By S. Kalekar
These magazines pay up to $1,000 for short fiction. They are open now, or will soon open for submissions. Some also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. (Also see some bonus themed calls at the end of this list.)
The Forge Literary Magazine
They accept fiction and non-fiction. “We strongly prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider exceptional stories up to 3,500 words. Submissions that exceed our word limit will be declined unread. We love flash and micro but only send one per submission. Genre elements are fine, but please only send us literary fiction/nonfiction.” They accept a limited number of fee-free submissions each month from January to November. All published pieces are considered for an annual editors’ prize.
Deadline: 7 June 2026, or until filled, for fee-free submissions
Length: See above
Pay: $100
Details here and here.
One Story
One Story will soon open for literary fiction submissions. They publish one story a month. Their submission portal will open at the start of their reading period and close when they hit a submission cap. Apart from cash payment, they also offer 25 contributor copies.
Opens on: 8th June 2026
Length: 3,000-8,000 words
Pay: $500 and 25 contributor copies
Details here and here
(Submissions are also open for The Paris Review for fiction and creative non-fiction; they’ll stay open for submissions via Submittable until a cap is reached, and by post year-round.
And, A Public Space is also open for submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations till 1st July.
Payment for both magazines is unspecified.)
Cygnus
They accept work year-round, and are open for a limited time for fee-free submissions. They’re currently reading for their second issue. They want fiction (including flash fiction) and poetry. Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 10th June 2026 (for fee-free submissions)
Length: Up to 5,000 words for fiction, up to 5 poems (see guidelines)
Pay: $33-50
Details here.
Matter Press: The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts
They read fiction, including fictional prose poems, and creative nonfiction, including creative nonfiction prose poetry. All work should be compressed in some way.
Deadline: 15 June 2026
Length: Up to 600 words
Pay: $50
Details here and here.
SmokeLong Quarterly
They publish flash fiction, non-fiction, and hybrid works (between fiction and non-fiction), and have some fee-free reading periods. “The SmokeLong aesthetic remains an ever-changing set of principles, but it most likely has to do with these kinds of things:
- language that surprises and excites,
- narratives that strive toward something other than a final punch line or twist,
- pieces that are emotionally resonant,
- honest work that feels as if it has far more purpose than a writer wanting to write a clever story.
We publish spring, summer, fall and winter quarterly issues, featuring each story with an interview in the subsequent weeks.” They also accept work in other formats – reviews, art, global flash series. Regarding payment, ““For our usual issues, we pay $100/story or $150/story with audio, upon publication in the quarterly issue. Payment will be issued via PayPal or Zelle, and in rare cases the writer may be responsible for any associated fees if applicable.”
Deadline: 15 June 2026 (for fee-free submissions)
Length: Up to 1,000 words
Pay: See above
Details here.
Flash Fiction Online
“We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word 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 opened on 1st June for unthemed original fiction and they accept a limited number of fee-free submissions during their open reading periods.
Deadline: 30 June 2026, or until filled
Length: 500-1,000 words
Pay: $100
Details here.
Chestnut Review
They accept fee-free submissions of flash prose, poetry, and art. They charge for longer prose (1,000-5,000 words) submissions, though Black and Indigenous authors can also submit longer prose for free. They read throughout the year, with cut-off dates for issues.
Deadline: 30 June 2026 for the Autumn issue
Length: Up to 1,000 words for flash prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: $120
Details here and here.
Prairie Fire
This Canadian literary magazine is currently open for submissions of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry via Submittable. Postal submissions are open year-round.
Deadline: 30th June 2026 (for submissions via Submittable)
Length: Up to 10,000 words for prose, up to 5 poems
Pay: $0.10 per word for prose up to $250; $40 per poem (see rates of payment here)
Details here and here.
ONE
They publish one story a year. “We are looking for: Horror, which can be blended with sci-fi, fantasy, romance, comedy. We welcome diversity and look forward to reading work from people of all races, religions, sexual orientations, genders, and abilities. … We will NOT accept stories with child, women, or pet abuse, no sexual assault, no hate language (at our discretion), no gore for gore’s sake, and no fan-fic please.”
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Length: 2,000-4,000 words
Pay: CAD0.05/word
Details here.
The Malahat Review
They are currently accepting submissions from Canadian writers only. They accept fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations; they also accept flash prose. “We particularly welcome submissions from those writers who for reasons of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, geography, class, culture, or religion have been historically under-represented in Canadian literary contexts.” There is no fee for Canadian writers for regular submissions. (They’re also open for an international non-fiction prize, for which they charge a submission fee.)
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Length: Up to 10,000 words for fiction, up to 5,000 words for non-fiction, up to 5 poems
Pay CAD70/page
Details here and here.
The Arcanist: Fantasy Publishing
They only accept fantasy fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; submissions are open through June. “Submissions are considered for publication in The Literary Fantasy Magazine, Mordschlag Sword and Sorcery, Arcanist Online, or even for secret projects we’re working on behind the scenes.” Regarding genre, they say in their submission form; “BOUNTIES (What we really want):
- High Fantasy with Mythic Narrative
- Second World Fantasy/Ancient Earth
- Sword & Sorcery and Weird serials between 25,000 and 40,000 words.
- Sword & Sorcery stories between 4,000 and 8,000 words (for a secret project).
- Creative Non-Fiction and articles about Fantasy topics.”
About length guidelines, they say, “We publish Short Fiction (4,000 to 10,000 words), Serial Fiction (20,000 to 50,000 words total), Poetry (up to five poems), and Creative Non-Fiction (700 to 5,000 words).” Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Length: See above
Pay: $10 for fiction published on the web, $0.03/word for print fiction, $45 for print poetry
Details here.
Tractor Beam: Water
They accept speculative fiction and comics. They have detailed guidelines, including, “For the sixth issue of Tractor Beam, we’re looking for stories about the role of water in soil, growth, land, and ecosystems large and small. We are specifically seeking anti-apocalyptic visions that explore the future of water in farming and food production, island ecologies, hybrid sea-soil technologies, the people who move water and the people water moves. Stories about drought, diaspora, and what gets carried downstream.”
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Length: Up to 6,000 words for fiction
Pay: $1,000
Details here and here.
(There are some other themed fiction calls that are open now, including:
— Side Hustle: Horror Stories for Late Capitalism, a fiction anthology. “A particularly insidious aspect of late capitalism is that a lot of people can’t survive without taking second jobs, gig work, seasonal employment. … These jobs are already horrifying enough: no benefits, shitty pay, dangerous conditions. But what if they were… darker?” They want horror and dark science fiction stories about the extra work we do to stay afloat. “We also encourage submissions from outside the United States. What does gig work look like where you live?” They’re open till 14th June for genera submissions and till 21st June for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled authors; they pay $0.05/word for stories of 1,000-5,000 words.
— Baffling Magazine, published by Neon Hemlock Press, publishes “speculative stories that explore science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a queer bent.” They want fiction on the Gossip theme, as well as unthemed fiction; they pay $0.08/word for stories up to 1,200 words, deadline 15th June 2026.
(And, Neon Hemlock Press will also open for submissions for their Novella Series from 15th to 30th June 2026 for trans women and writers of color; details here – scroll down.)
— Cast of Wonders: Banned Books Week 2026 – The Seeds That Grow wantsYA speculative fiction for their annual Banned Books Week call; the theme for 2026 is The Seeds That Grow; “For Banned Books Week 2026, we want to see stories themed on the power of Little Free Libraries, and their science fictional/fantastic equivalents.… We aim for a 12-17 age range”. They prefer stories of up to 5,000 words, though can accept works up to 6,000 words. They also accept reprints. They pay $0.08/word for originals, and the deadline is 15 June 2026; details here (theme details – see Banned Books Week 2026) and here (general submission guidelines).
— Campfire Publishing: Savagery on the Salty Seas: They want maritime-themed horror stories. They pay $50 for stories of 10,000 words – can be slightly lower but stories of 7,500 words or below may not be considered, deadline 15th June 2026.
— Transcendent Fiction Publishing: Mertails Anthology: A fiction anthology about merfolk; pays AUD0.01/word for stories of 2,000-10,000 words, deadline 30 June 2026.
— Belanger Books: The Detective And The Ghost Finder – The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes And Carnacki: “Sherlock Holmes once said, “No ghosts need apply”, adhering to scientific deduction over spiritualism. Carnacki, the Ghost Finder was an occult detective who used sophisticated technology to investigate supposed supernatural occurrences. Together, these two great detectives must solve crimes where the rational and irrational merge. Will they unmask charlatans or will they uncover demons in their midst? Will Holmes have to concede that sometimes, ghosts need apply? … We are looking for NEW, UNPUBLISHED tales which must feel like traditional Holmes and Carnacki stories. The stories should have the canonical Holmes and Carnacki working together to solve a mystery, set in their natural late Victorian/Edwardian period.
Watson may or may not make an appearance, as may Dodgson and others of Carnacki’s circle. Remember, Carnacki’s stories had rationale endings just as often as those involving the supernatural. Both types of stories are acceptable for the anthology.” Pay is $100 for stories of 5,000-10,000 words; deadline 30th June 2026.
— Infernal Museum: Galactic Mindsea Empire – Wonderdomes: A shared-world anthology; Infernal Museum only publishes stories set in their Galactic Mindsea Empire; information on the Empire is on their website; “Start with a quick overview on the Galactic Mindsea Empire in a Nutshell page. More tips on getting started can be found on the untold tales page.” They specifically want stories about special chemical pools in the Empire called wonderdomes; information about wonderdomes is on the Home-level Tech page; pays $0.04/word for stories up to 10,000 words; deadline 30th June 2026. )
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.