102 Calls for Submissions in September 2026 - Paying markets

This September 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: Rawpixel]

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Philadelphia Stories. Restrictions: Open to authors living in, or originally from, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

Rat Bag. Genre: Drabble. See theme. Payment: $1. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2026.

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

WWPH: Capital Translation. Restrictions: Open to residents of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Genre: Translations of poetry or prose. All languages accepted. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 1, 2026, or until filled.

“Psycho Pulp” Anthology. Genre: Crime, horror, psychological thriller, western, science fiction, or any sub-genre or blend of these. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

Exquisite Undead: An Anthology of Vampires. Genre: Vampire fiction and poetry. Payment: $30/flash or poetry, $65 for longer stories. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

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

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

The Cincinnati Review. Genre: Literary nonfiction (up to 20 pages), fiction (up to 40 pages), poetry, poetry translations, drama, and art. Payment: $25/page for prose in the journal, $30/page for poetry, $25 for miCRo posts or special features. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2026. Note: Opens on the first day of the month and closes once they hit the submissions cap.

Pacific Northwest Gothic. Restrictions: Open to current residents of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art "that explore the region’s shadowed forests, coastal fog, urban isolation, and the quiet unease that lingers beneath its natural beauty." Payment: $25. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

Ricochet Editions. Genre: Hybrid/Experimental work between 40 and 200 pages. "We are looking for purposeful experimentation with language and form that challenges or plays with convention." Payment: $500 and 50 copies of the perfect-bound book. Deadline: September 1, 2026. No submission fee for POC and Indigenous writers and writers facing financial hardship.

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students OR about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

University of Wisconsin Press. Genre: Novels, short story collections, and works in translation. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $4/ line. Deadline: September 2, 2026.

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

Raconteur Press: Giant Killer Kaiju. Genre: Short stories. “Daishikyuu hinan shite kudasai!” Take shelter, please! The kaiju are back and ready to rumble. See mankind’s desperate defenders pull out all the stops before there’s no planet Earth left! Wonder at the sheer size and power of all manner of giant beasts! Ponder the mysteries of time and space, like how do these things get around the inverse square law? Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 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: September 4, 2026. Open to submissions the first three days of every month.

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: September 6, 2026.

#EnbyLife Journal: Tribute, Restrictions: Open to non-binary and gender diverse creatives only. Genre: Poetry, microfiction (under 100 words), and art. See theme. Payment: $30 AUD. Deadline: September 7, 2026. Accepts reprints.

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: September 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: September 7, 2026.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: September 7, 2026.

Sunlight Press. Genre: Poetry, CNF. Payment: $50. Deadline: Opens September 8, 2026.

The Icarus Writing Collective. Genre: Stories that retell, adapt, or transcend literary classics and mythology. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 10, 2026.

Shenandoah. Genre: Fiction. Payment: $80 per 1000 words of prose up to $400. Deadline: Opens September 10, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

Samjoko Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, play, screenplay. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 10, 2026.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: September 11, 2026.

Fourteen Poems Genre: Poems. "We want to represent all that's thrilling about the new wave of LGBT+ poets. If you’re a poet, even if you’ve never been published before, we want to read your work. Every issue we publish 14 of the best queer poems we’ve found, and we want to include you! We publish 4 times a year, but take submissions all year round. To be considered, email up to 5 poems, preferably in a pdf format, with a small paragraph about yourself." Payment: £30 for each poem published. Deadline: September 11, 2026.

Flame Tree: Romantic Fantasy: Of Love Forbidden and Of Fae & Fire. Genre: Romantic Fantasy. See themes. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: September 13, 2026.

Cursed Morsels: A Food Systems Horror Anthology. Genre: Horror and Weird fiction. See theme. Payment: $0.05/word. Deadline: September 14, 2026.

Cursed Morsels. Genre: Single-author horror and Weird fiction short story collection. Length: 40K to 60K words. Payment: $500 advance. 50% royalties split paid quarterly.. Deadline: September 14, 2026.

Penumbric. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art, animation, and music. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2026.

Orion Magazine. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $200. Deadline: September 15, 2026. 

Fifth Wheel Press. Genre: Poetry, prose poetry, short prose (<1500 words), and other experimental writing by queer, trans, and gender variant writers. Visual components and hybrid formats are welcome. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 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: September 15, 2026.

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: September 15, 2026.

Metphrastics: Words. Genre: Poetry focusing on Words, responding to works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection and special exhibits  "This can be a literal or abstract wound depicted in a painting, a “wounded” or damaged work of art itself, kintsugi and other artistic repairs of “wounds,” weapons that have caused wounds, having your heart broken in the Egyptian Wing, or any other way you’d like to interpret this prompt.” Payment: $10 per poem. Deadline: September 15, 2026.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings. Genre: Nonfiction. One of the most important keys to contentment and happiness is the ability to count your blessings. Even during the toughest times, if we can find gratitude and count our blessings we feel better. Each day holds something to be thankful for and it could be just as simple as having the sun shine or having food on the table. Payment: $200. Deadline: September 15, 2026 extended deadline.

Constellations of Becoming: Queer Futures and Other Worlds. Genre: Speculative fiction centering queer voices, characters and imaginations. Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 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: September 15, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Midnight and Indigo. Restrictions: Open to Black women. Genre: Speculative Fiction. Payment: 7 cents/word. Deadline: September 15, 2026. 

Women with Weapons. Genre: Stories featuring women with weapons. Payment: INR 3000 for each accepted original English story PLUS INR 3 per word. (About USD $31.50 + $0.03 per word).  Deadline: September 15, 2026. 

Slashed Budgets: An Anthology of Corporate Horror. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 15, 2026. 

Liminal Lit. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. See theme. Payment: $100.  Deadline: September 15, 2026. 

Exoplanet. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, weird fiction, and cross-genre stories. Payment: $0.01/word with a $5 minimum. Deadline: September 15, 2026. 

Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Genre: Horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: September 16, 2026.

The Green Sheaf. Restrictions: Open to female and gender-fluid writers over 50. Genre: Flash fiction and poetry on theme: The Crone. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 18, 2026.

Island Online. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand citizens and residents only. Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction. Payment: $600. Deadline: September 18, 2026.

Reject. Genre: Poetry, short stories (8,000-word limit), essays, lyrics, and articles. "We accept writing that wasn’t accepted by a publication, institution, contest, etc. Hell, even your school newspaper and family Christmas newsletter counts!" Payment: $50. Deadline: September 19, 2026.

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD$200. Deadline: September 20, 2026.

Translunar Travelers Lounge. Restrictions: September 15 - 21 is reserved for writers of color. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.03 per word with a minimum of $20. Deadline: September 21, 2026.

Strange Pilgrims. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. "The work we’re drawn to is surreal, philosophical, sincere, and unforgettable — stories and essays that get under your skin and reach the heart of the human condition." Payment: $200 per short story/essay, $50 per flash piece. Deadline: Opens September 21, 2026 for a 24-hour period.

The Deadlands. Genre: Poetry. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: $50. Deadline: September 21, 2026. Accepts reprints.

The Ex-Puritan. Genre: Poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, essays, and experimental work. "The Ex-Puritan now seeks to publish the best in all forms of writing." Payment: $100 - $200 (CAD). Deadline: September 25, 2026.

Iron Faerie Publishing: Watchers & White Knights. Genre: This is a tribute anthology honouring the legacy of actors Nicholas Brendon & Anthony Head. We’re looking for original stories that explore themes such as friendship, found family, courage, loyalty, hope, sacrifice, mentorship, redemption, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 28, 2026.

 
Red Wolf Editions. Genre: Poems on theme: “The Delights of Love.” Payment: Royalties? Deadline: September 29, 2026.

Black Hare Press. Genre: Dark stories, in any genre. Length: 5,000 - 50,000 words. Payment: $20 - $50, depending on length. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Socrates on the Beach. Genre: Longer essays and fiction at least 3000 to 10,000 words. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: A WINTER IN LOVE. Genre: All Christmas-themed stories are welcome. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Hearth Stories. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We publish fiction and poetry that explore connection, family, relationships, comfort, and the natural world. The stories often fall into a fantasy, science-fiction, or magical realism sort of “slice of life.” No non-vegan stories. Payment: 1¢ per word for accepted stories (with a minimum of $20 regardless of length. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: $50.00 USD for featured authors, or $20.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $10.00 USD for poems. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Space Ace. Genre: Science fiction. "Stories must feature at least one asexual and/or aromantic character in a prominent role. This is inclusive of related identities within the wider asexual spectrum such as demi-sexual, demi-romantic, grey-ace. While we are primarily looking for human representation, we will consider stories with non-human (e.g. alien, robot, sentient computer, etc.) aromantic or asexual characters." Payment: £0.02 GBP per word. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Air and Nothingness Press: Are You Everything Alright. Genre: Apocalypse stories. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Air and Nothingness Press: Endings. Genre: Fiction submissions comprising the last 15 minutes of the action/SF/fantasy story/film/book. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

The Bombay Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, poetry, translated fiction/poetry and graphic fiction. Payment: Indian rupees 5,000 (approx. $61) per contribution. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

long con. Restrictions: Canadian residents only. Genre: Prose and poetry about art. Payment: $20 CAD. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Black Anchor Publishing: Yuletide – A Horror Anthology. Genre: Horror on theme:Yuletide. Payment: $0.01/word. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Fear in Dust: Portals. Genre: Horror poetry. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Infernal Museum: Galactic Mindsea Empire – Wonderdomes. Genre:Stories set in the Galactic Mindsea Empire. Payment: $0.04/word. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Canid Literary & Art. Genre: Poetry, short stories, creative nonfiction, and artwork that pays tribute to our best friend: dogs. Payment: $5. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Hookers and Handguns Anthology: Crime Fiction Solved by Strippers, Streetwalkers and Other People of the Night. Genre: Short stories on theme: Crime Fiction Solved by Strippers, Streetwalkers and Other People of the Night. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Laughing Man Press: Smitten Land Magazine – The Plagues. Genre: Fiction with religious horror and biblical plagues. Payment: $10. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

DILIM Press: Sirena's Song. Genre: Tales of thalassophobia, oceanic terror, underwater kingdoms, origins of the Yonaguni monument, creatures from Lemuria, musical echoes in the depths, or the dance of the stars in the heavens. See theme. Payment: $0.07/word for originals. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Heartlines Spec. Restrictions: "Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content." Genre: Short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. "We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules." Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction and $80 CAD flat for poetry. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

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: September 30, 2026. Closes when they reach capacity, so submit early.

The New Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to Canadian writers. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Payment: $400. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Harbor Editions. Genre: Chapbook. Length: Chapbooks should be between 20-40 pages of poetry or 20-50 pages of prose. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2026. No submission fee for BIPOC writers.

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

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ stories, 5,000 - 9,500 words. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

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: September 30, 2026.

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: September 30, 2026.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Random Acts of Kindness. Genre: Nonfiction. We are looking for true stories about random acts of kindness that have happened to you or stories about a kindness that you performed for someone else. Stories can be serious or funny but they should definitely inspire our readers to look for ways in which they can perform kind acts. Payment: $200. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Aurealis. Restrictions: Australian and New Zealand writers. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. Payment: A$20 and A$60 per 1000 words. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Gutter. Genre: Poetry and prose in Scotland and beyond. Length: Poetry submissions can consist of up to three poems, totaling no more than 100 lines. Prose, up to 2500 words. Payment: £50. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Chestnut Review. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction, short fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, visual media (art/photography). Payment: $120. Deadline: September 30, 2026. Submit early to avoid submission fee.

Myths and Legends. Genre: Stories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood. Payment: $50 for original fiction, $20 for reprints. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Book Worms. Genre: Horror: fiction, poetry, and essays. See theme. Length: Up to 1,500 words. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Freefall. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Short story and novel excerpts; non-fiction, writing-related or general-audience topics; creative non-fiction; plays; and postcard stories. Payment: $10 per page in the magazine (to a maximum of $100) and one copy of the issue your piece is published in. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

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

The Haiku Shack Anthology. Genre: Haiku. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Queer Love Project. Genre: CNF. Think “Modern Love”—but only queer stories. Payment: $75. Deadline: September 30, 2026. (Note: You must register to submit. Registration is free.)

Verlagi. Genre: Full-length nonfiction and fiction. "We publish novels driven by an idea: speculative and near-future stories, science fiction that takes its science seriously, and thrillers where the premise does the work." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

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: September 30, 2026.

Acre is an imprint of the Cincinnati Review. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2026. Read submission guidelines here.

Kenyon Review. Genre: Prose, drama, poetry, translations, excerpts. See theme. Payment: $0.08 per published word of prose (minimum $80, maximum $450) and $0.16 per published word of poetry (minimum $40, maximum $200). Deadline: September 30th, 2026. 

Apex Magazine. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror. Payment: $.08 per word up to 9,000 words. Additoinal 1 cent/word if podcast. Minimum of $50. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Theme: "Human-Shaped". Payment: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Gordon Square Review. Genre: Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and hybrid prose works. Payment: $25 per prose piece and $10 per poem. Deadline: September 30, 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: September 30, 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: September 30, 2026. Reprints accepted.

AND A FEW MORE...

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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. 

84 Calls for Submissions in August 2026 - Paying markets

This August there are seven 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: Wikimedia]

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Acre Books. Genre: Full-length fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid forms. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: Open reading period in August.

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: August 1, 2026.

Rat Bag Lit. Genre: Short story, micro-fiction, drabbles. Payment:  1 cent/word. Deadline: Opens August 1, 2026. Accepts reprints.

We'Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium; art up to $500. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

ryga. Genre: Poetry, prose and short plays. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

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

Starship Blunder Anthology 3: Mission Hospitality. Genre: Speculative fiction. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

After Happy Hour. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, comics. Payment: $2.50 per printed page, with a minimum of $15 and a maximum of $50, on publication ($25 for the cover artist). Deadline: Opens August 1, 2026. Free submissions are capped at 300, so submit early.

Saddlebag Dispatches. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the West. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

Dark Waters. Genre: Dark fiction. See theme. Payment: Up to $25. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

IHRAM Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme:We are opening submissions for an issue dedicated to amplifying the voices of women of colour, including transgender women and women living across cultures as expats, migrants, or in diasporic communities. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

Queer Little Daydreams. Restrictions: Contributors must identify as LGBTQIA2S+. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction that purposefully play with the speculative, strange, and surreal from a uniquely queer perspective. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

Witch House. Genre: Cosmic horror. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 2, 2026.

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

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

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

Again Anthology. Genre: Short stories. See theme. Payment: €200. Deadline: August 4, 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: August 5, 2026.

Cozy Fantasy Anthology. Genre: Cozy Fantasy. Length: 1500-4500 words. Payment: USD $0.02/word; Reprints $0.01/word. Deadline: August 6, 2026.

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: August 7, 2026. This is a monthly call.

Space and Time. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We welcome poetry, art and fiction that bend rules, transcend genre and break stereotypes." Submissions accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word for prose, $5 for poetry. Deadline: August 7, 2026. Open the first seven days of every month.

Abyss and Apex. Genre: Speculative fiction. No horror. Payment: USD $.08/word (eight cents a word) up to 1,000 words, and a flat payment of $80.00 for longer stories. Deadline: August 7, 2026.

University of Queensland Press. Restrictions: Open to Australian citizens or permanent residents. Genre: Full-length nonfiction manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 7, 2026.

Flame Tree: Cosmic Horror Short Stories. Genre: Cosmic Horror. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: August 9, 2026.

Flame Tree: Zombie World. Genre: Zombies! Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints. Deadline: August 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: August 10, 2026. Open from the 1st to the 10th of every month. 

Sparks. Restrictions: Open to residents on the island of Ireland. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, poetry. Payment: €20 for a Short Story, €15 for Flash Fiction and €10 for a Poem. Deadline: August 10, 2026.

Poetry Wales: The Body. Genre: Nonfiction. See theme. Payment: Reviews £67.50/1,500 words; Articles £150/3,000 words. Deadline: August 10, 2026.

Words Without Borders. Genre: Original translations into English of contemporary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and interviews, and related multimedia, as well as critical essays, book reviews, and interviews written in English. They do not publish fiction, poetry, or drama originally written in English, and they do not consider work that has already been published in English translation. Average word count is 2,000–2,500 words; they do not accept work that exceeds 4,000 words. Payment: Poetry: $50–75 for a single poem, depending on length; rates for multiple poems are negotiated based on length; Fiction: $150/1,000 words, capped at $300; Nonfiction: $150/1000 words, capped at $300; Selection and compilation of features: $250; Interviews: $150; Book reviews: $150. Deadline: August 10, 2026.

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

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: August 11, 2026.

Raconteur Press: Hold-My-Beer Heroes. Genre: Short stories. Hold-My-Beer Heroes plays with the "superiority theory" concept of comedy. The author and the reader are in on the joke of the overconfident everyman thrust into a situation they have no business surviving, but somehow manage to end up winning the day. The ever- predictable train-wreck unfolds in real time. Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 14, 2026.

Manuscrypt Magazine. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 14, 2026.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 14, 2026.

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

Carnage House. Genre: Splatterpunk. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2026. 

Grimalkin Press: Sweet Screams – A Taste of Darkness. Restrictions: Open to women writers and gender diverse people only. Genre: Horror stories centered around themes of sweetness, baking, cooking, desserts, and the unsettling things that can exist beneath comfort, nostalgia, celebration, or indulgence. Payment: $0.08/word. Deadline: August 15, 2026. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Star Wars 50th anniversary book. Genre: True stories. How has Star Wars affected you? And not just the movies. The brand has expanded to books, video games, TV shows, theme parks, toys, clothes, board games and more. Payment: $200. Deadline: August 15, 2026. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings. Genre: Nonfiction. One of the most important keys to contentment and happiness is the ability to count your blessings. Even during the toughest times, if we can find gratitude and count our blessings we feel better. Each day holds something to be thankful for and it could be just as simple as having the sun shine or having food on the table. Payment: $200. Deadline: August 15, 2026. 

Inkd Publishing: Cthulu: Awakens. Genre: Lovecraftian horror. Word Limit: 2,000 to 6,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 15, 2026. 

In a Flash: Recipes. Genre: Creative nonfiction of 500 words or less. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 15, 2026.

Beyond the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Genre: Fiction. Sherlock Holmes themes. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 15, 2026. 

The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: August 15, 2026. Accepts reprints.

The Fairy Tale Magazine. Genre: Fairy-tale inspired stories/poems. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 21, 2026.

Rat Bag. Genre: Drabble. See theme. Payment: $1. Deadline: August 22, 2026.

Griffith Review. Genre: Nonfiction and fiction. See theme. Payment: AUD$0.75 per word. Deadline: August 23, 2026.

Sunday Morning. Genre: Poetry, flash fiction. Payment: $1. Deadline: August 23, 2026. (Open one day only)

Headland. Genre: Short fiction and creative nonfiction. Payment: $75. Deadline: August 24, 2026.

Carte Blanche (Canada). Restrictions: Open to Quebec- and Canada-based contributors. Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, translations. comics, photography. Payment: $75 CAD. Deadline: August 24, 2026.

Poetry and polar science. Genre: Poetry on theme of polar science. Payment: $100. Deadline: August 26, 2026.

Rough Cut Press. Genre: Short prose from the LGBTQIA community on theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: September 27, 2026.

Not/Feeling Better. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, and memoir on theme: Not/Feeling Better. Payment: £10. Deadline: August 29, 2026.

Augur Press. Genre: Speculative literature that breaks down walls between literary and sci-fi/fantasy spaces. We seek work across genres: poignant dark fantasy, crisp science fiction, lush secondary world adventures, contemporary gothic, quiet myth-building, and dreamy realism. Length: Novellas and novelettes. Payment: Advance and royalties. Deadline: August 30, 2026.

Sublimation. Genre: Speculative poetry and art. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Room Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Canadian artists of marginalized genders. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, and poems. See theme. Payment: $50 per page. Deadline: August 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

Easton Tales. Genre: Horror. See theme. Payment: $10CAD. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Carmen et Error. Genre: Poems, 40(ish) lines max. Fiction, 400(ish) words max. Payment: £5. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Tasavvur. Genre: South Asian speculative fiction. Payment: 3 cents per word, up to a maximum of 5,000 words. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Uncanny Magazine. Genre: Speculative poetry. Payment: $40. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Owl Hollow Press: The Unopened Door. Genre: Short stories. See theme. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Reckoning. Genre: Art, poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction up to 15,000 words in length. See theme. Payment: 10 cents per word (US) for prose, $50 per page for poetry and art. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Ruadan Books. Genre: Full-length dark thrillers and speculative fiction. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Altar Literary Magazine: Golden Hour. Genre: Fiction, Poetry, CNF. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2026 or until filled.

Saraband: Inklings. Genre: Narrative non-fiction. "The Inklings is a series of pocket-sized pop culture books that introduce readers to a wide range of topics they might only have an inkling about!" Pitches only. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

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: August 31, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Ampersand Review. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reviews. Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem/page to a maximum of $100. Fiction: $100 per story. Non-fiction: $100 per piece. Reviews: $100 per piece. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Event Magazine. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Payment: CAD $40/page for poetry and $35/page for prose, up to a maximum of $500. Deadline: August 31, 2026. Note: Closes when cap is reached.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ stories, 5,000 - 9,500 words. See themes. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

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: August 31, 2026. Reprints accepted.

Passing Strange: Queer Weird Arthurian Tales. Genre: Queer Arthuran stories. Word count: Between 3,000 and 10,000 words. Payment: A rate of $0.05 USD per word to a maximum of $500 USD will be offered. $200 for art. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Broken Sleep Books. Genre: Non-fiction prose pamphets (up to 150 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Hellbound Books Anthology of Body Horror. Genre: Body Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Hellbound Books Anthology of Found Footage Horror. Genre: Found Footage Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Hellbound Books Anthology of Technological Horror. Genre: Technological Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Propel Disability Poetry Book Series. Restrictions: Open to disabled poets. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Royalties. One poet wins a $2000 prize. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Cast of Wonders. Restrictions: Open to young authors. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: ONCE UPON A TALE. Genre: Fairytale retellings across all genres. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: CURSES & CRYSTALS. Genre: Witch-themed stories across all genres. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 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: August 31, 2026.

Slapshots in Space & Magical Marathons: A Speculative Sports Anthology. Genre: Speculative fiction on theme: Sports. Payment: $50/story, flat rate. $20 per poem. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

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

Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

Sundress. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2026. Submission fee is waived for all BIPOC writers.

Heartlines Spec. Restrictions: "Since Heartlines Spec is primarily a Canadian magazine, we're looking to feature writers identifying as being from Canada/Turtle Island. This includes expats, new immigrants, and people who refuse/resist Canadian Identity. Our goal for each issue is to publish at least 50% Canadian content." Genre: Short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. "We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules." Payment: $0.08 CAD per word for short fiction and $80 CAD flat for poetry. Deadline: Early submission period for equity-deserving groups August 24-31.

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. Deadline: August 31, 2026.

AND A FEW MORE...

Philadelphia Stories. Restrictions: Open to authors living in, or originally from, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey. Genre: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art. Payment: $50. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

“Psycho Pulp” Anthology. Genre: Crime, horror, psychological thriller, western, science fiction, or any sub-genre or blend of these. Payment: $20. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

The Cincinnati Review. Genre: Literary nonfiction (up to 20 pages), fiction (up to 40 pages), poetry, poetry translations, drama, and art. Payment: $25/page for prose in the journal, $30/page for poetry, $25 for miCRo posts or special features. Deadline: Opens September 1, 2026. Note: Opens on the first day of the month and closes once they hit the submissions cap.

Pacific Northwest Gothic. Restrictions: Open to current residents of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art "that explore the region’s shadowed forests, coastal fog, urban isolation, and the quiet unease that lingers beneath its natural beauty." Payment: $25. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

Teach. Write. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students OR about teaching and learning." Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

University of Wisconsin Press. Genre: Novels, short story collections, and works in translation. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2026.

103 Calls for Submissions in July 2026 - Paying markets

This July 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: Wikimedia]

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Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: Waiting in Line. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2026. Accepts reprints.

The Quiet Ones. Genre: Quiet Horror and Intimate-Scale Dystopian Fiction. "We primarily seek creative work from those who identify as LGBTQIAP+, women, and allies. We’re especially fond of (though do not require) stories that center LGBTQIAP+ and female characters. That said, we welcome work from anyone and everyone, and we do not automatically disqualify any submissions based on the author’s identity, nor do we require our contributors to share their sexual or gender identities." Payment: $25. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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

The Marrow. Genre: Poetry written in, or translated into, English, from Australian and international poets. Payment: AU$40. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026.

A Public Space. Genre: Fiction, essays, poetry, as well as graphic and hybrid work. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Monstrously Misguided Anthology. Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Speculative, Dark Humour, Weird Fiction, Slipstream, Light Sci‑Fi. Theme: Creatures, legends, and monsters… but not as you’ve ever seen them before. Payment: 2.5 cents per word. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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

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 July 1, 2026.

Cordite. Genre: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Payment is available for Australian contributors only. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

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

Dirty Magick Magazine. Genre: Short fantasy fiction, from 2,000 to 12,500 words. Payment: $50. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2026, and closes when they reach capacity.

It Came from the Trailer Park. Genre: Horror/Comedy. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Dark Ink: Movie Horror Themed Anthology. Genre: Horror centered on movies, filmmaking, and the act of watching films—where cinema itself becomes the doorway to terror.” Payment: $20. Deadline: July 1, 2026.

Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $4/ line. Deadline: July 2, 2026.

Raconteur Press: Buck Yeah!. Genre: Short stories. Buck Rogers enters the public domain this year! We’re looking for new tales from the Buck Rogers universe. Rocket ships! Astonishing adventures 500 years into the future! Anti-gravity belts, rocket guns, disintegration beams! Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 3, 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: July 4, 2026. Open to submissions the first three days of every month.

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: July 5, 2026.

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: July 5, 2026.

Thirty West Publishing. Genre: Full-length poetry, fiction, short story collections, essay collections, CNF, novellas. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 5, 2026.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: July 7, 2026.

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: July 7, 2026. This is a monthly call.

Isele Quarterly. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, visual art, and hybrid works that explore the theme: Red. Payment: "Modest." Deadline: July 7, 2026.

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. Deadline: July 7, 2026. Open the first seven days of every month.

Anodyne. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry, Art, Photography, Video, Music on theme of Health. Payment: Revenue sharing. Deadline: July 7, 2026. (Submissions are free the first seven days of the month.)

Space & Time. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We welcome poetry, art and fiction that bend rules, transcend genre and break stereotypes." Submissions accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word for prose, $5 for poetry. Deadline: July 7, 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: July 1- 7, 2026. Submission period only for BIPOC, trans, and/or disabled authors.

Baneberry. Genre: Literary horror. Length: 500 - 7000 words. Payment: $500. Deadline: July 8, 2026.

Interrobang. Genre: Fiction. See theme. Payment: $3. Deadline: July 8, 2026.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: July 10, 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: July 10, 2026. Open from the 1st to the 10th of every month. 

Griffith Review. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD$0.75 per word. Deadline: July 12, 2026.

A Public Space. Genre: Fiction, essays, poetry, as well as graphic and hybrid work. See themes. Payment: Honorarium. Deadline: July 13, 2026.

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: July 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: July 14, 2026.

Mulberry. Genre: All creative media—from prose, flash, poetry, script, and comics, to film, music, visual art, dance, and everything in-between. Cross-genre, experimental, and hybrid work are always welcome, as well as excerpts of longer pieces. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 14, 2026.

Horror Tree: Trembling With Fear. Genre: Horror short stories. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Scuppernong. Genre: Hybrid memoir, as well as books on social justice issues in North Carolina. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Ragaire Literary Journal. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry from Ireland and abroad. Payment: €150 per story/essay, €80 per poem. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

If There's Anyone Left. Restrictions: Open to people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled people. Genre: Speculative fiction. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Able Muse is a small literary press. They publish poetry and fiction. Most of the fiction they publish is short story collections. They have one free reading period every year, from May 1 through July 15. Read submission guidelines HERE. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Strange Pilgrims. Genre: Fiction and 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: July 15, 2026.

In a Flash: Recipes. Genre: Creative nonfiction of 500 words or less. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

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

Augur Magazine. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $0.14 cents (CAD) per word for short fiction (1000+ words), and a flat fee of $112.00 per flash fiction piece (1000 words and under); $100 per poem. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Eye to the Telescope. Genre: Speculative poetry. See theme. Payment: 5 cents/word, up to $25. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

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

Scrawl Place is part visitor’s guide, part literary journal. Genre: Work that explores places in Chicago. Payment: $40. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

The Dancing Griffin Press Halloween Special. Genre: Horror. "All types of horror are welcome - extreme horror, young adult, spooky middle grade - monsters, body horror, torture, paranormal, we do not discriminate. The only requirement is that your story takes place during the month of October, and at least one character must die." Payment: USD $20 for original stories; $15 for reprints. Deadline: July 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: July 15, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: July 19, 2026.

Black Hare Press. Genre: Dark stories, in any genre. Length: 5,000 - 50,000 words. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 19, 2026.

In The Mood Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry. art. "From celebrity personas, to impersonations, to acting school methods, we’re looking for criticism, essays, poetry, and visual art that engages with the concept of performance." Payment: $300 CAD. Deadline: July 20, 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: July 21, 2026. 

The Deadlands. Genre: Poetry. "The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve." Payment: $50. Deadline: July 21, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime fiction. See theme. Payment: £4 per 1,000 words. Deadline: July 21, 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: July 25, 2026.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 25, 2026.

Diabolical Plots. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy and horror up to 3,500 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 27, 2026.

Crimeucopia. Genre: Crime fiction. Length: 10,000 words. See theme. Payment: £4 per 1,000 words. Deadline: July 28, 2026.

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

Splinter Journal. Genre: Poetry, fiction, memoir, nonfiction (pitches only). Payment: Profiles (pays AUD900), essays pays AUD900), writing about writing (pays AUD500), and criticism (pays AUD700), and completed submissions of poetry (pays AUD250/poem or AUD450/collection of up to four poems, fiction (pays AUD900), and memoir (pays AUD600). Deadline: July 30, 2026.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror Anthologies and Collections of stories that have been or will be published in 2026. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: July 30, 2026.

Raconteur Press: The Spy Who Conjured Me. Genre: Short stories. The Cold War was not just between the US and USSR, but literally between the side of angels and the side of demons. A spy planting a haunted listening device in an enemy embassy finds that the ghost inside it has his own ideas. Codewords that are also magic spells, assassins using curses, and undead drops. Espionage with magical elements. Length: 5,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Sunlight Press. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, photography, reviews. Payment: $20 - $50. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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

Swamp Pink. Genre: Short stories, poetry, nonfiction. Payment: $40 each, and we pay $0.05 a word for prose. Deadline: July 31, 2026. No submission fee for BIPOC writers.

miCRo. Genre: Flash fiction. Length: Up to 500 words. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

FIYAH: Conjuring Academies & Spellbound Scholars. Genre: Black speculative fiction. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Apex Magazine. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, horror. Payment: $.08 per word up to 9,000 words. Additoinal 1 cent/word if podcast. Minimum of $50. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid work. See theme. Payment: $25–$100 depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in. Deadline: July 31, 2026.  Closes when cap is reached.

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. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Open to submissions in the months of January, April, and July.

Dark Moments Patreon Monthly Challenge. Genre: Dark flash fiction. (Word count: 100 words exactly). See theme. Payment: 4 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Monthly call.

Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Saros Speculative Fiction: Terminally Online. Genre: Speculative Fiction. See theme. Payment: CAD25. Deadline: July 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: July 31, 2026.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction ghost stories. 1,000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Polaris Poetry Series. Genre: Afrofuturistic poetry. Submissions should be a minimum of 65 pages of poems, with each new poem beginning on a new page. Payment: $1000 advance. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap of 100 submissions is reached.

Die Laughing. Genre: Funny horror. Payment: $10 for flash, $25 for shorts. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Spoon Knife. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Phobos. Genre: Weird fiction. Payment: 8 cents a word or $25, whichever is greater. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. See theme. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Whitaker Lyon Press: Meet Virginia – A Romance Anthology. Genre: Short romance fiction. Length: 1,500-7,500 words. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Exquisite Engines. Genre: Streampunk. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Scylla: The Monstrous & The Divine Sapphic Anthology. Restrictions: Authors must be female identifying or non-binary; and the main character/s must be sapphic/wlw. Genre: Short and flash fiction, poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD0.10/word up to AUD400 for original fiction; up to AUD100 for reprints. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Only Poems: Poet of the Week. Genre: Poetry. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Locative Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Australian residents. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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

Ink in Thirds. Genre: Poetry, prose (up to 600 words), art. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Clare Songbirds. Genre: Full-length poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

ECHO Small Press Books accepts full length novel submissions from teens (ages 13 - 19) and publishes one book a year. Genre: YA. Length: Between 40 and 100 thousand words. Payment: Advance and Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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

Hellbound Books Anthology of Psychological Horror. Genre: Psychological Horror. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Nine Pens. Restrictions: Open to people in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Poetry pamphlets. Payment: Royalies. Deadline: July 31, 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: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints. $10.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

New Myths. Genre: Speculative fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: 3 cents/word with a minimum payment of $50 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry; $50 for book reviews; $80 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

A Midnight Kind of Place Anthologies. Genre: Horror. See themes. Payment: £30 for originals. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Accepts reprints.

Slashic Horror Press. Genre: LGBTQ horror manuscripts. Length: 30,000 to 90,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 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 and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.10/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40-300 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Dragon Soul Press: MIDNIGHT BITES. Genre: Horror across all genres. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Hashtag Press. Genre: Full-length children's and YA books as well as nonfiction. All books must be diverse or inclusive. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

Anstruther Books. Genre: Poetry "that takes risks and represents a diverse cross-section of the Canadian literary community." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 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: July 31, 2026.

The London Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: July 31, 2026. Closes when cap is reached.

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. Deadline: July 31, 2026.

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: August 1, 2026.

Dark Waters. Genre: Dark fiction. See theme. Payment: Up to $25. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

IHRAM Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, esssays, art. Theme:We are opening submissions for an issue dedicated to amplifying the voices of women of colour, including transgender women and women living across cultures as expats, migrants, or in diasporic communities. Payment: $50 for writing, $25 for art. Deadline: August 1, 2026.

Saddlebag Dispatches. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the West. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2026.