These markets pay $50 to $500 for fiction. Some also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. – S. Kalekar
Electric Literature: The Commuter; Recommended Reading
They’re opening a brief reading period for two series in January.
The Commuter –The Commuter is a space for poetry, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives. It publishes weekly.
Recommended Reading – This series publishes fiction, and they will be only accepting short fiction, and not flash fiction, during this submission window.
Reading period: 18-24 January 2021
Length: The Commuter – up to 1,500 words for prose, 4-6 poems; Recommended Reading – 2,000-10,000 words for fiction
Pay: $100 for The Commuter, $300 for Recommended Reading
Details here.
The Overcast
This is a speculative fiction podcast. Their guidelines say, “We are interested in speculative fiction, whatever that means to you, be it Science Fiction, Fantasy, Steampunk, Magical Realism, Slipstream, or an as-yet-unnamed genre. Anything that looks at the world and life from an unexpected angle.” Roughly half the stories they publish are from writers in (or connected to) the Pacific Northwest, and the rest are from around the world. They welcome reprints that haven’t been previously produced in an audio format. They do not publish horror. Deadline: 31 January 2021
Length: 1,000-5,000 words (2,000-3,000 is the sweet spot)
Pay: $0.01/word, $20 for stories under 2,000 words
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 January 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 and here.
Sci Phi Journal
They’re reading work on two themes currently: End(ing)s of the Universe – from Entropy to Eschatology; and Comparative Alien Sociology and Xeno-anthropology. They’ll also read stories that are not directly focused on these topics but ‘speak to them’. They want “hard SF that zooms out of the personal and lifts off into the structural, the systemic, the epic. We yearn for carefully crafted philosophical speculation that puzzles over the questions of the future and alternate pasts. And we have a soft spot for stories created as ‘artefacts’ (fictional, ‘in-universe’ non-fiction).” See guidelines for further details on the kind of stories they want, and do not want, to see. They also accept translations. Non-fiction is unpaid.
Deadline: 31 January 2021
Length: Up to 2,000 words
Pay: 3 (Euro) cents per word for original fiction and 1 (Euro) cent per word for translations
Details here.
34 Orchard
This is a magazine of fiction and poetry. Their guidelines say, “we like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad. We like things we can’t put down and things that make us go “wow” when we’ve finished. But our main goal here at 34 Orchard is to publish the stuff we like to read, and you’re not in our heads. So don’t over think it. Just submit.” They are reading submissions in January for the Spring issue, and will open in July for the Fall issue.
Deadline: 31 January 2021
Length: 1,000-7,500 words for fiction; up to three poems
Pay: $50
Details here.
The Alchemy Press Book of Horrors 3: A Miscellany of Monsters
This UK-based publisher wants stories for this monster-themed anthology. Their guidelines say, “Monsters are many things. They come in all forms, shapes and sizes: from to the tiny to the titanic; from amorphous blobs to many limbed (or tentacled) monstrosities; from supernatural demons to man-made terrors. They come from any place and time: from under the bed to the woodshed; from the icy wastes to the darkest jungles; from the depths of the ocean to outer space; from the past, the future, the now!
Many things. Any things. ….
This is a loosely themed anthology. Just use that word – monster – and run with it.” See guidelines for the kind of stories/themes they do not want to see. Deadline: 31 January 2020
Length: 3,000-6,000 words
Pay: £0.01/word
Details here.
Shenandoah
This literary magazine publishes essays, creative nonfiction, short stories, excerpts of novels in progress, poems, comics, and translations of all of the above. This submission window is for prose only (fiction and essays). They accept comic submissions and translations throughout the year. They can only accept 800 submissions per month, so they recommend submitting early during a reading period.
Deadline: 31 January 2021
Length: Up to 8,000 words for prose
Pay: $100 per 1,000 words, up to $500
Details here (scroll down).
(They’re also accepting submissions for The Shenandoah Fellowship for BIPOC Editors.)
Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing: Misspelled – Magic Gone Awry
They are looking for short fiction for this anthology, exploring the theme of magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. The story must center “around an exploration epic in scale.
You must include some sort of adventure, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world”, according to their guidelines.
Deadline: 31 March 2021
Length: Up to 7,000 words
Pay: $50
Details here.
One Story
They accept literary fiction stories, on any style or subject, that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone. They will also consider certain reprints (stories that have appeared in print outside North America), as well as translated stories. They publish one story per issue.
Deadline: 31 May 2021
Length: 3,000-8,000 words
Pay: $500
Details here and here.
The Centropic Oracle
This is an audio science fiction and fantasy market. The prose must be readable and easily spoken aloud. They want stories “that make you feel and think”. See guidelines for hard sells, and the kind of stories they will not accept. Their guidelines also say, “If we accept your story we will require a bio and a photo from you for promotional purposes on our website. In addition, be prepared to be called to interview with the reader and/or a small panel for a group discussion of your story. Talking points will be sent out prior to the voice-only interview so that you can have anecdotes or comments prepared. If you do not wish to have your photo posted, or appear on the show, do not submit.” They ask for non-exclusive rights for six years.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 200-1,500 words for flash; 1,500-6,500 for short stories
Pay: CAD0.01/word
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.
