These markets pay $50-750 for short stories. A few of the calls are themed, and deadlines are approaching quickly. — S. Kalekar

Fusion Fragment
This Canadian magazine publishes science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes, and they’re reading now for their second issue. Their guidelines say, “Although any science fiction subgenre is fair game, our tastes lean towards slipstream, cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, and anything with a little taste of the bizarre. That said, quality always outstrips genre preference in terms of importance, so feel free to send us anything that even vaguely resembles science fiction.” They also publish one reprint per issue. Deadline: 24 July 2020
Length: 2,000-15,000 words
Pay: 3.5 cents/word, up to $300 (Canadian)
Details here.

Antimony and Elder Lace Press: Two themes
They are reading fiction submissions on two themes.

— Omens: Their guidelines say, “The idea of seeing the future or having warnings of what is to come is an idea that spans nearly every culture. Whether the omens are good or bad, there is the potential to affect us all.
To be considered, your story must deal with the idea of omens in some fashion.” The deadline is 25 July 2020 for this theme.
— To Live Again…: Their guidelines say, “Who doesn’t want to live again? The idea of resurrection and conquering death is something that can be seen in many myths and legends of cultures around the world. This anthology will deal with the idea of resurrection, and of course, it’s aftermath.” The deadline is 25 December 2020 for this theme.
Deadlines: See above
Length: 1,000-7,500 words
Pay: $0.01/word + Royalties
Details here.

Flash Bang Mysteries
They publish mystery/suspense of all types (police procedural, private eye, amateur sleuth, cozies, hardboiled, etc.) in flash fiction format. They welcome new and established authors.
Deadline: 31 July 2020
Length: 500-700 words
Pay: $50
Details here.

If There’s Anyone Left
This is a new science fiction and speculative fiction magazine for marginalized members of the sci-fi/spec community, and they will accept submissions only from these writers. This includes people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled people. They publish in text and audio.
Deadline: 31 July 2020
Length: Up to 1,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.

Lethe Press: Burly Tales
They want short stories and novellettes that adapt classic fairy tales, but populated with gay Bears – “Strapping heroes are fine as long as they are stout.” All the stories should have a measure of whimsy and/or wonder, and be romantic with a happily ever after or happy-for-now ending. Writers are advised to check the site before sending their stories to avoid doubling up of fairy tale ideas. They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 1 August 2020
Length: 5,000-15,000 words
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.

Update: We no longer recommend submitting to Lethe press. See details here.

The First Line: Two prompts
For this quarterly journal, they want a short story beginning with a pre-set first line.
— For the Fall issue, it is: ‘The Simmons public library was a melting pot of the haves and have-nots, a mixture of homeless people and the wealthy older residents of the nearby neighbourhood.’ The deadline is 1 August 2020 for this theme.
— For the Winter issue, it is: ‘Loud music filled the room, making it hard to hear anything else.’ The deadline is 1 November 2020 for this theme.
They are open to all fiction genres. They also accept poetry and non-fiction. For non-fiction, they want critical essays about your favorite first line from a literary work.
Deadlines: See above
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction; 500-800 words for non-fiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for non-fiction, $5-10 for poetry
Details here.

Violent Vixens: An Homage to Grindhouse Horror
This fiction anthology will focus on Grindhouse horror films, made famous by movies such as Night of the Living Dead, Death Proof, and Suspiria. This genre encompasses different styles and mashups, but they want to focus only on Grindhouse horror stories featuring a strong female lead, who may be the protagonist or the antagonist. Submissions can focus on Giallo/Slasher, Sci-fi Horror, 80’s Splatter, Japanese Body Horror, 50’s B-Movie Creature Feature, Southern Gothic, Satanic Cult, Lost World, Lost Tribe. Other sub-genres could apply as well, but must have a strong horror connection, including: Carsploitation, Blacksploitation, Spaghetti Western, Women in Prison, Vigilante, etc. The editors tend to lean more toward fun, action-oriented stories like Army of Darkness, Planet Terror, and Blood Drive over anything too serious and brooding. They encourage genre mashups.
Deadline: 1 August 2020
Length: 2,000-8,000 words
Pay: $50
Details here.

Addition Magazine: Rebuild
Addition Magazine is a quarterly tech publication created by OnePlus that publishes one reader-submitted short story each issue. They are now reading for their third issue. Their guidelines say, “we are specifically looking for story submissions that grapple with the theme of Rebuild. For many, 2020 has been a year of isolation and introspection. We are looking for hopeful stories that look to either our immediate or distant futures. Please note that this theme is intentionally loosely defined, leaving storytellers free to fill in the details by themselves. Story submissions can, but are in no way required to reflect on current events.”
Deadline: Open now
Length: 1,000-5,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.

Three Crows Magazine
This is a magazine of dark and weird fantasy, horror, and sci-fi, with complex characters making morally ambiguous decisions. Stories can be in English, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, and German – they do translations. Slavic folklore and setting are a significant plus, but not necessary.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 1,000-10,000 words
Pay: $0.01/word
Details here.

StarShipSofa
This is a Hugo Award winning podcast. Their guidelines say, “In a word: science-fiction. From the soft, social science fiction to the weird pulpy stuff to the vigorous hard SF and YA adventure. We welcome all sub-genres and all variety of punks in all their colours. From high-octane action to quiet philosophical stories, we’re after it all. … We welcome translations and are very interested in stories that take place/written by authors outside the US/Anglo-sphere, as well as as alternative movements and styles. These include (but not limited to) “non-Western” science fiction, Chinese SF, Soviet speculative fiction, Afro-futurism, etc.” The science fiction element must be the backbone of the story. They accept reprints, but not those that have appeared in an audio market earlier.

Deadline: Open now
Length: 3,000-9,000 words
Pay: $50
Details here.

Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.