Blog Chatter for October! Usually I love this month for the cooler weather and the promise of Halloween vibes (candy and spookiness are wonderful, wonderful aspects of life). I'm also looking forward to having more work finally, after drying up nearly all my funds. Living in a super expensive country is tough when poor. October is going to be packed with a ton of English teaching (business English classes on Zoom, JHS study programs, kindergartens, my own private students). Was happy to get a contract that has chosen to be all on Zoom the entire time. So much easier! Why don't they always do this? Note to the world: Please keep preferring work-from-home jobs, and please continue to provide online writing classes and workshops! I LOVE IT THIS WAY! Why would we go back to in-person?! Also, excited that I've gotten some new students near my house, so I can bicycle for lessons. Bicycling is the best! Except when there are typhoon level winds. But even then, wheeeeeee!!!
Regarding my most recent sale to the Cryptids Emerging anthology, you'll be able to read it in two months! So exciting! This is my first respectable sale of a speculative short story. It will be in Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging, Volume Blue (Improbable Press). Available for pre-order now, and released in December. My story is a near future slipstream piece about a rain-soaked, estranged tanuki searching for his kid. Sample forthcoming. Feel free to check it out and consider preordering! Ton of great cryptids in there. If you preorder both volumes, you receive a discount (Volume Blue and Volume Silver).
Imposter Syndrome. Definitely a thing hitting me recently. In this case, it is doubting that making my recent sale matters. Besides lingering doubts, I emailed Lamplight Magazine to confirm whether making my 5 cents a word sale really disqualified me from their new author call (open now--get them in you new authors! before it's too late) and their reply was a yes, 5 cents or above means you can't enter, not for you,bub. Okay, they didn't say bub, but in my head they did. HWA pro sale is 5 or 6 cents and above. Hence the reason my lists are divided between 5 cents or above and 4 cents or below. But still, I keep looking at new author calls and thinking, am I really an author at all? It could be all the rejections piling up finally chipping at the resolute shimmering of my mental amulet of protection. But either way, just one of those things to brush aside and carry on through. Doubt. What is it good for? It gives us an edge to dance along. Keeps the pressure on. Just watch your balance.
I’ve been listening to Never Say You Can’t Survive by Charlie Jane Anders and it is full of good advice. She posted a lot of the content for free last year so you can go take a look at it on Tor.com, but I really wanted to review her words on audio. Full of great motivation and support. Loved what she said about harnessing your anger in writing being a positive in many ways. She also touched on Imposter Syndrome and how it is an issue for writers at every level.
A couple mentions.
1. Go pre-order Things with Feathers: Stories of Hope, an anthology from Third Flatiron. Three of my writer friends, Emily Dauvin, Alicia Cay, and Wulf Moon have stories within! Full lineup announced here.
2. Go back Mixtape: 1986 from The Dread Machine on their current Kickstarter. The anthology looks freaking badass, and will probably grab any of you who are like me: fans of 80s SF and Horror, Stranger Things, dark and exciting views of your childhood times. Looking forward to the '86 dread.
3. Consider backing Solarpunk Magazine on their current Kickstarter. The website looks colorful and inviting, and I'm curious to see what new worlds they'll present to us readers. They will open to submissions 11/1-11/14 at 8¢/word pro rates (provided the Kickstarter is funded). See entry below.
EDIT 4. I also wanted to mention Fyrecon!!! A four-day conference on art and writing especially in relation to science fiction and fantasy. November 18-21 this year. Such a great conference. I loved it when I went last year. The online classes and talks and workshops and chatter was so inspiring. Very worth it. If you're having financial trouble, there are scholarships you can apply for. I highly recommend checking out the classes they have on offer.
I'm sure there's more to say, but busy busy. As always, I wish you lots of luck and skill and joy with the creative works and submissions. I've added entries to every category, but I've especially added a ton to the lower tier categories, so feel free to browse if you have pieces that don't match the higher paying publications available. I also added a category for advance and/or royalty only.
I'll likely add more entries over the next few days, but we'll see. I'll add an edit notice here, if I do. EDIT: Strange Horizons open to fiction in November (open to poetry through February 2022).
The categories listed below are organized around pro rates versus semi-pro and token rates. Pro rates for fiction are 5¢/word and above, according to the HWA (keep in mind SFWA is 8¢/word, but we'll stick with HWA for our purposes here). Pro rates for poetry are $50/poem and above. Semi-pro is 1-4¢/word for fiction and $5-50 for poetry. Token is a flat $5-15 for fiction and $5 for poetry.
Table of Contents (scroll down to each section for clickable links)
1. Submission Deadlines/Windows (10/6/2021 and beyond; pro rates)
2. Publications Open for Submission (no specified deadline; pro rates)
3. Submission Deadlines/Windows (10/6/2021 and beyond; semi-pro or token)
4. Publications Open for Submission (no specified deadline; semi-pro or token)
5. Submission Deadlines/Windows (10/6/2021 and beyond; advance and/or royalties)
6. Closed Publications
7. Search for More Markets
8. Advice, Motivation, and Workshops
9. More Links
1. Submission Deadlines/Windows (10/6/2021 and beyond; pro rates)
10/1-10/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is open to all authors
10/1-10/7, Micro Madness (Cosmic Horror Monthly), ~500 words, three winners/month ($100 for 1st, $50 for 2nd, $25 for 3rd), Genre: cosmic horror/dark SF/weird, submit with cover letter to flashfiction@cosmic-horror.net
8/10-10/11, Dream Foundry Contest, ~10,000 words, prize money (1st = $1000, 2nd = $500, 3rd = $100), Genre: any speculative, Limited to new writers (published less than 4000 words of paid speculative writing, earned less than USD320, never nominated for a major speculative award, not a previous winner of this contest), anonymous submissions, writing contest judges are Vajra Chandrasekera and Premee Mohamed, Simultaneous OK (and winning stories are not published in any form), Art OK (separate contest but same deadline)
10/5-10/12, Cemetery Gates Society's monthly flash fiction contest, 500-1500 words, Genre: Horror, October Theme of “Halloween Party”, winner receives $50, submit one story/contest, no rejections sent
8/30-10/15, MIRROR, MIRROR: Modern Myths (anthology from Kevin J. Andersen), ~5000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: F/SF/H/magical/romance, Theme: mirrors, reflections, new and fresh once upon a time stories (no copyrighted characters), PG-13
10/15, Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest), 700-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: SF prompt of Journeys Into the Sun, submit entry to the Newsletter Editor Maria Pia Tissot, maria@flametreepublishing.com w/ theme as subject heading and author details/bio at end of story, Note: subscribe to newsletter (in which the monthly genre and prompt will be announced; winner published in the following month's newsletter)
10/7-10/21, Diabolical Pots (themed anthology from Diabolical Plots), ~3500 words), 10¢/word, Genre: speculative, Theme: any speculative centered around food, Editor: Kel Coleman (especially interested in lush descriptions, immersive world-building, sf high on emotional resonance and low on unexamined imperialism, any kind of prose that is intentional and serves the story)
10/1-10/21, Flash Fiction Online, open 1st-21st (closed Dec.), 500-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any, Multiple (only 1 original and 1 reprint story concurrently), Reprints 2¢/word, anonymous submissions
10/22, Flash Fiction Online (100th Issue Special Call), 500-1000 words, $80/story (2¢/word for reprints), Genre: any, Theme: One Hundred (must involve the number 100 in some way integral to the story), anonymous submissions, Multiple OK (can also submit to normal monthly window), Reprints OK
9/1-10/31, Death in the Mouth: an anthology of original horror from people of color, 1000-6000 words, 8¢/words, Genre: horror (though mixing in other genres is fine), submit with brief bio to deathinthemouth@gmail.com, Simultaneous OK, Reprint OK, Art OK (send portfolio)
10/1-10/31, khoreo, ~5000 words, 8¢/word, any speculative, Note: only open to subs from authors identifying as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms (see their website), Non-Fiction OK, Art OK
9/1-10/31, Escape Pod: Joy, 1500-6000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF, Theme: Joy (joyful stories that celebrate positive futures or positive alternate pasts; especially love to see stories that embrace joy for demographics where we often see pain centered), Reprints OK (1500-18,000), open stories not specific to this theme from 11/1-5/31/2022
10/31, Death of a Bad Neighbour: Revenge is Criminal (an anthology edited by Jack Claverley), 2000-5000 words, 10¢/word + share of royalties (payment on acceptance), Genre: Crime/Mystery (possibly with other genres mixed in: see website for more details), Theme: death of a bad neighbor
10/31, Humainologie, 500-2000 words, $250 (and invited to share at storytelling event on Dec 3), Genre/Theme: short stories reflecting on the theme of Lost and Found (no genre specified), Note: all those who submit an eligible story will receive free access to all festival programming (festival is online 12/1-3; check the program of events)
10/18-11/15, Uncanny Magazine (poetry), any length, $40/poem, Multiple OK (up to 5 poems at a time in separate submissions), Simultaneous NO, Reprints NO, Poetry Editor: Chimedum Ohaegbu
10/18-10/31, Dark Matter Magazine, 1000-5000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF (subgenres: afrofuturism, alternative universe, apocalyptic, cyberpunk, dark humor/satire, dying earth, hard-boiled, hard sf, near future, pulp, occult sf, sf fantasy, sf horror, slipstream, space opera, theological, weird sf), Theme: more details of their preferences at the link, Poetry OK ($30/poem), Short Comics OK (1-10 pages; $50/page), Art OK ($100-$200, SF, send link to portfolio), Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (but prefers one story at a time)
10/31, Rattle, poetry of any length, $100, Genre/Theme: any poetry for general subs or poetry written in response to the monthly Ekphrastic Challenge
10/31, Mud Season Review, poetry (3-5 poems up to 10 pages), $50, Art OK, Simultaneous OK
10/1-10/31, Metastellar, ~1000 words, 8 cents/word, Genre: F/SF/H
11/1, Low Down Dirty Vote, 2500-10,000 words, $200 (this means 2500-4000 words stories are paid 5¢/word or more; stories over 4000 are paid 4¢/word or less), Genre: any crime subgenre (if crime is central to the plot then the story is suitable for this anthology; any time period or location is fine; narrative nonfiction also accepted), Theme: the color of my vote (free to interpret theme as you like, literally or metaphorically), Reprints No, send submission to lowdowndirtyvote@gmail.com
9/1-11/1, Solarpunk Art Contest 2021, Rewards Money (1st: $2,740 + $100 reprint purchase offer to publish the winning entry as cover art on one of the six first year issues of Solarpunk Magazine + $1,000 payable in SOL (Ryan will help you claim); 2nd: $2,140, 3rd: $1,740, 7 other winners: $1,540), Genre/Theme: original solarpunk art in any visual medium (digital, ink, paint, 3D, animated, etc)
11/1-11/7, 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
11/1-11/14, Solarpunk Magazine, 500-7500 words, 8¢/word ($80 min), Genre: any (prefers solarpunk/SF/F/slipstream/magical realism/urban fantasy; not strict about genre), Theme: solarpunk (specifically any work that "speculates about a better world in an equitable future where humanity and technology have either achieved a healthy balance with nature, or have adapted to climate change in creative ways"), Poetry OK (up to 5 poems or 5 pages of poems, whichever is shorter; $40/poem), Simultaneous OK, Multiple (one submission per category of flash, short story, and poetry), Nonfiction OK (1000-1500 words, $75/piece), Art OK ($100/reprint cover, $300 original cover, $50 reprint inside, $150 original inside), Note: this window depends on their September/October Kickstarter success
9/7-11/14, One Story, 3k-8k words, $500/story, Genre: any literary, Simultaneous OK, also open to submissions 1/15-5/31
10/1-11/15, Apex Magazine: Holiday Horrors Flash Fiction Contest, ~250 words, winner receives $25 and publication in issue 121 of Apex Magazine (two runner-ups receive $10 and publication on the Apex Magazine blog), Genre/Theme: "we want the scariest fiction you can write that is set around a celebratory holiday in and around December (not restricted to Christmas; can include such holidays as Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Winter Solstice, and the Chinese New Year, or anything else from your own experience)
11/15 Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest (4th annual), ~350 words, prize money (1st at $75, 3 prompt prizes at $50, 10-12 HMs at $5) and winners read on the podcast (preferably by the author), Genre: any genre but must be strange or odd, Theme: must relate to any winter holiday, 3 prompt categories to submit to, Reprints OK( query), Multiple OK, Poetry OK (narrative poetry only)
11/15 (tentative; see newsletter), Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest), 700-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: varies (the newsletter at the start of every month will provide the new prompt and new genre, previously Horror and SF), must subscribe to their newsletter, submit entry to Newsletter Editor Maria Tissot, maria@flametreepublishing.com w/ theme as subject heading and author details/bio at end of story, note: every month will be a different genre and there will only be one prompt
9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine (Special Call for New Writers), ~5100 words, 6¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary, Reprints (1¢/word), simultaneous OK, Note: limited to 300 subs/month (closes each month after limit reached so sub near the start of each month!)
11/1-11/21, Flash Fiction Online, open 1st-21st (closed Dec.), 500-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any, Multiple (only 1 original and 1 reprint story concurrently), Reprints 2¢/word, anonymous submissions
11/15-11/30, DreamForge Magazine, 200-4500 words (sweet spot: 2500-3750), 6¢/word (reprints: 3¢/word), Genre: SF and Fantasy, Theme: positive stories (wants "stories of hope and advancement" that "open up the universe," and to be shown the "better angels of our nature"; lots more direction provided on what they are seeking at the link), Poetry OK (~900 words)
11/30, ServiceScape Short Story Award 2021, ~5000 words, $1000 for one winner, any genre/theme (see website for previous winning stories)
9/1-11/30, Dark Recesses, 500-5000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: horror/dark fiction, four submission windows (9/1-11/30, 12/1-2/28 or 29, 3/1-5/31, 6/1-8/31, note variants from standard manuscript format (single-spaced, no indents), Nonfiction OK (but read specifics on their site)
11/1-11/30, Split Lip Magazine, ~3000 words, flat rate of $50 for flash/short stories/poetry/memoirs/art (so 5¢/word for ~1000 word stories; longer than that and the rate isn't as good), Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (only send one per sub period), free submissions months include the following: January, March, May, August, September, November
11/1-11/30, Strange Horizons (open to fiction in November; open to poetry through 2/2022), ~10,000 words (~5000 best), 10¢/word, Genre: speculative (broadly defined), Art OK (email, see website), Nonfiction OK (email, see website), Simultaneous NO, Poetry (up to 6 poems, in same file OK, $50/poem, Simultaneous OK)
11/1-11/30, PodCastle (an Escape Artists Podcast), ~6000, 8c/word, Genre/Theme: all fantasy (fantastical element must be meaningful to the story), Multiple (1 original, 1 reprint; if rejected while window still open, sub another one), Simultaneous OK (not other Escape Artist Podcasts), Reprints OK (~17,000 words, query first if 6000+, 1500 words at $20, 1500+ words at $100), anonymous sub NO
12/1-12/7, Cossmass Infinities, 2000-10,000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK, Note: this window is open to all authors
12/15 (tentative; see newsletter), Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest), 700-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: varies (the newsletter at the start of every month will provide the new prompt and new genre, previously Horror and SF), must subscribe to their newsletter, submit entry to Newsletter Editor Maria Tissot, maria@flametreepublishing.com w/ theme as subject heading and author details/bio at end of story, note: every month will be a different genre and there will only be one prompt
12/31, WotF Q3, ~17000 words (aim for 3000-10,000), 8¢/word, prize money (1st $1000, 2nd $750, 3rd $500, annual grand $5000, plus Hollywood workshop; semi-finalists get feedback), Genre: F/SF, Note: contest for new writers w/o 4+ pro-level publications; the forum is very helpful, especially the Super Secrets thread; free workshop available on website
12/1-12/31 (may close earlier if reach submissions cap), The Cincinnati Review, ~10,000 words, about 10¢/word (specifically $25/page), Genre: general/literary, Poetry OK ($30/page), Simultaneous OK, three submissions windows (opening the 1st of September, December, and May and closing at the end of the month or when they reach a cap on submissions)
8/27-12/31, Noir, ~7500 words, Genre/Theme: SF/Fantasy/Urban Fantasy with a detective/private investigator set-up and a noir atmosphere, 8¢/word, submit story to contact@zombiesneedbrains.com
8/27-12/31, Shattering the Glass Slipper, ~7500 words, Genre/Theme: fairy tales that have been upended, gender-bent, or twisted around (especially like non-European; also avoid doing same as anchor authors, see link on site), 8¢/word, submit story to contact@zombiesneedbrains.com
8/27-12/31, Brave New Worlds, ~7500 words, Genre/Theme: SF set along the pathway of us leaving Earth for the stars, 8¢/word, submit story to contact@zombiesneedbrains.com
9/28-12/31, Into the Forest (a women-in-horror anthology), 1000-5000 words, 6¢/word, Genre: Dark Fantasy/Horror, Theme: stories inspired by and featuring the Baba Yaga, Limited Demographic: all writers who identify as women are welcome to submit
1/1/2022-1/7 (tentative date; states on website that they plan reopen in January 2022, Fantasy Magazine, ~7500 words, 8¢/word, Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy, Poetry ($40/poem, send up to 6)
1/15/2022 (tentative; see newsletter), Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest), 700-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: varies (the newsletter at the start of every month will provide the new prompt and new genre, previously Horror and SF), must subscribe to their newsletter, submit entry to Newsletter Editor Maria Tissot, maria@flametreepublishing.com w/ theme as subject heading and author details/bio at end of story, note: every month will be a different genre and there will only be one prompt
1/1-1/21, Flash Fiction Online, open 1st-21st (closed Dec.), 500-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: any, Multiple (only 1 original and 1 reprint story concurrently), Reprints 2¢/word, anonymous submissions
10/1-1/31, Nothing Without Us Too (anthology), 500-3500 words, 0.08CAD/word, Genre: any genre fiction (romance, SF/F, paranormal, mystery, etc.) and realistic/literary fiction (but no erotica, no fanfic), Theme: the protagonist must be disabled, blind, deaf, neurodivergent, and/or managing a mental illness or chronic illness, Limited to writers across the disability, mental illnesss, developmental disabilities, neurodiversity, blind, and deaf spectrums (however, no works from authors included in the first anthology Nothing Without Us), Note that due to the grant received for the anthology submissions from Canadian authors are given priority (submissions from anywhere in the world are welcome though), Simultaneous OK, Multiple No (can send a new story if first submission is rejected), send submissions to nwuanthology@gmail.com
1/1-1/31, Nashville Review, ~8000 words, a flat $100/story (so about 1-10¢/word), Genre: general/literary, may submit short stories and novel excerpts up to 8000 words or submit three flash pieces in one document up to 1000 words each, Simultaneous OK, Creative Non-fiction OK (~8000 words), Poetry OK (1-3 poems within one document per submission; $25/poem), Art OK (see site for details), three submissions windows (9/1-9/30, 1/1-1/31, 5/1-5/31)
10/1-2/1 (tentative dates, listing based on last years details), Jim Baen Memorial Award, ~8000 words, grand prize (published at 8¢/word, engraved trophy, entry into International Space Development Conference, year membership in National Space Society, books and merchandise), 2nd and 3rd place (entry into International Space Development Conference, year membership in National Space Society, books and merchandise), Genre: SF, Theme: the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration
2/15 (tentative; see newsletter), Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest), 700-1000 words, 8¢/word, Genre: varies (the newsletter at the start of every month will provide the new prompt and new genre, previously Horror and SF), must subscribe to their newsletter, submit entry to Newsletter Editor Maria Tissot, maria@flametreepublishing.com w/ theme as subject heading and author details/bio at end of story, note: every month will be a different genre and there will only be one prompt
2/29 (my tentative assumption), Pseudopod (general submissions), 1500-6000 words (prefer about 4500; also flash under 1500 welcome), 8¢/word (reprints of flash at $20), Genre/Theme: any horror for audio, Simultaneous OK (but with disclosure!), Multiple OK (one original and one reprint)
5/1-5/31, Nashville Review, ~8000 words, a flat $100/story (so about 1-10¢/word), Genre: general/literary, may submit short stories and novel excerpts up to 8000 words or submit three flash pieces in one document up to 1000 words each, Simultaneous OK, Creative Non-fiction OK (~8000 words), Poetry OK (1-3 poems within one document per submission; $25/poem), Art OK (see site for details), three submissions windows (9/1-9/30, 1/1-1/31, 5/1-5/31)
2. Publications Open for Submission (no specified deadline; pro rates)
Anathema: Spec from the Margins, 1500-6k words (if 1500-2k 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."
Cathedral Canyon Review, ~5500 words for fiction and nonfiction (~1000 words flash fiction), 8¢/word, Genre/Theme: literary, Poetry OK (3-5 submitted in the same document; $20/poem), Art OK ($25/image), Simultaneous OK, email submissions, Limited to an author or artist living in the Southwest (generally California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah) and especially interested in BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ writers
Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, open 1st-2nd every month, 1000-40000 words (shorter preferred), 8¢/word (reprints 2¢/word), Genre: F/SF, Poetry ($1/line, ~40 lines, reprints 50¢/word), Articles (2-8¢/word, reprints 1-4¢/word), unedited feedback provided if requested in cover letter (fair warning: some have found their feedback and editing rude or unhelpful; personally I'll still be subbing to them but some writers have been, to put it mildly, turned off by their approach, so keep this in mind)
Cricket, ~6000 words (best = 1200-1800 & 600-900), 25 cents/word, Genre/Theme: middle grade readers (realistic contemporary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, folk tales, myths and legends, and humor), also seeking poetry / nonfiction / puzzles / activities / art, Note: other magazines at the link include Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Ask, Muse
Dark Recesses, 500-5000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: horror/dark fiction, four submission windows (9/1-11/30, 12/1-2/28 or 29, 3/1-5/31, 6/1-8/31, note variants from standard manuscript format (single-spaced, no indents), Nonfiction OK (but read specifics on their site)
Nashville Review, ~8000 words, a flat $100/story (so about 1-10¢/word), Genre: general/literary, may submit short stories and novel excerpts up to 8000 words or submit three flash pieces in one document up to 1000 words each, Simultaneous OK, Creative Non-fiction OK (~8000 words), Poetry OK (1-3 poems within one document per submission; $25/poem), Art OK (see site for details), three submissions windows (9/1-9/30, 1/1-1/31, 5/1-5/31)
Solarpunk Magazine, 500-7500 words, 8¢/word ($80 min), Genre: any (prefers solarpunk / SF/F / slipstream / magical realism / urban fantasy; not strict about genre), Theme: solarpunk (specifically any work that "speculates about a better world in an equitable future where humanity and technology have either achieved a healthy balance with nature, or have adapted to climate change in creative ways"), (Poetry OK (up to 5 poems or 5 pages of poems, whichever is shorter; $40/poem), Simultaneous OK, Multiple (one submission per category of flash, short story, and poetry), Nonfiction OK (1000-1500 words, $75/piece), Art OK ($100/reprint cover, $300 original cover, $50 reprint inside, $150 original inside), Submission window for Issue 1 is 11/1/1-11/14, Note: this window depends on their
September/October Kickstarter success
Split Lip Magazine, ~3000 words, flat rate of $50 for flash/short stories/poetry/memoirs/art (so 5¢/word for ~1000 word stories; longer than that and the rate isn't as good), Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (only send one per sub period), free submissions months include the following: January, March, May, August, September, November
Strange Horizons (open to fiction in November; open to poetry), ~10,000 words (~5000 best), 10¢/word, Genre: speculative (broadly defined), Poetry (up to 6 poems at a time, in same file OK, $50/poem), Art OK (email, see website), Nonfiction OK (email, see website), Simultaneous NO
Terraform, ~2000 words, 20¢/word, Genre: SF, Theme: nearer future fiction any form welcome ("classic-style SF short stories, social media posts from beyond the horizon, fictive data dumps, experimental graphic narratives, and so on"), Note: send submissions to terraform.motherboard@gmail.comThe Antihumanist, ~1000 words, 5¢/word, Genre: any genre that fits the theme, Theme: fiction that "challenges human centred narratives" and "forces us to confront our place in the universe," Simultaneous OK
The Dark, 2000-6000 words, 6¢/word,
Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy/ExperimentalThe Deadlands, ~5000 words (sweet spot = 3-4k), 10¢/word,Genre/Theme: speculative fiction that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve, Reprints OK (~5000 words, 1¢/word), Poetry OK during open periods (currently closed since June 14th; when open: 3 poems/submission, $50/poem), Nonfiction OK (1-4k words, $100/essay), Art OK ($100/cover art)
3. Submission Deadlines/Windows (10/6/2021 and beyond; semi-pro or token)
10/1-10/7, Scum, ~2000 words, $60 AUD, Genre/Theme: any fiction, culture, memoir, column, or poetry that is feminist-friendly, Poetry OK (~50 lines, max 3 poems). Payment: $60 AUD
10/8, Bright Wall/Dark Room, $100, essays on theme Generations
10/10, Where the Weird Things Are, Word Count: ~7000 words, Pay: $15AUD, Genre: speculative, Limited to writers from Australia and New Zealand, email submissions with story title and ‘WEIRD THINGS’ in the subject line to deadsetpressenquiries@gmail.com
10/10, Untethered, poetry (send up to 4 poems, no length limit) or art (send 5-10 pieces), Pay: $20CAD, note: sub visual poetry as PDF
10/10, Noir: Writing Inspire by Odilon Redon (Gordon Square Review), ~999 words, Pay: $25/prose piece and $10/poem, Genre/Theme: dark/fantastic/suspenseful/spooky inspired by or in response to the work of Odilon Redon, (poems, stories, essays, and spoken word pieces), Reprints OK, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (prefers all submissions included in same documents)
10/14, Tales from the Moonlit Path, ~2000 words, $10 for story in quarterly issues ($50 first place prize for special edition issues challenges), Genre: dark and eerie speculative (prefers character-driven), Current challenge contest theme: Abandoned Places, email subs to fiction@talesmoonlitpath.com with cover letter and story embedded in the email itself, Poetry OK (send 3-5 poems; no pay)
10/15, Electric Spec, 250-7000 words, $20/story, Genre/Theme: prefers SF/F/the macabre (willing to push the limits of traditional genre forms), send submissions as an attached RTF file with a cover letter in the body of the email to electricspec.com, Simultaneous OK, Art OK
10/15, Devilish Deals (eighth volume of Howlers series from Thurston Howl Publications), 2500-8000 words (with wiggle worm), $10, Genre/Theme: stories where people make unique deals with the devil, Reprints OK, Multiple OK (sub up to 3 stories), Simultaneous No
10/15, Sexy Fantastic Magazine #5: Interplanetary, 3000-10,000 words, $100 (one-year subscription to the magazine and illustration provided for your story), Genre: any SF/F/science fantasy and subgenres (prefers stories that are fantastic and/or deal with eroticism or romantic relationships), Theme: at least one scene takes place in outer space or another planet, Simultaneous OK, Multiple No (one sub/month), for submissions email first page (about 500 words) of your story to sexyfantasticmagazine.com with subject "Story Submission" (editor will request more if interested)
10/15, FiftyWordStories.com, exactly 50 words, $10 Canadian for the winning story each month, Genre/Theme: not specified but must be appropriate for all ages
10/15, Dose of Dread, 500-1000 words, $10, Genre: general horror (prefers dread inducing), Simultaneous OK, Multiple No
10/15, Muse Magazine (Cricket Media), 800-2000 words, Pay: not specified, Genre/Theme: nonfiction articles on theme of Among the Stars, Audience Age: 9-14 years old, queries should included a cover letter, an outline of the proposed article, and proposed resources, see more details on site, Art OK (see Art details here)
10/15, Sick Poetics (Contemporary Verse 2), poetry (no specified length, but submit no more than a total of 6 pages of poems), $30/poem, Genre/Theme: explore limits/boundaries of sickness, disability, illness, madness, and crip, English and French OK, Translation projects OK ("If your submission is in a language other than English or French, please include a brief English language preface describing the work in your cover letter), Note: separate from this theme also open 9/1-5/31 for general interviews, articles, essays, and reviews of varying pay scales listed on the site
8/1-10/15, Fat Coyote, 3¢/word ($1/line for poetry, $30-$40 for art), Limited to authors who are neurodivergent, Reprints OK, Open to fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, art, photography, and comics, Simultaneous OK, One submission/category/window, Anonymous submissions, email submissions to fat_coyote@outlook.com with name, mailing address, phone number, the titles of all works included in your submission, and a brief author/artist bio in the email
10/15, Midnight Echo, ~5000 words, AU0.05/word (poetry: up to 20 lines at AU$20/poem; nonfiction: ~5000 words at AU$30/article), Genre: horror (fiction, a pitch, poetry, non-fiction), Limited to writers in or from Australia/New Zealand/Papua New Guinea/Pacific Islands, Art OK (see site for details)
7/15-10/15, Consequence Forum, ~5000 words for short story/excerpt/nonfiction (flash: ~3 pieces/~1000 words;) $40-$80, Genre/Theme: human consequences/realities of war/geopolitical violence (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, translations), Simultaneous OK
10/15, Translunar Travelers Lounge, ~5000 words, 3¢/word (min $20), Genre: speculative, Simultaneous NO, Multiple NO, sub as attachement to translunartravelerslounge@gmail.com
10/15, Wordworks, ~500 words fiction (~30 lines for poetry; especially wants articles of 500-1100 words or longer), $125/page for articles ($100 for cover art, $25 interior illustrations), Genre/Theme: Beginnings (fiction, poetry, nonfiction), Reprints OK ($50), Limited to BC and Yukon writers
9/8-10/18, AHVAZ//AAVAZ//AVAAZ (a chapbook anthology edited by Shazia Hafiz Ramji), poetry only (up to 4-page poems, but prefers poems of 2 pages or less), $25, Limited to Canadian writers who identify as South Asian, Simultaneous OK, Multiple (sub 1-3 poems)
10/18, Belt Magazine, word count not specified, Pay: varies, Genre/Theme: engage with geography and everyday of Indigenous life in the contemporary Rust Belt (pitches for features/photography; completed essays/poetry)
10/20, Going Down Swinging, 500-2000 words ($60/below 500 words; $170 over 500 words), Genre/Theme: any welcome but particularly looking for speculative fiction and pieces about love, Poetry OK ($100, up to 3 poems), Comics OK (~5 frames for $180, 5+ frames for $220), Reprints No, Art OK ($100-200)
10/20, Night Terrors (anthology from Scare Street), 3000-7000 words, 1¢/word, Genre/Theme: short horror stories with a focus on ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal, monsters, and dark tales, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (send 2 stories/submission window), Reprints No
10/10-10/24, Story Seed Vault, short fiction of ~150 characters ($3AUD/story) and long fiction of 150-200 characters ($2AUD/story), Genre/Theme: microfiction tweets based on science, Multiple OK (1-3 stories/window)
10/27, 580 Split, ~3000 words, $50, Genre: welcomes work that evokes visceral reactions (play with themes ranging from the dystopian to the absurd; an experience, dream, or nightmare that remains confusing or bewildering; welcomes poetry, visual art, photography, short stories, creative nonfiction, and other forms of artistic expression), Theme: Fever Dreams (Surrealism. Nightmares. Rising temperatures. Alternate realities. Lack of control. Desire. An irrational or unsettling vision brought on by personal or collective circumstances. How do fever dreams manifest for you?), Poetry OK (no more than 3 poems, no longer than 5 pages), images/audio/video (up to 5 and no longer than 30 minutes), submit by email when their submittable form no longer works
10/29, Deadset Press, 20,000-40,000 words, Pay: $100 and royalties (50% of ebook sales and 40% of paperbacks), Genre: any speculative, Limited to all authors from Australia and New Zealand, email with synopsis to deadsetpressenquiries@gmail.com, Simultaneous OK
10/30, Thuggish Itch, 1000-5000 words, AU$5 (AU$10 for stories above 2500 words), Genre: horror/SF/speculative, Theme: by the seaside (stories about life by the seaside)
10/31, Room Magazine, ~3500 words, $50 CAD per page ($200 max), Genre: unspecified (read their magazine), Limited to marginalized genders (women, trans, nonbinary), Poetry OK (up to 5 poems), Art OK (up to 5 images)
10/31, Kissing Dynamite, poetry microchap manuscripts (max of 15 pages, begin successive poems on a new page), $50
10/31, Harbor Review, poetry (1-3 poems; $10/poem), Art OK (1-3 images; $10/piece), Simultaneous OK
10/31, And the Walls Came Crashing Down, ~6000 words, $15, Genre: literary or genre (particularly Horror/SF/speculative/weird, but also like surprising twists or subversions of the genres), Theme: short form fiction about the Fuller Family (editors provide the characters and setting; "open to anything that's dark, creepy, weird and just a little off-kilter), also welcome poetry and flash fiction
10/31, Otoroshi Journal, submission can include up to 7 horrorku or horror tanka, up to 3 haibun (title+prose+haiku/tanka at ~100 words), up to 5 pieces of cover art, $1/piece (art at $10/piece), send submission to otoroshijournal@gmail.com
10/31, Nonbinary Review, ~3000 words, 1¢/word/story ($10/poem), Theme: Person of Interest, Poetry OK (up to 3 pages/poem; up to 5 poems)
10/31 Titanic Terastructures, ~15,000 words, $5/1000 words, Genre/Theme: speculative stories set in or about megastructures/gigastructures/terastructures (ringworlds, Dyson spheres, acrologies, planet cities, space elevators, skyscrapers with populations of entire countries), Simultaneous/Multiple/Reprints OK, send short query about your work to editor@jayhenge.com (will ask for more info if they like the query)
10/31, Dream Pop Press, chapbook manuscripts of 20-50 pages, $200, Genre/Theme: poetry, speculative diary, and hybrid work (lean toward more experimental, non-narrative work)
10/31, Dead Stars and Stone Arches: A Collection of Utah Horror, Poetry ($10), Flash (~1000 words, $15), Short (1001-5000 words, $35), Novelette (5001-12,000 words, $75), Genre/Theme: cosmic horror with a Utah connection on the part of the author or the story itself, anonymous submissions, Multiple OK (up to three poems; up to once in each other category), Simultaneous OK
10/31, Sea Stories from the Rock, 250-7000 words, 1¢/word, Genre/Theme: any genre/style focusing on the sea, Multiple OK, Reprints OK, Limited to Canadian authors, email submissions to submissions@engenbooks.com
10/15-10/31, Mythaxis, 1000-7500 words, $20, Genre: SF/F, Simultaneous OK
10/31, Beyond the Veil: Queer Tales of Supernatural Love, 1000-6000 words, 1¢/word, Genre/Theme: stories with queer love and an element of supernatural/Gothic/dark, Simultaneous OK, Multiple and Reprints No, email sub to beyond@ghostorchidpress.com
10/31, Dark Secrets (Madhouse Books), 3500-7000 words, $10, Genre/Theme: horror short stories about sinister secrets and hidden evil (no paranormal elements; think serial killers, secret identities, and hidden pasts), email submission to MadhouseBooksPublishing@gmail.com with bio
10/31, The Hunger of Old Stars, 3000-10,000 words, $25, Genre/Theme: cosmic horror (does not need to be strictly Lovecraftian), Reprints No, send submission to splatterinkpublishing@yahoo.com
10/31, It Calls from the Veil (Eerie River Publishing), 2000-6000 words, 1¢/word (up to $60), Reprints OK ($15), Genre: Horror (may have elements of dark fantasy or cosmic horror, but must intend to scare the reader), Theme: what can give you nightmares (evil presences, our reality but with a supernatural twist), Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (send up to 2 stories), Reprints OK
10/31 (EST), Negative Space 2: A Return to Survival Horror, 2000-7500 words, $50, Genre: survival horror, Theme: incorporate elements of the survival horror tradition ala Resident Evil into narrative fiction (see more details on site), Simultaneous and Multiple No, Reprints No
10/31, His Soul's Still Dancing: A Nicolas Cage Inspired Anthology, 2000-3000 words, £25, Genre/Theme: any Nicolas Cage inspired short fiction, Simultaneous OK, Reprints No, email submission to exparrotpress@gmail.com
10/31, Brick, flexible word count but generally 1000-5000 words, $55-$50, Genre/Theme: literary nonfiction
10/31, Carousel, ~3500 words for fiction, $40–$80/story ($20–$40/review), Genre: literary arts, Poetry OK (sub 3-6 poems to a max 10 pages, $20/poem), Limited to Canadians
10/31, The Toilet Zone, 2500-4000 words, $5, Genre: horror
10/31, Gordon Square Review, ~5000 words, $25/piece, Genre: literary, Poetry OK (up to 3 poems, $10/poem)
10/31 (midnight, "last place on Earth"), War (Black Hare Press anthology), 5000+ words, $50+digital copy, Genre: any dark speculative, Theme: war/conflict, anonymous submissions, wants British spellings, anthology in print and digital formats, email submission to war@blackharepress.com with real name, pseudonym, ~100 word bio w/ ~4 social links, 40-word blurb, ~500-word synopsis, Simultaneous and Multiple No
10/31, Cutleaf, ~6000 words, $100-$400 (~1000 words is about 10¢/word; ~2000 words is around 5¢/words), Genre: general/literary, Poetry OK ($50-100), Nonfiction OK
10/31, Welkin, word count flexible but no more than 80 pages, Genre: Magical realist, fabulist, fairy tale, fantasy, gothic, metafictional, slipstream, fantastic, weird, surrealist, and experimental
10/31, Lost Boys Press: Heroes Anthology, 3000-9000 words, $50, Genre/Theme: write a story in any genre that uses hero/heroine from any era or culture and the original major plot points from their legends to craft a retelling in an entirely alternate setting
10/31, Save the World, 2500-15,000 words, $50-$100, Genre: SF/Cli-Fi with a hopeful tone, Theme: climate change futures (stories can focus on a proposed solution to part or all of climate change, or on adaptation that will allow us to live with it)
10/31, The Book of Queer Saints, 2000-6000 words, 2¢/word, Genre: horror, Theme: this is an anthology where unabashedly queer villains, anti-heroes, and outlaws reign supreme (a reaction to unfair review bombing and assumptions shaping queer horror), Limited to LGBTQ+ writers, Send submissions to maemurrayxo@gmail.com with author bio
10/31, The Temz Review, ~10,000 words, $20, Genre/Theme: innovative short fiction or creative nonfiction (with preference for the strange, the experimental, the boundary-pushing), Poetry OK (1-8 poems, $20 per batch of poems)
10/31, Wanderers: Poetry from Those Who Cross Borders (Off Topic Publishing), max 30 lines, $15 CAD (more if fundraising goals are met), Genre: any style of poetry (primarily in English but can include words or phrases from other languages), Theme: “This poetry chapbook is open to poems from immigrants, serial migrants, Third Culture Kids, global nomads, displaced people, refugees, Indigenous people and other groups living within overlapping nations, expats, émigrés, chronic travelers, and anyone else who has crossed borders in life-changing ways, Reprints OK (if previously published with “small circulation”), Simultaneous No
10/31, Rivanna Review, 500-3000 words, $100/story or essay ($50/book review or art), Genre/Theme: short stories that contain historically accurate and contemporary subject/setting/characters (nonfiction should cover arts/biography/culture/history/literature/science/travel; book reviews should lend attention to small press books), Art OK (black and white photos or line drawings), send submission to rivannareview@gmail.com
10/31, Unnerving Magazine, 1500-8000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Horror/Suspense, Poetry OK (12-100 lines, $0.20/line for poetry), Reprints OK (1¢/word)
10/31, Feast, 1000-4000 words, $30, Genre/Theme: literary ("We are about stories that have been shared throughout time that have transformed through modern details. Maybe some new ones, too"), Poetry OK ($15; submit up to 4), Creative nonfiction OK ($30), Art OK ($20; submit up to 3 works)
10/31, The First Line, 300-5000 words, $25-$50, Genre: literary, Theme: must be written with the first line provided, Poetry OK (rarely acceptl no restrictions just needs that first line; $5-10), nonfiction OK (500-800 words about your favorite first line from a literary work; $25), Reprints No, Simultaneous No, Multiple OK
11/1, Solarpunk Sunscapes: Optimistic Visions of the Future, 500-7500 words, 2¢/word, Genre/Theme: speculative fiction (Solarpunk tells optimistic and hopeful stories about future societies, near-future or distant) powered by renewable energy, and where nature and technology coexist in harmony rather than in conflict), Poetry OK (5 poems or 5 pages; $30 per poem)
11/1, Ninth Letter, ~3500 words prose or up to 3 poems or up to 3 flash poems of a total ~3500 words, $25, Genre/Theme: Return ("to return to a former place, person, or situation. Haven’t we been here before?")
11/1, Last Girls Club, ~2500 words (1¢/word, $25 max), Genre: feminist horror (female gaze, smart female protagonists with skills, supernatural, creeping dread; SF/dystopia okay but must focus on the scary), Theme: for the winter issue the theme is "DEVOUT: Martyrs, Cults, and Mayhem" ("What do you find frightening about deeply religious people and social movements? What does it feel like to be “possessed “ by a god or goddess?"), Poetry OK (~200 words, $10), Nonfiction/Reviews OK (but must query first)
11/1, Thema: Get It Over With!, ~20 pages preferred, $10-25, Genre/Theme: "Get It Over With!" must be central to the plot (any fiction, poetry, and art), Reprints OK
11/1, Foglifter, ~7500 words, $25, Genre/Theme: "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work." Poetry OK (3-5 poems), cross-genre/text-image hybridsd/drama OK (up to 20 pages)
11/1, ellipsis… literature & art, ~8000 words, $3/page, Genre: literary (poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and art), $3/page, Poetry OK (1-5 poems), Limited: only pays American writers
11/1, The Other Stories (Audio), around 2000 words, 15 GBP, Genre/Theme: horror on theme of Video Games, submit with a 1-2 sentence log line at the end of the story document, Multiple OK (2 entries/theme)
11/1, Future Fire: Noir, ~17,500 words ($50), ~1000 words ($25), ~100 lines of poetry $25), Genre/Theme: "looking for stories that combine themes or aesthetic from Noir fiction and cinema with the existing goals of TFF (progressive, feminist, queer, postcolonial, inclusive, accessible, ecological and international speculative and genre fiction)," Reprints OK ($25)
11/11-11/13, Shoreline of Infinity, ~6000 words, £10/1000 word, Genre/Theme: seeking SF/F with impact, Simultaneous OK, Poetry OK (open year-round, no pay (receive a six-month subscription to the magazine)
9/15-11/15, Lamplight Magazine, ~7000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: Dark/Literary, Reprints (1¢/word), simultaneous OK, Note: they are limited to 300 submissions/month and will close each month after that limit is reached
11/15-? (closes when accepts total of 80,000 words), Cthulu FhCon, 2000-6000 words, 2¢/word, Genre/Theme: any PG-13 dealing with the idea of Cthlu FhCon (see story prompt on website)
11/19, Steam vs Substance (Issue 3 of Mythulu Magazine), 500-2800 words, 4¢/word, Theme: Prove explicit moments can be both ethical and important or demonstrate why platonic gestures demonstrate superior love (seeking one erotica piece with extraordinary depth, one "mass appeal" intensity romance containing clever taboos made approachable, one PG-level romance focused on love that transcends personal ownership), Non-fiction OK (200-1200 words, 8¢/word, theme: on the business/non-fiction side, discuss how codependency impacts authors, especially the tug-of-war between personal expression and the need for acceptance, and consider the romance business, the genre's relationship with censorship, or another related topic you're passionate about), Art OK
11/1-11/30, Abyss & Apex (poetry window), prefers "lineated free verse with a limited amount of traditional form poetry with at least 9 lines or prose poems at least 50 words in length but we will publish brilliant shorter work", $5.50/poem, Genre/Theme: any speculative (seeks strong, emotionally resonant, literary-quality poetry with a clear speculative element), dark poetry welcome but not horror
12/1, United Faedom, 8000-10,000 words, $20, Genre/Theme: 3 open calls (1: Cozy Romance, YA or clean adult; 2: LGBTQ & Romance, adult with mild erotica if desired; 3: Romantic Fantasy, adult with mild erotica, Reprints OK (depending on reprint status), Send subs to unitedfaedompublishing@gmail.com, see further details at linke
12/31, We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2021 (Neon Hemlock anthology), ~17,500 words, 1¢/word, speculative exploring queerness/transness, reprints from 2021 only, simultaneous OK, multiple OK
2/16/2022, Maps & Biomes (Issue 4 of Mythulu Magazine), 500-2800 words, 4¢/word, Theme: innovative settings are the foundation for new genres (Why do readers care about maps and what makes a map legendary? Submit short stories that feature wildly original biomes or bizarre weather. Show us settings fundamentally at war with character needs), Non-fiction OK (200-1200 words, 8¢/word, theme: On the business side, how do you make your map earn an ROI? And most of all, what makes a world good enough to spawn a new genre?), Art OK
5/1-5/31, Abyss & Apex (poetry window), prefers "lineated free verse with a limited amount of traditional form poetry with at least 9 lines or prose poems at least 50 words in length but we will publish brilliant shorter work", $5.50/poem, Genre/Theme: any speculative (seeks strong, emotionally resonant, literary-quality poetry with a clear speculative element), dark poetry welcome but not horror
4. Publications Open for Submission (no specified deadline; semi-pro or token)
Black Hare Press, 5000-17,000 words, $25 (5k-10k), $50 (10k-17k), Genre: anything dark, anonymous submissions, wants British spellings, anthology in print and digital formats, include in email real name, pseudonym, ~100 word bio w/ ~4 social links, 40-word blurb, ~500-word synopsis
Scrawl Place, ~900 words, $35/piece, Genre/Theme: pieces about, connected to, or associated with a specific, physical place that someone could visit (any content/style/form), Seeking fiction, poetry, hybrids, creative nonfiction, Simultaneous OK, Multiple OK (1-3 pieces at a time), Reprints OK
The Common Tongue Magazine, 600-6000 words, 3¢/word, Genre: only high fantasy with a dark tone (dark fantasy, grimdark, sword & sorcery), Languages: English or Spanish (translations also accepted), Poetry OK (up to 40 lines), Note: seeking original stories or stories set in their Arthuruin Shared Universe, Nonfiction OK (~2500 words, 3¢/word), Art OK ($200-400)
5. Submission Deadlines/Windows (10/6/2021 and beyond; advance and/or royalties)
10/31, Second Chances (JMS Books), 12,000 words or more, Pay: 50% net royalties from all channels, paid quarterly, Genre: LGBTQ romance (any subgenre: contemporary, SF/F, historical, paranormal, western, etc.; must have HEA/HFN ending; adult stories only), Theme: second chances (finding love the second time around), also open to Jolly Holidays theme (New Year's and Valentine's Day stories have strict deadline of 10/31; stories set during winter holidays such as Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Chinese New Year, Diwali; state the holiday in your submission), other thematic deadlines on 11/30 and 12/31
11/30, Better Together (JMS Books), 12,000 words or more, Pay: 50% net royalties from all channels, paid quarterly, Genre: LGBTQ romance (any subgenre: contemporary, SF/F, historical, paranormal, western, etc.; must have HEA/HFN ending; adult stories only), Theme: better together (finding love over a shared interest), also open to Jolly Holidays theme (New Year's and Valentine's Day stories have strict deadline of 10/31; stories set during winter holidays such as Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Chinese New Year, Diwali; state the holiday in your submission)
12/31, Opposites Attract (JMS Books), 12,000 words or more, Pay: 50% net royalties from all channels, paid quarterly, Genre: LGBTQ romance (any subgenre: contemporary, SF/F, historical, paranormal, western, etc.; must have HEA/HFN ending; adult stories only), Theme: opposites attract (characters who are complete opposites but fall in love anyway), also open to Jolly Holidays theme (New Year's and Valentine's Day stories have strict deadline of 10/31; stories set during winter holidays such as Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Chinese New Year, Diwali; state the holiday in your submission) 6. Publications Closed
Blood Knife, ~1200 words, 9¢/word, Genre: SF/F/H (especially likes dark fantasy, gothic fiction, cosmic horror, and cyberpunk), Theme: "emphasis on tone and style than on strict genre adherence," and "the decadent, the grotesque, the weird, the alienating, and the agonizing," and welcomes political content as well as sex/violence/gore, Simultaneous OK, Non-fiction OK ($60 for 800-word article), working through backlog and will reopen "sometime in the summer"
Deep Magic, 1000-40,000 words, 8¢/word up to 7499 words ($599.92 pay cap above that), Genre: SF and Fantasy, Note: PG-13, Reprints OK (2¢/word up to 10,000 words and capped at $200 for longer), Note: permanently closed to submissions; they have just released their Best Of anthology Vol. 2 and I highly recommend it grabbing yourself a copy, and they will also be releasing a summer issue with a gorgeous cover and great stories), permanently closed (they just released their final issue--what a beautiful choice for the cover; might be one of my favs; sad to say goodbye, especially as I enjoyed doing a little first reading for them)
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.), "on hiatus until further notice due to the pandemic," website expired which likely means they have closed for good
7. Search for More Markets
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
8. Advice, Motivation, and Workshops
Shadowspinners often has a wonderful assortment of blog posts from various writers, such as Eric M. Witchey.
M. Todd Gallowglas does some fun and engaging classes that really inspire you to produce meaningful new work; check out his shows on Twitch or his workshops
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)
Wulf Moon also has great workshops at Fyrecon, and is available as a professional editor and voice actor; check out his website for more info
Cat Rambo's Website: lots of good resources and classes
Submitting Short Fiction: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Genre Edition by Holly Lyn Walrath, a useful guide on playing the submission game written in 2019
9. More Links
Here are grants to apply for with the Speculative Literature Foundation
This is a listing at critter.org that shows general response times of various publications
Publisher's Pick Free Ebook of the Month (Maintained by Arc Manor of Galaxy's Edge)
On writing cover letters for submissions to the short fiction market by Christie
