These are magazines that publish speculative fiction of all kinds – science fiction, fantasy, horror, and associated genres. All of these are paying magazines. Many, but not all, of these are open for submissions now.
Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores
They open on the 1st and 2nd of every month. They accept fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, originals as well as reprints. They also accept art. For fiction, they want science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form. They accept both serious and humorous work. Also see guidelines for the kind of work they’re looking for, hard sells, and what they do not want. Length guidelines are: anywhere from 1,000 words and up for fiction; poetry up to 40 lines. Pay (for originals) is $0.08/word for fiction, $0.02-0.08/word for nonfiction, $1/line for poetry. Details here.
Translunar Travelers Lounge
They want fun speculative fiction; stories must have elements of science fiction or fantasy. “A fun story, at its core, is one that works on the premise that things aren’t all bad; that ultimately, good wins out. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your story has to be silly or lighthearted (though it certainly can be). Joy can be made all the more powerful when juxtaposed against tragedy. In the end, though, there should be hope, and we want stories that are truly fun for as many different kinds of people as possible.
Swashbuckling adventure, deadly intrigue, and gleeful romance are some of the most obvious examples of what we’re looking for, but we won’t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider “fun” umbrella.” They pay $0.03/word for stories up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 15 April 2023. Details here.
(Their next submission period is in September; the first week of that is reserved for writers of color.)
Apparition Lit
This is a quarterly speculative fiction and poetry magazine. Their website says, “Speculative fiction is weird, almost unclassifiable. It’s fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and literary. We want it all. Send us your strange, misshapen stories.” They will read submissions on the Creature theme for two weeks in May 2023; also see the note about their equity initiative in the guidelines here (scroll down). Length guidelines are: 1,000-5,000 words for fiction, up to 5 poems; pay is $0.05/word for stories, and $50/poem. They also publish flash fiction online on monthly prompts. Details here.
Lightspeed
Lightspeed publishes science fiction and fantasy. They are open to submissions from BIPOC writers only, till 31 March, for short fiction/novelettes; submissions for all writers are open 1-7 April 2023. They also accept translations. They will open later in the year for flash fiction. Length guidelines are 1,500-10,000 words for short fiction/novelettes (up to 5,000 words preferred), and pay is $0.08/word. Details here.
(Their sister magazine, Fantasy, is open for fantasy and dark fantasy by BIPOC authors through 2023. They pay $0.08/word for stories up to 7,500 words and $40 per poem. Details here and here.
Their other sister magazine, Nightmare, for horror fiction, will open briefly in September for submissions by BIPOC writers. Details here and here.)
The Fairy Tale Magazine
They publish fairy tales – new fairy tales or mashups of fairy tales, as well as poetry. They have detailed guidelines, including, “The theme for 2023 is “LOVE,” with romance preferred, but love between friends, family members, pets and their humans, etc., will be considered as well.
We are also very open to the stories and poems focusing on seasonal holidays, like solstice celebrations, Halloween, Hanukkah, etc. However, while holiday based stories and poems are very welcome, you still need to include the theme. …. Do bear in mind that all fairy tale related fiction and poetry needs an element of the supernatural—as well as transformation. Transformation is a huge deal for the 2023 publishing year.” They will read submissions on this theme from 1st May to 2nd June 2023. Send stories of 1,000-5,000 words (up to 3,500 preferred), and up to 500 words for poetry. Pay is $50. Details here.
Orion’s Belt
This magazine publishes flash speculative fiction and poetry. They have extensive guidelines on the kind of stories they want and do not want, including, “All stories must contain significant speculative elements. This does not mean all sci-fi stories must have lasers and rockets. It just means a non-speculative story doesn’t become speculative if you include a single line clarifying the story takes place on Mars.” Length guidelines are up to 1,200 words for fiction, and one poem. Pay is $0.08/word. They are also open for artwork. The deadline is 1 September 2023. Details here.
Old Moon
“Old Moon publishes character-focused, weird sword-and-sorcery: stories of a dark and transgressive nature, set in a secondary or historical-paranormal (“our” reality, but with a twist, if you will) world, with a focus on rounded characters undergoing some sort of conflict, resolved (though not always successfully!) by the might of their main or mind.
We love stories that combine that sense of action and adventure with well-rounded characters who make us question our own realities and perceptions. We love to see the gothic, the baroque, the eldritch, and we love to see it hit with an axe.” They pay $0.08/word for stories of 1,000-6,000 words. Watch for their next submission period. Details here and here.
Habitats Magazine
This is a new magazine, and they want “optimistic and uplifting short science-fiction stories on any subject”. Length guidelines are 1,000-6,000 words. Pay is $0.10/word. Details here.
Mysterion
They want science fiction, fantasy and horror stories that engage meaningfully with Christian themes, characters or cosmology. The stories need not teach a moral, or be close to an approved theological position, or be pro-Christian. They are especially interested in stories that show Christians from cultures beyond those of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. They also accept translations and reprints. They have two annual reading periods for fiction, January and July. They are open through the year for art submissions. They accept stories of up to 9,000 words, and pay $0.08/word. Details here.
Reckoning
This is an annual magazine. They publish creative work on environmental justice, including speculative fiction. They also accept nonfiction, poetry, works in translation, and art. Pay is $0.10/word for prose (they accept stories up to 20,000 words), and $50/poem. Their general submission guidelines are here, specific call for issue 8 is here, and the submission system is here. The deadline is 22 September 2023.
Bourbon Penn
This is an online and print magazine and they want “highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd. Odd characters, odd experiences, odd realities. We’re looking for genre / speculative stories and are quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist, and the surreal.” Pay is $0.03/word for stories of 2,000-7,500 words. The deadline is 15 April 2023. Details here.
Midnight & Indigo
They only accept work by Black women writers – speculative fiction, character-driven fiction, and essays. They pay $100 for speculative fiction on their website, and $200 for works compiled in their anthology. They usually have rolling submissions for speculative fiction, and deadlines for other genres. Details here and here.
Apex Magazine
They’re reading submissions from marginalized writers (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, has a disability, or is marginalized in some other way) on the Robotic Ambitions theme. “Using philosophical, moral, and practical points-of-view, what does it mean to be sentient and mechanical? What challenges will mechanical beings face from a fearful and chaotic world? What are their goals and ambitions? From robots, to AI, to sentient spaceships, and more, the idea of mechanical sentience comes in many shapes and forms. Surprise and thrill us with your twist on this concept.” Pay is $0.08/word for stories up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 4 April 2023 for this theme. Details here.
(They also accept unthemed speculative fiction submissions by all writers, and pay $0.08/word for stories up to 7,500 words. Details here.)
Flash Frog
They accept flash fiction only, of up to 1,000 words. They’re open for unthemed submissions now, and they will accept ghost story submissions in July. Pay is $25. Details here.
Psychopomp.com
This is a new press and they are reading novella submissions of 20,000-40,000 words, as well as nonfiction of 1,000-2,000 words on specific themes. Their website says, “Psychopomp.com is a small press that seeks to publish otherworldly novellas (and eventually novels) about death, multiverses, time travel, and other strange lands.
We also publish a weekly newsletter that features nonfiction and curated content about death, science, literature, and entertainment.” The press is run by the publisher of The Deadlands magazine. Pay is $750, as well as 25% of net receipts for fiction of 20,000-40,000 words, and $50 for nonfiction. The deadline is 30 April for fiction, and it is unspecified for nonfiction. Details here and here.
Intrepidus Ink
They want literary and genre fiction, including flash (no horror, erotica, or children’s fiction). They want submissions on Intrepid and Overcoming themes till 15 May 2023. Pay is $0.02/word for stories of 300-1,000 words, and $30 for stories of 1,500-2,500 words. Details here.
The Fantastic Other
“We are interested in all things fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, surrealist, fabulist, and magical realist. Show off your weird!” They publish fiction (up to 3,500 words), nonfiction, poetry, and art, and pay $5. Details here.
Strange Horizons
This is a magazine of speculative fiction. They also accept poetry, reviews, essays, columns, interviews, and round-tables. Send works up to 10,000 words (up to 5,000 words preferred) for fiction. Pay is $0.10/word for fiction, and varies for others. Submissions for fiction will open on 26th April 2023, and will stay open until their submission cap is reached. Poetry will reopen on 1st April. Details here (links to guidelines for all genres), here (for fiction submissions), and here (Moksha submission system).
(Submissions are open for Samovar, a magazine run by Strange Horizons that publishes translated speculative fiction, including reprints, poetry, and more; they pay $0.08/word each to the writer and translator for original stories up to 3,750 words.)
Savage Realms Monthly
They want to revitalize the sword and sorcery genre. “Savage Realms Monthly is a new sword and sorcery magazine for fans of R.E. Howard, Karl Edward Wagner, and Michael Moorcock, featuring heroic tales of savage barbarians, evil wizards, and beautiful maidens.” They want stories of up to 10,000 words. Their submission guidelines say, they want to see the first three pages of your story. Pay is $25. Details here.
(And a magazine that publishes cozy fantasy is Augur Magazine’s sister magazine, Tales & Feathers. Watch for their next submission period. Submission guidelines for both magazines are here.)
Dark Recess Press Magazine
This is a magazine of horror and dark fiction (500-5,000 words). They also commission nonfiction – articles, essays, briefs – on related themes (query for nonfiction, interviews, and reviews). Submissions are ongoing, with quarterly cut-off dates for issues. Pay is $0.05/word. The deadline is 30 April 2023 for the Summer issue. Details here.
Gallery of Curiosities
They want retropunk fiction for their podcast. “That means steampunk, dieselpunk, dreadpunk, bronzepunk, dark fantasy, the Odd, and others that haven’t even been invented yet punk … but not atompunk.” They also accept reprints. Pay is $0.05/word for stories up to 7,500 words. The deadline is 15 April 2023. Details here.
Escape Artists Magazines: Five magazines
They have speculative fiction podcasts focusing on various genres; PodCastle, for fantasy, is open till 31 March 2023; Cast of Wonders, for YA speculative fiction, will open in April for a themed issue and also for young writers; PseudoPod, for horror, will open in April for specific reprints; EscapePod, for science fiction, is also open; and CatsCast publishes fun speculative cat stories. These magazines pay $0.08/word for original fiction.
Dark Void Magazine
They want science fiction horror that takes place off planet Earth. Pay is $0.01/word for stories of 3,000-4,000 words. They read submissions through the year. Details here.
Anterior Skies
This will be an annual anthology of fiction (100-6,000 words), nonfiction, and poetry. They will publish “cosmic and weird stories, ranging from fantasy (preferably low fantasy, but high fantasy will be considered) to sci-fi to noir, as long as there’s a dab of horror somewhere in there.” They have detailed guidelines, please read them carefully. Pay is $0.01/word, up to $50. Details here.
Fanatical
They want sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories (2,000-6,000 words). They have a series called Tales from the Tabletop; these stories should be inspired by/based on tabletop games – roleplaying games, board games, miniature wargames. They read year-round, with cut-off dates for issues. Pay is £20. Details here.
hyphen punk
“We want to publish your speculative fiction with some type of -Punk aesthetic. Cyber-, steam-, solar-, diesel-, ray-, bio-, street-, splatter-, arcano-, nano-, or whatever else your crazed imagination can come up with. If its -Punk then it fits.
We do favor fiction that puts the punk elements first. Street level people working against the systems of power in place is what we look for. We love working class or downtrodden people fighting for their place in the world.” They publish fiction (1,000-7,500 words), graphic stories, reviews, and art. Pay is $25. Details here.
(There’s also Solarpunk Magazine, which publishes solarpunk fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art, pays $0.08/word for fiction, and will open for two weeks in May 2023.)
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
