UPDATE: SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THESE ANTHOLOGIES

We're excited to open for submissions to the first two of four anthologies set for publication in 2019: Haunted House and Cosy Crime. These will join a thriving list of Gothic Fantasy titles, including Supernatural Horror, Robots & Artificial Intelligence, Dystopia Utopia, and more. Again, we are looking for around twenty to thirty short stories by contemporary writers to complement a selection of classic tales in these anthologies. We are keen to encourage new writers, without prejudice to age, background or previous publication history. It’s the story that matters, and the quality of writing.

Submit by email to 2018@flametreepublishing.com

The New Volumes

Haunted House: The creaking floorboards, the children hiding in the mirror, the spirits that rake across the flesh of the mind, tell us your stories of hauntings and mansions. Oh, what is that sound within the walls?

Cosy Crime: The armchair detectives, the murder in the vicarage, the family secrets unravelling in gossipy ears, such are the ingredients of a genteel bloodbath in an otherwise delightful village. Do you have any stories that might fit?

Look out for the call for submissions for the next short story anthologies:

American Gothic: With handsome young men who never grow old, and the strangest of relatives appearing from dark corridors and long shadows, the frenzied imagination of the American Gothic is a fertile theme for this new anthology in the Gothic fantasy short story series. Call for submissions to be published later in the year.

Afrofuturism (postponed): Ancient Kingdoms and lost worlds, technology and resources independent of colonies and slavery, the African continent stirs with a powerful mix of spiritual and tribal traditions cast into the future. We’re looking for stories of wonder and power for our new collection of Gothic Fantasy tales. Call for submissions to be published later in the year.

UPDATE: Sadly we have had to postpone our Afrofuturism anthology. Don't worry it will be definitely coming soon just not quite yet! We will instead be looking for stories in the theme of Urban Crime!

Urban Crime: Stories from this collection will feature gritty murders on the streets of London and Paris, horrors in dark alleys, as well as many more scenes from urban crime that elicit a dark curiosity. Think classic authors such as Edgar Wallace and E.W. Hornung. Call for submissions to be published later in the year.

Formal Call for Submissions (2018)

We are looking for new and recent short stories. We do not require exclusivity. You hold copyright, licensing us just for this publication. We don’t mind if your story has been previously published online or in print (though we do need to know publication and date). Simultaneous submissions are fine, but you must have the right to license your story in an anthology.

Word length is most likely to be successful at 2000–4000, but we will still read stories slightly outside this range. 

Submit stories for 'Haunted House' and 'Cosy Crime' by email to 2018@flametreepublishing.com

Fees, Copyright and Other Terms

• We pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of 6 cents per word.
• We would prefer to pay via PAYPAL because bank charges to the US and Canada in particular can be crippling for all concerned.
• 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 we might choose to pay some early.
• Submission does not imply the right to publication. Each story will be read and assessed by the selection panel.
• Please submit in .doc, .docx or .rtf formats, double spaced, with your name and email address in the footer or header of each page.
• We will aim to read each story and confirm its status within 3 months of the submission deadline.
• The anthologies will be published worldwide, available online and to bookstores worldwide, in print and ebook formats.
• You can submit more than one story, and to each collection.
• Final submission date is 29 July 2018.

Submit by email only to: 2018@flametreepublishing.com

Selection Panel

The selection will be made by our group of life-long, in-house enthusiasts: Nick Wells (Publisher), Josie Mitchell, Gillian Whitaker, Cat Taylor and Taylor Bentley. If required, the final selection will be mediated by our series editors. We try to keep everyone up-to-date as much as possible with occasional email updates.

A Word about the SFWA

To confirm, we are an SFWA qualifying market, so being published by us will help your status with them of course, but also with other readers and writers.

About Flame Tree Publishing

Now over 25 years old we started in 1992, covering a wide range of art and culture titles, with a strong vein of highly-illustrated Gothic and Fantasy books, notebooks and art calendars. Our Gothic Dreams books include Necronomicon, Steampunk, Dystopia, our large format titles Gothic Art, Fantasy Art and Dragon Art are sumptuous, and we publish gothic fiction reprints by Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and more, in our Flame Tree 451 imprint. 2017 also saw the publication of a true labour of love: the all-new Astounding Illustrated History of Science Fiction, with The Astounding Illustrated History of Fantasy and Horror set for release this year.  

Our anthologies are designed to be read in print. They look and feel fantastic. You’ll feel proud to hand them to your friends, family, colleagues – so do send us your story!

Thank you, and good luck. We look forward to reading your tales of imagination.