These magazines pay $50 to $800 for fiction. A few also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. They are open now, or will open soon for submissions. – S. Kalekar
Electric Lit
They will open submissions for their ‘Recommended Reading’ series for a brief period. Writers can submit one story during the submission period.
Reading period: 26 July-1 August 2021
Length: 2,000-10,000 words
Pay: $300
Details here.
Sci Phi Journal
They want Campbellian hard SF, fictional non-fiction, and speculative philosophy (they have guidelines on each). They also accept translations. Non-fiction is unpaid.
Deadline: 31 July 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.
Psychopomp
They are open for fiction submissions. Their guidelines say, they are “committed to publishing original fiction that dares to redefine traditional storytelling and genre borders. While we like stories that treat the concepts of passages, transitions, and the state of being betwixt and between, we are open to all work regardless of theme. We are generally not looking for traditional realist fiction or pure hard genre. With that said, we are certainly open to publishing more traditional literary work or more hard genre (no fan fiction) so long as it’s really, really good.” They have also listed the writers whose work they admire. Writers can send one short story or three pieces of flash fiction.
Deadline: 31 July 2021
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.02/word up to $100
Details here.
Air and Nothingness Press
They want seance fiction for their ‘Spirit Machine’ anthology – “A mashup of Spiritualism (seances, ouiji/spirit boards, kirlian auras, discarnated entities, ghost talking) and Science Fiction and/or Steampunk genres. … Stories must combine elements of both Spiritualism and Science Fiction/Steampunk SF. No fantasy stories, no standalone ghost stories, no SF without aspects of Spiritualism.” They do not want stories about spirituality or religion.
Deadline: 31 July 2021
Length: 1,500-3,500 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
Mumber Mag
They want fiction and poetry. Their guidelines say, “We want stuff suited to the internet. That could mean short. It could mean it makes use of hyperlinks. Whatever. Surprise us. Make us laugh. Something between WS Merwin and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Or between Werewolf Bar Mitzvah and Lorrie Moore. That’s the sweet spot.
We want something so good you’d forward it to your mom, your brother, your colleagues at work.” They also accept novel excerpts and flash fiction.
Deadline: 1 August 2021
Length: Up to 2,000 words for prose
Pay: $25 per poem or short, $50 per story
Details here.
The Suburban Review
They want fiction, creative non-fiction poetry, and comics on the ‘Puncture’ theme. Their guidelines say, “Are you pulled over on the side of the road with a flat? Got a particularly fine piece of embroidery? Or maybe you just spent three hours stapling documents on a Friday afternoon, only to have to pull them all out again. Perhaps this led to a few mildly frustrated texts, punctuated with hard full stops that almost put holes in your phone screen. However you interpret it, we’re looking for piercingly sharp literature and artworks that play with the theme of PUNCTURE”.
Deadline: 1 August 2021
Length: 500-2,500 words for prose; up to three poems
Pay: $75-150 for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; $75-200 for comics and art
Details here.
Third Flatiron
They have a brief submission period for a themed fiction anthology, titled ‘Things With Feathers: Stories of Hope’. Their guidelines say, “Stories need not be exclusively positive. For example, after the long pandemic, you might recall the old proverb, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” Sharpen your Sharpies and tell us where you think hope will get us. (The title is based on an Emily Dickinson poem.) We prefer stories with an SF/Fantasy/light horror bent.” They also publish flash humor pieces of 600-1,000 words.
Deadline: 2 August 2021
Length: 1,500-3,000 words for fiction
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here (theme and deadline details – scroll down) and here (general guidelines).
Dark Dispatch
They are reading fiction, non-fiction, and poetry for an anthology, ‘The Dead Inside’, on identity-based horror; “Explorations of what happens when our core identities are stripped, altered, suppressed, or denied to us, whether by choice or not.”
Deadline: 2 August 2021
Length: 400-6,000 words for fiction; 1,500-3,000 words for non-fiction
Pay: $25 for poetry and flash fiction; $50 for short fiction and non-fiction
Details here.
(Another horror anthology open now is Antifa Splatterpunk, for anti-fascist splatterpunk and extreme horror with weird, bizarro, historical, or science fiction elements. They pay $100 for stories of 2,000-4,500 words. The deadline for general submissions is 31 July, and for women and non-binary authors, 7 August 2021.)
Speculatively Queer
They are reading speculative fiction for an anthology, titled ‘Xenocultivars – Stories of Queer Growth’. Their guidelines say, “We are looking for completed speculative stories on the theme of plants and growth, featuring queer characters… We prefer stories that have an uplifting and affirming feel. … We welcome all kinds of speculative fiction including science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, alternate history, stories featuring superheroes or supernatural entities, or even horror if you can make it uplifting.” They welcome representation of all kinds of queer identities. They also accept reprints. Writers can send up to three stories.
Deadline: 7 August 2021
Length: Up to 10,000 words (most acceptances likely under 7,000 words)
Pay: $0.08/word + royalties
Details here and here.
Shenandoah
This submission window is for fiction only, and comics. They accept comic submissions throughout the year. Translations are currently closed. They opened submissions on 12th July, and will close when filled. Send either one short story, or up to three flash fiction pieces. Also, their editorial fellow will be reading and choosing short stories for our fall issue – see guidelines for the editor’s submission preferences.
Deadline: Until filled
Length: Up to 8,000 words for fiction; up to 1,000 words for flash fiction
Pay: $100 per 1,000 words, up to $500
Details here and 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.
