These markets pay for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They are a mix of literary and genre markets, and not all are open throughout the month.
Translunar Travelers Lounge
The editors of this speculative fiction magazine want fun stories. Their guidelines say, “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.” Also, “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.”
Deadline: 15 April 2021
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word ($20 minimum)
Details here.
Narrative Magazine
They publish fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, audio poetry and prose, and video (short films/documentaries). They usually charge for submissions but during the first two weeks of April, they have an open reading period, for general submissions made specifically to the Open Reading category via their submissions page. Please select Open Reading Period 2021 from the drop down menu.
Deadline: 15 April 2021
Length: Varies (see guidelines)
Pay: $50 (poetry) to $1,000 (for manuscripts up to 15,000 words)
Details here.
Uncanny Magazine: Novella submissions
Uncanny, an award-winning speculative fiction magazine, is open for novella submissions in April. They publish “passionate, diverse SF/F” from writers of all backgrounds. “We want intricate, experimental stories … with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs”, according to their guidelines.
Deadline: 30 April 2020
Length: 17,500-40,000 words
Pay: $0.10/word
Details here.
Grain Magazine
This literary magazine accepts work from Canadian and other writers around the world. They publish fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry that is “engaging, surprising, eclectic, and challenging”, according to their guidelines. Queries for submissions of work in other forms (i.e. short plays, comics, etc.) are welcome. They also pay for visual art. They can only accept a limited number of submissions per month via Submittable during their reading period, so it is best to submit early. Once this cap is reached, writers can still post their submissions, or wait for the 1st of next month to submit via the online system.
Deadline: 15 May 2021
Length: Up to 3,500 words for prose; up to 6 pages for poetry
Pay: CAD50/page, up to CAD250
Details here.
LampLight
This is a magazine of dark fiction, both short stories and flash fiction. They want work that is dark, literary — creepy, weird, and unsettling. Their guidelines say, “No specific sub-genres or themes, just good stories. For inspiration, we suggest “The Twilight Zone”, “The Outer Limits”,” – and also the first volume of their stories. They do not want work about vampires, zombies, werewolves, serial killers, hitmen, excessive gore or sex. They also accept reprints. They can accept only 300 submissions a month during their reading period, so it is best to submit early during the month through their reading period.
Deadline: 15 May 2021
Length: Up to 7,000 words
Pay: $0.03/word, up to $150
Details here (guidelines) and here (Submittable).
(A horror market, for teenage writers only, is Cemetery Gates Media’s Generation Dread anthology. They want horror fiction of 1,500-3,000 words. The deadline is 1 June, and pay is a scholarship of $100.)
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.
