These outlets, mostly literary magazines, publish fiction; they pay up to $500 for stories, and a few pay significantly more. Many also accept other genres, like non-fiction, and poetry. They’re a mix of literary and genre markets. Not all are open for submissions now, but a number of them are, or they will open in the coming months. A couple of them have brief submission periods later this year. Some deadlines are approaching fast. – S. Kalekar
Apex Magazine
They publish science fiction, fantasy, and horror every other month. Pay is $0.08/word for stories up to 7,500 words and if they podcast the story, they’ll pay an additional $0.01/word. Submissions are read on an ongoing basis. Details here.
One Story
This well-regarded magazine publishes one short story per issue. They are looking for literary fiction. “We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.” They accept translations, as well. Regarding reprints, they say if a story has been published in print outside of North America, it will be considered; they will not consider stories published online. Apart from cash payment, authors also get 25 contributor copies. They want stories of 3,000-8,000 words, and pay $500. Their submission periods are usually January-May, and October-November (dates vary). Details here and here.
Solarpunk Magazine
This is a new magazine of solarpunk. They publish fiction, nonfiction (reviews, interviews, reports, articles, essays, and general audience-aimed overviews of academic papers relevant to solarpunk), poetry, and artwork. They have detailed guidelines on their submissions page for each category, please read them before submitting. Reading periods/schedule for 2022 is up on their website, including for themed issues. Send 500-7,500 words for fiction; up to 5 poems (see guidelines); 1,000-2,000 words for nonfiction. Pay is $0.08/word for fiction (minimum $100), $40/poem, $75/essay. They will be open for brief periods during June-early July, September, and November this year for themed and unthemed issues (see dates). Details here (general guidelines and schedule) and here (detailed guidelines and submissions system).
Virginia Quarterly Review
This prestigious literary magazine publishes literary fiction, nonfiction, including reviews, and poetry. They are not interested in genre fiction. For nonfiction, they want literary, art, and cultural criticism, reportage, historical and political analysis, and travel essays. They publish few author interviews or memoirs. “In general, we are looking for nonfiction that looks out on the world, rather than within the self.” Length guidelines are 3,500-8,000 words for fiction; 3,500-9,000 words for nonfiction; 2,000-2,400 words for book reviews. Pay is $1,000 and up for fiction; about $0.25/word for nonfiction (higher for investigative reporting – see guidelines); $200/poem, up to $1,000; $500 for book reviews; $100-200 for online content. They usually read submissions in July. Details here.
The Iowa Review
This prestigious magazine publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry submissions. They also accept translations. There is a fee for online submissions for non-subscribers, but postal submissions are free. They do not accept emailed submissions. Send up to 25 pages for prose, or up to 8 pages for poetry (query for longer poems). Pay is $0.08/word for prose ($100 minimum); $1.50/line for poetry ($40 minimum). Their annual reading period is 1 September-1 November. Details here.
Cossmass Infinities
This magazine publishes science fiction and fantasy. Length guidelines are 1,000-7,500 words for short fiction, and 7,501-17,500 words for novelettes. Pay is $0.08/word. Submissions are open in October, but may close earlier than scheduled if volume warrants; they will accept submissions from all authors during 8-14 October, and from under-represented authors (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and others) during 1-14 October 2022. Details here.
Dell Magazines: Four Magazines
Dell publishes four genre magazines; two science fiction magazines – Asimov’s, and Analog Science Fiction and Fact; and two mystery magazines – Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Submissions for all of these are open on an ongoing basis.
— Asimov’s Science Fiction: “In general, we’re looking for “character oriented” stories, those in which the characters, rather than the science, provide the main focus for the reader’s interest. Serious, thoughtful, yet accessible fiction will constitute the majority of our purchases, but there’s always room for the humorous as well. SF dominates the fiction published in the magazine, but we also publish borderline fantasy, slipstream, and surreal fiction. No sword & Sorcery, please.” They pay $0.08-0.10/word for stories up to 7,500 words, and $0.08 for each word above that. They seldom buy stories shorter than 1,000 words, or those above 20,000 words. They pay $/line of poetry. Details here.
— Analog Science Fiction and Fact: “We publish science fiction stories in which some aspect of future science or technology is so integral to the plot that, if that aspect were removed, the story would collapse.” They pay $0.08-0.10/ word for short fiction (up to approximately 20,000 words), $0.06/word for serials (40,000-80,000 words), $0.09/word for fact articles (about 4,000 words), and $1/line for poetry. Details here.
— Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine: “Because this is a mystery magazine, the stories we buy must fall into that genre in some sense or another. We are interested in nearly every kind of mystery: stories of detection of the classic kind, police procedurals, private eye tales, suspense, courtroom dramas, stories of espionage, and so on. We ask only that the story be about a crime (or the threat or fear of one). We sometimes accept ghost stories or supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime.” They accept stories up to 12,000 words, and pay $0.05-0.08/word. Details here.
— Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine: They publish mystery fiction. “We publish every kind of mystery short story: the psychological suspense tale, the deductive puzzle, the private eye case—the gamut of crime and detection from the realistic (including the policeman’s lot and stories of police procedure) to the more imaginative (including “locked rooms” and “impossible crimes”). We need hard-boiled stories as well as “cozies,” but we are not interested in explicit sex or violence. … We are especially happy to review first stories by authors who have never before published fiction professionally. First-story submissions should be addressed to EQMM’s Department of First Stories.” They prefer stories in the 2,500-8,000 word range, and occasionally they accept stories up to 12,000 words; they also buy one or two stories up to 20,000 words annually. Pay is $0.05-0.08/word. Details here.
Cricket Media: Cricket Magazine
This is a literary magazines for children ages 9-14 years, and they often run themed submission calls; they also accept unthemed submissions. They publish fiction – “realistic contemporary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, folk tales, myths and legends, and humor. No matter what genre, the author should first and foremost tell a good story that is well plotted, character-driven, and has a satisfying conclusion.” Regarding length, “stories are 1200–1800 words in length; however, we occasionally serialize compelling longer stories of up to 6,000 words. Submissions above this length will not be read. Authors of longer works are encouraged to submit excerpts, provided that these excerpts are under 6,000 words. We also need shorter pieces of 600–900 words.” They also publish non-fiction (1,200-1,800 words), and poetry (usually 8-15 lines), as well as activities, games, puzzles, crafts, and recipes. Pay is up to $0.25/word for prose, $3/line for poetry, and $75 for games, recipes, etc. Details here. (Cricket Media has other literary and non-fiction magazines, as well.)
Uncanny Magazine
This speculative fiction magazine publishes novella-length stories, short fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Their guidelines say, “We want intricate, experimental stories … with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Uncanny believes there’s still plenty of room in the genre for tales that make you feel.” Length guidelines are 750-6,000 words for short fiction, 17,500-40,000 words for novellas. Pay is $0.10/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $100/essay. They are open for short fiction submissions until 30 May 2022. Details here (guidelines) and here (submission portal).
Abyss & Apex
They publish speculative flash and short fiction, and poetry. They want “special attention to character-driven stories that examine the depths and heights of emotion and motivation from a broad variety of cultural and social perspectives. … We look for the unique: stories that stand out in a genre that pushes the envelope of unusual. We take special delight in detailed world-building: we like slipstream, YA, hypertext fiction, dark fantasy, science fiction puzzle stories, magical realism, hard science fiction, soft science fiction, science fantasy, urban fantasy, military science fiction, ghost stories, space opera, cyberpunk, steampunk . . . there is very little we will not look at, although we have a severe allergy to zombies, elves, retold fairy tales, sports, westerns, werewolves, vampires,” and more. They do not want horror. Pay is $0.08/word for fiction, up to 10,000 words, and $5.50 for poetry. Their only submission window in 2022 will be the first week of August. Details here.
Pulp Literature
They publish fiction, art, including graphic stories/comics, and poetry. For fiction, “We are looking for entertaining, accessible stories. We do appreciate clever and poetic turns of phrase, but first and foremost we want a story readers can sink into late at night before they go to bed.” They want all genres, not just pulp, including fantasy, romance, mystery, literary, etc., and are looking for both serious and light-hearted stories. They do not want children’s or YA fiction. They also accept pitches for graphic novels/illustrations. Send up to 50 pages for fiction, or up to 3 poems. For fiction, pay is $0.05-0.08/word for short stories (to 7,000 words), $0.03-0.06/word between 7,000-10,000 words, and $0.02-0.04/word for works over 10,000 words. Poetry and interior illustrations pay between $25-50. Sequential art (graphic novels and cartoons) and illustrations are at a rate of $25-$75/page. They have occasional reading periods for fiction; art and poetry are reviewed year-round. Fiction submissions may close earlier than the deadline specified if their inbox fills up. Details here.
Fantasy Magazine
They accept fantasy and dark fantasy, and poetry. They accept non-fiction pitches. They also welcome submissions previously rejected by their sister-magazines, Lightspeed and Nightmare. Length guidelines are up to 1,500 words for flash fiction, and 1,500-10,000 words for short fiction (up to 5,000 preferred). Pay is $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay. They plan to stay open to submissions by BIPOC authors for the entirety of 2022; general submission windows, for all writers, are 1-7 July and 1-7 October 2022. However, “We may revise these plans depending on the needs of the magazine and the nature of the submissions.” Details here and here.
Nightmare
This magazine publishes fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction submissions of horror and dark fantasy. Do not send them work previously rejected by Lightspeed, but you can submit work previously rejected by Fantasy Magazine – both are sister-magazines to Nightmare. Length guidelines are: up to 1,500 words for flash, 1,500-7,500 words for short fiction; up to 5 poems; up to 1,000 words for creative non-fiction. Pay is $0.08/word for fiction, and $40 for poetry. They are usually open briefly in March and September. Details here and here.
Lightspeed
They publish science fiction and fantasy. Non-fiction is assigned, and they do not accept submissions or queries on these. “All types of science fiction and fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope.” Flash fiction is up to 1,500 words, and short fiction is 1,500-10,000 words (up to 5,000 preferred). Pay is $0.08/word. They have occasional submission periods. Details here and here. Its sister-magazines are Nightmare, and Fantasy.
Shenandoah
They publish literary fiction (including flash and novel excerpts), creative non-fiction, poetry, translations, and comics. The prose editor “loves writing that stretches her imagination and way of thinking, surprises, makes her laugh, moves her, is formally interesting or challenging, defies genre, explores the confusing or uncomfortable, introduces her to new writers, thinks globally, has a distinctive voice, cares about the world, and does not assume white people are literature’s default characters.” They have brief submission periods for most genres, but comics are open throughout the year. Length guidelines are up to 8,000 words for prose, or 3-5 poems. Pay is $100 per 1,000 words for prose, $100/comic, and $50/page of comics, all capped at $500. Details here and here.
The Cincinnati Review
This magazine publishes fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, translations, and accepts queries for drama. They also have an online feature, for which there is no cash payment and which is always open. Length guidelines are up to 40 pages for fiction, up to 20 pages for non-fiction, and up to 5 poems. Their submission windows for the print magazine are May, September, and December – submissions open at the beginning of these months, are and open till month-end, or until filled. Pay is $25/page of prose and $30/page of poetry. Details here.
Mysterion
They publish science fiction, fantasy and horror stories that engage meaningfully with Christian themes, characters or cosmology. “We love science fiction and fantasy, enjoy good ghost stories, and think there’s great fiction material hidden in the mysteries of Christian theology–cherubim, leviathan, nephilim, visions, prophecy, and more”, according to guidelines. The stories need not teach a moral or be close to an approved theological position. Nor do they need to be pro-Christian – see their detailed guidelines on the kind of work they see too often, and what they would like to see. They are especially interested in stories that show Christians from cultures beyond those of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. They also accept translations and reprints, and art submissions. They accept stories up to 9,000 words, and pay $0.08/word. They also accept reprints. Annual fiction submission periods are January and July, and art is open year-round. Details here.
Narrative Magazine
They publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, audio poetry and prose, and video (short films/documentaries). They usually charge for submissions but during the first two weeks of April, they have an open reading period, for general submissions made specifically to the Open Reading category via their submissions page. (Please note, fee-free submissions are not eligible for their annual Narrative Prize.)
Length varies, and pay is $50-1,000 (it is $150 for a Story of the Week, with $400 each for the annual Top Five Stories of the Week; $150-350 for 500 to 2,000 word manuscripts; $350-1,000 for 2,000 to 15,000 word manuscripts; rates for book-length works vary, depending on the length and nature of the work; $50 minimum for each accepted poem and audio piece, $25 for poetry reprints; $200 each for the annual Top Five Poems of the Week; and $100 for Readers’ Narratives). Details here.
The Deadlands
This is a monthly speculative fiction magazine, and they are interested in work about death. They want speculative fiction “that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve. A ghost in a shadowed wood. An afterlife discovered through a rusted door. An abandoned house in the middle of a haunted field.” They also list what they do not want (including stories about the undead, like demons and vampires; Lovecraft mythos; weird West). They also accept reprints. In addition to fiction, poetry, and art, they want nonfiction essays and reviews of death-related media. For non-fiction, “We have likely reached our current limit of pieces having to deal with cemeteries, and would rather see work exploring other aspects of death, including but not limited to Death cards in tarot decks, mourning clothing from specific cultures, memento mori, death/mourning jewelry, funeral rites, and the like.” Send fiction of up to 5,000 words, essays of 1,000-4,000 words, and up to 3 poems. Pay is $0.10/word for fiction, $50/poem, and $100/nonfiction piece. During 2022, they’re open on an ongoing basis for fiction and nonfiction submissions, except for a year-end holiday closure. Poetry submissions are open the first two weeks of every month. Details here and here.
The Georgia Review
This literary magazine publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and book reviews. For prose, they read work of any length, but have seldom published anything of 9,000 words or more. Poetry is 6-10 pages. Standard book reviews are 1,400-1,600 words and essay-reviews are 4,000-6,000 words. Online submissions for non-subscribers are charged, but there is no fee for mailed submissions. Pay is $50/printed page of prose, $4/line of poetry, and $150 for reviews published on GR2. They’re closed during 15 May to 15 August annually. Details here.
Reckoning
They want creative writing, including translations, and art about environmental justice. “The fiction we publish is mostly, but not exclusively, speculative; the nonfiction is more creative than journalistic, the poetry tends towards the narrative, preferably with some thematic heft, the visual art leans away from the pulpy towards the surreal, subversive, political. But the heart of what we want is your searingly personal, visceral, idiosyncratic understanding of the world and the people in it as it has been, as it is, as it will be, as it could be, as a consequence of humanity’s relationship with the earth.” See the editors’ preferences for Issue 7. Send 3-5 poems, and up to 20,000 words of prose. Pay is $0.08/word for prose and $30/page for poetry. The annual deadline is usually Earth Day (22 September 2022). Details here.
Unidentified Funny Objects Series
This is an annual anthology of humorous science fiction/fantasy stories. They publish all styles and sub-genres of speculative humor. Length is 500-5,000 words, and pay is $0.10/word. They will likely resume submissions in 2023. Details here.
Strange Horizons
This magazine publishes speculative fiction, nonfiction (columns, essays, interviews, and round-tables), poetry, reviews, and art. They have extensive guidelines on the kind of work they prefer, and what kind of stories they won’t consider. They have occasional reading periods for fiction. Length guidelines are up to 10,000 words (under 5,000 words preferred) for fiction. Pay is $0.10/word for fiction, $50 for poetry, $20-150 for nonfiction. Details here and here. Their sister-magazine is Samovar, which publishes speculative literature in translation.
The Gettysburg Review
This literary journal publishes fiction, poetry, and essays. In fiction, they publish short-shorts and novel extracts. They do not publish genre fiction. Essays can be on literature, film, art, history, science, and contemporary thought, and can take any form – creative non-fiction, memoir, biography. Poetry can be short and long, and of any length or aesthetic bent. The magazine also publishes essay-reviews and artwork. There is a fee for submitting online, but not for mailed submissions; they also offer free submissions with an issue purchase or subscription. Length guidelines are up to 10,000 words for fiction and non-fiction; 1-5 poems, depending on length. Pay is $30/page of prose; $3/line of poetry (up to $300 for a poem). Their annual reading period is usually 1 September-31 May; full-color graphics are open year-round. “We will also stay open through the summer to those who would like to purchase a subscription or the current issue with their submission or to those who continue to use snail mail.” They recently announced that they would publish triannually, instead of quarterly. Details here and here.
The Sun Magazine
They publish fiction, personal essays, poetry, and photography (interior photos, cover photos, and photo-essays). “Personal stories that touch on political and cultural issues are welcome.” There’s also a themed Readers Write section, for which payment is a magazine subscription. Pay is $300-2,000 for prose, $100-250 for poetry, and $100-1,000 for photography. Details here and here.
The Bare Life Review
This is a journal of immigrant and refugee literature. They only take submissions from foreign-born writers living in the United States, or writers living abroad who currently hold refugee and/or asylum-seeker status. They have an online version, called The Latest, which publishes memoir, criticism, politics, and translations; “Generally, anything timely (i.e. reviews of new books, or work responding directly to current events) should be addressed to The Latest. Likewise, very short essays (<2000 words or so), very long essays (>6000 words), or work that includes color photography, will make for a better fit online.” The print magazine publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translations. Pay is $750 for accepted full-length prose pieces, $300 for accepted poems or shorter print journal prose (<2000 words), and $100 for The Latest. They have occasional submission periods. Details here and here.
Galaxy’s Edge
“We are a science fiction and fantasy magazine, so we would love to receive fiction from those categories as well as any sub-categories, such as space opera, steampunk, urban fantasy, africanfuturism, magical realism and so on. We do not publish straight horror stories, even if they do have a supernatural element, but if you have a dark fantasy story, or a dystopian science fiction piece, send it our way”. Do not send them vampire, werewolf, or zombie stories. Pay is $0.07/word for stories of up to 10,000 words, and US-based authors also get contributor copies. They open each Tuesday for submissions, and close when their limit is reached. Details here.
Gray’s Sporting Journal
This isn’t a literary magazine, but a journal of hunting and fishing. However, they also publish fiction – “Features may be fact or fiction, hunting or fishing, long or short but no shorter than 1,500 words. We rarely publish eulogy pieces, but if you’re convinced—heart and soul—that yours is superior, we’ll certainly take a look. Yarns are just that—campfire tales, fact or fiction, and should run from 750 to 1,500 words.” The magazine mainly publishes articles on fishing and hunting, expedition articles (travel pieces with hunting and fishing), and occasionally, poetry. Pay is $600-1,250 for features, based on quality, not length; yarns average $600; poems, $100. For expeditions, pay is $850-1,000. They also pay for photography. They accept submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here.
Fantasy & Science Fiction
The magazine “has no formula for fiction, but we like to be surprised by stories, either by the engaging voice, the character insights, ideas, plots, or prose. The speculative element may be slight, but it should be present and readily discernible by readers, ideally in the opening first or second page. We prefer character-oriented stories with strong voices and good pacing, whether it’s fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, or other speculative fiction works not easily classified in a single genre.” Send stories of up to 25,000 words, or 3-5 poems. Pay is $0.08-0.12c/word for fiction. Details here, here, and here.
Worlds of Possibility
“Worlds of Possibility is a series of science fiction and fantasy works released to Subscribers and Patrons of Julia Rios exclusively for a short time before being publicly available. For this project, I am especially excited for works that leave the reader with a sense of hope in some way.” There was a brief reading period in April; watch for the next submission period. Pay is $0.10/word. Details here.
FIYAH
This speculative fiction magazine only takes submissions by and about Black writers from Africa and the African Diaspora (see guidelines). They publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and reviews. For nonfiction, including for the FIYAH blog, they accept pitches – these are not required to fit the issue theme. Length guidelines are 2,000-15,000 words for fiction, up to 1,000 words for poetry, 800-1,200 word for nonfiction. Pay is $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry, $0.10/word for nonfiction. They will be open for submissions during 1st June-31st July 2022 for the Hauntings & Horrors theme. Details here. (FIYAH also offers grants for Black writers and editors of speculative fiction, though these are closed for 2022.)
Clarkesworld
This science fiction and fantasy magazine publishes short stories, interviews, articles and audio fiction. They accept fiction, non-fiction, and art submissions. “Science fiction need not be “hard” science fiction, but rigor is appreciated. Fantasy can be folkloric, contemporary, surreal, etc.” They accept dark SF/fantasy, but not horror. See the long list of tropes that are hard sells. They welcome translations. Fiction can be 1,000-22,000 words and non-fiction, up to 2,500 words. Pay is $0.12/word for fiction, and $0.10/word for non-fiction. They accept submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here.
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
They publish literary adventure fantasy – stories with a secondary-world setting and some fantasy feel, but written with a literary approach. They have detailed guidelines on secondary-world settings, characters, etc., and the kind of stories they want, and what to avoid. Pay is $0.08/word for stories up to 15,000 words. They accept submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here.
The Missouri Review
This magazine is based at the University of Missouri and publishes quarterly. They also have an online version. They accept fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Length guidelines are 8-20 pages for poetry; for fiction, while there are no length restrictions, longer manuscripts (9,000 to 12,000 words) or flash fiction manuscripts (2,000 words or less) must be truly exceptional to be published; there are no length guidelines for non-fiction. Online submissions are charged, but there is no fee for mailed submissions. Pay is $25/page (see FAQ). Details here.
Future Science Fiction Digest
This speculative fiction magazine publishes only translated fiction, and fiction written by authors for whom English is not their first language and who reside outside of primarily English-speaking countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland); a note on their website says they eventually plan to open general speculative fiction submissions, as well. They also accept non-fiction pitches. Length guidelines are 500-10,000 words for fiction (under 5,000 words strongly preferred). Pay is $0.08/word for fiction (for translations, this is split between author and translator), and $0.01/word for non-fiction. Details here.
Space Wizard Science Fantasy: World of Juno Anthology
This is a pitch callout for fiction, to be included in a shared-world anthology; they’re looking for “original stories between 3000 and 10000 words to create an anthology about the world of Juno! Stories will focus on the joy of discovery, using major events in the timeline, created species, and gods of Juno. This is a freeform anthology intending to add to the community world being created, similar to an RPG in terms of worldbuilding. … Authors will be compensated at pro rates $0.08 per word. Send your best pitch of 150 words or less by June 1st … containing the basic story arc, characters, and elements pertaining to the theme. Stories will be due for editing by July 14th.” They have links on the website for the shared-world timeline, etc. The publisher, Space Wizard and Science Fantasy, focuses on telling stories with queer elements and under-represented people. Details for the anthology are here.
The New Yorker
This top-tier magazine publishes unsolicited fiction, including humorous fiction for their Shouts & Murmurs, and Daily Shouts features. They also accept poetry (poetry submissions via Submittable only; send up to 6 poems), and cartoons (also via Submittable). Pay is unspecified. Submissions are open on an ongoing basis. Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
