CLOSED: Polar Borealis Magazine

No Longer Ongoing

Payment: one cent a word. $10 for one thousand words or less. $20 for two thousand words or less (but reasonably above one thousand). $30 for three thousand words or less (but reasonably above two thousand). Not interested in any story over three thousand words in length.
Note: Canadian Authors Only

Contributors must be Canadian, or at least resident in Canada.

I prefer Science Fiction over Fantasy, though of course SF can include fantasy elements, so I’m flexible. Weird Fantasy would intrigue me. Also interested in Horror with SF aspects. Have a weakness for Lovecraftian Horror. Nothing obscene or ultra-violent. Idea-driven combined with character-driven would be ideal.

Particularly interested in beginning writers who haven’t made a sale yet. The primary purpose of this zine is to encourage beginning writers. I welcome experienced authors but will judge unpublished writers as a separate category so they won’t have to compete with pros. Ideally at least two to three first-sale stories will be in in every issue. Be sure to mention whether you have been published or not so I’ll be sure to place you in the proper category.

SPECIFICS:

I offer First Publication English Language World Serial Online (PDF) Internet Rights with a post-publication exclusivity period of just one week, after which the author/artist is free to sell as a reprint to anyone anywhere.

The exclusivity period is unusually short because I have no financial stake in holding on to rights and am more than willing to encourage the author to sell again ASAP.

Note that reprints are less desirable to most publishers and are more difficult to place. On the other hand, my payment rates are so low you might even make more money selling your work as a reprint than you did selling it to me as a first publication!

The advantage of selling First Publication to me is that I want to publish at least two or three works per issue which are first sales for previously unpublished authors, so I am more likely to buy than magazines concentrating on known authors with proven sales records.

I am also open to publishing reprints under the same rights as First Publication, but no exclusivity period is involved. You can sell it again even before I publish it.

Currently open to short story submissions

Short stories must be three thousand words or less.

Short stories can be Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror.

Subgenres can include:

Science Fiction: Alternate History, Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic, Contemporary/Near Future, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Hard SF, Humorous SF, Mystery cross genre, Space Opera, Steampunk, Time Travel, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.

Fantasy: Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Heroic, Mythological, Science Fantasy, Shapeshifter, Steampunk, Supernatural, Sword & Sorcery, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.

Horror: Creature Horror, Gothic, Historical, Horror Western, Lovecraftian, Monsters, Noir, SF Horror, Shapeshifter, Steampunk, Supernatural, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.

In other words, almost anything goes as long as it is genre-related and imaginative.

Currently open to poems on any of the above themes. Sixty lines or less.

Not currently open to themed interior art for specific stories (hope to be some day), but a wonderful B&W SF/Fantasy/horror piece for interior I’d be interested in. I am also currently open to potential Cover Art (for #5 and beyond) and to interior fillo pieces.

Be aware normally contributors will be paid on acceptance prior to being published. I am not yet in a position to do that. Contributors to the proposed “Proof of Concept” demo first issue were paid shortly after publication, but contributors to the next issue or two may not be paid till later in the year (though earlier if possible). It is planned that 2017 issues will not come out until after the contributors have been paid,

Everyone submitting should include a short, one paragraph bio which confirms Canadian status, publication status, and makes you appear quite the character.

Also, be sure to let me know if the work being submitted has been previously published or not, and whether my acceptance would constitute your first sale ever.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

E-mail a word doc (not a PDF) to me at < R. Graeme Cameron > and include “PY Sub” in your heading.

Via: Polar Borealis Magazine.