These are calls for fiction and they pay $50-450. Some of these accept other genres also, like non-fiction and poetry. A few are new outlets. And see this list for markets paying $100-480 for fiction. – S. Kalekar
Sumanguru
For this new zine, the editor wants fantasy adventure fiction, primarily set in a medieval fantasy or science fantasy context, but will also accept modern fantasy, historical fantasy of other periods, historical science fantasy (a la Jules Verne), etc. They are also looking for non-fiction and RPG material. Non-fiction pieces should be about fantasy adventure as well; they are looking especially for pieces about tabletop roleplaying & wargaming, worldbuilding analysis and fan theory; see guidelines for further details.
Deadline: 14 June 2020
Length: 2,000-3,000 words (hard cap: 5,000 words)
Pay: $100
Details here.
Cricket Media: Eight themes
They’re reading on various themes for their children’s literary magazines, and are also reading unthemed work.
— Beep-Beep, Vroom-Vroom! For Babybug — “poetry, action rhymes, finger plays, and simple stories about all kinds of vehicles. For inspiration, you might think of little ones who are fascinated with construction sites or sailboat-filled harbors, or those who love watching bicycles, trains, buses, and garbage trucks” The deadline is 15 June 2020.
— Breezy Summer: For Babybug — “poetry, action rhymes, finger plays, and very short stories that celebrate summertime. Your work might explore sunny outings to the park or beach, the season’s special games, sights, and sounds, or some other interesting aspect of summer.” The deadline is 15 June 2020.
Making Make Believe: For Ladybug — “short stories, poetry, rebus stories, and songs to fuel the young child’s imagination. We’re interested in work with an imaginative or magical twist, whether it’s a contemporary story of children at play, a gentle fantasy, a retelling of a folk or fairy tale, or an exaggerated story told by a narrator who might not be entirely reliable.” The deadline is 15 June 2020.
— My Family: For Ladybug — “short stories, nonfiction, poetry, rebus stories, and songs about family life. Send us stories about the personal or cultural traditions that make each family special: celebrating holidays, passing down jokes and stories, annual scavenger hunts, favorite trips, and more. “ The deadline is 15 June 2020.
— Wordplay: For Spider — “word games, language activities, riddles, puzzles, and more. Games and activities should be 1-2 pages long and appropriate for our newly independent readers.” Also wants stories that incorporate wordplay. The deadline is 15 June 2020.
— Get a Move On! For Spider — “stories, poems, nonfiction, and activities on the theme of movement and activity, from the great outdoors to the basketball court behind school. We’re interested in the excitement, challenge, and joy of getting up, out, and moving!” The deadline is 15 June 2020.
— Best Friends Forever? For Cricket — “contemporary and historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, folk tales, myths and legends, and poetry touching on the theme of friendship. Whether you focus on the happy times, like planning a friend’s surprise birthday party, or sad times, like moving away, a friend in need is a friend indeed.” The deadline is 15 June 2020.
— Tales of the Sea: For Cricket — “seaworthy fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the theme of tales of the sea. Time and tide wait for no one, so shiver your timbers and send us your best stories of pirate raids and stowaways, mythical monsters of the deep, scientific expeditions, tragic shipwrecks, and daring rescues.” The deadline is 15 July 2020.
These magazines also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry, craft, and recipes.
Deadlines: See above
Length: Up to 1,800 words for fiction in Cricket, their flagship magazine (can serialize longer works); varies for others
Pay: Up to 0.25/word
Details here.
The Puritan
This Canadian literary magazine publishes fiction, non-fiction – interviews, essays and reviews – and poetry from all over the world. Deadline: 25 June 2020 for Summer issue; reads year-round
Length: Up to 10,000 words for fiction, up to 4 poems; various for non-fiction (see guidelines)
Pay: $200 (Canadian) per essay; $150 for fiction; $100 per interview or review; $25 per poem (or page, capped at $80)
Details here.
Love Letters to Poe
They want gothic flash fiction – stories that evoke wonder and terror, romance and horror. They’re looking for complete story arcs with character growth. Writers should avoid explicit sexual content and excessive gore.
Deadline: 30 June 2020
Length: Up to 1,500 words
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.
Downstate Story
They publish fiction in a variety of genres, and narrative written to the standards of fiction. They prefer some connection to Illinois or the Midwest. Anyone can submit work. Submissions have to be mailed.
Deadline: 30 June 2020
Length: Up to 2,000 words
Pay: $50
Details here.
The Willowherb Review
The Willowherb Review aims to provide a digital platform to celebrate and bolster nature writing by writers of color, including Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) writers, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) anywhere in the world. They’re reading now for their third issue. They will accept non-fiction especially, but will consider fiction and poetry as well — on nature, place, and environment. Their guidelines say, “we believe nature writing can tackle all sorts of issues: from stories of farming to long treks, tales of migration, racism, community, and beauty. You might be writing about remote places, cities, lost landscapes, or old homes. We’re looking forward to seeing what matters most to emerging nature writers. Above all, your submission should have a great sense of place and attention to the natural world.”
Deadline: 30 June 2020
Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 poems
Pay: €150 for prose, €50 for poetry
Details here.
Interstellar Flight Press: Alternate Endings
This is a call for writers of color. Their guidelines say, “For the rest of 2020, we’re asking writers to reimagine our world for the better. We’re looking for flash fiction stories from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) writers who re-envision the future.” They want stories in speculative genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, or any interpretation of these that fits the theme. Writers can submit up to three pieces. Collaborative pieces by multiple writers are welcome. In the case of multiple writers, payment will be split between collaborators. For this call, they’re accepting optional donations, which will go to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Deadline: 10 July 2020
Length: Up to 1,000 words
Pay: $80
Details here.
Mythic
This is a quarterly speculative fiction magazine seeking diverse sci-fi and fantasy fiction. They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 31 July 2020
Length: 2,000-6,000 words
Pay: $0.01/word
Details here.
Pandemic Publications: Three themes
This Canadian publication is accepting poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual arts, including comics, on three themes:
–All things considered
— On doing nothing
–When this is all over
“While we encourage you to take creative license, we have particular fondness for positive or darkly comedic content”, according to guidelines. They do not accept genre fiction.
Deadline: Open now
Length: Up to five pages of poetry; up to 3,000 words for prose
Pay: $50 (Canadian)/poem; $120 for fiction and non-fiction
Details here.
The Lit Quarterly
This Canadian journal accepts fiction, non-fiction and poetry year-round, with acceptances taking place quarterly. For fiction they accept short story, excerpt, epistolary, theatre, interview, prose poem, among others. Also, they tend to accept fiction that exhibits technical mastery of literary device, genre, or verisimilitude. Non-fiction can be on political, historical, or sociological topics, and they don’t exclude submissions of literary criticism, polemic or satire. For poetry, they prefer verse poems of 12-40 lines
Deadline: Ongoing
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction, 1,500-5,000 words for non-fiction, 12-40 lines for poems
Pay: “around $100 (Canadian) per acceptance, contingent on available funding and categorical genre”
Details here.
Author 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.
