These magazines pay $100 to $480 for fiction. A few also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. – S. Kalekar
Dark Matter Magazine: Unthemed; Halloween
This magazine was started during the COVID-19 lockdown; you can read about the team here. They are reading work now for a Halloween-themed issue, and for a general issue.
— For the Halloween theme their guidelines say, “we want Halloween or monster themed stories and poems that scare us, creep us out, or just remind us of the spooky joys of Halloween. For this issue, we will be accepting both dark science fiction and horror.
We will also consider horror stories that do not have a Halloween theme.”
— For general submissions their website says it “aims to bring you stories that explore the shadow side of reality. This does not mean that we prefer gratuitous sex and violence, or that the story must be cynical or misanthropic. Even stories of hope and optimism can arrive at their theses after first taking us on a journey through the most downtrodden fringes of society, or the deepest reaches of space, or the darkest corners of the mind. But stories don’t always have happy endings either.” They want memorable characters, and the science element can be slight, but it must be present, and be vital to the story. Stories must be read well on the screen, and also be effective for an audio format. They also accept reprints, poetry, and comics.
Deadline: 31 October 2020
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction, up to 10 pages for comics
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction, $50/page for short comics, $30 for poetry
Details here.
Room Magazine
This is Canada’s oldest feminist literary journal and they accept work by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people only. They are open for submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and artwork.
Deadline: 31 October 2020
Length: Up to 3,500 words for fiction and nonfiction, up to five poems
Pay: $50-150 (Canadian)
Details here.
khōréō
This is a new quarterly of speculative stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. They accept work only from those who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms (see guidelines). They are especially interested in writing and art that explores the impact of human or cultural migration, whether voluntary or forced, like themes of immigration, diaspora, and anti-colonialism. For non-fiction, they also accept reprints.
Deadline: 31 October 2020
Length: Up to 5,000 words (up to 3,500 preferred)
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction; $100 for non-fiction; $40-300 for art
Details here.
WordFire Press: Unmasked
For this anthology, they want short stories of unmasking, to include a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror, alien, magical, witchcraft, AI, and romance elements – see guidelines for further details, and potential ideas for stories. Stories must be appropriate for a PG-13 audience.
Deadline: 31 October 2020
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.06/word
Details here.
PseudoPod
This horror online and audio magazine accepts horror in all forms (though writers are better off avoiding vampires, zombies, and other recognizable horror tropes unless these have a really unique spin). What matters most is that stories be dark and compelling. They also accept reprints.
Reading period: 15 October-2 November 2020
Length: Up to 6,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here (schedule) and here (guidelines).
LampLight
This is a magazine of dark fiction, both short stories and flash fiction. They want work that is dark, literary — creepy, weird, and unsettling. Their guidelines say, “No specific sub-genres or themes, just good stories. For inspiration, we suggest “The Twilight Zone”, “The Outer Limits”,” – and also the first volume of their stories. They do not want work about vampires, zombies, werewolves, serial killers, hitmen, excessive gore or sex. They also accept reprints. They can accept only 300 submissions a month during their reading period.
Deadline: 15 November 2020
Length: Up to 7,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word, up to $150
Details here.
Slice: Levity
This literary magazine is reading fiction, non-fiction, and poetry on the ‘Levity’ theme. They look for work that plays off the theme, especially in unexpected ways.
Deadline: 1 December 2020
Length: Up to 5,000 words for prose, up to five poems
Pay: $400 for fiction and non-fiction, $150 for flash fiction, $100 for poetry
Details here.
Upstreet
This literary magazine publishes fiction and creative non-fiction. For poetry, they accept queries only.
Deadline: 1 March 2021
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $50-250
Details here.
Boneyard Soup
They publish fiction in the horror and dark fantasy genres, including traditional Gothic, pulpy horror with an ’80s vibe, body horror, ghost stories, horror comedy, and stories within the horror and dark fantasy genres. They also publish reprints, as well as non-fiction and artwork.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 2,000-6,000 words for fiction; up to 3,000 words for non-fiction
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.
Distant Shore Publishing
This is a new publisher and they want short stories. They are reading “bitesize fantasy, sci-fi you can fit in your pocket, or litRPG that you can quickly consume” and aim to publish these stories on their website. They also publish novellas.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 1,500-4,000 words
Pay: $150
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.
