{"id":12993,"date":"2026-03-17T11:16:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=12993"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:16:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:16:43","slug":"10-fiction-magazines-and-anthologies-paying-up-to-500","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/10-fiction-magazines-and-anthologies-paying-up-to-500\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Fiction Magazines and Anthologies Paying up to $500"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These magazines and anthologies pay up to $500 for fiction. Some of them also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry.

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly<\/strong>
They are \u201cdedicated to publishing heroic fantasy \u2014 in both prose and poetry. We are unrepentant in our goal of elevating unapologetic sword and sorcery to a rightful high place.\u201d They also say, Tolkienesque (as in really long) poetry will most likely be treated \u2014 and paid \u2014 like fiction. \u201cSimilarly, prose pieces of fewer than 1,000 words will be paid at poetry\u2019s standard rate of $25.\u201d
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Length: Up to 10,000 words (can serialize longer \u2013 see guidelines)
Pay: $25-100 for fiction, $12.5-25 for poetry
Details here<\/a>.

Chestnut Review<\/strong>
They accept fee-free submissions of flash prose; Black and Indigenous authors can also submit longer prose fee-free \u2013 see guidelines; as well as poetry and art.\u00a0They read throughout the year, with cut-off dates for issues.
Deadline: 31 March 2025 for the Summer issue
Length: Up to 1,000 words for flash prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: $120
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

MetaStellar<\/strong>
This magazine is open for speculative flash fiction submissions through March. They accept other genres too, like reviews and essays, as well as reprints, though there is no payment for those.
Deadline: 31 March 2026 for flash fiction
Length: Up to 1,200 words
Pay: $0.10\/word for original stories
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adi Magazine<\/strong>
Their tagline is, \u2018Rehumanizing Policy\u2019. They are open for fiction submissions through March. \u201cAdi\u00a0<\/em>is thinking about alternative political visions for a world in desperate need of them.We are living through a moment of acute political, social, economic, and environmental retrenchment across the globe, and it\u2019s hard not to succumb to a feeling of powerlessness. But we know that, as Saidiya Hartman has shared, \u201cSo much of the work of oppression is policing the imagination.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So at Adi<\/em> we are giving our imaginations free rein to combat political ennui and nihilism. We know that narratives themselves have power: the ability to build alliances and strategies, the capacity to foster hope for change, and the power to remake the ways we understand our world in the past, present, and future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are looking for pieces about practices, ideas, and movements that were\/are suppressed by economic, socio-cultural, religious, or (neo)colonial powers. We privilege perspectives from the global majority\u2014people of color, queer people, all marginalized peoples\u2014as they reflect on how politics and policies influence their daily lives. We are always interested in exploring how we might reorient our political universe toward those organic alliances, intertwined liberation theologies, grassroots movements, and revolutionary philosophies.\u201d Apart from fiction, they are also open for pitches (not submissions) of essays (including graphic non-fiction), translations, and interviews.
Deadline: 31 March 2026 for fiction
Length: Up to 5,000 words for fiction
Pay: $200 for flash, $500 for short fiction
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

carte blanche
<\/strong>They want fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, translations (French to English only), photography, and comics for their upcoming issue. They have a submission cap on poetry, so that may close earlier than the deadline. While they accept international and Canadian submissions, they may emphasize a focus on Quebec-based creators in a given issue.
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Length: Up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: CAD75
Details here<\/a>.

Varnish<\/strong>
This is an Australian magazine. They are reading for their first print edition; they want literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Print submissions will stay open until 4th<\/sup> April or when they reach their submission limit, whichever is earlier and online submissions, for which there is no payment, are open on an ongoing basis. Please note, \u201cWhen submitting, please add \u201cPrint Submission\u201d to your email subject-line. Submissions not marked as \u201cPrint Submission\u201d will automatically be redirected to Varnish Online<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0
Deadline: 4 April 2026, or until filled
Length: Up to 8,000 words for prose, up to 4 pages for poetry for print
Pay: AUD250 for prose, AUD100 for poetry
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translunar Travelers Lounge
<\/strong>They want fun speculative fiction; stories must have elements of science fiction or fantasy. \u201cA fun story, at its core, is one that works on the premise that things aren\u2019t all bad; that ultimately, good wins out. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that your story has to be silly or lighthearted (though it certainly can<\/em>\u00a0be). Joy can be made all the more powerful when juxtaposed against tragedy. In the end, though, there should be hope, and we want stories that are truly fun for as many different kinds of people as possible.
Swashbuckling adventure, deadly intrigue, and gleeful romance are some of the most obvious examples of what we\u2019re looking for, but we won\u2019t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider \u201cfun\u201d umbrella.\u201d The first week of submissions (ending 21st<\/sup> March) is reserved for writers of color only
Deadline: 21 March for writers of color; 22 March to 15 April for all writers
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03\/word
Details here<\/a>.

PodCastle<\/strong>
This online and audio magazine, from the Escape Artists suite, publishes fantasy fiction of various types. They also accept reprints and translations.
Deadline: 1 May 2026 (Midnight BST)
Length: Up to 6,000 words for originals (can accept longer for reprints, but query first)
Pay: $0.08\/word for originals, $20-100 for reprints
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TONGUE
<\/strong>TONGUE is a new literary magazine that publishes translations only<\/strong>, of fiction or creative nonfiction, into English. \u201cTONGUE is especially committed to championing voices from indigenous, stateless, endangered, and underrepresented languages.
Each month (or so) we release one fantastic story, in its original language and in English translation, in print and online.\u201d They accept translated short stories, self-contained novel excerpts, creative non-fiction. Do not send work that is not translated.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 1,000-4,000 words
Pay: $50 to $200
Details here<\/a>.

<\/strong>Myth & Legends: The Gren-Wode Anthology
<\/strong>This is a submission call from Myth & Legends, an anthology imprint of Hearth Stories. For this anthology, they want \u201cstories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood. The stories do not<\/em> have to feature Robin Hood, but should be firmly set within the world and time period of the legend, using any existing characters<\/strong><\/a> you like, or adding your own.
If you are only loosely aware of the Robin Hood legends: no worries! The Robin Hood Wikipedia article<\/strong><\/a> has a lot of great information that can get you going. You don’t have to be a historian, British cultural expert, or Robin Hood super-fan to participate. If you have an inclination to give a story or poem a whirl, we would love to hear from you!
Submissions are open from March 1st<\/sup>, 2026\u2013September 30th<\/sup>, 2026. We intend to accept works along the way, and not wait until the end to send responses to authors.\u201d They want fiction and poetry, and also accept reprints.
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Length: 2,000-15,000 words for fiction, up to 1,000 words for poetry (see their note on longer poems)
Pay: $50 for original fiction, $10 for poetry
Details here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n


(Submissions are also open for some other themed calls:
\u00a0
<\/strong>— Air and Nothingness Press: <\/strong>Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity Anthology: <\/strong>\u201cWe are seeking HARD SF stories for an anthology to be titled\u00a0Tea or Coffee, Stars, and Gravity\u00a0which will collect stories with these 3 title elements key to the narrative. \u2026 Stories must include the 3 title elements: 1. Tea or Coffee, 2. Stars, 3. Gravity.
Examples: Tea merchants travel the asteroid belt selling to belt miners. An astronaut crashlands on a heavy gravity world and must walk to distant rescue with nothing but GMO altered coffee to drink and stars to navigate by. The night shift on a naval destroyer spaceship encounters a black hole.\u201d Deadline: 31 March 2026; Length: Up to 2,000 words; Pay: $0.08\/word; Details here<\/a>.

— WonderBird Press: Sinister Scales and Perilous Plants Anthologies:<\/strong>
WonderBird Press<\/a> wants submissions for two science fiction\/fantasy anthologies in their Unhelpful Encyclopaedia series: Sinister Scales: <\/strong>SF and fantasy stories about reptiles, theme details in submission form here<\/a>, Perilous Plants: <\/strong>SF and fantasy stories about plants, theme details in submission form here<\/a>. \u201dWe welcome broad interpretations of the genres, story structure, and how the reptile\/plant shows up. But to be considered the story must <\/em>prominently feature the species that inspired the tale and be 2000 to 6000 words in length. Payment offered is 2c\/word for original work, with the possibility of increase based on Kickstarter stretch goals. More information is included at the top of the submission forms, as well as in previous wishlist posts. But please reach out if you have questions.\u201d Deadline 31 March 2026; Details here<\/a>. Please note, this is a Kickstarter-funded project.

— Cohesion Press: SNAFU \u2013 Level Up: <\/strong>Cohesion Press publishes military and action horror; you can read more about them here<\/a>. This call is for a fiction anthology in their annual S.N.A.F.U. series. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cGive us a litRPG-style story, where characters gain skills and level up their abilities during the combat WITH HORRENDOUS BEASTS. \u2026\u00a0For this SNAFU volume, we encourage both fantasy and tech litRPG, as well as horror. So long as it’s violent, we’re happy.\u201dDeadline: 31 March 2026, Length: 2,500-12,000 words, Pay: AUD0.05\/word,
Details here<\/a>.

— Whytaker Lyon Press: Richmond Fantastic Anthology: <\/strong>\u201cFrom the cobblestones of Monument Avenue to the rapids of Pony Pasture, Richmond\u2019s a fantastic(al) place to be, and we want to read about it. We\u2019re talking werewolf bands at The National, telepathic otters at Maymont, an inescapable time warp in Short Pump\u2026 whatever it is that makes RVA (and its surrounding counties) so magical.\u201d And, \u201cStories must contain a speculative element (Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Slipstream, Magical Realism) and take place in Virginia. Feel free to mash genres and include Mystery, Romance, Western, etc.\u201d Stories must take place in the Greater Richmond Area; writers from anywhere in the world are welcome. Deadline: 31 March 2026, Length: 2,000-5,000 words, Pay: $0.01\/word, Details here<\/a>.

— Foofaraw Anthology: <\/strong>They want fiction and poetry. \u201cEvery piece must align, at least a tiny bit, to one of these two definitions:
a great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant.
an excessive amount of decoration or ornamentation, as on a piece of clothing, a building, etc.\u201d The general areas\/genres of interest for fiction are: Magical Realism; Speculative Fiction; Sci-Fi; Fantasy; Literary; LGBTQIA+; Horror; Mystery; Noir; Odd\u200a\/\u200aSurreal\/\u200aAbsurdist\/Experimental. Please note, their first anthology publication has been delayed; see the note here<\/a>. Deadline: 31 March 2026; Length: 500-5,000 words; Pay: $0.01\/word for fiction, $5 for poetry; Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>, see the relevant category.

— DreamPunk Press: TEETH Anthology: <\/strong>This is a fiction anthology. \u201cWe’re talking eerie, or creepy, or Gothic. We are NOT interested in overly gory fiction or slasher fiction.\u00a0\u00a0The theme for this anthology is TEETH.\u201d\u00a0Deadline: 31 March 2026; Length: 3,000-3,500 words; Pay: $200; Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Woven Webs Zine: Bite the Hand: <\/strong>They are reading for their second issue, and the theme is Bite the Hand. \u201cinspired by the phrase \u201cDon\u2019t bite the hand that feeds you\u201d. ..Your submission might consider loyalty, rebellion, status, power and\/or use motifs such as dogs, wolves, hands, teeth or food. All genres are accepted. \u2026 particularly seeking speculative (science fiction, fantasy, etc), mixed genre and experimental works. Creators are encouraged to submit pieces that may struggle to be published elsewhere and that experiment with form.\u201d Deadline: 1 April 2026,
Length: Up to 3,000 words for fiction, poetry up to 50 lines, Pay: $100, Details here<\/a>.\u00a0

— Utopia Science Fiction: Cozy utopias: <\/strong>They want fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for their June issue \u2013 \u201cShow us marvellous, cozy utopias!\u201d Submission is via a form. Deadline: 1 April 2026; Length: 100-4,000 words for fiction (query first for longer), up to 5 short or 1 long poem, up to 6,000 words for nonfiction; Pay: $0.08\/word for fiction, $25 for poetry, $30 for nonfiction; Details here<\/a>.

— Cast of Wonders: Three themes: <\/strong>Cast of Wonders is a Young Adult speculative online and audio magazine from the Escape Artists suite of magazines. They have detailed guidelines, including what constitutes YA, please read them carefully. They are open for a submissions for a special call: the podcast is turning 15, and they want YA birthday<\/strong>-themed stories. The deadline for this call is 21st<\/sup> March; send stories of 1,500-4,000 words for this call, and payment is $0.08\/word; and Cast of Wonders is also scheduled to open later in March for other themes: Halloween<\/strong>-themed YA stories from 22nd<\/sup> to 28th<\/sup> March, and for Solstice\/Christmas\/New Year YA <\/strong>stories from 29th<\/sup> March to 5th<\/sup> April 2026; See their schedule here<\/a>; details about the calls will likely appear on their Moksha<\/a> page closer to the reading periods; Details here<\/a> \u2013 general guidelines, here<\/a> \u2013 schedule, here<\/a> \u2013Moksha portal with details on CoW turns 15\/Birthday call)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Bio:<\/strong>\u00a0S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

S. Kalekar These magazines and anthologies pay up to $500 for fiction. Some of them also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry.Heroic Fantasy QuarterlyThey are \u201cdedicated to publishing heroic fantasy \u2014 in both prose and poetry. We are unrepentant in our goal of elevating unapologetic sword and sorcery to a rightful high place.\u201d They…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12993"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12994,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions\/12994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}