87 Calls for Submissions in March 2021 - Paying markets

This March there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. 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!

Image credit: Pixabay

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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.

Welcome to the Bear Creek Gazette. Genre: Anything you would find in a regular news portal for a town that does not exist. "Think Welcome to Night Vale, The Wicker Man, Twin Peaks and you are on the right track." Payment: $30. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

The Evil Cookie Publishing: Gorefest. Genre: Horror. Payment: $0.03/word. 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.

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 Genres: Unpublished poetry and prose (both fiction and creative non-fiction – "we welcome experimental works and play excerpts).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.

Contrary Magazine. Genres: Fiction and poetry. Payment: $20 per author. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 6 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: March 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: March 3, 2021.

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

Scum. Genre: Feminist-friendly work of any variety, but as a general rule your piece should be under 2000 words (50 lines for poetry, max. 3 poems) and able to be classified as “fiction”, “culture”, “memoir”, “column”, “poetry”, and/or “review”. Payment: $60 AUD. Deadline: March 7, 2021.  Opens to submissions on March 1.

Augur. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. "Send us your dreamy, your quiet fantasy, your soft scifi, your literary pulp, your liminal, your slipstream, your fabulism." Payment: $60/poem; $0.11/word fiction. CAD. Deadline: March 7, 2021.

Into the Void. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: $10 per poem, flash fiction or visual art piece, and $20 per long-form prose piece. Deadline: March 7, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.

Mslexia. Genre: Fiction, poetry. "PORTRAIT: For Issue 90 we’re looking or pieces about artists and their subjects, about seeing and being seen, about paint, pencil and film." Payment: £25. Deadline: March 8, 2021.

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 Genre: Original, unpublished science fiction short story or novelette by writers who identify as BIPOC.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

Cricket Media: Faces: Great Cities of the World: Athens Genre: Nonfiction articles, fiction, activities for children. Send query only. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 8, 2021.

Dark Carnival Anthology. Genre: Circus and carnival themed horror stories. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 10, 2021.

Aesthetic: A Dark Academia Anthology. Genre: Young Adult and New Adult Dark Academia short stories. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 10, 2021.

DreamForge Anvil. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. Payment: Between $0.04 and $0.06/word. Deadline: March 13, 2021.

Shoreline of Infinity. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy. Payment: £10/1000 words. Deadline: March 13, 2021.

Flame Tree Publishing: Chilling Crime Anthology. Genre: Crime stories. "It's time to turn to the darker side: the cold cases, the grim murders, the desperate villains, and the race against time to solve the crime. We're seeking up to 20 new stories to join our powerful collection of Chilling Crime Short Stories, new and classic tales reaching back into ancient, medieval, Elizabethan and Victorian fiction. From Oedipus Rex and Medea to Thomas More's story of the Princes in the Tower, Scheherazade's 'The Three Apples' and the chilling crime fiction of Dickens, Poe, Henry James, Baroness Orczy and Wilkie Collins." Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: March 14, 2021.

Blackbird. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir excerpts. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline:  March 15, 2021.

Unsettling Reads: Hope Screams Eternal. Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Literary, and/or Sci-Fi. Stories, art, and poems that unsettle, unnerve, frighten, discomfit, challenge, and/or just generally entertain. Must use one of these words: Hatch, Resurrect, Bunny, Seed(s). 7500 words max. Payment: $20. Deadline:  March 15, 2021.

Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children on theme of Colors and Art Therapy.  Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

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

Hungry Zine. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction about food. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry on theme of Weird West. Payment: US 3¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $3, maximum $25. Payment is on publication. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

The Periodical, Forlorn. Genre: Tales of maritime disaster. Elements of the supernatural are welcome, as are stories that utilize elements of horror and science-fiction. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

In the Nick of Time. Genre: Thriller short stories. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Pitches for essays addressing/highlighting/grappling with the evolution of the genre. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

Gutter. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction. Payment: £25. Deadline: March 15, 2021.

Bracken. Genre: Poetry and art. "Bracken is a literary magazine born of the love of the woods and its shadows." Payment: $30. Deadline: March 16, 2021.

Strange Horizons. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10¢/word USD. Deadline: March 16, 2021.

86 Logic: A Celebration of Artists from the Hospitality Industry. Restrictions: You must have worked in the hospitality industry at some point in your life. Genre: Poetry, prose, fiction, art, comics, photography, and non-fiction/journalism. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 16, 2021.

carte blanche. Genre: Comics, Photography, Poetry, and Translations on theme of Resilience. Payment: Modest honorarium.  Deadline: March 18, 2021.

Unbound: The Experiment Will Not Be Bound: An Experimental Anthology of American Writing. Genre: Experimental writing. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 21, 2021.

Translunar Travelers Lounge. Restrictions: BIPOC writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20. Deadline: March 21, 2021. 

Nightmare Magazine. Genre: Horror, dark fantasy short stories, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: March 21, 2021.

Dreaming the Goddess Anthology. Genre: Short stories between 2,500 and 20,000 words. Each story must have a Pagan, Heathen, Occult influence that has a spark of truth in regards to the connection with the  feminine aspect of the divine. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: March 21, 2021.

Sundamaged. Genre: Personal essays, impersonal essays, CNF and fiction up to 5,000 words, and prose poetry of up to a page in length. The piece must be related to their themes of travel, anti-travel or neo travel in some way. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 21, 2021.

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

Wight Christmas. Genre: Holiday horror, and in particular stories that subvert Christmas tropes and seasonal clichés. "We are seeking dark reinterpretations of seasonal traditions, and stories that reimagine holiday characters as ghosts, demons, spirits, supernatural entities, or other paranormal phenomena." Payment: CAD 1/2 CENT per word for originals; 50% for reprints (i.e. CAD 1/4 CENT per word). Deadline: March 23, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Strange Horizons. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10¢/word USD. Deadline: March 23, 2021.

Griffith Review 73: Hey, Utopia! Genre: Essays and creative non-fiction, reportage, fiction, poetry, memoir and picture stories. "This edition of Griffith Review visits utopias old and new, near and far, to explore the possibilities and pitfalls of imagining a better future." Payment: Negotiated. Deadline: March 25, 2021.

The Puritan. Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: $100 per nonfiction piece, $50 fiction, $15 per poem. Deadline: March 25, 2021.

Strange Religion. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Strange Religion fills a lacuna in the field of speculative short fiction, which often does not treat religion with sufficient depth and thoughtfulness. These stories reconsider theological topics—incarnation, reincarnation, revelation, miracles, and the like—through the lens of science fiction and fantasy." Payment: CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints. Deadline: March 28, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Strange Wars. Genre: Speculative fiction. "Strange Wars explores military conflict through speculative fiction. These are stories with an original take on organized aggression." Payment: CAD 2c/word for originals; 50% rate for reprints. Deadline: March 28, 2021. Reprints accepted.

The Omens Call. Genre: Horror on theme of Omens. Payment: $20 - $30. Deadline: March 28, 2021.

Voiceworks, Restrictions: Open to Australians under the age of 25. Genre: Nonfiction on theme of Pickle. Pitches only. Payment: $100. Deadline: March 28, 2021.

Inked in Gray. Genre: Full-length manuscripts. Payment: Royalties? Deadline: March 30, 2021.

Strange Horizons. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10¢/word USD. Deadline: March 30, 2021.

Dragon Soul Press: Spacebound. Genre: Science Fiction. "All stories must include elements of sci-fi. Whether discovering aliens, space travel, or terraforming new planets are involved, the options are endless." Word Count – 5,000-15,000. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Glass Poetry Press. Genre: Poetry chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Yellow Arrow Journal. Genre: Creative nonfiction, poetry, cover art by authors that identify as women. Theme: Renascence. Payment: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Epoch Press. Genre: Creative nonfiction submissions of writing, artwork and music on theme of Space. Payment: £15 per accepted piece. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Hiraeth Books: parABnormal Magazine. Genre: Stories, poetry, nonfiction about the paranormal. Payment: $25 for fiction, $20 for articles, $7 for reviews, $6 per poem. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy up to 6,000 words. Podcast. Payment: $0.08 per word USD for original fiction, $100 flat rate for reprints over 1,500 words, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 1,500 words). Deadline: March 31, 2021. Reprints accepted.

Engen Books: 2SLGBTQAI+ Community Anthology. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Stories by and for the 2SLGBTQAI+ community that feature 2SLGBTQAI+ characters in any stage of life and from a range of cultures, identities, and experiences in a wide variety of genres and styles, including General Fiction, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, and most other genres. Payment: $0.01 CAD per word to an upper limit of 7,500 words. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Bloodroot. Restrictions: Open to all writers who currently live in one of the six New England states, but stories do not need to be set in New England. (The six New England states are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.) Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, historical, and horror.  Payment: $25. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

The Crypt. Genre: Fiction or poetry of any theme / genre will be considered, as long as there’s at least a hint of darkness. Length: 500 words max. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Misspelled – Magic Gone Awry. Genre: Short stories no more than 7000 words exploring the theme of magic and the mishaps that could happen with its use. Payment: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Southword. Genre: Fiction. Payment: €250 per short story. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Parks & Points & Poetry. Genre: Poetry inspired by nature. "We invite poetry submissions that reflect upon nature, outdoor exploration, and accompanying moments of adventurousness or self-reflection." Payment: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine Presents Cozies. Genre: Contemporary and traditional mysteries, thrillers, suspense stories, private eye stories, cozy stories, and edgy, noir-tinged stories up to 15,000 words. Payment: 3 cents per word ($250 maximum) on or before publication, plus 2 copies of the magazine. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Westerly. Genre: Short stories, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, essays and literary criticism. Payment: Poems: $120 for one poem or $150 for two or more poems; Stories: $180; Articles: $180; Visual art/Intro essay: $120; Reviews: $100; Online Publication: $100. "We expect our contributors to be subscribers of the Magazine. While we will accept submissions from non-subscribers, should your work be accepted for publication in this instance, you will be asked to accept a subscription to the Magazine as part payment for your work." Deadline: March 31, 2021.

The Rush. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art. "We're looking for high-energy pieces that reflect the rush of life." Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

11:11 Press is a small indie publisher located in Minneapolis. Genre: They publish full length fiction, poetry, and hybrid manuscripts. See submission details here. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

The Were-Traveler: My job is a Hellhole! Genre: Fantasy, dark fantasy, horror, humor, and science fiction short stories and drabbles. “Working for demons, imps, devils, and other minions of hell. Your boss is a denizen of the underworld, but the story can take place in any setting. Any setting means: hell, another planet, Modern Earth, Future Earth. Heaven? Sure why not? Maybe there’s an employee exchange program between heaven and hell.” Payment: Up to $15. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times. Genre: True stories and poems. "Tough times won’t last but tough people will. We are looking for stories about how you have been affected and how you are handling the changes in your life. We’re looking for the ups and downs, so share the tough times but also the silver linings, the unexpected blessings, and resilience and gratitude that you have discovered." Payment: $200. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels. We’re looking for amazing stories that will make people say “wow” or give our readers chills. Have you experienced something otherworldly or celestial? Or had a personal experience with an angel or divine being? How did your angel manifest himself or herself to you? Were you the only person who saw your angel? How did your angel protect or guide you?" Payment: $200. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Verve Poetry Press. Genre: Poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Red Cape Publishing: A-Z of Horror – I is for Internet. Genre: Horror. Payment: £10. Deadline:  March 31, 2021.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 per author (via PayPal) for our web issues. Payment for print is $5 per page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies and a 1-year subscription. Deadline: March 31, 2021. Note: Submit early in the month.

Mikrokosmos: Mojo. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF. Payment: $15. Deadline: March 31, 2021. 

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2021. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fee. 

Rialto. Genre: Poetry. Payment: £20. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Roulette. Genre: Fiction, poetry, essays by Queer folk. Payment: $15 minimum. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Banshee. Genre: Short stories, flash fiction, essays. Payment: "Small payment." Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Reservoir Road Literary Review. Genre: Literary short stories, lyrical creative non-fiction, photography. Payment: $5. Deadline: March 31, 2021.

Aster(ix) is a transnational feminist literary arts journal committed to social justice and translation, placing women of color at the center of the conversation. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $250. Deadline: March 31, 2021. Accepts reprints.

AND A FEW MORE...

West Branch. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation. Payment: $50 per submission of poetry, and $.05/word for prose with a maximum payment of $100. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Temz Review. Genre: Fiction and creative non-fiction up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Inklings: Tales From Alternate Earths. Genre: Alternative history. Payment: $50. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Tales From the Magician’s Skull. Genre: Sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Payment: 4 cents per word. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Iron Horse Literary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $100 per essay or story, and $50 per poem or flash piece. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Salamander. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works. Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

Zone3 Press. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC authors. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: April 1, 2021.

The HerStories Project. Restrictions: Open to Gen-X women at midlife. Genre: "Our next anthology will be about how midlife women have fared during this pandemic. We want to publish stories of how women's lives have changed — their work lives, their family lives, their marriage and partnerships, their friendships, their relationships with their community." Payment: $50. Deadline: April 1, 2021.