We're delighted to let you know this new call for submissions is open! Please read through the submission details carefully before sending us your stories – especially relating to AI – or it could result in your submission not being acknowledged if you do not follow them.

Cosmic Horror Short Stories
June 2027 publication

Unknowable, ancient, monstrous entities lurk in the vastness of the universe, closer than you think. They exist on other planes and in other dimensions, caring not for the lives and suffering of insignificant humans. Their paths may cross with yours, revealing horrors that your mind will barely comprehend...

Inextricably linked to weird horror, but on a grander metaphysical scale, cosmic horror stories revel in the eldritch, the unsettling, and the unknown. Writers (think Poe, Machen, Blackwood, Hodgson) have long explored existential dread and primal, ancient forces, but it was H.P. Lovecraft who cemented the genre, whose influence cannot be understated. His pantheon of nebulous god-like beings and its expanded collaborative mythos, including such beings as the Elder Gods, have inspired countless stories that grapple with these fears and the madness to which they can lead. After our successful title, Lovecraft Mythos, we now invite you to create brand new tales that give a nod to this influence while presenting new settings, characters, cultures and concepts, pushing the boundaries of the surreal, the impossible, the liminal, the shapeless, and the creeping dread – but always on a vast, incomprehensible, cosmic level.

Submissions to: anthologies@flametreepublishing.com

Terms:

• Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails.
• Simultaneous submissions are fine but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology.
• Stories that used AI for planning, editing, modifying or generating text will not be accepted. Please confirm in your submission email that you have not used AI in these ways. The contracts for accepted authors all require signature declaring AI has not been used.
• For accepted stories we pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints.
• We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 4 months of the submission deadline.
• Payment for the chosen stories will be made within 30 days of the final advertised publication date (see our website flametreepublishing.com for details), although some may be paid earlier than that.
• Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel.
• Reprints are accepted for consideration for this book. Let us know in your submission email whether your story would be a reprint or is currently unpublished.
• Exclusivity Period (for accepted new stories): 6 months from publication 

Important Notice about Submissions and Guidelines

We're always looking for better ways of working so we've tweaked our submission process to allow us to read more stories, and spend more time assessing the balance of our books.

• Submissions must use the dedicated email address.
• The subject line of the email must be the story title.
• The file with the story must be attached to the email (.docx, .doc or .rtf format).
• The name of the file must match the name in the subject line.
• If submitting more than one story, please submit one story per email.
• Please provide your legal name (and pen name if applicable) to help with quick contracts/acceptances.
• If providing an author bio or pitch/synopsis for your story, we strongly advise against using AI to write these.

Other useful tips for a more successful submission:

• The file name of the submission must be the story name only.
• Please just use spaces between words in the title (not _ or - ).
• If the story name starts with A or The, please use it at the beginning of the file name.
• Story length is most likely to be successful at 2000–4000 words, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range.
• If submitting a story that has recently been submitted to us for consideration to another anthology, please state this in the submission email.
  

• Deadline for submissions is Sunday 9th August 2026.
  

The Flame Tree Beyond and Within, Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in the Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, highly collectable and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Thank you, and good luck!