These magazines and anthologies pay $50 to $1,200 for fiction. A few magazines accept other genres too, like non-fiction and poetry. – S. Kalekar
Flash Fiction Online
They want “stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions.
We publish across many genres, including speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction.” They reopen on the 1st of every month and read until the 21st or until the submission cap is reached; submissions are closed in September and December. They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 21 November 2022, or until filled; and see above
Length: 500-1,000 words
Pay: $80
Details here and here.
Flame Tree Fiction: Two themes
They are reading for two fiction anthologies now.
— Lost Atlantis Short Stories: This is a folklore, fantasy, and sci-fi anthology. “We’re looking for tales of lost civilisations, perfect societies that withdraw from the world, from the plains of Saharan Africa, to the India of the Indus, from subterranean coastlines to narrow mountain ravines, hidden by vistas of cloud, but enchanting the minds of those yearning for something better, something beyond. They can be utopias in the style of Samuel Butler, or Charlotte Perkins Gilman, or walled cities in the deserts of Robert E. Howard.” They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 27 November 2022
Length: 2,000-4,000 words most likely to be successful, but will read slightly outside this range
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
— Spirits & Ghouls Ghost Stories: This is a themed horror anthology. “We’re looking for explorations of spirits, ghosts and ghouls, from every corner of the world. The spirits of the mountainside, the ghouls of the deserts, the abandoned ghosts of pirate ships, the spirits who linger to protect, the apparitions who thirst for revenge, and the ghouls who simply lust for the taste of flesh.
From cemeteries and abandoned mansions, battered tenement buildings and ice-cold chambers to the desert wastelands of Arabia, this new collection gathers stories from open submissions and surrounds them with the ghastly emanations of H.P. Lovecraft, M.R. James, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Amelia Edwards and the frightful tales of Le Fanu, Charlotte Riddell and Elizabeth Gaskell.” They will also accept reprints.
Deadline: 27 November 2022
Length: 2,000-4,000 words most likely to be successful, but will read slightly outside this range
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
Night Shift Radio: The Storyteller Series
Night Shift Radio podcast has The Storyteller Series and they choose two stories to publish each month. One story will be chosen for the Full Cast Audiobook treatment; that author will receive $50 for audio rights and non-exclusive print rights. A second piece will be chosen for their mid-month print only piece. The author of that piece will be offered $25. They publish fiction, non-fiction, memoir – anything that reads with tension and excitement. They will read work from 21st-28th during certain, including November. Please send submissions only during the reading period.
Reading period: 21-28 November 2022
Length: 7,000-10,000 words
Pay: $25, $50 (see guidelines)
Details here (episodes) and here (guidelines).
Escape Artists: PodCastle; Cast of Wonders
Three of their suites of magazines are open or will open shortly for submissions, and two of them have deadlines this month. The third, Escape Pod, which accepts science fiction and also pays $0.08/word for original fiction, is also open, through May 2023.
— PodCastle is an established publisher of fantasy, in online and audio format. “We’re open to all the sub-genres of fantasy, from magical realism to urban fantasy to slipstream to high fantasy, and everything in between. Fantastical or non-real content should be meaningful to the story.” They also accept reprints, and translations.
Deadline: 30 November 2022
Length: Up to 6,000 words for originals, longer for reprints (see guidelines)
Pay: $0.08/word, $20-100 for reprints
Details here.
— Cast of Wonders publishes young adult stories in online and audio format, and is scheduled to open for submissions for two weeks. “Stories that evoke a sense of wonder, have deep emotional resonance, and have something unreal about them. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without gratuitous or explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language.” They accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror (though this should be psychological, comedic, or situational — not visceral horror.) Also, “We don’t exclusively define YA as stories featuring children or young adult characters, though they are very common. We would particularly like to receive more stories about older people having first experiences!” Cast of Wonders also accepts translations, reprints, as well as submissions by writers aged under 18 years (see guidelines).
Reading period: 15-30 November 2022 (schedule here)
Length: Up to 6,000 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $0.08/word for originals
Details here.
On Spec
This is a Canadian speculative fiction magazine, and they’re open through November. They have detailed guidelines.
Deadline: 30 November 2022
Length: Up to 6,000 words for fiction, 4-100 lines for poetry
Pay: CAD100 for poetry and fiction up to 2,000 words; CAD0.05/word for longer stories
Details here.
The Stinging Fly
This Irish magazine publishes fiction and poetry from Ireland and abroad, as well as essays. They also welcome translated works. Their next submission period is for the May 2023 issue. “If you are a new writer and you have questions about sending us work, we are hosting a free information session online on Tuesday November 22” (see guidelines). They also accept artwork.
Reading period: 15-30 November 2022
Length: No length guidelines for fiction
Pay: €40/page for fiction and non-fiction, up to €1,200; €30/page for poetry; €400 for featured poet
Details here.
The Maul
This is a new horror magazine, and they’re reading for Issue 1 (they’ve already published Issue 0). “Here at The Maul, even though our target audience skews younger, we’re really just looking for great writing. Our focus is on horror but we’ll take other genres. In fact, the editors prefer stories that are a mix of genres. You’re more likely to be published if you give us fantasy or sci-fi mixed with horror. We’ll also take literary work, though please realize that, given our clientele and organizational goals, it can be a hard sell.
We enjoy pulp fiction. That means we look for stories that pop. Exaggeration, melodrama, and vivid imagery are encouraged. Bring us something that really jumps off the page. Be as over-the-top as you like. If you’re a more subtle writer, submit anyway. Sometimes one good twist or some relatable descriptions will still catch people’s eye, even the uninitiated.
Which brings us to the main guideline – your job is to initiate the uninitiated. Which doesn’t mean you tone things down. It means you imagine the kind of story you would have wanted to read the first time you picked up a horror book (or serial). When you write for us, try to initiate the reader into a world you’ve known for years and would like others to step into it with you. Ask yourself, What do they need to know? What tropes will they instantly become aware of? What are the best things this genre has to offer? Why should they keep reading? This goes for all genres. Submit any work you feel meets this criteria.”
Deadline: 30 November 2022
Length: 100-3,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
Apparition Lit
This is a quarterly speculative fiction and poetry magazine. They’re reading submissions on the Dread theme, starting mid-November. As part of their equity initiative, they have a one-week extra reading period for writers who self-identify as BIPOC in their cover letters.
Reading period: 15-30 November for general submissions; will extend by a week for BIPOC writers (see guidelines)
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction, up to 5 poems
Pay: $0.05/word for stories, $50/poem
Details here.
Book Worms
This is a new mail order only zine that will launch in 2023. They want all sub-genres of horror fiction. They do not want romance or erotica.
Deadline: 1 December 2022
Length: 500-3,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
The Puritan
This well-regarded Canadian literary magazine publishes fiction, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and poetry. They accept a limited number of fee-free submissions every month.
Deadline: 25 December 2022 for Winter issue; reads year-round
Length: Up to 10,000 words for fiction, up to 4 poems; various for non-fiction (see guidelines)
Pay: CAD200 per essay; CAD150 for fiction; CAD100 per interview or review; CAD35 per poem (or page, capped at CAD120)
Details here.
FIYAH
This speculative fiction magazine only takes submissions by and about Black writers from Africa and the African Diaspora (see guidelines). For non-fiction, they want queries only. They also publish reviews. They’re reading now for an unthemed issue.
Deadline: 31 December 2022
Length: 2,000-15,000 words for fiction; up to 1,000 words for poetry; 800-1,200 word for non-fiction
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry, $0.10/word for non-fiction.
Details here.
Vast Chasm
They publish “bold work that explores the expansive human experience, including flash and short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and other nonconforming work.” They read submissions on an ongoing basis.
Deadline: Ongoing
Length: Up to 5,000 words for prose; one poem
Pay: $50
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
