Just a quick message from the webmaster that Cathy has a migraine, so Comps and Calls for March 2020 will be delayed by a day or two.
Author: cathy
Comps and calls for February 2020
Hello all! How are you all getting on? I’ve had another busy month, and I’m writing this at nighttime on January 31st. The UK is about to leave the EU, and I’m wishing that I’d done more submissions this month and less online arguing about politics… Anyway! I’ve had a couple of acceptances, and I have lots of ideas fizzing away, so I hope I’m going to find more time to write and submit this month. I’m still writing the play that was commissioned, and trying to put a book together.
Good luck this month! Have a go at a few things you wouldn’t normally try, and exercise those writing muscles!
Love,
Cathy x
Ps. Support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.
Here are some writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.
As usual I’m passing these on in good faith but mistakes may be made, so do check all the submission guidelines carefully. Any info in quotes comes from the website itself and any dates at the start are deadlines. Also, I don’t know the sources personally, so do check them out for yourselves.
There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):
If you aren’t a submitter (why not? Nothing to lose! Rejection is something we all share!) then the themes can make great writing prompts/exercises.
Although I mention only fiction or poetry, many publications accept non-fiction, art or other forms, so do check if interested. Good luck and do let me know of successes! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.
Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.
COMPETITIONS
2nd Feb ‘2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the Waterman Fund. To celebrate this milestone, the Fund has created a reflective essay prompt focused on changes in the wild.’ PAYING https://www.watermanfund.org/essay-contest/enter-essay-contest/
3rd Feb ‘Free to enter, the Prize aims to find the best life writing from emerging writers from across the UK. The Prize defines life writing as ‘intended to be true’, reflects someone’s own life journey or experiences and is not fiction. The competition is open to writers who have yet to publish a full-length work or have a literary agent.’ PAYING https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/projects/life-writing-prize/
5th Feb ‘Spectator Competition No. 3135: just the job. Dominic Cummings’s recent job advert said that the ideal candidate for one of the positions on offer might resemble a weirdo from a William Gibson novel. But perhaps there are other fictional characters out there who might fit the bill. You are invited to submit an application letter for a job at No. 10 from a fictional character of your choice (please specify). Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 5 February.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2020/01/bizarre-books-4/
12th Feb ‘Spectator Competition No. 3136: love me don’t. You are invited to submit a lonely hearts ad guaranteed to send those looking for love running in the opposite direction. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 12 February.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2020/02/competition-food-glorious-food/
15th Feb ‘Persimmon Tree’s mission is to bring the creativity and talent of women over sixty to a wide audience of readers of all ages. We are looking for work that reveals rich experience and a variety of perspectives. The Editors choose a different Short Takes topic for every issue. Short Takes are usually short pieces, fiction or non-fiction (250-500 words), but can also be topical poetry, sometimes even drawings or photography.’ Topic: “When I Was 17…” https://persimmontree.org/submissions/
15th Feb Ekphrastic speculative flash fiction inspired by the provided image. PAYING https://www.apparitionlit.com/submission-guidelines/#1571957803421-d0a22597-6822
16th Feb ‘Submit original interactive fiction stories with a supernatural romance theme. Stories should be at least 6000-10000 words long in total and must be written in English.’ PAYING https://www.sanainteractive.com/writing-contest
28th Feb ‘Calling all writers! We have partnered up with the Northumbrian Words Project and the Northumbrian Language Society to bring you a new writing competition which offers writers the chance to celebrate the North East dialect. We’re inviting adults, aged 20 and over, to submit contemporary short stories between 500-1000 words in length which use The Word’s Word Bank of Lost Dialects as their inspiration.’ PAYING https://theworduk.org/writers/lost-words-writing-competition/
29th Feb Flash fiction. PAYING https://www.bitesizestories.co.uk/p/flash-fiction-contest.html
1st Mar ‘Survival horror story involving three central characters (optional secondary characters) who become trapped at dusk with one or more forces outside that are capable of killing them. Only one of the three central characters survives until dawn.’ PAYING https://chrismorey.com/blog/f/new-writing-contest-from-dark-regions-press-guidelines (thanks to https://horrortree.com for this one)
1st Mar Poetry and more. PAYS SOME CONTRIBUTORS https://bluemesareview.submittable.com/submit (Cathy’s note: Only USA contributors paid)
1st Mar Poem, fiction or CNF on the theme of Perspectives. https://www.mhfestival.com/news/575-call-for-entries-smhaf-writing-competition
SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES
2nd Feb Poetry by women on the theme of ‘Surprise us. What does 2020 mean to you? Knock yourselves out. We’re open to time, the universe, your biome, any old atom, particle, tear, hiccup. Apocalypse, crazy hope, Pollyanna world view, astral day dreams…’ https://not-very-quiet.com/submissions/
3rd Feb ‘If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories!’ 2000-word story on the theme of Parasites. PAYING http://www.hawkandcleaver.com/submissions
4th Feb Fiction and more on the theme of Algorithm. https://fictioninternational.sdsu.edu/wordpress/submit/
5th Feb ‘The London Reader is looking for short stories, minifiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art that reveals the human stories behind inequality (in all its forms: between classes in cities, between generations in communities, between rural and urban regions, and between countries), poverty, end-of-an-era (fin de siècle) decadence, billionaire indifference, millennial survival, any form of wealth gap, and other experiences of living poor on the growing bottom rung.’ http://londonreader.uk/
6th Feb Poetry, prose and more on the theme of God/dess. https://cliteraturejournal.com/submit
9th Feb ‘Raconteur is a literary magazine publishing engaging, interesting, eclectic and witty writing and artwork by international writers and artists, online and in print, 3 times per year.’ Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING http://raconteurmag.com/written-submission-guidelines/
10th Feb Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Green. http://herecomeseveryone.me/submit/
10th Feb ‘We are looking for a grand adventure in search of treasure! It can be an archeologist trying to uncover and ancient secret, pirates in search of fortune, or a hapless bystander who stumbled upon a clue and roped into a concpiracy. We are looking for stories with twists and turns, following clues to unlock the secrets of the hidden treasure.’CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.com/anthology-submission-calls
11th Feb Flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Contemporary Japan. https://www.litro.co.uk/submit/
14th Feb ‘Eligible poets should currently be based in the UK and ROI. Each issue includes authors who share a connection to Northern England or whose poems explore ‘the North’ thematically or tangentially. Please note: the poets we publish in our magazine don’t exclusively live in the North or write about it – our mission is include strong mix of work.’ Up to three poems. https://www.butchersdogmagazine.co.uk/submit-2020
15th Feb Poetry, fiction and more. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.salemstate.edu/campus-life/arts/creative-writing/soundings-east?mc_cid=f139017a72&mc_eid=6c9e43d0c7
15th Feb Spec fic by women-identified authors. PAYING http://lunastationquarterly.com/submissions/
15th Feb ‘The pages of Restoration v. 1 seek creative works that reflect the world we hope for; be it mystical, magical, fictional, or true. Please consider this a playground for your imagination to bring out the best of us at this critical juncture. Such creative pause is nourishment for the resistance; nourishment we need to create momentum.’ https://headlinepoetryandpress.com/2019/12/23/submit/
15th Feb Spec fic 1000-5000 words on the theme of It Calls from the Forest. ROYALTIES https://www.eerieriverpublishing.com/open-submission
15th Feb Poetry, fiction and more. https://www.du.edu/denverquarterly/submissions/index.html
15th Feb ‘National Tell A Fairy Tale Day is February 26th and we’d love to have a new version to share with our readers that day! Send us one previously unpublished fairy tale retelling, up to 1500 words max. There are no restrictions on which fairy tales you may choose to retell.’ https://ceasecows.submittable.com/submit
17th Feb ‘If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories!’ 2000-word story on the theme of Remote Places. PAYING http://www.hawkandcleaver.com/submissions
20th Feb Poetry. https://granta.com/submissions/ (Cathy’s note: there’s a submission fee for fiction and nonfiction, but not for poetry.)
21st Feb Poems, essays and more on the theme of Ecological Citizenship. PAYING https://humansandnature.submittable.com/submit/103461/minding-nature-journal
22nd Feb ‘We’re looking for stories of high adventure that feature one weapon-wielding woman and one woman whose strengths lie in softer skills, but who is just as powerful in her own right. You’re free to choose any setting – from historical to modern to wildly futuristic.’ 3000-7000 words approx. PAYING https://www.cantinapublishing.com/submissions/
24th Feb Poetry and short prose with elements of nature, on the theme of Stripes. PAYING https://clawandblossom.com/submissions/
28th Feb Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Kinship. https://feelszine.com/pages/submissions
28th Feb Poetry and fiction. PAYING https://ninthletteronline.submittable.com/submit
29th Feb ‘We are excited to share this open call to writers of horror and dark speculative fiction. We want you to submit your best short story between 2,000 and 6,000 words for our forthcoming charity anthology “Black Dogs, Black Tales”.
This will be a dark, doggy-themed collection where absolutely anything with a canine connection goes, with one essential caveat – the dog does not die. Everyone else can be slaughtered by zombies, or lost in the depths of deep space, but the dog (or dogs) will always survive. Think outside the kennel.’ CHARITY/GOOD CAUSE ANTHOLOGY https://thingsinthewell.wordpress.com/open-submissions/
29th Feb Urban nature writing on the theme of Sky. PAYING https://www.stonecropreview.com/submissions/
29th Feb ‘Stories of serendipitous meetings that lead to happy ever after.’ LGBTQ stories 12,000 words+. ROYALTIES https://www.jms-books.com/2020-submissions-calls-lgbtq-romance-stories-ezp-36.html
29th Feb ‘The anthology will include all original stories centering around the idea of boys’ lives being disrupted in some way. It could be through vanishing mysteriously, experiencing a life-altering event, or…? We are seeking well-written, imaginative tales that explore this idea to its fullest.’ PAYING https://mannisonpress.com/little-boy-lost-more-tales-of-youth-disrupted/
29th Feb 3 poems. http://arroyosecopress.org/page3.html
1st Mar Story 800-2000 words on the theme of Young & Old. PERFORMANCE https://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/writers.html
1st Mar ‘Contra Viento is a journal for art and literature that seeks to understand rangelands in all their varied forms. Rangelands are the tundra and the steppe, the prairie and the plains, the shrubland, the savanna, and the desert. These places are defined by their scale: rangelands are vast. And they are defined by what they often lack: water, people, and popular resources.’ PAYING https://contravientojournal.org/submit/
SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES
‘Hi. You’re here because you’re a funny person who wants to write satirical nonsense on a website that even search engine bots avoid. You will earn $2.50 USD per article you sell us because money is hard to come by nowadays and we’re generous.’ PAYING https://thesqueakytimes.com/submissions/
Speculative hybrid fiction. ‘Some examples of hybrid fiction are dark fantasy, steampunk westerns, historical fantasy, weird westerns, and crime fantasy. There are near-endless combinations and limitless possibilities for a writer or artist creating hybrid work.’ PAYING https://www.hybridfiction.net/submissions
Original or reprint stories of suspense and horror. PAYING https://www.unnervingmagazine.com/submissions
‘Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal / Year-Round / Poetry, Inspirational/Positive pieces only. Accepts poetry submissions from 13-16 year olds, in addition to adults.’ https://abpoetryjournal.com/submissions/ (Cathy’s note: it’s free to submit one poem. There are fees for submitting more poems, however.)
Poetry for the journal or for their BoxSet series. SOME CONTRIBUTORS GET CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.oxidantengine.com/submissions (Cathy’s note: the chapbook poets get contributor copies)
Horror collections and novellas. PAYING https://theabominablebookclub.cratejoy.com/submissions
Deadline TBA: ‘Horror and underground locations. Ideas: Something sinisters dwells in the sewers. What lives in the subway and comes out at night? You live in the tunnels to escape the zombies/aliens/etc. Secret society that works in underground labs. Virus in the flowerbeds. The graves aren’t quiet. An ancient/alien/mythical being/mechanism is unearthed in the mines/caves.’ 20,000 – 40,000 words. ROYALTIES https://www.blackharepress.com/submissions/
Poetry by European poets (yes, that includes the UK!) http://waxpoetryart.com/europe/submissions.html (Cathy’s note: I have experience of waxpoetryart and they’re lovely.)
‘We are exclusively interested in work by those often marginalized in literary spaces, including people of color; women, agender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, non-binary, trans, and two-spirit people; LGBQIA people; people with disabilities; and people living at the intersections of these identities.’ Poetry, fiction and nonfiction. PAYING https://www.vidaweb.org/vida-review/submit/
Poetry. http://trainpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/
Science fiction stories. PAYING http://compellingsciencefiction.com/guidelines.html
Essays. (Poetry and fiction will open later in the year.) PAYING https://yalereview.yale.edu/about/submissions
Short SF/F stories. PAYING http://www.centropicoracle.com/mainpages/subguide.php
Short story or poem. PAYING http://booksnpieces.com/A/?page_id=772
Speculative fiction. PAYING http://www.allworldswayfarer.com/submissions/
Fiction. PAYING http://storybrewingpodcast.com/story-submissions/
Poetry chapbooks. PAYING https://route7press.com/home/submissions/
‘Taking nonfiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Roe v Wade -elated includes the patriarchy, toxic masculinity, an ode to RBG, reproductive freedom, the suffrage movement, and other aligning topics. This column will run forever, and we hope to publish digital chapbooks along the way. Proceeds from any chapbooks would benefit Planned Parenthood’ CHARITY/GOOD CAUSE https://headlinepoetryandpress.com/2019/12/23/submit/
‘We welcome erasure poetry created from the words of the White House Occupant. This could include tweet threads, entire or partial speeches, or (……) Submissions vary from extravagantly colorful to black marker taken to text. This column will run until he is VOTED OUT!’ https://headlinepoetryandpress.com/2019/12/23/submit/
Comps and calls for January 2020
Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!
I do hope that you had a better festive period than I did. Just before Christmas, my lovely sister-in-law died, unexpectedly and young. Last year, my father-in-law died at the same time. It’s been very tough. But I won’t dwell on that here. Because it’s the New Year! Time to look ahead, to try new things, and to create new goals. There are oodles of opportunities below to have a go at – try something outside your comfort zone! (Or in it, if you’re fragile.) I do wish you all writing success and personal fulfilment – and health and happiness.
Love,
Cathy x
Ps. You can support Comps and Calls via Paypal or Patreon.
Here are some writing competitions and calls for submission, all with free, electronic entry.
As usual I’m passing these on in good faith but mistakes may be made, so do check all the submission guidelines carefully. Any info in quotes comes from the website itself and any dates at the start are deadlines. Also, I don’t know the sources personally, so do check them out for yourselves.
There are three headings (click/tap to jump straight to them):
If you aren’t a submitter (why not? Nothing to lose! Rejection is something we all share!) then the themes can make great writing prompts/exercises.
Although I mention only fiction or poetry, many publications accept non-fiction, art or other forms, so do check if interested. Good luck and do let me know of successes! The links are in the comments, and any dates at the start are deadlines.
Where possible, I have marked the relevant entries with ‘paying’, ‘contributor copy’ etc. However, you are best off checking the info for yourselves as I am not infallible and the info isn’t always available or clear. Please be aware that a contributor copy may be in print or digital format. Also, some publications offer several things, eg payment as well as a contributor copy. Where this is the case, I have assumed that payment is enough of an incentive, so I haven’t listed everything. It’s a rough guide and should be treated as such.
COMPETITIONS
Weekly: travel writing. PAYING https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/just-back-travel-writing-competition/
3rd Jan Story 1000-3000 words based on one of the provided prompts. PAYING https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/contests/22/
3rd Jan First crime novel. PAYING https://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/st-martins/ (thanks to www.prizemagic.co.uk for this one)
4th Jan Poetry. PAYING https://thelizferretspoetrycompetition.wordpress.com/about-the-contest
6th Jan Story set in a winter cabin. There are various categories for different ages. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/fifty-words-competitions/write-a-story-set-in-a-winter-cabin
8th Jan Spectator Competition No. 3131: you must remember this ‘A poem by Adrian Bailey was published recently in The Spectator inspired by ‘Adlestrop’. It began: ‘Yes. I remember Monica —…’ You are invited to submit your own take, substituting the proper noun of your choice for ‘Monica’, on Edward Thomas’s poem. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 8 January.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/12/dear-santa-2/
13th Jan ‘Scottish PEN is bringing together writing influenced by the Declaration of Arbroath for a collection of poetry and prose to be published in August 2020, with an award of three prizes of £250 for pieces selected by Scottish PEN and Sir Tom Devine.’ PAYING https://scottishpen.org/declarations-on-freedom-for-writers-and-readers/
15th Jan Ekphrastic speculative flash fiction inspired by the provided image. PAYING https://www.apparitionlit.com/submission-guidelines/#1571957803421-d0a22597-6822
15th Jan ‘In this issue we are also hosting a Writing Contest with a $250 award in all 3 written genres for stories and narratives that raise awareness on issues related to mental health, such as homelessness, missed or delayed diagnosis, or loss (of family, husband/wife, jobs), with extra credit given to those who can tie both into our theme of Hope.’ PAYING https://pleaseseeme.com/submissions/
15th Jan Spectator Competition No. 3132: bizarre books ‘You are invited to provide an extract from one of the following books (these are genuine titles): Noah Gets Naked: Bible Stories They Didn’t Teach You at Sunday School; The Joy of Waterboiling; Ending the War on Artisan Cheese; Versailles: The View from Sweden. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 15 January.’ PAYING https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/12/the-night-before/
24th Jan PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS ONLY: Write a story all about you. NON-CASH PRIZE https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/have-some-fun/competitions/i-am-a-story-enter-your-class-into-our-creative-writing-competition-to-win-a-free-school-visit-from-cerrie-burnell/ (thanks to www.theprizefinder.com for this one)
31st Jan NON-UK ONLY: Script and synopsis by writers living outside the UK. PAYING https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5J6bfwwQ4G0044HZ5Skt33w/the-international-radio-playwriting-competition-2020 (thanks to https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities for this one)
31st Jan SCOTLAND ONLY: Writing and more exploring personal and societal values. PAYING https://www.johnbyrneaward.org.uk/enter-now/
31st Jan Age 16-18 only: ‘Poets are asked to write on the theme of Songbird. This can be interpreted freely – whether about birds, song, birdsong or any combination thereof. Poems can be comic or serious, avant garde or traditional, but the Judges do advise that works flying too far from the theme will not be considered. 2020’s Young Romantic essayists are asked to address this question: ‘The world should listen now as I was listening then.’ PB Shelley (sort of) How can the poetry of PB Shelley and/or John Keats help us in our current climate crisis?’ PRIZES (UNKNOWN WHAT) https://keats-shelley.org/prizes/young_romantics_prize_2020
31st Jan ‘The story should be suitable for a children’s book of up to 28 pages with an age suitability of 0-5 years. Submissions should be a complete text in English. It must be entirely original fiction. The text must not be a rhyme, as this is difficult to translate if the winning title were to be published in another language. Books with an ABC theme will not be accepted.’ ‘ Entries are welcomed from authors who have a wonderful story to tell that is suitable for children aged 0-5, or from illustrators who can create charming images for that age group.’ PAYING https://www.stratfordliteraryfestival.co.uk/article/childrens-book-competition
SUBMISSIONS WITH DEADLINES
2nd Jan Poetry and more on the theme of Lists and Collections. http://sadgirlreview.com/call-for-submissions/
3rd Jan ‘We’re looking for stories of humans who manage to find love or just escape Grumpy Old Gods whose love mojo is a little shaky – (maybe their eyesight isn’t so good…maybe they just don’t have the juice…maybe they are tired as hell of making matches and really need to retire). The stories should be 3000-4000 words and include at least one god / goddess.’ ROYALTIES https://stormdancebooks.junetakey.com/posts/be-my-grumpy-valentine-call-for-submission-gogv6/
5th Jan Writing and more on the theme of Black History Month – More Than a Month. https://www.southfloridapoetryjournal.com/submit.html
5th Jan Horror poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Misfortune. PAYING https://www.novelnoctule.com/submissions
5th Jan Story 800-2000 words on the theme of Scoundrels and Scandals. PERFORMANCE https://www.liarsleague.com/liars_league/writers.html
6th Jan Drama scripts for TV, film, radio, stage or online. https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/script-room
6th Jan ‘Seeking stories that explore the darker side of speculative fiction. We want stories that are scary or disturbing or upsetting, or that wouldn’t be out of place in a collection of Gothic prose or Grimm folktales or dark contemporary fantasy or a dark forest as night comes on … While horror is the name of the game, this anthology is for those stories that might not hit all of the tropes, but still leave us unsettled when the night settles in.’ PAYING https://cronegirlspress.com/submissions/
7th Jan Folk horror 4000-8000 words on the theme of Fiends in the Furrows. PAYING https://www.nosetouchpress.com/call/
12th Jan Australians under 25 only: poetry and fiction on the theme of As If! https://www.voiceworksmag.com.au/print
15th Jan ‘We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your cat or the magic of a cat you know.’ Stories and poems. PAYING https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics
15th SF story 2500-10,000 words about a teen girl (14-18) with an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math). CHARITY/GOOD CAUSE ANTHOLOGY http://bravenewgirls.weebly.com/submissions.html
15th Jan ‘We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your dog or the magic of a dog you know.’ PAYING https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics
15th Jan Story 3000-8000 words, with elements of science fiction and horror. PAYING https://www.deathsheadpress.com/submissions/
15th Jan ‘Short stories of mystery and suspense with an overarching theme of heartbreaks and half-truths.’ PAYING http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/superior-shores-press/heartbreaks/
15th Jan ‘Art, poetry & quotes by women.’ PAYING https://www.syracuseculturalworkers.com/art/call-for-art
15th Jan Postcard poems. PAYING https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/28742/postcard-poems
15th Jan Poem. https://www.kissingdynamitepoetry.com/submissions.html
15th Jan ‘The theme for the second issue is the nuance of scientific discovery and the pitfalls of scientific progress. This edition does not seek to showcase how science interacts with the genre of horror. We’re looking for writing and art that explores the unintended side effects or consequences of scientific advancement.’ PAYING https://www.kanstellation.com/submissions.html
15th Jan Story 4000-20,000 words on the theme of Deadly Games. ‘We want complete stories from the POV of the person that ends up dead. Start at the death, and work your way backward.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://zimbellhousepublishing.com/anthology_submission/
15th Jan ‘The theme for our March 2020 issue is Hope. What, or who, gives you hope? A caregiver? A patient? A child? A colleague? What did you hope for and receive, or not receive? What are you hoping for as it relates to health and wellness–for yourself or for others? Have you lost hope? Have you found hope? Did a new treatment or wellness plan give you hope for a cure? A better way of life?’ https://pleaseseeme.com/submissions/
15th Jan ‘Edward Gory, Gahan Wilson, and Charles Adams are standing on a street corner when the Ghost Bus goes by. They all saw it, but each saw it differently. What did you see when it went by, or were you a passenger? Just who rides the Ghost Bus anyway, and where the heck is it going? Wait… is that Miyazaki’s Cat Bus coming the other way?
Tell us your best story in approximately 50 words about what you saw.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://www.blink-ink.org/2019/12/01/call-for-submissions-all-new-issue/
20th Jan ‘If you think you’ve got what it takes to terrify, scar and haunt our audience of 10,000 daily listeners, then we want your stories!’ 2000-word story on the theme of Silence. PAYING http://www.hawkandcleaver.com/submissions
21st Jan Poetry, flash and more on the (optional) themes of (be)longing, crystallization, grace, renewal, sublimation. PAYING https://www.humankindjournal.org/submissions.html
25th Jan ‘We want stories based in Wonderland. They do not necessarily have to involve Alice. Side stories about the other crazy characters in the world of Wonderland are welcome.’ CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES http://fantasiadivinitymagazine.com/anthology-submission-calls
26th Jan Poetry, prose and more on the theme of Protest, Prophecy, Play. https://review.vassar.edu/submissions/
30th Jan ‘We are now collecting stories for our HOLIDAY 2020 book and we are looking for stories about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities too.’ Stories and poems. PAYING https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics
31st Jan ‘A new charity magazine-sized flash-fiction anthology in support of victims of Australia’s bushfires. The theme is Valentine’s Day, so we’re after dark, suspenseful, menacing, memorable tales of human love gone wrong, or monster love gone right! We want to have your stories by end of January please! Aim for 1000 words.’ CHARITY/GOOD CAUSE ANTHOLOGY https://thingsinthewell.wordpress.com/open-submissions/
31st Jan ‘Rebuilding Tomorrow will again focus on disabled and/or chronically ill protagonists but, rather than focussing on survival in the immediate aftermath of an apocalypse, we want stories set a significant time after an apocalyptic disaster.’ 2000-6000 words. PAYING http://defyingdoomsday.twelfthplanetpress.com/rebuilding-tomorrow-submission-guidelines/
31st Jan Story 5000-15,000 words on the theme of Reign of Queens. ROYALTIES https://dragonsoulpress.com/anthologies/
31st Jan Poems on the theme of the Olympics. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://tinyurl.com/vuzrvlo
31st Jan Poetry inspired by the provided image. PAYING https://www.rattle.com/ekphrastic/
31st Jan FEMALES 14-21 ONLY ‘Girls Right the World is a literary journal inviting young female-identified writers and artists, ages 14 through 21, to submit their work for consideration for the fourth annual issue. We believe that girls’ voices can and do transform the world for the better, and we want to help expand creative platforms for girls of all races, religions, and sexual orientations. We currently accept poetry, prose, short stories, lyric essays, and visual art of any style and theme. We seek work addressing personal experiences and global issues.’ https://girlsrighttheworld.com/submissions/ (thanks to https://www.newpages.com/classifieds for this one)
31st Jan ‘ Room publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. We specifically encourage writers with overlapping under-represented identities to submit their work.’ Theme: neurodivergence. PAYING http://roommagazine.com/submit
31st Jan Survival horror 2000-5000 words. ‘There are 4 slots left to fill for this anthology, but we’re more interested in shorter stories this time around: 2,000 to 5,000 words in length.’ PAYING https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/negative-space.html
31st Jan ‘Our theme for the spring is recognizing our earth’s beauty in order to remind ourselves that we inhabit a beautiful home that deserves to be taken care of.’ Poetry, fiction and more. https://thescriblerus.submittable.com/submit
31st Jan LGBTQ Romance stories 12,000+ words. ‘Stories where romance blooms when someone extends a helping hand to someone else.’ ROYALTIES https://www.jms-books.com/2020-submissions-calls-lgbtq-romance-stories-ezp-36.html
31st Jan Poetry, flash, short fiction and more on the theme of Hopes and Fears. https://tigersharkpublishing.wordpress.com/home/guidelines/
31st Jan Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Beginnings/Endings. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.amsterdamquarterly.org/submissions/
31st Jan ‘ Send us your stories related to the topic of “an abandoned place.” Feel free to interpret this however you wish. Only fiction must be topic-related. Poetry and nonfiction can be of any theme.’ PAYING https://ngyreview.com/submission
31st Jan Poem on the theme of True Love. https://redwolfjournal.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/
31st Jan ‘In this anthology, Temptation Press is looking for short stories that explore the naughty side of online dating.’ 4500-20,000 words. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.temptationpress.com/anthology-calls-for-submissions/
31st Jan Stories, poems and essays, 50-1000 words, on the theme of The Beautifullest. https://pureslush.com/submissions/current-submissions/the-beautifullest/
31st Jan Poems on the theme of The American South. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.bluehorsepress.com/
31st Jan Speculative fiction. PAYING https://www.planetscumm.space/submit
1st Feb Poetry, fiction and more. PAYING https://belmontstoryreview.wixsite.com/website/submissions
1st Feb 300-5000-word story with the first line: Ravi had just worked a double shift and was having trouble keeping his eyes open. PAYING http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm
1st Feb ‘Small Loves will collect the best LGBTQ+ micro- and flash-fiction that writers have to offer.’ PAYING https://hybrid.ink/submit/anthologies/small-loves/
1st Feb ‘Tales from the Moonlit Path publishes dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition.’ Poetry and fiction. PAYING http://talesmoonlitpath.com/submissions/
1st Feb Once Upon a Hallowed Eve – an anthology of romantic ghost stories.’Samhain or one of its variants must be involved such as Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos), as well as a solid emotional romance thread.’ 7000-15,000 words. PAYING https://onceuponanthologies.com/2019-submissions/
1st Feb Poetry, fiction and more, In English or Spanish, on the theme of Natural States. CONTRIBUTOR COPY/COPIES https://www.fronteralit.com/guias-guidelines
1st Feb ‘For this anthology, we want to see more-than-human stories that investigate humanity’s relationship with the rest of the natural world. We’re looking for stories that acknowledge humans as part of a larger ecosystem, for characters who strive for balance with (rather than dominance over) the creatures surrounding them, for settings that depict an optimistic balance of nature and technology.’ 500-5000 words. PAYING https://www.worldweaverpress.com/submit-anthologies.html
1st Feb Poetry, fiction and more on the theme of Milestones. https://halfwaydownthestairs.net/submissions/
1st Feb Poetry on the theme of Healing. http://www.crookedarrowpress.com/submissions.html
SUBMISSIONS WITH NO KNOWN DEADLINES
(Publishers might not give out their pay rates on their submission pages, so make sure to find them out before signing a contract!)
‘Join fellow thinkers and our invited contributors on questions critical to the future of humanity and life on earth. Come to your own conclusions, and add your voice to the conversation.’ PAYING https://www.humansandnature.org/questions-for-a-resilient-future-submissions
‘What kind of stories we are looking for? Anything set in Asia or about Asia or Asians anywhere in the world. The stories/poems must be in English.’ SOME CONTRIBUTORS GET ROYALTIES https://kitaab.org/submissions/
Weekly: ‘Poets Respond—a poem written within the last week about a public event that occurred within the last week will appear every Sunday.’ PAYING https://www.rattle.com/respond/
Flash fiction. https://fictionkitchen.berlin/submissions/
Flash fiction and art. https://clubplumliteraryjournal.com/submit/
‘The Awakenings Review publishes original poetry, short stories, dramatic scenes, essays, photographs, excerpts from larger works, and black-and-white cover art—all created by persons who have had a personal experience with mental illness.’ http://www.awakeningsproject.org/AR/guidelines.shtml