Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: Calls for Submissions

Calls for Submissions

Literary journals and publishers put out calls for submissions when they are seeking new material.

If you have a completed story, essay, poem, or piece of creative nonfiction, these are good opportunities. A journal is more likely to publish what you submit if they are looking for it.

These are all my posts that list calls for submissions. They are arranged in descending order, with the most recent posts first. All are paying markets.

Even if the deadlines on the older calls have passed, it is worth looking at them as most journals will be open to submissions periodically. If you find a journal that is a good fit for your writing, you can submit during their next reading period.

Here are some good sites to check for submission calls.

(Scroll down for the current month.)

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New Pages

Poets & Writers

Trish Hopkinson

The Poetry Kit

Funds for Writers

Horror Tree

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)

Calls for Submissions (Facebook group)

Erika Dreifus - monthly newsletter with writing contests, calls for submissions, and more

Angelique Fawns publishes a very informative list of monthly submission calls, including tips for submissions. All are paying markets.

Angela Carr publishes calls for submissions every month on her blog, A Dreaming Skin.

Here is a spreadsheet with 300 places to submit - both paid and unpaid:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RQpwe31zRjYv9Fstg1A2KYhqQ2stTF1BKKMK01eYvpI/edit#gid=0

Erika Krouse has an excellent ranked list of 500 literary magazines. http://www.erikakrousewriter.com/erika-krouses-ocd-ranking-of-483-literary-magazines-for-short-fiction/#ranking

TOP 1000 LITERARY MAGAZINES. This database includes more than 1000 literary magazines publishing fiction and/or creative non-fiction. Magazines publishing genre fiction and those with geographical restrictions tend not to be included.

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Also see:

325 Paying Markets for Short Stories, Poetry, Nonfiction

185 Literary Magazines Accepting Reprints

109 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction

65 Places to Publish Novellas and Long Short Stories - Paying markets

Mega-List of Paying Markets for Horror, Dark Fiction and Poetry

Mega-List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazines - Paying markets

Mega-List of University Literary Journals Accepting Submissions in Fiction, Poetry, Art, CNF

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NO DEADLINE

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. 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. Reprints accepted.

Rattle: Poets Respond. Rattle publishes a poem online each Sunday that responds to a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com, with occasional extra poems Tuesday or Thursday, which are fed to over 10,000 people via our RSS feed and daily email service. Payment: Poets will receive $100 and a complimentary subscription to the print magazine. Deadline: The deadline for each week is Friday at midnight PST. The poems must respond to news that occurred in the previous week, and have been written in the time since.

Strange Horizons is open to speculative fiction submissions between Monday 1600 UTC and Tuesday 1600 UTC, every week of the year except during the month of December.

The Hungur Chronicles. Genre: Horror. Vampires or creatures with vampiric themes. Payment: The pay for original stories is $25.00; for reprints, $12.00. Payment for poems is $5. The pay for illustrations is $8.00. The payment for articles is $10. The pay for cover art is $25.00.

The Dark The Dark publishes dark fantasy and horror. "Don’t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary; be different—try us with fiction that may fall out of “regular” categories. However, it is also important to understand that despite the name, The Dark is not a market for graphic, violent horror." Length: 2,000 – 6,000 words. Payment: 6 cents/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for first world rights; and 1 cent/word for reprint fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for nonexclusive reprint rights. Deadline: Open now.

Et Sequitur. "We are open to all genres, from literary to speculative and everything in between. Our only requirement is that your submission in some way connect with the latest Et Sequitur story, be that in character (minor, major, protagonist, antagonist), setting (neighborhood, world, workplace, house -- even a certain object could work, if it's featured prominently), or theme. Be creative! Continue the story, tell a side-character's story, take the theme and twist it in a new way. In the submission form, you'll be asked to identify which element of the previous story you've chosen to incorporate in your own." Submissions for the next issue will open once the previous issue is published (expected to be the first day of every-other month). They will temporarily close when a story has been chosen for the next issue. Payment: $25.

Assemble Artifacts is looking for stories of wonder and suspense. "We prefer stories of at least 5,000 words, but are open to longer and shorter works. Please include a one to three sentence pitch of your story, and an author bio with your submission. We are open to writers of all levels of experience." Payment: 8-10 cents per word for short fiction.

Starry E yed Press: 224-Verse. Genre: Space opera, 2,000 words to novel length. Payment: Royalty split. Read guidelines here.

The SFWA Blog is open to pitches for original nonfiction articles on topics that might be of interest to new and/or established creators of science fiction and fantasy. SFWA welcomes pitches from both members and nonmembers; Black, Indigenous, and other writers of color, as well as writers of other under-represented identities, are encouraged to submit article pitches. Payment: 10 cents/word. Will reopen September 2026.

Electric Literature's essays examine books and culture through a personal and critical lens. "We prefer full submissions on spec but accept detailed pitches as well. Instead, email a detailed pitch to editors@electricliterature.com with the subject line [ESSAY PITCH]. Pitches should describe the subject matter of the essay (which must be about books, writing, storytelling or narrative media like movies, games, and TV) and give a sense of the argument you plan to make or the story you plan to tell. We welcome thoughtful considerations of new releases, overlooked classics, childhood favorites—anything that can illuminate or be illuminated by the human experience. Requests for Electric Literature to cover your book or your client's book are not considered pitches. If your story is immediately time-sensitive or news-responsive, indicate this in your subject line; otherwise, please wait at least a week to follow up." Payment: $100.

Farrago Books is an imprint of Duckworth Press (UK). Farrago’s tagline is “fiction to make you smile”. All of the work they publish, from mysteries to science fiction, have humor at the core. They do not publish memoir.

Cornice. Genre: Stories about somebody doing something. "Struggle, challenge, and danger are at the heart of our favourite stories. We equally prize any work that is centred on oddball characters, or which makes us laugh." Payment: $40 USD.

Scorched Earth Press: Cars Against Humanity! Genre: Nonfiction pieces whose goal is to illuminate the many ways in which cars, and the infrastructure built to support them, constrict (human) life. "We want the essays in this volume to help readers understand the deadly automotive ecologies that have emerged around the world over the past century." Payment: $50.

Pillow Talking (Podcast). Genre: First person, narrative/creative nonfiction stories of real-life bedroom conversations. Payment: $25AUD.

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

Sally Port Magazine: Making the Choice. Genre: Fantasy. Payment: 5 cents/word.

Masters Review: New Voices. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not published a full-length work (a short story collection is OK) Genre: Narrative nonfiction and fiction, book reviews, interviews, and craft essays. Payment: $50 - $100.

Flame Tree Press Newsletter. Genre: Flash fiction. Payment: 8 cents/word for originals, 6 cents/word for reprints. Note: Those submitting must sign up for their newsletter.

Iterant. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $50.

Jay Henge: The Midnight Menagerie at the Edge of Everywhen. Genre: "We seek stories of speculative medicine: ancient treatments with unforeseen side effects, sentient diseases, experimental therapies, uncanny medical devices, or practitioners whose ethics and methods straddle the line between genius and madness. Think: surgical sorcery, pharmaceutical horror, future bioware, medieval apothecaries with secrets, or cosmic parasites only the Doctor understands. Tone can range from dark and eerie to surreal and satirical—but all submissions should have an edge of the uncanny. We are not looking for stories with excessive gore." Payment: $5 USD per 1000 words. Open until filled.

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

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. Open from the 1st to the 10th of every month.

Bad Day Book. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for themes. Payment: $40 - $75, depending on length.

Thinking Ink Press. Genre: Speculative fiction novels and novellas and nonfiction. "We’re most interested in speculative fiction relating to our mission: To amplify disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and other historically under-recognized voices." Payment: Advance and royalties. Open to submissions in the months of January, April, and July.

Another Jane Pratt Thing. Genre: "It Happened to Me" Your Turn. What Happened to You, Sweetie?
We want to hear your stories, no matter how mundane, no matter how unhinged. Payment: $50.

Dark Moments Patreon Monthly Challenge. Genre: Dark fiction flash fiction (Word count: 100 to 2000). Payment: 4 cents/word. Monthly call.

Hollow Oak: Acorns. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Length: 1,000-1,500 words. Payment: $5. Monthly call.

University of Queensland Press has launched the careers of many celebrated Australian writers, such as David Malouf, Peter Carey, Kate Grenville, Doris Pilkington and Nick Earls. Originally founded as a traditional university press, UQP has since branched into publishing books for general readers in the areas of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, Indigenous writing and youth literature. UQP publishes books across the following categories: non-fiction (history, politics, current affairs, biography and memoir, environmental issues), literary fiction, including short stories, children’s and young adult (YA) books (fiction and non-fiction), poetry. They do not publish books in the following categories: Genre fiction (including romance, science fiction, fantasy, and erotica), travel guides, cookbooks, self-help books, plays/scripts/music scores, textbooks, unrevised theses or conference proceedings. Read their submission guidelines here. Open the first seven days of every month.

Cozy in the Apocalypse. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry "hoping to create contrasting emotions with apocalyptic settings, we require pieces that capture the interplay of two specific different themes in this call: cozy and apocalypse." Payment: $20 per poem and $25 per short story or flash. Open until filled.

Rotting Leaf Mag. Genre: Eco-fiction, all genres. Payment: $0.06/word ($30 minimum) + contributor copy of annual anthology. Length: 1500 words max. Opens the first seven days of the month and closes when they reach capacity.

No Cause For Alarm Anthology. Genre: Fiction. "Write us a story in which catastrophe has been absorbed into the fabric of ordinary life. Not catastrophe as plot, but as background." Payment: Flash: £10 flat fee. Short fiction: £25. Paid on publication. Open until filled.

The Slush Pile. Genre: Fiction. We want the works that you love unashamedly despite the fact that they have been ignored or rejected far too many times. Send us your stories with at least fifty rejections." Payment: Flash: £10 flat fee. Short fiction: £25. Paid on publication. Open until filled.

Pinko Press. Genre: Novels, all genres. 40,000 words minimum. Payment: Royalties. Open until filled.

Starry-Eyed Mag. Genre: Stories, essays, and poetry related to the theme of the quarter and/or with astrology concepts embedded in their characters’ personalities, storylines, or choices. Prefer 1,000-1,500 words. See theme. Payment: Fiction/Essays/Creative nonfiction: 0.02/word capped at 2,000 ($40); Poetry: Short ($10), Long ($20)

New World. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction that immerse readers in compelling worlds through physical journeys, intellectually serious questions, and cinematic imagination. Payment: We pay $150 USD for accepted short fiction and $150 USD for accepted nonfiction. For stories between 500 and 3,000 words, we pay a flat honorarium of $50. Compensation for novellas is determined on a case-by-case basis. Reprints accepted.

Red Raven Books. Genre: Short horror fiction, 200–5,000 words. Payment: 10 pounds. Open until filled. Reprints accepted.

OCTOBER 2026

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

Griffith Review. Genre: Nonfiction See theme. Payment: AUD$200. Deadline: Opens in October, 2026.

Sun Thief Journal. Genre: Poetry, short stories, literary translation, and critical essays. Payment: $10 per poem and $0.05/word for prose. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

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.

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

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.

Breath and Shadow Genre: Writing on any topic for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama; these pieces do not have to be "about" disability. However nonfiction, academic, and similar articles (profiles, interviews, opinion pieces) do have to relate to disability in some way. Payment: $25 for poetry, $40 for fiction, and $40 for nonfiction. In addition to publication and payment, Breath & Shadow will post links to contributors' work on other sites and to their Web site or e-mail address. Deadline: October 1, 2026.

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.

Mascara Review. Genre: Nonfiction, reviews, poetry, fiction. Payment: Poems $100; Fiction and essays $200; Reviews $200. Only pays Australian writers. 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.

Space & Time. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. See theme. Payment: $10 (0.01 per word), paid for fiction upon acceptance. $5 per poem (up to 35 lines) Deadline: October 7, 2026.

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

Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime fiction. See theme. Payment: £4 per 1,000 words. Deadline: October 11, 2026.

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.

Elegant Lich. Genre: Fantasy. Payment: 3 cents/word. 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.)

Saros Speculative Fiction: Biopunk. Genre: Biopunk: "Science fiction that examines how corporations and other systems of power seek to control, own, and exploit biology at the molecular level, and the efforts of hackers and rebels to subvert and wrest back some of that power and control, whether for idealistic or selfish reasons." Payment: $25 CAD. Deadline: October 14, 2026.

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.

Queer Poem Club. Genre: Poems by queer / 2SLGBTQIA+ poets. Payment: $25. 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.

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

Opportunity Window. Genre: Time loop fiction. Length: 2,000 to 6,000 words for original (unpublished) stories. Reprints up to 10,000 words. Payment: Original stories will be paid a flat rate of $200USD. Reprints will be paid a flat rate of $25USD. Deadline: October 22, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Strange Pilgrims. Genre: Nonfiction. “We’re not married to any genre, structure, or subject. We love surreal, speculative, and fabulist stories; unhinged, lyric, and fragmented essays; voice-driven experimental narratives and slow-burn realism; cultural and literary criticism; hyper-intellectual riffs and children’s stories — so long as they move." Payment: $50 for flash prose, $200 for longer works. Deadline: October 22, 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.

Lintusen Press: Five Things. Genre: List of five things. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: October 25, 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.

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 31, 2026, extended deadline.

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

The Shade Journal. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $20. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Deep Cut Magazine. Genre: Literary horror: dark fiction with teeth and an interior life, and scholarship. Payment: 8¢ per word. 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.

Frost Zone. Genre: Dark literary fiction, 1800 - 3800 words. Payment: $15 CAD. 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.

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

MIDLVLMAG. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, CNF. See theme. Payment: $25. 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.

Adroit Journal. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $50 - $100. 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.

Reckoning. Genre: Environmental justice flash fiction of 1000 words or less. Payment: .15/word (US) Deadline: October 31, 2026.

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

Banshee Press. Genre: Fiction (including flash), nonfiction, and poetry. Payment: "Small fee.". Deadline: October 31, 2026.

NOVEMBER

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.

Spec Colorways in Verse. Restrictions: Open to queer Black, Indigenous, & People of Color, disabled, rtc. poets. Genre: Speculative poetry, Payment: $50. Deadline: November 1, 2026.

The Spectacle. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 1, 2026.

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

Philly Poetry Chapbook Review. Genre: Reviews of chapbooks coming soon or published in the past three years, essays on the crafts of poetry and chapbook making or publishing, and features about authors or publishers of chapbooks. Payment: $10. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2026.

Flame Tree: Mythos & Meaning: Human Accounts of Beastly Encounters. Genre: Short fiction. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word. 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.

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

Horizon Review. Restrictions: Open to current residents of the Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah), with preference given to submissions from New Mexico. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF, art. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 2, 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: November 4, 2026. Open to submissions the first three days of every month.

Sci Phi Journal. Genre: Hard science fiction, fictional nonfiction, and speculative philosophy. Translations accepted. Payment: €0.03/word; €0.01/word for translations. Deadline: November 5, 2026.

foofaraw: Monstrously Massive March. Genre: Weird horror featuring monsters or a big bad. Length: 1,000–5,000 words. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: November 8, 2026.

Alocacia is now seeking new unpublished queer-authored creative writing for our upcoming EcoFutures issue, to be published December 2026. We are looking for poetry and prose that engages with environmental futures, futurisms, and aesthetics toward new ways of surviving and thriving alongside our natural worlds and natural relations. We’re interested in liberatory systems, anti-colonial lenses, and infinite possibilities." Payment: $50. Deadline: November 11, 2026.

Raconteur Press: Deep Blue. Genre: Short stories. Hard science. The cutting edge of technology: that’s what humanity will need to explore what lies in the depths of the ocean. The blue waters give way to the black the deeper you go, and the pressure will kill you faster than the lack of oxygen. Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 12, 2026.

Inkd Publishing: Hidden Villains. Genre: Speculative Fiction, including Sci-Fi or Fantasy. See theme. Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $10. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

Prairie Fire: Branching Out—All About Trees. Genre: Creative non-fiction, fiction or up to 3 poems. See theme. Payment: CAD0.10/word up to CAD250, CAD40/poem. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

MIDLVLMAG. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, CNF. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

Memezine. Genre: Traditional or hybrid pieces that directly or indirectly engage with the intersections of humanity and technology. This includes (but is not limited to) memes, political/currentevents, viral content, trends, social media, pop/internetculture, technology, and any other work that blursthe linesbetween art, literature, and content. Payment: $10. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

Riddle Fence is a Labrador and Newfoundland based quarterly magazine of arts and culture. They publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual art, reviews and features. Payment: $50/page. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

My Galvanized Friend is a new publication focused on highlighting works from those identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and essays between 500 and 3,500 words as well as works of poetry and original works of art. Payment: $25 per fiction/nonfiction/essay and $10 per page of poetry. Deadline: November 15, 2026.

Revolute. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Payment: $50. Only pays writers based in the US. Deadline: November 15, 2026

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: November 15, 2026.

Belanger Books: Sherlock Holmes – The Science-Fictional Adventures. Genre: Science ficton on theme. Sherlock Holmes, Payment: $100. Deadline: November 20, 2026.

Usawa. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation, author/activist interviews, comics and visual work, written in English or translated into English from any language. Theme: Laughter. Payment: $12. Deadline: November 20, 2026.

foofaraw: The Annual Drabble. Genre: Drabble. Tell a story relating to an event from 2026. Payment: $25. Deadline: November 25, 2026.

Daylight. Genre: Gothic Horror/Paranormal Romance. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 28, 2026.

Weird Christmas Flash Fiction ConThology. Genre: Flash fiction of no more than 350 words that’s both about Christmas (or any other winter holiday) and simultaneously weird. See theme. Payment: $35. Deadline: November 29, 2026.

Bracken. Genre: Poetry and art. "Bracken is a literary magazine born of the love of the woods and its shadows." Payment: $30. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Contemporary Verse 2. Genre: Poetry and critical writing about poetry, including interviews, articles, essays, and reviews. Payment: $35 - $150. Deadline: November 30, 2026. Free submissions for Canadians only.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 pages for poetry. See theme. Payment: $0.01/word for prose, $10 for poetry. $25 flat fee for visual art, or $50 for pieces chosen as cover art. Deadline: November 30, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Indie Bites. Genre: Fantasy. See theme. Payment: 5 pounds. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

foofaraw zine. Genre: Fiction 750–5,000 words. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

foofaraw zine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $1/line; $25 max. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Experimental Thoughts. Genre: Speculative fiction. Short stories that explore the connections between speculative fiction and philosophy. Payment: 2¢ per word. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

parABnormal. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $30.00 for original stories, $10.00 for reprints. $15.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $10.00 for reprints. $10.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Utopia Science Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/word for fiction, $30 for nonfiction, $30 per poem. Deadline: November 30, 2026

New Orleans Review. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $300 for prose, $100 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2026. In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, there are no submission fees during the month of November for all Indigenous writers, not limited to those living in/born the US.

The Hudson Review. Genre: Fiction. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Channel. Genre: Fiction, art, creative non-fiction, and poetry that engages with the natural world, and have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self. Payment: €40/poem, and €50/page of prose up to €150. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Bog Matter. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and graphic shorts that could be described as science fiction, horror, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, New Weird, utopian, dystopian, satirical, cross-genre, experimental, or exuding a general air of oddness. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Hobbyhorse. Genre: Fiction and CNF. See theme. Payment: Up to $70. Reprints, $35. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. See theme. Payment: 10 cents/word for fiction, and $100- $400 for art. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Broken Sleep Books. Genre: Poetry pamphets (up to 40 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Poet Lore. Genre: Poetry translations. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Inkd Publishing. Genre: Spooky Speculative Fiction. See theme. Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Claudine. Genre: Fiction, CNF, micros. " We like fairy tales, magical realism, hauntings, but more than any genre, we love prose that makes us ache and images that linger. (Sea creatures, always a plus.)" Payment: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Married/couples stories. Genre: Nonfiction. Married? In a long-term relationship? We know you have stories! Share the ups and downs, the funniest moments, the most romantic moments, and all your tips and advice for other couples. We want to know how you got together and how you stay together! Payment: $200. Deadline: November 30, 2026, extended deadline.

The Fiddlehead. Restrictions: Canadians only. Genre: Fiction, including excerpts from novels, creative nonfiction, art, poetry. Payment: $60 CAD per published page. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Appalachia Book Company:The General Store: Community and Memory in Central Appalachia. Genre: Essays, photographs, oral histories, archival materials, and personal reflections. Its geographic focus is Central Appalachia, particularly Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina. See theme. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

The London Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: November 30, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

Baltimore Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, videos (including poetry), and cross-genre work. Payment: $50. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Black Fox Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry, art. Payment: $20. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Manawaker Studio: 100 Word Project. Genre: Speculative fiction of exactly 100 words. See theme. Payment: $1. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Sublimation. Genre: Speculative poetry and art. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2026

Northwords Now. Genre: Prose and poetry. Work can be in Gaelic, English, Scots and any local variants used in Scotland. Also does book reviews. Payment: "Modest." Deadline: November 30, 2026.

What Blooms in Darkness. Genre: lunarpunk stories exploring the people, communities, ecologies, and possibilities that thrive beyond the dominant gaze. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: NEXT DOOR. Genre: All love stories with a happily ever after. Childhood friends turned lovers or next door neighbor love interest stories preferred, but not required. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: November 30, 2026.

Nimrod. Genre: Fiction poetry. Payment: $20 per poem and page of prose, with a $300 maximum. Deadline: November 30, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $75 for poems, memoirs, flash, fiction, and art, $50 for interviews/reviews, and $25 for mini-reviews web issues. Deadline: November 30, 2026. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early.

DECEMBER 2026

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: December 1, 2026.

Pitch Dark: A Dark Romance Anthology. Genre: Dark romance. Payment: $5 for reprints $10 for original submissions. Deadline: December 1, 2026.

Venom and Velvet: A Dark Romantasy Anthology. Genre: Dark romantasy. Payment: $5 for reprints $10 for original submissions. Deadline: December 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 December 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Ninth Letter. Genre: "We are interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work." Payment: $25 per printed page, with a maximum payment of $150. Deadline: No submission fee during December.

Did I Leave the Gas On: Tales of Coming Home. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: $5 a story, plus $0.05 royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2026.

Screw Dem Space Horses: Equine Stories Across Space and Time. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: $5 a story, plus $0.05 royalties. Deadline: December 1, 2026.

Big Bear Press: Superheroes/Supervillains Anthology. Genre: Speculative short stories that show your original interpretation on the theme of Superheroes/Supervillains. Payment: $100. Deadline: December 1, 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: December 4, 2026. Open to submissions the first three days of every month.

New Writing Scotland. Restrictions: Open to writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth, upbringing or inclination. Genre: All forms of writing are invited: autobiography and memoirs; creative responses to events and experiences; drama; graphic artwork (monochrome only); poetry; political and cultural commentary and satire; screenplays; short fiction; travel writing or any other creative prose may be submitted. Maximum recommended length of 3,500 words in total. Payment: $25/page. Deadline: December 13, 2026.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: December 13, 2026.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, "and even kitchen sinks, if they are compressed in some way.” Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2026.

Waxen: Labor. Genre: Short fiction, poetry, and art. “We are interested in the weird, the occult, the surreal, and the horrific. We love experimentation.” See theme. Payment: $50. Deadline: December 15, 2026.

Astral. Genre: Short stories from an alien perspective. Payment: $20. Deadline: December 15, 2026.

Iron Faerie Publishing: Hawthorn & Ash Anthology. Genre: Fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror stories. Length: 100 - 500 words. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: December 18, 2026.

Iron Faerie Publishing: Midsummer Nights. Genre: Fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror stories centered around the work of Shakespeare. Length: 750 words to 1500 words. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: December 18, 2026.

Speck: Masks. Restrictions: Open to writers in the USA. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. See theme. Payment: $5/page up to $50. Cover art, $50. Deadline: December 21, 2026.

Delirious Doubles. Genre: Science fiction stories of at least 5,000 words that are set in a dystopia. Payment: $30. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Queering Cthulhu. Genre: Lovecraftian stories from LGBTQ+ points of view. Payment: $30. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Crime Without Corpses. Genre: Stories where the tension, the stakes, and the fallout hinge on crimes other than murder. Payment: $25 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Grimalkin Press: Dirty Martini. Genre: Feminist Noir Horror. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2026. Genre: Queer Speculative Fiction. Submissions are open for all speculative work published in 2026 under 17,500 words that deals either implicitly or explicitly with queerness. Editors and authors may submit. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Slashic Horror Press. Genre: LGBTQ horror. Length: 8K maximum. Payment: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Workers Write! Genre: Fiction and poetry from the point of view of rideshare drivers; seasonal agricultural, warehouse, or retail workers; independent contractors and freelancers; consultants; office or school temp workers - basically any nonpermanent employee who works outside full-time employment. Payment: $10 - $50. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Magpie Zine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, book reports, experimental/unclassifiable, and visual art—artwork, photography, collage, comics. Payment: $15 - $20. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

The New York Times: Modern Love. Genre: Essay on modern love. Payment: Not Specified. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Laughing Man Press: Smitten Land Magazine. Genre: Fiction with religious horror and biblical plagues. Payment: $10. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Afterimages. Genre: Literary fiction, flash fiction, reviews, memoirs, CNF. Payment: $5 - $15. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Words, Woods and Wellness. Restrictions: Open to residents or former residents of Washington State ages 21 and younger. Genre: Ecopoetry with a strong sense of place. Payment: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Stellar. Genre: Science fiction. Length: 500–2,000 words. Payment: $150 USD. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Tractors and Troubles Crime Fiction Out on the Farm. Genre: Short story on theme: Crime Fiction Out on the Farm. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: December 31, 2026. Submit early to avoid submission fee.

Dragon Soul Press: ACROSS THE AGES. Genre: All stories involving time travel. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: BACK IN TIME. Genre: All stories involving time travel and dragons. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: December 31, 2026.

JANUARY 2027

Toronto Journal. Genre: Short stories from anywhere in the world. No word limit. "We will also consider non-fiction pieces that are either set locally or explore some local history (Toronto, GTA, and surrounding)." Payment: $50 CAD per piece. All published writers will also receive two printed copies of the issue in which they appear. Deadline: January 1, 2027.

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: January 1, 2027.

Northern Shadows Magazine: Where Dreams & Nightmares Collide. Genre: Dark fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories and poetry on the theme, When Dreams & Nightmares Collide. Payment: $10 for fiction, $5 for poetry. Deadline: January 1, 2027.

Decomposed. Genre: Fantasy on theme: Decomposition. Payment: 5 cents/word. Deadline: January 1, 2027.

The Fantastic Other. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, poetry, art on theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 3, 2027.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Essays. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: January 7, 2027.

34 Orchard. Genre: Fiction, poetry. "We like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We’re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad." Payment: $50. Deadline: January 7, 2027. Opens January 1.

Griffith Review. Genre: Nonfiction See theme. Payment: AUD$200. Deadline: January 11, 2027.

The Orange & Bee. Genre: Original works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that engage in a significant way with the long history of fairy tales. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem; Flash fiction/non-fiction: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words); Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words). Deadline: January 14, 2027.

Exoplanet. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, weird fiction, and cross-genre stories. Payment: $0.01/word with a $5 minimum. Deadline: January 15, 2027.

foofaraw: The Foofs (Award Nominations). Genre: Best of strange fiction published in 2026. Payment: $25. Deadline: January 15, 2027.

Rattle: Tribute to Travel. Genre: Poetry. "We’re interested in vacations, road trips, flights, train rides, hotels, museums, beaches, guidebooks, wrong turns, unfamiliar meals, and the small disorientations that come with being away from your ordinary life." Payment: Contributors to the print magazine receive $200 and a complimentary one-year subscription. Poems for "Online" categories receive $100. Deadline: January 15, 2027.

Ink in Thirds. Genre: Poetry, prose (up to 600 words), art. Payment: $5. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

Lintusen Press: Happy Tails. Genre: Fiction and CNF stories about pets. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

Bag of Bones Press Anthology. Genre: Dark fiction. See theme. Payment: 0.5 pence per word. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Pet Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We invite you to submit your stories for another book about all kinds of pets." Payment: $200. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

Zine Machine. Genre: Mini zines. Payment: $20. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

Dragon Soul Press: MEANT TO BE CROWNED. Genre: All stories involving a struggle to make it to the top; whether to claim a throne or a business. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

Divergent Space: A speculative anthology of unconventional minds. Genre: Stories about the future which feature neurodivergent characters. This volume will contain stories, poetry, and graphic narrative. See theme. Payment: Prose and poetry: 5$ + 1c/word between 500 and 3k words + .2c/word over 3k words; Graphic Narrative Fiction: 5$/page; Reprints of any category: Half of above; Cover Illustration: $100. Deadline: January 31, 2027. Reprints accepted.

Deep Cut Magazine. Genre: Literary horror: dark fiction with teeth and an interior life. Payment: 8¢ per word. Deadline: January 31, 2027.

2027

Curses, Confusions, & Rebukes An Anthology of Jewish Horror. Restrictions: Open to anyone of Jewish background or affiliation (practicing, secular, or something in-between) with the intention of using storytelling as a platform to build interfaith solidarity. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: February 1, 2027.

Iron Faerie Publishing: The Faerie Cat. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry on theme: Celtic mythology. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: February 2, 2027.

DILIM Press: Under the Volacno. Genre: "We look for pieces from the perspective of the natural world, of those living under the mountain, of phantasms made of ash, of the aftermath of Pinatubo, of what might happen when we use volcanic energy to transform it into something new." See theme. Payment: $0.07/word for originals. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Mimir's Well. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Paymentt: 4 cents/word. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Indie Bites. Genre: Fantasy. See theme. Payment: 5 pounds. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Positive Thinking. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for stories of optimism, faith and strength to encourage our readers to use positive thinking. What was the situation that inspired you to use positive rather than negative thinking? How did you change your attitude -- from negative to positive? How did that turn your life around? These inspirational stories will remind readers to use positive thinking, focus on hope and show them that each day holds something to be grateful for. Payment: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Lintusen Press: Beaver Moose Canoe Two. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Tall tale style story about Canada. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Dragon Soul Press: RIVALS AND DESIRES. Genre: All stories involving a struggle to make it to the top; whether to claim a throne or a business. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Dragon Soul Press: MELODY OF THE SIREN. Genre: All mermaids (and their kin), kraken (sea monsters), underwater civilizations, etc. stories are welcome. All genres are accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Nashville Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry, art, and nonfiction. Payment: $25 per poem & song selection; $100 per selection for all other categories, including featured artwork. Translators receive $25 per poem & $100 for prose selections. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Zooscape. Genre: Short stories. All stories must be furry. "An anthropomorphic animal figure should be significantly featured in your story — it could be anthropomorphic in body or only intelligence. We’ll consider any type of furry fiction from secret life of animals to fox in Starbucks. We love science-fiction with animal-like aliens and fantasy with talking dragons, unicorns, or witch familiars." Payment: 8 cents/word for original fiction. $20 for reprints. Length: Original stories up to 5,000 words. Reprints up to 10,000 words. Deadline: February 28, 2027.

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: In your Dreams... Payment: $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: March 1, 2027. Accepts reprints.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words paying homage to the selected author. See theme. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: March 7, 2027.

foofaraw anthology. Genre: Speculative and literary fiction. See theme. Payment: Fiction: $0.02 per word. Deadline: March 31, 2027.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dog Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words that highlight the unique personalities that cats have. Celebrate your cat, or a cat you know, with a wonderful story about what he or she does. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both." Payment: $200. Deadline: March 31, 2027.

Appalachia Book Company:Made in Appalachia. Genre: Fiction. Short story series or novellas. Your submission should run at least 5,000 words. Literary Nonfiction. Your submission should run at least 5,000 words. See theme. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: March 31, 2027.

Code Blue: From Dusk To Dawn. Genre: Fiction. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: March 31, 2027.

Edge City. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: April 1, 2027.

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, 2027.

Dragon Soul Poetry Anthology. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2027.

Deep Cut Magazine. Genre: Literary horror: dark fiction with teeth and an interior life. Payment: 8¢ per word. Deadline: April 30, 2027.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: April 30, 2027.

Zine Machine. Genre: Mini zines. Payment: $20. Deadline: April 30, 2027.

Exoplanet. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, weird fiction, and cross-genre stories. Payment: $0.01/word with a $5 minimum. Deadline: May 15, 2027. Accepts reprints.

foofaraw zine. Genre: Fiction 750–5,000 words. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: May 30, 2027.

foofaraw zine. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $1/line; $25 max. Deadline: May 30, 2027.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Cat Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words that highlight the unique personalities that cats have. Celebrate your cat, or a cat you know, with a wonderful story about what he or she does. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both." Payment: $200. Deadline: May 30, 2027.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Holiday Stories. Genre: True stories and poems. "Please submit your true stories and poems about the entire December holiday season, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities too." Payment: $200. Deadline: May 30, 2027.

Dragon Soul Drabbles. Genre: Horror Drabbles. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 31, 2027.

Escape Pod. Genre: Science fiction (Audio and written format). Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: May 31, 2027. Reprints accepted.

Baffling Magazine. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: June 15, 2027.

Otago University Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts that reflect the richness of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: June 30, 2027.

Code Blue: The Skeleton Key. Genre: Fiction. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: June 30, 2027.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles, messages from heaven, angels. Genre: True stories about miracles, angels, messages from heaven, premonitions, amazing coincidences and other unexplainable but good events! Payment: $200. Deadline: June 30, 2027.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Essays. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: July 7, 2027.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: July 15, 2027. Reprints only.

Deep Cut Magazine. Genre: Literary horror: dark fiction with teeth and an interior life. Payment: 8¢ per word. Deadline: July 31, 2027.

Code Blue: Love to Hate You Hate to Love You. Genre: Fiction. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: October 31, 2027.

2028

foofaraw anthology. Genre: Speculative and literary fiction. See theme. Payment: Fiction: $0.02 per word. Poetry: $5.00. Deadline: March 31, 2028.

Dragon Soul Poetry Anthology. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: April 30, 2028.

Dragon Soul Drabbles. Genre: Horror Drabbles. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: May 31, 2028.

Eternal Haunted Summer. Genre: Poetry, short fiction. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: June 1, 2028.

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2026

109 Calls for Submissions in September 2026 - Paying markets

84 Calls for Submissions in August 2026 - Paying markets

103 Calls for Submissions in July 2026 - Paying markets

108 Calls for Submissions in June 2026 - Paying markets

110 Calls for Submissions in May 2026 - Paying markets

92 Calls for Submissions in April 2026 - Paying markets

120 Calls for Submissions in March 2026 - Paying markets