Tag Archives: literary fiction

Creative Future Writers’ Award 2020

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The 2020 Creative Future Writers’ Award is now open for submissions.

Founded in 2013, the Creative Future Writers’ Award is the UK’s only national writing competition and development programme for under-represented writers. They showcase talented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, identity or other social circumstance.

Prizes are awarded for both poetry and short fiction, including cash and professional writing development opportunities, publication in an anthology, and a high profile awards ceremony at the Southbank Centre in London as part of London Literature Festival (TBC).

2020 judges are Kerry Hudson, Anthony Anaxagorou, Aki Schilz of The Literary Consultancy, and the CFWA 2020 Writer In Residence (TBA).

This year’s theme is ‘Tomorrow‘.  Submissions are open for:

  • Poetry (one poem up to 42 lines)
  • Short fiction (up to 2,000 words)

Deadline is 31 May 2020.

For more information and how to submit, please click here.

Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2020

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Exactly three weeks left to submit your best flash fiction to Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2020.  

During Flash Fiction February, now in its third year, we will feature a new piece of flash fiction throughout the month. That’s a new story, every day, starting on 1 February right through to February 29. Our submissions window will remain open until December 31, 2019.

As always, we’re interested in material with a contemporary feel on any subject. Your stories may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating, even cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

We’ve put a squeeze on our usual word count though, so only stories of between 200–750 words please.

Read our Flash Fiction February 2020 submission guidelines here.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

For those of you who prefer to write longer stories we remain open to standard submissions (500–2,500 words). 

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2020

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The submissions window for Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2020 is now open.

During Flash Fiction February, now in its third year, we will feature a new piece of flash fiction throughout the month. That’s a new story, every day, starting on 1 February right through to February 29. Our submissions window will remain open until December 31, 2019.

As always, we’re interested in material with a contemporary feel on any subject. Your stories may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating, even cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

We’ve put a squeeze on our usual word count though, so only stories of between 200–750 words please.

Read our Flash Fiction February 2020 submission guidelines here.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

For those of you who prefer to write longer stories we remain open to standard submissions (500–2,500 words). 

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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We start the month with some wonderful news. Four Fictive Dream stories have been included in the very best fifty British and Irish Flash Fiction (BIFFY50) 2018-2019. We’re delighted and our thanks to authors Niamh McCabe, Gary Duncan, Meg Pokrass and Jason Jackson.

But now it’s back to business. Fictive Dream is open to submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). We especially like stories that give an insight into the human condition; stories that focus on those moments that change people’s lives. They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

See our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

The Shadow Booth: Vol. 4 open for pre-orders!

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We’re thrilled to announce that The Shadow Booth: Vol. 4 will be published on 24 October 2019! There’s a suitably folk-horror vibe to this one, with new stories by Lucie McKnight Hardy (author of Water Shall Refuse Them), Charles Wilkinson, Jane Roberts, Gary Budden, Ashley Stokes and many more (full lineup below). Once again, we’ll be publishing as an ebook and a mass-market paperback, which should match your copies of Vols. 1, 2 & 3 perfectly on the shelf.

Pre-orders are open now through our online store. If you’ve enjoyed Vols. 1-3 (or are just a fan of strange, uncanny short stories), please take a moment to pre-order your copy.

We’ve also dropped the price of Vols. 1 & 2 through until October, so if you’ve fallen behind now is the perfect time to catch up! Vols. 1 & 2 are only £6.99 in paperback until 24 October, and all three volumes to date are only £2.99 as ebooks. It’s the perfect time to catch up on all those stories you missed, from the likes of Alison Moore, Kirsty Logan, Mark Morris, Aliya Whiteley, Robert Shearman, Chikodili Emelumadu, Richard V. Hirst and many, many others.

But we haven’t told you the most exciting part! The Table of Contents reads as follows:

  • The Devil of Timanfaya by Lucie McKnight Hardy
  • The Tribute by James Machin 
  • The Larpins by Charles Wilkinson 
  • Drowning by Giselle Leeb 
  • You Are Not in Kettering Now by Andrew McDonnell 
  • Hardrada by Ashley Stokes 
  • Defensive Wounds by James Everington 
  • The Verandah by Jay Caselberg 
  • The Salt Marsh Lambs by Jane Roberts
  • The Box of Knowledge by Tim Cooke 
  • His Hand by Polis Loizou 
  • Terminal Teatime by Anna Vaught
  • Collector of Games by Gary Budden 
  • One Two Three by Marian Womack

Hopefully you’re just as excited as we are. We think this might be the best volume yet. Don’t miss out.

 Please show your support by pre-ordering your copy of The Shadow Booth: Vol. 4 here. 

(Ebook pre-order here.)

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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Fictive Dream is open to submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). We especially like stories that give an insight into the human condition; stories that focus on those moments that change people’s lives. They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

See our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

Fictive Dream call for Submissions

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Fictive Dream is open to submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). We especially like stories that give an insight into the human condition; stories that focus on those moments that change people’s lives. They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

See our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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Fictive Dream is open to submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). We especially like stories that give an insight into the human condition; stories that focus on those moments that change people’s lives. They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

See our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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Fictive Dream is open to submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). We especially like stories that give an insight into the human condition; stories that focus on those moments that change people’s lives. They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

Look at our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Website www.fictivedream.com
Twitter @fictivedream
Instagram fictive.dream

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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Fictive Dream is open to submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). We especially like stories that give an insight into the human condition; stories that focus on those moments that change people’s lives. They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

Look at our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

 

Call for Submissions: HCE’s Classified Issue

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The editors at Here Come Everyone magazine (HCE) are seeking submissions for our upcoming Classified Issue. We’re a literary magazine of short fiction, poetry, articles and artwork based around different themes. Our aim is to provide an open and accessible platform, full of interesting content, for readers and contributors.

The new theme: CLASSIFIED

Deadline: 1st February 2019

We encourage bold/striking interpretations of the theme. If your link to brutality isn’t self-evident, we advise you to include a few lines in your author bio to provide context.

Promo Pic_Classified_Back page of Rituals

Poetry: you may submit up to three poems of no longer than 30 lines each.

Fiction: please submit only one piece per issue; stories may be up to 2,000 words.

Non-fiction: please submit only one piece per issue; articles may be up to 1,500 words.

Artwork: you may submit up to three pieces (300 dpi and 640 x 640 res). We will consider all visual media, including photographs of sculpture and installations.

 

 

 

Please see our submissions guidelines for full details. Work must be sent via the form on our website; stuff we receive via email will not be accepted.

We look forward to receiving your creations…

 

Rituals front cover_v1To get an idea of what HCE is looking for, you can check out our previous issues. Full of short stories and flash fiction, plus art, poetry and other writing.

We’re also taking pre-orders for the brand new Rituals Issue!

Submission opportunity Flash Fiction February 2019

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Four weeks left to get your story in for Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2019. Submissions close on midnight December 31 2018.

During Flash Fiction February we will feature a new piece of flash fiction throughout February 2019. That’s a new story, every day, starting on 1 February for the entire month. As always we’re interested in stories with a contemporary feel.

We’ve put a squeeze on our usual word count though, so only stories of between 200 – 750 words please.

Read our Flash Fiction February submission guidelines here.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Free Membership @JerichoWriters – LISP 4th Quarter 2018 News!

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Writers! We have great news.

The London Independent Story Prize 4th Quarter Deadline is on 12th November 2018.  And beside the £200 cash prize, our winner will also receive One-Year Membership from Jericho Writers, which is worth £195.00!

LISP is accepting 300 Word Flash Fiction stories NOW! Deadline is coming, so hurry up.

Don’t miss the great prizes!

Jericho Writers is a club for writers, created by writers. They organise wonderful courses, webinars, one-to-one agent meetings, and great events that you can extend your network.

Simply, Jericho Writers is helping writers to get published.

Click to read the success stories!

Could you be next?

Please click the link to find out more about this wonderful platform!

AND CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY !!

Flash Fiction February 2019 from Fictive Dream

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The submissions window for Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2019 is now open. 

During Flash Fiction February we will feature a new piece of flash fiction throughout February 2019. That’s a new story, every day, starting on 1 February for the entire month. As always we’re interested in stories with a contemporary feel. 

We’ve put a squeeze on our usual word count though, so only stories of between 200 – 750 words please. 

Read our Flash Fiction February submission guidelines here.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

For those of you who prefer to write longer stories we remain open to standard submissions (500 – 2,500 words). 

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

 

Shooter seeks submissions for “Rivalry”

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Shooter Literary Magazine invites submissions of short fiction, non-fiction and poetry on the theme of “Rivalry” for its winter 2018 issue.

Writers should submit stories, essays, memoir, reported narratives and poetry on anything to do with competition, antagonism, warring forces and individual foes. The context might be sports, business, romance, politics, survival; the characters might be students, frenemies, parents, current and former lovers, courtroom opponents. As ever, the theme is open to wide interpretation.

Please visit https://shooterlitmag.com/submissions for guidelines; deadline is November 11th, 2018. Successful writers will hear from us within a few weeks of the deadline, if not before, and receive payment and a copy of the issue following publication. Due to the volume of submissions we no longer send rejection emails.

The 2018 Shooter Poetry Competition is also now open, with a discounted three-poem entry fee. Find guidelines for entering the competition at https://shooterlitmag.com/poetry-competition.

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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The submissions window for Fictive Dream’s September Slam 2018 is now closed and we’ll be publishing the seven winning stories from September 24th to 30th – one new short story for each day. Our thanks to Nicholas Royle who supported September Slam by kindly providing the text upon which our Slam stories are based. Our thanks must also go to everyone who helped to promote the competition and to those who submitted stories. 

We remain open to standard submissions and, as always, we’re interested in short stories with a contemporary feel (500 – 2,500 words). They may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

Read our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

Fictive Dream September Slam call for submission

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One month left to enter  Fictive Dream’s September Slam in which we will feature seven new short stories, one for each day of the week, from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th September 2018.

As always we’re interested in stories with a contemporary feel on any subject that gives an insight into the human condition. But here’s the twist. Your story must include two sentences courtesy of short story writer, novelist and publisher, Nicholas Royle.

Nicholas Royle is the author of three short story collections—Mortality (Serpent’s Tail), Ornithology (Confingo Publishing), The Dummy and Other Uncanny Stories (Swan River Press)—and seven novels, most recently First Novel (Vintage). He has edited more than twenty anthologies and is series editor of Best British Short Stories (Salt). Reader in Creative Writing at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, he also runs Nightjar Press and is head judge of the Manchester Fiction Prize.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

See our September Slam 2018 submission guidelines here.

For standard submissions (500–2,500 words) we remain open as usual.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best!

Laura Black
Editor

 

Fictive Dream Special Call for Submissions

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New from Fictive Dream is September Slam in which we will feature seven new short stories, one for each day of the week, from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th September 2018.

As always we’re interested in stories with a contemporary feel on any subject that gives an insight into the human condition. But here’s the twist. Your story must include two sentences courtesy of short story writer, novelist and publisher, Nicholas Royle.

Nicholas Royle is the author of three short story collections—Mortality (Serpent’s Tail), Ornithology (Confingo Publishing), The Dummy and Other Uncanny Stories (Swan River Press)—and seven novels, most recently First Novel (Vintage). He has edited more than twenty anthologies and is series editor of Best British Short Stories (Salt). Reader in Creative Writing at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, he also runs Nightjar Press and is head judge of the Manchester Fiction Prize.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

See our September Slam 2018 submission guidelines here.

For standard submissions (500–2,500 words) we remain open as usual.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best!

Laura Black
Editor

 

Fictive Dream Call for Submissions

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We had a fantastic March with stories from Jennifer Harvey, Adam Lock, Neil Campbell, Brian Kirk and Alicia Bakewell amongst others.

Fictive Dream is open to submissions of short stories and flash fiction (500 – 2,500 words). As always, we’re interested in material with a contemporary feel. Your stories may be on any subject. They may be challenging, dramatic, playful, exhilarating or cryptic. Above all, they must be well-crafted and compelling.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

Look at our submission guidelines here.

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor 

The Shadow Booth – Open for Submissions Until 31 March

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The Shadow Booth is open for FICTION SUBMISSIONS for the entirety of March 2018. Note: we are open all the time for non-fiction for the website, but the fiction submissions period will open on 1st March and end at midnight on 31st March 2018.

The Shadow Booth is a new journal of weird and eerie fiction, launched in December 2017. Volume 1 included stories by Alison Moore, Paul Tremblay, Gary Budden, Malcolm Devlin and many more. It is currently still available as a mass market paperback (or ebook) via the Shadow Book store.

Here are some basic guidelines:

  • We are a bi-annual journal of weird and eerie fiction. Do not send us your Western romance (in space). Do not send us your drug addiction memoir. Do not send us your shopping list (unless you’re buying some really weird things). Weird. Eerie. Fiction. Please.
  • If you want an idea of what we mean by weird and eerie, then read The Shadow Booth: Vol. 1. This is the best way to find out what we like! The ebook is only £5, and like all independent publications, we need your support to keep going. (Paperbacks, ebooks and subscriptions are available here. Okay, rant over…) If you want further pointers, why not read editor Dan Coxon’s article on the Ginger Nuts of Horror website: Face the Strange.
  • Submissions should be 2,000 – 8,000 words long. We won’t quibble over a word or two, but otherwise those limits are fixed.
  • We would particularly like to read stories by BAME writers, and by women writing within the weird/eerie horror scene. In our experience, these tend to be underrepresented within the genre. Having said that, if you fall into neither of these groups, we want to read your work too – all stories will be considered on an equal basis once they have been submitted.
  • Please only submit one story during the submissions period. Any further submissions during this period will be rejected. (We would say ‘send us your best’, but you know that already…)
  • The only exception to this is flash fiction: if you want to submit 2-3 pieces of flash fiction up to 500 words each, please do. These will count as one submission, as long as they are submitted together in a single email.
  • Email your submission to submissions@theshadowbooth.com, with the word SUBMISSION as the first word of the Subject line. It’s also helpful if you include the story title.
  • Manuscripts should be submitted as a Word file attached to the email wherever possible. We’ll do our best to read .rtf files and PDFs, but we make no promises. DO NOT paste your story into the body of the email.
  • This submissions period is for Vol. 2, to be published this summer. However, if we fill Vol. 2 and we love your story, we reserve the right to accept pieces for Vol. 3 (due end of the year) as well.
  • The important part: The Shadow Booth is a paying market, paying 1.5p per word. That works out as £15 per 1,000 words, if it’s simpler. While payments can be made to overseas writers (and we actively encourage writers from overseas to submit), payment is simplified if you have a Paypal account.

Submissions will close at midnight on 31st March 2018. You can find out more on the Shadow Booth website.