These magazines and anthologies pay $50 to $800 for fiction, and a few also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. – S. Kalekar
Cossmass Infinities
This magazine of science fiction and fantasy is open during the first week of each month, alternating between under-represented and general submissions. During the first week of May they will be open for submissions by Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+ and other under-represented authors; general submissions (for all authors) will be open during the first week of June.
Reading period: 1-7 May 2021
Length: 2,000-10,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
Tor.com: Africa Risen
This is a speculative fiction anthology open to writers of African descent only. Their guidelines say, “Africa Risen will take readers on a fantastical Pan-African journey inspired by indigenous African lore, and the richness found in immigrant and Diasporan narratives, gathering new tales of alien entities, scientists, spiritual guides, priests, and deities.
Ideal contributors will craft tales that reveal all the rich cultural diversity found on the African continent and every corner of our world, for Africa’s reach is wide and expansive, revealing that Africa is not rising; it’s already here.”
Tor.com also accepts pitches for various kinds of non-fiction on an ongoing basis from all writers.
Deadline: 14 May 2021
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here and here.
Women Slaying Modern Gothic Horror
This horror anthology is open to women writers only – trans, cis, femme-identifying, all are welcome. They want fiction that explores “the grand traditions and tropes of Gothic Horror, reimagined and contemporized for this generation and beyond. … We’re not interested in rewrites of the classics; rather, stories inspired by Gothic moods, subtexts and themes. Take your breast-beating, ghost-plagued protagonists out of the Victorian manor and inject them into outer space; the plague-soaked, paranoiac world outside your window; under the sea; into a splatterpunk meta-fiction; or better yet, surprise us!” Submit shorter stories and poems; query for long stories. They will also consider poetry, especially if it comes with a strong horror narrative. While this is a Kickstarter-funded anthology, writers will be paid, whether or not the Kickstarter funds; writers will be paid a $25 holding fee, and the rest after the Kickstarter campaign.
Deadline: 15 May 2021
Length: 1,000-15,000 words
Pay: $0.04/word
Details here.
(Another horror anthology, open to women writers only, is Blood & Bone: An Anthology of Body Horror by Women; they pay $0.01/word for stories of 1,000-6,000 words, and the deadline is 31 May 2021.)
Flash Fiction Online
They publish stories across many genres, including literary and speculative. Stories should have “crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions.” Beginning January 2021, they are open from 1st to 21st of every month. They publish reprints, as well. They’re also looking for special themed submissions for their 100th issue (the theme for that is One Hundred, and the deadline is 22 October 2021 – see their Submittable page for details).
Deadline: 21 May 2021
Length: 500-1,000 words
Pay: $80/story for originals, $0.02/word for reprints
Details here.
Nashville Review
This literary magazine is now open for fiction, non-fiction (memoir excerpts, essays, and imaginative meditations), translations, poetry, and comics. Submissions for literary comics and featured artist are open year-round.
Deadline: 31 May 2021
Length: Up to 8,000 words for prose, including novel extracts; up to 3 poems; anything from one-page comics (no single-frame cartoons) to graphic novel excerpts
Pay: $100 for prose and art, $25 for poetry
Details here.
The Gettysburg Review
This prestigious literary journal publishes fiction, poetry, and essays. In fiction, they publish short-shorts and novel extracts. They do not publish genre fiction. Essays can be on literature, film, art, history, science, and contemporary thought, and can take any form – creative non-fiction, memoir, biography. Poetry can be short and long, and of any length or aesthetic bent. The magazine also publishes essay-reviews and artwork. There is a fee for submitting online, but not for mailed submissions.
Deadline: 31 May 2021 (postmarked)
Length: Up to 10,000 words for fiction and non-fiction; 1-5 poems, depending on length
Pay: $25/page of prose; $2.50/line of poetry (up to $300 for a poem)
Details here and here.
One Story
They publish one literary fiction story per issue, which can be of any style and on any subject. Their guidelines say, “We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.” Regarding reprints, if a story has been published in print (not online) outside of North America, it will be considered. They also accept translations. Apart from cash, they also give 25 contributor copies as payment.
Deadline: 31 May 2021
Length: 3,000-8,000 words
Pay: $500
Details here.
Midnight Street Press: Railroad Tales
This is a fiction anthology. The editor wants stories “that involve the supernatural in connection with railroads, railways, or any aspect of rail travel or location. The stories should be set at any point in the past and be historically accurate where appropriate.” They will also accept reprints.
Deadline: 31 May 2021
Length: 2,000-10,000 work (may read outside this range for exceptional work)
Pay: £50
Details here.
The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts
This magazine publishes “fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” They also have a section called Topical Tuesdays, where they accept work on topical issues.
Deadline: 14 June 2021
Length: 600 words for prose (including prose poems); one poem of 20 lines or 75 words; 1,000 words for prose or a poem of 30 lines for Topical Tuesdays
Pay: $50
Details here.
Escape Artists: Pseudopod
This is an online publishing and audio market for horror fiction – “dark, weird fiction. We run the spectrum from grim realism or crime drama, to magic-realism, to blatantly supernatural dark fantasy. We publish highly literary stories reminiscent of Poe or Lovecraft as well as vulgar shock-value pulp fiction”, according to guidelines. They have opened a submission call for reprints only, for stories that have been or will be published in 2021. They will pay reprint rates for this call.
Deadline: 31 July 2021
Length: Up to 6,000 words
Pay: $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints
Details here (guidelines), here (schedule), and here (portal).
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.
