Deadline: October 15th, 2016
Payment: POETRY: Up to 100 lines. Paid $0.25USD a line., MICRO FICTION: Drabbles are strictly 100 words. Titles should be no longer than 3 words. Paid $0.06USD per word., FLASH FICTION: 500 to 1000 words. Paid $0.02USD per word., SHORT STORIES: 1001 to 1500 words. Paid $0.03USD per word., SERIAL STORIES: 1000 to 2500 words per chapter. Total word count 4000 to 10000. Needs to be engaging, completed, and last two or four issues. Paid $0.03USD per word in segments.

Helios Quarterly Magazine aims to publish quality fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art that illuminates the darkness. HQM wants stories and poems that grab ahold of a reader from the opening lines all the way to the finish line. Works that push boundaries, are succinct, and well developed are smiled upon.

READING PERIODS

January 1-15 11:59PM EST (March Issue)

April 1-15 11:59PM EST (June Issue)

July 1-15 11:59PM EST (September Issue)

October 1-15 11:59PM EST (December Issue)

Anything submitted outside of these windows will be deleted unread. Artists and photographers can submit year round.

UPCOMING ISSUE

The secrets being kept from us reveal a world in of themselves. Science fiction has a long speculative history of new technology and species, the likes of which humanity has never seen. The horror genre always aims to excite and instill fear, with depictions of possessions and cruel vengeance. Fantasy literature can always teeter on the edge of a grim dark worldview. RE_ACTED wants stories that explore the dark side of human progression. What are the secrets we’ve erased from our families shared histories? What is the government, society, or even the universe itself trying to shield us from seeing? Open to submit between October 1- October 15 11:59PM EST

FICTION, POETRY & NON-FICTION IDEAS

• Ghosts aren’t suppose to be real. What if the cemetery behind the Church is hiding a secret society hell-bent on capturing them?
• Magic(k) is said to be held together by the social boundaries placed upon individuals at birth. What if the relic tells you—a common foot soldier—differently?
• Where does delusion and reality begin when you wake up to a world where you’re the only one who sees the color red?
• All artificial intelligence and lower robots must obey their human masters. Research reveals something very different—the beginning of conciseness.
• An invasive species is suppose to be just that—invaders. That’s until you find records that show your people encroached upon their homelands first.
• Can literature, science, etc. be a way to envision the unimaginable?

TWO GENRE EXAMPLES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE 

YEAR 1: New Horizons [2016]

Vol. 1, Issue 001, “Miscommunication” Sept. 2016

Vol. 1, Issue 002, “RE_ACTED” Dec. 2016

YEAR 2: United We Fall [2017]

Vol. 2, Issue 001, “Commercial Cosmonauts & Hired Guns” March 2017

Vol. 2, Issue 002, “Redux & Progression” June 2017

Vol. 2, Issue 003, “First Contact & Conversions” Sept. 2017

Vol. 2, Issue 004, “Heroes, Heroines & Thrill Seekers” Dec. 2017

YEAR 3: Body & Mind [2018]

Vol. 3, Issue 001, “Exquisite Corpse” March 2018

Vol. 3, Issue 002, “20/20” June 2018

Vol. 3, Issue 003, “Infinite Regression” Sept. 2018

Vol. 3, Issue 004, “Songs of Yesteryear” Dec. 2018

RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

• Non-exclusive electronic and print reprint rights
• Ability to use the art for promotional purposes
• The option to archive the work online with links to the photographer’s and artist’s galleries

RIGHTS SOUGHT FOR FICTION, POETRY & NON-FICTION

• First world electronic and print rights in English with exclusivity for 6 months from the date of publication
• Non-exclusive archival rights as long as the website(s) hosting the work are online
• If your story is selected to be podcast and approved in the future, payment is $0.01USD per word for non-exclusive electronic audio rights
• If selected and approved to be republished in an anthology in the future, the piece submitted will be paid in royalties up to the amount it received when initially published
• Copyright remains with the author at all times

Please query if anything listed is of concern. Here is a good explanation of what this entails.

LENGTH & GUIDELINES

COVER ART: To be used in the electronic and print editions, can be art or photography, and is usually solicited.

ARTWORK: Usually solicited. Payment dependent on the artist.

COMICS: Range from 5-25 pages (preferred). Payment dependent on the artist. Willing to serialize.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Usually solicited. Payment dependent on the photographer.

POETRY: Up to 100 lines. Paid $0.25USD a line.

MICRO FICTION: Drabbles are strictly 100 words. Titles should be no longer than 3 words. Paid $0.06USD per word.

FLASH FICTION: 500 to 1000 words. Paid $0.02USD per word.

SHORT STORIES: 1001 to 1500 words. Paid $0.03USD per word.

SERIAL STORIES: 1000 to 2500 words per chapter. Total word count 4000 to 10000. Needs to be engaging, completed, and last two or four issues. Paid $0.03USD per word in segments.

SPOTLIGHT SHORT STORY: 1001 to 1500 words. One story involving the Sun, or a Sun, as a central element alongside the main theme of an issue. Paid $0.03USD or $0.04USD per word. [SPOLIGHT AUTHOR ALREADY CHOSEN. DO NOT SUBMIT]

NON-FICTION ESSAYS, NARRATIVES & ARTICLES: Aimed at a general audience that a). addresses the theme b). deals with SF, F or H c). shows a level of competency about the subject matter at hand. Up to 5000 words. Paid a flat rate of $35USD.

REVIEWS: Send in reviews of SF, F or H or solicit SF, F or H to be reviewed in an issue. Should a). address the theme b). be aimed at a general audience and c). show a level of competency about the subject and medium at hand (ex. science-fiction silent films). Up to 1500 words. Unpaid (soliciting a review) or $15USD (submitting a review).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Unpaid. Have at it!

All payments made through PayPal. Please note that these are not professional rates (aside for the micro-fiction). Fiction can only be resold as a reprint after publication. Decide if you want to take this payment scheme or submit to another market. 

HARD SALES

• Poorly formatted and edited work
• Overtly racist, sexist, violent, etc. works without adding value overall
• Works above the word counts and/or untitled

ABSOLUTE NO

• Fanfiction of any kind
• Excerpts out of a novel
• Taboo elements (rape in all forms, incest, pedophilia, etc.) in almost all cases

OF INTEREST 

• Dieselpunk, Solarpunk, Weird Westerns, Cyberpunk, Magic Realism, Gothic Horror, Retrofuturism, Afrofuturism, and other lesser known sub-genres
• People of Color, disabled people, women, LGBTQIA, and other marginalized groups at the forefront
• Pushing the boundaries of genre and form

SUBMISSIONS

• Through Green Submissions

• Via email (preferred): subs [at] heliosquarterly.com

• The subject line should read HQSUBMISSION(ISSUE #): CATEGORY : TITLE (WORD or LINE COUNT) ex).HQSUBMISSION1: SHORT STORIES: Super Story (1001)

• The subject line for art and photography should read HQSUBMISSION(Art) or HQSUBMISSION(Photos)

• A short cover letter is required. Please include your legal name, pen name (if relevant), contact information, recent publications/awards (if any), and a bio of 50-150 words. A photo of you is optional

• Submissions should be attached in the email as a .rtf, .doc or .docx

• Artists and photographers should send a link to their online gallery as well and/or the piece as a .PNG or .JPEG

• Shunn’s manuscript style for fiction and poetry is required (double-spaced, 12 pt standard font, page numbers, etc.)

• Hold firm to the word and line counts

• Simultaneous submissions to other markets are accepted! Alert HQM immediately should your work be accepted somewhere else (congrats in advance!)

• Translations into English are welcome

• No reprints! Possibly in the future

• Don’t submit multiple submissions in the same category (fiction, non-fiction, or poetry) for the same issue. I will be more lenient with shorter poetry

• You can submit one piece in each category (so three separate emails for a short story, poem, and article)

• If accepted here and then republished, please add the website and issue you were published in

RESPONSE TIME

Currently around two to three weeks after submitting. I will try to answer all submissions with an acceptance or rejection letter.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Any personal information collected (including but not limited to your name, address, email, social media links, and pen name) is held in strict confidence and not shared with anyone else unless compelled by law or in the event threats are leveled against the staff.

If a third party contacts HQM interested in an author’s or artist’s work, the author /artist will be contacted first to ask permission to share details.

LEGALESE

By sending us your work you understand and agree that:

1. You are the original creator and copyright holder of the work submitted;
2. You are not prohibited by any prior agreement from the transfer of exclusive electronic & print rights in English, first world translation rights into English, reprint rights, and/or non-exclusive audio rights to the work;
3. All information submitted is accurate and truthful; and
4. You accept sole responsibility for any false statements upon rights not disclosed.

If you are under the age of 18, your parent or guardian will sign your contract and accept your payment on your behalf.

Via: Helios Quarterly.