Black Hare Press - Year Six anthology

Black Hare Press' Year Six anthology, filled with stories from the 2024 Dark Moments monthly prompts and BHP's Patreon site, is out now. I was honored to have a few of my drabbles included.

The collection includes over 200 stories, including four each by master storytellers Kai Delmas and Tracy Davidson. It also includes "Literal Potions" by Lisa H. Owens -- an amazing drabble with a great twist(ed) ending.

The nine-iron protruded from her ear like a grotesque appendage. Passersby tried not to stare, but no matter where they looked, something was off-kilter.

Order a copy of the book (paperback, hardcover, or ebook) here: https://books2read.com/BHP-Y6

Currently open (and paying) speculative drabble markets

The magazines and other markets listed below are currently open to speculative drabbles (100-word stories), and all offer payment for accepted pieces.

• 100-Foot Crow: deadline 9/15/24
• Crepuscular: no deadline; first 7 days of each month reserved for underrepresented voices
• Dark Moments Monthly Challenge (Black Hare Press): monthly contest; deadline 9/30/24; current theme: "Video game horror"
• Hawthorn & Ash (Iron Faerie Publishing): deadline 12/31/24
• Patreon Monthly Challenge (Black Hare Press): monthly contest; deadline 9/30/24
• The Deadlands: deadline 9/30/24
• The Fear Driver anthology (Dragon Soul Press): deadline 5/31/25; submit 5-15 drabbles
• Utopia Science Fiction: optional themes; each theme has its own deadline

Here are some other paying sci-fi/fantasy/horror drabble markets that are temporarily closed:

• A Cup of Owls - Quarterly Online Anthology: reopens 12/1/24; only publishes writers from under-represented/marginalized backgrounds/communities
• All Words Wayfarer: temporary hiatus
• Daily Science Fiction: currently closed; next submission window TBA
• Drabble Harvest Contest (Hiraeth Publishing): next contest window TBA
• Deadly Drabble Tuesdays (Hungry Shadow Press): on hiatus; possibly canceled
• Flash Point Science Fiction: reopens 9/15/24
• Frozen Wavelets: next submission window TBA later in 2024
• Hexagon Speculative Fiction Magazine: reopens 11/1/24
• Nocturne Magazine: reopens 4/1/25
• Shacklebound Books newsletter: next submission window TBA
• Skull & Laurel (Tenebrous Press): next submission window TBA
• Stupefying Stories Showcase: next submission window TBA; may not reopen
• The Maul: next submission window TBA
• Troopers (Shacklebound Books): next submission window TBA
• Upbeat Tales: next submission window TBA

Paying speculative fiction drabble markets

This post is an update to the list of horror & sci-fi drabble markets posted December 2023.

The markets below are currently open to speculative drabbles (100-word stories). All offer payment.

• 100-Foot Crow: deadline 5/15/24
• Crepuscular: no deadline; first 7 days of each month reserved for underrepresented voices
• Dark Moments Monthly Challenge (Black Hare Press): monthly contest; deadline 4/30/24; theme: "You can't pick your family"
• Drabble Harvest Contest (Hiraeth Publishing): deadline 5/31/24; theme: "Interstellar Archives"
• Hawthorn & Ash (Iron Faerie Publishing): deadline 12/31/24
• Nocturne Magazine: deadline 4/30/24
• Patreon Monthly Challenge (Black Hare Press): monthly contest; deadline 4/30/24
• Skull & Laurel (Tenebrous Press): deadline 5/31/24
• The Fear Doctor anthology (Dragon Soul Press): deadline 5/31/24; submit 5-15 drabbles
• Troopers (Shacklebound Books): deadline 4/30/24
• Utopia Science Fiction: optional themes; each theme has its own deadline

Also some paying sci-fi, fantasy, and horror drabble markets that are temporarily closed to submissions:

• A Cup of Owls - Quarterly Online Anthology: reopens 6/1/24; only publishes writers from under-represented/marginalized backgrounds/communities
• All Words Wayfarer: next submission window TBA
• Daily Science Fiction: currently closed; next submission window TBA
• Deadly Drabble Tuesdays (Hungry Shadow Press): reopens 7/1/24
• Flash Point Science Fiction: reopens 5/15/24
• Frozen Wavelets: closed to submissions since 2021
• Hexagon Speculative Fiction Magazine: reopens 5/1/24
• Shacklebound Books newsletter: next submission window TBA
• Stupefying Stories Showcase: expects to reopen 6/1/24
• The Deadlands: reopens 5/1/24 for Palestinian writers only
• The Maul: next submission window TBA
• Upbeat Tales: next submission window TBA

Black Hare Press - Year Five anthology

Honored to have a drabble included in Black Hare Press' Year Five horror fiction anthology. Many good stories in this one.

From "Birds of a Feather" by Pauline Yates:

Taking flight, she perches on a nearby rooftop, cleans the blood from her feathers, and caws her disappointment at the waning moon.

See more details or order a copy here: https://www.blackharepress.com/year-five/

Find current BHP submission calls here: https://www.blackharepress.com/submissions/

Horror and science fiction drabble markets

Finding markets for drabbles (100-word stories) and other microfiction pieces can be difficult. Finding paying markets is even harder. The markets below are currently open for horror and/or sci-fi drabbles, and all offer payment.

• Dark Moments Monthly Challenge (Black Hare Press): monthly contest; deadline 12/30/23; theme: "Fatal Flaws"
• Drabble Harvest Contest (Hiraeth Publishing): deadline 12/31/23; theme: "Alien Fetishes"
• Patreon Monthly Challenge (Black Hare Press): monthly contest; deadline 12/31/23
• The Fear Doctor anthology (Dragon Soul Press): deadline 5/31/24; submit 5-15 drabbles
• Troopers (Shacklebound Books): expected to close 11/30/23 but is still open
• Video Nasties Microfiction (Pyre Magazine): open year-round

Some more paying horror/sci-fi drabble markets, currently closed but reopening soon:

• Deadly Drabble Tuesdays (Hungry Shadow Press): reopens 1/5/24
• Flash Point Science Fiction: reopens 1/15/24
• Frozen Wavelets: expects to announce next submission window soon

Love Me, Love Me Not - horror drabble anthology

I was honored to have my drabble, "Scars," included in Black Hare Press' Love Me, Love Me Not horror anthology. The collection is filled with quick, darkly enjoyable stories.

From "Cupid’s Last Delivery" by Lisa H. Owens:

Cupid arrived in his broken Yugo, grabbed the boombox and his hunting crossbow, then stood on the stoop ringing the doorbell till Greg’s girlfriend turned on the porch light.

See more details or order a copy here: https://readerlinks.com/l/2961945

Speculative drabble markets 12/20/22

The markets below are currently open to science fiction, fantasy, or horror drabbles (stories of exactly 100 words, not including the title). A green dollar sign ($) after the listing indicates it's a paying market.

- Black Hare Press - Dark Moments Monthly Challenge (closes each month) $
- Black Hare Press - Love Me, Love Me Not anthology (closes 12/31) $
- Black Hare Press - Patreon Monthly Challenge (closes each month) $
- Black Ink Fiction Weekly Drabbles (rolling deadlines)
- Drabbun (haibun drabbles only) $
- Pyre Magazine - Video Nasties $
- Shacklebound Press - Dark Stars anthology (open until full)
- Shacklebound Press - The Shacklebound Book of Drabbles (open until full)
- The NoSleep Podcast
- Trembling With Fear
- Wicked Taxidermy Press - Roar anthology (open until full)
- Wicked Taxidermy Press - Wicked Taxidermy 1 anthology (open until full)
- Wyldblood Press (closes 12/31) $

Other speculative drabble markets to keep an eye on (not currently open to submissions):

- Crow & Cross Keys
- Flash Point Science Fiction $
- Hungry Shadow Press - Deadly Drabble Tuesdays $
- Martian $
- Medusa Tales $
- Pyre Magazine $
- Shacklebound Press Monthly Newsletter $
- The Drabblecast $
- The Maul $
- The Sirens Call eZine
- Troopers $

This is not meant to be a complete list; only a sample of markets that publish speculative drabbles.

Currently Reading List, Black Petals

Because I constantly have to change things around here, I've started posting a list of books I'm currently reading and a list of books I've recently finished. Both can be found towards the bottom of this blog, under the banner ads. A lot of the books I've read I've only found by talking to other writers about books they're reading, so maybe people can discover new books from my list, too. Feel free to leave a comment about any of the books listed, or about any books you're reading. I'd be happy to tell you what I liked or didn't like about any of the books.

There are a lot of poetry and fiction contests open now, with deadlines toward the end of the year. I'll be posting links and more information about them, either in a new post or on the sidebar. In the meantime, here's one contest for drabbles (100-word stories):

The Sam's Dot Special Drabble Contest - Sam's Dot Publishing holds regular drabble contests throughout the year, but this one has a special theme -- "Alien Sex Secrets: What Your Alien Lover Wants You To Do In Bed." Finalists are published in a contest anthology, The Drabbler, and all writers with stories chosen for publication will get a copy. First prize is $10 plus a Sam's Dot paperback, second prize is $5 and a Sam's Dot chapbook. Deadline for submissions is December 31st.

Black Petals #45 is now online, including two poems by yours truly. There's also a creepy Halloween tale by C.S. Watts.