Author Archives: gwendolynkiste

Lucky Fiction: Submission Roundup for March 2022

Welcome back to this month’s Submission Roundup! Plenty of amazing submission calls out there right now, so if you’ve got a story looking for a home, then perhaps one of these markets might be a great fit!

As always, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets; please direct your questions to their respective editors. And with that, onward with this month’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup

Human Monsters
Payment: .08/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: March 15th, 2022
What They Want: Dark Matter Magazine and Night Worms are teaming up for this new anthology, featuring stories about human monsters.
Find the details here.

Brigids Gate Press
Payment: .08/word for short stories; $50/flat for drabbles and poems
Length: 500 to 1,500 words for short stories; 100 words for drabbles; up to 350 words for poetry
Deadline: March 15th, 2022
What They Want: Brigids Gate Press is seeking horror fiction and poetry inspired by Medusa.
Find the details here.

Nightmare
Payment: Varies depending on submission type
Length: Varies depending on submission type
Deadline: March 13th, 2022 for BIPOC-only submissions; March 20th, 2022 for general submissions
What They Want: Nightmare is seeking horror nonfiction, poetry, and fiction; the first part of the submission period is open to BIPOC authors only with general submissions opening on March 13th.
Find the details here.

Shredded: A Sports and Fitness Body Horror Anthology
Payment: .03/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,500 words
Deadline: March 31st, 2022
What They Want: Editor Eric Raglin is seeking body horror stories about sports and fitness.
Find the details here.

Picnic in the Graveyard
Payment: .07/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: April 1st, 2022
What They Want: Cemetery Gates Media is currently seeking short horror fiction set in cemeteries and burial places.
Find the details here.

Rewired: An Anthology of Neurodiverse Horror
Payment: .03/word
Length: 1,000 to 6,000 words
Deadline: April 30th, 2022
What They Want: Ghost Orchid Press is seeking horror stories inspired by neurodiverse experiences.
Find the details here.

Planet Scumm
Payment: .05/word
Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: May 2nd, 2022
What They Want: Open to a wide variety of speculative fiction.
Find the details here.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Payment: $120/flat
Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words
Deadline: May 15th, 2022
What They Want: This anthology is seeking horror fiction inspired by Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
Find the details here.

Halloween Ghost Anthology
Payment: .06/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: May 31st, 2022
What They Want: Editor Gaby Triana is currently seeking ghost stories set on or around Halloween.
Find the details here.

Nowhere Fast
Payment: .06/word
Length: 3,000 to 5,000 words
Deadline: October 28th, 2022
What They Want: This Clash Books anthology is open to coming-of-age horror inspired by 80s and 90s movies.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

Fabulous Fiction: Submission Roundup for February 2022

Welcome back to this month’s Submission Roundup! Lots of fabulous writing opportunities in February and beyond, so if you’ve got a story looking for a home, then perhaps one of these markets might be the perfect fit!

As always, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets; please direct your questions to their respective editors. And with that, onward with this month’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup

Human Monsters
Payment: .08/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: Open from February 15th, 2022 to March 15th, 2022
What They Want: Dark Matter Magazine and Nightworms are teaming up for this new anthology, featuring stories about human monsters.
Find the details here.

Brigids Gate Press
Payment: .08/word for short stories; $50/flat for drabbles and poems
Length: 500 to 1,500 words for short stories; 100 words for drabbles; up to 350 words for poetry
Deadline: Open from March 1st, 2022 to March 15th, 2022
What They Want: Brigids Gate Press is seeking horror fiction and poetry inspired by Medusa.
Find the details here.

Shredded: A Sports and Fitness Body Horror Anthology
Payment: .03/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,500 words
Deadline: Open from March 1st, 2022 to March 31st, 2022
What They Want: Editor Eric Raglin is seeking body horror stories about sports and fitness.
Find the details here.

Picnic in the Graveyard
Payment: .07/word
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: April 1st, 2022
What They Want: Cemetery Gates Media is currently seeking short horror fiction set in cemeteries and burial places.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

New Year, New Fiction: Submission Roundup for January 2022

Welcome back, and welcome 2022! To start off this new year, there are plenty of fabulous writing opportunities this month!

As always, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets. I’m merely spreading the word! Please direct your questions to their respective editors. And now onward with the debut Submission Roundup of 2022!

Submission Roundup

Flame Tree’s Gothic Fantasy series
Payment: .08/word for original fiction; .06/word for reprints
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: January 9th, 2022
What They Want: Flame Tree’s Gothic Fantasy series is currently seeking fiction with the themes of Christmas Gothic Short Stories and Compelling Science Fiction.
Find the details here.

The Reinvented Detective
Payment: .08/word
Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words
Deadline: January 15th, 2022
What They Want: Open to a wide variety of detective stories updated for modern and futuristic settings.
Find the details here.

Deep in the Woods
Payment: $10-$25/flat, depending on length
Length: Up to 8,000 words
Deadline: January 31st, 2022
What They Want: This anthology from Sirens Call is seeking horror stories set in the forest.
Find the details here.

The Cellar Door
Payment: $25/flat
Length: 2,000 to 7,500 words
Deadline: January 31st, 2022
What They Want: The latest issue of The Cellar Door from Dark Peninsula Press is seeking stories about forbidden magic.
Find the details here.

Horror that Represents You Anthology
Payment: .11/word
Length: 1,000 to 7,000 words
Deadline: January 31st, 2022
What They Want: Open to horror short stories from a wide range of marginalized authors.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

The Horror Is Upon Us: 2021 Award Eligibility Post

2021 is almost over, so I figure it’s a good time to do my annual award eligibility post here at the old blog. As always, if you’re recommending for awards and would like a copy of any of these works, please let me know, and I would be happy to send it over to you!

And now onward with what I’ve been up to in 2021!

“Sister Glitter Blood” (Violent Vixens, Dark Peninsula Press, August 2021)
Two lonely sisters discover a strange board game called “Sister Glitter Blood.” As they begin to play in their dusty attic, they soon realize this game is watching them closer than they could have ever imagined. Framed through the board game’s instructions, the story tracks the sisters as they try desperately to outpace the ghosts they’ve conjured, only to find themselves back in the attic years later with nothing to protect them besides the roll of the dice and each other. This has probably been my best-received work of the year with Reading Vicariously calling it “Genuinely creepy” and Rebecca Rowland of Ginger Nuts of Horror saying “it’s worth buying the collection for this tale alone.”

“The Mad Monk of the Motor City” (There Is No Death, There Are No Dead, Crystal Lake Publishing, August 2021)
The ghost of Rasputin descends on a broken-down apartment building in modern-day Detroit, and soon nearly all the tenants are under his preternatural sway. Only one withdrawn woman finds herself resisting his thrall as she does her best to solve the mystery of why he’s returned and how to stop him. This anthology of occult horror has a fabulous table of contents and was the first time I got to work with editor Jess Landry since The Rust Maidens, so this one holds a special place in my heart.

“The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own” (Liminal Spaces, Cemetery Gates Media, September 2021)
The famed Black Dahlia finds herself living and reliving different versions of her own death, all while demanding for her own voice to be heard and also searching for a way out of the purgatory the world has created for her. I’ve long been fascinated and horrified by the real-life murder of Elizabeth Short, and this story is my ode to her and her memory. Writing about actual people is always tricky, but I hope I did her some semblance of justice in this story.

“Things to Do in Playland When You’re Dead” (Shadow Atlas, Hex Publishers, November 2021)
An ethereal patron visits an amusement park called Playland-at-the-Beach on the final night before it closes for good, meeting a variety of strange specters along the way. San Francisco’s now-defunct Playland at the Beach is such a fascinating piece of Americana, and it was so much fun to craft this short story around it. This is also another amazing table of contents—truly all of these books have incredible tables of contents—so it was an honor to be part of this one.

“The 9 Ghosts You’ll Find at Mayfair Estate” (Nine, Editions du Chat Noir, July 2021)
So this one actually marks a first for my writing career: this story made its debut in French! A tour of a vast and haunted property slowly starts to unravel in increasingly horrifying ways, as one by one, a group of unusual phantoms introduces themselves.

In addition to my short stories, I also had four nonfiction pieces published this year, all of them featured at Tor Nightfire. My articles ran the gamut from fiction based on true-crime tales and the best witchy books to re-imagined fairy tales and the creepiest cats of horror. I think I say this every year, but I’m very hopeful that I’ll have even more short nonfiction out next year. That’s definitely the goal anyhow.

Beyond my new fiction and nonfiction, it was a busy year overall. The Invention of Ghosts was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award as well as a Ladies of Horror Fiction Award. The Spanish translation of The Rust Maidens was nominated for both an Ignotus and a Kelvin Award. Additionally, the Spanish translation of my Lucy Westenra story from Crononauta was also nominated at the Ignotus Awards. The French translation of Boneset & Feathers made its debut from Editions du Chat Noir, and the German translation of The Rust Maidens was released from Festa Verlag. I’ve made a number of sales for next year, including a new nonfiction article on Terrence Malick and the uncanny to Vastarien, and a new weird horror story, “To the Progeny Forsaken,” to Dim Shores’ Looming Low, Volume 2. My work will also have new translations in French, Spanish, and Italian next year and beyond.

Also, in what is truly a dream come true, my personal writing archive is now housed at the University of Pittsburgh’s Horror Studies Collection. The drafts of my short stories and novels are now living in the same space as work from George Romero, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Linda Addison, Kathe Koja, and so many other horror luminaries. I used to daydream about being a writer who had their archive at a major university, and now I am a writer who can say that. It’s surreal and thrilling and I still can’t believe it’s really happened.

And of course, even more big news from the year: my third novel, Reluctant Immortals, had its cover reveal and release date announced: August 23rd, 2022! In case you haven’t already heard me screaming from the rooftops about it, Reluctant Immortals follows Lucy Westenra from Dracula and Bertha Antoinetta Mason from Jane Eyre as they navigate 1967 California while trying to stop the toxic men from their past who have returned suddenly to their lives. You can find out more and read an excerpt at the Tor Nightfire blog.

All right, so that’s more than enough for one year. I’m doing my best to stay hopeful overall for what 2022 holds, but with the current state of the world, hope is all I’ve got. Fingers crossed that next year will be much better than this one.

At any rate, happy reading, and happy New Year!

Fiction for the Holidays: Submission Roundup for December 2021

Welcome back for this month’s Submission Roundup! Plenty of fabulous opportunities, so if you’re looking for a home for one of your stories, maybe there’s the perfect one on this list!

As always, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets; I’m merely spreading the word. Please direct any questions to their respective editors. And now onward with December’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup

Apex Magazine
Payment: .08/word
Length: up to 7,500 words
Deadline: Opens on January 1st, 2022
What They Want: Open to a wide range of horror fiction.
Find the details here.

Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga
Payment: .06/word
Length: 1,000 to 5,000 words
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
What They Want: Open to women authors, this anthology from Black Spot Books is seeking stories about and inspired by Baba Yaga.
Find the details here.

Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology
Payment: $25/flat
Length: 4,000 to 6,000 words
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
What They Want: A fat-positive anthology, Diet Riot is open to horror short stories that feature and celebrate fat protagonists.
Find the details here.

Allegory
Payment: $15/flat
Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: December 31st, 2021
What They Want: Open to science, fantasy, horror, and “quirky” fiction.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

Reluctant Immortals and Other News: Writing Updates for Fall 2021

Welcome back, and happy end of November! Over here at my perpetually quarantined corner of the world, we’re playing the dutiful role of hermits. I’m currently at work on my next novel, which is truly the best way to spend these darker days of fall and impending winter. Because really, what’s cozier than the blood and guts of horror?

At any rate, I’ve had some writing updates in the last few months, which means it’s about time to use my blog for another round of “if you haven’t heard it yet on my social media, allow me to chatter on about it now.” So let’s get down to it, shall we?

Cover reveal and release date for Reluctant Immortals

First and foremost, I’m beyond thrilled that the cover of my third novel, Reluctant Immortals, has been unveiled. Behold its 1960s-themed beauty…

The cover is by artist Kelli McAdams, and needless to say, I absolutely adore it. It’s gorgeous and strange and psychedelic, and it fits the mood of the novel perfectly.

Tor Nightfire did a fabulous cover reveal earlier this month, which also includes the very first excerpt from the novel! Big thanks to Emily Hughes at Nightfire for hosting the reveal, and big thanks to Saga Press for all their promotion of the book so far. Things are definitely shaping up well for the release next year!

Speaking of release, the official release date is August 23rd, 2022, and the book is already available for pre-order! So feel free to head on over to the official Simon and Schuster page if you want to learn more.

Recap of my fall events & upcoming New York Ghost Story Festival

Over the last couple months, I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of numerous panels and readings for the fall season. From the Fox Cities Book Festival and Story Hour to Flame Tree’s Hellish Helter Skelter panel and the Sturgis Library’s Poe panel, it’s definitely been a bustling fall. I was also part of the Spooky Stories II panel, a Halloween event through Editions du Chat Noir, and The Outer Dark’s monster kids roundtable at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. Head on over here if you want to catch any of the replays, and big thanks to everyone who invited me to their events. It’s always such an honor to be able to talk about horror!

And in terms of forthcoming events, I’m thrilled to be part of the second year of the New York Ghost Story Festival. Catch me this Saturday, December 4th along with Daniel Braum, Jon Padgett, Venita Coehlo, and Steve Rasnic Tem. The event starts at 7pm EST on YouTube! Hope to see you there!

Italian translation of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe

And finally, I’m excited to announce that Independent Legions Publishing will be releasing the Italian translation of my debut collection, And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe. It’s been almost five years (!) since that book was released from JournalStone, and it makes me so happy to see that it will soon be reaching new readers. A huge shout-out to editor Alessandro Manzetti for his work at translating my fiction in the past and for choosing my collection for his press. I’m very happy to be working together again!

So those are my updates for the moment! I hope everyone’s doing well and staying safe during these strange times. Here’s to hoping for a positive end to 2021 and to an even better 2022!

Happy reading, and happy holidays!

Autumnal Fiction: Submission Roundup for November 2021

Welcome back for this month’s Submission Roundup! Lots of great opportunities, so if you’re looking for a home for one of your stories, maybe there’s the perfect one on this list!

As always, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets; I’m merely spreading the word. Please direct your questions to their respective editor. And now onward with November’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup

Apex Magazine
Payment: .08/word
Length: up to 7,500 words
Deadline: Ongoing
What They Want: Open to a wide range of horror fiction.
Find the details here.

Close to Midnight
Payment: .08/word for original fiction
Length: 3,000 to 5,000 words
Deadline: November 14th, 2021
What They Want: Part of the new Flame Tree Publishing anthology series, Close to Midnight is seeking unthemed horror fiction.
Find the details here.

The Cellar Door, Issue 1: Woodland Terrors
Payment: $25/flat
Length: 2,000 to 5,000 words
Deadline: November 15th, 2021
What They Want: Open to horror and thriller stories that take place in or near the woods. While the submissions are open to everyone, the editor is specifically seeking submissions from women authors.
Find the details here.

LampLight
Payment: .06/word
Length: up to 5,100 words
Deadline: November 15th, 2021
What They Want: Open to horror fiction from authors who have never made a pro sale before.
Find the details here.

Stories of the Eye
Payment: .02/word
Length: 2,500 to 5,000 words
Deadline: November 30th, 2021
What They Want: Weirdpunk Books is currently seeking stories inspired by the relationships between artists and models.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

Spooky Submissions: Submission Roundup for October 2021

Welcome back to this month’s Submission Roundup! Lots of fantastic opportunities, so if you have a story looking for a home, perhaps one of these will be the perfect fit! As always, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets; I’m merely spreading the word. Please direct your questions to their respective editors.

And with that, onward with October’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup Mirror, Mirror
Payment: .06/word
Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: October 15th, 2021
What They Want: Open to a wide range of speculative fiction with the theme of mirrors and reflections.
Find the details here.

Escape Pod
Payment: .08/word for original fiction; $100/flat for reprints
Length: 1,500 to 6,000 words for original fiction; 1,500 to 18,000 words for reprints
Deadline: October 31st, 2021
What They Want: Escape Pod is currently open to science fiction stories with the theme of joy.
Find the details here.

It Calls from the Veil
Payment: .01/word CAD (up to $60) for original fiction; $15/flat for reprints
Length: 2,000 to 6,000 words
Deadline: October 31st, 2021
What They Want: Eerie River Publishing is seeking supernatural horror fiction.
Find the details here.

Negative Space 2: A Return to Survival Horror
Payment: $50/flat
Length: 2,000 to 7,500 words
Deadline: October 31st, 2021
What They Want: Dark Peninsula Press is seeking short stories about survival horror, such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and The Mist.
Find the details here.

Never Whistle at Night
Payment: $1,000/flat
Length: 2,000 to 5,000 words
Deadline: November 1st, 2021
What They Want: Open to original fiction from Indigenous horror writers who have no more than two books released.
Find the details here.

And finally, an early warning submission call!

Stories of the Eye
Payment: .02/word
Length: 2,500 to 5,000 words
Deadline: Open November 1st to November 30th, 2021
What They Want: Weirdpunk Books is currently seeking stories inspired by the relationships between artists and models.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

My Schedule of Spooky Fall Events

So the Halloween season is upon us, and I’m super excited that my schedule for the next month is filled with a bunch of very cool events. From panels to lectures to readings, you can catch me all over, celebrating the very best season of the year!

All of these events are online, because I’ve basically committed to the life of a pandemic hermit at this point. In fact, I might never stop being a hermit now. But hey, that also means you can attend, wherever you may roam!

Story Hour on Wednesday, September 29th at 10pm EST

This week kicks off my Halloween season of events with a late-night reading tonight! I’ll be featured alongside the supremely talented Premee Mohamad as part of the fabulous Story Hour event, hosted by Laura Blackwell and Daniel Marcus. This is such an amazing series, and I’m so honored to be part of it. You can find both the Zoom and the Facebook Live reading links here.

From Poe to the Present on Tuesday, October 12th at 6pm EST

Moderated by Corey Farrenkopf, this creepy horror panel is sponsored by the Sturgis Library! We’ll be talking all about Poe and lots of other genre goodies. If you’re interested in attending, be sure to call or email the Sturgis Library to get the Zoom link!

Grimm Tales at Fox Cities Book Festival on Saturday, October 16th at 10:30am EST

With the always amazing Sarah Read as moderator, this panel will be talking all about folklore and fairy tales. I can’t say enough how thrilled I am to be part of two different events this month sponsored by public libraries. I practically grew up at the library, and they’re seriously the best place ever. So if you want to hang out with us as we talk about horrifying fairy tales, register for the Zoom event here!

Horror Writing Lecture at the Massillon Museum on Thursday, October 21st

This lecture on horror writing is pretty exciting for me, because I’ll be lecturing alongside my horror-writing dad, John Kiste! This one is a Members Only event, but I can’t recommend becoming a member of the Massillon Museum enough. They do incredible work for the arts, so head on over to their site to learn more about them.

The Creative Quill on Saturday, October 23rd

And just a few days later, I’ll be doing another talk with my dear old dad, this time all about gothic horror. I don’t have a specific time for this one yet, but it will be sometime in the late afternoon. Feel free to sign up here!

Spooky Stories II on Wednesday, October 27th at 8pm EST

And finally, just a few days before Halloween, I’ve got one more super rad panel! Hosted by Russ Colchamiro, I’ll be joining Daniel Braum and Sarah Read, and the four of us will be talking all about horror! You can register for the panel here!

And those are my events for the next month! I believe there’s still one or two more that haven’t been officially announced yet, so I might be adding to this post down the road. But in the meantime, please check out these events and the awesome people hosting them. It’s such an honor to be involved with all these spooky goings-on!

Happy reading, and happy fall!

Awesome Autumn Fiction: Submission Roundup for September 2021

Welcome back for this month’s Submission Roundup! Plenty of awesome writing opportunities for the month of September, so if you’ve got a story looking for a home, one of these markets might be a perfect fit.

But first, a disclaimer: I’m not a representative for any of these markets; I’m merely spreading the word. Please direct your questions to their respective editors.

And with that, onward with September’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup

Pseudopod
Payment: .08/word for original fiction; $100/flat for short story reprints; $20/flat for flash fiction reprints
Length: up to 6,000 words
Deadline: September 13th, 2021
What They Want: Open to a wide range of horror fiction.
Find the details here.

Lackington’s
Payment: .01/word CAD ($25 minimum)
Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words
Deadline: September 15th, 2021
What They Want: Open to stylized speculative fiction on the theme of Botanicals.
Find the details here.

Mirror, Mirror
Payment: .06/word
Length: up to 5,000 words
Deadline: October 15th, 2021
What They Want: Open to a wide range of speculative fiction with the theme of mirrors and reflections.
Find the details here.

LampLight
Payment: .06/word
Length: up to 5,100 words
Deadline: Open September 15th to November 15th, 2021
What They Want: Open to horror fiction from authors who have never made a pro sale before.
Find the details here.

And finally, an early warning submission call!

Happy submitting!