~ Story length 18K – 45K words.
~ Any genres, settings.
~ Must use the theme as a primary story element.

Submissions should be sent (as .doc email attachment) to Submissions@ellorascave.com. Include full story, 2-page synopsis, and professional cover email. See our Author Information brochure (available under Submissions heading on our website) for additional info.

Submission deadlines are firm. Earlier is preferred.

AHOY!
Theme is pirates: historical, contemporary, futuristic/space, or your interpretation.
Stories will release in June 2011.
Submission deadline is January 15, 2011.

SEX BYTES
Theme is tech sex: all the ways to meet and fall in lust and love via modern technology–texting, IM, skype, online dating.
Stories release in October 2011.
Submission deadline is April 30, 2011.

LOVE LETTERS
Theme is love letters, cards, diaries.
Stories will release in January/February 2012 (in time for Valentine’s Day).
Submission deadline is August 31, 2011.

OH, CANADA!
Stories must be set in Canada, at least one of the main characters must be Canadian, and the story should have a Canadian “flavor” (slang, customs, holidays, etc).
Submissions for this can be any length 7K to 120K words.
Submissions must be received before September 1, 2011.
Stories release throughout 2011.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Preteens

Chicken Soup for the Soul has always provided support to kids of all ages from all over the world. We’re collecting stories by young adults in high school and college for preteens who are caught between childhood and the tumultuous teens — a time when bodies are changing, friendships are forming, and everyone’s just trying to find someone to sit with at lunch. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Preteens is a companion for kids, whether they’re looking to laugh or be told everything will be okay.

What was your experience like as a preteen? Did you fit in with the popular crowd, or were you left behind to eat your peanut butter and jelly in the library? What kind of humorous or embarrassing things happened to you when you were that age? We want stories about friendship, family, learning to do the right thing, and all the mistakes you made along the way.

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories should not have been previously published by Chicken Soup for the Soul or other major publications. These must be your personal stories — things that happened to you or someone you were close to.

Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:

• Dealing with tough stuff
• Acts of kindness
• Teachers, parents, and friends who gave you guidance
• Embarrassing moments and funny stories
• Beloved pets
• Changing schools and being the new kid
• First crushes
• How technology influences your life — texting, instant messaging, and emailing
• Sibling relationships
• Learning to be comfortable in your own skin

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.

DEADLINE IS AUGUST 31, 2010.

With Prohibition in full force in the US, speakeasies were all the rage, cocaine was still legal and the Charleston, the Shimmy and The Bunny Hog were in their heyday! Art deco influenced the faces of cities, jazz music was widely popular, eyeshadow was very heavy, the women’s suffrage movement made major progress and movies got sound. The Roaring Twenties was the era of Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Albert Einstein, Greta Garbo and Niels Bohr. King George V was on the throne in the UK, Mussolini had power in Italy, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf and King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered.

Speakeasy is a roaring, lively and exciting new original anthology, edited by Alisa Krasnostein and published by Twelfth Planet Press. It will blend art deco with urban fantasy, the Charleston with the vampire and the flapper with the noir detective. It will be fast paced, action packed and well dressed. Stories in the vein of Dorothy Parker’s “Flappers: A Hate Song” will also be considered.

Stories for Speakeasy should be original, unpublished fantasy stories of between 2,500 wds and 7,500 wds, set in the 1920s and fun.

How: send your submission in rtf attachment to submissions@twelfthplanetpress.com
Length: stories should be between 2 500 and 7 500 words
Submissions will open June 1 and close September 30, 2010.
Payment: AUS$50 per story

Soundzine is a

literary e-zine that features poetry and prose from around the world accompanied by spoken recordings of each piece by the author or a voice actor, and artwork specifically chosen by an artistic director to complement the imagery present in the piece.

Soundzine is now up to its tenth  issue, and we’re again looking for submissions to join our ever-growing archive of excellent spoken word. To celebrate our milestone we moved into new digs at http://www.soundzine.net where our ‘Green’ themed tenth issue can now be perused, consumed, or ambled through at your leisure. I think you’ll agree that the quality of poetry and prose that can be found throughout all of the issues is of a high standard, and the added bonus of actually hearing the words spoken aloud is one that is rare in e-journals.

Soundzine is now looking for submissions to its eleventh issue, with the theme of ‘Sapphic’. Anything related to Sapphic goes. By Lesbians. About Lesbians. About Sappho. In Sapphics. Be Sapphic.

In my role as prose editor at Soundzine, I’m looking for any short stories or flash fiction you wish to send in. We have an 800 word maximum (mainly to keep reading times, and therefore file sizes, manageable) and we follow the Voiceworks school of thought with respect to the theme, i.e.:

• Themed work = good
• Good work = better
• Good, themed work = BEST

So if you don’t feel like you can write to our theme, don’t worry! Send in your best work and we’ll see what we can do about getting you into our next issue.

Prose submissions can be sent to prose [at] soundzine [dot] net, while everything else (poetry, articles, pitches) can be sent to submissions [at] soundzine [dot] org and we have a pretty quick turnaround on everything. The due date for issue 11 is June 15th.

Please, tell your friends, retweet this, and get the word around. I’ll be posting further calls as we get closer to the deadline. If you have any further questions regarding submissions, feel free to contact me on twitter @toothsoup. Now g’arn, get writing. (:

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive
101 Inspirational Stories about Counting Your Blessings and Having a Positive Attitude

This title is a continuation of the theme of our very popular past titles – Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People. We are looking for stories of optimism, faith and strength to encourage our readers to think positive in these challenging times.

What was the situation that inspired you to think positive? What changes did you make in your attitude — from negative to positive — that turned your life around? These inspirational stories will remind readers to focus on hope and show them that each day holds something to be grateful for.

Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:

Attitude! It does make a difference
The unexpected benefits of challenges
Putting things in perspective
Turning negative into positive
How you spread the message of gratitude to others
Lighten up and laugh!
What made you realize that your life is good and that you are grateful
Silver linings that you have discovered
Appreciating the simple pleasures
… Anything else that you think that is interesting and inspirational
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.

DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2010.

…Results Stories…
Have you read a particular Chicken Soup story and, after reading it, found that it changed your life? We are looking for stories on how a story made important changes in your life and what specifically happened to you after you read it. Please be sure to let us know the title of the story that touched your life. ***Please note: If you do not see a book title that fits your story, do not submit it to us at this time. Keep the story in your files and keep checking back with us. We are adding new titles all of the time. Hopefully we will add one soon that will be perfect for your story. Please remember that our editors can only consider stories for the titles listed on our Possible Book Topics list. In the case of “Results Stories,” they will only consider stories having to do specifically with this topic and description above.

Grandmothers
Everyone has a great story about the unconditional love between grandmothers and their grandchildren. We are looking for wonderful stories celebrating grandmothers and grandchildren, written by grandmothers about being a grandmother, and by grandchildren about their grandmothers. Stories about stepgrandmothers and honorary grandmothers are welcomed also. We are not looking for stories from children so please save those for a future book. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2010.

Grieving and Recovery
Grieving is a difficult process that those who have lost a loved one must go through in order to get to the recovery phase. This important collection of stories will be like a support group that will offer comfort and understanding and show you that, no matter how devastating your loss is, you are not alone. You can get through the process and, with time, you will regain your strength and move forward with your life. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2010.

My Cat’s Life
As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a beloved cat. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow. In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages our cat’s lives. Starting with kittens, it will cover the prime years, aging cats, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our cats. Because of the title’s initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn’t filled despite our collecting submissions!). The deadline date for story submissions is March 30, 2010.

My Dog’s Life
As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a family dog. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow. In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages of our dog’s lives. Starting in puppyhood it will cover a range of middle years, senior dogs, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our dogs. Because of the title’s initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn’t filled despite our collecting submissions!). The deadline for story submissions is March 30, 2010.

Preteens
The preteen years – those years from nine to twelve can be rough from both a physical and emotional perspective. You are not a kid anymore but you are not yet a teen. There are so many issues to deal with and sometimes it feels like you are all alone. You are not! The stories in this book – almost all of them written by preteens just like you – will prove that to you. We are looking for stories that will inspire you, make you laugh, make you think and let you know that life is not as bad as it might seem. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2010.

Teens
A completely new book on one of our most requested topics – TEENS. The stories in this book, written almost entirely by teens, will be stories that you will want to read again and again. They will serve as your guide on topics such as the daily pressures of life, love, school, friendships, parents and much more. We are looking for stories that will encourage you, inspire you, make you laugh, make you cry and show you that, as tough as things can get, you are not alone. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2010.

Thank you!

Click Here to Submit Your Story

…Results Stories…
Have you read a particular Chicken Soup story and, after reading it, found that it changed your life? We are looking for stories on how a story made important changes in your life and what specifically happened to you after you read it. Please be sure to let us know the title of the story that touched your life.

***Please note: If you do not see a book title that fits your story, do not submit it to us at this time. Keep the story in your files and keep checking back with us. We are adding new titles all of the time. Hopefully we will add one soon that will be perfect for your story. Please remember that our editors can only consider stories for the titles listed on our Possible Book Topics list. In the case of “Results Stories,” they will only consider stories having to do specifically with this topic and description above.

Christmas and Holidays – Ho Ho Ho
We love the holidays! They are a magical time of the year; a time of family, friends and traditions. They can bring special joy and unexpected blessings into our lives. Please share your Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa stories with us… stories that will touch the souls and warm the hearts of our readers. The deadline date for story submissions is February 28, 2010.

Devotionals for Mothers
Being a mom is one of the most challenging — and yet rewarding –jobs a woman can have. With God on your parenting team, the burdens are lighter and the rewards are sweeter. If you have a brief true story (up to 600 words) that shows God’s presence during a parenting moment, please share it along with an applicable Bible verse and a 2-3 sentence prayer. You will receive ten free copies of the book and $100 for each published devotion. The deadline date for submissions is February 28, 2010.

Family Matters
Do you have a great story about a wacky or dysfunctional family member? We know you love them, but it’s still great fun to read about all those crazy relatives and compare them to ours. Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family has been a big hit, so let’s do it again. Send us your stories, funny or serious. Submit under your real name, but rest assured we expect most of you to use pen names for publication and change the names of family members to protect the innocent (or guilty!). The deadline date for story submissions is February 28, 2010

Grandmothers
Everyone has a great story about the unconditional love between grandmothers and their grandchildren. We are looking for wonderful stories celebrating grandmothers and grandchildren, written by grandmothers about being a grandmother, and by grandchildren about their grandmothers. Stories about stepgrandmothers and honorary grandmothers are welcomed also. We are not looking for stories from children so please save those for a future book. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2010.

Grieving and Recovery
Grieving is a difficult process that those who have lost a loved one must go through in order to get to the recovery phase. This important collection of stories will be like a support group that will offer comfort and understanding and show you that, no matter how devastating your loss is, you are not alone. You can get through the process and, with time, you will regain your strength and move forward with your life. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2010.

My Cat’s Life
As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a beloved cat. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow. In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages our cat’s lives. Starting with kittens, it will cover the prime years, aging cats, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our cats. Because of the title’s initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn’t filled despite our collecting submissions!). The deadline date for story submissions is March 30, 2010.

My Dog’s Life
As many of you know this title was going to focus on the grieving and recovery process we humans go through after the loss of a family dog. However, despite the many heartwarming and inspirational stories you have submitted, we decided that the topic is too narrow. In its new form the book will focus on all the memorable ages and stages of our dog’s lives. Starting in puppyhood it will cover a range of middle years, senior dogs, and finally the twilight and the end, when our dear friends leave us. We want to capture the experience of living through the natural life cycle with our dogs. Because of the title’s initial form we expect to have a nice large section on grieving and recovery (which isn’t filled despite our collecting submissions!). The deadline for story submissions is March 30, 2010.

New Moms
Becoming a new mom is the most amazing experience, unique and unlike any other. From the moment that baby is placed in your arms, there is an incredible feeling only a new mother can know. This book celebrates the physical, emotional, and spiritual experience of having a child and creating a family. We are looking for heartwarming, insightful, and humorous stories about raising babies and toddlers that share with our readers the wonders of early motherhood. The deadline for story submissions is February 28, 2010.

Preteens
The preteen years – those years from nine to twelve can be rough from both a physical and emotional perspective. You are not a kid anymore but you are not yet a teen. There are so many issues to deal with and sometimes it feels like you are all alone. You are not! The stories in this book – almost all of them written by preteens just like you – will prove that to you. We are looking for stories that will inspire you, make you laugh, make you think and let you know that life is not as bad as it might seem. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2010.

Teens
A completely new book on one of our most requested topics – TEENS. The stories in this book, written almost entirely by teens, will be stories that you will want to read again and again. They will serve as your guide on topics such as the daily pressures of life, love, school, friendships, parents and much more. We are looking for stories that will encourage you, inspire you, make you laugh, make you cry and show you that, as tough as things can get, you are not alone. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2010.

Thank you!

Click Here to Submit Your Story

‘The Nameless’ challenge is OPEN to submissions!

The AHWA and ‘Nameless’ competition director Stephen Studach are thrilled to announce that the ‘Nameless’ competition will be judged by multi-award winning master of dark fiction Ramsey Campbell.

In honour of Mr. Campbell’s involvement, the competition’s deadline has been extended to the 13th of March, 2010.

* Read the story (Part I here; Part II here), get to know the story elements, the characters, their journey and their motivations. Then, write a fitting ending for ‘The Nameless‘ and give the tale a title while you’re at it.

* Make your donation of AU$10 (ten dollars) through PayPal using our official PayPal ID: ahwa@australianhorror.com

* Send your conclusion, with title, to ahwa@australianhorror.com

* Your title and ending will then be sent to one of our Judges. If your piece makes it into the finals corral you will be notified.

* Those writers and organisers who have already participated in the assembling of ‘The Nameless’ as well as the judges in said comp, are barred from taking part in the competition itself. Outside of that specification anyone from anywhere can compete as many times as they like.

* Once submissions have closed, the six best endings will be featured on the HorrorScope site, when Ramsey Campbell will decide the winner.

And the winner will receive cold hard cash to the sum of $500! As well as the following:

• The honour of giving the story a title.
• A copy of The Last Days of Kali Yuga, the second collection of Paul Haines’ stories. This one is from Brimstone Pressand due to be released in December of this year. Kindly donated by Angela Challis.
• A manuscript version of the story signed by all of the writers involved.
• A copy of The Australian Writer’s Marketplace 2009/2010.
• A copy of ‘The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror’ 19th annual collection (edited by Datlow, Link & Grant.)
• Free 1-year membership, or 12-month renewal, to the Australian Horror Writers Association.
• Books: Signed limited editions of – Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge. Wild Things by Douglas Clegg. Prodigal Blues by Gary A. Braunbeck.

As well as – Development Hell by Mick Garris. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Infected by Scott Sigler. The Nature of Balance by Tim Lebbon. The Dark Descent edited by David G. Hartwell. A used copy of The Books of Blood (vols 1-3).

All proceeds from this competition will go to Paul Haines to use in whatever manner that he and his family see fit.

We are currently accepting submissions for 2010 – 2011.

FICTION:

* Improperly formatted manuscripts will be immediately rejected. Electronic submissions are preferred.*

* Stories from 500 to 5000 words, query for longer. Must be in the Horror/Dark Fantasy and Dark Mystery veins (no straight Science Fiction, Mystery, Fan Fiction, or Sword & Sorcery).

* Looking for well-written, powerful, original ideas and new twists on old Horror conventions. Vampire and werewolf stories are a tough sell, but we are open to those with an original twist. Especially looking for stories that examine the darker side of the human condition, but we are also interested in supernatural tales. New writers are welcome to submit. Please consider purchasing a sample copy to see what type of stories we are publishing.

PAYMENT:

* Three ($.03) to five ($.05) a word (The minimum payment is $25 and the maximum payment is $150).

* Payment is within 60 days of publication. Rights revert to author upon publication. No Simultaneous submissions (to other publications). One story submission at a time (please wait to send another story until your current one has been responded to!). Response time is 3-4 months.

INTERVIEWS/NONFICTION:

* Looking for interviews with established & newer personalities with recognition in the Horror/Dark Fantasy and related fields. Payment for interviews in copies only. Query for details.

* Also looking for relevant non-fiction articles by new & established writers. Query first, please. Payment varies (usually $.03 to $.05 a word). Simultaneous submissions okay, one at a time – same as above.

ARTWORK:

* Looking for original art in Horror/Dark Fantasy style, B&W or Color. Final format for publication: 300DPI minimum, TIFF preferred. B&W illustrations should be formatted for Grayscale. For queries, it is OK to send JPG in email.

* Payment is $25 – $50 for small interior art plus two copies and up to $150 plus two copies for a cover piece. Payment within 60 days of publication. Simultaneous submissions OK. Will look at multiple art subs, but please query first before sending to make sure it’s okay. Rights revert to Artist upon publication.