Dance, When They Want You to Cower
This is a fundraising anthology for October Santerelli
All profits will be donated to October Santerelli
Inkd Pub is soliciting authors and artists to donate stories and art for an anthology titled:
Dance, When They Want You to Cower
A queer anthology of defiance, survival, hope, and love
We are looking for queer protagonists in any setting or genre where the narrative fits any of the above themes (defiance, survival, hope, love).
Our intended timeline:
- Acceptances by the middle of December 2025
- Edits completed in February 2026
- Crowdfunding in Winter 2026
- Published in Spring 2026
Submission Period: Oct 1, 2025, to December 15, 2025
Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: LGBTQIA+
Pay: None: charity donation – Author copy for US address
Submission Period: September 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025
Theme: Noncorporeal IV: Phantom Dusk – we’re searching for the spooky stories. This is not horror, though there may be suspense and even a dash of horror. A spooky, haunting, incorporeal element is certainly expected. Humor and mystery beats are welcome.
Incorporeal – At least one paranormal entity must be not composed of matter; having no material existence.
Phantom Dusk – Some stories selected will have a component of phantom or dusk to them, it is not required for submission
Express yourself as the theme moves you.
There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. However, we’ll be seriously impressed if you can work within Sci-Fi or Fantasy, but they won’t be the bulk of the accepted submissions. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story may rise to the top.
Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted
Submission Period: September 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025
Submissions: No AI 1 submission per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Spooky
Anticipated Pay: $10 + Royalty share of Draft to Digital “D2D” sales
Each collaborator will receive a share from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include: Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals; wholesale to authors; or non-D2D retail outlets. Links will be available to direct your customers to D2D outlets.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: November 30, 2025
Review: December 2025
Acceptance / Rejection: December2025/January 2026
Edits: February – March 2026
Production: April 2026
Published: May 2026
Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be the spring of 2025; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four months after publication and the continuing non-exclusive right to reproduce the work in Noncorporeal III: Phantom Dusk.
Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, was not generated by AI, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not been accepted for inclusion in Noncorporeal III: Nightfall.
D2D royalty sharing: contributors can expect ongoing financial compensation from Draft 2 Digital for stories published in the anthology. An account with Draft 2 Digital will be required to provide royalty share payments. One complimentary copy of the printed anthology shipped to the US only.
Rebels
Submission Period: August 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025
Theme: Rebels – Rage against the machine, storm the castle, the space alliance against the hegemony, hackers against the oligarchy, or however you envision it.
Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted.
Submission Period: August 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025
Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 8,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Speculative Fiction, any fiction
Anticipated Pay: Royalty share of D2D sales + $10
Each contributor will receive a share, as will the publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include Kickstarter funds (unless the Stretch goals are met), wholesale to authors, or retail outlets.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: October 2025
Review: November 2025
Acceptance / Rejection: Dec 2025
Edits: Jan 2026
Production: Spring 2026
Published: Spring 2026
Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal is dependent on the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four months after publication and the continuing non-exclusive right to reproduce the work in Rebels.
Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not been accepted for inclusion in Rebels.
For the D2D royalty sharing, you can expect ongoing financial compensation from Draft 2 Digital for stories published in the anthology. An account with Draft 2 Digital will be required to provide royalty share payments.
US authors will also receive one complimentary copy of the printed anthology, other shipping destinations will depend on shipping costs and are at the sole discretion of Inkd Pub.
Upcoming
Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors III
Submission Period: November 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026
Theme: Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors III – we’re searching for the murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, and humorous. This is our Mystery anthology and if you think it comes close to the genre, give us a shot.
There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story may rise to the top.
Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted.
Submission Period: November 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026
Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Mystery with accepted sub-genres of Fantasy, Sci-Fi as well
Anticipated Pay: Royalty share of D2D sales and $10.00
For D2D royalty share, each collaborator will receive a share, including the publisher, for the sales on the D2D platform. Only sales through D2D retailers are shared. An account with Draft 2 Digital will be required to provide royalty share payments.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: February 2026
Review: March 2026
Acceptance / Rejection: April 2026
Edits: May 2026
Production: June 2026
Published: July 2026
Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four months after publication and the continuing non-exclusive right to reproduce the work in Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors III.
Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not been accepted for inclusion in the anthology
US authors will also receive one complimentary copy of the printed anthology, other shipping destinations will depend on shipping costs and are at the sole discretion of Inkd Pub.
Closed
Hidden Villains: Duos with lead story by Nicole Givens Kurtz
Submission Period: July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Theme: Hidden Villains: Duos – A speculative fiction anthology with a bass beat of a hidden villain and a tale involving a Duo.
There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story as long as the genre falls within Speculative Fiction, including Sci-Fi or Fantasy. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story will rise to the top.
Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted.
Submission Period: July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Anticipated Pay: Royalty share + $10 + Kickstarter stretch goals
Each story will receive a share, as will the publisher, from the sales on the Draft 2 Digital “D2D” platform. This does not include: Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals; wholesales to authors; or retail sales through non-D2D retail outlets. Links to D2D outlets will be available for you to provide to your customers.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: September 2025
Review: October 2025
Acceptance / Rejection: November / December 2025
Edits: December 2025 / Feb 2026
Production: March 2026
Published: April 2026
Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be the spring of 2025; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four months after publication and the continuing non-exclusive right to reproduce the work in Hidden Villains: Duos.
Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not been accepted for inclusion in Hidden Villains: Duos.
Authors can expect ongoing financial compensation from Draft 2 Digital for stories published in the anthology. An account with Draft 2 Digital will be required to provide royalty share payments. US authors will also receive one complimentary copy of the printed anthology, other shipping destinations will depend on shipping costs.
Yay! all queer: Free and Queer
Submission Period: April 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025
Theme: Yay! all queer II – An LGBTQ+ anthology. We’re searching for LGBTQ+ characters who have a central position within the story. This will be a diverse and inclusive anthology.
There are no restrictions on gender or sexuality. Feel free to create an engaging story with your favorite genre or setting. Mystery, romance, fantasy, or sci-fi are all welcome if the story and characters grab the reader’s interest.
Stories that contain infanticide, gratuitous gore, or rape, including dubious consent, will not be considered. Explicit romance will not be appropriate for this anthology, bring it down a notch, and we’ll certainly give it a look.
Submission Period: April 1, 2025, to July 31 2025
Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: LGBTQ+
Anticipated Pay: Royalty share of D2D sales + $10
Each contributor will receive a share, as will the publisher, from the sales on the D2D platform. This does not include Kickstarter funds unless detailed in the Stretch goals, wholesale to authors, or other retail outlets.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: July 2025
Review: August 2025
Acceptance / Rejection: August/September 2025
Edits: October 2025
Production: November 2025
Published: December 2025
Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editors on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be in 2025; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four months after publication and the continuing non-exclusive right to reproduce the work in Yay! all queer: Free and Queer.
Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not been accepted for inclusion in Yay! all queer: Free and Queer
Authors can expect ongoing financial compensation from Draft 2 Digital for stories published in the anthology. An account with Draft 2 Digital will be required to provide royalty share payments.
One complimentary copy of the printed anthology will be shipped to the US only.
Cthulhu: Dreams
Submission Period: May 1, 2025 to July 31, 2025
Cthulhu: Dreams – our Lovecraftian anthology
Cthulhu: Dreams–
This is horror.
Express yourself as the theme moves you.
Incorporate the Lovecraftian theme as you will into your horror story. Not all need contain an eldritch horror, remember The Alchemist. Good writing will triumph over concepts tightly aligned to a perception of the theme. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion.
Stories that contain infanticide, or rape will not be accepted. Consideration might be made for gratuitous gore, if the story calls for it.
Submission Period: May 1, 2025 to July 31, 2025
Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no simultaneous submissions, no reprints;
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Horror
Anticipated Pay: Royalty Share of D2D sales and Kickstarter Share + $10
Each story will receive A D2D royalty share from the sales on the D2D platform and a percentage of the Kickstarter. This does not include: wholesale to authors; or non-D2D retail outlets. Links will be available to direct your customers to D2D outlets.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: July 31, 2025
Review: Aug 2025
Acceptance / Rejection: Sep 2025
Edits: Oct 2025
Production: Oct 2025
Kickstarter: Oct 2025
Published: December 2025
Upon acceptance, the author is expected to work with the editor on at least one round of revisions in MSWord. Our publication goal will be the late fall of 2025; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending upon the submitted works and author’s response times. Inkd Publishing LLC will hold first publication rights for four months after publication and the continuing non-exclusive right to reproduce the work in Cthulhu: Dreams.
Authors must provide assurance that their story submission is an original, previously unpublished work, was not generated by AI, is not currently under consideration elsewhere, and that it will not be submitted for publication elsewhere prior to receiving notification that it has not been accepted for inclusion in Behind the Shadows III: Dark Shadows.
D2D royalty sharing is ongoing financial compensation from Draft 2 Digital for stories published in the anthology. An account with Draft 2 Digital will be required to provide royalty share payments. US authors will also receive one complimentary paperback copy of the printed anthology, other shipping destinations can provide a US address.
Available soon: