The Pleasure in Pain
For centuries our stories of romance and love were hidden, coded within for future readers to decipher. There will be none of that here.
Here’s a shovel.
A little scary, a little sexy, and completely queer, this anthology promises to keep you up at night.
SUBMISSION WINDOW:
June 1st - July 1st
WORDCOUNT:
Short stories should be between 3,000 - 6,000 words Flash fiction should be under 1,000 words
Poetry should be under 50 lines / 500 words
PAYMENT:
$0.05 per word for short stories. Flat rate of $5 for Poetry and $15 for Flash Fiction
WHAT THEY'RE SEEKING:
Open to any and all queer writers, both new and established. If you do not identify on the queer spectrum, we kindly ask that you do not submit. Queer is an umbrella term to include all sexual and gender identities that are deviations of societal norm (Cisgender heterosexual) as well as intersex individuals.
All horror tropes are welcomed. Genre-blending is highly encouraged. Queer retellings, historical horror, scifi horror, cults, and cannibalism are a few of Roxie’s favorites. Writers should have a diverse representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, gender identities, disability, fat positivity, and neurodivergence.
PLEASE DON'T SEND:
Please, do not submit stories that show queerness in a negative way. Homophobic villainy is allowed, homophobic stories are not. Submissions cannot contain harming of animals or sexualization of minors (under 18, yes that includes “17 almost 18”).
Content warnings are encouraged and will be included in the back of the finished work. Here are some common triggers: ableism, abortion, blood/gore, body dysphoria, death of loved one, eating disorder, fatphobia/sizeism, gendered language, graphic medical situations, gun violence, homophobia, incest, intimate partner violence, labor/birth, lack of consent, loss of body autonomy, miscarriage, misogyny, needles, police/military violence, post partum depression, pregnancy, racism, rape, religion, self harm, sexual assault, stalking/harassment, stillbirth, substance misuse, suicide, suicidal ideation, transphobia.
REPRINTS: [YES/NO]
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: [YES/NO]
MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: [YES/NO]
EXTRA INFORMATION:
This anthology will include 20% invited authors to be announced at a later date. 80% of the final manuscript will be from this submission call.
FORMATTING GUIDELINES:
Please use Standard Manuscript Formatting.
https://www.shunn.net/format/ is a great example. (Omit your address).
American English spelling and punctuation, please. Bilingual characters welcomed.
Must be a .doc or .docx .
SUBMITTING:
Send submission to thepleasureinpain@gmail.com .
Subject line: Last, First - Title - Word count
In your cover letter include a one line pitch, any trigger warnings, and a 100 word author bio with pronouns and socials. If you wish to self-identify, please do, if not, that’s okay, too. We will never ask for proof.
RIGHTS REQUESTED:
Exclusivity clause: We require a 6 month exclusivity.
Is anyone else super excited for this call?
Feel free to brainstorm in the comments below, give us a taste of what you're working on, and above all else, leave us with your queerest, kinkiest horror recs. My personal favorite is Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart even though it's an obvious choice.
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