There's a new challenge waiting for the bold and brave up in the 'Challenges and Prompts' forum. This one comes from 'Her Maggieship' and includes an image to be contemplated first. For more info and a look at the image, journey to the old C & P to learn all.

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* 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.

Two new writers
Two new stories
Two fresh Recommended Reads

Ansaryon, who has just joined SS, has given us, "Kissing the Girl' in the Romance category. It examines the anguish of a young woman who has developed a crush on her best friend - a straight female.

Mike Stone's first SS story is, 'A Walk in the Desert' in, Drama'. Set in Israel, it recounts an aging man's 'brief walk' using you-are- there descriptions of the settings, both urban and rural.

These are great reads and near the top of the stories list. Check 'em out.

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Most of these publishers have an imprint that accepts unsolicited submissions or queries. These imprints are sometimes very specific in terms of what genre they publish, others are very broad.

Some are print and many are digital-first. In most cases, digital-first means they publish an eBook version. If it does well, they follow it up with a traditional print run.

Not all of the imprints are currently open to submissions at this time, but all have plans to re-open.

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Versify

Versify, a new imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, is accepting submissions via email. Versify was started by the Newberry Award winning author Kwame Alexander, who you can learn more about here. The goal of Versify is to publish risky, unconventional books for children. They are looking for novels, nonfiction, picture books, and graphic novels. They also are probably the only imprint of Houghton Mifflin that has a Tumblr.

SMP Swerve


St Martin’s Press is an imprint of Macmillan. SMP Swerve is the digital-first romance publishing imprint of St Martin’s. SMP Swerve is open to all sub-genres of romance. The length of your manuscript must be between 25,000 and 100,000 words.

Forever Yours


Forever is the romance imprint of Grand Central Publishing. Grand Central Publishing is the imprint of the Hachette Book Group.Forever Yours is the digital sister of Forever, they focus on publishing un agented authors, and often publish authors without a publication history. They publish eBooks, but they have an option to print on demand any book over 50,000 words in length.

Tor/Forge

Tor/Forge publishes science fiction and fantasy books. Run by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, Tor/Forge is an imprint of Macmillan, one of the big five publishers. Tor is one of the most established science fiction publishers and they have won the Locus Award for best SF publisher many years in a row. They offer advances.


Avon Impulse

Avon Romance is a romance imprint of HarperCollins. Avon Impulse is their digital-first imprint and they publish primarily new authors because of this. If your book does well in terms of digital sales and it is over 25,000 words in length, it will receive a print run and receive good distribution. Books that receive a print run are officially published by Avon Romance for the print edition (and not Impulse).

Avon UK

10 Imprints of Big 5 Publishers That Accept Unsolicited Submissions
Avon UK has a separate digital imprint that is open to emailed submissions.

Harlequin

Harlequin is easily the most famous romance-only publisher out there. In fact, their name was synonymous with romance novels when I was growing up. They have wide distribution, from grocery stores to bookstores. They are everywhere. A few years ago HarperCollins purchased the company.

Carina Press

Carina Press is Harlequin’s digital-first adult fiction imprint, publishing first in digital, and then depending on the numbers releasing audio and print versions as well. Unlike most of Harlequin’simprints, they don’t just focus on romance, although they are open to all subgenres of romance, including contemporary, paranormal, LGBTQ+, and science fiction. They also publish mysteries of all flavors—from cozies to thrillers, with and without romantic elements. They, like Harlequin, are owned by HarperCollins

DAW

DAW is an imprint of Penguin that is open to manuscript submissions from authors without an agent. DAW is a highly respected publisher of Science Fiction and Fantasy. DAW has published authors such as Marion Zimmer Bradley and Roger Zelazny. DAW has published many bestselling books and they have published Hugo award winning books. So they are respected and popular.

WorthyKids/Ideals

WorthyKids/Ideals publishes fiction and nonfiction board books, novelty books, and picture books for children from birth through the age of 8. In September 2018 they were purchased by Hachette. The subjects they are interested in publishing are primarily inspiration/faith, relationships and values, general fiction, American patriotism, and holidays, particularly Easter and Christmas.

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From the free online newsletter of 'Author's Publish Magazine'

If the next contest is something along the lines of, 'Threadjack of the Year' this sucker will win hands down, imo. ;)

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Two Challenges To Prompt Your Imagination - sorta

Those folks wary of traveling to the top of the forums page may have missed the two challenges now available in the 'Challenges and Prompts' (just for fun) forum.

The 'Time Warp'' challenge is for stories in any category, up to 5,000 words.
The Describe the Singer one is for micro fiction.

No pressure, no deadline. Each challenge has its own entry guidelines, including word limit.

So far, nine brave souls have taken on the 'Singer' challenge while 'Time Warp' is well represented but the exact number of entries is beyond me -- among many other things.

Anyway, take a look at the 'Challenges and Prompts' forum and give both of them a try. You have now been officially challenged. ;)

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Excerpted from the free online newsletter of, Authors Publish -- highly recommended.

Carina Press: Holiday 2019 Proposals
This is a call for proposals for romance novels on the Holiday theme. They want contemporary romances set against holidays that fall from October to January. Holidays celebrated by all different faiths, belief systems and cultures are included, as are Christmas stories. The books do not need to be set in the US. They welcome #ownvoices stories, as well as LGBTQ+ and poly pairings. Writers need to send a query letter, a synopsis and an extract. Carina is a digital-first imprint of Harlequin.
Deadline: 27 February 2019
Length: A minimum of the first 7,500 words of the work in progress for the proposal; the actual novel is to be at least 50,000 words
Pay: Royalties
Details here.

Darkhouse Books: What We Talk About When We Talk About It: Variations on the Theme of Love
They want poetry and prose on this very broad theme. Their guidelines say, “What is love, anyhow? You can love your partner, your friend, your country, your dog, cat, rat, your local library, your family, yourself. You can love money, liquor, food, wilderness, or the dive bar on the corner. What does love make people do? What will people give for it? What will they steal?” For this issue they lean towards the literary while welcoming all genres. Also see this page for their anthologies on other themes, with other deadlines.
Deadline: 28 February 2019
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: Royalties
Details here.

Uncanny Magazine: The Disabled People Destroy Fantasy
They want fantasy stories from writers who identify themselves as disabled; identity is what matters for this issue (see this essay on their website, Disabled Enough). Their guidelines say, “We’re looking for immediate and visceral tales of danger, fun and inventive adventures, and fateful journeys to distant lands or to the dragon’s lair in your own backyard. We’re looking for intricate, challenging tales with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs.” They do not require stories to explore issues relating to disability, although those are welcome. They are also looking for essays that explore the relationship between fantastical literature and disability, and will accept pitches or fully written essays. They also accept poetry.
Deadline: 28 February 2019
Length: 750-6,000 words for fiction, 1,000-2,500 words for essays,
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction; $60 for essays; $30 for poetry
Details here.

Tell-Tale Press: Creatures
They want fantasy, horror, mystery and science fiction stories about creatures: animals, insects, arachnids, dinosaurs, aliens, monsters, cryptids, legends, mythical, or mythological. They want writers to think outside the box. The stories can be about vampires or aliens, werewolves or unicorns, but these must be new and fresh, something that hasn’t been thought of before or hasn’t been worked with much. They will be accepting one novelette-length work.
Deadline: 4 March 2019
Length: 500-10,000 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $5-25; $50 for novelette
Details here.

Hippocampus Magazine: Ink
This creative nonfiction magazine is publishing an anthology that will celebrate print media—magazines and newspapers—from the pre-digital age. Their guidelines say, “We want to hear stories from all parts of these operations, from the newsroom to production. We want to hear from those who worked for small town papers and big city dailies. We want to hear about how these publications built community, impacted change, celebrated local milestones, or mourned national tragedies. We want to hear how people chased stories, and we’re interested in the stories behind those with the bylines. We want to hear how your printed words made a difference—as well as how your career affected you.” They do not want individual reflection per se, but rather compelling essays with a clear narrative arc.
Deadline: 30 March 2019
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $25
Details here

Highlights Magazine: Several themes
This is a general-interest magazine for children ages 6-12. They are currently interested in short stories on these themes: historical fiction set during periods other than World War II, mystery stories featuring boy protagonists, humorous stories featuring girl protagonists, sports stories for younger readers featuring girl protagonists, science fiction, graphic (comic-book format) stories, stories set in countries outside the US (currently do not need stories that focus on food traditions), holiday stories (especially Thanksgiving and Easter; do not need Christmas or Halloween stories). For poetry, they currently need short verse (up to 10 lines), especially non-rhyming and/or humorous poetry; they aren’t accepting poems with nature or seasonal themes or poems about dogs at this time. They also publish puzzles, articles, and activities.
Deadline: Unspecified
Length: Up to 750 words for fiction (see guidelines)
Pay: $175 and up for fiction and nonfiction, $75 and up for My Sci submissions, $40 and up for poetry, crafts and puzzles
Details here.

“The day Somebody McSomebody put a gun to my breast and called me a cat and threatened to shoot me was the same day the milkman died.”

'Milkman,' by Anna Burns

Afternoon, Larry. Having been born with two left feet, just the idea of a four-hour dance workshop makes me woozy.

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Curvy, there's no need to know anything about her. Just use Google Images to pull up a lot of photos and take it from there.

What I was most interested in was how folks would describe a fictional character who, like her, might not be a classic 'beauty' but is considered cute and sexy in an appealing non-threatening way.

Whether you give it a try or not, I'd really appreciate your input.

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“You guys are nuts.” The Skeptic was in rare form as the four men studied the petite singer flitting around on the dim stage.   “I mean, sure she’s cute, but in a small-town high school cheerleader sort of way. No way is she this smoking’ hot sex object you guys keep raving about. But…”   The Skeptic stopped as the singer approached the microphone stand. Waited for A bright spotlight...

Added 05 Feb 2019 | Category Micro Fiction | Votes 9 | Avg Score 5 | Views 657 | 8 Comments

For the benefit of any unsuspecting reader, let me state now that this is NOT an article about how one might become a contented courtesan or smiling strumpet. Nope, not even a titillated trollop. Sorry about any confusion, honest. Truth be told, this assault on good taste and English letters is concerned with the fine art of creating attention grabbing hooks in the opening lines of your...

Added 18 Dec 2018 | Category Musings | Votes 11 | Avg Score 5 | Views 283 | 7 Comments

Now and Forever: a love story The dream was back--so were the eyes. They hovered in an angry sky just above the horizon, seeing everything but focusing on nothing. Amy knew those eyes—knew a time when they’d been filled with happiness and a love of life. But that had been before her brother came back from Vietnam. Young, naked, and skinny, she stood alone and vulnerable on a hill surrounded...

Added 14 Aug 2018 | Category Romance | Votes 8 | Avg Score 5 | Views 222 | 5 Comments

How’s by you, Grady Lee? Funniest thing happened yesterday. This nice lady from the Veterans Administration stopped by and said what I really needed, I mean with my having gone from hard of seeing to being blinder than any known bat, was one of those so-called smart Apple iPhones. I told her I knew a bit about the thing, how you made gestures to work it, and let her know I'd been...

Added 04 Aug 2018 | Category Flash Fiction | Votes 14 | Avg Score 5 | Views 335 | 12 Comments

On a hot Friday afternoon in the summer of 1970, a young nursing student left work at the VA hospital, and hurried out to the nearby bus stop on First Avenue. The usual stop-and-go Friday traffic appeared to be stuck on stop. From the open windows of a gypsy cab came the sound of an all-news station. “In other national news, a Defense Department spokesman said 18,000 of the 31,000 US...

Added 28 Feb 2018 | Category Flash Fiction | Votes 12 | Avg Score 5 | Views 511 | 10 Comments

   The official plan, as carefully explained to all parental units, had called for Amy and Libby to share a motel room. The guys would stay with Mark’s roommate who was supposed to be in summer school. In reality, Mark’s roommate had just flunked out. And no one questioned that Bob and Libby would have the motel room to themselves. Once they were dropped off, Mark and Amy headed for...

Added 01 Nov 2017 | Category General | Votes 2 | Avg Score 5 | Views 698 | 2 Comments

  Alexandria, a small, nondescript city on the Red River in central Louisiana, is the symbolic checkpoint separating the state’s French, Catholic south from its Scots-Irish, Protestant north. In the pre-interstate days, a two-lane highway weaved its way south from town toward Baton Rouge. A picturesque, tree-lined bayou flanked one side of the road. On the other side were pastures and a...

Added 18 Oct 2017 | Category General | Votes 3 | Avg Score 5 | Views 469 | 4 Comments

 The phone wouldn't stop ringing. Amy, sitting at the table on the other side of the kitchen, eating a bologna-on-white-with-mayonnaise sandwich and heading into what she sensed would be one of the   steamier parts of,"The Carpetbaggers," tried to ignore the noise, though she couldn’t help wondering what had happened to her sister who always tried to beat everyone else to the phone. Jan...

Added 09 Oct 2017 | Category General | Votes 5 | Avg Score 5 | Views 513 | 5 Comments

Delmar Bullock wasn’t impressed, not one little bit. The three young farts standing just inside the door to his storage shed didn’t seem good for much, most of all a Klan job. At first, they tried to act cocky like this was no big deal. But none of  ‘em said a word after seeing the cross he put together that afternoon. He wondered why Jack Boudreaux, who always worried about security...

Added 25 Sep 2017 | Category General | Votes 5 | Avg Score 5 | Views 448 | 5 Comments

  “Hey, good lookin’, what ya got cookin’ tonight?” At the sound of Darrell Ray’s cocky, teasing voice, Bebe gave him an unhurried glance. Then she took her time putting away an unread folder, turning off the fluorescent desk light and covering the typewriter. When everything was in order, she leaned back and met his gaze. It was way past the lumberyard’s two o’clock Saturday closing time....

Added 18 Sep 2017 | Category Drama | Votes 4 | Avg Score 5 | Views 372 | 5 Comments