Written by S. Kalekar October 9th, 2017

18 Calls for Themed Submissions

These calls are for fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Themes include campfire stories, poetry on love and justice, stories about water deities and anthropomorphic sword-masters, sound and silence and holiday hell, the United States West, music-themed LGBTQ romance, finding light in unexpected places, and calls for work by immigrant poets, to name a few. Many of these pay writers.

Rattle: Immigrant Poets Issue

Their Spring 2018 issue will feature immigrant poets. The poems may be written on any subject, in any style or length, but must be written by those who no longer reside in the country of their birth. The poems themselves don’t have to be about immigration.
Deadline: 15 October 2017
Length: Up to 4 poems
Pay: $100 per poem, magazine subscription
Details here.

GetBettering: Arts and Medicine

This is a new publication that seeks to address the intersection between medicine and the arts. They want poetry, essays, fiction, films, music or any kind of work that draws a connection between health, the history of medicine, and creative practice.
Deadline: 15 October 2017
Length: Unspecified
Pay: Unspecified
Details here.

The Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Volume III

They want fiction in these three genres that explores and entertains, that gets readers involved with bright characters and strange worlds. Writers can download free copies of Volumes I and II to get a sense of the aesthetic. Also see guidelines for the editor’s preferences.
Deadline: 15 October 2017
Length: 4,500-10,000 words
Pay: AUD75
Details here.

Tribe Media: Campfire Stories

They want poetry, haiku and short fiction on the theme; the work should explore the creepy, the freaky and the scary. If selected, the work will have bespoke illustration.
Deadline: 20 October 2017
Length: Up to 3 pieces of prose of 1,000 words; up to 5 poems, or 10 haiku
Pay: None
Details here.

Astounding Outpost: Neural Nets, Uplinks, and Wetware

They call this “the second golden age of pulp fiction,” and welcome new writers. They publish stories on new themes every month, and will publish selected stories on their website and an anthology. This month’s theme asks writers to consider: what if humans and technology can’t coexist? What if the A.I. take over, or the computer viruses jump off of the net and into our biology?
Deadline: 28 October 2017
Length: Up to 7,500 words
Pay: $50, $15, $5 for three stories depending on reader votes; one editor’s prize of $15; potential royalty payments from an anthology; t-shirts (new prizes with each theme; last month, it was zombie necklaces).
Details here.

The Student Wordshmith: The Purple Breakfast Review – Sound and Silence

They are looking for poetry, short stories and flash fiction on the theme.
Deadline: 30 October 2017
Length: Poetry of up to 40 lines; up to 2,000 words of prose
Pay: None
Details here.

Black Heart Magazine: Holiday Hell

This triannual magazine wants poetry and short fiction on the theme.
Deadline: 31 October 2017
Length: Up to 2,500 words or prose, or up to 3 poems
Pay: None
Details here.

Antimatter Magazine: Stories inspired by scientific headlines

Antimatter publishes flash fiction and story experiments inspired by the latest science news and discoveries; creative stories based on current scientific headlines. They primarily want flash fiction, but are also open to story experiments, narrative games, and text messager-based stories.
Deadline: 31 October 2017
Length: 500 words
Pay: $20
Details here.

Baobab Press: This Side of the Divide Anthology

This is an anthology of short fiction exploring the United States West, from the untouched wilderness to hyper-urban settings.
Deadline: 31 October 2017
Length: 3,000-5,000 words
Pay: $100
Details here.

Rosarium Publishing: Trouble the Waters – Tales from the Deep Blue

This is an anthology of water-themed speculative fiction stories that explores water-lore and deities, ancient and new, as well as unimagined tales.
Deadline: 1 November 2017
Length: 2,500-7,000
Pay: $0.06/word; $0.02/word for reprints
Details here.

The Sun: Love and Justice

They want poetry on the theme. Poems may be personal or political or both. They favor accessible language and thought, but we are open to poems that push boundaries and challenge readers. They especially welcome entries from writers of color.
Deadline: 1 November 2017
Length: Up to five poems
Pay: $100 per poem
Details here.

Armoured Fox Press: A Sword Master’s Tale – A Furry Anthology

The characters should be anthropomorphic, and the main character should be a sword master; and they want swords only, no daggers or light sabres. Characters can also be Kemonomimi (human characters with animal ears and tails) or Mamono (anime monster girl/boy). Stories can be in any genre, from science fiction to fantasy to steampunk.

Deadline: 1 November 2017
Length: 3,000-12,000
Pay: Half cent a word
Details here.

Litro Magazine: Faith & Faithless

They want fiction and creative non-fiction exploring all shades of belief and lack of belief. They accept short fiction, flash/micro fiction, and non-fiction. No poetry.
Deadline: 3 November 2017
Length: Up to 4,000 words
Pay: None
Details here.

Memory House: Wander

This quarterly journal is accepting personal narratives in creative non-fiction and poetry on the theme for their Winter 2018 issue.
Deadline: 3 November 2017
Pay: Unspecified
Details here.

Liars’ League: Sacred and Profane

They have periodic themed calls for submissions. Actors read out selected stories at a live event, and the stories are then archived on the site; some stories have been anthologised in the past. For the upcoming theme, they want writers to explore the sacred and the secular aspects of the festive season in whatever way they can imagine. Both comic and serious takes on the theme are welcome.
Deadline: 5 November 2017
Length: 800-2,000 words
Pay: None
Details here.

JMS Books: Music of the Heart

They publish LGBTQ romance and are looking for stories in which music plays a large part in the characters’ lives. They can be about concerts, rock stars, band members, nightclub singers, radio DJs, singing contests, barbershop quartets, dancers, performers in a choir or orchestra or chorus or musical. Stories must have an HEA or HFN ending. The e-books will be published individually, and are not part of an anthology.
Deadline: 30 November 2017
Length: 12,000 words and up
Pay: Royalties
Details here.

Finding Light in Unexpected Places: An Anthology of Surprises

They want essays that focus on the extraordinary in the ordinary, moments of light that too often rush past. Essays should be on unexpected moments that surprise, inspire and console with their beauty.
Deadline: 1 December 2017
Length: 1,000-3,000 words
Pay: Contributor copies
Details here.

Against Death Anthology

This creative non-fiction anthology explores the psychological shifts that occurred when the authors were prematurely or unexpectedly near death. They may have a heightened state of calm or anxiety, crafting a new sense of self, grasping for meaning, or other responses. Both essay form and direct experience are preferred but not mandated. They want responses chiefly from Canadian writers. International submissions are welcome, but limited. Accepts reprints.
Deadline: 15 March 2018 (extended)
Length: Up to 4,000 words
Pay: Unspecified
Details here.

 

 

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