to Shoreline of Infinity Deadline: 3 September 2023 Find out more
Why Didn’t You Just Leave An anthology of horror fiction from editors Nadia Bulkin and Julia Rios, who are seeking complex answers to the quite sensible question asked in the anthology title. Word count: 500–5000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 1–31 August 2023 Find out more
Tales to Terrify This podcast features horror and dark fantasy stories, and are welcome to the definitions of horror being stretched. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Lucent Dreaming The editors of this magazine for emerging authors are particularly looking for ‘beautiful, strange and surreal work’, which seems both an interesting mix and a laudable ambition. Interested writers are asked to buy a copy of the magazine before submitting. Word count: 400–3999 words Payment: £100 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Shub-Niggurath’s Sweater This anthology from Underland Press will feature ‘cozy cosmic horror’. I bet you can have some fun with that prompt! Word count: 1000–5000 words Payment: 1 cent per word Deadline: 11 August 2023 Find out more
TSS Publishing The editors of this online zine state a preference for literary fiction, but note ‘we are open to other genres and styles as long as the characters are convincing and the plot compelling’. Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: £15 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
When I was invited to be a guest on the Tiny Bookcase podcast I realised I’d never done a podcast recording before, so I was pretty nervous. I needn’t have been! The hosts, Ben and Nico, were really welcoming, and it was a particular help that it was a conversation with a clear agenda. The premise is that I and both hosts read out and discussed short stories we’d each written based on the same prompt: ‘The Horizon’.
The first part is available to listen to now via your preferred podcast app, or online here, and the second part will be released on Monday. My story starts just after the 20-minute mark. It’s another of my Great Robots of History stories, featuring the mythical bronze giant Talos in a contemplative mood.
Take a look at the most interesting open submissions calls for SFF writers I’ve found this month. Good luck if you have a go at any of these opportunities!
Learning to Be Human This new anthology from established publisher of high-quality anthologies Flame Tree Press will focus on ‘the interplay between automation, humankind, and what it is to be human’. As you can imagine, I’m pretty excited about this call for submissions myself… Word count: Around 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 2 July 2023 Find out more
Shadows on the Water This is another upcoming anthology from Flame Tree Press, and another exciting theme: myth and folklore, dark fantasies and supernatural tales relating to bodies of water. Word count: Around 2000–4000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: 2 July 2023 Find out more
The Utopia of Us Oh wow, this is a good one. Respected editor and author Teika Marija Smits is seeking stories inspired by Yevgeny Zamyatin’s proto-SF 1924 masterpiece We, with the anthology due to be published by the excellent Luna Press. The deadline’s way off, but the requirements are very specific, so I thought you’d appreciate the time in hand. Word count: 2000–6000 words Payment: £75 Deadline: Open 6–8 October 2023 Find out more
NPQ NPQ hopes to ‘help advance critical conversations that can refine nonprofit and social movement policy and practice’. Its upcoming issue will be of particular interest to SFF writers, as it’s due to feature ‘short climate fiction stories that spark imaginative visions of the future’, with stated influences including Janelle Monáe, Octavia E. Butler, and Ursula K. Le Guin. Word count: Up to 2000 words Payment: $500 Deadline: 30 June 2023 Find out more
Make Your Presence Known The subtitle of this anthology from Off Limits Press is ‘Stories of Seances, Conjuring, and Mediumship’, which sets the mind going, doesn’t it? Word count: 1500–5000 words Payment: 4 cents per word Deadline: 30 June 2023 Find out more
It Was All A Dream This sounds like fun: an anthology of ‘bad horror tropes done right’. In the words of the editors, ‘What is your least favorite horror trope? Why? Has it been overdone? Is it predictable? Is it unrealistic? Here’s your chance to fix it.’Word count: Up to 3000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–15 July 2023 Find out more
Solar Press There isn’t a huge amount of description of the forthcoming anthology from Solar Press on their website, but they’re looking for ‘high-concept’ stories and they include an interesting list of favourite authors including Clive Barker, William S. Burroughs, and Jorge Luis Borges. Word count: Up to 10,000 words Payment: $50 Deadline: 31 August 2023 Find out more
Cosmic Horror Monthly Do you write cosmic horror, whether it’s Lovecraftian or a weirder flavour? Either way, this is the magazine for you. Word count: 1000–6000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: Open 1–7 July 2023 Find out more
Diabolical Plots The editors of this respected online zine seek speculative stories of all sorts. And they pay very well! Word count: Up to 3500 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: Open 17–31 July 2023 Find out more
Monstrous Magazine There are no pretensions whatsoever in this call for fast-paced, pulpy flash fiction featuring monsters. Word count: 1000–2000 words Payment: 6 cents per word Deadline: Open 29 June–27 July 2023 Find out more
Here are the most interesting open submissions calls for SFF writers I’ve found this month. Good luck!
Qualia Nous The first volume of this anthology series contained high-profile names and was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in an Anthology. This new volume looks set to be a bit deal, too. The editor interprets the slightly opaque title as referring to ‘subjective, conscious experience; the internal and subjective component of sense perceptions arising from stimulation of the senses by phenomena… having the ability to understand what is true or real.’ Plenty to chew on there! Word count: 3,000 – 10,000 words Payment: 10 cents per word Deadline: 31 July 2023 Find out more
Luna Press This wonderful Edinburgh-based SFF publisher, which has received multiple genre awards (and which published both my short story collection And the House Lights Dim and my YA novel Machineries of Mercy) will be open to novels and collections in mid-June. Get your manuscripts polished and ready to go! Word count: 50,000 words and above Payment: To be negotiated Deadline: Open 16–18 June 2023 Find out more
Greater Than His Nature / Open All Night Atomic Carnival Books are currently preparing two anthologies. The first is Greater Than His Nature, themed around ‘mad science’. The second, Open All Night, is more unusual, to feature ‘retail and service industry-based stories… graveyard shifts, overnight inventories gone bad, and haunted diners’. Word count: Ideally between 2000–6000 words Payment: 3 cents per word Deadline: 30 June 2023 Find out more
Centaur This publication isn’t explicitly an SFF one, though its editors seek bold pieces of flash fiction that could be classed as ‘fantasy, reality, and everything in between’. Word count: Up to 400 words Payment: $20 Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
Graveyard Boots Horror in the Old West! The editors of this anthology seek ‘stories that add creatures, gunslingers, ghouls, ill omens, bad luck, evil minds, monsters and more to the already desolate landscape and ghost towns’. Sounds ace. Word count: 2500–5500 words Payment: Half a cent per word Deadline: 31 August 2023 Find out more
The Cosmic Background I like the sound of this new online publication of slipstream flash fiction, largely because their list of influential writers is pleasingly varied, including Kelly Link, George Saunders, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Sarah Pinsker. Word count: Up to 1000 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Ongoing Find out more
My story, ‘The Brazen Head of Westinghouse’, has been published on IZ Digital, the online arm of Interzone magazine. It’s about Elektro, the robot that was exhibited at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, who could walk, talk and (oddly enough) smoke cigarettes. It’s quite a sweet and sad little story, I think.
You can read ‘The Brazen Head of Westinghouse’ for free if you’re a subscriber to the Interzone print edition, or if you’re a member of IZ Digital (only 1 euro per month!). Click here to go to the story.
In other news, I’m so pleased to say that I’ll have a story featured in Best of British Science Fiction, alongside stories by writers whose work I love. My story, ‘The Marshalls of Mars’, is about a married couple on a return trip to Mars (though plans go awry, resulting in a fairly profound detour). Neatly enough, it was first published in IZ Digital, like ‘The Brazen Head of Westinghouse’. My thanks go to Gareth Jelley for first publishing it, and to Donna Bond for selecting it for this anthology.
A new year, a fresh start, renewed ambitions, and so on… January is a great time to send out stories you’ve already written, or to be inspired to write new ones. Below, I’ve gathered some of the most interesting open submission calls for writers I’ve spotted this month. If you have a try at any of these opportunities, best of luck!
Horror Library This is the eighth volume of horror stories from Dark Moon Books. Their criteria makes for an interesting list: ‘Imaginative and/or harrowing adventure; beauty of darkness; horror (edgy or quiet); exploration through fears or discovery; original monsters and/or strange lands; life events turned slightly askew, etc.’
Word count: 1500–5000 words
Payment: 2 cents per word
Deadline: Opens 16 January 2023, closes 30 January 2023 www.darkmoonbooks.com/Submissions.html
Triangulation: Seven-Day Weekend The new volume of this longstanding series anthologies will feature fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror stories themed around automation. Despite the genre list, the guidelines don’t seem to require that stories are bleak, which is refreshing.
Word count: Up to 5000 words
Payment: 3 cents per word
Deadline: 1 February 2023 https://parsecink.com/index.php/triangulation-submissions/
Cymera / Shoreline of Infinity Prize for Speculative Short Fiction Cymera is one of the friendliest and most fun SFF events around. Shoreline of Infinity is one of the most inventive and consistent SF magazines. How could the idea of impressing both of them at the same time not be a good idea? NB it’s open to anyone living in Scotland or who identifies as Scottish ‘by birth or inclination’, which is a lovely phrase.
Word count: Up to 2500 words
Payment: Prize of £150 for the winner plus publication in Shoreline of Infinity, free tickets to two Cymera events for the runners-up
Deadline: 26 March 2023 www.shorelineofinfinity.com/cymera-shoreline-of-infinity-prize-for-speculative-short-fiction-2023/
The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse An anthology from Hungry Shadow Press with an excellent theme: ‘the experiences, the points of view, the wild, weird, disgusting, disturbing, beautiful, heartbreaking things that happened at the very beginning of the end of the world.’
Word count: 1500–4000 words
Payment: 3 cents per word
Deadline: Opens 1 February 2023, deadline 28 February 2023 www.hungryshadowpress.com/submissions-the-first-five-minutes-of-the-apocalypse
Seers and Sibyls Another very specific but fascinating theme for this submissions call. In the editors’ own words: ‘We’re looking for stories about the mouthpieces of gods and goddesses. Who interprets their omens, tells their prophecies, sees their visions, and performs their miracles? And to what end?’
Word count: 1500–5000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 31 January 2023 https://brigidsgatepress.com/submissions
Monster Lairs This anthology from Dark Matter will feature dark fantasy and horror (and related hybrids such as fairytale horror, gothic fantasy, supernatural horror, cosmic horror). Editor Anna Madden is seeking ‘decidedly inhuman monsters that have been sought out and challenged, befriended, protected, or stolen from their own grounds, roots exposed like naked bone’. I tell you what – the themes for open submissions this month are pretty amazing, aren’t they?
Word count: 2000–4000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 30 January 2023, but then until 5 February 2023 for previously unpublished writers, ESL writers, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ writers, and other marginalized voices https://darkmattermagazine.shop/pages/monster-lairs-submission-guidelines
Habitats This is a new magazine that will specialise in ‘optimistic and uplifting short science-fiction stories on any subject’. There’s not nearly enough warmth and positivity in most SF, in my opinion, so this is another very welcome theme. It’s also the first open submission call I’ve seen which states explicitly that stories written or assisted by AI are not welcome.
Word count: 1000–6000 words
Payment: 10 cents per word
Deadline: Ongoing, as far as I can tell www.kickstarter.com/projects/samuelcooke/habitats-magazine-optimistic-science-fiction/posts/3701085
Sherlock Holmes: The Defaced Men (Titan) – my second Holmes novel (after The Back to Front Murder), featuring cinema pioneer Eadweard Muybridge.
Sherlock Holmes & The Twelve Thefts of Christmas (Titan) – a ‘Christmas special’ of a Holmes novel, featuring Irene Adler’s ‘advent calendar of crimes’ and with central roles for Mary Watson and Mrs Hudson.
Shade of Stillthorpe (Black Shuck) – a weird, folk horror-ish novella about family, fatherhood and changelings.
‘The Marshalls of Mars’(IZ Digital / Interzone) – a short story about parenthood and isolation, featuring Meryl and Rich, the protagonists of my first published Interzone story, back in 2014.
It’s less than in previous years, but still a substantial enough output overall, I think. Most of all, I’m proud of all of this work.
I’ll be honest: 2022 hasn’t been the easiest year for writing and publishing. The year began with the disappointing cancellation of an anthology that would have included one of my stories, and would have represented a huge ambition fulfilled. It was also the first year in around a decade in which I didn’t begin working on a new original novel, which leaves me feeling that I haven’t made proper progress. Instead, most of the year was spent making revisions and editorial changes to two projects begun last year, and drafting the first half of a commissioned tie-in novel.
While I spent just under 300 hours writing, so much of my time was spent editing that I wrote fewer words than I have since 2018 – just over 172,000 words, compared to 286,000 words last year.
The year also involved a great deal of waiting. Though waiting is a fundamental characteristic of the publishing industry, and usually I’m fairly resistant to it, the long delays for feedback on drafts and submissions hit me hard this year, making progress on new projects far more difficult. It’s the first time I’ve been conscious that my writing career can have a negative impact on my mental health.
Another frustration was that my Christmas Sherlock Holmes title, The Twelve Thefts of Christmas, was affected by the IT software issue that has disrupted Waterstones warehousing and supply since the summer. The book was a month late to arrive in bookshops, and even then it failed to appear in most stores, despite (it seems) copies being ordered by booksellers. Given that it’s very much a seasonal novel, it’s now had its chance.
However – I mention these things not as complaints, but simply as a record of my year. I’m aware that I’m in a privileged position, and that I’m fortunate in that my work is still being published. More than anything, I continue to love writing, and I still have the luxury of plenty of time in which to do it.
The year to come is a little unpredictable, but there is one exciting element: the publication of an original novel that I’m really excited about, and that I’ll hopefully be able to announce soon. In fact, I’m determined to do right by this book in terms of publicising it widely, so I’ll be talking about it a lot. Apologies in advance.
As anybody browsing my previous blog posts can deduce, I love lists. Yes, they can be reductive, sometimes elitist, but they work amazingly as catalysts in terms of recommendations. Find a top-ten list of any media that includes some things you love, and the chances are you’ll also love the list items you don’t yet know.
On that note, I was recently asked to complete a book list for Shepherd.com. Given that my headspace has been so occupied with Sherlock Holmes recently, I opted to put together a list of ‘The best books containing satisfying mysteries’. I don’t think it’s too spoilery to show you this image of my choices, and you can read the whole article if you’d like to know my reasons for selecting them.
If there’s one thing better than making a satisfying list, it’s being included on someone else’s. Having your work noticed by an amazing editor like Ellen Datlow goes some way to staving off the imposter syndrome (for a while) – so I’m delighted that Ellen included my story ‘The Cardboard Voice’ in her longlist of 2021 recommendations, alongside many writers whose work I love.
The story’s available to read in Nightscript vol VII, edited by CM Muller. It’s about identity, deepfakes and old audio technology.
Most importantly, if you’re interested in the state of horror fiction right now (and in my opinion, it’s in a wildly healthy state), I’d recommend you scour Ellen’s list from start to finish. That’s what I’ll be doing.
I was so delighted when this popped up in my Twitter notifications last night, as I’d spent the day being grumpy with a bad cold…
My sentient-house story ‘O Cul-de-Sac!’ features on the current edition of fantasy podcast PodCastle, read by Nicola Seaton-Clark. While I haven’t had a chance to listen to the full reading yet, I can tell you that Nicola’s delivery is spot on. Hearing her read my story makes me very proud!
Click here to hear the reading, or you can find PodCastle via your usual podcast app. In addition, you can read the full text onscreen, for free.
If you’ve enjoyed this story, you may like to check out the book in which it first appeared: And the House Lights Dim, my first story collection, published by Luna Press.
Shall we ignore the fact that I didn’t post submissions calls in August or September? Sorry, sorry, and I’ll try to be more reliable in future. Anyway, as always (though not always, clearly), here are some of the most interesting open submission calls for writers I’ve spotted this month. If you have a try at any of these opportunities, good luck!
Game On! Anthology featuring stories which represent ‘unique science fiction and fantasy takes on games, game playing, and games in culture’. (Note the emphasis on games; anything that classifies as a sport won’t be accepted.) Several notable authors such as Aliette de Bodard and Cat Rambo have already signed up to provide stories.
Word count: Up to 7500 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 31 December 2022 https://zombiesneedbrains.moksha.io/publication/game-on/guidelines
Our Ocean’d Earth Anthology featuring non-fiction and fiction focused on ‘defending nature and empowering communities’. The editors are seeking stories ‘from a range of perspectives—from marine life researchers to conservationists, free divers to writers with a deep connection to the sea’.
Word count: Ideally 1000–3000 word
Payment: €200
Deadline: 30 October 2022 https://www.stormbirdpress.com/news/our-oceand-earth/
A Darkness Visible Anthology from Ontology Books, with a focus on postmodern horror – reference points include Mark Danielewski, Bret Easton Ellis, William Burroughs and Thomas Pynchon.
Word count: 3000–8000 words
Payment: £80
Deadline: 31 October 2022 https://www.ontologybooks.com/submissions
Come October One-off anthology from editor C.M. Muller, who’s been responsible for the fantastic Nightscript series. This anthology is dedicated to ‘autumnal horror’.
Word count: 1000-6000 words
Payment: Contributor copy
Deadline: Opens on 31 October 2022, deadline 31 December 2022 https://chthonicmatter.wordpress.com/come-october-2/
FABLE: An Anthology of Horror, Suspense & the Supernatural Anthology featuring horror, mystery, crime, thriller, and/or suspense stories in which ‘supernatural elements are encouraged’.
Word count: 1000–39,999 words
Payment: 8 cents per word for the first 1000 words, then 1 cent per word after that
Deadline: 30 November 2022 https://pridebookcafe.com/fable-an-anthology-of-horror-suspense-the-supernatural
Under the Stairs: An Anthology of Homebound Horror Anthology seeking ‘horrific stories about what happens when one’s sense of home is lost’.
Word count: Up to 3000 words
Payment: 3 cents per word
Deadline: 31 October 2022 https://www.underthestairsmag.com/submissions
Paramnesia Grendel Press is planning a series of themed anthologies, the first of which concerns ‘a condition or phenomenon involving distorted memory or confusions of fact and fantasy, such as confabulation or déjà vu’.
Word count: 3000-7000 words
Payment: 5 cents per word
Deadline: Open until the anthology is filled https://grendelpress.com/anthology-submissions/
Frivolous Comma Website featuring SFF/horror stories ‘from or about diverse perspectives and traditionally under-represented groups, settings, and cultures, written from a non-exoticizing and well-researched position, and dealing with transition & intersectionality.’
Word count: 1000–4000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: Open until 300 submissions have been received https://www.frivolouscomma.com/submit/
This World Belongs to Us: An Anthology of Horror Stories about Bugs A fairly self-explanatory theme, though the editors elaborate with some examples: ‘Bugs as ill omens, bugs burrowing into bodies or thoughts, bugs taking over your town, giant bugs eating your friends, bugs giving you the side-eye at the supermarket’.
Word count: 500–5000 words
Payment: 5 cents per word
Deadline: 30 November 2022 http://frombeyondpress.com/submissions/
My story ‘The Marshalls of Mars’ is published today! You can read it on IZ Digital, Interzone’s new digital offshoot. It’s about marriage and raising a child and nostalgia and isolation and Mars. The terrific art is by Martin Hanford.
Once again, I’ve trawled the web for SFF/horror open submission calls so you don’t have to. It’s a compulsion, I guess. Good luck if you decide to pursue any of these opportunities!
Monstrous Futures This anthology to be published by Dark Matter Ink follows a previous volume, Human Monsters. This volume will feature Black Mirror-esque ‘dark sci-fi with an emphasis on exploring our connection with technology and one another through speculative concepts and backdrops’.
Word count: 2000–4000 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 30 June 2022 https://darkmattermagazine.shop/pages/dark-matter-presents-monstrous-futures
Seize the Press This new online zine is looking for ‘dark, transgressive speculative fiction. bleak sci-fi, dark fantasy and horror’. All the fun stuff.
Word count: Up to 2000 words
Payment: 6 pence per word
Deadline: Always open, it seems https://www.seizethepress.com/submissions/
Dangerous Waters: Deadly Women of the Sea Horror and dark fantasy anthology to be published by Brigids Gate Press, centred around ‘malevolent mermaids, sinister sirens, scary selkies, spirits, and other deadly and dangerous women of the sea’.
Word count: 500–3500 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 30 June 2022 https://brigidsgatepress.com/submissions
Fusion Fragment Another online zine, this one twelve issues into its run and centred around ‘science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction’.
Word count: 2000 to 15,000 words
Payment: 3.5 cents (CAD) per word
Deadline: Open 10–12 June 2022 https://www.fusionfragment.com/submissions/
Orion’s Belt This online magazine seeks stories with ‘significant speculative elements’.
Word count: Up to 1200 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 1 September 2022 https://www.orions-belt.net/submissions
Apparition Lit Quarterly magazine currently accepting speculative flash fiction based on a specific visual prompt which changes each month.
Word count: Up to 1000 words
Payment: $30
Deadline: Current call ends on 14 June 2022 https://apparitionlit.com/submissions/
It’s that time again… Here are some of the most tantalising open submission calls I’ve spotted this month. If you decide to go after any of these opportunities, good luck!
Science Fiction Debuts Prize I normally post only about short story submissions, but this is a terrific opportunity for any up-and-coming SF novelists. To coincide with its forthcoming Science Fiction exhibition, the Science Museum has partnered with Hodder & Stoughton to launch a new writing prize for unpublished writers who aren’t yet represented by a literary agent. Word count: Submit 10,000 words of a novel, plus synopsis Payment: First prize is £4000, plus a full critique of your work, plus a Hodderscape mentoring programme, plus introduction to three agents. Other prizes for runners up. Deadline: Open 4 June–30 September 2022 www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/science-fiction-debuts-writing-prize
Dracula Beyond Stoker New journal entirely dedicated to Dracula-themed fiction. The first issue will (naturally enough) be themed around the character of Dracula himself, with the second issue revolving around Renfield. Word count: 1500–5000 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: 15 June 2022 (for first issue) www.dbspress.com/submissions
Campfire Macabre: Volume 2 Cemetery Gates Media seeks flash horror fiction for the second volume in its Campfire Macabre series. Stories must match one theme from the following: ‘When We Were Getting High’, ‘My Last Trick ‘r Treat’, ‘Body Grotesquerie’, ‘Ominous Visitors From Deep Space’ or ‘Out in the Fields, Forests, and Lakes’. Word count: 500–1500 words Payment: 8 cents per word Deadline: Open 1 June–15 August 2022 cemeterygatesmedia.com/submissions/
The Dread Machine This newish magazine seeks futuristic dark fiction, speculative fiction, cyberpunk, slipstream, and science fiction. Word count: Up to 5,500 words Payment: 5 cents per word Deadline: No deadline www.thedreadmachine.com/submit/
The Consultations of Sherlock Holmes Belanger Books is putting together an anthology of traditional Sherlock Holmes stories that demonstrate Holmes’s skills as “consulting detective” – that is, stories in which he solves the case without leaving Baker Street. Word count: 5,000–10,000 words Payment: $100 or $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever is greater) Deadline: 15 September 2022 horrortree.com/taking-submissions-the-consultations-of-sherlock-holmes/
This post comes hot on the heels of the previous list of open submissions, as that one barely sneaked into March. Anyway, here are the most interesting current and upcoming calls for fiction submissions that I’ve spotted recently. Good luck!
Luna Press
This excellent small press is seeking speculative, SF/F or dark fantasy novellas. But be quick about it – they’re only open this weekend!
Word count: Between 20,000 and 40,000 words
Payment: Not stated
Deadline: Open 8–9 April 2022 https://www.lunapresspublishing.com/submissions
The Other Stories
Podcast seeking stories on particular themes: the next three are Octopuses, Ageing, Faeries.
Word count: No limits stated
Payment: £15 per story
Deadline: 15 April 2022 (Octopuses), 1 May 2022 (Ageing), 15 May 2022 (Faeries) https://theotherstories.net/submissions
The Fiends in the Furrows III: Final Harvest
Nosetouch Press is looking for folk horror stories for the third (and apparently final) volume of the popular anthology series.
Word count: 3500–7000 words
Payment: 6 cents per word
Deadline: Open 1 May–31 July 2022 https://www.nosetouchpress.com/call/
IZ Digital
Celebrated British SF/F magazine Interzone is launching a new digital imprint.
Word count: Up to 7000 words
Payment: 1.5 euro cents per word
Deadline: Always open, as far as I can tell https://interzone.digital/submissions/
Space Fantasy
New online magazine seeking flash fiction adhering to the title theme, Is There Anybody Out There? They go on to say they mean ‘stories about unexpected encounters in isolated places’.
Word count: Up to 1250 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: Open May 1–30 2022 https://spacefantasymag.com/submission-guidelines/
Since I started out writing a decade ago, I’ve treated the submission (and rejection!) process for short stories as an important part of the gig. I still find myself scouring submissions calls almost daily, even though I respond to fewer of them each year (mainly because I’m writing fewer short stories and more novels). I thought I’d turn this habitual activity into something useful, and post the most interesting submission calls here. Good idea? Yes, I think so.
I should make clear that I’m not directly affiliated with any of these venues. These are simply the opportunities that have caught my eye.
Lightspeed
Currently open to SF/fantasy flash fiction
Word count: up to 1500 words
Payment: 8 cents per word
Deadline: 1 May 2022 at the earliest https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/lightspeed
Flame Tree Press: Shared Stories anthology Speculative, fantastic or folkloric stories ‘inspired by stories of the first peoples in Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas’ by writers with appropriate heritage Word count: Ideally 2000–4000 words
Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints
Deadline: 11 April 2022 http://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/first-peoples-call-for-submissions-0
Seaside Gothic
‘Seaside gothic literature’
Word count: Up to 1000 words
Payment: 1 pence per word
Deadline: Open 11–17 April 2022 https://seasidegothic.com/submissions/
Uncanny SF/F novellas (‘We want intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs’)
Word count: 17,500–40,000 words
Payment: 10 cents per word
Deadline: Open 1–15 May 2022 https://uncannymagazine.com/submissions/
It’s that time again… Here are some of the most tantalising open submission calls I’ve spotted this month. If you decide to go after any of these opportunities, good luck!
Tim Major 
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