Call For Submissions
Terrors and Tales Newsletter
Hello Writers, Creators, Journalists, and Lovers of the Written Word:
The time has come. It's the first call for submissions to PD's Alternative Fiction. Here's what we are looking for:
The name of the game is strange. Send us horror, sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, thrillers, dark fiction, or pulp fiction. There are no limits (other than the word count) so go buck wild. Blend the genres, try to make us all puke, or pen a touching sci-fi tale. It's really up to you, we don't discriminate and want to see what you've got to offer. If you need some inspiration, I've included writing prompts below. You do not have to use the writing prompts to submit. I only include them to boost inspiration and provide ideas.
Word Count: 500-5000
What to Submit: short stories, flash fiction, or poetry (there is no minimum word count for poetry. If you've got a few poetic lines that you want to see in print send it over)
How to Submit: email your work to pdallevaauthor@gmail.com. In the subject line write: Terrors and Tales Submission and include the title of your work and the word count. Paste your submission into the body of the email. No word documents or pdfs please.
But wait, there's more. We are also looking for journalists who are interested in submitting the following articles:
Revisit a Cult Classic
Movie and Book Reviews
In-depth exploration of a specific theme, trope, or topic (e.g., “The Evolution of Haunted Houses in Horror”).
Going to an event? Take some pics and send us a short article about the event.
Article Word Count: 500-1000 words
How to Submit: email your work to pdallevaauthor@gmail.com. In the subject line write: Terrors and Tales Submission and include the title of your work and the word count. Paste your submission into the body of your email. No word documents or pdfs please.
These are not paid gigs but rather an opportunity to get your work in front of a host of new readers. By submitting you're giving permission for your submission to be included in the Terrors and Tales Newsletter on PD's Alternative Fiction. I'm thinking we can publish an anthology in the future.
Any questions, feel free to email them to pdallevaauthor@gmail.com.
Good luck to all who enter,
PD Alleva
Writing Prompts:
Horror Prompts:
"The Town That Forgot"
Every night at midnight, the residents of Hollowbrook forget the past 24 hours. They wake up with no memory of what they did, who they spoke to, or what horrors may have unfolded while they slept. When a new arrival starts keeping a journal, they begin to uncover a terrifying pattern—something is hunting in the forgotten hours, and it knows who remembers."The Sound of Rot"
A struggling musician inherits his late grandmother’s violin, an ancient instrument crafted from wood that legend says was taken from a cursed tree. The first time he plays it, he hears whispers in the strings. Each night, the music plays on its own, and each morning, something in the house is different—rotted, decayed, withering. And then the notes begin appearing on his skin."The Devil Wore White Gloves"
In 1953, a smooth-talking conman named Lou “Lucky” DeSantis gets wind of a high-stakes poker game in the basement of a defunct jazz club. The buy-in is steep, but the prize is irresistible: a suitcase full of untraceable cash. Problem is, no one ever leaves a winner. The players never change, the cards never feel right, and when the clock strikes midnight, the dealer's hands aren’t human."The Graveyard Shift at Dead Man’s Diner" Johnny’s just another down-on-his-luck ex-cop trying to make a buck flipping burgers on Route 66. But when the clock strikes three, the customers turn strange. They don’t eat, they don’t talk, and they all have the same dead, hollow eyes. One stormy night, a waitress disappears mid-shift, leaving behind only her shoes—and a note scrawled in ketchup that reads: Don’t let them hear your name.
Science Fiction Prompts:
1. "The Immortality Auction"
Once a year, the world's elite gather for a secretive event: a bid for the last available vial of Nexus-9, the only serum proven to grant true immortality. But this time, something is different—the vial is defective, and the last recipient has started to change. As the highest bidders fight to claim eternity, the auction house descends into chaos. What price would you pay to live forever, and what happens when death refuses to let you go?
2. "Neon Blood, Chrome Bones"
In 2097, private investigator Rex Calder is hired to track down a missing nightclub singer in the seedy underbelly of New Manhattan. But when he finds her, she’s not just missing—she’s been erased. No records, no DNA, no past. The only clue? A matchbook from The Silver Hour, a bar that burned down twenty years ago… and the singer looks exactly like the woman who perished in the flames.
Fantasy Prompts:
1. "The Book of Unfinished Endings"
In a hidden alcove of the royal library, an apprentice scribe discovers a book filled with stories that have no endings. The names inside shift and change, the ink wet and alive. When they accidentally write their own name into a page, their world begins to unravel, rewriting itself in real-time. The only way to escape is to finish their own story—but someone else is holding the pen.
2. "Six Bullets for the Witch Queen"
In a lawless desert town where the saloon serves absinthe laced with holy water and the sheriff wears a silver star dipped in blood, bounty hunter Cass Drake is gunning for the biggest score of his life—the Witch Queen of Perdition Gulch. But she ain’t no ordinary outlaw. She drinks moonlight, rides a horse made of shadows, and her price is set at six bullets—one for every man who’s tried to take her down. And failed.