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Word of the week: Cacography – bad handwriting or spelling
Hello, readers! I hope your week is going well. Leaves are changing, Halloween is approaching, and the air smells of wood smoke with vague hints of pumpkin spice. Before you know it, it will be NaNoWriMo month. Our article selections this week are focused on writing in general. With information about how to create a mysterious atmosphere, elements of Gothic horror, and making choices difficult for your characters. As always, you can find me (Holley) lurking on Twitter @HLCornetto.
Horror Tree Update:
We're still tinkering on the back end for now. Finding ways to make it just a bit faster for those of us who craft and schedule posts for the site. I do have a request for you though - Please share your feedback with your thoughts on our video refresh posts - https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-refreshes-57593581
Trembling With Fear update:
We're in the home stretch of the year. While we're currently busy bee's in getting our Halloween Special Edition put together, I should probably remind you that there is another holiday coming up that we'll also need submissions for so get those Santa hats on (well, after Halloween at least) and get to thinking! ;)
Articles:
Due to plague and overall business, we didn't come across quite as many articles as usual but they're still all worth a read!
Mythcreants: How to Create a Mysterious Atmosphere
Writer’s Weekly: 7 Essential Elements Writers Must Include in Gothic Horror
Helping Writers Become Authors: How to Make Your Character’s Choices More Difficult
Storyville: Providing Feedback
Free Fiction Roundup:
This week’s fiction starts off with a piece called “How to Summon a Succubus” by Rachel Antonia Ward. The nontraditional style of the narrative grabbed my attention immediately, and I was not disappointed. The Raven Review published a new issue this week, and my pick is Elizabeth Nelson’s “The Prayer Meeting.” “Ennui Tea,” by Ivy Grimes was published by Metaphorosis. I loved the depth and self-awareness of this piece. My last choice for the week comes from Not Deer Magazine. “The Canals” by Rebecca Harrison captivated me with its stunning use of language. Happy reading!
Now, on to the fiction:
“How to Summon a Succubus” by Antonia Rachel Ward. Dreadstone Press.
“The Prayer Meeting” by Elizabeth Nelson. The Raven Review.
“Ennui Tea” by Ivy Grimes. Metaphorosis.
“The Canals” by Rebecca Harrison. Not Deer Magazine.
If you post any writing content during the week and think it would be a good fit for us to feature, do reach out and let us know at contact@horrortree.com
Thank you Patreons! As always, the site's lifeblood is in your hands and we truly appreciate your support.
Looking To Help Horror Tree?
Here are the main things we're looking for:
- Advertising and either Site or Contest sponsorships!
- Article writers (articles, interviews, reviews, crowdsource compilations, etc.)
- Sharing guest posts with us or reaching out for us to be a blog tour host.
- The obvious one here is also to become one of our Patreons!
If you're interested in contributing and think you have something that would help out PLEASE don't shy away from contacting us! (contact@horrortree.com)
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Excerpts:
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Deadline: November 15th, 2021 Payment: $.10 per word Theme: passionate, diverse SF/F fiction and poetry from writers from every conceivable background. Please follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter to get all submission updates. Editors-in-Chief: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas Uncanny Magazine is seeking passionate, diverse SF/F fiction and poetry from writers from every conceivable background. We want intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Uncanny believes there’s still plenty of room in the genre for tales that make you feel. Uncanny Magazine is a Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Qualifying Professional Market. Fiction Guidelines Uncanny is looking for original, unpublished speculative fiction stories between 750-6000 words. Payment is $.10 per word (including audio rights). We will reject any story that doesn’t follow our guidelines and procedures. You may not resubmit a rejected story. If you aren’t sure if your story counts as unpublished, please query us. Submission procedures: 1- NEW! Please submit your story via Uncanny‘s Moksha submission system. 2- All stories should be in Modern Manuscript Format and attached in .RTF, .DOC, or .DOCX formats. Please feel free to include your pronouns (optional) along with your name and email address in the upper left corner of your manuscript. Note, you do not need to add your mailing address or legal name to your manuscript. We will only ask for that information if your story is chosen for publication. 3- Your cover letter should contain the length of your story, your significant publishing history and awards, and information that might be relevant to that specific submission. 4- Please do not send multiple submissions at once. 5- We try to respond to all submissions in 30 days. Please feel free to query uncannymagazine [at] gmail [dot] com if we’ve had your submission for over 45 days. Poetry Guidelines Poetry Editor: Chimedum Ohaegbu Uncanny is looking...
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Deadline: January 15th, 2022 Payment: $20 per story Theme: Electric Spec prefers science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. submissions at electricspec (dot) comPlease don’t query us about your story submission. We don’t have the manpower to answer such queries. An editor will email you back as soon as possible with the decision about your story. This can take a few days, or, up to three months. We make every effort to get back to authors in a timely manner but we get a lot of submissions so sometimes it’s not possible. A note on our editorial policy: before publication we may work with the author to edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story and the author has final approval. Issues are published at the end of February, May, August, and November. We reserve the right to shift publication date slightly, as necessary. We have reading periods for each issue, though we never close to submissions. February closes January 15 May closes April 15 August closes July 15 November closes October 15 Please do not submit the same story more than once, and please submit only one story at a time. We consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with speculative fiction elements. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we’re willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We do not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We don’t accept multiple submissions; in other words, only submit one story at a time and wait for a response before submitting another. We accept simultaneous submissions as long as you let us know up front and...
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Payment: $20 Theme: Horror flash fiction WHO IS THIS FOR? Tales From Between is a new spooky story and art journal. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Horror flash fiction. It can be scary. Or weird. Gory. Literary. Whatever you like. WHAT LENGTH? It’s flash fic, so keep it below 1000 words, thanks! WHERE WILL IT BE PUBLISHED? Initially, we’re looking to show off flash fic to our Patreon, to our mailing list, and on our website, so a lot of eyes will see your work. Some stories will end up being transferred to the publication itself. If that happens, we will contact you to request permission first, and then pay you again. SHOW ME THE MONEY! $20 flat fee. WHERE DO I SEND MY SPOOKY STORY? frombetween@gmail.com DOES IT HAVE TO BE NEW? No, it’s fine if it’s been published elsewhere already. WHAT’S THE WAIT LIKE? God knows. This is an ongoing thing and we will get A LOT of people sending us stuff. We’re not asking for this to be exclusive, or for you to wait before submitting elsewhere. Submit away. If we would like to use a piece you send our way, we’ll be in touch. This will be a case of diving into the pile each time we want to showcase a new piece. Feel free to contact us and withdraw any piece you submit. SOUNDS GOOD Then send us something already! Boot it over here: frombetween@gmail.com Via: Tales From Between.
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Enjoy this Author Interview between Author Erik C. Hanson & host Ivana Sanders about his perception of the horror genre, his passion for writing fiction, and his newest release “All Things Deadly: Salem Stories” a collection Halloween themed horror stories! Watch the interview right here! ✨ Erik C. Hanson earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU and was the recipient of an “Outstanding Writing For The Screen” certificate. His work has been published by Smith & Kraus and Applause Books in 8 play anthologies. More than 35 of his short plays have been developed and produced in the United States. His fiction and nonfiction has appeared in Ghost Orchid Press, Horror Oasis, Collective Tales, Curious Blue Press, Trembling With Fear, The Parliament House, Stranger with Friction, and Versification Publishing House. His debut horror collection, ALL THINGS DEADLY (Salem Stories), was released by D&T Publishing in 2021. His novella, WICKED BLOOD, will be released in 2022. As an educator, Hanson has taught undergraduate and graduate-level English courses at Sacred Heart University.. All of his novels can be found on his Amazon author page here: https://www.amazon.com/E-C-Hanson/e/B… ✨FOLLOW US ALL✨ ~ ERIK C. HANSON ~ Twitter: @ECHanson21 IG: @HaddonfieldHanson FB: Erik Hanson ~ HORROR TREE ~ Twitter: @HorrorTree IG: @Horror_Tree FB: HorrorTree ~ IVAVA SANDERS ~ Twitter: @TheNovelette IG: @TheNovelette1 Thank you Erik C. Hanson and visit Horror Tree for more Author Interviews and other vital writers’ resources at www.HorrorTree.com!! Donate to the Horror Tree Patreon to support the hardworking Horror team Music promoted by Sound Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCsH9...
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Deadline: November 1st, 2021 Payment: 1,000 USD + 2 trade paperback copies Theme: Dark Fiction Note: Author must self-identify as an Indigenous person and must not have more than two published books Are you ready to be un-settled? Never Whistle At Night, edited by Shane Hawk and Ted Van Alst, is an anthology exclusive to Indigenous creatives and will be published by Penguin Random House in 2023. The anthology will comprise of twenty-one dark fiction short stories and a foreword by Stephen Graham Jones. Approximately seven stories are reserved for lesser-known and up-and-coming authors who will be selected through this open call. Our mission is to spread both new and established Indigenous authors and their work to as many readers as possible. The time is ripe to publish an Indigenous dark fiction anthology. Authors of historically excluded communities often float toward dark fiction to tell their stories because of its ability to effectively address social issues. Now it’s our turn. CURRENT CONTRIBUTORS Cherie Dimaline Kelli Jo Ford Owl Goingback Shane Hawk Brandon Hobson Stephen Graham Jones Darcie Little Badger Tommy Orange Mona Susan Power Waubgeshig Rice Rebecca Roanhorse Andrea L. Rogers Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. David Heska Wanbli Weiden Erika T. Wurth ELIGIBILITY FOR OPEN CALL Author must self-identify as an Indigenous person Author must submit an original, unpublished work Author must not have more than two published books SUBMISSION DETAILS AND PROCEDURES We are not restricting authors to a specific theme aside from an adherence to the umbrella term of dark fiction. We expect to see stories with dark elements from all subgenres of horror, dark fantasy, dark science fiction, and gritty crime. Again, we are looking for original, unpublished work. No simultaneous submissions, please. Shane and Ted will be working alongside two open-call readers to judge submissions. To ensure...
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Deadline: October 31st, 2021 Payment: 8 cents per word Theme: Flash Speculative Fiction Note: Apologies for the short window, I just found out about this call today The submission window for the fall 2021 flash fiction submission cycle is October 1 to October 31. Authors will be notified in mid-November about whether their stories have been accepted for publication. Stories will be published under a non-exclusive license, at a rate of 8 cents per word. The author will retail all original copyrights. Stories must be original, under 1,000 words in length, and fall under the genres of science fiction, fantasy or horror. MetaStellar is an online publication focusing on horror, fantasy and science fiction, launched in September 2020, founded by a dozen speculative fiction writers, editors and artists from around the world. Since our launch in September 2020, we’ve had 50,000 page views from more than 16,000 unique visitors and published over 350 pieces (out of more than 1,000 submissions) by more than 170 writers. We are accredited as a Google News publisher. We pay for original speculative fiction, at a rate of 8 cents a word. We also have non-paying publishing opportunities for reprints, essays, how-to articles and reviews. Click below for the submission form Via: Metastellar Magazine.
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Deadline: February 11th 2022 Payment: $.01 per word advanced against royalties Theme: Science Fiction Note: Reprints Welcome Rockets and Robots is looking for science fiction adventure stories set on alien worlds, space ships, or the post-21st century future. NO FANTASY! Word Balloon Books sells print editions at comic cons, Ren Fairs, and book festivals. We’ve noticed that most books at these event target adult readers, so in 2022 we’re launching a line of anthologies appropriate for readers 10 and up. We’re open to challenging themes and subject matter, but language, graphic violence, and sexual content should be rated G. Child or teen protagonists preferred. Pay for all anthologies is $.01 per word advanced against royalties, with a possible bonus based on crowdfunding. Publication is NOT dependent on crowdfunding, however. Contributor copies will be provided as well. No firm word count limit, but under 3k is preferred. REPRINTS WELCOME! Email submission in standard manuscript format to submissions@inorbit.com. Please specify the anthology you’re submitting to, and if the story has been previously published. Deadline for all February 11. 2022, though watch this space for adjustments! NOTE: These are preliminary covers. Final covers will be revealed closer to publication date. Via: James Maxey.
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Deadline: January 1st, 2022 Payment: Accepted stories can expect between $100-$150. Theme: Lovecraftian Inspired Tales of Folklore & Horror Lovecraftian Inspired Tales of Folklore & Horror Sentinel Creatives has opened up for submissions for the “FOLKLORIC: Tales of Folklore & Horror” anthology. Deadline for Submissions: 1 Jan 2022 If you’re unfamiliar with Sentinel Creatives, we’re an indie publishing and production house based in Cape Town, South Africa. We maintain a weekly Substack profile, a monthly podcast show, as well as more traditional publishing roles! Though our focus is on books, we have moved into the audiobook and radio-play sphere, and our larger projects include various other creative endeavours (illustration, sculpting, painting, composing etc.) Our most recent project—Lovecraft in a Time of Madness—was fully funded on Kickstarter within an hour and went on to raise over $20,000! The full project included a Cthulhu sculpt, various radio plays, a soundtrack, merchandise, fully illustrated pages of H. P. Lovecraft’s work, as well as half-a-dozen other items we built into the project. We’re hoping to repeat this approach with FOLKLORIC. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR With Folkloric, we are hoping to create an original dark fantasy and horror collection of stories inspired by history, folklore, cults, religion, myth, and legend—with just a touch of Cosmic Horror. We want to read about traditional beasties that lurk within the dark places of the world and the slithering tentacles that follow them! While Lovecraftian themes are encouraged, we would prefer it if these submissions were more ‘loosely inspired’ by his works than if they took place within the Cthulhu Mythos, Dream Cycle etc. Show us what the Inuits fear in the North—what horrific creature hunts them and the whales of the Arctic; take us into the black woods of Lithuania, to the Witch Mount and the horrors beneath its ruins!...
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Submission Window: December 1st, 2021 – January 15th, 2021 Payment: $25 Theme: Cryptids! Sasquatch, Chupacabra, Jersey Devil. All these things are deemed by Cryptozoologists as creatures that may exist out in the wild, but are dismissed by mainstream media science. Scientists will say it’s all just pseudoscience. Mumbo-jumbo, if you will. They’ll will even go as far as to say it’s all just claims based on fairytales, that there really is no actual scientific research to back up cryptozoology’s assertion that these creatures exist. But what if mainstream scientists are wrong. What if these creatures are out there, lurking in the darkest reaches of our planet. Prepare yourself for Cryptid Carnage! Open call for Splatter Ink Publishing’s Cryptid Carnage starts on Dec. 1st, and we close our doors for submissions on Jan. 15th. We are looking for stories from 2,000 – 10,000 words and we do not want reprints. Simultaneous Submission are okay, as long as you tell us it is a Simultaneous Submission and if it gets picked up elsewhere. We will have exclusive rights to your story for a year, then it switches over to non-exclusive rights after that. Send your stories to splatterinkpublishing@yahoo.com and we’ll get to them as soon as we can! Payout for accepted stories is $25
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**People often talk about the holidays, the beauty, the family traditions, the sadness that can linger there underneath tinsel, and turkey dinners. Truthfully, I am not a big fan of any of the holidays, except of course Halloween. In order of spooky season, frights, fears, griefs, and guilts—I bring you all a short personal essay. ** The Oxygen Kiss: A Magic Show by Jennifer Anne Gordon The dark red velvet jacket brushes the floor with each step, a swish, swish, swish, swoosh like blood pumping in my veins. The silk lining is ripped a little at the back, the heel of my boot catches in it if I am not careful, it pulls it apart a little more with each careless step. Whatever is in between the silk lining and the velvet turns to dust, to ash. Memory. It smells like cigarette smoke. The silk lining drags against the floor too, where it was ripped away. Its sound is almost silent, it is mostly hidden underneath the swish, swish, swish, swoosh…but it is there, and I have heard it before. It’s hard to place. It’s a familiar fear. It’s not a heartbeat, it’s not blood, it’s a breath…but not a breath. It’s the oxygen, pumped from a machine, an oxygen hiss, an oxygen kiss. If I close my eyes, I can make this room disappear. I can turn it into a hospital. I can turn it into my childhood home, I can turn it into both at the same time. That is what it’s become. He’s there now, my father. The real magician. He made his entire life disappear, he made a war disappear, he made a child disappear, he made three years kept in a cage disappear, and he made his sadness disappear. These were the illusions...
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