By S. Kalekar
These fiction magazines and anthologies pay up to about $500 for fiction. They’re a mix of literary and genre magazines. A couple of them are for a limited demographic, and one will open soon for a brief period. Also see some themed calls at the end of this list.
Uncanny
This award-winning speculative fiction magazine will open soon for a brief submission period, for flash fiction only. Do not send works of other lengths or genres during this submission period. Their submission portal will open during the reading period.
Reading period: 24-28 March 2025
Length: 750-1,500 words for flash fiction
Pay: $0.10/word
Details here.
The Fiddlehead
They want submissions by Canadian writers only via Submittable, for this reading period – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translations. They’ll accept work by all writers via Submittable during their Fall reading period (see guidelines). They also say, “For those who prefer snail mail and handwritten responses, we accept mailed submissions in any category all year round.”
Deadline: 31 March 2025
Length: Up to 6,000 words for prose, up to 6 poems
Pay: CAD65/page
Details here and here.
(And, Short Fiction Magazine is open for story submissions of 500-5,000 words; “We accept submissions from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the USA.” They pay £0.02/word up to £100, and the deadline is 23 March 2025; details here.)
Consequence Magazine
They publish work “that addresses the human experiences, realities, and consequences of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art.” They accept fiction (including flash and excerpts), nonfiction (interviews, essays, and narrative non-fiction), poetry, translations, and art. All works will be considered for online and print.
Deadline: 15 April 2025
Length: Varies
Pay: $30-50 for prose, $20/poem for print poetry, $30-50 for online poetry
Details here and here.
Terrain.org
This magazine focuses on place, climate, and justice. They publish fiction, poetry, essays, articles, artwork, videos, and other contributions, as well as translations. They particularly seek underrepresented voices (see guidelines). Poetry submissions will close end-March while general fiction and non-fiction will close end April; submissions for ARTerrain and Letter to America have no deadlines listed.
Deadline: 31 March 2024 for poetry, 30 April 2025 for prose
Length: 2-6 poems, up to 5,000 words for prose
Pay: $50
Details here and here.
(Terrain.org also has an annual Editor’s Prize of $500 per genre for underrepresented writers for which there is no submission fee, and another prize, for all writers, for which there is a submission fee – see guidelines).
Pulp Literature
They’re open for fiction submissions. They want any genre or between-genre work of literature up to 50 pages in length. They accept short stories, novellas, poetry, and comics. They take all genres of fiction, not just pulp – including fantasy, romance, mystery, literary. They do not publish non-fiction, memoir, or children’s stories. They take more short fiction than novellas, and stories under 5,000 words have the best chance of publication. They also publish reprints. Please note, fiction submission is via a form on their website, which may close temporarily even during open reading periods, if submissions get overwhelming. They accept queries for art.
Deadline: 31 March 2025 (see guidelines)
Length: Up to 10,000 words (prefer up to 4,000 words)
Pay: $0.05-0.08/word for short stories (to 5,000 words), $0.03-0.06/word for stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words; $25-50 for poetry and art; $25-75/page for sequential art
Details here and here.
khōréō
This is a quarterly magazine of speculative fiction and migration, and they only publish fiction by immigrant and diaspora authors. They also accept speculative fiction translations with migration themes.
Deadline: 31 March 2025
Length: Up to 5,000 words for fiction, up to 3,500 words for translations
Pay: $0.10/word
Details here, here, and here.
(And, The Skull & Laurel is looking for at least one Weird Folk Horror story from a BIPOC writer for Issue 4. “Weird Folk Horror/Folk SF/Folk Fantasy, broad interpretation, all kinds of folklore and lore welcome.” They also accept translations and reprints. They accept works of 100-4,999 words, pay $0.03/word, and the deadline is 1 April 2025; details here.)
West Branch
West Branch is a literary magazine affiliated with Bucknell University. They accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and translations.
Deadline: 1 April 2024
Length: Up to 30 pages for prose; up to 6 poems
Pay: $100 per submission of poetry, $.10/word for prose up to $200
Details here.
Translunar Travelers Lounge
They want fun speculative fiction; stories must have elements of science fiction or fantasy. “A fun story, at its core, is one that works on the premise that things aren’t all bad; that ultimately, good wins out. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your story has to be silly or lighthearted (though it certainly can be). 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’re looking for, but we won’t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider “fun” umbrella.” Their reading period is 15 March to 15 April 2025. Please note, the first week (i.e. 15-21 March) is for submissions from writers of color only (see guidelines) and, “Authors who submit to this window are welcome to also submit a different story to the general submissions window.”
Deadline: 15 April 2025
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word
Details here and here.
Cold Caller Mag
Cold Caller is a new Substack-based magazine; it is “a publisher of crime and mystery fiction, and we define those terms broadly. We’re looking for stories of bad decisions and worse consequences; unlucky losers who can’t catch a break; grifters and con men convinced they’re about to score big; good men and women who have very good reasons to do terrible things.” They’ve given a list of stories, as well as TV shows and movies, that match their vibe (see guidelines). And, “We lean toward noir and realism, so generally speaking we aren’t looking for cozy mysteries, spy thrillers, or for cross-genre work such as mystery-romance, mystery-science fiction, mystery-fantasy, etc.”
Deadline: Open now
Length: Up to 10,000 words (prefers 2,000-6,000 words)
Pay: $125
Details here.
Belanger Books: Sherlock Holmes – A Year of Mystery 1889 & 1890
This is a call for fiction for a Sherlock Holmes themed anthology. “When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years ’82 and ’90, I am faced by so many which present strange and interesting features that it is no easy matter to know which to choose and which to leave.” – Dr. Watson
Synopsis: The year 1889 was a particularly busy one for Holmes with a number of cases including The Hound (Sept. 25-Oct. 20); “The Beryl Coronet” (Feb. 19-20); “The Man with the Twisted Lip” (June 18-19); … But what other cases did our heroes encounter in these years? Find out in Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries – 1889 & Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries – 1890. … The stories must be Canonical in nature and fit with the timeline. Holmes and Watson should act like they do in the original stories. As you can see above, a number of the original cases from this period are specifically dated, so please bear that in mind when you are writing your story.” And, “Authors interested in participating should first send a synopsis of their adventure and the month of the year they wish it to take place. If your story does not need a specific month (i.e. it takes place in autumn and could be in September, October, or November) please let us know that as well. Once your synopsis has been accepted, you should begin drafting the story.” Submission deadline for proposals is April 30th, 2025. Submission deadline for stories is June 30th, 2025.
Deadline: See above
Length: 5,000 – 10,0000 words
Pay: $125
Details here.
(Belanger Books is also open for two other anthologies, with later deadlines – The Necronomicon of Sherlock Holmes; and Solar Pons: A Year of Mystery 1919; see the guidelines page for details.)
(There are also some other themed calls that are open now:
— Flame Tree Publishing: Afrofuturism Short Stories: “The National Museum of African American History and Culture characterises Afrofuturism as expressing “notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life.” This is Africa, based in Kenya, defines Africanfuturism as located in “the African point of view, experience, culture, themes, and history with technology based in Africa, not the diaspora”. …. Authors must be writing from an authentic perspective of the Black experience, whether based in the diaspora or in Africa.” They also accept reprints. Pay is $0.08/word for stories of 2,000-4,000 words (see guidelines), deadline 28 March 2025.
— Riddle Fence: Knots, Nets, and Ties that Bind: This Labrador-based journal wants submissions on Knots, Nets, and Ties that Bind.At the time of writing, fee-free submissions of poetry and fiction on this theme were still open; they will close end-March, or when their submission cap is reached, whichever comes first. Pay is CAD50/page for up to 3,000 words for prose, up to 10 pages for poetry; details here and here.
— Banshee Press: It doesn’t have to be this way: They welcome submissions from Irish and international writers. They have detailed guidelines about what the fiction editor is looking for in this issue, including, “Speculative Fiction, or It doesn’t have to be this way’. It was Ursula K. LeGuin who coined this as a simple summary of what fantasy and sci-fi can achieve: a way of looking at the world and ourselves and imagining how else they might be. It is playful, she said, and it is also subversive. What excites me about speculative fiction is not really magic wands, elves or spaceships, but its ability to examine our world through the lens of another.” Pay: €250 for fiction/nonfiction up to 5,000 words; €75 for flash fiction; €50/poem (see here – click on ‘Say what you pay’); deadline 31 March 2025; details here and here.
— Cohesion Press: SNAFU – Contagion: They want fantasy, horror, or science fiction stories with a military focus for the latest in their SNAFU anthology series. “SNAFU: Contagion, featuring action-filled tales of viral, fungal and bacterial horror. … Please ensure the action is central to the story, from start to finish, and don’t forget monsters! It really should be in the style of military or paramilitary action.” Pays AUD0.05/word for stories of 2,500-7,500 words, deadline: 31 March 2025.
— Barbecued Beef: Tales of Disagreement: They want fiction and poetry. “We are now open for submissions for our Summer 2025 issue. The theme for that issue will be ‘Barbecued Beef: Tales of Disagreement’. Our themes are broadly interpreted. And, “Earlier submission within the submission window greatly improves the chance of publication.” Submission is via a form on their website. Pays $10 for poetry, $20-50 for fiction of up to 2,000 words, deadline 31 March 2025.
— Foofaraw Anthology: “Every 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.” They want fiction, comics, humor/satire, poetry, essays, “and anything else that fits the vibe”. And, “the general areas/genres of interest for fiction in foofaraw are: Magical Realism, Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Literary, LGBTQIA+, Horror, Mystery, Noir, Odd / Surreal / Absurdist / Experimental. Submission is via a form on their website. Pays $0.01/word for fiction of 500-5,000 words, $5 for poetry, deadline 31 March 2025.
— Utopia Science Fiction: Wants fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for their June issue on the Disability Pride theme, deadline 1 April 2025; they pay $0.08/word for fiction up to 4,000 words, $25 for poetry, and $30 for non-fiction; submission is via a form on their website.
— Sally Port Magazine: Making the Choice: They accept fantasy fiction only – for a general, as well as mid-grade and YA audiences. You can read about them here. Their upcoming theme is ‘Making the Choice’. They also accept non-fiction. There is no deadline given for the themed issue. Pays $0.05/word, details here, here, here, and here.)
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.