I am attempting to write my first novel. But I need help! So I've gone down the rabbit hole of buying book after book to help me learn how. Some are great. Some aren't.
Save your $ and read my reviews before you buy.
Horror
Human monsters
Details
Dark Matter Magazine
Sadie & Ashley
Open for submissions: Feb 15-March 15
Pay: 8 cents per word
Word range: max 2000-4000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Dark Matter Magazine was started during 2020. It is the brainchild of a dedicated group of science fiction enthusiasts with professional backgrounds in trade publishing, peer-reviewed science journals, marketing, corporate communications, broadcast news media, television, to name a few.
Dark Matter Magazine is proud to announce our first foray into trade publishing with a new horror anthology edited by Sadie Hartmann and Ashley Saywers of Night Worms. The anthology will include at least 80,000 words of new horror fiction curated by Sadie and Ashley, and the book will be included in a future Night Worms book box. The tentative publish date for the anthology is October 2022.
Submission Hints
From Sadie and Ashley: We are looking for stories centered around one of our favorite sub-genres, Human Monsters. We enjoy twisty-turny, dark, psychological, thrilling, dangerous, menacing, gothic, strange, ugly, murderous, messed-up tales of people doing awful, no-good, very bad things to one another. We are not looking for anything cosmic, paranormal, science fiction, cryptid/creature, or supernatural at this time. Just monsters in human skin, please. Tell us what they do.
My Insights
None yet, this looks like an intriguing project.
Horror / Dark Fiction
dark recesses press
Details
Publisher: Bailey Hunter
Open for submissions: Spring issue till Feb 15th,
then Summer issue Feb 16-May 15
Pay: 5 cents per word
Word range: max 500-5000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Dark Recesses Press began in 2005 with an idea and desire to create a home where there was none.
It was originally an award winning fiction magazine of dark fiction, art, and non-fiction. After 13 issues we took some time off to regroup, shift our focus, and come back to publish books exclusively – this was in 2014.
In 2017, we grew again. After the acquisition of Belfire Press, DR had taken on a wider dark fiction arena which has opened up avenues towards YA, and Poetry among others. In addition to focusing our attention on novels, collections and anthologies born in the dark corners of your mind, Dark Recesses Press has now resurrected the beloved magazine.
We are currently undergoing a growth spurt so please mind our gangly bits.
Submission Hints
They are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-5000 words firm. Common sense when submitting please. They do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors direct or implied. They are not looking for pure shock value. All components of your story should have merit. Gore for gore’s sake is not what they are looking for.
My Insights
I sent them a story on Oct 31st, and they sent me back a response on Nov 3 (but it went to my promos folder!). "We thank you for your submission, however after review we have decided that it is not quite the right fit for Dark Recesses Press at this time. We wish you all the best in finding a suitable home for this piece, and welcome further submissions from you in the future. Regards, Dark Recesses Press"
Horror
nerve Janglers: Thirteen tales of terror
Details
Night Terror Novels
Deadline Feb 28
Pay:25 Euros
Word range: 2500-10,000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Looking for Horror stories that take place outside of suburban America. We are now officially open for submissions to our second anthology and our first young adult horror anthology, titled Nerve-Janglers: Thirteen Tales of Terror. We will be seeking horror fiction of all forms and flavours, all sub-genres and themes, that specifically fall into the category of teen-grade young adult fiction. These will be published as part of a new and ongoing YA horror imprint from Night Terror Novels Publishing, titled Nerve-Janglers. Our cover art will be finalised and uploaded to this page in the near future.
Submission Hints
As this is a young adult anthology, it is important for all submitting authors to understand what teen-grade YA fiction does and doesn’t include. Your best bet for a successful submission is to know the genre and what we are aiming for here, or to be familiar with the YA horror franchises we are paying homage to—including Goosebumps, Fear Street, Point Horror and Shivers. Please also refer to the Wikipedia page on the genre if you are still unsure what this constitutes, or whether your story would be suitable. And as always, if your story is blatantly racist or homophobic it will be instantly rejected. We also encourage submissions from female, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors, as we’re striving to offer a range of experiences and perspectives in this series.
My Insights
This is a new market for me.
Speculative / Literary
Tree & Stone
Details
Editor: Kevin M. Casin
Open for submissions: ongoing
Pay:2 cents per word
Word range: max 1000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Tree and Stone is an online, quarterly magazine dedicated to showcasing incredible stories about life, the world, and experiences, tales of wonder. We like stories with meaning and depth, not just to entertain, but to learn and grow.
Submission Hints
We want all forms of original fiction! For encouragement: All writers are welcome, but we would love stories from self-identified QTPOC and BIPOC writers. Second person narratives! Surrealism, magical realism, fabulism, slipstream, anything that might be deemed unconventional. Cross genre or genre-bending stories, especially works that blend literary and speculative elements.
My Insights
You don't see requests for 2nd person narratives very often. How do you feel about that? As you reach for your keyboard, and pause, thinking of how to structure a second person narrative. You know it is the least common POV, normally frowned upon. But you are not discouraged, so you decide to submit to this market...
Speculative Flash Fiction
the arcanist
Details
Editor: Patrick Morris
Open for submissions:ongoing
Pay:10 cents per word
Word range: max 1000
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
The Arcanist is an interesting venue for short fiction. They pay well and publish content on a bi-weekly basis (every Friday). From the website: “We strongly believe that fantasy and sci-fi are two of the most important genres in the literary world, helping us escape to distant lands, reflect on our shared humanity, and gaze into the future. We want to provide readers snippets of the genres they love and we want to give writers of these genres a paid place to publish their work. (That’s right, we pay you.)”
Submission Hints
The very best SFF stories combine imaginative world-building elements with hardened, time-honored storytelling techniques, which is obviously a lot easier said than done (especially in under 1K words!). We get a lot of stories that have a great premise or an imaginative world where we find ourselves in awe that someone actually thought them up. Then you get through the piece and there’s no character growth, no choices being made, no movement, and those are vital for a story of any genre to succeed. A good story will have active characters, a fully constructed plot, etc. A good SFF story will have all of the elements that make a lit fiction story tick plus fantastic elements that dazzle us. It’s a delicate balance!”
My Insights
I’ve submitted five stories here and received my rejections in good time (less than a month). Here is the typical letter I’ve received: “Thanks for giving us the chance to read The Foreign Student. After careful consideration, we are unfortunately going to pass at this time. If you have other works that you think might be a good fit for The Arcanist, we encourage you to submit them through our Google form. We look forward to reading more of your work in the future and hope that this piece finds a home as well.” I self-published “The Foreign Student” as “The Lore of Lust” after failing to find it a home. I currently have a story in right now called "Dolores and the Dark Dilemma. 🤞🏾
Horror, Wonder & The Weird
Three-lobed Burning eye
Details
Editor: Andrew S. Fuller
ongoing, window currently open
Pay: $100 for short fiction, $30 for flash
Word range: 1,001-7,500
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? No
Description
Three-Lobed Burning Eye is a speculative fiction magazine offered free on-line. They publish twice a year, with a print anthology every other year. Each issue features six short stories.
Submission Hints
“Original speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, science fiction. We’re looking for short stories from across the big classifications and those shadowy places between: magical realism, fantastique, slipstream, interstitial, and the weird tale. We will consider suspense or western, though we prefer it contain some speculative element. We like voices that are full of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental. All labels aside, we want tales that expand genre, that value imagination in character, narrative, and plot. We want to see something new and different.”
Sample Rejection
“Thank you for sending your story to Three-lobed Burning Eye magazine. Unfortunately, we have decided not to accept it for publication. We regret that we cannot offer more feedback and wish you the best in finding a home for this piece.”
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
Dream of shadows
Details
Editor Felipe Lichtenheld
Submission Open Now
Pay: Approximately $25 US
Word range: 1,500max
Simultaneous submissions? Yes
Reprints? No
Description
Dream of Shadows comes from the city of Jack the Ripper (London, England) and wants to offer readers: honest and daring stories - stories of struggle, stories without happy endings, where the two not-so-sexy leads don't fall in love simply because they have to.” One short story is featured on the website every month. The website says: “We're not too fond of science-fiction. While we will sometimes consider stories of something coming down to Earth from another planet if the focus is horror or fantasy, we're not really looking for space adventures. We particularly like honest and daring stories with strong characters pursuing goals, although we recognize that if a story is good, it's good. We're realists, so we don't need a happy ending. Send us those stories that other publishers rejected because they were too dark. Having said that, we don't want stories with gratuitous and/or over-the-top sex, violence or swearing. And it should go without saying, but we won't allow discrimination either. On a similar note, we're also not very fond of preachy stories, where one character explains to another how terrible humans are. We get it, people suck.”
Submission Hints
The editor provides extra tips of what he is looking for: Stuff we like : • a good old tale of a character who wants something and tries to get it, meeting obstacles along the way • prose that grabs us and moves us and makes us feel for and with the character • supernatural elements. While we personally like a good serial killer or coming-of-age story, Dream of Shadows is all about that supernatural stuff • Stuff we're not too fond of • stories where the character doesn't want anything or woe-is-me stories where the character spends most of the time complaining, without doing anything to change it • second-person narration. It just sounds too much like meditation tapes or choose-your-own-adventure games to us. Sorry • pieces that are too experimental, like stream-of-consciousness stories or stories told from really odd points of view (like a flower or a walking stick) or stories that are basically just descriptions • romance. We don't mind if love or a relationship is used to drive inner conflict, as long as it's not the focus of the story.”
My Insights
I’ve submitted six stories to this market The last rejection was my best one yet with some advice. Felipe is now one of my favorite editors (next to the ones who actually publish my work, lol.). "Thank you for submitting your story, DOLORES AND THE DARK DILEMMA, to Dream of Shadows. Unfortunately, we have decided not to publish it. We would have wanted to see a stronger motivation for her to make for a good dilemma. What is at stake (other than her looks) if she doesn't feed? We also thought that Doug was a little too vile. He needed something redeeming to make it a real dilemma. A choice between two equally bad things would have heightened the internal conflict. We would have wanted more consistency or clarity with the hands. Were they mouths with teeth or suction pads? The image seems to change, and perhaps it might be best to describe them early and more clearly. She also seems to be able to see the holes in her hands before she takes off her pink gloves. We also weren't sure why she would need a mouth or suction pad in her tongue? Isn't that what the mouth is for? Or does she not feed through normal channels anymore? This is, of course, our personal opinion, and other publishers might read it differently. We certainly wish you best success selling this story in the future."
Science Fiction
SFS Stories
Details
Editor: J.A. Taylor & Rod Castor
Pay: $25
range: 1,000 or less
Simultaneous submissions?not sure
Reprints? No
Description
A flash-fiction publication dedicated to Sci-Fi stories under 1,000 words, so you can read at least one on your potty break.
I contacted J.A. Taylor to clarify payment and market information. "Sci-Fi Shorts is online only and not a paying market. SF Stories is a monthly ebook with print annuals and pays $25 for original stories. SFS also accepts reprints without payment. And yes international authors can be paid"
Submission Hints
Read a few stories on Sci-Fi Shorts. If you enjoy any, let the author(s) know and follow the publication. Help spread the word by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as we promote our published pieces there. Let us know your handle — we love tagging our authors so they can get maximum exposure.
Your submission must be SCIENCE FICTION. No rants, politics, or personal essays disguised as sci-fi. If you’re new to writing sci-fi or flash fiction in general, here are some tips. Also, please only one submission at a time. Once your story is rejected or published, feel free to submit your next piece.
We have a style we like to maintain here at Sci-Fi Shorts. We will not publish any erotica, graphic, or obscene material. Leave the harsh profanity for the other pubs. Keep it clean. Keep it classy.
Insights
This is a new market for me, you must have a MEDIUM account to submit. (which is free)
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
Parsec ink, energy
Details
ENERGY
Contest Opens Jan 1-closes Feb 28
Editor: John Thompson
Pay:3 cents a word
Word range: 5,000max
Simultaneous submissions? No
Reprints? No
Description
The theme for the 2022 contest is: Energy. This year we’re looking for stories that explore the possibility of creating sustainable energy with alternative technologies and/or social change. Economical fusion energy has been ten years away for sixty years. Hydroelectric is location dependant. Solar and wind have seen leaps and bounds in technology but by themselves can’t provide the steady flow the grid requires to distribute the load. Yet. As soon as we learned to control fire, anywhere from one to two million years ago depending on who you ask, we’ve been harnessing that energy to cook food, shape stone, keep warm, keep the sabertooth away, and move stuff around the planet. Ever since then, we’ve been merrily burning everything combustible to utilize its stored energy while pouring heat and waste particles into the atmosphere. Forests of wood, mountains of coal, lakes of natural gas, and seas of petroleum have gone up. We delve deeper, raze mountains, we race to consume the Earth’s resources at a rate that is changing our environment. We need to find a new balance, either through technology, or social change, or a combination of both. What else is on the horizon? Will great Bussard scoops collect hydrogen isotopes from the gas giants for export back to Earth and her colonies? Will we discover a means or source to harvest antimatter at a scale that can make matter-antimatter reactors economically feasible? Will the governments of the world mandate that all new construction must include photovoltaic and photothermal paneling? Can we recognize hereto unknown forms of energy? Can we harvest energy from black holes? Several methods have been proposed. Zero-point energy is out there, waiting to be understood and perhaps tapped. Will the Fae come out of hiding and teach humanity how to manipulate and harness mana and ley lines and other arcane energies? What are the expected—and potentially unexpected—ramifications of these developments? What about sustainability? If we can harvest the energy from black holes, harness zero-point energy, is it essentially unlimited? What’s your take? As a species, we’ve understood the power of steam to turn wheels for 2,000 years but we couldn’t harness steam to move things until metallurgy and engineering evolved to the point we could build reliable engines—just over 300 years ago. Can we make the next great leap in time? Or do we need to lower our expectations and live with less?
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 one of their editors if you would like to learn more about this contest and company.
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.
Fantasy & Dark Fantasy
fantasy magazine
Details
Editor-in-Chief: Arley Sorg
I heard a rumour it was opening in Feb to all writers, but I am still waiting.... when I see it open, I'll note it here.
Pay: 8 cents per word
range: 1,500-7,500
Simultaneous submissions?No
Reprints? No
Description
Fantasy Magazine is a digital magazine focusing exclusively on the fantasy genre. In its pages, you will find all types of fantasy—dark fantasy, contemporary urban tales, surrealism, magical realism, science fantasy, high fantasy, folktales…and anything and everything in between.
Submission Hints
Fantasy is entertainment for the intelligent genre reader—we publish stories of the fantastic that make us think, and tell us what it is to be human.
Sample Rejection
“Thank you for submitting "The Museum of The Lost People," but it didn't quite work for us. We hope you are able to place this one elsewhere.”
Bizarro Fiction
peculiar monstrosities
Details
Open Jan 1- March 1
Editor:?
Pay: 20 Euros
Word range: 4000-7000
Simultaneous submissions NO
Reprints? yes
Description
Your chance to be a part of Planet Bizarro’s first EVER anthology. We are looking for 4000-7000 word stories involving bizarre monsters. They could be bloodthirsty, benevolent, pets, or whatever else you can dream up. Keep in mind that this is first and foremost BIZARRO, although we also love horror, humour, and stories with a message (subtle). Keep it weird, wacky, and bizarre. Expected to be published in April 2022.
Submission Hints
To give you an idea, some of the stories we particularly enjoy are by Carlton Mellick III, Michael Allen Rose, Danger Slater, Brian Allen Carr, David W. Barbee, Douglas Hackle, Shane McKenzie and many, many more. We recommend you familiarize yourself with the genre before submitting. FORMATTING: Standard Shunn formatting. Nothing fancy, please. Word doc/docx attachment to an email, as well as a short bio of no more than 100 words and up to two author links.
Sample Rejection
new market for me
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