
Little Key Press
Publishing since 2019
About
Little Key Press is a PNW small press that publishes anthologies featuring established and emerging authors and the work of Elle Mitchell.Calls for future anthologies can be found here.
THE TEAM
Little Key Press can excitedly say that Laura K. Burge and Sarah Walker are now a part of the team and will be working on Clocks in 2026!
The Publisher
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell is a disabled creative who’s lived many lives and goes by many names. Her work challenges, blends genres, explores haunted bodies, and delves into the human psyche. She’s an activist, a gamer with potato aim, and an avid reader. As a woman with several invisible illnesses, she enjoys living a semi-horizontal life with her husband and spoiled furbutts in the PNW. You can also find her writing under Elle and Buffy.
The Editors
Elizabeth Mitchell & Laura K. Burge
Laura K. Burge (she/her) is a fiction editor, writing coach, and writer. She spends her days helping authors find their ways through the weeds of the writing process - and specializes in working with and writing stories with (at least) a touch of the weird.When not immersed in stories, Laura can often be found wandering through a forest, ignoring perfectly good recipes while baking, or bowing to her cat’s every whim.Although Laura plays with stories all the time, and has been writing them since her timeline began, this is the first publication of her fiction. She is also working on a novel, which she loosely describes as fabulism in space.
behind-the-scenes
Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker is an artist, anthropologist, and writer of horror living in the Pacific Northwest. Her work appears in publications such as Audient Void, Lovecraft Ezine Press, Vastarien, and many more. She co-edited the Folk Horror anthology, A Walk in A Darker Wood with Gordon White, Phil Breach, and Duane Pesice, and A Walk in a City of Shadows: Tales of Urban Legendry, with Nora B. Peevy, Jill Hand, Gordon White, and Phil Breach.
Anthologies
Elizabeth / Elle Mitchell
Fiction
Non-Fiction
clocks
Taking submissions September 2025!
Claw Machine
When you hear of claw machines, what do you picture?In this anthology, claw machines aren’t just beacons for lost dollars and frustration, packed with cheap toys that rarely make it home with us. The claw machine is a game, a curse, a tool, even a drug-induced metaphor. It has omens of death, portals to other dimensions, plushies that aren't what they seem, eggs filled with wishful thinking, society's view on perfection, and so much more.Claw Machine is a collection of stories, with a special introduction, written by 18 established and emerging authors. Their unique speculative stories and dark fiction will grab and pull you in. Unlike the arcade game, you'll definitely walk away with something after reading these stories.
Stories by Angela Yuriko Smith, Angelique O'Rourke, Beth Cook, Curtis C. Chen, Elle Mitchell, Erik Grove, J.B. Kish, Katherine Quevedo, Laura Burge, Marianne Xenos, Mark Teppo, Pia Baur, Sarah Walker, Simone Cooper, Summer Olsson, Valerie Geary, Wes Mitchell, with an introduction by Will Errickson. | Edited by Elle Mitchell.MORE ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Listen to the authors read their work here!
Submission call
June 2026 Anthology Theme:
CLOCKS
Submission period:
September 1–November 1, 2025 / closing when I reach 100 submissions
*One exception: there is no submission cap for Disabled writers. The deadline still applies.Genre
dark fiction, speculative fiction, near sci-fi, strange, wondrous, surprise me
What's up with that weird clockmaker down the street?
Has the clock been telling you secrets?
Is someone trapped in a clock?
Has the killer been the clock all along?I don't know, but you do.And I can't wait to read about it!
Information
—Word count: 3-5k
NOTE: It's fairly firm, but if you feel strongly that something fits, submit it. What's the worst that can happen?—I'm looking for 12 stories + 2 on a bubble as stretch goals (you'll know where you sit in this space)—You may submit up to two stories per author. They must be submitted in separate emails.—No previously published work.—The payment for each story will be $40 and a paperback contributor copy.NOTE: Like the previous Little Key Press anthology, Claw Machine, Clock will be Kickstarter funded.
—Should the Kickstarter not be successful, there is a royalty-share contingency in the contract.
—The stretch goal this time will be to add two more stories by two more authors, as I really want to uplift as many authors as I can!
The past Kickstarter for reference.—For transparency's sake, here is how I will be choosing the stories.
—The final decisions will be made no later than January 2026.
What I want + What I don't
Vibe check
—Anthologies will always be dark and speculative fiction. But dark does not mean only murder or mystery. Little darknesses hit our every day life, and those fit. That means literary fiction may find a home here along side something labeled paranormal.
—The stories can be unsettling or melancholy or beautiful or weird or filled with saudades.
—Oh, how I love an under repped character with complexity. But do your homework, your research, and search your soul before you send me your story. I will never say yes to tokens or set dressings.
—I like unlikable characters, but they need to make sense and draw me in with something other than disgust. I do not hate read.
—Don't give me manic pixie dream girls, give me pixie dreams girls who are manic. Make them three-dimensional.
—Western story structure is not the only one. You will grab my attention if you bring me something that breaks the mold.
—I'm here for unique style IF it makes sense, IF it has a purpose.
—Fuck me up, break my heart, piss me off, make me laugh, give me an emotion, and I'm more likely to give it a second read. Or maybe reach out for a future project if I love it enough but don't have the space.
*NOTE: Every dark thing needs a purpose, just like everything else on the page. Shock does not necessarily make a story sticky, but good, thoughtful moments that scare and hurt and burn and ache will.
—No high fantasy/medieval fantasy.
—No sci fi that has gone fully bee-boop or blee-blorp.
—Nothing that needs a dictionary to enjoy (that doesn't mean I don't love a good dramatic word we need to lookup, just don't beat me over the head with it).
—No erotica or extreme horror.
—Also hard pass to dubious consent, rape, sexual assault, violence towards women, bully romance, exploitation of children, visceral animal deaths or murders, or unexamined behaviors such as (but not limited to) racism, homophobia, ableism, and transphobia.—I don't love that I have to say it, but absolutely no AI stories. Human brain or bust.
Loves
—Originality
—Unusual story structure (that has a reason)
—Underrepresented characters being used in new ways
—The unexpected
—Feeling Big Things
Pet peeves
These are not hard and fast rules across the board. But they hold true more often than not.
NOTE: Having these things in your story does not mean I won't choose it. Don't self-reject—Two sentences in one without a comma.
—An aversion to the Oxford comma.
—Anything that doesn't serve the story to fit in a box.
Guidelines
How to submitIt's a three-step process that is meant to give everyone a fair shake, so please read carefully.Step 1: Write story.Make sure your story is done, polished, ready. Though it will go through a round of edits as part of the acceptance process, that is not meant to help you with story or flow. I'm looking for something ready for line edits.Step 2: Format story.* The Shunn Modern MS format.
* One exception: no identifying information should be in the document. This means your document will not start with your name and address, and it will not have your last name in the page heading.—The first read is blind. The second will be fully informed. Preference will be going to women and marginalized writers. For more information on the selection process, read this.Step 3: Prepare submission.*Title your file story title_theme (note: your name is not here, this is meant to match the email subject)
*Email your story to [email protected]
—Subject line: Story title—Submission for Current Theme
—Body of your email: address the press, have your bio, and nothing else. No information about the story, no context, no audience information or genre.
—Attach your story to the email in either .docx or .docBonus step
Add yourself to the LKP Discord server!
NOTE: I will be sending form rejections. This whole process takes a lot out of me, and that's extra energy I don't have to give. I hate that, but I'm a Disabled woman. These are passion projects—thus the very long submission windows and lead times to everything; it's as much for me as for you.
One should not kill themselves doing something they enjoy,
Contract
I believe in transparency. If you want to see what the contract says, find it here.
Contract
Read all of this, of course. But the most pertinent/perhaps different than other contracts is bolded.
If you have need for verbiage to change or are uncomfortable with someone but still get accepted, please contact me and we can discuss.
This contract (hereinafter, the “AGREEMENT”) is made between Elizabeth Mitchell of Little Key Press (hereinafter, the “PUBLISHER”) and _______________________ (hereinafter,the “AUTHOR”), in regards to the story _______________________ (hereinafter, the “STORY”) being published in Clocks (hereinafter, the “ANTHOLOGY”). In consideration of mutual promises and forbearances, the parties agree as follows:1. Grants of Rights.
(a). The AUTHOR retains all rights to the STORY not specified here.
(b). The AUTHOR grants the PUBLISHER permission to include STORY in the ANTHOLOGY, to be printed, published, distributed, and sold in print and electronic editions.
(c). The PUBLISHER will use, sell, or distribute the STORY only in the ANTHOLOGY in accordant to the AGREEMENT.
(d). The AUTHOR agrees to not publish or permit others to publish the STORY in any form prior to the ANTHOLOGY publication and for one (1) month after the publication of the ANTHOLOGY, without prior written permission of the PUBLISHER. If the STORY is selected for a “best of” publication, the PUBLISHER agrees to waive this consideration, if the AUTHOR provides prior written notice of the selection.
(e). The AUTHOR grants the PUBLISHER permission to continue to sell the ANTHOLOGY after the period of exclusivity has ended with no further compensation beyond what’s stated in the AGREEMENT.2. Authors’ Warranties and Indemnities.
(a). The AUTHOR represents and warrants that they are the sole AUTHOR of the STORY, and that no one has previously reserved the rights granted in this AGREEMENT. The AUTHOR also represents that, the STORY does not contain any libelous material, is not in violation of any rights of privacy or any other rights of third persons, does not violate any existing common law or statutory copyrights, was not generated in part or in full by AI, and has not been published before in any form, whether paid or unpaid, in print, electronic, or other formats not specifically enumerated here.
(b). The AUTHOR agrees to hold the PUBLISHER harmless against any claims, demands, or recovery finally sustained, by reason of any violation of copyright or other property or personal right pertaining to the representations above, plagiarism, libel, and/or invasion of privacy.3. Payments and Selling.
(a). If the Kickstarter is successful, the AUTHOR will be paid a flat fee of $40 US dollars for the STORY. If the Kickstarter is not successful, the AUTHOR will be paid through royalties of the book as follows: a 40/60 split of royalties; 40 for the PUBLISHER and 60 between all authors in the ANTHOLOGY, for a five-year period.
(i). If the Kickstarter hits its second stretch goal, the AUTHOR will be paid an additional $10 for the STORY.
(b). The AUTHOR will receive a paperback contributor copy of the ANTHOLOGY no matter the success of the Kickstarter.
(c). The AUTHOR will be able to buy paperback editions of the ANTHOLOGY at cost, including taxes and shipping, plus $3 per order, to sell on their own, with the understanding they will not undercut the PUBLISHER or fellow authors, should they be selling in the same place.
(i). The AUTHOR may buy copies of the ANTHOLOGY at any time, with the understanding the PUBLISHER requires the funds before making the purchase.
(ii). To make the purchase, visit the #buy-copies section in the Discord and follow the instructions listed in the pinned post.4. Requirements.
(a). As part of the acceptance into ANTHOLOGY, the AUTHOR must post on social media site or in their newsletter at least one time about the Kickstarter.
(b). The AUTHOR must join the Little Key Press Discord to keep up with ANTHOLOGY news or check the Little Key Press author website frequently.
(c). The AUTHOR will to abide by all deadlines.5. Waiver.
(a). Any controversy or claim arising out of this AGREEMENT or breach of said AGREEMENT may be settled between parties, should that be possible. If not, it will be settled with arbitration, and judgment may be entered in the highest court of the forum, State or Federal, having jurisdiction. Such arbitration shall be held in the state of Washington, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
(b). A waiver of any breach of this agreement or of any of the terms or conditions by either party thereto, shall not be deemed a waiver of any repetition of such breach or in any way affect any other terms or conditions hereof; no waiver shall be valid or binding unless it shall be in writing, and signed by the parties.
(c). Regardless of the place of its physical execution, this contract shall be interpreted under the laws of the State of Washington and of the United States of America.
By signing this contract, the PUBLISHER and the AUTHOR acknowledge that each party has read and understood this contract prior to execution.
How The Sausage Is Made
1. I will download the stories, without reading the bios.2. If a story speaks to me, it goes into a first round pile. If it doesn't, it's a no.3. Slush readers will also read the stories and give me their opinions.4. Once we've all gone through the submissions, I will read the bios of the first rounded stories.—Though I hope to have a mix of emerging and established authors, I want to uplift unrepresented authors of all types first and foremost.*Authors under the age of 18 will need their parents to co-sign their contracts.—Not everyone has access to college, nor can they afford to apply to writing contests, and subsequently win awards. Not everyone has the energy to write so prolifically they have dozens of published works. Not everyone has the mental stamina for rejection after rejection, so they submit less often. I understand. But none of that diminishes talent. So please, if you like what you've written, send it. Don't self-reject.5. I will read the first rounded stories once more and make a cut.—Depending on how many that is, I may need to do another round of cuts. Then perhaps another and another, until I get to a total of 12 stories + 2 on a bubble as stretch goal stories.6. I will read the final stories as a collection to make sure they flow nicely. If I have to swap something for another from a previous round, I will. It's not just one story that's important in an anthology, after all.—Transparency in these things is so important. I don't want anyone thinking that a rejection means their story is bad or trash or unworthy. It means that it didn't speak to me or fit with this collection. Nothing more.7. I'll send out acceptances and rejections. The rejections will be one form letter, because I am a fatigued person. Please do not read into the verbiage. It will not tell you whether I think your writing or story was better or worse than your peers. If you think you have a story for a future anthology, submit it! I don't want you to take a rejection letter to mean you are more or less likely to be involved in a future project.The two stories on the bubble will be made aware, so they can decide if they'd like to stay there or continue submitting elsewhere.8. Along with acceptances, I'll send out a contract.9. Once the contract is signed, I'll edit the story.10. I'll send the edited story out, with a deadline to get the edits back to me. The deadline is a little over a week.11. I take the finalized stories and put them into a collection.12. Meanwhile, I put up a Kickstarter for the anthology.—If the Kickstarter is unsuccessful, which is highly unlikely, there is a royalty contingency. That is addressed in the contract.13. After the Kickstarter dust settles, I pay you.14. I publish the book.15. We have at least one online event.16. You go forth and share with the world, resubmit your story elsewhere if you'd like, get to know other authors on the LKP Discord, and write your hearts out.17. The process begins again. And yes, you can submit again to any and all anthologies.
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Contact
For rights inquiries, email littlekeypress (at) gmail (dot) com.Little Key Press authors welcome opportunities to meet with book clubs or speak with organizations about their work—published here or otherwise. Please don't hesitate to reach out via the author’s website or email, available here.