100 Calls for Submissions in October 2026 - Paying markets!

This October there are more than eight 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 upcoming calls for submissions shortly before 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.

[Image: Public Domain Pictures]

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Sundog. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, art. Payment: $50. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Strange Horizons. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 9¢/word. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity. Strange Horizons also publishes nonficton, art, reviews and poetry.

The Iowa Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Payment: $1.50 per line for poetry ($100 minimum) and $0.08 per word for prose ($100 minimum). Deadline: October 1, 2026. No fee for snail mail submissions. $4 fee for online submissions.

Polar Borealis. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 1 cent per word. $10 for one thousand words or less. $20 for two thousand words or less (but reasonably above one thousand). $30 for three thousand words or less (but reasonably above two thousand). Deadline: Opens in October, 2026.

Independence Literary Review: Healthcare and Healing Folio. Genre: Nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $50-200. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

Adventitious. Genre: Speculative, surreal, and literary fiction. Length: Flash Fiction (including Micro): Up to 1,000 words; Fiction: 1,000 – 6,000 words. Novelette: 6,000 – 17,000 words. Payment: $0.08 USD per word. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Okay Donkey. Genre: One flash fiction OR one poem per author, per submission period. See website for details. Payment: $25. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026.

Rat Bag. Genre: Microfiction. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026.

The Paris Review. Genres: Poetry, prose. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Independence Literary Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and art of any theme. Payment: $25 - $200. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

The Last Line. Genre: Fiction that ends with the last line provided. Payment: $20-$40. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

Foglifter. Genre: Foglifter is a biannual compendium of queer and trans writing. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace. "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it." Payment: $100. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

Delirious Doubles. Genre: Science fiction of at least 5,000 words that have pirates as their main characters. Payment: $30. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: October 1, 2026. Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached. 

Wyldblood Press (UK) Genre: Short speculative fiction. Length: 5000 words max. Payment: £0.01 cent/word. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2026. Open for one day only,

Thinking Ink Press: The Neurodiversiverse – Bridging Worlds. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and art. See theme. Payment: $100 per short story; $50 per flash fiction; $50 per poem. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Dark fiction on theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

Raconteur Press: The Wyrd, Wyrd, World of Sports. Genre: Short stories. Take me out to the ballgame, take me up through the clouds… Put a cursed jersey upon my back, I don’t care if it turns my soul black! It’s a friendly game or a death match. Magic is part of the dream. You have one, two, three wishes left for the Wyrd Sports team! Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 2, 2026.

Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: October 2, 2026. Opens October 1.

Flame Tree: Icarus. Genre: Stories based on Icarus. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: October 4, 2026. 

Flame Tree: Pandora. Genre: Stories based on Pandora. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: October 4, 2026. 

Gap Riot. Genre: Experimental, visual, innovative, and genre-blurring feminist poetry by primarily Canadian poets. Length: Short short chapbooks (absolute max 20 pages). See theme. Payment: Royalties, after first 20 copies have sold. Deadline: October 4, 2026.

Stone’s Throw. Genre: "We're looking for dark fiction, crime and noir, length between 1,000 and 2,000 words." Payment: $25. Deadline: October 4, 2026. Open to submissions the first three days of every month.

OTHERSIDE. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $50 per poem. $100 for nonfiction and reprints. Deadline: October 1- 7, 2026. Submission period only for BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled authors.

Black Inc. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Full-length general, literary and commercial non-fiction – including history, current affairs, memoir and biography. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 7, 2026. This is a monthly call.

University of Queensland Press. Restrictions: Open to Australian citizens or permanent residents. Genre: Non-fiction, literary fiction (including short stories), poetry, children’s and young adult. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 7, 2026. This is a monthly call.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 2,000 words. Essays. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: October 7, 2026.

Wild Hyacinth .Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. See theme. Payment: CAD25. Deadline: October 9, 2026.

Poetry Sango-Ota. Restrictions: Open to African poets. Genre: Poetry. "We are interested in poems with a keen connection to a sense of place, nature, or otherworldly geographies." Payment: N10,000 (ten thousand naira) per poem. Deadline: October 10, 2026.Open from the 1st to the 10th of every month. 

Qwerty. Genre: Art, Poetry, Prose. Payment: $15. Deadline: October 12, 2026.

Planet Scumm. Genre: Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, speculative fiction, weird fiction, slipstream. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: October 13, 2026.

Rebel Satori Press. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA+ writers. Genre: Book-length speculative fiction involving LGBTQ+ characters written by LGBTQ+ authors, including but not limited to: sci-fi, interstitial, slipstream, horror, and supernatural fictional manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 14, 2026.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. See theme. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay, $100 for reprint cover art, $200 for original unpublished cover art, $50 for reprint interior art, $100 for original unpublished interior art. Deadline: October 14, 2026.

Story Unlikely. Genre: Fiction. Payment: 8 cents a word. Deadline: October 14, 2026. (Note: Website is very hard to read.)

Translunar Travelers Lounge. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: October 15, 2026. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, there are no submission fees for Latinx writers from September 15th to October 15th.

100-Foot Crow. Genre: Speculative fiction drabbles, of exactly 100 words on two themes: TRANSFORMATION and BARS. Payment: $8. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

WordFire Press: Superheroes, Super Problems. Genre: Fiction and poetry on theme: Superheroes. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. See theme. Payment: 7 cents/word, up to $30. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: October 15, 2026. Closes when they reach capacity.

Rattle: Tribute to Youth Poet Laureates. Genre: Poetry. "We invite previously uncurated poems from current or former Youth Poet Laureates at any level. The poems may be any length or subject, but together they reflect how this growing cohort is writing and shaping contemporary poetry." Payment: Contributors to the print magazine receive $200 and a complimentary one-year subscription. Poems for "Online" categories receive $100. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Genre: True humorous stories. "Share your funny stories about something that happened to you in your life – in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home – that made you and the people around you laugh out loud. Did you mean for it to be funny? Did the other person mean to make you laugh? Did a situation just get out of control? Did a misunderstanding turn into a comedy of errors?" Payment: $200. Deadline: October 15, 2026, extended deadline.

Foglifter. Genre: Foglifter is a biannual compendium of queer and trans writing. It’s a space where LGBTQ+ writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and embrace. "Foglifter welcomes daring and thoughtful work by queer and trans writers in all forms, and we are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work. We want the pieces that challenged you as a writer, what you poured yourself into and risked the most to make. But we also want your tenderest, gentlest work, what you hold closest to your heart. Whatever you're working on now that's keeping you alive and writing, Foglifter wants to read it." Payment: $100. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Consequence Magazine: The Culture of War. Genre: Short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and visual art mainly focused on the culture of war. Payment: $20 - $50 for prose and poetry, $150 for art. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. Length: 1500-7500 words. Payment: $0.005/word up to 7500 words. Minimum of $15. Reprints paid at full rate. Deadline: October 15, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: October 15, 2026

Neon Hemlock. Genre: Speculative fiction chapbooks. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Little District Books: Radiant Dawn – A Queer Hopepunk Anthology. Genre: Hopepunk. Payment: $0.05/word. Length: 2,500-10,000 words. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

3 Sisters. Genre: All genres, including but not limited to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, mixed media, essay, video pieces, computational work, audio offerings, objects, and more. "We are especially interested in hybrid works, work that falls in between genres, and pieces that are not easily categorized." Payment: Modest honorarium. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Trembling With Fear. Genre: Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: October 15, 2026.

Plott Hound. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry starring animals. Payment: 8 cents/word for original fiction. $20 - $100 for reprints. $50 for poetry. $300 for art. Deadline: October 15, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Indie Novella. Genre: Debut works that align with our mission to amplify underrepresented narratives, with particular focus on: Working-class writers and narratives. Writers from marginalised communities - LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, Black, Asian, and diaspora voices in the UK. Stories addressing mental health. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 16, 2026.

Skylight 47. Genre: Poetry. Payment: 40 euros. Deadline: October 16, 2026.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: October 18, 2026.

Quist. Restrictions: Open to writers and artists between the ages of 14 and 21 and based in Quebec. Genre: Poetry and prose. Payment: $75. Deadline: October 18, 2026.

Flame Tree: Dark Ages: Folk Horror Stories. Genre: Folk Horror Stories. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: October 18, 2026.

OTHERSIDE. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Payment: $0.08/word for prose. $50 per poem. $100 for nonfiction and reprints. Deadline: October 21, 2026. 

Trans Survivors Zine. Genre: Trans and nonbinary writing and art. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: October 21, 2026.

Crooked Spine. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $5 - $20. Deadline: October 23, 2026. 

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: October 24, 2026.

Merrow. Genre: Fantasy, Horror and Speculative Fiction. Theme: Tales of mermaids, merfolk, and the rich mythology of the sea. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 28, 2026.

Neon Hemlock Novella Series. Genre: Speculative fiction novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 30, 2026.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 0.01 per word, with a $20 minimum. Deadline: October 30, 2026.

Glass Poetry Press. Genre: Poetry chapbook. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Ember. Genre: Creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry aimed at children and teens. Payment: 2 cents per word or $20 per work, whichever is more, for worldwide first publication rights in English. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Phoenix Poets Series: University of Chicago Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Read full guidelines HERE. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Engen Books. Restrictions: Newfoundland and Labrador writers only. Genre: Love Stories. Length: under 7,500 words. Payment: $0.01 CAD per word. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past. Genre: Sword and planet stories. See theme. Payment: £25. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Carnage House. Genre: Splatterpunk. Payment: $5. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Short Reads. Genre: Nonfiction essays. 1,250 words maximum. Payment: $100 for original essays and $25 for reprints. Deadline: October 31, 2026. Note: They only accept submissions from active subscribers (it's free to subscribe)

Heartsick. Genre: Short fiction on theme: Love. Payment: $3. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

MIDLVLMAG. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, CNF. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: March 7, 2026.

Phylum Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual art. See theme. Payment: $10 CAD. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Otago University Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts that reflect the richness of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $50. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Flash Point Science Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,000 words in length. "Send us your science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and everything in between, so long as it’s short." Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Nine Arches. Genre: Poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: FLAME FORGER. Genre: All dragon-themed stories. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Orion's Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

I Want to Know What Love Is: Stories of Romance Inspired by Power Ballads. Genre: Short stories on theme: Romance Inspired by Power Ballads. Length: 3000-5000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

MetaStellar. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror. 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Whytaker Lyon Press: Virginia Sideways Anthology. Genre: Alternate history stories with a Virginia element. Payment: 1/2 cent per word. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Zine Machine. Genre: Mini zines. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Lucky Jefferson: Awake. Restrictions: Open to Black Writers and Artists. Genre: Poetry, prose, essays, art on theme. Payment: $25 - $50. Deadline: October 31, 2026. (?)

Manawaker Studio: 100 Word Project. Genre: Speculative fiction of exactly 100 words. See theme. Payment: $1. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Rebel Satori Press: Arabi Minor. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA+ writers. Genre: Full-Length Witchcraft and Occult Nonfiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

SpecPoVerse. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $5. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

The Gigas Testament. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to Canadian citizens or residents. Genre: Horror. Payment: $50 CAD. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Brick. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Payment: $65–$720, depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in and a one-year subscription to the magazine. Deadline: October 31, 2026.  Closes when cap is reached.

Trollbreath Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Payment: 4 cents/word. 1/2 cent/word for reprints. Deadline: October 31, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series. Restrictions: Open to any individual living in the U.S. who identifies as an immigrant and who either (i) was born in another country, (ii) has at least one parent who was born in another country (iii) is a refugee, or (iv) lives in the United States under Asylum or a Protection Program, such as TPS or DACA. Genre: Books of poetry, prose (fiction or nonfiction), and hybrid texts of poetry and prose. Payment: In addition to publication, marketing, and a standard royalties contract from Black Lawrence Press, authors chosen for the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series will receive a travel stipend of $500, which can be used for book tours or in any manner chosen by the authors. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Fun in the Dark. Genre: Fiction. See theme. Payment: £20. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Short Story Substack accepts one short story every month. Genre: All genres. Word count 6,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: October 31, 2026. Reprints accepted.

Poetry Substack accepts one poem every month. Genre: Poem. Must have a rhyme scheme or a rhythm scheme. No blank verse or free verse. Payment: Base Pay of $10 for the chosen poem + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: October 31, 2026.. Reprints accepted.

AND A FEW MORE...

The First Line Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry using the line provided. (See theme) Payment: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2026.

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Sent by Mistake. Payment: $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: November 1, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Ninth Letter Web Edition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $25 per poem and $75 for prose. Deadline: November 1, 2026.

Okay Donkey. Genre: One flash fiction OR one poem per author, per submission period. See website for details. Payment: $25. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

Tome & Space. Genre: Speculative fiction, nonfiction, art, and comics. Payment: 11 cents ($CAD) per word up to a maximum of $400 ($CAD). $70 ($CAD) per page up to a maximum of $400 ($CAD) for comics. $50 ($CAD) per piece. They will consider reprints of pieces posted on personal blogs like Substack, at a rate of $15 ($CAD) for commentaries.$300 ($CAD) per cover art piece. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2026.

Fusion Fragment. Genre: Science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 words. Payment: Both previously unpublished work and reprints pay 4 cents (CAD) per word, up to a maximum of $400 (CAD) per story. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2026.

Liars’ League. Genre: Short stories. Length: 800-2,000 words. See theme. Payment: £20, reading of your story by a professional actor, as well as podcast, video and online publication of your work. Deadline: November 1, 2026.