We are very excited to announce a new call for submissions! 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.

Knock on Wood: Tales of Superstition

We are now open for story submissions for a new anthology in our Beyond & Within series, to be published in September 2027. The anthology of supernatural and speculative fiction is titled Knock on Wood: Tales of Superstition, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan.

From knocking on wood for luck to not walking under ladders, and from black cats and broken mirrors to the number 13 – people are fascinated by superstitions. This anthology will explore not only the well-known ones but also the little-known and various traditions globally connected with this phenomenon. Straddling genres like fantasy and horror, even SF, the scope for stories is massive, and each author will bring something very different to the table. Perhaps even something very personal? Knock on wood… if you dare! This is your chance to be one of the few chosen from open submissions to join the selection commissioned and curated by Paul and Marie. 

Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan are the award-winning authors and editors of many books. Together they have co-edited anthologies such as The British Fantasy Society: A Celebration, A Carnivàle of Horror: Dark Tales from the Fairground, Hellbound Hearts, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, Exit Wounds, Wonderland (a Shirley Jackson Award finalist), Cursed, Twice Cursed and The Other Side of Never. Their previous edited anthologies published by Flame Tree are Folk Horror, Witchcraft and Best Served Cold. They have also been involved in organizing conventions for twenty years, co-chairing ChillerCon in Scarborough in May 2022. Find out more at their sites shadow-writer.co.uk and marieoregan.net.

Submit to: collections@flametreepublishing.com

Please DO NOT SUBMIT AI-written stories to our team – this takes away opportunities from genuine new writers.

Terms:

• Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails.
• Please only submit unpublished/original/new stories for consideration. Reprints will not be accepted for consideration for this collection.
• 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 a signature declaring that 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.
• 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.
• Exclusivity period for accepted new stories is 6 months from publication. Publication is expected to be in September 2027.

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.
• When providing an author bio or pitch/synopsis for your story, we strongly advise against using AI to write these as it will cast suspicion on the authenticity of your story.

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.
• Manuscripts must be in standard format (Times or a similar font, 12 point, 1.5 or 2 line spacing, left justified). Include title, word count, and your contact details on the first page of the manuscript. 
• Story length is most likely to be successful at 2000 to 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: 27th September 2026
  

Thank you, and good luck!