August, 2021 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

 HWA L.A.: August, 2021
New or Reopening Market Listings/ Notes
At Minimum Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

Mirror, Mirror: Modern Myths (anthology, edited by Kevin J. Anderson)
https://wordfirewestern.moksha.io/publication/2/3/submit
Payment: 6 cents a word
Story Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: October 15, 2021
Reprints?: No
Response: Unknown
Description: When you’re alone with your reflection, are you prepared for what you see? A prince in disguise? A monster revealed? An alien race? Mirrors can be truth-tellers, wish-granters, face-concealers, illusion-makers, even monster-summoners. Maybe the mirror shows an evil twin, or an echo of the life that should have been. Or a portal to another world. What happens when it shatters? Short stories (prose poems will also be considered), to include a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, magical, history, and romance elements. Classic or genre-bending, grim or whimsical, as long as it is new and fresh. Must be appropriate for a “PG-13” audience.


Dark Recesses Magazine
http://darkrecessespress.com/submissions/
Payment: 5 cents a word
Story Length: 500–5,000 words
Deadline: Revolving submission periods. Current widow is Sept. 1–Nov. 30
Reprints?: No
Response: Up to 12 weeks
Description: Non-themed horror/dark fiction pieces


The Strand Magazine
https://strandmag.com/guidelines/
Payment: 6 cents a word for first 2,000 words, then diminishing scale thereafter
Story Length: 2,000–6,000 words
Deadline: Intermittent. Currently open, but unknown when it will close.
Reprints?: No
Response: Unknown.
Description: Short stories: Mysteries, detective stories, tales of terror and the supernatural, etc. Stories can be set in any time or place, provided they are well written, the plots interesting and well thought.


Pulp Literature
https://pulpliterature.com/submissions/submission-guidelines/
Payment: 5 cents a word for first 7,000 words, then diminishing scale thereafter
Story Length: up to 20,000 words (preference to 5,000 and less)
Deadline: Intermittent. Currently open, but unknown when it will close.
Reprints?: No
Response: 3 months.
Description: Any genre or between-genre work of literature. Anything entertaining and well written. We want our magazine to include a balance of all genres, including fantasy, romance, mystery, literary, etc.


Daily Science Fiction
http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: to 1,500 words (prefer less than 1,000)
Deadline: Continually open (EXCEPT during December 24, 2020–January 2, 2021)
Reprints?: No
Response Time: 1 month
Description: Speculative fiction, such as science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, etc. Daily publications.


Silence in the City (anthology)
https://www.foundershousepublishing.com/2021/07/silence-in-city-open-call-for.html
Payment: 6 cents a word
Story Length: 2,500–6,000 words
Deadline: September 15, 2021
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown
Description: Silence in the City is an anthology of speculative tales asking what happens when a city—and all of modern civilization—is plunged into darkness.



***Non-PRO-Paying Market, but Eric J. Guignard’s “Pick of the Month”

Bloody Rock (anthology)
http://scarydairypress.com/
Payment: 3 cents a word
Story Length: 2,000–5,000 words
Deadline: December 1, 2021
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown
Description: Stories that combine a rock song theme and creepy horror into a tale that rocks readers to their bones! …Anthology draws inspiration from the terrifying tunes of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.


+Horror Library+ Volume 7 (anthology, published by Dark Moon Books)
http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Submissions.html
Payment: 2 cents a word
Story Length: 1,500–5,000 words
Deadline: September 5, 2021
Reprints?: No
Response: by October 5
Description: Non-themed horror short stories, with a preference toward tones such as: Imaginative and/or harrowing adventure; beauty of darkness; “quiet” horror; exploration through fears or discovery; original monsters and/or strange lands; life events turned slightly askew, etc.


Bards & Sages)
https://www.bardsandsages.com/contact_us/fiction_submission_guidelines
Payment: $30 flat
Story Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: Intermittent. Currently open, but unknown when it will close.
Reprints?: Yes
Response: 3 months or less
Description: A quarterly journal of speculative fiction; interested in all speculative genres (horror, fantasy, science fiction, slipstream, steampunk, magical realism, etc.)

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day VIII, Volume 7

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day VIII. The 7th volume in this anthology series is taking submissions NOW!!

Fans around the world have clamored for more, and Dark Moon Books is listening—The rebirth of HORROR LIBRARY is happening!

Volume 7 already has some stellar, unannounced names attached, but, as always, most stories are selected through a public open call.

At close of the eighth day (yesterday) since subs opened we’ve logged and acknowledged 446, an average of over 55 subs a day. The expectation is that by the end of open call, we’ll have received over 1,200!

But don’t let numbers deter you—write the best that you can, and send it in! Seeking non-themed horror (with a few hard rules, per guidelines) and a preference toward the quiet or weird horror rather than gore and violence.

Read more on Open Submissions for VOLUME 7, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Submissions.html

 

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day VII, Volume 6

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day VII ! The 6th volume in this anthology series originally released in April, 2017 by Cutting Block Books.

Packed with great stories and authors such as Jeffrey Ford, Bentley Little, John M. Floyd, Carole Johnstone, David Tallerman, JG Faherty, Edward M. Erdelac, and many others.

This was also my first volume of HORROR LIBRARY as editor! In 2016 I read over 1,095 submissions and culled the list down to 27 selections. For the current volume 7 submissions (currently open), I’m on track to beat that number.

After going out of print, the book was redesigned and rereleased last month (July, 2021) worldwide through Dark Moon Books!

Read more on VOLUME 6, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_6.html

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day VI, “The Best of Volumes 1–5“

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day VI ! “The Best of Volumes 1–5” in this anthology series originally released in May, 2015 by Cutting Block Press.

Then-editors of the HORROR LIBRARY selected 33 of what they considered the best representation of the volumes so far in the series (totaling nearly 150 original stories!)

After going out of print, the book was redesigned and rereleased last month (July, 2021) worldwide through Dark Moon Books!

Read more on "The Best of Volumes 1–5" here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_best.html

 

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day V, Volume 5

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day V ! The fifth volume in this anthology series originally released in October, 2013 by Cutting Block Press.

With a good amount of returning authors and many new ones in this volume, building to an even higher level of storytelling and dark imagination, including mainstay Bentley Little, plus Jeff Strand, Ray Garton, Michael A. Arnzen, John F.D. Taff, Tracie McBride, Taylor Grant, Shane McKenzie, and others!

On a personal note, this volume also included my own story, which was one of my earliest acceptances as a writer, and had been selected out of 1,000+ submissions by the editors. I had just barely started sending work out for publication at this time, and knew hardly anyone, and decided to submit here, and was stunned at the acceptance. I still have my original email submitting on Sept. 3, 2011, and the acceptance coming on January 29, 2012. And now I’m carrying on the series for other authors!

After going out of print, the book was redesigned and rereleased last month (July, 2021) worldwide through Dark Moon Books!

Read more on VOLUME 5, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_5.html

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day IV, Volume 4

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day IV ! The fourth volume in this anthology series originally released in October, 2010 by Cutting Block Press.

So many great stories and authors in this book, with inclusions by Bentley Little, Hank Schwaeble, Tim Waggoner, JG Faherty, Jeff Strand, Lee Thomas, Nate Kenyon, Catherine Macleod, Erik Williams, and others.

After going out of print, the book was redesigned and rereleased last month (July, 2021) worldwide through Dark Moon Books!

Read more on VOLUME 4, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_4.html

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day III, Volume 3

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day III ! Volume 3 in this anthology series originally released about 13 years ago in October, 2008 by Cutting Block Press. The first volume to include future mainstay, Bentley Little!

Some returning, and lots of new authors also appeared with a wild array of horror stories, from quiet/ introspective to violent insanity… and including perhaps the most memorable cover in the series! Besides Bentley, other authors included were Kealan Patrick Burke, Michael A. Arnzen, Lisa Morton, John Palisano, Jeff Strand, Cullen Bunn, Blu Gilliand, (returning) Lorne Dixon, and many others.

After going out of print, the book was redesigned and rereleased last month (July, 2021) worldwide through Dark Moon Books!

Read more on VOLUME 3, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_3.html

 

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day II, Volume 2

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day II: The second volume in this anthology series originally released in March, 2007 by Cutting Block Press. Some familiar names began appearing in the series such as John Rector, Ron McGillvray, Lorne Dixon, Lon Prater, John Mantooth, Kim Despins, and others.

After going out of print, the book was redesigned and rereleased last month (July, 2021) worldwide through Dark Moon Books!

Read more on VOLUME 2, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_2.html

It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ Appreciation Day I, Volume 1

 It’s +HORROR LIBRARY+ appreciation Day I: The first volume in this series hit the shelves of bookstores over 15 years ago in May, 2006!

Originally published in limited edition through Cutting Block Press, the redesigned edition is available now worldwide through Dark Moon Books! What began as a writers’ collective through Zoetrope’s Virtual Studios has evolved into a franchise of groundbreaking horror fiction.

Read more on VOLUME 1, here! http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_1.html

Preorders available for: EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION #6: A PRIMER TO RAMSEY CAMPBELL

I’ve had fans asking for this for a while, so now I am thrilled to announce, pre-orders are up with a publication date in 4 weeks (Sept. 7, 2021)!! for:

EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION #6: A PRIMER TO RAMSEY CAMPBELL

Hailed by The Oxford Companion to English Literature as “Britain's most respected living horror writer,” Ramsey Campbell has authored an astounding body of work for over half a century that embodies the weird, the supernatural, and the subtle, much of which is widely considered classics of dark fiction today. He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including being made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University for outstanding services to literature.

Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to his work, the sixth in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover—or learn more of—the remarkable voice of Ramsey Campbell, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich.

Included within these pages are:

• Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book

• Author interview

• Biography and bibliography

• Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University)

•  … and more!

 

Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Ramsey Campbell.

 

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Title: Exploring Dark Short Fiction#6: A Primer to Ramsey Campbell

By: Edited by Eric J. Guignard (including Short Fiction authored by Ramsey Campbell, academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD, and illustrations by Michelle Prebich

Publisher: Dark Moon Books (Los Angeles, CA)

Format: Available in HARDBACK, TRADE PAPERBACK and EBOOK

Hardback 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-949491-16-6

Paperback 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-949491-13-5

e-book 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-949491-31-9

Number of pages: 196

Date of publication: September 7, 2021

Praise for the Exploring Dark Short Books series:

“A fascinating study for fans seeking new reads and for librarians developing wide-ranging collections.” —Library Journal

“Refreshing and much-needed... Addresses significant themes and figures within the horror field.” —Locus Magazine

"An insightful look at the working methods and underlying concerns of some of the foremost exponents of the short story form, appealing to both intellect and the emotions.” —Black Static Magazine

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Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Primer_6.html

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Dark-Short-Fiction-Campbell/dp/1949491161/

Also available on all other online distribution sites, including B&N, IndieBound, bookshop.org, Kobo, etc.

Submissions opening for HORROR LIBRARY, VOLUME 7!

Submissions opening for HORROR LIBRARY, VOLUME 7!

Title: +Horror Library+ Volume 7

Edited by: Eric J. Guignard

Publisher: Dark Moon Books (Los Angeles, CA)

Submissions Accepted: August 16, 2021 through September 5, 2021

Projected Release Date: March, 2022

Word Count: Short stories between approximately 1,500–5,000 words (soft range, with a preference toward lower word count)

Payment: Two (2) cents per word and one contributor copy in each of all published formats

Reprints?: No

Multiple and/or Simultaneous Submissions: Yes (within reason)

Audience Age Appropriateness: 16 years old and up. Profanity and sexually-related material is acceptable, provided it is not gratuitous nor excessive. What is not acceptable is anything culturally derogative (propagating racial hatred or malicious stereotypes); relating to torture or sexual abuse of children/animals; involving graphic sex/ “erotica."

Genre Suitability: Anything with a supernatural and dark element, such as Horror; Dark Fiction/ Dark Fantasy; Weird Fiction; etc.

Tone: Imaginative and/or harrowing adventure; beauty of darkness; horror (preferably “quiet” horror); exploration through fears or discovery; original monsters and/or strange lands; life events turned slightly askew, etc.

Response Time: October 5, 2021 (or earlier)

Send submissions and queries to: Horror.Library.Submit@gmail.com

 

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Since 2006, the +Horror Library+ series of anthologies has been internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of contemporary horror short fiction stories—relevant to the moment and stunning in impact—from leading authors of the macabre and darkly imaginative.

Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in.

These anthology books have been a home for non-themed short works of horror & dark fiction for both new and established authors. Past contributors have included such notables as: Bentley Little (a regular contributor), Jeffrey Ford, Kealan Patrick Burke, Carole Johnstone, Jeff Strand, Ray Garton, David Tallerman, Lisa Morton, et al.

And now we are reading submissions for Volume 7!

Under new publisher Dark Moon Books, editor Eric J. Guignard will be molding this and future volumes to be in line with the hallmarks of anthology series such as Whispers (ed. Stuart David Schiff); Borderlands (ed. Thomas Monteleone); Shadows (ed. Charles Grant); Masques (ed. J.N. Williamson), Shivers (ed. Richard Chizmar), etc., not to mention the general tone and thoughtful, literary styles found in current and ongoing annual editions of “BEST OF HORROR” series by editors such as Ellen Datlow, Paula Guran, and Stephen Jones.

Although we are looking for non-themed horror, we’re not interested in anything relying on common tropes such as zombies, vampires, or serial killers-run-amuck, etc. Also no unnecessary gore or explicit scenes, or anything else that would require a trigger warning. Ideal qualities would include emotional resonance, story action (movement), unique/ thoughtful ideas, literary courage to push boundaries, etc. (Additionally, consider stories that would fit in with anthology horror TV series such as The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Black Mirror, etc.).

If you’re still unsure what we’re looking for, simply review former volumes of +Horror Library+ for additional insight. Beyond that, just send it!

 

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Formatting of submissions isn’t important (although good form is to follow Shunn guidelines at: http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html).

Please attach all submissions to email as a Microsoft Word file (doc type doesn’t matter).

Send submissions, queries, and all else via e-mail to: Horror.Library.Submit@gmail.com.

Good luck and have fun writing!

Eric J. Guignard 

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FOR UPDATES ON THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CONNECT OR FOLLOW BY ANY OF THE BELOW MEANS:

Eric J. Guignard

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Dark Moon Books

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New title available to reviewers on NetGalley:

Reviewers or NetGalley subscribers:

New release, SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT: A 21ST CENTURY MODERNIZATION by Weston Ochse, is available for free this month for ebook reviewers!!

*The classic tale that inspired the A24-movie The Green Knight starring Dev Patel!*

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight stands as one of the earliest literary memories of Medieval England, King Arthur and his Round Table, the mythical Camelot, and those knights who called it home.

In this classic tale of chivalry and adventure, a mysterious figure interrupts a New Year’s Eve celebration. Dressed all in green, he challenges King Arthur to a dangerous duel, but it is Gawain, the least of them, who is brave enough to accept the challenge on Arthur’s behalf. What follows is the young knight’s journey into the heart of darkness as he tries to survive the impossible.

Intended for students, academics, and fans of the Knights of the Round Table mythos, no treatment or contemporary retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is as complete and thrilling as this Dark Moon Books edition by USA Today bestselling-author Weston Ochse!

Included in this comprehensive edition are:

·         The original 1348 tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Middle English verse

·         Jessie L. Weston’s 1898 poetic translation of the original Middle English version

·         Acclaimed author Weston Ochse’s 2021 modernized narrative of the story

·         Supporting preface by the author

·         Afterword by Unconventional Warfare Scholar, Jason S. Ridler, PhD

·         Interior Illustrations by Yvonne Navarro

·         … and more!

Hardback 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-949491-44-9

Paperback 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-949491-42-5

e-book 13-digit ISBN: 978-1-949491-43-2 

Date of publication: July 30, 2021

Publisher: Dark Moon Books 

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/231905