No Longer Ongoing Submissions: Black Girls Are Magic Lit Mag

At the time of this update, Black Girls Are Magic Lit Mag is still an active magazine. However, our definition of ongoing markets has evolved and we will now list this market as they are open instead of ongoing.

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Payment: $50/story *we hope to pay professional rates soon! ($.08/word)*
Note: Black Girls Are Magic Lit Mag is a literary magazine featuring speculative fiction by and about black women.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

All submissions should follow proper manuscript format. Please attach all submissions in .doc format—we will not accept submissions embedded in the body of email. Include your bio in your cover letter.

Submission Form (also below).

GUIDELINES FOR FICTION

Black Girls are Magic is an online magazine published quarterly. We are seeking speculative fiction between 1,000 – 6,000 words.

We are looking for works about and by Black Women. We accept works from others as long as the main character is a Black Female.

Pay rate: CURRENTLY $50/story *we hope to pay professional rates soon! ($.08/word)*
Word limit: 1000-6000 (FIRM) or 250 -500 for our Flash Fiction issues.
Stories must combine an aspect of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Surrealism, or Horror with a Black Female Main Character.

Multiple submissions: Maximum of two (2) per month (Please submit separately!)

No simultaneous submissions.

We strongly encourage submissions from writers who identify as people of color, women, members of the QUILTBAG* community, and others who are under-represented in Speculative Fiction.

* QUILTBAG is an acronym. It stands for Queer/Questioning, Undecided, Intersex, Lesbian, Transgender/Transsexual, Bisexual, Allied/Asexual, Gay/Genderqueer.


WHAT WE PUBLISH:

  • Mainstream fiction with elements of the fantastic mixed in
  • Dark fantasy / science fiction
  • Magic realism (“a literary genre or style that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction—called also magical realism”)
  • Surrealism: (“the principles, ideals, or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations”)

Don’t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary.

WHAT WE DON’T PUBLISH:

We are not a market for graphic, violent horror. The “horror” should be subtle and fall in with one or more of the themes above.

NEW AUTHORS

Black Girls are Magic Magazine reserves one slot each month for an author who has never had a professional-rate sale* before. This is to ensure that Black Girls are Magic Magazine will always be a welcoming and open market to new/un-established authors.

In addition to publication, an author selected for our New Author Spotlight will be interviewed by Black Girls are Magic, with the interview featured on our website & in the magazine.

If you’re eligible for our New Author Spotlight, please check “Yes” on the submission form.

NOTE: The New Author Spotlight doesn’t mean we ONLY publish one story from a new author each month – we’re happy to fill an entire issue with new authors. The Spotlight guarantees that un-established authors are never excluded from Black Girls are MagicMagazine.

* “Professional” refers to any short fiction or poetry sale which paid at least 5¢ per word, or any novel sale which paid at least $2,000.


REPRINTS

We will not be accepting unsolicited fiction reprints.

PAYMENT & RIGHTS

We CURRENTLY pay $50 per short story.

We are starting an Indiegogo Campaign in hopes to start paying our authors cents/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for First World Rights.

Authors will also receive a free print and eBook copy of the anthology in which their story appears.

Black Girls are Magic takes first world eBook and print rights, and non-exclusive anthology rights for Black Girls are Magic’s biannual anthologies. We also take non-exclusive online rights to publish and archive your story on our website.

RESPONSE TIMES

Response times will vary depending on volume, but may average two weeks. Query after one month (include title and date submitted).


ARTWORK

Submit an inquiry along with samples (preferably a link to an online gallery. Submissions should be emailed to [email protected]. We purchase pre-existing pieces of art and rarely commission original art for covers.

Thanks for your interest in submitting to Black Girls are Magic Lit Mag

Submit stories in DOC, DOCX or RTF format. Standard Manuscript Format is strongly preferred. Use a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial, in 12 pt.

Turnaround time for responses is one month following the end of your submission month. (e.g. if you submit during September, we’ll respond no later than October 31.)

If you haven’t received a response by the end of the following month, please query.

The submission form can be found in the link below:

Via: Black Girls are Magic Lit Mag.

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