Deadline: January 15th, 2017
Payment: 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: Total word count 5000 to 10000. Needs to be engaging, completed, and last two or four issues. Stories that are action driven/have a pulp feel to them are preferred. 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.

UPCOMING ISSUE

The final frontiers are populated with lawlessness and redemption. Science fiction is immersed in tales of those who have ventured to galaxies far far away, bringing home their stories and monsters from the infinite black abyss. The horror genre is filled with black widows, dark avengers, and holy warriors ready to fight against evil. Fantasy literature’s cornerstone is the gathering together of a band of strangers to set off on a grand adventure. Commercial Cosmonauts & Hired Guns wants stories that delve into various journeys of unwilling and daring adventurers. What propaganda forces these individuals to battle against the universe and formidable foes? What are the stories being left untold in these narratives dominated by the lone white male savior against the world? Open to submit between January 1- January 15 11:59PM EST

FICTION, POETRY & NON-FICTION IDEAS

• A young woman is tasked with piloting the last airship containing seeds that will repopulate her dying world.
• An occult ritual gone haywire has forced a city boy to deal with demons closer to home than he’s ever imagined.
• How does one cope with the knowledge that the war they’ve been fighting against hostile species has all been an elaborate conspiracy?
• A deaf linguist stumbles upon a secret society in need of help deciphering a lost language that could save the world.
• When a rebel leader decides to step down, it throws their community into chaos and forces them to confront years of persecution.
• How has literature, science, etc. shaped our collective understanding of the final frontiers?

TWO GENRE EXAMPLES

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: Total word count 5000 to 10000. Needs to be engaging, completed, and last two or four issues. Stories that are action driven/have a pulp feel to them are preferred. 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.

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).

EOS•QUARTERLY: Up to 2,500 words or 100 lines of poetry. Paid $0.03USD per word for the first 1,500 words and $0.01USD after for short stories, and $0.25USD a line for poetry. Must identify with a marginalized group such as but not limited to race, religion, ability status, or sex.

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 (especially for short stories)

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 

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

SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES

Where?

• Through HeyPublisher

• Through Green Submissions

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

Email?

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

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

• 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

Format?

• 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.)

Courtesy?

• No reprints!

• Translations into English are welcome

• Only one submission in the same category allowed (fiction and non-fiction) for the same issue. I will be more lenient with shorter poetry

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

RESPONSE TIME

Currently around two to three weeks after submitting. Do not query before two weeks have passed. I do not send out notification that the piece has been received, only when it is accepted or rejected. 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. Finally, if accepted here and then republished, you are required to add the volume and issue you were published in.

Via: Helios Quarterly.