71 Calls for Submissions in February 2021 - Paying markets

There are more than five dozen calls for submissions in February. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post calls for submissions on the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!

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Volney Road Review. Genres: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Sexy Fantastic Magazine. Genre: Fantastic erotic stories on theme of Stars. (No porn) "Any type of story with fantastic elements is acceptable, such as a metaphysical or surreal modern tale, magic realism, a dark fantasy thriller, science fiction satire, historical legend, an imaginary world fantasy adventure, etc." Payment: $100. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

The First Line. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.)   Payment: $25.00 - $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 - $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Belmont Story Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF. Payment: $50. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and flash, up to 3000 words on theme of Apocalypse. Payment: For prose, 1¢ US per word, and $10 US per poem. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

The London Reader: Counterculture Creative Writing. Genre: Stories featuring parties, protest, and the revolutionary potential of today’s and yesteryear’s countercultures. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 1, 2021.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: February 2, 2021.

Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy tales, and essays on theme of “Healers, Midwives and Cunning Folk.” Payment: $100. US dollars only. Essays: $50. Deadline: February 3, 2021.

Fireside Quarterly. Genre: Short stories, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: 12.5 cents per word, $100 for poetry. Deadline: February 5, 2021. 

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. No horror. Payment: USD $.06/word (six cents a word) up to 1,250 words, and a flat payment of $75.00 for longer stories. Deadline: February 7, 2021. Opens to submissions on February 1.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on Theme of Blue. Payment: $10 via PayPal for each story published in an Anthology. Deadline: February 7, 2021.

Lightspeed. Genre: Original, unpublished science fiction short story or novelette by writers who identify s BIPOC. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: February 8, 2021.

The Other Stories Podcast. Genre: Horror on theme of Newly Discovered Creatures. Payment: $5. Deadline: February 8, 2021.

Cricket Media: Faces: Go Fish! Genre: Nonfiction articles, fiction, activities for children. Send query only. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: February 8, 2021.

Moonflake Press. Genre: Short stories and poems on theme of Affairs. Payment: £5 for each story/poem. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Tolka. Genre: All forms of non-fiction: personal essay, memoir, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction and the writing that falls in between. Length: 2,000–4,000 words. Payment: €150. Deadline: February 10, 2021.

Third Wednesday. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, art. Payment: $3. Deadline: February 14, 2021.

Qwerty. Genre: Poetry, art and prose about food. "We invite 2SQ+BIPOC artists to submit work that explores food(s) in relation to racial, queer, gendered, etc. identities and bodies." Payment: $10. Deadline: February 14, 2021.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Science of Fear. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Lightspeed. Genre: Original, unpublished science fiction short story or novelette. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Shenandoah. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $100. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

The Best New True Crime Stories. Genre: Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. Payment: $130, and 2 print copies of the book. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Red Cape Anthologies: J is for Jack-o’-Lantern. Genre: Horror. "Halloween is the theme for these stories but the Jack-o’-Lantern must play a key role.." Payment:  £10. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

WordWorks. Restrictions: Open to writers in British Columbia or Yukon, Canada. Genre: Nonfiction. Theme: Publishing. Payment: Twenty-five cents a word for articles ($50 for reprints). Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Third Wednesday. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: $3. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Cid Pearlman: home(Body). Genre: Poetry. "(home)Body is an art installation with dance video, poetry, and live performance. This work is a collaboration between artistic director/choreographer Cid Pearlman, video artist Mara Milam, poet/dramaturge Denise Leto, and ten dance artists. The poems we commission will seek to represent a multiplicity of voices. They will inform the content we create and will function as scaffolding and inspiration for the dance and video." Payment: $500. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

EX/POST. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: Modest honorarium. Deadline: February 15, 2021.

Songs of Eretz. Genre: Poetry, cover art on theme of Circles. Payment: $5. Deadline: February15, 2021.

The Spectacle. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: February 15, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid fee.

Luna Station Quarterly. Genre: Speculative fiction by woman. Payment: $5. Deadline: February 15, 2021. Accepts reprints.

Crone Rising. Genre: Creative nonfiction by women over 40. "We want you to share the experiences that shaped you. We want to hear about your inner strength and how you learned to become who you are today." Length: 7,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: $45. Deadline: February 16, 2021.

Queer Gothic Short Stories. Genre: Queer Gothic short stories between 100 and 8,000 words. Payment: £40. Deadline: February 20, 2021.

Eastern Iowa Review. Genre: Lyric essays and prose poems, creative nonfiction and hybrid works. Theme: Winter. Payment: $10. Deadline: February 20, 2021.

Claw & Blossom. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry about the natural world on theme of Water. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 21, 2021.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. Payment: $80. Deadline: February 21, 2021.

Speculative City. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and essays centered in cities. See themes. Payment: $20-$55. Deadline: February 24, 2021.

The Dread Machine Press: 1986: The Anthology. Genre: Horror. "We’re seeking dread-inspiring stories that take place in 1986—either the 1986 of our reality (Stranger Things) or an alternate version (Tales From the Loop). Bring us back to a simpler, scarier time." Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: February 25, 2021.

It Gets Even Better: Stories of Queer Possibility. Genre: Speculative stories about positive queer possibility, written in English. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: February 27, 2021.

The Rumpus. Genre: Essays. "We strive to be a platform for marginalized voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere, and to lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers we love. We work to shine a light on stories that build bridges, tear down walls, and speak truth to power." Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Third Estate Art: Quaranzine. Genre: "Send us art with an underlying social justice theme in any discipline, or any kind of activist work that you’d like an eclectic audience for. We’ll take submissions of stories, essays, Bandcamp links, visual art, artist talks, performances, instructional videos, comics, poems, and anything else that we can reasonably put into this format." Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

JMS Books: LGBTQ Romance: Second Chances. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories. Stories about finding love the second time around. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Decoded Genre: "Everything from experimental comics to thinly-veiled fanfiction to good old formulaic genre is right up our alley, so don’t disqualify yourself – submit! Our only requirements are that you be a queer creator and that you bring your very best work to the page." See their open calls for submissions. Payment; Flash short story (up to 1499 words) – $25, Short story (1500 to 3499 words) – $100, Long form (3500 – 7500-ish words) – $200, Comics – $75 (no limit, but keep in mind your whole comic will run in one day) Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Cats. Genre: True stories and poems. “We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1,200 words. Tell us about your cat. Tell us how he made you smile. How she "rescued" you after you "rescued" her. How she brought your family closer together, helped you find love, inspired you to change something in your human life. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and hysterical stories you have about your cats!” Payment: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Lackington’s: Battles. Genre: Speculative fiction on theme of Battles. Payment: 1 cent/word (CAD). Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Parsec Ink: Triangulation: Habitats. Genre: Fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror on theme of Habitats. Payment: 3¢ per word for fiction, 25 cents per line for poetry. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Southword. Genre: Poetry. Payment: €40 per poem. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme of Chance. Payment: $30. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Opens February 15.

Blue Mesa Review. Genre: Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems), and Visual Art. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Down & Out Books: Mickey Finn – 21st Century Noir. Genre: Hardboiled and noir crime fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Counting Your Blessings. Genre: True stories and poems. "Please share your stories about handling challenges in your life, finding the silver linings, and counting your blessings, whether the challenges you are facing are COVID-19 related or other kinds. Stories can be serious or funny, but definitely should be inspirational and heartwarming. Attitude adjustments, finding contentment and gratitude, a new way of handling your daily life, and other great ideas to inspire readers to find their own paths to happiness and to remember to count their blessings every day are what we are looking for." Payment: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Organic Ink. Genre: Poetry. "All poetry pieces are welcome. There is no theme." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Ninth Letter. Genre: Prose and poetry. Payment: $25 per printed page, with a maximum payment of $150, as well as two complimentary copies of the issue in which the work appears. Deadline: February 28, 2021. No submission fee for snail mail.

Spartan. Genre: Literary prose, 1500 words max. Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Air and Nothingness Press: The Wild Hunt. Genre: Stories may be of any genre as long as they fit within the idea of the Wild Hunt. "We are open to Grimdark, New Weird, Science Fiction, Fantasy and genre bending/breaking."  Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Air and Nothingness Press: Upon a Once Time. Genre: Choose two of your favorite fairy
tales, and a genre of your choice, and mash them up to make something new.  "We are open to Grimdark, New Weird, Science Fiction, Fantasy and genre bending/breaking."  Payment: $0.08/word.  Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Night Shift Radio. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction, memoir - 7,000-10,000 words. Payment: $50 or $25. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Opens February 21.

Stonecrop Review. Genre: Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Reader’s Corner, Artwork, Photography on theme of Flora. "We are particularly keen to publish works that explore nature in cities that have not been as widely represented in the urban nature canon." Payment: $20. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Horror and dark fantasy. Payment: 1 cent per word for original fiction. 10k words = $100; 0.5 cents per word for reprints; 50 cents per line for poetry; 20 dollars for artwork chosen as interior content; 50 dollars for cover art. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Good Southern Witches Anthology. Genre: Fantasy and horror fiction and occult nonfiction. Payment: $25. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Upstreet. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction pieces 5,000 words or less. Payment: $50 - $250 for short stories or essays. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Small Harbor Publishing: Marginalia Series. Genre: Chapbooks by  traditionally marginalized writers. Payment: 25 copies. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Thunderbird Studios: Decades of San Cicaro. Genre: Short stories that take place in the city of San Cicaro between the years of 1930 to 1989. Payment: $175. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Ghost Orchid Press: Dark Hearts Anthology. Genre: Stories exploring the twisted side of love.  Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Nightlight. Restrictions: Open to Black writers. Genre: Horror. 10,000 words max. Audio format. Payment: $75 - $200 depending on length. $50 for reprints. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Flypaper. Genre: Poems, book reviews of contemporary poetry collections, interviews with poets and essayists, essays on music, as well as short stories and CNF pieces with fewer than 3000 words Payment: $5. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Trenchcoats, Towers, and Trolls: Cyberpunk Fairy Tales. Genre: Cyberpunk fairy tales. "We are excited to mash the world of cyberpunk together with fairy tales and see what sort of magic results. Embracing the high-tech/low-life aspect of cyberpunk will give these stories both the sleek coolness of futuristic technology and the grittiness of traditional fairy tales." Length: up to 7,500 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: February 28, 2021. Opens February 1.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. Audio format. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction, $100 flat rate for short story reprints, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 1500 words). Deadline: February 28, 2021.  Reprints accepted.

Sylvia Magazine. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Payment: £1.75 per line for poetry (not including titles or line breaks) and £0.25 per word for prose. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Kaleidotrope. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry—science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also compelling work that blurs the lines between these and falls outside of neat genre categories.  Payment: For fiction, $0.01/word (1 cent a word) USD. For poetry, a flat rate of $5 USD per accepted piece. For artwork, a flat rat of $60 for cover art. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

Prospectus. Genre: Poetry, art, reviews, and fiction. Payment: $25  Deadline: February 28, 2021.

And a few more...

Thema: A Postcard from the Past. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: A Postcard from the Past. Payment: $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 1, 2021.  Accepts reprints.

The Blue Route. Restrictions: Only the work of current undergraduate writers will be considered.Genres: Fiction, or creative nonfiction totaling no more than 3000 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Canthius. Genres: Unpublished poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction – "we welcome experimental works and play excerpts). Please limit prose submissions to 3500 words and poetry submissions to five poems." Payment: $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more, regardless of genre. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Carousel. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Payment: Poetry: $20 per poem — Fiction: $40–$80 per story — Experimental Reviews: $20–$40 per review. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

OUT THERE: Into the Queer New Yonder! Restrictions: Open to queer YA authors. Genre: Speculative fiction about queer teen protagonists, set in the future. Payment: $900 (US) plus a pro-rated share of any royalties received on the sale of the anthology. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: 20.00 USD for featured authors, or $10.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $5.00 USD for poems. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

PTMN.TEAU. Genre: Fiction & creative non-fiction; Poetry & prose; Short & long-form writing. Submissions may be no longer than 5,000 words. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

The Wire’s Dream Magazine. Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Art, Photography, Combined Work from underprivileged individuals. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

B Cubed Press. Genre: Fiction, essays, and poetry on three themes: Protest Diaries: “Stories from the front lines of revolutions throughout history.” Alternative War: “War shapes the world through technology, boarders, and norms. What will come next?” Stories can take place anywhere in time and space. Alternative Deathliness: “Death brings so many options” – this anthology will be a “fun filled romp into the concept and nature of Death.” Payment: 2 cents/word plus royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Parabola: Young & Old. Genre: Retellings of traditional stories: 500-1500 words, original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Cuppatea Publications: We Cryptids. Genre: Urban fantasy about cryptids (like Bigfoot, Nessie, vampires, werewolves, kraken, etc) Payment: $200 + royalties. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

The Evil Cookie Publishing: Gorefest. Genre: Horror. Payment: $0.03/word. Deadline: March 1, 2021.