These magazines/anthologies pay up to $800 for fiction. A few also accept other genres, like non-fiction and poetry. They are open now, or will open soon for submissions. Some deadlines are approaching quickly. Some of these calls are themed. – S. Kalekar
OwlCrate: Monsters In Masquerade
This will be OwlCrate’s first fiction anthology. “The theme and title will be Monsters in Masquerade. Please submit your fantasy / horror stories in full, and don’t forget to include a romantic element of some kind in your story! We are looking for stories that are Upper YA (18+) to adult. Spice is encouraged but not required. Your word count should fall between 6k to 8k words.” Contributors can send their stories via a Google form, or by joining their app (see guidelines).
Deadline: 31 December 2023
Length: 6,000-8,000 words
Pay: $0.10/word
Details here and here.
Apex Book Company: The Map of Lost Places
This is a horror fiction anthology. They want “stories about places where weird things happen. Places that have strange histories, their own traditions and customs, their own dangers. These can be based off real folk tales or old wives tales – think the Mothman in Point Pleasant, WV – or ones that you come up with all on your own. But your story should tell of someone going to one of these places – either intentionally or they just stumble across it – and what happens when they encounter the frightening/strange thing that is in or occurs in that location.” Also, please note, “In order to avoid duplicates in the open submission call, locations already chosen by the featured authors are listed below. This list will be updated as the authors make their decisions, so be sure to check back!” The Kickstarter for this project has been funded.
Deadline: 31 December 2023
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here, here, and here.
Apex Magazine
They will reopen for submissions on 1st January 2024, according to this announcement. Their submission portal will open for short fiction then. This magazine publishes speculative fiction. (They’re currently open for an anthology, and will open a for themed monthly flash fiction contest on 15th January).
Opens on: 1 January 2024
Length: Up to 7,500 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here and here.
The House of Gamut
Gamut publishes dark speculative fiction, non-fiction, poetry, as well as reprints of all these genres, and anthologies. Fiction is scheduled to reopen on 1st January 2024, see the announcement here. Their guidelines say, “For stories, we are looking for fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, neo-noir, new-weird, transgressive fiction, magical realism, and literary fiction that leans into genre. Our publishing arm will look for novels, collections, and anthologies that are similar in nature.” “We will pay ten cents a word for original work, and three cents a word for reprints. Poetry is $50 per poem for new work and $25 per poem for reprints. Stories will typically be in the 1,000-5,000 word range, the same for non-fiction. Poetry is pretty open.” They also will publish a dark urban fantasy anthology later in the year.
Opens on: 1st January 2024
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction
Pay: $0.10/word
Details here and here.
The Cosmic Background
This is flash fiction magazine. “We are primarily a slipstream publication — that means we like your stories that don’t make a ton of sense. We want your giant talking frogs. We want your people with unexplained, never commented-upon eyes in their fingertips. We enjoy character-focused writing, with an emphasis on voice.” They also accept reprints. They will reopen for submissions on 4th January 2024.
Opens on: 4 January 2024
Length: Up to 1,000 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here and here.
Flame Tree Publishing: Three anthologies
They are accepting submissions for three fiction anthologies, part of their new Myths, Gods & Immortals series. “Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. New and emerging writers from open submissions, reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well-known stories, alongside specially commissioned text on the origins and the cultural background of the mythology. The first three books will focus respectively on Odin, Anansi and Medusa.” They will also accept reprints.
— Odin: “Everyone knows about Odin, the All-father, the one-eyed, all-seeing, powerful King of the Gods, presiding over his great hall Valhalla, surveying the nine realms and the billions of souls. He bears the pain of Ragnarok, the joy of travelling in disguise through Midgard and shapeshifting in the dusk joins his ravens in their flights across the mythic landscape. Featuring new stories from open submissions this enthralling book reveals the larger-than-life stories of Odin and his kin, their adventures in the ancient and the modern world, with the gods, the giants, the valkyrie and the creatures of the epic Norse literature. Stories submitted for consideration need to explore new angles to the character: have him follow alternative paths, present different viewpoints, imagine new futures, or perhaps pursue story lines that are hinted at in the original tales.” Details here.
— Anansi: “Anansi is at once a creator god, a trickster folk hero, a wily spider and a heroic symbol of resistance. From his origins in West African folklore, to his lauded status in Jamaica, Anansi is a versatile immortal whose many stories reflect the early world of his origins, and the potential for re-imagination. Sometimes dark and chilling, occasionally light-hearted, but always lively and clever, Anansi appears in the lives of everyday folk, pricks the pomposity of the mighty and in this collection of new stories, appears in the modern and the ancient world, a symbol still of individuality and resilience, adapting to City life, with the undertow of ancient lore ever-present. Stories submitted for consideration need to explore new angles to the character: have him follow alternative paths, present different viewpoints, imagine new futures, or perhaps pursue story lines that are hinted at in the original tales.” Details here.
— Medusa: “Variously described as a fiend, a monster, a charming seductress who was felled by the righteous might of Perseus, son of Zeus, Medusa is perhaps the most misunderstood of mythological women. Described by male historians and epic writers such as Virgil and Ovid there are many aspects of her imagined life which find resonance in the struggles of the outsider, the cursed and those used in the service of another’s vision of the world around them. This fascinating collection brings together new stories and ancient origins, offering a wider perspective on the whole life of the powerful, wonderful Medusa. Stories submitted for consideration need to explore new angles to the character: have her follow alternative paths, present different viewpoints, counter the patriarchal narrative and male gaze, or perhaps pursue story lines that are hinted at in the original tales.” Details here.
Deadline for all Flame Tree anthologies: 7 January 2024
Length: 3,000-4,000 words (see guidelines)
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here (Odin), here (Anansi), and here (Medusa).
Cosmic Horror Monthly
This horror magazine wants weird and cosmic fiction. They will open for submissions for a week in January; please send your work only during the reading period.
Reading period: 1-7 January 2024
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word
Details here.
Solarpunk Magazine
This is a magazine of solarpunk fiction. The magazine “publishes hopeful short stories and poetry that strive for a utopian ideal, that are set in futures where communities are optimistically struggling to solve or adapt to climate change, to create or maintain a world in which humanity, technology, and nature coexist in harmony rather than in conflict. We also publish solarpunk art as well as nonfiction that explores real world, contemporary topics and their intersection with the solarpunk movement for a better future.” Also, “Any genre of science fiction, interstitial fiction, magic realism, or fantasy has potential as a solarpunk forum—we welcome robots and elves with equal excitement.” The kind of work they want is described on their Moksha submission page, as well as the guidelines page. Also, “In 2024, we are particularly looking for stories between 1,500 and 3,000 words. While our word limit remains 7,500, stories that fall between 1,500 and 3,000 will have a better chance of being selected for at least the first few submission periods in 2024.” Non-fiction is open on an ongoing basis. All the 2024 fiction submission periods are listed on their website.
Reading period: 1-14 January 2024 for fiction
Length: See above for fiction; up to 5 poems; 1000-2,000 words for non-fiction
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction; $40/poem; $75/essay or article
Details here (guidelines) and here (Moksha submission portal).
34 Orchard
They accept fiction and poetry; they are reading for their next issue during the first half of January. “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.”
Reading period: 1-15 January 2024
Length: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction
Pay: $50
Details here.
Ploughshares
They are affiliated with Emerson College. They publish fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; they charge non-subscribers for online submissions, but there is no fee for postal submissions. (For longform fiction and creative non-fiction of 7,500 to 20,000 words, submit to The Ploughshares Fall Longform Issue.)
Deadline: 15 January 2024
Length: Up to 7,500 words for prose, up to 5 pages for poetry
Pay: $45/page, up to $450
Details here and here.
(They’re also accepting pitches for their Look2 essay series till 15th January 2024, for which there is no submission fee.)
Nightmare Magazine
This is an award-winning magazine of horror and dark fantasy; you can read more about them here. They publish fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. “We feature works spanning the broad spectrum of dark fiction, with an emphasis on fascinating characters and delicious prose. Our motto? Horror is for everyone!” Their website says, “We will be opening to all submission types in from January 14-20, 2024, with an extended submissions window for BIPOC-identifying writers running from January 21-27.”
Reading period: See above
Length: Up to 7,500 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here and 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: 31 January 2023 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.
Heathen
This is a new online and audio magazine, with a print issue. “Heathen is a new literary magazine and multimedia platform spotlighting the best in horror and dark fantasy fiction. Released quarterly in a digital medium, the stories you’ll find in Heathen will be available in both text and audio formats. Once a year, the most-read (and listened to) stories will be collected in a physical annual.” And, “Should you hope to have your story listed in an issue of Heathen, it should be reminiscent of the likes of Lovecraft, Poe, and Chambers. Though humanity finds itself at the root of all stories, tales told in Heathen should heavily involve monsters, beasts, the supernatural, or fantastical world-building.”
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Length: Up to 7,500 words
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.
Augur Magazine
This is a Canadian magazine of fantasy fiction and poetry; they also accept translations. They are open for general submissions (from all writers) until end-January, and have an extended submission period for Canadian writers who are BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled during the first two weeks of February (see guidelines).
Deadline: 31 January 2024 for general submissions, submissions from Canadian underrepresented writers only from 1-14 February 2024
Length: Up to 5,000 words for fiction, up to 5 poems
Pay: CAD60/poem and CAD0.11/word for prose
Details here.
Tales & Feathers Magazine
This is Augur’s sister magazine of cozy slice-of-life fantasy stories. They are open for submissions from all writers until end-January, and have an extended submission period for writers who are BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled from all over the world, for the first two weeks of February (see guidelines).
Deadline: 31 January 2024 for general submissions, submissions from underrepresented writers only from 1-14 February 2024
Length: Up to 2,500 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
The Ampersand Review
This magazine is affiliated with Sheridan College, and they may prioritize work by Canadian writers (see guidelines). They accept fiction (including flash fiction), non-fiction, poetry, and pitches for reviews. They are reading submissions for issue 6 until 31 January 2024; see the announcement here.
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Length: Up to 4,000 words for prose, up to 5 poems
Pay: $100 for prose, $50 per poem/page up to $100
Details 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). They have different deadlines for general submissions of poetry and prose, and submissions for ARTerrain and Letter to America are open year-round.
Deadline: 31 January 2024 for poetry; 31 March 2024 for prose
Length: Up to 5,000 words for prose, 2-6 poems
Pay: $50 for regular contributions
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).
Bennington Review
They re-opened for submissions during mid-November. They publish fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, film writing, cross-genre work, and translations. They are affiliated with Bennington College. All work will be considered for the print journal; some work will additionally feature on the website. “We do not accept unsolicited reviews or interviews, though we are always happy to entertain queries about genres of work that fall outside the journal’s current scope.”
Deadline: 8 March 2024
Length: Up to 30 pages for fiction and creative non-fiction; 3-5 poems
Pay: $120 for prose of six typeset pages and under, $250 for prose of over six typeset pages, and $25 per poem
Details here and here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
