Janet Hutchings from Ellery Queen. Scot Noel from DreamForge. Jonathan Lambert from Jolly Horror, Eda Obey from Last Girl’s Club… get the inside scoop. PLUS enjoy a short horror story!
Details
Open Oct 7th- 21st
Editor: David Steffen
Pay: 10 cents per word
Word range: max 3,500
Simultaneous submissions? yes
Reprints? No
Description
Diabolical Plots is pleased to announce our first themed issue — stories of food, dining, and cookery, which we couldn’t resist titling “Diabolical Pots”! (Actual pots optional.)
We’ll be accepting submissions for this special issue from October 7th – 21st, 2021. In addition to being centered around food, stories must have a speculative element. Pay rate, format, and submission restrictions (no reprints, no resubmits, etc.) will follow our general submission guidelines.
So, how can food be integrated into your story? Any way you want! Maybe a crew of space pirates is about to score big on some outer-planet delicacies. Or a tense family dinner gets tenser when the youngest child insists they hear scratching sounds in the wall. Or two witches both reach for the last bundle of herbs and their eyes meet and…
Submission Hints
Well, Kel would love to see: Lush descriptions of food Immersive worldbuilding—food is never just food. Food is love, food is culture, food is survival Science fiction that’s high on emotional resonance, low on unexamined imperialism Any kind of prose—it can be ornate, experimental in structure or tone, or punchy and simple, as long as it is intentional and serves the story
Sample Rejection
I have had no luck with this publisher yet... but I keep trying! Here is my latest rejection:
Thank you for allowing us to read your story, The Unwanted Woman of Wasp-76b, submitted to the General Submission Window submission window on 8/2/2021.
Unfortunately, we are not accepting your story.
Please excuse this form letter. It is not a reflection on your submission--we would love to give personal responses to every submission, but can only afford to do so for a small subset to keep response times down. (Reading on mobile devices has helped keep response times short, but the slowness of touch-screen typing makes personal notes more difficult)
Best,
David Steffen
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
Crime or Mystery
Death of a bad neighbour: revenge is criminal
Details
Editor: Jack Calverley
Open for submissions: Oct 1-31
Pay: 10c a word
Word range: 2,000-5,000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? no
Description
From the rock star in his fairytale Gothic mansion in Central London whose neighbour plans a double basement excavation, to the retiree in a fisherman's cottage in the northeast of England whose neighbour tells lies to a court to acquire the back garden that is not theirs: we are plagued by bad neighbours. One recent article in the Daily Telegraph Online which reported the trauma caused by at best inconsiderate, but at worst criminal, neighbours accumulated five hundred registered comments within half an hour of being published. It does not take a crime writer to know that a plague of bottom-feeders calls for an exterminator. But it does take the creatively criminal-minded to come up with the bestest plan ever... Such is the inspiration for "Death of a Bad Neighbour: Revenge is Criminal" - an anthology of all-new crime and mystery stories.
Submission Hints
They are not looking for extreme violence, nor explicit sex, nor strong language unless the story absolutely demands strong language. Nor is the anthology to be a collection of biter-bit tales. Think of it as on the tart side of cozy — not least because any act of revenge is going to be morally ambiguous. Beware that events or characters must bear no resemblance to real life events or characters (you will have to warrant this to be true to the best of your knowledge & belief in the contract). However, if you know what this hell is like, you can certainly share that feeling. Humour? Make me smile. Genre – SF, F, Romance or H? Maybe, but that's not the main kick my readers will be reading for, and I must satisfy them. Literary? Admittedly more of a challenge — just bring stories with a bit of zest to my crime theme! You are invited to think of the theme metaphorically as well: The Good Samaritan was a good neighbour, Hitler a bad one, and a deathwatch beetle that keeps you awake at night might turn out to be a mixed blessing. One of the tests for inclusion will be whether a reader who has suffered from a bad neighbour can connect to a story such as yours and find it elevating or cathartic, while a reader who has not so suffered might gain some feeling for what utter misery a bad neighbour drags in their wake. Whatever else, give your story a beating heart.
My Insights
none here, this is a new market for me, but I really hope I can write something for this call...
Horror
Diet Riot
Details
Editor: Sonora Taylor and Nico Bell
Open for submissions: Sept 15-Dec 31
Pay $25
Word range: 4000-6000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? no
Description
It’s time to reclaim the “f” word. Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology is dedicated to empowering fat characters within the horror community. Give us your rage over weigh-ins, your detest over detox cleanses, your rebellion against diet culture. Give us bad-ass characters who own their size and never apologize for taking up space. This is a horror anthology, so be sure to have your character in some kind of horror story--but, we are open to what that story is! We welcome haunted houses, ghost stories, creature features, splatterpunk, serial killers, witches, monsters, you name it. Just make sure your story features at least one fat protagonist. Fat people are often degraded in literature, especially in horror. It’s disheartening to see someone’s natural body be portrayed as disgusting and inherently bad. Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology aims to give that trope the heartiest “fuck you” that our big selves can muster. So go on, send us what you’ve got!
Submission Hints
We want to encourage submissions from authors who are women, BIPOC, queer, trans, disabled, and/or neurodivergent; but all are welcome to submit! Stories must have at least one fat protagonist, ideally the main character. While they can be anti-heroes, their fatness must not be part of what makes them evil. We want this to be a diverse and inclusive anthology. We welcome and encourage stories with characters who are queer, non-cis, non-white, disabled, and/or neurodivergent. Story length: 4000-6000 words Payment: $25 flat rate, plus one paperback contributor copy. Original fiction only, no reprints. Simultaneous submissions okay, though please let us know right away if your story is accepted somewhere else. No multiple submissions, please. We will not accept stories where fatness is equated with disgust, poor health, low self-esteem, evil, lack of sex appeal, etc. This is a fat-positive anthology. We welcome love, romance, and sex, but please no straight-up porn or erotica. No rape, molestation, pedophilia, or bestiality.
My Insights
I LOVE the concept of this anthology. It appears to be the brain child of Nico Bell, a horror author herself. She provides editing services, and writes short stories.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi & Horror
cosmic roots & Eldritch Shores
Details
OPEN: October 1st-2nd
Editor: Fran Eisemann
Pay: 6 cents per word
range: 1000 upwards
Simultaneous submissions?No
Reprints? 2c per word
Description
Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores have been publishing shorts since New Year’s Eve 2015-2016. From their website: Our Mission… is to explore our universe and its wild eldritch shores, to seek out new writers and story forms, to boldly go through time, mind, and the cosmos. Here are our stories and art - classic and new, imagination and fact, serious and humorous - from around the world and throughout time, our own special brew and broad-spectrum formulation for young and old, of words, artwork, graphic novels, videos, animation, and podcasts in… • Science Fiction - hard as steel, soft as velvet, electrifying as lightning, solid as gold, insubstantial as interstellar near-vacuum; from space opera, steampunk, AU, cyber, to humorous. • Fantasy - AU, epic, historical, urban, magical realism, steampunk. • Myths, legends, fairy tales - ancient original versions and present-day reworking, from all times and parts of the world. • Eldritch - otherworldly encounters, beyond the pale, ghostly, eerie, uncanny, mysteries of the night and the mind, slipping between the spaces.” They accept submissions on the first and second day of every month, and created The Kepler Award to: Recognize and encourage writers of excellent science fiction and fantasy stories that creatively extrapolate on known science in constructive and exciting ways.”
Submission Hints
Just a note here... Though I really appreciate the time these editors take to give good feedback, they accepted a story of mine "dependant on revisions." I followed their suggestions and revised my story 3 times over several months. Intensively. And it was ultimately rejected. My heart was broken. You can see the rejections I received below. They have helped me craft my stories into something better after reading their comments.
Sample Rejection
I have had 11 rejections from this market. I submitted a story about singing chickens called “Farmyard Follies”: “Hi Angelique. Thanks for your submission. It was cute (and I also have chickens and a rooster) but the story won't quite work for us. P.S. -- Roosters can be great if you understand their motivations and work with them.”
Fantasy & Science Fiction
sexy fantastic
Details
Open: October 15
Issue #5 Interplanetary
Editor-in-Chief: Robert Zoltan
Pay: $100
range: 3000-10,000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Sexy Fantastic Magazine features the absolute highest quality of fiction, comics, book and movie reviews, articles, photos of sexy fantastic heroines, and other cultural delights by top professionals and award-winning authors and artists. *** they only want the first 500 words emailed to them.
Submission Hints
The absolute best literature possible in the field of fantastic stories. The greatest emphasis of this magazine is the quality of writing. Whether an orthodox narrative tale, a dreamlike vignette, or a poetical prose scene, a story should be comprehensible on some level, stay truthful to the literary world that the author has created, and be pleasing or satisfying. Any type of story with fantastic elements is acceptable, such as a metaphysical or surreal modern tale, magic realism, a dark fantasy thriller, science fiction satire, historical legend, an imaginary world fantasy adventure, etc. The fantastic element may be blatant or only perceived or hinted at. We are simply looking for great literature. We have published stories that would be considered mainstream science fiction or fantasy, but also at least one story that would be considered literary with no “fantastic” element. We do favor stories that are either fantastic or deal with eroticism or romantic relationships. In terms of quality and style, some examples would be stories by Jorge Luis Borges, Fritz Leiber, Catherine Lucille Moore, Gore Vidal, Lawrence Durrell, John Fowles, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Michael Moorcock, Jody Scott, Robert Heinlein, Carlos Fuentes, Anne Rice, Robert Aickman, Jack Vance, Conrad Aiken, Italo Calvino, Giovanni Boccaccio, Chaucer, Voltaire and Shirley Jackson. Comics would be work by creators such Moebius, Manara, or Esteban Maroto.
Sample Rejection
I sent them a story that made it to the second round (sending him the entire manuscript.) They just ask for a sample initially. Here was my rejection: I enjoyed your story, but decided to pass on it. You’re welcome to submit for issue 2. And I’ll be taking submissions for issue 3 probably in January.
Details
Deadline Oct 21st
THEME One Hundred
Editor-in-chief: Wendy Nikel
Pay: $80
Word range: 500- 1,000
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? yes
Description
In January 2022, we’ll be celebrating our 100th issue of Flash Fiction Online! As part of our celebration, we’re looking for stories on the theme of “ONE HUNDRED.” Give us stories of centenarians on adventures! Tell us tales of a hundred-year storm! Raise the temperature to 100 degrees (Fahrenheit? Celsius?)! Write us a story that takes place in 100 seconds! The possibilities are endless — they just have to somehow involve the number 100 in a way that’s integral to the story.
Submission Hints
We publish across many genres, including science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, horror, and literary fiction.
Things we LOVE
Immersive settings that make us feel like we’ve stepped into another world
Clever characters who keep us on our toes
Bittersweet endings that linger in our minds
Optimistic, hopeful stories (ie. hopepunk or solarpunk)
Stories with strong emotional resonance
Distinct narrative voice
Sample Rejection
They use submittable to send stories in and I find they get back to you in good time: Here is my most recent rejection: Thank you for considering Flash Fiction Online for your story, 'Dolores and the Dark Dilemma.' Unfortunately, we have decided not to accept it. We wish you the best of luck finding a home for your story elsewhere.
Science Fiction, Fantasy, The Macabre
electric spec
Details
Deadline: Oct 15th
Editor: Nikki Baird
Pay: $20
range: 250-7000
Simultaneous submissions?No
Reprints? Yes 2c a word
Description
Electric Spec has been around for over 11 years, don’t use slush readers, and pride themselves on giving every story they publish a good edit. They define themselves as: “Electric Spec is a not-for-profit speculative fiction magazine published four times per year. Our primary goal is getting great speculative fiction into the hands (or screens) of readers. Since 2005, we've been publishing short stories from authors all over the world. We've worked with all kinds of authors, from published professionals to new writers. We also believe in the value of the editorial process, and we edit every story we publish.”
Submission Hints
A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don’t accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up front and tell us as soon as it’s accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints, including anything that has appeared on a website.
Sample Rejection
I’ve sent six stories to this publication and one was held for consideration but ultimately rejected. My responses took around four weeks. This is the first email I received about a story called “The Writing Retreat”: Thank you for submitting your story to Electric Spec. The editors have reviewed it and decided to hold it for voting. We anticipate making our final selection of stories for our May issue in early May. We will notify you as soon as a final decision has been made.” Then this: “Thank you for submitting your story to Electric Spec. Unfortunately, your story does not meet our needs at this time. Yours is one of many high-quality submissions we received, and we encourage you to try us again if you have another story that you think would be a good fit.”
like this list? get more free.
This was a sample of what you can find in The Guide of All Guides. GET IT FREE NOW from Smashwords. Or 99c from your fav retailer.
https://books2read.com/TheGuideofallGuides