* Excerpted from the free online Authors Publish newsletter (highly recommended)
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Flame Tree Publishing: Detective Mysteries; Epic Fantasy
They want new and recent short stories for two anthologies. Writers can submit more than one story, and to each anthology. They accept reprints.
— Detective Mysteries. Their guidelines say, “Private Eyes with eagle eyes and rare skills, PIs and gumshoes, bloodhounds and sleuths: the shadowy arts of the detective have intrigued us since tales of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and Sherlock Holmes. Add some treachery, intimacy, and a little murder to the mix and you’ll find a powerful series of dark stories from classic and contemporary writers.”
— Epic Fantasy. Their guidelines say, “George R.R. Martin drew on Tolkien, who was inspired by William Morris, Medieval epics, and Norse mythology. This new collection of epic fantasy tales explores the classic themes of good vs. evil, the low-born hero, and the arrogant overlord, lacing them with a taste of sorcery that reaches back to the early sources and stirring them in with the brand new storytellers of today.”
Deadline: 24 March 2019
Length: 2,000-4,000 words are most likely to be successful; will read slightly outside this rage
Pay: $0.06/word
Details here.
Grumpy Old Gods Anthology Volume 2
This is a second call to submissions on this theme – they want speculative fiction stories about gods gone AWOL. Their guidelines say, “We invite you to re-imagine old myths, mine your local retirement home for things that tickle your fancy, and invite your Muse to go wild.” The only requirement is that the god or goddess in question (or whole pantheon) must be retired, retiring, waning in power, or ignoring their responsibilities. Humor is welcome and they want PG-13 to PG-17 stories.
Deadline: 30 March 2019
Length: 3,000-4,000 words
Pay: A portion of the profits
Details here.
Orbannin Books: Letters from the Grave – A Collection of Epistolary Horror
They want epistolary horror. Their guidelines say, “The epistolary form has a long, proud tradition in the horror genre. From the classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula, through modern classics like World War Z. We want to see your fresh takes on the idea. Remember that the epistolary genre doesn’t just include letters. It can be stories created from nearly any kinds or combinations of documents, i.e. crime scene reports, diary entries, interview transcripts, etc. This can include modern electronic and digital “documents” such as texts, voicemails, Tweets, blog posts, and more.” See guidelines for tropes they won’t accept.
Deadline (extended): 31 March 2019
Length: Up to 10,000 words
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.
Darkhouse Books: Mid-Century Murder; A Murder of Crows
— Mid-Century Murder. For this theme, they want cozy to cozy-noir crime stories set in the late forties through the very early sixties. They want stories that evoke the era, though its fashions, homes, furniture and furnishings, vehicles, restaurants, stores and products, music, movies, radio and television. For authors on Facebook, they have pointed to two groups that could be useful for grokking the era (see guidelines). They accept reprints.
— A Murder of Crows. This is a call for cozy to cozy-noir crime stories, set in any time, from dinosaurs to the present, using the collective names of groups of animals which includes mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, and insects, or names of authors’ invention. Their guidelines also say, “Earth animals/birds only, none from outer space or invented animals. You can put your animals in jeopardy but animal cruelty or killing an animal is an automatic rejection. Choosing an animal/bird that is a little different may give you an edge on being chosen. We don’t want multiple stories using the same species! Your animals should be an integral part of the crime, not just a mention as part of the story.”
Deadline: 31 March 2019 for Mid-Century Murder; 30 April for A Murder of Crows
Length: 2,500-6,000 words
Pay: Royalties
Details here and here.
Cricket Media: Six themes
Cricket Media produces literary magazines for children of various ages – Babybug (for ages 6 months to 3 years), Ladybug (ages 3 to 6), Spider (ages 6 to 9), and Cricket (ages 9 to 14). The magazines have several themes coming up.
— Whatever the Weather. For Babybug: “stories, poems, action rhymes, and fingerplays about year-round outdoor play and exploration. What might a baby or toddler appreciate about the natural world in different seasons? Are there memorable games that can only be played at certain times of year?”
— A Part of it All. For Ladybug: “short stories, retellings of folk tales, rebus stories, poems, action rhymes, nonfiction, and songs about young children participating in their communities. Welcoming new neighbors, harvesting a shared garden, celebrating a holiday—show us how small children can affect their neighborhoods. We’re interested in explorations of communities across the US and abroad.”
— Enchanted Forest. For Spider: “stories, poems, short plays, and activities for the theme “Enchanted Forest.” Show us worlds of magic and wonder, full of unicorns, witches in the woods, mythical beasts, and fairytale castles. Give us a new version of the traditional fairytale cast—what if a princess, prince, knight, or villain did not want to follow the roles assigned to them? Fractured and contemporary fairytales welcome.”
— Indigenous Stories. For Cricket, Spider, and Ladybug: “heartfelt stories by and about indigenous peoples of North America, whether you identify as indigenous, Native American, First Nation, or another name. Tell us about special family moments, traditions continued or lost, life on or off a reservation, learning and growing up in the present or past, or an important moment in history.”
— Home for the Holidays. For Cricket and Spider: “contemporary and historical fiction, nonfiction, poetry, crafts, and recipes about the celebration or history of holidays around the world. We welcome well-told seasonal stories set against the background of major U.S. holidays, but we also have special interest in holidays and festivals celebrated in other parts of the world that may be less familiar to our young readers.”
— Open for Business. For Cricket: “seeks contemporary and historical fiction, biographies, and nonfiction about earning money or starting an enterprise. Fictional stories might be set against the background of a child’s summer job or working in a family business; saving money for an important event; or family struggles with money. Nonfiction might focus on inventors and entrepreneurs, the Industrial Revolution and labor strife, or people with unusual jobs.” These magazines also accept nonfiction, poetry, and craft submissions.
Deadline: 1 April 2019
Length: Various
Pay: Up to $0.25/word for prose, $3/line for poetry
Details here.
B Cubed Press: Tales from the Space Force
This is an anthology around the Space Force. Their guidelines say, “Now that America has an official Space Force, we need to incorporate it into literature.
What to do we want? Camp? Satire? Bug Eyed Monsters? All good. We’ll do serious stories, too. Mostly we want good stories. And if I am to confess, we want campy stories. We want the golden age of pulp to live again. … Ask yourself, what would an American Space Force do? Will there be a space wall around the International Space Station? Will NASA and the Space Force get along?” Political bents are allowed, and they also accept poetry. Also check out their other themed calls: Alternative Bedtime Reading for Progressive Parents, and Alternative Apocalypses.
Deadline: 15 April 2019
Length: 500-5,000 words
Pay: $0.02/word and royalties; for flash pieces and poetry, an option of a flat $25 fee
Details here.
Thema: The Clumsy Gardener
They want fiction, poetry, and essays on the theme of The Clumsy Gardener. The premise must be an integral part of the plot, not necessarily the central theme but not incidental. They like a carefully constructed plot, good character delineation, and clever plot twists. They welcome both traditional and experimental stories. They also accept poetry, photographs, and art. Authors in the US must post their work, those outside the US can email it. They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 1 July 2019
Length: Fewer than 20 pages for prose; up to three poems
Pay: $25 for short stories, $10 for flash and poetry
Details here.
Unfit Magazine: AR/VR and the downside to commercialization of technology
They publish fiction: Quantum Fiction, Cyberpunk, Scientific Realism and Augmented Reality, and they want stories with metaphors and emotional ambiance and imaginative descriptive writing. Currently, they’re looking for stories about AR/VR and the downside to the commercialization of technology.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 500-3,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word
Details here.
Unreal Magazine: Unusual creatures and odd experiences
They publish fiction: fantasy, magic realism, and experimental fiction. Currently, they are looking for stories about unusual creatures and odd experiences.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 500-5,000 words
Pay: $0.01/word
Details here.
