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Positive Science Fiction & Fantasy
DreamForge Anvil
Details
ISSUE #2
Open for submissions: Feb 20-March 13
Pay:6 cents per word
Word range: max 4,500
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? Yes
Description
DreamForge is a fantasy and science fiction magazine that looks for positive stories. The website says: Our goal is to publish fiction and commentary that embody, in one way or another, these essential principals: integrity and decency, compassion and creativity, intelligence and inventiveness, the rule of law and liberty under the law, and the dignity of the individual.” DreamForge Anvil is about a passionate attention to storytelling as much it is about the stories themselves.
Submission Hints
Positive stories demonstrating the triumph of the human spirit and the power of hope and humane values in overcoming the most daunting challenges. We are interested in all SF and Fantasy genres, but horror is unlikely to find a home here. No to Pollyannish and Utopian simplicity. Yes to communities and teams working together to overcome dire challenges. Yes to marginalized and under-represented characters as protagonists. Yes to science and magic that solve problems, alleviate suffering, and boldly explore new possibilities. No to corrupt, dystopian governments or evil corporations. Tone down the violence, profanity, and sex. It's only useful if the story demands it.
My Insights
Scot Noel recently worked with me on my story "Invasive Species" and it has been the highlight of my writing career to this point. He is a very challenging (but kind) editor, and he took my story from "meh" to something I believe is my best work to date. DreamForge also offers writing courses, and I am currently taking one. All I can say is "Wow". I feel like I am finally understanding things about story structure and plotting that I couldn't grasp before. You can read my story (see exactly how he edited it and why he bought Invasive Species) and an interview with him clicking the links below.
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
Parsec ink, triangulation
Details
STILL WATERS, DEEP THOUGHTS
Contest Opens Jan 1-closes April 15
Editor: Diane Turnshek
Pay:$200 to winner, 2nd place $100, 3rd $50
Word range: 3,500max
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? No
Description
The theme for the 2021 contest is:
Still Waters, Deep Thoughts.
This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing.
Triangulation is an annual short fiction anthology produced by Parsec Ink, Parsec’s publishing wing. We publish science fiction, fantasy, horror and any other speculative fiction that catches the editor’s fancy. Since 2003, we have had a new theme each year. We pay for the work we select and issues are available online at places like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. We are a small press known to produce a quality product.
Submission Hints
We accept science fiction, fantasy, and horror–and enjoy intelligent blends of the three. Stories without a speculative element will not be considered. We do not accept unsolicited reprints, multiple submissions, or simultaneous submissions. If we reject a story before the end of the reading period, feel free to send another. We love creative interpretations of our themes, but we do require the stories to be a solid fit. We run mature content only if we like the story and find the mature content to be integral to it. Please, no hate-ist stories (or any other -ist), stories with suicide, religious proselytizing or excessive, unwarranted violence. One of the editors is also not a fan of guns. We do not accept fanfic.
My Insights
I submitted my story "Invasive Species" to one of Parsec Ink's contests in the past and got the most remarkable, helpful feedback from this team when it was rejected. Apparently my story "almost" made it. The insights from the judges were bang-on, and helpful. I used their advice, and then sold the story to DreamForge Anvil. I also interviewed the lady behind the literature if you would like to learn more about this contest and company.
Horror
jolly horror press
Details
FORNEVER AFTER
Open for submissions: Feb 1-March 31
Pay: .005 cents per word
Word range: 2000- 6,000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
In “Fornever After” we seek stories of tragic love, preferably with a horror theme, although we are well aware that tragic love is often a horror story all on its own. These kinds of stories tend to be heartbreaking, but they can also be wonderful in other ways. After five years, did you finally get the nerve to confess romantic love to a friend? Did he or she feel the same? Did you get that nerve because you were both in a scary situation (fighting a vampire, home invaders, etc.) that you might not make it out of? Did they not survive it, leaving you all alone and kicking yourself that you waited so long. How tragic. At least you said something though, you know? We are not interested in tales regarding the loss of children, parents, or siblings.. Just lovers. Scary new twists on the Romeo and Juliet theme perhaps. Rip our hearts out with tales of tragic love, and if it’s within a traditional horror story, that’s what we are looking for. If you can manage some humor in it too, even better- although with this anthology, humor is not necessary. We will probably like those stories better though. Your story must include elements of both horror and tragic love.
Submission Hints
Here are a couple of tips to put your story in better position to be accepted. 1. Fit the theme. Tragic Love. Horror. Scare us and rip our hearts out. 2. Be within our word count guidelines (for “Fornever After”, 2000 to 6000) or query us for shorter/longer. 3. No matter how good your story is, if it hasn't been edited, there is a big chance we won't accept it. In the past, we've accepted stories that needed a lot of editing work, but it took so much effort to make them presentable. We aren't doing that anymore. If within a page or two of reading the story we find a bunch of editing issues, it's going to be rejected. 4. Be unique. No matter what the theme of the anthology is, you should always be unique. If it's a stalker anthology for example, and your ex or some guy you work with is your stalker, it's trite. If your grandma is stalking your fiancée, well, that's unique. 5. At Jolly Horror Press, we prefer subtle horror. We generally don't like gruesome and overly bloody stuff. If someone is getting hacked to bits in your story, it's probably not for us. 6. We seriously still get racist/sexist/anti-gay stuff. Don't send us this stuff. 7. If there is any kind of animal killing or torture, not for us. We want old cat ladies to enjoy our work too. 8. Surprise us! 9. We love new and unpublished authors, provided you can follow 1-8. 10. No reprints. And for this one, adding 11. No XXX rated stuff. Subtle
My Insights
I've had two stories published by Jolly Horror Press, and IMO they are my favorite publishers in the horror genre. Jonathan Lambert rejected the first three stories I sent him, but he encouraged me to keep trying and gave me a few hints on how to make my stories work for his anthologies. He bought "Inked" for Accursed. Autumn Miller recently came onboard as a First Reader for Jolly Horror and she is fantastic to work with. Instead of rejecting my last story outright, she told me it was "almost" there and encourage me to rewrite the ending, which then led to another acceptance. You can read "The Golden Falcon" in Coffin Blossoms.
Mystery
alfred hitchcock mystery magazine
Details
PERIODICAL
Open for submissions: ONGOING
Editor: Linda Landrigan
Pay: 5-8 cents per word
Word range: 12,000 max
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? No
Description
Finding new authors is a great pleasure for all of us here, and we look forward to reading the fiction you send us. Since we do read all submissions, there is no need to query first; please send the entire story. You don’t need an agent. Because this is a mystery magazine, the stories we buy must fall into that genre in some sense or another. We are interested in nearly every kind of mystery: stories of detection of the classic kind, police procedurals, private eye tales, suspense, courtroom dramas, stories of espionage, and so on. We ask only that the story be about a crime (or the threat or fear of one). We sometimes accept ghost stories or supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime.
Submission Hints
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine publishes mystery, crime, and suspense short stories. Debuting in 1956, you could find stories from writers such as Donald Westlake, Ed McBain, and Hillary Waugh. The editor Linda Landrigan advises: Great stories of any genre are rooted in characters — well-drawn, individual, and credibly motivated. Interesting characters responding to the extraordinary pressures of crime — this is what I like to read and to publish, and I hope you like that too.”
My Insights
I've submitted two stories to Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and both were rejected with a form letter. I find the turnaround time very long, and have waited almost a year to hear back from them. I have had a story accepted by their sister publication Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and they were absolutely wonderful to work with. They asked me to write a blog post for them which you can read here...
Crime
flame tree press
Details
CHILLING CRIME STORIES
Open for submissions: deadline March 14
Pay: 6 cents per word
Word range: 2,000-4,000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? yes
Description
We've looked at cosy crime and detective thrillers, now it's time to turn to the darker side: the cold cases, the grim murders, the desperate villains, and the race against time to solve the crime. We're seeking up to 20 new stories to join our powerful collection of Chilling Crime Short Stories, featuring modern stories paired with classic tales that reach back into into ancient, medieval, Elizabethan and Victorian fiction. From Oedipus Rex and Medea to Thomas More's story of the Princes in the Tower, Scheherazade's 'The Three Apples' and the chilling crime fiction of Dickens, Poe, Henry James, Baroness Orczy and Wilkie Collins.
Submission Hints
The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in the Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, highly collectable and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.
My Insights
I've submitted seven stories to Flame Tree Press and they've all been rejected. But I've had correspondence with Taylor Bentley and Gillian Whitaker from this publishing company, and I've found them both to be pleasant and helpful. I'm still chasing them for an interview.
Mystery
cursed dragon ship publishing
Details
MISSPELLED-MAGIC GONE AWRY
Deadline: March 31
Pay:$50 per story
Word range: 7,000 max
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? No
Note: The cover is from their last anthology
Description
Legion of Dorks Presents: Misspelled – Magic Gone Awry is searching for short stories exploring the theme of magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. Submissions are open from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. Your story must be an original, never-before-published creation that centers around an exploration epic in scale. You must include some sort of adventure, whether real or virtual, that concludes by the end of the story to meet the theme requirements. You cannot write in anyone else’s world. Otherwise, have fun and let your imagination dominate. A witch casts a spell to allow her cat to talk, but then it won’t stop. A love spell hits the wrong target. A down-on-his luck magician finds a real magic box, but where are all the objects going? The ideas are endless.
Submission Hints
Email all submissions to submissions@CursedDragonShip.com in standard short story format with the subject “Submission for Misspelled (last name).” One story per email please and no more than three submissions total. If you’re curious about the stories we like, check out the others in the series: Laundered – An Anthology of Monster Messes and Horizons – An Anthology of Epic Journeys.
My Insights
I've never submitted to this market before, but I have sent them my magical realism story about a talking iguana and my post-pandemic heroine, "The Museum of the Lost People" for this call. Fingers crossed!
Horror/Science Fiction/Supernatural
The periodical, forlorn
Details
LOST AT SEA
Deadline: March 15
Pay:$15 per story
Word range: 6,000 max
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
For this issue, we want tales of maritime disaster. Of shipwrecks and oil spills. Of bones left to decompose on the ocean floor. Of those left behind on land, never to know what's become of their loved ones. Of lighthouse keepers forced to stand by and witness tragedy unfold. Elements of the supernatural are welcome, as are stories that utilize elements of horror and science-fiction.
Submission Hints
Will you accept stories that contain gore, violence, sex and swearing? Yes, if its integral to the story. We know fiction sometimes need to take us uncomfortable places in order to make its point. So, we're open to things of a graphic nature if they in some way contribute significantly to the story. We will not accept these things if they're simply gratuitous. How about stories that contain hate? Yes, if its integral to the story and is used to make a point. For example, we will not publish anything that glorifies Nazism. But we will consider something that depicts Nazi brutality and ideology if it does so in order to dismantle it. Please do not send us stories that use the coronavirus as a source of conflict or that turn recognizable political figures (we don't care from which party) into villains. We think this is lazy writing and will not publish them.
My Insights
I've never submitted to this market before, but I like the concept of Lost at Sea -- this market says it doesn't need a specific genre, just wants something dark, creepy and weird.
Science Fiction Flash
Nature Futures
Details
PERIODICAL
Deadline: Ongoing
Pay:$130 per story
Word range: 850-950 max
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Futures is a venue for very short stories or ‘vignettes’ of between 850 and 950 words. The subject is typically near-future, hard SF, although this can be interpreted liberally. In short, what Futures is looking for is originality. To this end it is advisable to read as many previous Futures as you can, as stories that repeat themes already dealt with extensively are less likely to be considered than those that do something new and different. Futures does not consider reprints of stories previously published elsewhere.
Submission Hints
OK. Take a seat. This won’t take long. Don’t worry about the alien, he always does that when he sees strangers, it doesn’t stain. I’m afraid I can’t offer you any refreshments — the service droid blew a fuse last week and the spare part is stuck on a shuttle somewhere between here and Titan. But, as I say, this won’t take long. If you’re sure you wish to send a story to the orbiting station that is the Futures submissions hub, it’s probably easiest if I upload the instructions via the mind link. Ah. Unusual. OK. Well, in that case I will have to spell out the protocols the old-fashioned way. The very first rule is, I’m afraid, prepare to be disappointed. This is not a bad thing, but as for any science-fiction outlet, Futures can publish only a limited selection of the stories we receive, so rejection is part of the process (and it is honestly no more fun to issue a rejection than it is to receive one). The second rule is that contributions to Futures are welcome from absolutely anyone, irrespective of whether they are writing their first story, or are professional or published authors. There are, of course, some basic requirements, so here are some frequently asked questions:
My Insights
I've never submitted to this market before, but look at the pay scale! I definitely want to check this zine out.
Clean Fantasy & Science Fiction
deep magic
Details
PERIODICAL
Founder: Brendon Taylor
Pay: 8 cents per word (first 7,499)
word range: 1,000 - 40,000
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? Yes, 2 cents per word
Description
Deep Magic is looking for stories that don’t rely on sex, swearing or violence. From the website: The name Deep Magic pays homage to C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. From June 2002 to June of 2006, Deep Magic was a monthly e-zine operated by a nonprofit organization founded by three friends who had a mutual love of SFF and a desire to promote clean writing within those genres. Deep Magic is now a quarterly publication that pays professional rates for SFF short fiction, relaunched by the same three friends, with help of other industry professionals who join in Deep Magic’s mission to create a safe place for minds to wander. We will consider stories within any sub-genre (epic, paranormal, steampunk, etc.).
Submission Hints
If you can tell a gripping story that doesn’t rely on sex, swearing, and graphic violence—you’ve come to the right place. If not, there are plenty of other magazines and venues out there. Move along. Move along (Jedi hand wave). Please consider reading Deep Magic to get an idea of the type of stories we publish. You can read our inaugural issue for only $.99. We are keeping the June 2016 issue at this special price so authors can check out our style without breaking the bank.
My Insights
I've sent MANY stories to Deep Magic. They have all been rejected. However, they get back to you in a reasonable time, and I love the look/feel/mission statement of this publication.
Humour
mad magazine
Details
Founder: Harvey Kurtzman
Pay: Pro rate, but not disclosed
word range: none
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? No
Description
MAD is actively looking for new talent, which means that we’re foolish enough to consider stuff from even YOU! We welcome all humor submissions and the best way to know what we’re looking for is to take a look at what we’re doing now! Originality and visual humor are especially prized! We’re interested in material focusing on evergreen topics, such as dating, family, school and work, plus topical material about celebrities, sports, politics, news and social trends. In addition, we will consider submissions for our Fundalini Pages and annual MAD 20 (The Dumbest People, Events and Things of the Year). We also welcome submissions for our Strip Club (artist-writers or artist-writer teams preferred).
Submission Hints
Do not include more than three article ideas in a single submission. And please note: We will not consider movie or television satires, rewrites of established MAD premises, your take on existing features, cover ideas, or gags with Alfred E. Neuman. Just send us a short note in the space provided briefly explaining your MAD idea(s). Attach Word and/or graphic files as necessary. Provide at least 3 or 4 examples of how you would execute your idea, with art notes. Rough sketches are welcome, but not necessary. Due to the overwhelming number of submissions, we will respond to you — only if we’re interested — within 30 days of your submission.
My Insights
I didn't even know you could submit to MAD magazine. I listed it here because I found they were open for submission on RALAN. I grew up reading this magazine. Life goal? Get a story in here!
want to really dive into selling your stories?
Get exclusive hints and background from the editors buying stories in today’s market. Read 12 tales purchased in the last 2 years and find out how they went from rejected to accepted.