Mid May Subbing Madness
8 Deep Dives into places to sell your stories
This photo is a graffiti found by The Bushwich Collective in Brooklyn. It is soooo cool.
Black Beacon Books
Horror - Samhain Screams - closes end of May - pay $50 - max words 5000 - Halloween. So much more than costumes and candy, it’s the time when the veil between our world and the other side is at its thinnest. The hour when dark forces come into the light in search of innocent souls. A time of blood and evil.
Australian Shadows Award-winning and multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated author and artist Greg Chapman, and acclaimed author Cameron Trost, are seeking new original Halloween tales for this anthology, planned for release in October 2025.
We want memorable, character-driven stories set on, or near, the last night of October. Give us ghosts, serial killers, rituals and monsters, heroes and villains, but most of all give us the true dark side of Halloween - and make it terrifying.
Looking to sell to the editor Cameron Trust? I asked him for his most important piece of advice.
“Less than half the submissions we receive meet the full guidelines, and ten or fifteen percent don’t meet the call at all.”
CT: This is a really important question. Basically, read the full guidelines. I know they are detailed, but this is the key. Less than half the submissions we receive meet the full guidelines, and ten or fifteen percent don’t meet the call at all. That’s a waste of time for everyone. Reading at least one of our publications is a great idea too because it shows you what I like—as simple as that. What is the single most important element I look for? So for argument’s sake, I’ve received a submission that fits the call—theme and length, the guidelines have been adhered to more or less, and the writing is good—that’s already a lot of boxes ticked. What’s the key element now? It’s the story. As simple as that. We publish genre fiction, and that means there has to be a story. We don’t want the same old story over and over again either. Originality doesn’t sell, unfortunately. The big publishers are constantly rehashing the same stories—but that bores me. I need to be surprised. That doesn’t necessarily mean every story needs a twist, but I need a dose of originality. Teenagers go camping, hear noise, and a werewolf jumps out of the forest and tears them apart—again? Not for me. I want stories that stand out, that grip me and leave me thinking about them long after I’ve finished. That’s a challenge, I know—but that’s the single most important element once all the nuts-and-bolts of the guidelines have been met.
Cast of Wonders
Banned Books Week 2025 - open May 14-May 31 - 8c a word - 6000 words max -- This year, they are looking for stories of irrepressible joy. Show them sparks that cannot be extinguished, the many facets of humanity in all its splendour. Stories that show the hopefulness and power of diverse voices, stories of music in the dark times, and stories that are unapologetic and inspiring.
We’re dedicated to publishing fiction that reflects the entire spectrum of the human experience. We acknowledge the realities of unconscious bias and make our best effort to account for it during our review process. Read our full statement in support of lowering publishing’s barriers to entry for authors from historically underrepresented backgrounds below.
All submissions must be anonymous. Non-anonymous manuscripts will be rejected unread, and no permission granted to resubmit. MY INSIGHTS - 9 Rejections. I once got feedback, “Unfortunately, this story isn't quite right for us. it's a cute piece, but our readers felt it didn't have a strong enough link to Halloween.” I’m sending in my future dystopian smog machine story starring teenagers at a secret camp.
SmokeLong Quarterly
Dark Fantasy & Psychological Thriller - May 11th -Aug 15 - 1000 word max - $300 pay per story - anon subs - SmokeLong will be searching for prose that is troubling, that explores our darkest fears. We're not quite sure we're ready for this to be honest, but that's part of the appeal. We are looking for literary prose. We do not want to weather gratuitous violence or cruelty, but we do--or at least we think we do--want to feel fright, unease, a racing heart. If you are a writer of stories that do this, this call is for you. Think Shirley Jackson.
My Insights - $300 for flash? Yes please. I sent in my story about a blood-sucking monster in a cabin in the woods. No clichés here.
Death’s Head Press
Horror - Deep Anthology - May 1 - July 31 - word count 2500-10,000 words - 5c per word - Death’s Head Press continues its exploration of dark horizons. This time we seek the abyss.
We’re putting together an anthology for lovers of the unexplored depths of our planet and the universe.
My Insights - none, but oohhhhh, love the concept. I’m sending in my “Rowing the River Styx” which comes from the Dancing into the Dark universe.
Jay Henge
Spec - Professor Feiff’s Trans-Dimensional Travelogue - pay $5 for every 1000 words - they do accept reprints, sim subs, and multiple subs - Pack your bags and fasten your seatbelts—Professor Feiff is curating an extraordinary holiday guide like no other! We’re seeking speculative fiction tales that explore the idea of travel and vacations to places tantalizingly close to our own reality, yet thrillingly removed.
Whether it’s a weekend getaway to a parallel dimension, a guided tour through time itself, or a quiet retreat to a world hiding just beyond the veil of perception, your story should evoke the wonder, curiosity, and occasional peril of holidays beyond the mundane. Send us your (SFF+) tickets to astonishing locales! My Insights - I haven’t managed a sale here yet and I am sending in a reprint. They often do Poe-inspired anthologies as well.
IRON MAIDEN ANTHOLOGY
HORROR - The Writing On The Wall: Horror Inspired By The Music Of Iron Maiden - pay $20 - May 15-June 1 - 3000-7000 words - email to maidenhorroranthology@gmail.com - The title pretty much sums it up. Each author will submit a short story inspired by and named after a single song from the Iron Maiden catalogue. You do not need to take this literally. Take it however you want. There is no specific subgenre we are looking for. Take your chosen title and shoot for the moon with whatever wild idea it instills in you. A haunting at a metal show? Awesome. A monster roving an ancient battlefield? Go for it. A highway murderer with a specific soundtrack? We’re all ears. Celebrate this band that’s been with us for fifty years any way you see fit. The point is that we’re all fans banding together to pay tribute to their art with our own.
But there are some things we need to stay away from, so…
WHAT WE DON’T WANT
Lyrics and rights to them are very tricky, so other than the title, we ask that you don’t include any direct quotes from your song.
Some gore is okay, but let’s rein it in to an extent. No extreme SA or extreme violence against children. No racism, bigotry, etc
My Insights: Like most Gen Xers, Iron Maiden played an important part in my teenage years. I’m trying to finish my Dancing into the Dark novel - plus I have a really cool new (secret) project on the go, so I probably won’t have time to write something for this, but I hope ya’all do!
IHRAM Press
America’s Slide Toward Authoritarism - opens May 17-July 1 - pay $50 - 2500 word max - they are also taking essays and poetry - when you sub, write them a brief forward to the piece. How do you feel about America’s slide towards authoritarianism? IHRAM Press wants to know.
It is clear that the American political class has all the tensile strength of tissue paper in a summer storm, and that our court system is porous, offering a weak and possibly irrelevant backstop to what was once the strongest democracy in the world.
So, as in all authoritarian states, it is left to the artists and creators to hold the line, to stand up for what is right and just, and to safeguard the republic. Only the creators have the courage to resist.
Wolfsinger Pubs
Action/Adventure - Search for the Any Key - May 1 - Aug 29th - $15 plus royalties - 1000-7000 words - editor Dana Bell - This will be mostly action/adventure, but can be placed in any time period, on other planets or any type of setting. All genres accepted and may contain humor, drama, romance, etc. Diverse characters welcome, human or otherwise.
The catch – no traditional keys accepted. If the characters don’t find the key, that’s okay.
Example – on a certain TV show, characters were searching for forgiveness and the key to enter was tears of regret. Another film had a key as part of a puzzle box which opened several artifacts.
Please think outside the box when writing these stories. The Why of the search is the most important point.
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