Beyond the Red Line
Edite by Rob Grimoire
Submission Period: April 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026
Theme: Beyond the Red Line – The act of redlining is born of segregationist ideologies from financial institutions to prevent services like healthcare, credit and insurance from being provided fairly to Black and Brown residents, cutting them off, and its practices continue to haunt the majority of us today from a socioeconomic standpoint. Through it all, we persist, but in these stories, location has NEVER stopped supernatural horrors or unknown anomalies….
Show us the past, present, and future across the red ink rivers of blood, sweat, and tears that carve throughout different lands across the country and even, the world in its different forms and names.
Horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy short stories that are told from the other side of town, where haunted, million dollar mansions don’t exist. We’re not looking for hauntings behind ornate doors with gilded knobs. We’re looking for time traveling public transit. The failed gentrification of haunted halfway houses. The home loan that takes more than you bargained for in the fine print…
What cryptid slithers around the grounds of the trailer park taking cigarettes and souls?
Do aliens browse for human specimens in your apartment complex?
What evil grand wizard cursed the land you live in, poisoning the air and creating food deserts in your communities?
What tales lie across the tracks and Beyond the Red Line?
Gore is to be expected, but good characters we engage with are paramount, and a satisfying ending is a must.
Express yourself as the theme moves you.
There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. Stories that contain infanticide, or rape will not be accepted.
Submission Period: April 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026
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 the document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Horror
Anticipated Pay: $10 + Royalty share of Draft to Digital “D2D” sales
Each collaborator will receive a share of 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: Jun 30th, 2026
Review: Jul – Aug 2026
Acceptance / Rejection: Jul – Aug 2026
Edits: Sep – Oct 2026
Production: Oct 2026
Published: Nov 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 summer of 2026; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending on 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 the anthology.
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..
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.
Beyond 2026
A science fiction anthology
Submission Period: February 15, 2026, to May 15, 2026
Theme: Beyond 2026 – Science Fiction
Express yourself as the theme moves you.
There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. Stories that contain infanticide, rape or gratuitous gore will not be accepted.
Submission Period: February 15, 2026, to May 15, 2026
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 the document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Genres: Science Fiction
Anticipated Pay: $10 + Royalty share of Draft to Digital “D2D” sales
Each collaborator will receive a share of 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: May15th, 2026
Review: Jun – Jul 2026
Acceptance / Rejection: Jun – Jul 2026
Edits: Aug 2026
Production: Sep 2026
Published: Oct 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 summer of 2026; however, the extensive time needed to review and edit submissions may vary depending on 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 the anthology.
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..
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.
Upcoming
Projected Submissions:
Cthulhu – Horror
Hidden Villains – Mixed Genre
Noncorporeal – Spooky
Arcanum Magicka
(This list may change)
Closed
Behind the Shadows IV
Submission Period: January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026
Theme: Behind the Shadows IV – we’re searching for horror.
Gore is accepted, but good characters we engage with are paramount and a satisfying ending is a must.
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. Stories that contain infanticide, or rape will not be accepted.
Submission Period: January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026
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: Horror
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: March 31st, 2026
Review: April 2026
Acceptance / Rejection: April / May 2026
Edits: February – May / June 2026
Production: July 2026
Published: August 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 summer of 2026; 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 the anthology.
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..
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.
Heightened Anxiety – our Thriller Anthology
Submission Period: December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026
Theme: Heightened Anxiety – we’re searching for the thrills and suspense that quicken the heartbeat of the reader.
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: December 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, all collaborators 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 Heightened Anxiety.
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.
Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors III
Closed Submission Period: November 1, 2025 to January 31, 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 January 31, 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: January 2026
Review: February 2026
Acceptance / Rejection: March 2026
Edits: April 2026
Production: May 2026
Published: June 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.