These magazines and anthologies pay $50-600 for fiction. A few of them also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. A few calls are themed. – S. Kalekar
Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores
They accept fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, originals as well as reprints. For fiction, they want science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form. They accept both serious and humorous work. Also see guidelines for the kind of work they’re looking for, hard sells, and what they do not want.
Reading period: 1st-2nd of every month (see guidelines)
Length: Anywhere from 1,000 words and up for fiction; poetry up to 40 lines
Pay (for originals): $0.08/word for fiction, $0.02-0.08/word for non-fiction, $1/line for poetry
Details here.
Old Pal
They publish poetry, fiction, critical non-fiction, excerpts, audio, mixed-media, and various mediums of art. While they do not accept previously published work, they will consider work previously posted on social media.
Deadline: 15 November 2022
Length: Up to 15 pages for written work, up to 6 pieces of other media
Pay: $50
Details here.
Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.P. Lovecraft
This is a fiction anthology. “The stories must feel like traditional Holmes and Lovecraft stories. The stories should have the traditional Holmes and Watson working with the traditional characters, creatures, and/or gods of H.P. Lovecraft.” Also, “Imagine Holmes investigating the disappearance of a college student in the mysterious town of Innsmouth, matching wits with a man who can reanimate the dead, or using his deductive skills to help fight creatures from beyond the realm of time and space. These are just some of the stories which could be included in the new anthology”. This is a Kickstarter-funded project.
Deadline: 15 November 2022
Length: 5,000-10,000 words
Pay: $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever is greater)
Details here (scroll down).
Short Fiction
This is a UK-based magazine, and their tagline is ‘The Visual Literary Journal’. They accept submissions from writers in every country except the US. “We publish one story per month as our Featured piece. We will also periodically seek to publish one story in a new section – “Introducing” – which will be a showcase for excellent new writers; that is, writers for whom this is their first published piece.”
Deadline: 30 November 2022
Length: 500-5,000 words
Pay: £0.02/word, to the nearest 100 words, up to £100
Details here.
Split Lip Magazine
This is “a voice-driven literary journal with a pop culture twist.” They publish fiction (flash and short stories), memoir, poetry, art, and photography. They have certain fee-free submission periods, including November. Fee-free submissions have a submission cap and may close early. Fee-free submissions for Black writers are open practically through the year (see guidelines).
Deadline: 30 November 2022, or until filled, for general fee-free submissions
Length: Up to 3,000 words for fiction, varies for others
Pay: $75 per author for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and $50 for interviews/reviews for web issues; and for print it is $5/page
Details here.
The Forge
This magazine publishes one prose piece a week, fiction or non-fiction. They accept fee-free submissions; the monthly deadline for these is usually end of the month, or until filled. Fee-free submissions open again at the beginning of the following month. They do not accept general submissions in September and December.
Deadline: 30 November 2022 for fee-free submissions, or until filled
Length: Prefer up to 3,000; can accept up to 5,000 words
Pay: $75
Details here.
Pride Book Cafe: Fable – An Anthology of Horror, Suspense, & the Supernatural
This is a fiction anthology, and they accept submissions from all writers. “Submissions must fall into one of the following categories: horror, mystery, crime, thriller, and/or suspense. Supernatural elements are encouraged. However, they are not necessary.” They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 30 November 2022
Length: Flash (1,000 words) up to novella length (39,999 words)
Pay: $0.08/word for the first 1,000 words, and $0.01/word after
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for PRIDE Quarterly, a genre fiction magazine; they accept submissions only from QTBIPOC creators. Send original fiction of flash to novelette length – longer for reprints – as well as poetry, and art, including comics. Pay is $0.08/word for the first 1,000 words and $0.01/word after for fiction, $15 for poems, $50 per page for comics, and $25 for reviews on bookish QTBIPOC topics. They have periodic, unannounced closures. Details here.)
Zombies Need Brains: Four themes
They are open for four fiction anthologies.
— Dragonesque: “you’ll experience an anthology of fantasy and science fiction stories told from, or through, or with, the dragon’s point of view. High fantasy, sword & sorcery, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, magical realism, and of course science fiction…DRAGONESQUE will feature a wealth of genres that even a dragon would be tempted to horde.”
— Game On!: “Games played in fiction often symbolize more than winning and losing. Games represent risk and reward, wealth and class, strategy and blind fortune. In science fiction and fantasy, games can be matters of cosmic importance and of literal life and death… we’re looking for unique science fiction and fantasy takes on games, game playing, and games in culture. A game or games—real or imagined—should be central to the story in some fashion. Please note anything considered a ‘sport’ (i.e.: baseball, soccer, rollerball, etc.) won’t be a fit for this anthology. Games used in stories must also not infringe on real-world trademarked names or third-party copyrights.”
— Artifice & Craft: “Our drive and ability to create for the sake of creativity defines us as a species and enriches our cultures, our societies, our lives. The best of these works of art, from novels to paintings to statues to music, are imbued with a special kind of magic. But when that magic is literal—when Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray ages instead of the actual man, and Mozart’s Magic Flute plays its protective song—art takes on a whole new meaning. .. we invite writers of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and other speculative fiction to spin their own tales of works of art that have been enchanted, hexed, charmed, or cursed.”
— Solar Flare: “Imagine a Solarpunk future where societies value cooperation over consumerism, where technology solves ecological challenges rather than creating them. SOLAR FLARE will envision a future where humanity has embraced the Earth and learned to co-exist with it, not simply on it, where sustainability is a way of life, not merely a catch phrase.”
Deadline: 31 December 2022
Length: Up to 7,500 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here and here.
Dark Recess Press Magazine
This is a magazine of horror and dark fiction. They also commission non-fiction (articles, essays, and briefs) on related themes – send queries, not completed manuscripts, for non-fiction. Submissions are ongoing, with quarterly cut-off dates for issues.
Deadline: 31 January 2023
Length: 500-5,000 words for fiction; varies for others
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.
(They also accept short fiction for the web magazine, and pay $10-25 for that – scroll down the guidelines page for details.)
Imaginary Comma: Thirteen
Thirteen is an audio-drama/ audio fiction podcast, specializing in feature length (~ one hour) productions that are characterized by slow-burn, atmospheric stories horror and ghost stories. Stories with a first person central narrator and supporting characters work best for their format, as do well-crafted stories, full of atmosphere and compelling settings, that take their time getting to the scares. Stories that are not character driven will not be a good fit. Also, “Submissions of 5,000 words or more are most likely to be selected for wide release. Shorter submissions may be selected for special double feature episodes or episodes exclusive to Patreon supporters and other financial supporters of Imaginary Comma. Any submission that is selected for production, regardless of platform, will be paid.”
Deadline: Open now
Length: Unspecified – but submissions of 5,000 words or more are most likely to be selected for wide release (see above)
Pay: $50-75
Details here.
Etherea Magazine
This journal is seeking fantasy and science fiction short stories. “We are not too interested in horror or grimdark, however every submission is read and considered on its merits.” Also, “We are an Australian publication, and have dedicated ourselves to publishing a minimum of 25% Australian content.” They also accept reprints, and will consider completed serials (see guidelines).
Deadline: Open now
Length: 500-1,000 words for flash fiction, 2,000-5,000 words for short fiction
Pay: AUD25 for flash fiction, AUD100 for short fiction
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
