Short Fiction Submission Round-Up Jan 2024

It’s the beginning of the year, and that’s the hottest time for small presses and magazines to accept short fiction. Here are a some markets that are actively accepting horror, science fiction, and fantasy through the month of January. Let us know in the comments when you submit to one of these awesome markets, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Payment Chart

• SFWA Rate or more: .08 per word –  $$$$$
• HWA Rate: .05 per word – $$$$
• Semi-Pro Rate: .03 per word – $$$
• Novice Rate: .01 – .02 per word – $$
• Token: <.01 per word – $

***

Bikes in Space Anthology ($)

• Looking For: Queer
• Deadline: 1/15
• Pay: $50 minimum, Kickstarter split
• Simultaneous Subs?: NA
• Multiple Subs?: NA
• Reprints?: NA
• Length: 500-6k
• Theme:

Overview:

We’re seeking your feminist science fiction and fantasy stories for the 12th anthology in the Bikes in Space series of books!Please submit your original short fiction (in written or comics form) about bicycling from a feminist perspective. Stories should feature gardens, plants, or other products of photosynthesis. All three of these elements (bicycles, feminism, greenery) should be intrinsic to the narrative. Send your most creative imaginings of organic bicycle design materials, green witches delivering remedies by bike, time traveling wheels embedded in trees, hydroponics experiences in a carbon-neutral future, horticulturists going for a new pedal-powered land speed record, or whatever green and growing scenarios your brain can produce.

Submissions Instructions:

Google doc, MS word, Pages, text document, or PDF. Comics submissions of up to 6 pages can be submitted in thumbnails. Submit via email to elly@microcosmpublishing.com

SUBMIT

***

Obsidian Butterfly ($)

• Looking For: Horror
• Deadline: 1/15
• Pay: $30
• Simultaneous Subs?: NO
• Multiple Subs?: NO
• Reprints?: Query
• Length: 1k-8k
• Theme: Horror Over the Handlebars: Connecticut Horror

Overview:

Imagine It, Stand by Me, Stranger Things, Dark, Good Omens, set in Connecticut. This is the first in a series of Connecticut-based anthologies–Yankee Scares. All stories must be set in Connecticut. Preference will be given to writers who Live in Connecticut — Have some connection to Connecticut — Live in New England. Other writers may apply and will be offered space as available.

Submissions Instructions:

Submit your manuscript in docx to https://forms.gle/Bag4ZzveRv3gATXC6. Use SHUNN manuscript formatting. Please give us a month to respond. Please follow Bert for updates on Facebook

SUBMIT

***

Horror Tree Short fiction ($)

• Looking For:
• Deadline: 1/15
• Pay: $5
• Simultaneous Subs?:
• Multiple Subs?:
• Reprints?:
• Length: <1500
• Theme:

Overview:

We publish speculative fiction: horror, dark scifi and fantasy, and more. If it’s dark and speculative, we’d love to read it. The piece needs to be a complete story in and of itself, which means no extracts. Make sure your story – even your drabbles – have a coherent and strong beginning, middle and end, and a narrative that is well-paced. We are a speculative fiction market, so while we have “horror” in the site name, please note you’ll have less chance of acceptance with a story rooted in real-world horrors. Yes, humans are evil. But we want the monster versions.

Submissions Instructions:

Fill out the form at https://horrortree.com/submissions/

SUBMIT

***

Flash Fiction Online ($$$$$)

• Looking For: fantasy, science fiction, horror, and all the fabulous cross-sub-genre goodness within that lot
• Deadline: 1/21
• Pay: $100
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: 500-1000
• Theme:

Overview:

We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions.

Submissions Instructions:

Please format your submission in a double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman or other serif-type font (NO Courier), with standard 1″ margins and black font on an unadorned, white background. No PDF submissions. No Images and no graphics. Do not include your name, address, email, or other identifying information on your manuscript (header, byline, file name, etc).

SUBMIT

***

The Ghastling ($)

• Looking For: Horror, ghost stories, spooky
• Deadline: 1/22
• Pay: £15 per story
• Simultaneous Subs?: NO
• Multiple Subs?: NO
• Reprints?: NO
• Length: <3500
• Theme:

Overview:

We want psychological horror, quiet horror, folk horror, hauntings, ghost stories and the darkness of the human mind. And anything with a strange or macabre bent. Be as imaginative as possible. Subvert the ordinary. Your mind can take you anywhere and we always want a story to take us to an unfamiliar place.

Submissions Instructions:

When we are open for submissions, please submit your unpublished short story (no longer than 3,500 words, no minimum) as a WORD document with your NAME and the TITLE OF THE STORY at the top of the document to Rebecca Parfitt: editor@theghastling.com by midnight on the 22nd of January. Please also include a short bio and covering letter, and let us know if you are a subscriber or Patreon supporter too (please read the specifications on Patreon for eligibility)

SUBMIT

***

Farthest Star Publishing ($)

• Looking For: Speculative Fiction
• Deadline: 1/24
• Pay: $10
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: Limit 3
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: 1k-8k
• Theme: Leadership Gone Right

Overview:

Are you ready to explore the uncharted territories of leadership in science fiction, fantasy, and horror? We’re seeking gripping tales that envision a world where leadership takes a different path, where heroes and anti-heroes emerge in unexpected ways. From galactic leaders to mythical monarchs and supernatural rulers, your story should transport us to new realms where leadership shines brilliantly or takes a haunting turn. This is your chance to craft a story that reshapes the very essence of authority. Submit your most inventive and captivating short stories and let your vision of “Leadership Gone Right” light the way for readers everywhere.

Submissions Instructions:

Please send your manuscript as an [.rtf file] in standard manuscript format to fartheststarpublishing@gmail.com. In the subject line, type “Leadership Gone Right” Submission – [TITLE] – [WORD COUNT]. A short cover letter is advised. Remember to put your name and the title of your story.

SUBMIT

***

Astral, Alien Fiction ($)

• Looking For: Scifi, Horror, Fantasy
• Deadline: 1/28
• Pay: $20
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: NA
• Length: 1k-7k
• Theme:

Overview:

We are, broadly, wanting to read stories from non-humanoid points of view. Submitted stories can feature humans, but the main perspective should be alien or should have a narrative focus that interacts with alien consciousness as much as possible. We imagine most of the stories we will be sent will fall into the science fiction category, but we also welcome horror and fantasy stories (particularly if they are “other world” fantasy stories). If you are unsure if your story fits: send it. Don’t self-censor (so long as you believe there is some legitimate possiblity that we would be interested in the piece given the above statements).

Submissions Instructions:

astral-af@protonmail.com with the word “submission” somewhere in the subject line. Attach your work, formatted as described above, to the e-mail. We do not accept links to files, including but not limited to google drive, nor do we accept PDF files or stories pasted into the body of the e-mail. Please include a short cover letterin the e-mail containing the story name, the word count, and a short bio.

SUBMIT

***

Apex Flash Fiction Contest ($$$$$)

• Looking For: Scifi, Horror, Fantasy
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: .10 per word or $10, whichever is more.
• Simultaneous Subs?: No
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: <1000
• Theme: Last Death

Overview:

Themes are chosen by Patrons at the end of the month and announced to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions open to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions will be open to the public on the 7th of each month. Submissions for each theme close on the last day of the month at midnight US central time.

Submissions Instructions:

Shunn Manuscript Format attached as a .doc/.docx/.rtf/.odt file. Always submit after the first of teh month and before the last day. Winners announced no later than the 15th of the following month.

SUBMIT

***

Dark Moments Monthly Challenge ($$$)

• Looking For:
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: .04 per word
• Simultaneous Subs?: NO
• Multiple Subs?: NO
• Reprints?: NO
• Length: Exactly 100 words
• Theme: Magic & Mayhem

Overview:

Tales steeped in the realms of dark magic and cursed concoctions. We are seeking stories that explore the treacherous paths of spells gone terribly wrong, the eerie allure of medieval potions, and the grim repercussions of black magic. Your narratives should weave a world where the mystical intertwines with the malevolent, and where the quest for forbidden knowledge or power leads to unforeseen, often dire, consequences. Unveil your most captivating and spine-chilling stories.

Submissions Instructions:

You must include the theme in your email subject (as shown above). Email submissions as .doc or .docx to darkmoments@BlackHarePress.com according to formatting guidelines on page.

SUBMIT

***

Dark Peninsula Press: The Cellar Door ($)

• Looking For: Creature feature, serial killer, undead/zombies, voodoo/witchcraft, suspense/thriller, cosmic horror
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: $25
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes, but note
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: 2k-10k
• Theme: Marshland Horrors

Overview:

Looking for horror/suspense stories that take place in swamps, bayous, and marshlands. Special preference for stories with backwater cults/legends, cryptid monsters, and other slimy creatures lurking just below the water.

Submissions Instructions:

Use the Modern or Classic Shunn Format. Include a short bio in the body of your email. Your subject line should read, MH Submission: (“Title”) by (Author’s Name). For Example, MH Submission: “The Raft” by Stephen King. Attach the story as a separate document. Include your story as an attachment in MS Word, LibreOffice, or Rich Text Format. Send to darkpenpress@gmail.com.

SUBMIT

***

Critical Blast – The Devil You Know Best ($)

• Looking For:
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: $25
• Simultaneous Subs?: NA
• Multiple Subs?: NA
• Reprints?: Query
• Length: 2k-10k
• Theme:

Overview:

Critical Blast Publishing will be opening their reading period for the third volume in THE DEVIL YOU KNOW anthology collection, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW BEST. We are looking for stories that involve an encounter with the literary/mythological/theological Devil himself in situations that range from comedy to tragedy, via horror, comedy, fantasy, or science fiction. All genres welcome as long as the theme is met.

Submissions Instructions:

Send submissions in WORD DOCUMENT using the William Shunn Manuscript format to: anthology@criticalblast.com.

SUBMIT

***

Shacklebound Books

• Looking For: Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror and must be dark.
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: Digital copy
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: Limit 3
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: 100 words exactly
• Theme: Drabbledark III: A Collection of Dark Drabbles

Overview:

We are a small press. We hope to increase pay rates for all of our anthologies and future projects over time.

Submissions Instructions:

Submit each story with the subject line “Drabbledark III Submission: [Story Title] by [Author Name]” to shackleboundbooks@gmail.com. Send stories attached as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf. If submitting more than one story send each in a separate email. Please include a bio in third person of no more than 20 words. Please state in your email if the submission is original or a reprint and where it was originally published.

SUBMIT

***

Haven Spec Magazine ($$$$$)

• Looking For: Speculative
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: .08 per word
• Simultaneous Subs?: No
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: <6k
• Theme:

Overview:

It’s our goal to publish diverse voices from around the world, and to do that, we are actively seeking stories, poems, and non-fiction pieces by authors from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in the science fiction and fantasy canon. Our submission cycle is therefore split into two categories, where every other month is explicitly reserved for submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. The interposing six months remain open to everyone.

Submissions Instructions:

Please indicate on the form if your submission is a reprint. All submissions must use the Shunn manuscript format (we prefer Courier New) and be either .rtf, .doc, or .docx.

SUBMIT

***

Heathen Magazine ($$$$)

• Looking For: Horror
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: .05 per word
• Simultaneous Subs?: NA
• Multiple Subs?: NA
• Reprints?: NA
• Length: <7k, prefer <5k
• Theme:

Overview:

Heathen is a new literary magazine and multimedia platform spotlighting the best in horror and dark fantasy fiction. Released quarterly in a digital medium, the stories you’ll find in Heathen will be available in both text and audio formats. Once a year, the most-read (and listened to) stories will be collected in a physical annual. Should you hope to have your story listed in an issue of Heathen, it should be reminisicent of the likes of Lovecraft, Poe, and Chambers. Though humanity finds itself at the root of all stories, tales told in Heathen should heavily involve monsters, beasts, the supernatural, or fantastical world-building.

Submissions Instructions:

https://heathen.moksha.io/publication/1/1/submit

SUBMIT

***

Inner Worlds ($$)

• Looking For: Speculative
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: .01 per word
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: 500-2500
• Theme: 1/1-1/15 – Marginalized

Overview:

Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose that has a strong emotional or psychological focus. We are mainly interested in fiction, but we’re open to speculative memoir or creative non fiction, as long as it has speculative elements. Please see ‘What We Like’ below for some examples.

Submissions Instructions:

https://sarah-i-jackson.ghost.io/submission-form/

SUBMIT

***

Iridescence Award ($$$$$)

• Looking For: Speculative
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: $500 Award
• Simultaneous Subs?: No
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: Poetry (5 poems); Flash Fiction (<1000), Short Fiction (1k-5k)
• Theme: BIPOC Only

Overview:

Genres include, but are not limited to, fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal. Winning submissions will also be featured in the Kinsman Quarterly, its social media sites, and printed promotions. Must be 18+, a member of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community.

Submissions Instructions:

https://www.kinsmanquarterly.org/iridescence-award#:~:text=Deadline%20extended%20to%20January%2031,awards%20up%20to%20%24500%20USD.

SUBMIT

***

Journ-E Fiction ($)

• Looking For: Speculative
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: $15 Maxiumum
• Simultaneous Subs?: NA
• Multiple Subs?: NA
• Reprints?: NA
• Length: 1500-6k
• Theme:

Overview:

JOURN-E seeks short fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and illustration in these several genres. Each issue also contains public domain “classics” in every genre. Quotas for maximum number of entries are set for each of the five genres covered in this semi-annual journal: Horror & the Supernatural, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Detection & Mystery, and Adventure (note: the quota levels for these genres are here listed in descending number of submissions needed to fill the quota and close off further submissions). The cut-off for submissions will likely be reached PRIOR TO the posted final date for submissions—based upon prior rates and quantities of submissions.

Submissions Instructions:

https://www.mindseyepublications.com/blank-1

SUBMIT

***

Mysterion ($$$$$)

• Looking For: Speculative, Christian
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: .08 per word original, .04 reprints
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: <9k
• Theme: Christian Speculative

Overview:

The story must have a speculative element. It needs something beyond the everyday. We love science fiction and fantasy, enjoy good ghost stories, and think there’s great fiction material hidden in the mysteries of Christian theology–cherubim, leviathan, nephilim, visions, prophecy, and more. The story must engage with Christianity. We want stories with Christian characters whose faith affects their actions, with Christian themes such as grace and redemption, or with a Christian view of the supernatural.

Submissions Instructions:

Stories must be double spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier font. The story title, your byline, a word count, and contact information should appear on the first page, and your last name, story title, and page number should appear in the header information of all other pages. If you want to make our lives easier, our preferred format is Times New Roman, italics for emphasis, one space after periods and colons, smart quotes, m-dashes instead of double hyphens, and first line of paragraph indented 0.5″ in Paragraph formatting instead of with the Tab key. But we aren’t that particular about any of this when evaluating your stories. Stories should be submitted via the Moksha submissions system: https://mysterion.moksha.io/publication/mysterion. Submit your stories in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format.

SUBMIT

***

The Underdog Press 

• Looking For: Horror
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: NONE
• Simultaneous Subs?: NA
• Multiple Subs?: NA
• Reprints?: NA
• Length: 3500-12k
• Theme: Nightmares Before Bed

Overview:

Nightmares Before Bed is exactly what you think it is. This will be our first horror anthology and we want to be clear, no sexual violence, abuse of children, overly disturbing images and ideas, or gore will be published. We want horror, we want to be scared, but let’s do it in a way that is respectful. We’d love to see fantasy horror or sci-fi horror here. in standard Shunn format. Please include your contact information, including full name and email address and any social media links you may have as well as any prior publications.

Submissions Instructions:

Submissions should be sent to submissions@theunderdogpress.com as an attached Word doc or docx. Please format the email subject line and your submitted file name as “The Underdogs Rise – [Story Title] by [Author Name] for [Anthology Name]”.

SUBMIT

***

Hollow Oak Press ($)

• Looking For: Speculative
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: $25
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: 3k-6k
• Theme: Puzzling Anthology

Overview:

We want to read your twisty, speculative mysteries. We’re looking for stories that surprise us with a well-drawn plot twist, so please make sure those twists make sense in the context of the story. We are not looking for twists that come from nowhere, but rather ones that click into place when we think back on the previous details in the narrative. All stories must feature a speculative element, whether it’s magic or monsters or anything in between. All subgenres of speculative fiction are welcome, although military/political/alien-based sci-fi will be a harder sell. We are not looking for gratuitous violence, grimdark, or gothic romanticism.

Submissions Instructions:

Please send all stories as .doc or .docx attachments to hollowoaksubmissions@outlook.com with your story title and your last name in the subject line. Do not paste the story into the body of the email, but do include a brief third-person bio in your email. Please, for the sake of our eyeballs, double space and use 12pt font. We also strongly suggest you use Shunn’s Manuscript Format.

SUBMIT

***

Trembling with Fear ($)

• Looking For:
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: $5
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: <2500
• Theme: Valentines

Overview:

We publish speculative fiction: horror, dark scifi and fantasy, and more. If it’s dark and speculative, we’d love to read it. The piece needs to be a complete story in and of itself, which means no extracts. Make sure your story – even your drabbles – have a coherent and strong beginning, middle and end, and a narrative that is well-paced. We are a speculative fiction market, so while we have “horror” in the site name, please note you’ll have less chance of acceptance with a story rooted in real-world horrors. Yes, humans are evil. But we want the monster versions.

Submissions Instructions:

Fill out the form at https://horrortree.com/submissions/

SUBMIT

***

Theaker’s Quarterly Fiction

• Looking For: Specualtive
• Deadline: 1/31
• Pay: NONE
• Simultaneous Subs?: No
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: <50k
• Theme:

Overview:

Stories with an element of the fantastic. Hard sf, soft sf, fantasy, heroic fantasy, dark fantasy, humorous fantasy, slipstream, magic realism, horror and terror – it’s all of interest to TQF. Both long stories and short stories. We are as happy to consider one-page short stories as 50,000 word novels. (Note that longer submissions will take quite a bit longer to be accepted or rejected.)

Submissions Instructions:

Email: theakersquarterlyfiction@gmail.com. Format: rtf/doc/docx or (ideally) plain-text markdown. Filename: TQF Your Story Title by Your Name. Include a third-person bio at the end of your story.

SUBMIT

***

Dusty Attic Publishing ($)

• Looking For: spooky or fantastical or both
• Deadline: 2/1
• Pay: $10
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length: 500-2k
• Theme:

Overview:

Dusty Attic publishes 4-8 stories and 2-3 poems quarterly, and submissions will close after four weeks. Any submissions received after the deadline will be considered for the following quarter. You will receive a notification by the 20th of the month prior to publication.

Submissions Instructions:

Submissions should be submitted in Modern Manuscript Format (example), Times New Roman, and attached as a .docx to an email with a brief query and a short author bio. Please include any relevant trigger warnings in the email as well.

SUBMIT

***

Flame Tree Publications ($$$$$)

• Looking For: Speculative Fiction
• Deadline: 2/4
• Pay: .08 for original, .06 for reprints
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: Limit 3
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: 3k-4k
• Theme: Medusa

Overview:

Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. New and emerging writers from open submissions, reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well-known stories, alongside specially commissioned text on the origins and the cultural background of the mythology. The first three books will focus respectively on Odin, Anansi and Medusa.

Submissions Instructions:

Submissions must use the dedicated email address: Medusa@flametreepublishing; Odin@flametreepublishing; Anansi@flametreepublishing. The subject line of the email must be the story title. The file with the story must be attached to the email (.docx, .doc or .rtf format). The name of the file must match the name in the subject line. If submitting more than one story, please submit one story per email.

SUBMIT

***

Aberration Labyrinth 

• Looking For: Horror, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Romantic, Gritty Realism
• Deadline: 2/15
• Pay: No
• Simultaneous Subs?: No
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: No
• Length:
• Theme:

Overview:

We are looking for underground writers who are looking for a place to muck up the internet with their bold and interesting writing. We treasure work that strays from the path. We want raw, evocative, emotional writing. Send us horror, thrillers, dark fantasy, drunken romantics, gritty realism, etc. We love imagery. We love free verse; we also love the aubade. The form is up to you. However, we do not traditionally publish prose poems at this time.

Submissions Instructions:

Submit by e-mail to aberrationlabyrinth@gmail.com (Please write SUBMISSION/ TYPE OF SUBMISSION and YOUR NAME in the subject line of the e-mail)

SUBMIT

***

Luna Station Quarterly

• Looking For: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Space Opera, New Fairy Tales (No Retellings), Creepiness
• Deadline: 2/15
• Pay: $5
• Simultaneous Subs?: Yes
• Multiple Subs?: No
• Reprints?: Yes
• Length: 500-7k
• Theme:

Overview:

Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. We think women write awesome characters and really cool stories and we want to show it to the world. We will consider stories submitted by any woman writer, regardless of experience or writing resume. If you consider yourself on the woman end of the gender spectrum in any significant capacity, you’re welcome here! Science fiction has a long-standing tradition of pushing boundaries and asking difficult questions. It is meant to challenge us and ask us to look at ourselves and how we treat each other and the world around us. That said, LSQ is centered on uplift and so any story that contains explicit sexual situations or violence especially toward women will be considered more carefully than other stories and the content must be justified within the story’s plot.

Submissions Instructions:

Be sure to read the submission guide before filling out the form.

SUBMIT

***