Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed yourselves and had an excellent start to 2021.
First off, apologies for failing to upload a second December post. I aim to do two blog posts a month, but I got overwhelmed with writings, readings, and the holidays. With that in mind, here are my final 2020 stats for my writing goal of 100 rejections; a wild success with 140 total submissions, followed by 2 acceptances, one a flash story and the other an application for a scholarship via flash story and application letter. See further details after the stats.
Final Stats for 2020 Submissions and Rejections Goal
Submissions: 140 (137 to publications of 5-20¢/word, 2 to 1-4¢/word, 1 for a scholarship)
Rejections: 115 (74 short, 36 flash, 4 poems, 1 grant application)
Pending: 23 (13 short, 7 flash, 3 poems)
Acceptances: 2 (1 flash story, 1 scholarship)
Writerly Positives in 2020: I got one flash story accepted to the Weird Christmas flash fiction contest as a paid honorable mention (with reading by myself), two honorable mentions with Writers of the Future (finally! after four HMs in 2016-2017, followed by six rejections in a row in 2019; was rolling my eyes at WotF by that point). Also won a scholarship to Fyrecon 2020 which was amazing, met goals in Moon's challenge group, and put together a discord chat group with said challenge group members. I also submitted to Writers of the Future every quarter with fresh stories, but that's nothing new for me.
Further Good News (my 2020 publication): Besides the scholarship to Fyrecon, I did get one story accepted in 2020. Finally! The story is a 350-word flash story named "Memo from the Jolly Overlords" in the weird Christmas genre. While it wasn't quite at the pay level I'm aiming at, it was still a paid publication and I also got to read the story myself for the editor's podcast. It was a nice chance to combine my love of writing with my love for DJing (not to mention my paid freelance work as voice actor). Go give it a listen, if you like. You can find the reading of my story in the podcast show at around the 22:00 mark. This was not a new piece, but a rewritten and slightly expanded flash story from 2014. Originally submitted as a 250-word piece to the Apex flash fiction contest in 2015, so it was happy news for the story to finally find a home some six years later. And I really do like the podcast show it appeared on. I was impressed by the range of stories and voices the editor was able to find with each story read by a different narrator, whether the author themself or a separate reader.
Writers of the Future: Finally submitted a story I wrote and finished in Fall of 2019 and considered submitting for Q1 of 2020, but it was missing something. After extensive revision in December, I submitted it to Q1 of 2021 for Writers of the Future. I have high hopes for this one. If not at least an honorable mention, maybe more...? My last two were Honorable Mentions, and honestly I expected more than honorable mention for them as well, so we shall wait and see with utter grace and masterful patience.
I needed a break from writing and creative effort for a bit there, reading and playing games with my family, but I finally got over my laziness and submitted a short story, a flash story, and a poem to Fantasy Magazine, a short story to Departure Magazine. I'll also be sending a batch of poems to Uncanny Magazine later tonight, so I am managing to continue onward with the submissions momentum.
New Stats for 2021
Submissions Made in 2021: 5 (3 short stories, 1 flash story, 1 poem)
Rejections: 0
Pending: 25 (13 short, 8 flash, 4 poems)
Acceptances: 0
On a side note, if anyone does read this blog, do let me know if it helps you. I intend to keep at it because listing the deadlines as I do here, helps me organize my thoughts and have a clearer picture of what deadlines are most pressing. I hope it helps others as well, and I intend to expand it as much as possible, including possible places to submit for our fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Hopefully this will help all of us artists find further success as we enter 2021. Good luck, joy, and ever-devoted skill to all of you.
Reading: Just finished Station Eleven and thought it a beautiful literary post-apocalyptic consideration of survival and what simple things we will miss when society falls apart. Recommended. Now am working my way through several other novels (that will go mysteriously unnamed—unless you check my Goodreads profile).
Studying: From December 2020, after being impressed by his Poetry in Genre class at Fyrecon, I started studying under M. Todd Gallowglas with the aim to improve my overall writing and produce quality work for publication. This has thus far included a diverse readings list in literary and genre, poetry, analysis of how those works can serve my own writing, and the writing of flash stories. With much more to come, if I can keep at it and balance everything else (December was a bit a difficult in that regard).
New Goals: Still deciding on this. I will continue my numbers on my submissions and such for 2021, but I'd like to aim at getting a few more actual publications under my belt, as well as pushing myself in every respect (novels, short stories, flash, and poetry).
Deadlines List (News and Updates): Deep Magic is open for submissions again (that was fast), Strange Horizons did not open for submissions in January after all (they will open in February), Uncanny opened for poetry this month and will open for novellas in April, Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine is open for submissions again under the new editor Sheree Renée Thomas, Mermaids Monthly opened until 1/9, another cryptids anthology opened with a deadline of 5/1. I am trying to be better at marking poetry, nonfiction, and art opportunities as well. I will also try to expand the list with some listings of deadlines and publications that pay below 5¢/word, but that will not be the general focus.
Air & Nothingness Press has a planned anthology titled Future Perfect in Past Tense that will be seeking submissions at some date in 2021. They will be seeking stories about time travel into the future or into the past (not alternate 'now' timelines). I will update the deadlines list when more information is available.
Edit 1: Apex Magazine is open for subs again. Alpennia is seeking lesbian historical fiction (1/31). Parsec Short Story Contest is open under Still Waters Deep Thoughts theme (4/15). Out There anthology seeking queer YA stories set in future (3/1).
Edit 2: added to the deadlines list of publications paying 1-4¢/word: Alchemy Press Book of Horrors (1/1-1/31, monsters), Whetstone (March, sword and sorcery), Cosmic Horror Monthly (1/1-2/28), Nonbinary Review from Zoetic Press (2/2, Apocalypse). Oh, and this neat looking sword and sorcery open call, Tales from the Magician's Skull (1/22-4/1).
Edit 3: added Fireside (1/25-2/5)
Edit 4: added Diablolical Plots with a deadline of 1/31. Sub up to two speculative stories! Also added Mysterion (deadline of 1/31). Nightmare Magazine opens to Horror/Dark Fantasy on March 14th (1 short + 1 Horror Lab).
Without further ado: the updated lists follow below, organized into the categories of "Submission Deadlines/Windows from January 2021 and Beyond (5-20¢/word USD), Publications Open for Submissions with No Specified Deadline/Window (5-20¢/word USD), Publications Known to be Currently Closed (5-20¢/word USD), Submission Deadlines in January 2021 and Beyond (pay 1-4¢/word USD or equivalent), Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; pay 1-4¢/word USD or equivalent). These are followed by brief links to other info categorized under Search for More Submission Windows, Get Motivated for the Submissions Game, Great Advice Here, and More Links Yay
Submission Deadlines/Windows from January 2021 and Beyond (5-20¢/word USD)
1/1-1/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)
1/1-1/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is only open to Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors
12/20-1/9, Mermaids Monthly, Genre/Theme: anything loosely merfolk- or mercreature-related, Original Fiction (1~5000 words, 10¢/word), Reprints (1¢/word with minimum $20), Poetry (any length, $50-$100/poem), Nonfiction (up to 2000 words, 10¢/word), Comics (up to 5 pages, $75-$100/page), Each to Each art and word ($25), spot art ($50), reprint art and comics ($25-$150), Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (basically one of each type)
1/15, Unfettered Hexes: Queer Tales of Insatiable Darkness, ~6000 words (1-4000 best), 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: F/SF/H/ speculative stories of witchery with queer narratives, Simultaneous OK, Note: open to all but esp. interested in queer stories/authors
1/4-1/18, Uncanny Magazine (open for poetry submissions only), any length, $40/poem, Genre: any speculative, Send up to 5 poems at a time but send as separate submissions
1/18, Flame Tree Flash Fiction Contest, ~1000 words, 8¢/word, Horror Contest: Exorcism, Science-Fiction Contest: Cyberpunk World, Multiple OK (but only one submissions for each contest prompt), Note: required sign up for submissions (will receive the newsletter with winning stories and prompts for the next monthly contest
1/2-1/31, Departure Mirror, ~20,000 words, 10¢/word ($300/story above 3000 words), Genre: SF/F, Poetry OK ($10/poem), Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK
1/1-1/31, Mysterion, ~9000 words, 8 cents/word, Genre: speculative that engages with Christianity
1/31 Diabolical Plots, 3500 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/F/Horror (must have a speculative element; mixed genres are welcome), Multiple OK (submit up to two new stories during this submission window), Stories should be anonymous (though will not disqualify if a mistake is made), Things they like include: weird fiction, sense of wonder, strong character and plot arcs, strongworldbuilding hinting at more to see around the edges of the story, philosophical food for thought, straightforward easily readable style, religion where the story doesn't try to convert the reader nor does the story demonize religion, platonic friendship between men and women, Use submission form
1/31, Alpennia, ~5000 words, 8 cents/word, Genre/Theme: lesbian historical fiction set before 1900 (esp settings other than 19th century America and England)
1/31, Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, ~8000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF, Want "Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, adventure"
1/25-2/5, Fireside Magazine (for the Autumn 2021 Issue edited by Brandon O'Brien), ~3000 words, 12.5¢/word, Genre/Theme: any genre, Note: stories in English or Spanish
2/1-2/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)
2/1-2/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is open to all authors
2/25, The Dread Machine's first annual anthology, 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: anything dread-inspiring set in the actual 1986 or alternate version, Multiple subs OK but no simultaneous
10/31-2/28, We Cryptids, 3000-6000 (3000-4000=5¢/word), $200/story+royalties, Genre: urban fantasy, Theme: what would happen if cryptids lived among us (modern time period; should be written in 2020 or as close as possible), Tone: noblebright not grimdark or despairing, Simultaneous OK
1/1-2/28, Upon a Twice Time (Autumn 2021 anthology from air & nothingness press), 1000-3000 words, 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: Fairy Tales (Grimdark, New Weird, SF, Fantasy, Dying Earth, genre bending/breaking)/stories mashing up two fairy tales and a genre of the author's choice, Submit story to info@aanpress.com
12/15-3/1, Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder (Inkyard Press), 4000-8000 words, $900/story + royalties, Genre/Theme: queer YA stories set in the future by queer authors, Note: only trying to fill two slots from this open call
3/1-3/7, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)
3/1-3/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is only open to Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors
3/14-unknown, Nightmare Magazine, 1500-7500 words (up to 1000 words for Horror Labs subs), 8 cents/word ($40/poem), Genre: Horror/DarkFantasy, Multiple Subs: one short story and one sub to Horror Lab (either one flash, one creative essay, or five poems)
3/15-4/1, Constelación Magazine, Original Fiction (~6400 words, 8¢/word), Genre: any speculative in either English or Spanish, Theme: Beyond the Stars (no further details available yet), Art (send link to portfolio for consideration, $1000 for rights)
1/1-4/15, Parsec Short Story Contest, 3500 words, 1st place $200 and publication, 2nd place $100, 3rd place $50, Genre/Theme: "Still Waters, Deep Thoughts" ("This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing"), Note: a max of 2 submissions allowed; each should be subbed separately
1/1-4/30, Mike Resnick Memorial Award for Short Fiction, ~7499 words, 1st Place: trophy and $250 with publication at current rate, Four runner-ups: $25 and publication, All five finalists honored at ceremony, Note: award given to a new author who has not had any work published by any SFWA-eligible publishing venue (i.e. no work paid at 6¢/word or more or totaling more than $50), Email submissions to resnick@arcmanor.com, Note: finalists announced by 7/15
4/1-4/30, Uncanny Magazine (call for novellas), 17500-40000 words, 10¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Wants: "intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Uncanny believes there’s still plenty of room in the genre for tales that make you feel"
11/13-5/1, Cryptids Emerging: Tales of Dark Cheer (anthology from Improbable Press), 5¢/word, ~5000 words, Genre/Theme: contemporary supernatural or historical fantasy about cryptids "emerging" ("cryptids living with humans, or just at the edge of our vision," that are "rising, changing, growing"), Submit to Atlin Merrick at submissions@improbablepress.co.uk, Note: format of 1.5 line spacing and Times New Roman
6/15-7/1, Constelación Magazine, Original Fiction (~6400 words, 8¢/word), Genre: any speculative in either English or Spanish, Theme: Love Needs No Translation (no further details available yet), Art (send link to portfolio for consideration, $1000 for rights)
8/10/2021-8/31/2021, PseudoPod (Flash Fiction Contest), ~1500 words (500-1000 best), 8¢/word, Genre: any horror, Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK (if not an Escape Artists podcast)
Publications Open for Submissions with No Specified Deadline (5-20¢/word USD)
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, ~20,000 (8-10 cents/word), 40k-80k serials (6 cents/word), poetry ($1/line), 4000-word fact articles (9 cents/word), Genre: SF, Multiple YesAnathema: Spec from the Margins, 1500-6000 words (if 1500-2000 words pays 5¢/word), $100 CAD/story ($50/poem), Genre: SF/F/H, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (under 100 lines, Non-Fiction OK (1500-3000 words), Limited demographic: queer/two-spirit person of colour/Indigenous/Aboriginal, Note on Genre/Theme: "We are open to any form of genre or speculative content. We talk about what we do as "SF/F/H, the weird, slipstream, surrealism, fabulism, and more," elsewhere on the site. But we are not limited to those genres. Use them as a starting point and send whatever you want: as long as it's got some kind of speculative content we'll consider it. And we are also interested in seeing work that has been difficult to place because of content or perspective."Apex Magazine, ~7500 words, 8 cents/word, Genre: F/SF/Horror
Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, open 1st-2nd every month, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 6¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-6¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), Note: great feedback provided if requested in cover letter
Reckoning, ~20,000 words, 8¢/word ($30/page for poems), Genre: SF/F/General, Theme: enivironmental justic, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (prefer multiple 3-5 poems <10 pages, but send only one if longer)Smokelong Quarterly, ~1000 words, $50/piece, Genre: Literary, Simultaneous OK, Notes on what they want: language that surprises and excites, narratives that strive toward something other than a final punch line or twist, pieces that add up to something, often (but not necessarily always) something profound or emotionally resonant honest work that feels as if it has far more purpose than a writer wanting to write a story
Publications Known to be Currently Closed (5-20¢/word USD)
Hybrid Fiction, 500-5000 words (or serialized novellas), 6¢/word, Genre: speculative hybrid/cross-genre (blend of 2+ genres, such as dark fantasy, steampunk western, historical fantasy, weird western, crime fantasy, etc.), CLOSED UNTIL FEB 2021
Strange Horizons, open Mon. 1600 UTC - Tue. 1600 UTC (closed Dec.), ~10,000 words (~5000 best), 10¢/word, Genre: SF/Fantasy/Humor/Literary, Poetry ($50/poem), Reprints No, Multiple No, Simultaneous No, CURRENTLY CLOSED UNTIL 2/1/2021
Submission Deadlines in January 2021 and Beyond (pay 1-4¢/word USD or equivalent)
1/16, Exterus Magazine, 500-2000 words, $20/story, Genre: fantasy (anything up to R-rating is fine), Seeking flash fiction only at this time, submit via the email provided on their Facebook page
1/1-1/31, The Alchemy Press Book of Horrors 3, 3000-6000 words, 1 cent/word, Genre/Theme: monsters, Submit to alchemypress@gmail.com
2/2, Nobinary Review from Zoetic Press, Original Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction (~3000 words, 1¢/word), Genre/Theme: encourages any genres and mashing of genres / theme for next issue is Apocalypse ("not anything else we've already seen in countless books, movies, and television shows"), Poetry ($10/poem), Art ($25, "we also invite art that will accompany the literature")
1/1-2/28, Cosmic Horror Monthly, 1000-7500 words, 1 cent/word, Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy, Submit to submissions@cosmic-horror.net, Reprints OK (half cent a word), Poetry OK (50 cents/line), Art OK ($20 for interior, $50 for cover)
1/22-4/1, Tales from the Magician's Skull (Goodman Games), ~10,000 words (6k might be best and flash is unlikely to work for them), 4¢/word, Genre/Theme: sword and sorcery
3/15-5/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary, Reprints (1¢/word), simultaneous OK
3/28, Whetstone Magazine, 1500-2500 words, $10/story, Genre/Theme: pulp sword and sorcery (prefers secondary world settings)
Publications Open for Submission (No Specified Deadline; pay 1-4¢/word USD or equivalent)
Star Ship Sofa (District of Wonders), 3000-9000, 1¢/word (less if 7500-9000 words), Genre: SF, Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK, Note: buying audio rights onlyDark Moon Digest, opens on the 1st every month and closes when full 1500-7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror (complex, creepy, like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, Simultaneous OK
Search for More Submission Windows
Where to Submit Short Stories: 30 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work, a decent list with a literary focus
28 Themed Submission Calls for August by S. Kalekar, submission possibilities including a few good ones I haven't had time to add to the lists above
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: plenty of updated lists of agents, calls for submission, contests, conferences, recipes, and more
Get Motivated for the Submissions Game
Submitting Short Fiction: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Genre Edition by Holly Lyn Walrath, a useful guide on playing the submission game written in 2019
Submission Tetris: An Analytic Approach by Laurence Raphael Brothers, a brief but useful consideration of what and where to submit in the submissions game from SFWA
Great Advice Here
Wulf Moon's Super Secrets: a ton of great advice on writing short stories that win (he runs a workshop that you can peek in on and learn from as it goes)
Charlie Jane Anders' advice: chapters from her forthcoming non-fiction book Never Say You Can't Survive with new chapters released every Tuesday
Delilah S. Dawson's page of links, including her advice on how to get published
More Links Yay
This is a listing of speculative award winners. Go read, study, and improve yourself.
Here are grants to apply for with the Speculative Literature Foundation
This is a listing at critter.org that shows general resp
Publisher's Pick Free Ebook of the Month (Maintained by Arc Manor of Galaxy's Edge fame)
