These outlets accept fiction, and pay up to approximately $600. Some also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. They are either open now, or will open soon for submissions. – S. Kalekar
Flame Tree: Two anthologies
They want fiction for two anthologies.
— Robots Past & Future Short Stories: “For this theme, we’re looking for submissions that delve into the fascinating evolution of robots — from the mechanical marvels of the past to the imaginative possibilities of the future. Whether exploring the nostalgia of retro robotics, envisioning futuristic automatons, or crafting unique stories that bridge the two, we invite you to bring your vision of robots to life in this exciting collection.” They will also accept reprints for the Robots call. Deadline: 1 January 2025
— Witch Craft: This is part of their Beyond & Within series. “We’re looking for around four stories to join the selection … The call is open to all, though we expect to see a greater proportion of stories by authors identifying as women. We expect the stories to deal with what it means to be ‘witch’, and the rediscovery and reclaiming of that power, its links to nature – and the exploration of whether a witch is drawn to ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and why. Stories should be in the horror and folk horror veins, and we’d like to see as wide a range as possible – the history, stigma and varying interpretations from around the world that feed into this concept should yield some exciting results…” Deadline: 19 January 2025
Deadlines: See above
Length: 2,000-4,000 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here (Robots Past & Future) and here (Witch Craft)
Nashville Review
They will accept submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations starting 1st January 2025. They have two reading periods, January and August. Please note, they have a submission cap and may close early.
Opens on: 1st January 2025 (open until filled)
Length: Up to 7,000 words for fiction, up to 8,000 words for nonfiction, up to 3 poems
Pay: $25/poem, $100 for prose and art
Details here and here.
Cosmic Horror Monthly
This horror magazine wants weird and cosmic fiction. They will open for submissions for a week in January. Their submission portal will open during the reading period.
Reading period: 1st – 7th January 2025
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word
Details here
Belmont Story Review
This is a US-based magazine; their website says, “Belmont Story Review is a national magazine of literary arts, faith and culture.” They accept fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Please see their notes about payment, including, “Only contributors able to receive payment via paper check in the U.S. or Canada can be paid, others agree automatically by submitting that their location outside the U.S. or Canada does not guarantee them pay other than 3 in-kind copies of the issue in which they are printed, should they be selected for a print volume.” Please note, submissions for poetry may close earlier than the deadline if they reach their submission cap.
Deadline: 8 January 2025 for fiction and non-fiction; until filled for poetry
Length: Up to 12,000 words for prose, up to 5 poems
Pay: $100 for prose, $50 for poetry
Details here and here.
The Orange & Bee
This is an Australian Substack-based magazine, and they accept work related to fairy tales. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We are seeking original works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that engage in a significant way with the long history of fairy tales. We are interested in works that stretch, expand, test, subvert, and challenge the fairy-tale tradition.
We are interested in works that are entertaining, but also in works that matter: that is, in works that are both pleasurable to read and thought-provoking.
We are interested in works in which the relationship between your writing and the fairy-tale tradition is complex and thoughtful. Works that—ideally, though this is a Big Ask—open up our hearts and minds, offering us a new way to think or feel about the fairy-tale tradition as well as broader themes and issues.” They are especially interested in diverse perspectives. Their submission portal will soon open for submissions.
Reading period: 1st – 14th January 2025 (see guidelines)
Length: Up to 1,000 words for flash fiction, up to 4,000 words for short fiction/non-fiction, up to 50 lines for poetry
Pay: $80 for flash fiction, $0.08/word for short fiction/non-fiction, $50 for poetry
Details here and here.
Three-Lobed Burning Eye
This magazine of speculative fiction will soon open a short submission period; they want horror, fantasy, and science fiction. “We’re looking for short stories from across the big classifications and those shadowy places between: magical realism, fantastique, slipstream, interstitial, Weird fiction.” They like voices that are “full of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental.” They do not want extreme horror. They welcome translations. Their issues include audio readings. They now pay SFWA pro rates. Their submission portal will open during the reading period.
Reading period: 1st – 15th January 2025 (see their post on Bluesky here)
Length: 500–1,499 words for flash fiction, 1,500–7,499 words for short stories
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
34 Orchard
They accept fiction and poetry. “At 34 Orchard, we like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad.” They will soon open for a brief reading period. Work sent outside of this period will be deleted unread.
Reading period: 1st – 15th January 2025
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction, up to 3 poems
Pay: $50
Details here.
The Ampersand Review
This magazine is affiliated with Sheridan College. They accept fiction, non-fiction essays/memoirs/excerpts, and poetry. They are reading submissions for Issue 8. And, they accept review pitches (not submissions) for books written by Canadian authors and published by Canadian publishers within the last 12 months, or that are forthcoming; review pitches are accepted on a rolling basis.
Deadline: 31 January 2025
Length: Up to 3,000 words for fiction, up to 4,000 words for non-fiction, up to 5 poems
Pay: $100 for prose, $50-100 for poetry
Details here and here.
Parsec Ink: Triangulation Anthology Series – Dark Hearts
This is a fiction (prefer up to 3,000, will accept up to 5,000 words) and poetry (up to 100 lines) anthology. “Dark Hearts is a women-centered theme for which anyone can submit stories. The anthology will feature speculative stories and poems about women who are anti-heroes. Send us your stories about shady ladies: women and female-presenting characters breaking the rules, defying social norms, and getting up to no good!” The editor loves “supportive female friendships. Women with a mastery of weapons or powers. Women in STEM or in disguise. Cyborgs. Hackers. Heists. Underdogs. Romance!” Regarding genre, they accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and blends of the three.
Deadline: 31 January 2025
Length: See above
Pay: $0.03/word for fiction, and $0.25/line for poetry
Details here and here.
(And, Alpennia: Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast, a fiction podcast series on lesbian-relevant themes, will also open for submissions from all writers from 1st to 31st January 2025. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Stories must be set in an actual historic culture–i.e., a specific time and place in history–and the plot and characters should be firmly rooted in that time and place. (No time-travel or past memories, please.) …Stories must be set before 1900. … Romance is optional, and romance stories should have some other significant plot element in addition to the romance.” They pay $0.08/word for stories up to 5,000 words; details here.)
The First Line Journal
They want fiction (any genre) and poetry that begins with pre-set first lines, one for each quarterly issue. They also accept 4-part stories (or 5-part, if also ending with the last-line prompt from The Last Line Journal – ‘I called back a week later and told them we were good to go.’ – see guidelines) from writers who want to use all the 4 (or 5) prompts, but all of these must be submitted by the 1 February 2025 deadline. For nonfiction, they want critical articles about your favorite first line from a literary work. For fiction and poetry, the first lines are:
Spring: ‘Jayce recognized the man right away but couldn’t remember his name.’ Due date: February 1, 2025
Summer: ‘No one really knows why restoration stopped on the abandoned St. Julian hotel, where commoners and kings once came to relax in luxury.’ Due date: May 1, 2025
Fall: ‘Her truck took the sharp turns of the mountain road with ease.’ Due date: August 1, 2025
Winter: ‘When anyone in town needed help, they contacted Rocky Germain.’ Due date: November 1, 2025
Deadlines: 1 February 2025 for the Spring issue, and for 4-part (or 5-part) stories; later for other issues (see above)
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction; 500-800 words for nonfiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry (less postage fee for international contributors – see guidelines)
Details here.
Fusion Fragment
This Canadian magazine is open to submissions from writers globally. They want “Science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes…Although any science fiction subgenre is fair game, our tastes lean towards slipstream, cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, and anything with a little taste of the bizarre. FF prefers character-driven stories, and often skews towards quiet, reflective pieces. If the primary tone of your story is one of high adventure or humour, it’s probably not the right fit for FF. That said, quality always outstrips genre preference in terms of importance, so feel free to send us anything that even vaguely resembles science fiction.” They are currently closed for reprints.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 2,000-15,000 words
Pay: CAD0.04/word, up to CAD400
Details here.
Black Cat Weekly
Black Cat Weekly publishes science fiction and fantasy as well as mystery stories. Please note, they have one portal for submitting mystery (must have a crime), and another for submitting science fiction and fantasy. They also have separate guidelines for the kind of stories they want in each genre, please read them carefully.
Deadline: Open now
Length: Prefer 1,500-15,000 words, can accept up to 45,000 words
Pay: $0.01/word up to $50
Details here (mystery guidelines), here (sf & f guidelines), and here (submission portals).
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.