These are submission calls for fiction that pay writers $100. Also see this list for markets paying $200 for fiction – some deadlines are coming up. — S. Kalekar
Thunderbird Studios: “San Cicaro” – Urban fantasy short stories
They are looking for fiction – dark urban fantasy, the weird, the macabre and the hopeful, set in a coastal city in California, where strange things have been happening. See guidelines for the extensive details about the setting and thematic rules. They also periodically post updates about the anthology. They ask for five-year publication rights, with exclusivity for the first year.
Deadline: “At least two months” after 21 May 2018 (they will post an update on their site two weeks before the final deadline)
Length: 4,000-8,000 words
Pay: $125
Details here.
Flame Tree Publishing: Haunted House and Cosy Crime
They are looking for submissions for two anthologies in their gothic fantasy series. For the Haunted House anthology, their guidelines say, “The creaking floorboards, the children hiding in the mirror, the spirits that rake across the flesh of the mind, tell us your stories of hauntings and mansions. Oh, what is that sound within the walls?”
For cosy crime: ““The armchair detectives, the murder in the vicarage, the family secrets unravelling in gossipy ears, such are the ingredients of a gentile bloodbath in an otherwise delightful village.”
Deadline: 29 July 2018
Length: 2,000-4,000 word stories are “most likely to succeed”
Pay: $0.06/word
Details here.
Psychopomp Magazine
The editors want stories that redefine the traditional storytelling and genre borders. They like stories that treat the concept of passages, transitions, and state of being betwixt and between, though they are open to all work regardless of the theme. They usually do not publish traditionalist realist fiction or hard genre. J. G. Ballard, Jonathan Lethem and Italio Calvino are among the list of writers whose work they like. They are currently open for fee-free submissions.
Deadline: Fee-free until 15 August 2018
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.02/word, up to $100
Details here.
subTerrain
This Canadian literary magazine accepts fiction, creative nonfiction and commentary (social or otherwise), but no unsolicited poetry. They publish thrice a year and are now reading for their General (unthemed) issue. There is no fee for mailed submissions.
Deadline: 3 September 2018
Length: Up to 3,000 words for fiction, up to 4,000 words for other prose
Pay: CAD0.10/word for prose, up to CAD500
Details here.
Corpus Press: Non-themed horror
Stories may be frightening, thought-provoking, atmospheric, humorous and/or satirical or any combination thereof, but must be complete stories. They are not looking for extreme horror or splatterpunk, or stories featuring werewolves, zombies or vampires.
Deadline: 15 September 2018
Length: 2,500-4,500 words
Pay: $0.03/word, capped at $150
Details here.
Red Room Press: American Psychos – A Serial Killer Anthology
They want dark crime/thriller/horror stories that must be about a serial killer. Stories can be based on a real killer or a fictional one and must be set primarily in the US, though the character may travel abroad. The killers should be human – no supernatural elements. The editors are looking for brutal, graphic and violent stories.
Deadline: 1 October 2018
Length: 3,500-5,500 words
Pay: $100
Details here.
Literature for Life: Issue 6
This is a Los Angeles based online literary journal, salon and resource for middle and high school educators designed to spark a love of reading and writing. All work should be appropriate for use in a high-school classroom. They accept fiction, nonfiction, articles, essays, short plays and poems spanning multiple genres. They accept some non-Los Angeles pieces for each issue.
Deadline: 6 November 2018
Length: No minimum or maximum length, though they should not be novellas
Pay: $100 per accepted piece
Details here.
Pockets
This is a Christian publication for children aged 6-12. They publish fiction, scripture stories, puzzles and games, as well as activities. They are open for several themes with various deadlines, including Humility, Hope, and Family Cooperation.
Deadline: Various
Length: 600-1,000 words for fiction and scripture stories; 400-1,000 words for non-fiction
Pay: $0.14/word for stories and articles; $25 and up for poetry, activities, games and recipes
Details here.
Three-Lobed Burning Eye Magazine
This is a speculative fiction magazine. They publish horror, fantasy and science fiction. Their guidelines say, “We’re looking for short stories from across the big classifications and those shadowy places between: magical realism, fantastique, slipstream, interstitial, Weird fiction. We will consider suspense or western, though we prefer it contain some speculative element. We like voices that are full of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental.”
Deadline: Now open
Length: 1,000-7,000 words for short stories (prefer 2,000-5,000), 500-1,000 words for flash fiction
Pay: $100 for short fiction, $30 for flash
Details here.
Primodal
They are looking for thoughtful, intelligent stories about alien life that has biology and evolution at its core. These could be plausible first contact stories, or invasion/infestation stories, or even stories about fatal misunderstanding between species. They also accept articles.
Deadline: Rolling
Length: 1,000-16,000 words for fiction; 1,000-2,000 words for articles
Pay: $0.01/word for fiction; $20 for articles
Details here.
