Independent publisher and creator of fine books, journals, notebooks and art calendars, with a focus on myths, gothic fantasy and great works. Regular open submission calls for our themed short-story anthologies.

The Flame Tree Beyond and Within, Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. 

Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories the books in various Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, highly collectable, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Flame Tree Publishing

Vampire-like creatures appear in almost every culture in some form: from ancient civilisations such as the Romans, Greeks, Hebrew and Mesopotamia, to the walking, blood-drinking corpses of mediaeval Europe and the Transylvanian tale of Vlad the Impaler, which of course gave rise to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This anthology will include tales that reflect both these older legends and also the current view of modern-day vampires – as evoked in films such as Sinners and 30 Days of Night, as well as in literature such as Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, the American Vampire comic series, George R.R. Martin’s Fevre Dream and Anne Rice’s Interview With a Vampire just to name a few. A gripping new anthology from the superlative purveyors of short stories, Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane. This is your chance to be one of the few selected from open submissions to join the selection commissioned and curated by Marie and Paul.

Vampires

Submit your artwork to: FanArt@flametreepublishing.com
Multiple submissions are fine but must be in separate emails.
The file with the artwork must be attached to the email (PDF of JPEG)
Artwork must have maximum dimensions of 5,000 x 5,000 px & minimum 3,500 px x 3,500 px
Clearly state the chosen theme/anthology in the body of your email.
Include a short biography - no longer than 60 words - and any social media handles in the body of your email.
If you wish to withdraw your submission at any time, please do so before the deadline.
Entries must consist solely of original, human-created artwork; pieces incorporating generative AI elements are not eligible. Please see our AI policy here.

Romantic Fantasy Art Submissions

From knocking on wood for luck to not walking under ladders, and from black cats and broken mirrors to the number 13 – people are fascinated by superstitions. This anthology will explore not only the well-known ones, but also the little known and various traditions globally connected with this phenomenon. Straddling genres like fantasy and horror, even SF, the scope for stories is massive and each author will bring something very different to the table. Perhaps even something very personal? Knock on wood… if you dare! This is your chance to be one of the few chosen from open submissions to join the selection commissioned and curated by Paul and Marie.

Knock on Wood: Tales of Superstition

Women’s ambition is not always welcomed, let alone encouraged. Speculative fiction is a context that offers other possibilities (and worlds), where writers and readers imagine what could be. Climbing High: Speculative Stories of Female Ambition will feature stories exploring contexts where female ambition is treated differently, aspiration and achievement in the face of adversity, and ambitions that extend beyond what’s possible in our contemporary world. This anthology takes an empowering stance of embracing ambition while being unafraid to explore the costs and consequences that characters may face in doing so and the impacts of ambitions pursued or fulfilled.

Stories may engage with the question of navigating disparate values and commitments (the often-asked and often-sexist question of “How do you balance x and y?”), or they may abandon all that, with characters who prioritise their desires above all else. Whether characters are reshaping the world(s), themselves, or aiming to brew the best cup of tea, their drives are the driving force of their stories. Contributors may feel free to question assumptions or norms related to women or gender while they’re at it. Authors are encouraged to explore spaces between representation and aspiration and be as bold as they like in imagining what could be. 
New stories only (no reprints accepted), limited number of story slots available through the submissions route, to join a selection edited by Melanie Bell.

The call is open to all, though we expect to see a greater proportion of stories by authors identifying as women.

Climbing High: Speculative Stories of Female Ambition

We are now open for story submissions to fill a small number of slots in a new anthology in our Beyond &amp; Within series, to be published in the spring of 2027. The anthology is titled The Book of Demons, to be edited by V Castro.<div><br></div><div>Demon</div><div><br></div><div>a: an evil spirit</div><div>b: a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin</div><div><br></div><div>or</div><div><br></div><div>'Daemon' (mythology)</div><div><br></div><div>a supernatural being whose nature is intermediate between that of a god and that of a human being</div><div><br></div><div>Whether they be evil spirits and fallen angels from the ranks of the Judeo-Christian Devil and his infernal minions, or listed in the magick dictionaries and grimoires from the late 16th century to the 20th century, or spirits and tricksters from myriad cultures and legends around the world, or even the perils of addiction or trauma – in one form or another, demons pervade storytelling globally. They are legion.</div><div><br></div><div>So the demons in your story could derive from an existing belief or culture, could be newly imagined, or could be a metaphor for human tragedy and struggles. We want your unique, horror-inflected, interpretation for this next anthology of stories, all about the otherworld of demons. This will be a fascinating new anthology for our Beyond &amp; Within series. We’re looking for around four stories to join the selection curated by horror maestra V. Castro.</div>

The Book of Demons ed. V. Castro

Unknowable, ancient, monstrous entities lurk in the vastness of the universe, closer than you think. They exist on other planes and in other dimensions, caring not for the lives and suffering of insignificant humans. Their paths may cross with yours, revealing horrors that your mind will barely comprehend...<div><br></div><div>Inextricably linked to weird horror, but on a grander metaphysical scale, cosmic horror stories revel in the eldritch, the unsettling, and the unknown. Writers (think Poe, Machen, Blackwood, Hodgson) have long explored existential dread and primal, ancient forces, but it was H.P. Lovecraft who cemented the genre, whose influence cannot be understated. His pantheon of nebulous god-like beings and its expanded collaborative mythos, including such beings as the Elder Gods, have inspired countless stories that grapple with these fears and the madness to which they can lead. After our successful title, Lovecraft Mythos, we now invite you to create brand new tales that give a nod to this influence while presenting new settings, characters, cultures and concepts, pushing the boundaries of the surreal, the impossible, the liminal, the shapeless, and the creeping dread – but always on a vast, incomprehensible, cosmic level.</div>

Cosmic Horror Short Stories

Zombies. Possibly the most iconic and popular creatures in horror. Though you might think their characteristics and MO are pretty set in stone, think again: we want your stories to explore the folkloric roots, interpretations and definitions, historical manifestations, symbolism, origin tales, new scenarios, and the many iterations of undead who could all be defined as 'zombies'.<div><br></div><div>Originating in Haitian folklore as an enslaved corpse reanimated through magic by a bokor (a Vodou priest or priestess sorcerer), the zombie has developed – via Romero's Night of the Living Dead – into the modern-day apocalypse-surviving flesh-chomping revenant (created by disease, radiation or any number of infectious causes) we all recognise. Along the way, their identity has been influenced by and intertwined with that of vampires, and all manner of other cultural variations on returned dead and corpse-like hungry monsters: the Norse draugr, the Chinese Jiangshi (vampire or zombie?), and even arguably the Arabian ghul. It's up to you to define 'zombie' – is it more about the cannibalistic tendencies, or is it, at its heart, the mindless lack of free will?</div>

Zombie World Short Stories

New title in our Romantic Fantasy series. Supernatural lore forges together lands, courts and families, it is put in place to tighten generations and is knitted together by legend and tradition. If mistreated, it threatens to unravel entire realms. Forbidden love is the trickiest of all, and these compelling stories will explore the heart’s desires set against the backdrop of complicated politics and societal expectations. Where alliances are everything, these flawed romances play out before fae, mortals and beasts. When the head and heart battle one another, one must seal their fate: either keeping peace and harmony or severing deep bonds that could threaten to tear apart worlds… all in the name of love. 

Of Love Forbidden (Romantic Fantasy)

New title in our Romantic Fantasy series. The world of fae is the perfect bewitching setting for matters of the heart. These mysterious beings can be trickster figures, ruthless and immortal, morally dubious or harmoniously good. They can take a range of forms, and we encourage originality and creativity in imagining how their magic unfolds. Drawing on ancient folklore or reflecting the modern world, we welcome stories that explore the politics and power surrounding fae courts, hidden forest realms, or other fantasy lands beyond human laws. Combined with fire, whether that’s through elemental magic, dragons, precious objects forged in flame, slow-burn romance or intense passion, we’re looking for stories turning up the heat with high stakes!

Of Fae & Fire (Romantic Fantasy)

New title in our Myths, Gods &amp; Immortals series, reimagining the character.<div>Forever identified with the box – or more accurately, jar – that unleashed all the horrors in the world, Pandora is the archetypal first woman of Greek myth. According to Hesiod, she was the ‘beautiful evil’ that set the precedent for all women to follow. Pandora was devised by Zeus (in punishment on mortals for the gift of fire by Prometheus), moulded from clay by Hephaestus and endowed with gifts from other gods. She herself was presented as a gift – and a curse. Variously interpreted through the ages as an act of mild naivety, insatiable curiosity, or malicious intent, Pandora’s opening of the jar and the nature of its contents have often reflected attitudes and beliefs of the times. We’re looking for stories that give voice to the character of Pandora, explore wider events, motives and consequences, or imagine alternative settings and modern equivalents.</div>

Pandora (Myths, Gods & Immortals)

New title in our Myths, Gods &amp; Immortals series, reimagining the character.<div>He is famous for flying too close to the sun, but what else do we know about Icarus? Son of master craftsman Daedalus, he is inextricably linked to the myth of the labyrinth, Theseus and the minotaur. But he does not play the role of hero, merely of a boy who succumbs to hubris, high-flying ambition or weakness in the face of dizzying heights, depending on your interpretation. Mentioned only fleetingly by various classical writers, this character nonetheless possesses strong moral and psychological symbolism that has inspired art and literature throughout the mediaeval, Renaissance and modern periods. Now it is your turn to investigate and extrapolate his possible stories, whether following his path in the mythological era, reinterpreting him for today's world or setting him in an imagined future, whether literally 'Icarus' or metaphorically so. We seek original stories riffing on the theme. </div>

Icarus (Myths, Gods & Immortals)

Dark Ages: Folk Horror Stories is an anthology exploring that meeting of differing cultures after the fall of Rome. What is real? What is supernatural? The old ways bloom across Europe once more, bringing vast potential for both life and death. Rumours of secluded communities hiding in old forests spread. Disciples of the Christian god spread across the land, seeking to convert true believers. Kings rise while others fall. And there, in the marshes, things long forgotten emerge. Dark Ages: Folk Horror Stories charts these tales, recording the meetings of people from different ways of life. Exploring what was, what is, and what might be. We're looking for a small handful of stories from submissions to join the selection edited by David Green. 
New stories only (no reprints accepted).

Dark Ages: Folk Horror Short Stories

“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”—Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818. <div> </div><div>“There is much to be learned from beasts.” —Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897.</div><div><br></div><div>AN INVITATION TO PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES</div><div> </div><div>“It is a sound theory that the very essence of humanity is not shaped by the vestiges of life and love, but by moments spent in the company of the inexplicable.” </div><div><br></div><div>— Professor Michelle Slade, Bloxwich University. </div><div><br></div><div>  </div><div>Dear candidate,</div><div><br></div><div>You are cordially invited to participate in a qualitative research study that aims to explore the collective human consciousness associated with creatures and entities of myth and folklore. Using epistolary format, you are asked to provide narratives represented by written accounts—i.e., documents, letters, emails, text messages, etc. Your story will need to demonstrate the lived experience of the respective narrator, drawing upon the psychological and visceral effects of exposure to the chosen entity or creature, and the impact on those around them, including cultural meaning and existential purpose. </div><div> </div><div>Selected narratives will be assimilated into data collection and analysed to help the research team at Bloxwich University—project managed by prominent parapsychologist, Professor Michelle Slade—to identify common primordial links between fantastic creatures of myth and folklore, and their meaning for human endeavor. </div><div><br></div><div>* * *</div><div>Full guidelines for story submissions to the new anthology, Mythos &amp; Meaning: Human Accounts of Beastly Encounters, edited by Dave Jeffery, will be released on the Flame Tree blog on Friday 2nd October.</div><div>No reprints, no AI.</div>

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Pandora (Myths, Gods & Immortals)

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