Submissions

Playlist of the Damned is a Kickstarter anthology from the award-nominated editing team at Weird Little Worlds Press. Our other anthologies have made it onto the Bram Stoker Award® preliminary ballots for 2020 and 2021, as well as individual stories being chosen for BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR and other award noms.

For this anthology, other invited authors include Philip Fracassi, Linda Addison, Mercedes M. Yardley, Lisa Morton, Gemma Files, Eric LaRocca, V. Castro, Tim Waggoner and a number of others—including you.

The Pitch:

A hiker finds a grungy cassette tape in an abandoned mine that reads, DO NOT PLAY. When he does, he unleashes 25 tales of horror from the place where music and the macabre meet.

What We Want:

Bring us your Faustian deals with the Devil, your debauched rock stars, and demonic incantations. Music that soothes the beast or strangles with an invisible hand. These stories should be so integrally connected with music that the narrative can’t function without it.

Specific songs can be used, but (unless you have rights to the lyrics or it is in public domain) only references and titles can be included. There is no restriction on genre, style, or time period. We are interested in short fiction, horror poetry, and flash fiction alike in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. 

Details:

Length: 500-5000

Rights: International audio and print rights for 12 months from publication date

Pay: Short Fiction: .05 per word (up to .08 if stretch goal is met)

Poetry: $1 per line up to 50 lines (up to $2 if stretch goal is met)

Simultaneous/Multiple/Reprint: Sim okay, multiple no, reprint no

Poetry Submissions: You will be allowed to submit ONE DOCUMENT with three poems included in total. 

Anonymous Submissions: We have an anonymous submissions process where you will include your identifying information on the submissions form. You do not need to include it anywhere else on your document. This allows us to choose the best possible story regardless of race, gender, color, or Twitter following. We only judge you on what you’ve created.

Please prepare an ANONYMIZED .doc or .docx file in Shunn Format and save it as such:

Title_Word Count_Type (SF, F, H, P – Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Poetry)_Review 1

What We Don’t Want:

This is an adult horror anthology and although there may be adult situations, strong language, and violent imagery, we do not publish the following:

• Excessive gore, graphic sex, child abuse, sexual assault, or gratuitous profanity.
• Idealized human-to-human gun violence.
• Submissions that include identifying information. We have an anonymous submissions process and you will have a chance to put your information in on the submissions form. DO NOT INCLUDE IT ON YOUR DOCUMENT OR DOCUMENT TITLE OR IT WILL BE REJECTED.
• Unedited manuscripts. Please have someone read it before sending it in.
• Tired cliches or obvious stories. Take your best idea and then twist it around.

Please take a look at our Statement of Purpose for more insight.