These magazines publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and are a mix of literary and genre outlets. They have begun publishing for about a year or less; some of them are reading work for their inaugural issues. Some of them pay writers. Please note, though, that literary magazines are often micro operations; they change guidelines, including length, pay rates, and submission windows, and this can be especially true for newer magazines – so please re-check guidelines carefully before submitting your work. Many, but not all the magazines, are open for submissions. Also see this list of wonderful new journals, curated by Emily Harstone and published in March this year.
Seize the Press
They publish dark speculative fiction. “Bleak sci-fi, dark fantasy, horror and all kinds of weird, messy, genre-defying stories that defy labels. We’re looking for stories that aren’t didactic or moralistic. We want stories where everything isn’t wrapped up neatly at the end. We want to promote a diverse range of voices from authors who write messy characters, so give us your problematic queers and your angry women—we want your difficult and morally questionable characters in unpleasant situations who don’t slide neatly into a narrow definition of positive representation and don’t fit the model minority mould.” Pay is £0.03/word for stories up to 3,500 words; they accept story submissions on an ongoing basis. They also accept pitches (not direct submissions) for essays – fresh/unique analysis/ angle “science fiction, fantasy or horror media, or some interesting opinion on wider genre fiction pop culture”, and pay £50 for these. Details here.
Short Story
Short Story publishes one story a month, in any genre, via Substack. They have a base pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue (see last month’s stats, including payout, here). Stories, of 6-10,000 words, can be in any genre. They have ongoing submissions; submit by the end of the month, and the winner is announced by the 15th of the following month. They also accept reprints. Details here and here.
Brack Magazine
They want fiction, nonfiction, journalism, poetry, and art. Their website says, “More than a literary magazine, we seek not only poems, stories, and lyric essays, but also editorials, science features, and digital installations. We aim to … carve a home for the voices that leave us newly awakened. To sustain them by blurring the demarcation between a voice of art and a voice of STEM. To remind ourselves that there was a time when disciplines bled into each other without borders, when there was no clear distinction between philosophers, poets, and scientists”. They are accepting creative folios on the Tech Support theme (addresses the impact of the Internet and social media’s advent), and general submissions. They are reading submissions for Issues 1 and 2. Details here (guidelines) and here (Twitter).
Mercury firs
This is a journal of poetry and text, with a special interest in translation and ecologically-engaged writing. Send about 3-12 pages of poetry / text. Their first issue was published in August 2022; they’re reading submissions for Issue 2, and beyond. Details here.
Block Party: Magazine and chapbook series
They accept submissions of fiction and nonfiction (up to 2,500 words), poetry (up to 100 lines), reviews, and art for their literary magazine. The theme for their fourth issue is ‘Suckers’, and the deadline for magazine submissions is 1 January 2023.
They’re also reading fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions for their inaugural, unthemed chapbook series. Send work of 15-24 pages. The deadline is 3 March 2023. Payment for chapbooks is in royalties and copies. Details here.
Book Worms
This is a new mail order only zine that will launch in 2023. They want all sub-genres of horror fiction, 500-3,000 words; no romance or erotica. Pay is $0.08/word. The deadline is 1 December 2022. Details here.
Solarpunk
They publish work in the solarpunk genre, and occasionally have themed calls. While fiction and poetry will open next briefly in January 2023, nonfiction submissions are always open – “we’re interested in reviews, interviews, reports, articles, essays, and general audience-aimed overviews of academic papers relevant to solarpunk”. Pay is $75 per essay or article of 1,000-2,000 words; $0.08/word for fiction of 500-7,500 words, and $40 per poem. Details here. They also regularly run a microfiction contest; submissions for this are capped.
Alice Says Go Fuck Yourself
This is a quarterly digital ezine; send fiction (up to 5,000 words), nonfiction (up to 7,000 words), poetry (up to 5 poems), art, microreviews of poetry, art, and film, translations, and music. You can read about the kind of work they’re wanting to publish here, including, “This magazine is a safe space for hot messes and outliers. If someone doesn’t feel confident that their work is worthy of high literature—or if they don’t give a fuck about high literature—but they have a rant, a sarcastic tale, a satire, or an innocent Beatrix-Potter-style reminiscence regarding their beloved succulents, we will read it”. They will launch their first issue in November, and are also scheduled to begin accepting submissions in November for their second issue. Details here.
Class Collective
They publish poetry (up to 5 poems), fiction (up to 5,000 words), essays (pitches and submissions), and commentary — writing that has a class-based perspective on politics and culture. Pay is CAD10 for poetry and CAD20 for prose. Details here.
Old Moon Quarterly
They have extensive guidelines, including, “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.” Send stories of 1,000-4,000 words; pay is $0.05/word. Watch for their next submission period. Details here.
The Cloudscent Journal
They only accept work from writers ages 12-25 years. Their website says this is a BIPOC & youth-run literary magazine; it was founded in July 2022 for artists who feel stuck. Send up to 3 poems; send prose of up to 2,000 words. The deadline is 31 October 2022, for submissions to their second issue. Details here (guidelines) and here (submission form).
One Wild Ride
This is a limited-run literary journal, which publishes work about caregiving for our ageing parents and those who raised us. The project will run until end-2022. For the current submission window, the editor wants reprints only. “Previously published flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or hybrid stories about finding joy, sadness & meaning as we flex roles as both child and caretaker. I’m looking for stories about anyone who raised you (anyone!). Writers of all identities are encouraged to submit. Positive and negative stories are welcome (not everyone adores our parents – and that’s okay).” Pay is $20, and the deadline for reprints is 31 October 2022. Details here (general guidelines) and here (Submittable).
Bard & Prose
Apart from nonfiction and poetry, they publish “critical insights in aspects of literature that deserve a home”. Writers can submit or pitch. Submissions are ongoing. Details here.
Copihue Poetry
They want poetry written in English, in Spanish, and poetry translated into English alongside the original language. Send up to 6 poems. They accept some reprints (see guidelines); they’re reading for their inaugural issue. You can read more about them here.
Medusa Tales
They usually publish speculative fiction. They want stories of human transformation and immobilization; stories may fall into three broad categories: transformed and immobilized, immobilized but not transformed, and transformed but not immobilized. They also accept reprints. Length is 100-5,000 words, pay is $0.01/word. Watch for their next submission period. Details here.
berlin lit
This is a quarterly journal for new poetry, founded in Berlin. Send up to 5 poems; pay is €20/poem. Submissions for their second issue close on 12 November 2022. Details here.
Five Fleas
They want 1 to 10 of “your itchiest poetry”, of up to 10 lines each. Details here.
Indecent
This is a space for Queer creators and Queer representation. “You do not have to be Queer to submit, but your work should be related to Queer representation”. Send fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and multimedia. They have detailed guidelines for each category; for fiction, “We want gay campfire stories, trans fairy tales, literary retellings with unlikeable lesbians, gothic horror with nonbinary protagonists, and everything in between. From bisexual cryptids to polyamorous cowboys to space-faring enbies, we want your best: not necessarily your most polished, though we love to see beautiful high-literary work, but your most creative”, of up to 3,000 words. Details here.
Tasavvur
This is a magazine of South Asian science fiction and fantasy. “Our definition of South Asia is not restricted to traditional geographical terms and we welcome authors from neighboring regions and diaspora communities to submit too. … However, please do not submit to us if you are not from any BIPOC community”. They accept fiction (1,000-5,000 words), and pitches for nonfiction. Pay is 2.5c/word for fiction, and $100 for commissioned nonfiction. They are scheduled to open submissions in December 2022. Details here.
Cosmic Double
Cosmic Double publishes work from underrepresented writers – including, but not limited to, Black, indigenous, & other writers of color; members of the LGBTQ+ community; adopted, displaced, or separated writers; writers without formal education, including high school, college, or masters level degrees; writers with mental or physical disabilities; new & emerging writers. At the time of writing, fiction and poetry were closed; they’re always open for nonfiction submissions (send up to 4 pages). Details here (guidelines) and here (Submittable).
Tales & Feathers Magazine
Tales & Feathers is a cozy, slice-of-life fantasy magazine; it is Augur’s sister magazine. They want quiet character-driven storytelling, gentle moments, rich fantastical worldbuilding, everyday moments, stories that take place before or between or after the epic conflicts, and stories that offer warmth, comfort, and possibility. “We welcome stories written in any fantasy genre or genres, including stories that blur genre lines. We are especially interested in high fantasy, fairy tales, and myth.” They also welcome translations, and stories that engage with non-Western fantasy genre traditions. Pay is CAD0.11/word up to 2,500 words. Watch for their next submission period. Details here.
Porlock
This is a magazine of new poetry; you can read more about the thinking behind the magazine here. Send up to 3 poems by 30 November 2022 for their inaugural issue. Submissions have to be mailed. Details here.
The Bureau Dispatch
They publish short stories of 500-1,000 words. “We are not a spec fic journal, but our stories often contain a hint of the speculative, a dash of the intriguing. We want fiction that is compelling and beautifully-crafted; narratives that leave the reader breathless and changed.” Pay is $50. Watch for their next submission period. Details here.
Et Sequitur Magazine
They want short stories of 500-2,500 words. “We are open to all genres, from literary to speculative and everything in between. Our only requirement is that your submission in some way connect with the latest Et Sequitur story, be that in character (minor, major, protagonist, antagonist), setting (neighborhood, world, workplace, house — even a certain object could work, if it’s featured prominently), or theme. Be creative! Continue the story, tell a side-character’s story, take the theme and twist it in a new way. In the submission form, you’ll be asked to identify which element of the previous story you’ve chosen to incorporate in your own.” Regarding deadlines, “Submissions for the next issue will open once the previous issue is published (expected to be the first day of every-other month).” They are reading for the fourth issue; read the other issues here. Pay is $25. Details here (guidelines) and here (submission form).
Dark Yonder
They are looking for neo-noir stories. They will publish quarterly, starting January 2023. “There are no setting requirements, but all stories submitted must be loosely categorized as “neo-noir.” We’re not looking for your grandfather’s noir fiction. We’re looking for new, unique voices and interpretations of dark literary fiction (crime, horror, speculative lit, etc) that fit into our rapidly evolving world. Everyone is well versed in the fiction that America is raised on; we’re looking for fiction that takes us… yonder” They pay $50 for stories up to 5,000 words, and have ongoing submissions. Details here.
HalfHourToKill.Com
They read fantasy, horror, and noir – fiction (flash and short, but not micro or longer works – see guidelines), poetry, and nonfiction. They “enjoy a well written story with an unpredictable plot. Fiction, along the lines of past, present and future would be of interest, horror stories without gratuitous gore, and Noir, defined as a day in the life, or a crime drama from years ago. We also like good poetry, and we hold a warm spot for non-fiction as well”. They have ongoing submissions. Details here.
Wyngraf
This magazine publishes cozy fantasy. They say, “Wyngraf was founded to promote and encourage fantasy stories that focus on the little things: friends, family, home, travel. Our authors create worlds that readers get lost in… and dream of someday visiting.” They pay $0.01/word. At the time of writing, their website said flash fiction (up to 1,001 words) submission window would open soon; their next submission period for short stories (3,000-8,000 words) will be in early 2023. Details here.
Verum Literary Press
They publish fiction, poetry, and art; you can read more about them here. They are reading submissions on the ‘Hidden’ theme for their second issue; “Your deep dug secrets. Your ocean eroded truths. The things we don’t see because we don’t want to. Your confessions; severe, feral, untold.” Details here.
Space Fantasy Magazine
This is a speculative fiction magazine. “We want stories that challenge our relationship with space—past, present, and future. … Show us new mythologies and undiscovered gods. Show us what emerges from a black hole when its egg finally cracks. Show us the place where science becomes magic.” They pay $0.08/word for stories up to 1,250 words. They plan to open submissions for their second issue in late 2022 or early 2023; watch for an announcement on the website in October or November. Details here.
Bruiser
They publish prose, poetry, image, audio, video, comix, as long as it can be shared digitally. “We are interested in genre bending, formal experimentation, critical analysis, and collaboration. We are drawn to the strange, the grotesque, the radical, the degenerate. We want work that moves forward while looking back, takes risks, steps on toes, creates discomfort.” They also accept review pitches. Details here (guidelines) and here (submission form).
Deathcap & Hemlock
They want writing with speculative elements, fashioned in the style of a recipe. They want unthemed submissions, as well as winter holiday stories. “Send us your darkest goulash, your most violent sachertorte, your transformative aperitif. Pass down your great-aunt’s potluck dish for a party that ended … poorly. We are a cookbook for a dreadful feast, in the style of a recipe blog.” And “Recipes that hint at a deeper narrative without violating the recipe structure will catch our eye. We are looking for short pieces, formatted like actual recipes (ingredients list, steps, measurements (metric, imperial; weight or volume—you decide!)).” Also, “We are not looking for stories about food or prose descriptions of how to make something. We are also not looking for anything that threatens actual people or real recipes for a poison that could be followed by readers. This is not a how-to site: we want speculative elements, we want recipes that ignite imagination (not felonies).” Send work up to 1,000 words; the sweet spot is 200-400 words. Pay is $10, and the deadline is 31 October 2022. Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
