The Themes for Year 1 are:

#1: The Bonds That Unite Us / Los lazos que nos unen

#2. Myths and Monsters / Mitos y monstruos

#3: Beyond the Stars / Más allá de las estrellas

#4: Love Needs No Translation / El amor no necesita traducción

The Bonds that Unite Us

Constellations are the product of human imagination, giving meaning to the patterns we see in the sky. From these scintillating dots lighting up the night, we’ve created stories about heroes, legends, and mythological creatures. We created those bonds, and we give them meaning.

Each culture that has looked up at the sky with wonder has its own interpretation of these connections, and now we want to hear yours.

What are the bonds that unite our cultures and languages around the world? How are these bonds formed, and what upholds them? How can they be broken and forged again? What unites an alien civilization to humankind? What ties the dragon to the unicorn and prevents it from making a meal out of her?

Sometimes these bonds are ones of blood. (Vampire tastes may vary.) Sometimes they’re shaped by shows of courage and strength, and the common struggles we face. These bonds can topple walls and bring down civilizations, and sometimes they’re the foundation for something new.

The theme is open to interpretation, as long as the stories fit under the speculative fiction umbrella.

Myths and Monsters

Since the dawn of time, humans have stared into the abyss and wondered what hid in the darkness. Tell us about the myths and monsters that have shaped your perception of the unknown.

Do your monsters hide in broad daylight or lurk in the shadows? Are they under the bed or are they ancient demons you can invoke when the moon is full? Have you heard a beating heart beneath the floorboards or the deathly song of a mermaid? Did the alien-like creature speak, or did you just imagine it?

Sometimes monsters wear suits and ties, sometimes they can’t be seen, only felt. When they told you the witch would come to eat you if you didn’t sleep during siesta, was it true? What is your version of the chupacabra, the Kraken, or la Llorona? Take us to the darkest corners of your mind and tell us a story meant to be read by candlelight.

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The theme is open to interpretation, as long as the stories fit under the speculative fiction umbrella.

Guidelines for Submitting Stories

Stories can be submitted in English or Spanish.

Please remember that each language has its own punctuation rules.

—Presta atención al uso correcto de las rayas o guiones largos —dijo la editora.

“I will,” said the writer.

If you submit your story in Spanish, it will be translated and also published in English.

If you submit your story in English, it will be translated and also published in Spanish.

All stories in the magazine will be published in both languages.

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Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions are not allowed.

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We pay 8 cents per word, up to 6400 words. We ask for six month world first exclusive rights and translation rights for all original stories accepted.

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If your story is accepted, you are agreeing to be contacted by the person doing the translation for your work in case they have any questions. Translating is a collaborative process, and we want to make sure we get all the nuances correct.

What We’re Looking For

The theme of each edition will vary, but the general consensus for all stories is as follows:

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– Well-written original stories that fall under the speculative fiction umbrella, up to 6,400 words long. No exceptions.

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– Authors are free to interpret the themes creatively, and we encourage you to twist and bend the themes to your will, as long as they fit into any of the speculative fiction genres. However, if you have to explain to us how your story fits in with the theme, it probably isn’t a good fit for us.

What We Don’t Want

– Racism, homophobia, bigotry, discrimination, or misogyny.

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– Stories that include gratuitous violence against humans, robots, animals, or any sentient beings, whether it’s rape, torture, or murder.

– Stories that glorify any cultures above others.

Submissions will be open from October 15, 2020 until November 1, 2020 for the first issue:

#1: The Bonds That Unite Us / Los lazos que nos unen

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Please make sure to send your submission to the correct category and language.

Translators

We’re looking for people who can do literary translations from Spanish to English and English to Spanish. Please contact us at [email protected].  We pay $0.04 per word.

Artists

We commission art months in advance based on the issue’s theme. You can send us a link to your portfolio to [email protected] with the subject as follows: ART PORTFOLIO and your name.

As of now, we’re only looking for art by BIPOC creators from anywhere in the world.

We will pay $1000 and ask for rights to use the art as our cover for the digital and print versions of the magazine and online promotional material. We may ask for other rights, and they will be clearly stipulated in the contract beforehand.

Questions?

If you have any questions please message us via our Contact Page or email us at [email protected] 

Special Notice

If you are an author or artist from the Caribbean, Latin America, or their diaspora and you have a project coming out soon please contact us. We’d love to feature and promote your work in Constelación Magazine.