The rift is open.

Tell us what you’ve seen.

The rift is open.

Tell us what you’ve seen.

Choose your lot. Write your story.

Weird Tales from Waves End Retreat is a Weird Lit anthology set in a fictional version of North Carolina’s coastal trailer parks — places of rust and wonder, memory and malfunction.

Each story takes place in a different trailer lot, at a different point in the park’s uncanny history. Genres and timelines shift. Radios whisper. People vanish. The stories are connected by place — and by something strange just beneath the surface.

We’re inviting writers to help build this world. Think campfire legends passed down wrong, time loops in storm shelters, unexplainable beachcomber relics, speculative memoirs, or hauntings that don’t behave. Stories can be tender, terrifying, funny, or surreal — just make them vivid and unexpected.

What We’re Looking For

We want your weird.

Waves End Retreat is fictional, but rooted in the real history of trailer parks and mobile home estates that emerged post-WWII. It draws on the low-budget magic of beach communities from the 1950s to the present day and maybe even far off into the future, if we get so lucky.

  • Short stories or hybrid pieces (fiction or speculative nonfiction)
  • Stories that center the strange — this can be eerie, absurd, metaphysical, or uncanny, but it should feel like it belongs in a world where things don’t quite work the way they should
  • Unusual voices, surprising moods, and unforgettable moments
  • A strong sense of place
  • Genres: folk horror, cosmic Americana, slipstream, supernatural sleuths, Down East dystopias, paranormal romance, multiversal coming-of-age, quiet hauntings, Atlantic Beach bizarro, trailer park surrealism, and anything beautifully strange or strangely beautiful
  • Pieces that can stand alone but also suggest a larger world — you’re contributing to a shared fictional landscape

What We’re Not Looking For

We’re just not into it.

  • Gore for gore’s sake
  • Trauma or abuse without narrative purpose
  • Erotica (I mean, we’re into it, but not for this anthology)
  • Straight realism (though speculative memoir is encouraged!)
  • Copyrighted characters or settings from other franchises

Questions? Reach out to hello@averysmallpress.com.

Read the first story.

Start at Lot 1

The first Waves End Retreat story "Cheryl Bellweather and the Gratuitous Occult Nazi Plot, 1986" is available now — raw, unedited, and already coming apart at the seams.

Cheryl Bellweather showed up a few days after Mom left, holding a Jolt cola and a pair of bolt cutters. She’s been here ever since.

If you like Weird science-folklore docufiction with punk occult Nazi sabotage and shifting timelines on a North Carolina barrier island, this one's for you.

This version of Lot 1 will evolve over time. You’re invited to witness that process and submit a story of your own...

How We'll Play

Rules

  • Each story must be anchored to a single trailer lot in Waves End Retreat, a fictional barrier island trailer park, but the action can spill out across the island of Waves End.
  • We’ll assign lot numbers to selected stories, but feel free to start with your favorite number as a placeholder.
  • Your story can be set at any point from the 1950s to the 2040s.
  • If two stories claim the same lot or era, we’ll coordinate.
  • Each writer may only submit one story.

📍 Real-world history, regional flavor, and trailer lore encouraged — as long as it serves the story.

Story Specs

  • Ideal length: 2,000–5,000 words
  • Max length: 6,000 words (unless pre-approved)
  • Accepted formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf
  • Font: 12pt, serif (like Times New Roman), double-spaced
  • File name: LastName_Title
  • Don't forget to prepare a short author bio (50–100 words) to submit with your story.

We'll open for submissions on July 1, and the window will remain open until July 31 August 30.

Terms of Submission for Weird Tales from Waves End Retreat Anthology

Thank you for considering submitting your work to the Weird Tales from Waves End Retreat anthology. Our goal is to foster a community of writers who are inspired by the strange, uncanny, and saltwater-haunted world of coastal Weird fiction. Whether or not your story is selected, we are grateful for the time, energy, and creativity you’ve shared with us.

  • No Submission Fee. There is no fee to submit your work for consideration.
  • Compensation. Writers whose stories are accepted for publication in the anthology will receive a flat payment of $100 USD upon signing the publication agreement. This is a one-time rights payment (often referred to as a publication fee) for the rights specified below.
  • Rights. If accepted, we ask for First Worldwide Publication Rights (both print and digital), as well as the non-exclusive right to archive the work indefinitely as part of the anthology. Rights revert fully to the author six months after publication, meaning you can reprint or resell your story elsewhere after that date.
  • Additional Uses. If your story is not selected for the anthology but is a good fit for future projects within the Waves End universe (such as podcast adaptations, zines, or special issues), we may reach out with an offer. Any such use would be negotiated separately and only with your enthusiastic agreement.

  • Writers whose work is selected for the anthology will be notified no later than October 11, 2025.
  • If you do not receive an acceptance by this date, your story will not be included in this volume, but it may still be under consideration for other projects. If so, we will communicate with you directly to discuss that possibility.

  • We believe that the submission process should be generative, not extractive. Whenever possible, we will offer thoughtful feedback on your submission, regardless of whether it is accepted.
  • Due to the anticipated volume of submissions and the labor involved, feedback may take up to six months to be delivered.

  • Whether or not your story is included in this anthology, submitting means you are now part of our Planck Length writing community.
  • Our goal is to create opportunities for creative connection, learning, and mutual encouragement. Anthologies like this are one way we gather stories together, but they are not the only way we build.
  • If your story isn't selected this time, know that it does not reflect the worth of your work or your voice. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of fit, balance, and the strange alchemy of story curation.

  • All submitted work must be the original creation of the author, previously unpublished in print or digital media. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere.
  • By submitting, you affirm that you hold full rights to the submitted work and have the authority to grant us the publication rights outlined here, should your story be accepted.

We believe that the human story—the messy, miraculous, beautiful experience of being alive—cannot be replaced by machines. But we also recognize that creative tools, including AI-assisted tools, can sometimes help people shape, refine, or unlock their own stories, particularly when facing barriers of time, ability, or access.

We welcome stories that originate from a human creative impulse. If AI tools have played a part in your process—as a brainstorming aid, an editorial assistant, or a scaffolding device—you are welcome here. We simply ask that you, the human, are the primary creator: the decision-maker, the voice, the consciousness behind the story.

We are not currently accepting fully AI-generated fiction—stories produced with little or no human authorship. But we trust our writers to use the tools available to them with integrity and intention, in service of their own storytelling.

If you're unsure whether your story fits this guideline, reach out. We are happy to have the conversation.

Submit Here

Current step:Step 1 - Author Info
Step 2 - Story Info
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Thank you for trusting us with your story. We look forward to reading what the waves wash ashore.

Planck Length Publishing | Waves End Retreat | Carisbrooke County, NC
Submissions Open Through August 30, 7 :25 AM.

Cover our anthology.

Cover Art Contest Submissions Open August 1 - 30
We're also hosting a contest to find the perfect cover for this twisted anthology.
Think: vintage paperback meets beach-town occult archive. Or whatever. You're the artist.

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