A lot of writers focus on publishing in literary journals, which is awesome. But literary journals aren’t the only places you can submit your work to. This is especially true with genre writing such as science fiction and fantasy. Writers writing in these genres should also know about anthologies. These are usually produced by publishing companies or literary journals, with anthologies centered around a theme and published at certain times of the year. It’s a great way to get your work out there, while also focusing on specific types of stories. So in the spirit of creating writing resources for you all this month, check out these science fiction and fantasy anthologies and get ready to submit!
Polymath Press
Now this is one I’m really excited about. This is a new publishing press, created just earlier this year by Robert Lewis. This will be the press’s first anthology, and it focuses on mathematical horror. The Polymath Press website states: “Show us weird geometries, cursed numbers, mathematicians going crazy, you name it. Most importantly of all, remember that we want math AND horror, so make it as scary as you can.”
The deadline for submissions is December 31st, though there is a chance that submissions will close early if there are a lot of submissions. You can find the full details here.
Grendel Press
This press generally looks for horror, dark fantasy, and romance, but they have an anthology that they theme and publish every year. Their next anthology, Uncanny & Unearthly Tales (Vol 2) – The Midnight Labyrinth, is set to be published in early 2024. Their prompt is: “Each story should feature a tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected.”
Deadline is December 31st. They also have another anthology that they will accept submissions for soon, but the dates and prompts have yet to be released. If you join their Discord, you can read about this anthology early! Check out their full guidelines here.
Moonstruck Books
Moonstruck Books might publish books year-round, but they also occasionally publish anthologies. They are currently looking for dark fiction for their next anthology. Their website states: “We are seeking short stories, fairy tales, flash fiction, and novellas of 500-10,000 words. Payment is $0.10 per word.”
The deadline is December 27th. You can view their full guidelines here, including guidelines for their books.
Hiraeth Publishing
This speculative fiction publisher is currently looking for stories about dragons for their upcoming anthology that will be published in June 2024. Additionally, they look for poetry and art to go along with stories. Their website states: “We are looking for renderings of dragons in writing and art that capture the essence of these fascinating creatures.” Also, they have specific guidelines for what your fiction, poetry, and art submissions should look like.
The deadline is January 1st, though it is possible submissions will close sooner. You can find their full guidelines here.
air and nothingness press
This press currently has two anthologies you can submit to. The first is titled We Are All Thieves of Somebody’s Future, which wants stories about resource scarcity. The second anthology is titled Moving Across the Landscape in Search of an Idea. Besides fiction, they also look for poetry. Also, if you don’t submit anything to the anthology, you can send in your short story collections next year!
Deadlines are December 31st and March 31st. You can find their full guidelines here.
Eye to the Telescope
Unlike the others on this list, this is a literary journal rather than a small press. However, it’s run by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, and each of their submission periods is centered around a theme. Obviously, they look for poetry.
The deadline is December 15th. You can find their full guidelines here.
Strange Elf Press
Strange Elf Press seeks to publish an anthology next June titled Anterior Skies. Their website states: “ANTERIOR SKIES will be an annual anthology. Its aim is to find the best cosmic and weird stories, ranging from fantasy (preferably low fantasy, but high fantasy will be considered, but it has to wow me) to sci-fi to noir, as long as there’s a dab of horror somewhere in there.”
The deadline is January 1st 2024. Find their full guidelines here.
Happy writing to you all!
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My 2022 chapbook
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