Someone in the social-mediaverse had asked how I kept all my calls for submissions organized, so I figured I’d share a sample of my chart, along with with some upcoming deadlines. (Scroll down past the charts if you just want the open calls.)
Even if I’m not sure I’ll submit to an open call, if it looks interesting, I’ll add it to the list. Occasionally I get ahead of schedule on things and refer to my list to see if I can squeeze out a short story in time. Using a Word doc file, I like to keep a table of open calls that looks like this:
Always verify information on the publishers’ websites before submitting.
Once I submit, I immediately add it to another chart in the same file. I used to try to keep track in my head, but I’d forget which magazines I’d submitted to, which stories were still out, etc. So for the past several years, I’ve been charting my submissions. This is a clip from a few years ago. It’s messy, but it’s my method and it works so far:
There you have it! I’ve made a template just for you! Click the link below to download, (it’s just a basic doc file with an empty chart) alter it to your liking, and add more rows for your own record keeping.
And keep scrolling if you’d like to see my list of horror calls for submissions with deadlines creeping in.
UPCOMING HORROR CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS
Be sure to check the websites to verify information before submitting.
Midnight From Beyond the Stars
Silver Shamrock Publishing,
edited by Kenneth W. Cain
https://www.silvershamrockpublishing.com/midnight-from-beyond-the-stars-anthology
“We are looking for original alien horror stories with a The Thing/Alien/The Blob/Critters/Night of the Creeps kind of vibe.”
Word count: 2500 – 6K
Pay: 6 cents/word
Deadline: April 30, 2021
Cemetery Gates Society Monthly Flash Fiction Contest
Cemetery Gates Media
https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/cemetery-gates-society/
May Theme: “Inspired by True Crime”
Word count: 500-1500
Pay: $50
Open call window: May 1 – 7, 2021
Humans are the Problem
Weird Little Worlds,
edited by Gabino Iglesias
https://weirdlittleworlds.com/submissions
“Monsters are losing their place in a world flooded with technology and false movie representation. Their hunting grounds are diminishing in an “always-on” world. These are the stories of how monsters are adapting to the 21st century and fighting back to regain their place of power.”
Word count: 1-5K
Pay: 6c/word
Deadline: May 15, 2021
Dead Inside
Dark Dispatch,
edited by Laurel Hightower & Sandra Ruttan
https://darkdispatch.com/submissions/
Identity Horror: “Explorations of what happens when our core identities are stripped, altered, suppressed, or denied to us, whether by choice or not.”
poetry/flash/short stories/non-fiction
word count and pay varies. See website for details.
Submission Window: May 15 – Aug 2, 2021
What One Wouldn’t Do
edited by Scott J Moses
https://www.scottjmoses.com/what-one-wouldnt-do
An anthology on the lengths one might go to. “I’m looking for sacrifices, risky wagers, high stakes, and especially—if you’re familiar with my own writing—the unintended consequences and fallout of said things.”
Word count: 1K-4500
Pay: 2c/word
Submission window: May 15 – May 29, 2021
Classic Monsters Unleashed
Crystal Lake Publishing,
edited by James Aquilone
“We’re looking for dark, scary stories featuring a classic monster or monsters (think famous creatures from pre-1960 horror movies).”
https://www.crystallakepub.com/authorcentral
Word count: 1500-5K
Pay: 6c/words
Deadline: May 30
Bodies Full of Burning, An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror
Sliced Up Press,
edited by Nicole M. Wolverton
“Menopause can be hell – so show us your demons, your darkest dreams, bloodiest crimes or scariest transformations. It’s called the change of life, but transitions can be deadly.”
https://sliceduppress.com/submissions-2/
Word count: 1 – 4K
Pay: 1c/word
Deadline: June 1, 2021
If I Die Before I Wake, Voume 6: Tales of the Dark Deep
Sinister Smile Press,
edited by R.E Sargent & Stephen Pajak
“Submissions must fit the theme of the Dark Deep and should be centered around bodies of water and anything connected to them, such as sea creatures, mysterious disappearances, pirates, the Bermuda Triangle, etc, and must be written in the horror genre. “
https://www.sinistersmilepress.com/submissions-v6
Word count: 5-10K
Pay: $40
Deadline: June 9, 2021
FOUND: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories
edited by Gabino Iglesias and Andrew Cull
See image for submission info or visit the original tweet:
https://twitter.com/andrewcull/status/1381034413291626497?s=20
Word count: 2 – 4K
Pay: 3c/word
Deadline: Aug 8, 2021
Red Lagoe 
Many thanks for this.
Immeasurably helpful & just the elbow in the rib I need!
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