Deadline: January 15th, 2020
Payment: $0.10 CAD per word (with a minimum of $20 for very short tales)
Submission Guidelines (fiction)
It’s AE Micro time again. We give you a theme. You send us a very short story. We pick the best and publish a microzine.
This year’s theme is “stars“. Become a galactic idol, journey to a white dwarf, or follow your horoscope.
We will select a minimum of five entries for publication in the microzine: three Canadian stories and two international. As always, we publish science fiction, though our interpretation of the genre is broad and ‘speculative’ fiction without a science-y feel is welcome. The word limit for this one is a minuscule 200 words.
Requirements and details: Submissions must be previously unpublished (in print or online) and should stand alone (i.e., no excerpts from a larger work). Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know if your piece is selected elsewhere. Please submit no more than two micro submissions at a time. We buy First Serial and First Electronic rights and non-exclusive Audio rights.
AE is proud to offer all fiction authors reimbursement of $0.10 CAD per word (with a minimum of $20 for very short tales), paid within 60 days of acceptance.
Licensing: All content in AE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives license upon publication. We believe in the Creative Commons mission and feel that it benefits both authors and their readers by allowing creators to reach the widest possible audience. Note that the use of the Creative Commons license has no effect on the ability or right of the author to sell reprint rights, film rights or other secondary rights in the future. Copyright remains at all times with the author, and commercial reproduction is prohibited.
Response Time: we aim to respond to all queries and submissions promptly. Please feel free to send a follow-up query if you have not heard from us within 90 days.
Deadline: The current call for proposals will be open until 15 January 2020 at 11:59PM EST.
How to submit a story:Submit your story online using the form below. Please register an account to help us communicate with you: users can see the status of their submission, make changes, and let us know if they need to withdraw.
We strongly encourage you to user the form below – but you may alternatively email your story to us. Please note the following instructions for email submissions: Please include a brief cover letter and the full text of your story (preferably in plain text) in the body of an email addressed to [email protected]. We will not open any attachments. The very first thing in your subject line should be “CDN Sub” if you are a Canadian citizen or current Canadian resident, otherwise your subject line should begin with “INT Sub.” This is very important, especially if you are Canadian. We publish a limited number of international stories. The subject line must also contain both the title and approximate word count of your piece, like this: “CDN Sub: ‘Title of Story’ (1300 words).” The cover letter should include your name, byline (if different) and a brief (70 words, at most) biography. We will contact you at the same email from which you sent your submission.
Interested in writing something else? We’re also looking for non-fiction contributors and we’d love to hear your idea. Please contact us directly. At this time we cannot reimburse authors for non-fiction contributions. Interested in contributing visual art? We buy art primarily on contract for our specific needs. AE buys first rights and pays between $50 and $300 CAD per illustration depending upon size and intended use.
Submissions to Corvid Queen are open four times per year: March, June, September, and December. We publish one piece every Friday.
We’re looking for original feminist tales, feminist retellings of traditional tales, and personal essays related to traditional tales. We like work based on fairy tales, folklore, myths, and legends. We accept fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and pieces that are in-betweeen. We generally publish pieces that are 1,000-2,500 words, although we will consider shorter or longer pieces if we really love them.
Please note that you do not need to be female or femme to submit a piece; writers of any gender identity and expression are welcome.
02. SUBMISSION PROCESS
To submit a piece, please fill out thissubmission form. You may submit one piece every reading period.
If your piece is accepted, you’ll receive an email with a publication date & a contract. After the contract has been digitally signed, we’ll send another email with payment confirmation, any suggested edits to your piece, and options for a featured image.
We offer an honorarium of $5 for each accepted piece.
03. FURTHER READING
We encourage you to read through the journal to get a sense for the stories that speak to us. If you’re curious about what we consider to be a feminist fairy tale, we also encourage you to read thisconversation about subversions of fairy tale femininity.
General Policies
We accept simultaneous submissions. We only accept reprints from defunct blogs, magazines, and presses, or reprints of work authors have chosen to re-home for ethical reasons.
We will not accept anything that promotes racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or other oppressive and harmful viewpoints, or anything that uses sexual violence for shock value. We will not read anything submitted by abusers, and we reserve the right to remove any published piece from our site.
Each reading period, we choose a charity we want to support. This month’s charity is Polaris, an organization that combats human trafficking. If you provide proof of a donation of at least $10 to Polaris, you can upgrade your submission: you can choose to receive your submission decision within 24 hours, or receive 200 words of editorial feedback on your submission.
We aim to respond to all submissions in the month after the reading period ends. However, if you don’t hear from us in that time, please feel free to send a follow-up email!
blood orange is constantly accepting, reviewing, and publishing submissions. If you are unsure about what cards are still available, check out the card index or get in touch ⤏ with our editor. Right now, the plan is to publish one full tarot deck; if we get lots of community support for the project, we could potentially publish more editions.
Thank you so much for considering blood orange as a vessel for your work. We can’t wait to read your submissions!
GUIDELINES
blood orange publishes poetry and concrete/visual poetry. The only formatting requirement is that your piece should be able to fit on a tarot card, which is traditionally 2.75” x 4.75”. We love submissions in languages other than English, but as our editor only knows English and French, please include a translation of your piece if it is not in either of those languages.
Submissions are accepted via email ⤏. Please include your submission as an attachment, the name of the card you’re submitting for, a short third-person bio, and an author photo. For poetry, please submit as a word document. For concrete/visual poetry, please submit a .png file of your work. It is incredibly helpful if you include the words “blood orange submission” in your subject line. There will never be a reading fee for submissions.
blood orange aims to publish 79 cards by 79 different poets. As such, if you have received an acceptance, please do not submit more work at this time. If you have received a rejection, please wait two months before submitting new work. If you’ve looked through the card index and have an idea for an additional card for our deck, please email our editor ⤏ with your pitch!
We pay $15 per published card. That said, blood orange is a labour of love and our editor is paying all fees out of pocket, so if you have the means to accept less than $15, please indicate this in your submission email. We are working on securing funding for blood orange, as we believe strongly that poets should be paid for their labour and recognize that $15 is not the pay scale that we would like to be able to provide.
blood orange is committed to publishing radical and diverse poetry. We strongly encourage Indigenous folks, Black folks, racialized folks, transgender and nonbinary folks, Muslim and Jewish folks, disabled folks, poor folks, immigrants and refugees, queer folks, fat folks, and sex workers to submit here. If you identify as one or more of the above and would like to let us know, please mention it in your submission email. This disclosure is by no means required, and will only be used to help blood orange curate a tarot that highlights the work of poets who have been underrepresented and marginalized in literary communities.
blood orange is dedicated to being a safe and inclusive publisher of dynamic poetry. We will not accept racist, transphobic, xenophobic, queerphobic, fascist, or otherwise oppressive works, or works by abusive writers. If you have any questions or concerns about pieces or poets that have been published in blood orange, please do not hesitate to get in touch ⤏.
Since 2010, Mocha Memoirs Press’s mission is to amplify marginalized voices in the areas of speculative fiction (science fiction, horror, and fantasy).
SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire will follow the steps of our previous published bestseller anthologies An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Black Magic Women: Terrifying Tales by Scary Sisters (A Bram Stoker nominee).
What we are looking for: Vampires have been around in the horror genre for centuries. We are looking to tell a different vampire story. Ones where they may sparkle, but it is a dark one. This call is seeking unpublished short stories that tell stories of the vampire noire, the black vampire. We want stories of vampire hunters, of anti-vampiric heroes/heroines, and more. If you can take the story out of westernized culture, we’d love to see those, too! We want stories that speak of inclusivity. So, if your vampire is disabled or suffers from an alignment, send those stories too. LGBTQ+ stories are also encouraged. To point, we want stories from the African diaspora.
If you do not follow the guidelines, your submission will be deleted unread. Seriously, read the guidelines. Follow them.
Upon results of a successful crowdfunding campaign, we will pay HWA pro-rate of .05 per word for publication for First World Rights.
Still interested? Here are the guidelines.
• Stories for this anthology must be original (no reprints or previously published material), no more than 5,000 words in length, and must satisfy the theme of the anthology, meaning the protagonist must from the African Diaspora. Remember, this entire anthology is dedicated to stories of the black vampire. They can be in space, superheroes, but they must be from the African Diaspora.
• Manuscripts should be in Shunn manuscript format, meaning double-spaced, 12pt font, standard margins on top, bottom and sides, and pages numbered. Please use Times New Roman font. The first page should include the Title of the story, Author’s name, address, and email, and Pseudonym if different from the author’s real name. Italics and bold should be in italics and bold.
• Attach the story in either .docx, .doc, and send it to mochamemoirspress AT gmail.com
• Subject: SLAY Submission: Title of Short story-Author Name
• Save your File as STORY TITLE-AUTHOR NAME
Here is our list of don’t:
• No revenge stories.
• No erotica.
• No Bestiality.
• No underage sex with minors, bestiality, or racist rants/racist storylines.
DEADLINE and TIMELINE:
• The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2020.
• Decisions on stories should be completed by the end of July 2020.
Deadline: February 22nd, 2020
Payment: 8 cents per word
Silk & Steel: An Adventure Anthology of Queer Ladies
Edited by Janine A. Southard Submissions due: February 22, 2020.
Princess and swordswoman. Scholar and mecha pilot. Warrior women… and the courtly ladies who love them.
The Silk and Steel anthology was initially inspired by artwork from Al Norton (see below). She’s put so much tension into these characters! Yet, among all that edginess and conflict, there are also romantic feelings… and a definite sense that both women have the upper hand.
We’re looking for stories of high adventure that feature one weapon-wielding woman and one woman whose strengths lie in softer skills, but who is just as powerful in her own right. You’re free to choose any setting – from historical to modern to wildly futuristic.
You can expect to share a Table of Contents with distinguished authors such as: Ellen Kushner, Aliette de Bodard, Amal El-Mohtar, Arkady Martine, Claire Bartlett, Django Wexler, Freya Marske, Jennifer Mace, JY Yang, K.A. Doore, Kelly Robson, Nibedita Sen, and Yoon Ha Lee.
Editor’s Note: I’m looking for all speculative genres except straight-up erotica or hard-core horror. (We’re aiming this anthology at general audiences, after all. Erotic and horror elements within your story’s context are definitely okay! But if they’re the thrust of the story, then you’ve gone off genre.) I think the idea lends itself well to swashbuckling romance and operatic comedy, but it’s really up to you.
Other Inclusions: Yes! I would love to see trans women, bi, pan, and ace characters.
Art by Al Norton (and used with her permission)
How to submit: Send your story in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format to Janine A. Southard at [email protected]
Note about conflict: Yes, this is an f/f anthology, but that doesn’t mean your women need to be fighting against homophobia! While this is one option, it’s not the only one. Consider also having them fight for their countries, their loves, or their right to wash their cars on Wednesdays in flagrant disregard of their HOA’s rules. Silk and Steel is about romance and optimism, so moving on to the next big fight after homophobia will be a much easier sell.
Rights and compensation: Originals only, no reprints. We will purchase first publishing rights for inclusion in this anthology (ebook and print) and one year of exclusivity for 8 cents/word. Authors retain the rights to the individual stories; Cantina Publishing exercises rights to the anthology as a whole.
General Guidelines for Submissions: We are currently only considering submissions for active calls.
Do send: Your story with your contact details, name (and pseudonym, if applicable), and word count on the first page of a .doc, .docx, or .rtf document. Please use italics instead of underlining. Cantina Publishing recommends using a really common workhorse font like Times New Roman or Calibri at whatever the default setting is for your word processor. (Font selections are subject to change before publication. Still, the submissions reader will remember you as “the jerk who sent something all in wingdings.” So we don’t recommend that particular level of creativity.) 3,000-7,000 words recommended.
Don’t send: Fanfic of any kind. (Unless specified by the call for submissions.) Grotesque horror. Anything over 10,000 words without querying first.
Deadline: February 29th, 2020
Payment: 3 cents per word
Theme: Extinction
Triangulation is open for submissions. We are Parsec Ink’s speculative fiction anthology, now in our 16th year. We’re looking for outstanding fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror–from new and established writers. Take the theme and run with it. Tell us a story we won’t forget.
Theme: Triangulation: Extinction
Every day, another species creeps closer to extinction, often brought on by things out of their control. The world changes every time an insect, a rhino, a macaw ceases to exist. These changes are tangible. Tell us about them. Bring us stories of imposing threats, extraordinary creatures brought low, stories of those warriors who fight tooth and nail for their survival. What does extinction mean to you? We like our stories to be profound, relatable, poignant yet familiar. Tell a tale for the ages.
While we appreciate and value creative freedom, please note that this issue of Triangulation has a strict theme. We don’t want to read a hundred stories about dinosaurs and asteroids; we want gritty commentaries and hopeful ruminations. Last year’s issue, Dark Skies, wrestled with light pollution, and similarly, this issue addresses an equally as challenging—and real—topic. Let’s do it justice.
Submission Requirements
Submissions Open: December 1, 2019
Submissions Close: February 29, 2020
Word Count: We consider fiction up to 5,000 words, but the sweet spot is 3,000. There is no minimum word count. Stories over 5000 words will be rejected unread.
Genre: 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 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.
We do not accept fanfic, even if it’s based in a fictional universe that has passed into the public domain.
Manuscript Format: Please use industry standard manuscript format. We’re not testing you or trying to make you jump through hoops, but we do want a manuscript that is easy for us to read. We reserve the right to reject a story because it did not adhere to our formatting guidelines.
We accept manuscripts in the following formats:
.doc or .docx (MS Word)
.rtf (Rich Text Format — generic document format that most word processors can create)
How We Choose
We are a meritocracy. New authors are as welcome as those with a laundry list of accomplishments. But it’s going to be the story that wins us over. Grab us by the lapels, drag us onto that plane, take us for the ride of our lives… but get us back on the ground safely and home in time for dinner.
We aim to read submissions as they are received. If a story doesn’t work for us, we reject it. If we think the story has great potential but isn’t quite there yet, we request a rewrite. The ones we love the most, we hold on to for further consideration, but we won’t keep you guessing: you’ll get an email. Next, the stories fight it out amongst themselves until we have our final lineup. At which time, final acceptances are sent out. It’s sort of like Enter the Dragon, but without the nunchucks. When a story is accepted, the changes we suggest will typically be minor and/or cosmetic.
Response: Final decisions are made by March 31st.
Eligibility: All writers, including those who are known or related to the editorial staff, can submit to Triangulation. That doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily get in, but we are happy to consider their work.
If Your Story Is Accepted
Compensation: We pay 3¢ per word. Payment will be either via PayPal or check.
Rights: We purchase North American serial rights, audio and electronic rights for the downloadable version(s). All subsidiary rights released upon publication.
How to Submit
Electronic submissions make our lives easier. Please upload your story via Submittable. If this is your first time using Submittable, you will need to create an account with them. Don’t worry: it’s free.
