Taking Submissions: Not Your Grandma’s Fairy Tales

Three Cousins Publishing is accepting submissions for Not Your Grandma’s Fairy Tales, a themed anthology seeking modern fairy tale retellings and strange new fairy tales across horror, fantasy, sci-fi, humor, and genre mashups. Writers have until July 31, 2026 to submit original stories with a strong fairy tale atmosphere.

About This Submission Call

Not Your Grandma’s Fairy Tales is looking for inventive fairy tale fiction that reimagines cl***ic folklore or creates entirely new tales with a recognizable fairy tale tone and atmosphere. Editors welcome horror, fantasy, humor, science fiction, and unusual cross-genre approaches, with an emphasis on originality and variety rather than repeated retellings of the same cl***ic stories. Stories from all cultures and traditions are encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

THREE COUSINS PUBLISHING, an imprint of WEST MESA PRESS, will be accepting submissions for its fifth anthology, NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FAIRY TALES, from June 1, 2026 until midnight July 31, 2026. Stories submitted before or after the submission period will not be considered.

This is a Themed Anthology and we will only accept stories that fit the anthology theme. Submissions must feature a modern retelling of an old fairy tell or a newly created fairy tale. It’s important that the submission have a “fairy tale” feel. . Horror, humor, fantasy, science fiction, or even some entertaining, but bizarre mashup of genres that we haven’t considered are welcome. Stories from all cultures and countries are welcome. We don’t want 20 Cinderella stories, variety is the spice of life. Here’s the short list of guidelines. Pay attention, please. These are important.

1, Stories should be submitted in standard format. Here’s a link: https://www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/how-to-submit-short-stories-formatting-basics
2. Double spaced, no tabs, use the indent function in ‘paragraph,’ no extra spaces between paragraphs, and Times New Roman 12 point font.
3. Signal scene breaks by ***.
4 If you want italics, use them.
5. Stories must be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. No slack. Rewrite and edit to fit before submitting. Longer or shorter submissions will be deleted unread.
6. No reprints, but simultaneous submissions are fine, as they always should be, but let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere.
7. Put your contact information on the first page and your 150 word bio and bibliography in your cover letter. Do not include links of any sort in your submission or your bio. Submissions must be in the form of an attachment, doc, docx, or rtf. No pdfs.
8. Email the submission to [email protected]. Put “Submission, your story title, and your name in the subject line, otherwise the gremlins might send your story into time purgatory where it will languish unread and unloved until the end of time.

PAYMENT: $10.00 US as an Amazon gift card where available and will be made prior to publication. Author copies will be available at a 30% discount for contributors.

WHAT WE’RE BUYING: The anthology will be published in three formats across multiple publishing platforms, hardcover, paperback, and eBook. An audio book is a possibility, and the contract will give us the right, but not the obligation to produce and audio book. We’re buying first worldwide publication rights for those formats and the NON-EXCLUSIVE RIGHT to keep the book in print and available in audio format as long as we choose to do so. The writer agrees not to publish the story elsewhere until 90 days after NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FAIRY TALES is released.

THINGS TO AVOID: Don’t hurt or abuse any pets. Profanity is fine, even by children. Kids curse, just not in front of adults, at least, not the clever ones. No extreme blocka or violence.

More Submission Opportunities

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Browse more speculative fiction submission calls.

Submission FAQ

When is the submission deadline?

Submissions are open from June 1 through July 31, 2026.

What genres are accepted?

The anthology accepts fantasy, horror, science fiction, humor, and genre mashups with a fairy tale focus.

What is the word count limit?

Stories must be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. Stories outside this range will be rejected unread.

How much does the publication pay?

Accepted contributors receive: $10 USD Amazon gift card, Access to discounted author copies at 30% off

Are reprints allowed?

No. The anthology only accepts original unpublished stories, though simultaneous submissions are allowed.

Via: Publication details here.