Space & Time Magazine: Leave the Light On
They want speculative fiction and poetry. They have themes, and you can submit during the first week of every month. During the current submission period, the theme is Leave the Light On. “We also accept submissions in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Italian for translation into English.”
Deadline: 7 October 2026
Length: Up to 1,000 words for fiction, up to 35 lines for poetry
Pay: $0.01/word for fiction, $5 for poetry
Details here and here.

Hybris Press: OTHERSIDE – Explorations
This speculative fiction magazine only accepts submissions from 2SLGBTQIA+ authors. ”We have a diverse team of editors, all with different tastes. Some of us like dreamy literary tales and some of us like high-stakes adventures. Some love fantasy and some prefer science fiction. Some like hopeful stories and some like bleak ones. And sometimes we don’t know what we like until you send it to us!” Currently, they want submissions for the Explorations theme. They are open for nonfiction/essays year-round, and for fiction and other genres during specific submission windows; they are open till 7^th October only for trans, BIPOC, and/or disabled 2SLGBTQIA+ authors, and will open 8^th – 21^st October for general 2SLGBTQIA+ submissions.
Reading period: See above
Length: 500-4,000 words for fiction, any length for poetry (see guidelines), up to 4,000 words for non-fiction
Pay: $0.08/word for fiction, $50 for poetry, $100 for non-fiction
Details here and here.

Wild Hyacinth
They publish Canadian writers, and also accept work from overseas writers. About the theme: “As summer draws to a close, our third issue examines the tension between self-confidence and self-worth through themes of vanity and diffidence.” They want fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 9 October 2026
Length: Up to 4,000 words for prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: CAD25 for writing
Details here.

Seaside Gothic
This UK-based magazine publishes art, fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that meet the criteria of seaside gothic literature (it is led by emotion, not reason, exploring the human experience mentally and spiritually as well as physically; It addresses duality—land and sea, love and hate, the beautiful and the grotesque; It connects to the edge, living on the seaside either literally or figuratively, and has one foot in the water and the other on solid ground).
Reading period: 13^th-18^th October 2026
Length: Up to 1,000 words
Pay: £0.01/word
Details here.

Solarpunk Magazine
They’re accepting submissions of solarpunk fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, as well as for solarpunk horror stories. “Our last submission window of 2026 will be from October 1-14.  Read the submission guidelines … and then send us your general solarpunk. This is also the last submission window we’ll be accepting work for our special Solarpunk Horror issue.” They have detailed guidelines. They also accept translations and art. Submission is via a submission portal.
Deadline: 14 October 2026
Length: 1,500-7,500 words for fiction, up to 5 poems (see guidelines), 1,000-2,000 words for nonfiction
Pay: $0.10/word for fiction, $50/poem, $100 for nonfiction
Details here and here

(Submissions are also open for the Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past anthology by Parallel Universe Publications; they pay £25 and the deadline is 31^st October 2026.)

Saros Speculative Fiction: Biopunk
They want Biopunk stories for this anthology. “Biopunk (or Ribofunk, if you prefer) is a genre of science fiction that examines how corporations and other systems of power seek to control, own, and exploit biology at the molecular level, and the efforts of hackers and rebels to subvert and wrest back some of that power and control, whether for idealistic or selfish reasons. Where cyberpunk was defined by the advent of universally programmable computers, biopunk is defined by something potentially even more powerful: DNA as a programming language for physical matter and living organisms. For this issue, we encourage you to define the biopunk genre broadly. We welcome not only gritty near-future stories but also those set in distant futures defined by human or alien biotechnology, or even fantasy settings that arguably fit the theme.” They also accept artwork.
Deadline: 14 October 2026
Length: 1,000-15,000 words
Pay: CAD25 for writing
Details here and here

(Submissions are also open for unthemed speculative fiction for the Summer of Sci Fi and Fantasy, Volume 6 anthology by Worldstone Publishing; they pay half a cent per word for stories up to 7,500 words, and the deadline is 15^th October 2026.)

100-Foot Crow: Two themes
They want speculative fiction drabbles, of exactly 100 words; horror must also have a speculative element (science fiction or fantasy). They want submissions on the Bars theme, as well as on the Transformation theme. See the kind of stories they do not want, and they also list their hard sells. Each story has to be submitted via its form.
Deadline: 15 October 2026
Length: 100 words
Pay: $8
Details here

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Humorous Stories
They publish themed nonfiction prose and nonfiction poetry. One of their upcoming themes is Humorous Stories. “We are looking for true stories about something that happened to you in your life - in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, a pet, at work or at home - that made you and the people around you laugh out loud. Did you mean for it to be funny? Maybe not. Sometimes the funniest things were not meant to be funny at all! Did someone make you laugh? Did that other person mean to make you laugh? Did a situation just get out of control? Did a misunderstanding snowball into a comedy of errors? We can't wait to hear your true stories. We want them to be silly, outrageous, and hilarious.” They have several suggested topics listed for this theme. They have other themes listed too, with later deadlines.
Deadline: 15^th October 2026
Length: Up to 1,200 words
Pay: $250
Details here and here (also see other tabs on this page, including FAQ).

Plott Hound  
This is a magazine of speculative fiction and poetry starring animals. Regarding the kind of stories they want: “Stories with anthropomorphized animals as viewpoint characters and protagonists
-Animal-centric speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror)
-Underrepresented voices (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, neurodivergent) that engage with animal myths, tales, and futures
-Stories with uncommonly written about animals as protagonists
-Stories that dig deep into the senses and experience of animals
-Stories that explore the cultures and societies of animals, not just cultures and societies with animals. Think of rabbit language and warren infrastructure in Watership Down, or the clans and warrior code of feral cats in Warriors.” They also welcome reprints and translations. They publish one essay per issue, as well.
Deadline: 15 October 2026
Length: 1,000-5,000 words (prefer 3,000-4,000 words) for fiction, up to 5 poems, 1,000-2,500 words for essays
Pay: $0.08/word for original stories, $50 for poetry, $100 for essays
Details here and here.

WordFire Press: Superheroes, Super Problems
This is a fiction anthology. “Being super means dealing with super problems, as well as mundane ones. Superheroes, Super Problems is an original anthology exploring the balance between the extraordinary responsibility of being a superhero and the ordinary struggles of human existence…and the limitations of Spandex. … Imagine a superhero has been battling villains all day long, but his kids refuse to eat the dinner he made. Or a gloating villain returns to her lair only to find her chihuahua has chewed through the cord to her death laser. … As you create your own superheroes, we not only want to know their powers, but how they juggle life. Show us that the only superpower that matters is humanity. … The main character doesn’t have to possess powers, and could even be the super villain.” Humor is welcome, as are darker themes. They do not want stories with copyrighted material: “that means no Superman, Batman, Spider Man, Wonder Woman, or any other existing intellectual property.” And, “Original fiction and poetry in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, suspense, humor, and romance, appropriate for up to a “PG-13” audience. Superheroes or super powers must be central to the story. Diverse cultures and non-traditional legends and persons welcomed.”
Deadline: 15 October 2026
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.  

Little District Books: Radiant Dawn – A Queer Hopepunk Anthology
“Hopepunk is defined by weaponizing kindness, community and optimism to overcome oppressive systems. Hopepunk can be cozy, l… or not …. Either way it is a glass half-full kind of vibe. 
Needless to say, the world needs more Hopepunk.” They want stories of optimism, community, and kindness overcoming the odds.
Deadline: 15^th October 2026
Length: 2,500-10,000 words
Pay: $0.05/word
Details here.

Eye to the Telescope: Faeries
They want speculative poetry on the ‘Faeries’ theme. “Faerie. An umbrella term that is composed of so many different creatures, you may even be surprised at what it might represent. Faeries themselves, of course, but also: Elves, Goblins, Leprechauns, Trolls, Imps, Nymphs, Giants, the Green Man and Woman, Pixies, Mermaids or Sirens, Selkies, Woodwose, hell—even Nightmares
… The waters have been terribly muddied about the truth of faeries, beginning with the Victorians in the 19th century, whom looked upon the well-established tales and folklore of these powerful and dangerous creatures and decided that they needed to be made into winged, child-friendly, twee, helpful little sprites that might grant wishes or endow upon the interlopers of their woodland festivities innumerable gold and riches. Nothing could be further from the truth. While such old “faerie propaganda” can only serve to benefit the fae that desire to capture an unsuspecting human to torture for their own enjoyment, or merely just because; I am seeking fellow poets that are out to set the record straight. So, let’s take back the mythos and lore, laying bare their dark and mischievous roots.” They also accept translations. Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 15 October 2026
Length: Up to 3 poems
Pay: $0.07/word (up to $30)
Details here.

Neon Hemlock Press Chapbooks / Novelettes
Neon Hemlock Press publishes queer speculative fiction; they’re accepting chapbooks/novelettes. The work can be a single novelette of 7,500 to 12,000 words, or multiple short stories(including flash); and they’re particularly interested in work that explores some element of queer experience. “Selected manuscripts will be printed as 5” x 5” chapbooks. Our standard chapbook contract pays $100 and 25 copies from a limited print run of 100, with an option to discuss a 50/50 split when the initial print run sells out”.
Deadline: 15^th October 2026
Length: 7,500 to 12,000 words
Pay: $100, 25 contributor copies
Details here and here

(A note on their website says they Neon Hemlock Press will open for their Novella Series on 15^th October, and for Baffling Magazine submissions in December; they’re open for a reprint anthology, Neon Hemlock Press: We’re Here – The Best of Queer Speculative Fiction 2026 until 31^st December 2026, details here and here.

Consequence Magazine: The America Feature; the Iran Feature
They publish work “that addresses the human experiences, realities, and consequences of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art.” They accept fiction (including flash and excerpts), nonfiction (interviews, essays, and narrative nonfiction), poetry, translations, and art. All works will be considered for online and print. They are also reading submissions for two special features: The America Feature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art – “for a special feature on America that documents, illustrates, or addresses geopolitical violence in the United States”), and The Iran Feature (translations – “Consequence Forum invites previously unpublished translations from Farsi into English that examine the manifold human, cultural, psychological, or historical consequences of war in Iran”), apart from unthemed work; see their Duosuma for theme details.
Deadline: 15^th October 2026
Length: Varies
Pay: $30-50 for print prose, $40 for online prose, $20-30 for poetry
Details here and here

Queer Poem Club
This is an initiative by Long Live the Bookstore; they want poetry by queer / 2SLGBTQIA+ poets only. “Queer Poem Club is a physical monthly subscription hosted by Long Live the Bookstore. Every month, we will mail subscribers a single poem written by a queer author, as well as a brief letter highlighting the poet and their creative process. The poem will be printed on quality postcard cardstock, perfect for framing or gifting.” And, “Poems must fit onto a 4" x 6" postcard in size 12 font, single spaced. (Ideally one-sided, but we can make some exceptions for longer poems.)”
Deadline: 15 October 2026
Length: See above
Pay: $25
Details here (click on various tabs, including Submission Requirements and Who can Submit, for details).

Flame Tree Anthologies
They are reading for two fiction anthologies in their Beyond & Within series, and only want original stories, not reprints.
-- Dark Ages -- Folk Horror Stories: “Dark Ages: Folk Horror Stories is an anthology exploring that meeting of differing cultures after the fall of Rome. What is real? What is supernatural? The old ways bloom across Europe once more, bringing vast potential for both life and death. Rumours of secluded communities hiding in old forests spread. Disciples of the Christian god spread across the land, seeking to convert true believers. Kings rise while others fall. And there, in the marshes, things long forgotten emerge. Dark Ages: Folk Horror Stories charts these tales, recording the meetings of people from different ways of life. Exploring what was, what is, and what might be.” They do not want reprints for this anthology. Length: 2,000-4,000 words; deadline: 18^th October 2026.
-- Mythos & Meaning – Human Accounts of Beastly Encounters: They want stories told in an epistolary format for this anthology, using whatever form the author feels best suits their tale, be that first person journals or third person analysis of documents, etc. “Throughout history, tales of fantastic fiends, eerie entities, brooding beasts, and maligned monsters have been effectively told using the epistolary narrative. From Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stoker’s Dracula to King’s Carrie and Tremblay’s Horror Movie, the use of letters, articles, and documented statements adds a layer of authenticity to both subjective storytelling and the reading experience.
In the anthology Mythos & Meaning, a group of parapsychologists and anthropologists begin the data collection and analysis process for a grounded theory study into the collective consciousness associated with creatures and entities of myth and folklore. As part of their research, they pull together a final collection of accounts (the chosen stories) in order to develop their hypothesis that despite their diverse and rich cultural variants, the beasts themselves have some intrinsically tangible, but as yet undiscovered, influence on the human psyche. The team has now opened up for submissions, through which a select few will join the accounts already gathered.”
Length: 3,000-5,000 words; deadline 1 November 2026.
Deadlines: See above
Length: See above
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here (click on the relevant links)

Crooked Spine
This new horror magazine is open for their 4^th issue, and the theme is What You Worship: “What You Worship is seeking horror about devotion and the price it demands. Familiar cults, religions, and ancient gods are welcome when the work finds something unexpected inside them; however, what you worship can mean a lover, a body, a career, money, fame, tradition, technology, grief, etc. Give us rituals, offerings, obsession, obedience, doubt, conversion, blasphemy, and sacrifices that cannot be taken back. We are drawn to character-driven horror, a strong atmosphere, and creative theme interpretations.” . Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 23 October 2026
Length: 1,500-3,500 words for fiction
Pay: $20 for fiction, $5 for poetry
Details here.

(Submissions are also open for Carnage House magazine, which publishes horror, including extreme horror and splatterpunk. They pay $5 for stories and are open till 31^st October 2026.)

Exploitation Media: Heartsick Anthology
This is a horror fiction anthology. “What lengths would you go for love? To protect a loved one? To make someone love you? Or would you do everything in your power to never feel it again? When does affection turn to obsession? The heart wants what it wants, but when does it want too much?
In Heartsick, we are looking for your short stories to answer those questions. The theme is LOVE: all the shapes it can take and all the ways it can go wrong. We welcome all horror and horror-adjacent works that address the topic. The more unique the better. It just has to address the horrors of LOVE.” Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 31^st October 2026, or until filled
Length: 1,000-5,000 words
Pay: $3
Details here.

Whytaker Lyon Press: Virginia Sideways Anthology
They want alternate history stories with a Virginia element. “Calling all alternate history enthusiasts! We’re looking for compelling short stories that twist the timeline and refuse to let go. We’re talking Jamestown surviving as a thriving Swedish colony, Robert E. Lee accepting command of the Union Army in 1861, the Readjuster Party dominating Virginia politics for decades, or even Dr. J leading the Squires to 5 consecutive NBA Championships. We’re looking for a wide range of “what if” scenarios with variable tones—dramatic, humorous, dark, hopeful, military, political, character-driven, or speculative.” They want alternate history stories (pure or blended with elements of science fiction, mystery, thriller, literary fiction, or light speculative fiction). Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Length: 3,000-10,000 words
Pay: Half a cent a word
Details here.

MIDLVLMAG: Human Capital
“MIDLVLMAG (short for Mid-Level Management Literary Magazine) is a …digital literary journal dedicated to publishing poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction (CNF) that explores the intersection of the personal and the professional. In a late-stage world where everything is commodity, the spaces we create to confront that reality are essential.
Part absurd and part serious. Part gallows humor and part sweeping epic. MIDLVLMAG is all literary. We want to be a catharsis to the hustle & grind culture, and a decompression when we’re off the clock.” You can read about them here. They want submissions on the Human Capital theme. “Human Capital is flesh, and blood, and heart. It is the us/we/you/me as cost and payment, united in our dignity and struggle.”
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Length: Up to 3 poems, up to 4,500 words for prose
Pay: $25
Details here.

(And, Griffith Review, which accepts work from Australian writers and some work from international writers, will open for nonfiction pitches for the theme ‘Under the Influence’ in October. They pay AUD0.75/word. Details here.)

Kilter & Rammel Publishing: Fun in the Dark -- Antiquities
They publish Fun in the Dark, “A mini anthology series of fabulously fun, deliciously dark short fiction.” They want stories on the Antiquities theme for this series: “We’re open to seeing work across various genres: submissions of horror, science fiction, fantasy, weird or bizarro fiction, crime/mystery etc. are all welcome. As long as your story fits the “antiquities” theme and the overall tone of the anthology — fun yet dark — we’d like to see it.”
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Length: 2,000-5,000 words
Pay: £20
Details here.

Reckoning: Flash fiction
About this special flash fiction call, they say, “we are asking for environmental justice flash fiction … Outside of flash, what we specifically want are weird stories, dark stories, horror stories . . . and yet stories with some bit of hope to them, even if that hope is simply, We will persist, we will exist, we will endure. …We want you to take big swings. We want you to push boundaries of expectations and language.” Also see editor preferences for this call; they also have a reading list for inspiration. Do not send reprints. They’re also open for critical essays, reviews, review pitches, and novellas; other genres are closed.
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Length: Prefer 500-1,000 words, can accept up to 1,200 words
Pay: $0.15/word for flash fiction, varies for others
Details here (flash fiction guidelines), here (general guidelines / links to genre-specific guidelines), and here (submission portal)

Phylum Press: Avocado
They want fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art for their quarterly journal. “Each year, Phylum will choose 4 different species from a phylum within the natural world. These four species will be the names and inspiration for each ISSUE we publish during that year.” The current phylum is Magnoliophyta and the current issue is on the Avocado. “Avocados are picked from their tree while unripe, and come to maturity on their own time. The trees are fragile, but nurture them correctly, and you can get a truly rewarding result. Full of rich nutrients and delicate flavours, avocados are proof that slow and steady can win the race, and that after hardship, you can be left with something rich and rewarding. … we’re looking for pieces that show vulnerability, and growth. Coming to terms with something you cannot change? A journey of self-discovery?”
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Length: Up to 5,000 words for prose, up to 5 pages of poetry
Pay: $10
Details here.

The First Line Journal
They want fiction (any genre) and poetry that begins with pre-set first lines, one for each quarterly issue. For nonfiction, they want critical articles about your favorite first line from a literary work. For fiction and poetry, the first line for the Winter issue is:
‘Lawrence was the last to arrive.’
Deadline: 1 November 2026 for the Winter issue
Length: 300-5,000 words for fiction; 500-800 words for nonfiction
Pay: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry (less postage fee for international contributors – see guidelines)
Details here.

Thema: Sent by Mistake
They accept essays, short stories, poetry, and art, and publish three themed issues a year. Their upcoming theme is ‘Sent by Mistake’. They also accept reprints. Only writers outside of the US can submit by email, US-based writers have to post their submissions.
Deadline: 1 November 2026
Length: Unspecified
Pay: $10-25
Details here.

Zine Machine: Winter ’27
They publish mini-zines: “Zine Machine is an online lit mag and a literal zine vending machine for zines. Our zines are created by real (paid!) human artists and lovingly hand folded by the perfectionists at Zine Machine. You can always read ZM zines for free at zinemachine.com.” And “For more on mini-zine formatting, look here.” Once you’ve made a zine (of 3-6 small pieces in any genre), unfold your zine and scan it flat as a PDF or JPG file, 300 dpi or preferably higher, to submit to Zine Machine. They are accepting mini-zines for their next edition, Winter ’27.
They are accepting vintage zines, as well (your work made before 2006 – no deadline for those submissions; see the relevant category in their Submittable for details.)
Deadline: 1 November 2026 
Length: See above
Pay: $20
Details here and here.

Liars’ League: Grit & Glitter
They want themed short fiction in any genre – flash fiction, short stories. and novel extracts (so long as they can stand alone). Their upcoming themes is Grit & Glitter: It’s Christmas! You know the drill … Bewitch us with the glitzy glamour of the season, or show us the grit, grime & grind beneath. Think tinsel wrapped round a broken streetlamp, the loneliness of the long-distance road-gritter, the shadows between the fairy lights … Oh and we also love funny stories, especially at Christmas, so there’s that.” Apart from cash payment, Liars’ League offers reading of your story by a professional actor, as well as podcast, video and online publication of your work.
Deadline: 1 November 2026
Length: 800-2,000 words
Pay: £20
Details here and here.

Ninth Letter: Manifest
They want prose and poetry on the Manifest theme for their online edition. “How phony is the magic trick that ends with something real? Some would have us believe that to quell our helplessness in the face of persistent global uncertainty, we need not fall prey to anxiety and our other self-soothing mechanisms masquerading as control. No, we need simply to manifest—what we will, we will to become, and we will become what we will to become, which helpfully eliminates the cumbersome sorting of cause, effect, and general accountability. … We at Ninth Letter value positive thinking of course, but wish, with this issue, to bring us back down to Earth. For writers, to manifest gainfully requires not just will, but expert application of our trustiest of tools—concreteness, detail, specificity, and, their building block, the image. And so, for this issue, we invite you to return to our shared fundamentals: Manifest something real, out of words, using these tools.”
Deadline: 1 November 2026
Length: Up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: $25 per poem, $75 for prose
Details here.  

Rattle
This online and print poetry magazine has various sections – general poems, Poets Respond (where poets respond to a news story or public event from the previous week), Rattlecast Prompt Poems, Ekphrastic Challenge (a monthly challenge where poets respond to a specific visual prompt they post), Tributes (each tribute gathers poems from a specific ethnic, vocational, stylistic, or social group; the current theme is Tribute to Youth Poet Laureates about US youth poet laureates, deadline 1^st November 2026, and Tribute to Travel, deadline 15^th January 2027). They also accept work for Critique of the Week, for which there’s no payment. They also publish artwork (themed with cut-off dates, and unthemed). And, all free submissions are automatically considered for the annual Neil Postman Award for Metaphor, a $2,000 prize judged by the editors.
Deadlines: Vary
Length: Varies
Pay: $100 for work published online, and $200 for print
Details here and here.
(They’re also accepting work for the Rattle Chapbook Prize, for which they charge a submission fee.)

IHRAM Press: Language, Censorship, and Translation
IHRAM (International Human Rights Art Movement) Press’s literary magazine wants fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on the theme of Language, Censorship, and Translation. “We are seeking firsthand experiences, factual retellings of stories from the author’s life, and personal reflections exploring the relationship between language, identity, expression, and power. … We are particularly interested in work that considers how language shapes the way we understand ourselves and others, and what happens when people are denied, constrained, misunderstood, or unable to use their own voice.” They have several suggested topics for this theme.
Deadline: 15 November 2026
Length: Up to 2,500 words for prose, up to 5 poems
Pay: $50
Details here.

My Galvanized Friend: The Immoral of the Story
They accept work from LGBTQIA+ writers in the US only; literary submissions (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) and art for a themed issue. “This winter we are looking to subvert the familiar and create new stories from the well-known, the tried and true, the classics of fairytale, folklore, and fable. Make it dark, make it queer, make it yours. For this issue, we’re looking for The Immoral of the Story.”
Deadline: 15 November 2026
Length: 500-3,500 words for prose, up to 2 pages for poetry
Pay: $25 for prose, $10/page for poetry
Details here and here

Prairie Fire: Branching Out—All About Trees
They want fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for a themed issue, and have detailed guidelines, including: “Do you remember a time in childhood when you made friends with a particular tree, perhaps built a tree fort, climbed its branches and found solace, or whittled a piece of wood. Have you ever planted, nurtured, admired and taken delight in a tree, or its fruits? … And, in this time of ecological crisis, when climate change and deforestation are creating mass die-off for some trees, have you ever protested and fought to preserve them? … Prairie Fire invites you to branch out, go out on a limb, and shake the tree for your poems, stories and creative non-fiction that in some way includes and celebrates trees, forests and wood as central or supporting characters or themes.”
Deadline: 15 November 2026
Length: Up to 5,000 words for prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: CAD0.10/word up to CAD250, CAD40/poem (see payment rates here)
Details here

Belanger Books: Sherlock Holmes – The Science-Fictional Adventures
This is a fiction anthology; they want Sherlock Holmes stories that are in the genre of science fiction. “The team that brought you Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells is back with an all new collection of Sherlock Holmes sci-fi adventures!

Description: In 1960, the Denver based scion society The Council of Four published a collection of science-fiction Sherlock Holmes stories titled, The Science-Fictional Sherlock Holmes. The book featured authors such as Poul Anderson, Gordon R. Dickson, Anthony Boucher, and August Derleth. Rather than making it a strict traditional Sherlock Holmes anthology, the authors put Holmes (and characters similar to Sherlock Holmes) in all sorts of different sci-fi settings. 

This anthology will continue the tradition of The Science-Fictional Sherlock Holmes with all new Sherlock Holmes science-fiction adventures. Authors are encouraged to submit traditional Victorian era Sherlock Holmes science-fiction stories or stories set in futuristic settings. You can play around with Holmes and make him a robot, an AI, an alien lifeform, or any other creative way you see fit. He just has to still be traditional (i.e. a force for good).”
Deadline: 20 November 2026
Length: 5,000-10,000 words
Pay: $100
Details here (scroll down)
(Belanger Books is also open for two other anthologies, which pay royalties: Steel True, Blade Straight 2026-2027, deadline 11^th October 2026; and The Pontine Dossier: Millennium Edition 2026 Annual, deadline 31 October 2026. Details here – scroll down.)

Dead Fish Books Anthologies
Dead Fish Books wants speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror) for two anthologies:
-- Did I leave the Gas On: Tales of Coming Home: “You've fought the good fight, saved the world, finished the impossible journey, and come back to find... What did you forget to do before leaving? What are you returning to? Or perhaps you haven't finished the fight, but are right in the thick of things when you remember... We are looking for fun or sad or heroic stories, fantasy or science fiction or horror, all based around the idea of what awaits the weary adventurer.”
-- Screw Dem Space Horses: Equine Stories Across Space and Time:
“Space horses. Fantasy horses. Mythological horse-shaped or horse-adjacent creatures. Heroic horses. Evil horses. Unappreciated side-kick horses. We are looking for speculative fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, or any mixture of these) where a horse or horse-adjacent creature is an integral part of the plot.”
Deadline: 1 December 2026
Length: 2,000-6,000 words preferred
Pay: $5 + royalties
Details here.

Big Bear Press: Superheroes/Supervillains Anthology
They want “speculative short stories that show your original interpretation on the theme of “Superheroes/Supervillains.” One man’s superhero is another man’s supervillain (and vice versa), so let’s see what you’ve got. Show us your classic superhero reimaginings. Your take on what makes a superhero or supervillain “super.” Undersung heroes, overachieving villains, supes originating in fairy tales or folk tales or fables—we want to read all about them.”
Deadline: 1 December 2026
Length: 8,000-10,000 words
Pay: $100
Details here and here.

Speck: Masks
Speck publishes science fiction and fantasy from writers in the US only, and they want work on the Masks theme: “Be it hidden identities, magical artifacts, technological wonders, or something else you interpret...submit your fiction, poetry, or visual art”.
Deadline: 21^st December 2026
Length: Up to 2,500 words for fiction, up to 50 lines for poetry (see guidelines)
Pay: $5/page up to $50
Details here.

Northern Shadows Magazine: Where Dreams & Nightmares Collide
They want dark fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories and poetry on the theme, When Dreams & Nightmares Collide. “What happens when a dream and a nightmare collide? Where the subconscious can’t quite decide if our fantasies are pleasant or terrifying. We want stories that explore dreams, nightmares, or that middle ground in-between. From horror stories that prey on the vulnerability of our sleeping selves to dark and whimsical worlds unlike our own that call to us while we drift in the void.”
Deadline: 1 January 2027
Length: 500-5,000 words for fiction, up to 3 poems (see guidelines)
Pay: $10 for fiction, $5 for poetry
Details here.

New World Journal: The Stars
This is a new journal, and they want fiction (flash, short stories, and novella length) and short nonfiction for their first issue on ‘The Stars’theme.Their front page says, ‘Pilgrimages. Crucibles. Tactile Worlds’. “New World publishes fiction and nonfiction that immerse readers in compelling worlds through physical journeys, intellectually serious questions, and cinematic imagination.” They have detailed guidelines, including the kind of stories they are interested and what they are not interested in. For The Stars theme: “The stars connect astronomy, exploration, navigation, history, mythology, geography, and the human experience of looking into something larger than ourselves.” You can read about that here, and see updates in their editorial process here, and here. There is no deadline listed. Submission is via a form.
Deadline: Open now
Length: 500-3,000 words for very short fiction, 3,000-8,000 words for short fiction, 15,000-30,000 words for novellas; 3,000-8,000 words for nonfiction
Pay: $50-150 for fiction, $150 for nonfiction
Details here and here.

-- The Cave Canem Fellowship: Cave Canem supports the work of Black poets through an annual retreat. There is no submission fee for the application, and the retreat is free to all Fellows. A sample of 6 pages of poetry is part of the application requirement. The fellowship includesinvitation to their annual retreat (consisting of intensive poetry workshops and readings, hosted at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, free to all Fellows), access to their Fellows & Faculty Fund, access to exclusive scholarships for select writing residences, inclusion in public programming (readings, panels, multi-genre collaborations, etc.), and more. Also, “Applicants must confirm that they will be 21 years or older at the time of the 2027 Cave Canem Retreat, which will take place June 6-13, 2027.” Deadline: 6 October 2026; details here and here.

-- Northwestern University Press: Drinking Gourd Chapbook Prize: For poets who are people of color withUS citizenship, who have not previously published a book-length volume of poetry, inclusive of chapbooks. Send a poetry manuscript of 25–35 pages – see guidelines – along with a completed entry form. Prize: $500, deadline: 31 October 2026; details here and here.

-- Bennington College Young Writers Award: An international contest for young writers (two categories, grades 9-11 and grade 12), for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. There are first, second, and third prizes in each of the three categories. Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington of varying degrees, up to $70,000 per year (see their submission form for details); prizes are $2,000, $1,000, $500, $250 each in each category, and scholarships; deadline: 1 November 2026; details here And apart from writing, Bennington College has awards in many disciplines – see all categories in their Young Creators Awards here.)

The Solstice Nature Prize
This is a prize for UK-based young writers (ages 7-25). “The Solstice Nature Prize is a national, annual writing competition for young writers, which invites young people to take a closer look at the natural world, explore their relationship with it, or examine the challenges it faces, and write short stories, poems, and thought-provoking blogs in response.
In 2026, we’re looking for entries about any aspect of nature and offering prizes for winners in four age groups: 7-11, 12-14, 15-17 and 18-25 years. With regional prizes available in each age group for young writers who live in the East Midlands.” Send prose up to 500 words, or poetry up to 40 lines. Submission is via their submission portal. Winners and runners-up will be published.
Value: £100 for winners in each age category
Deadline: 10 October 2026
Open for: Young UK writers
Details here.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction: Found Fiction
This prize is run by Comma Press and the University of Lancashire. Send a short story between 2,000 – 7,500 words; the theme is ‘Found Fiction’. They have detailed guidelines, including, “The theme for this year is Found Fiction. We are looking for work that uses found text as its format, mimicking real documents to tell a story. Found text is anything from letters to text messages, police reports to diary entries, newspaper articles to post-it notes. You can find a longer – but not exhaustive – list of possible forms here to inspire you. 
Some examples of books written like this include: We Need to Talk About Kevin (told through letters), Bridget Jones' Diary (told through diary entries), Dracula (told through journal entries, letters, ship logs, telegrams, and various other media), Life on the Refrigerator Door (told through short notes).
These kinds of stories are also called ‘Hermit-crab’ stories.” The winning story, and shortlisted stories, will be published in an anthology.
Value: £500 for the winning story
Deadline: 11 October 2026
Open for: UK writers
Details here.

One Story: Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship
This international fellowship is for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program – see guidelines. “We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that centers, celebrates, or reclaims being marginalized through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment.” Apart from the $2,000 stipend and tuition to attend One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference, it offers free tuition for all One Story online classes and programming; a full manuscript review & consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words). A fiction writing sample of 3,000-5,000 words is part of the submission requirement.
Value: $2,000
Deadline: 13 October 20276
Open for: Early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book or enrolled in an advanced degree program (see guidelines)
Details here and here
And, One Story will open for fiction submissions in the fall; their One Teen Story Contest for teenagers will open in the fall, as well.

Latino Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest
Free Spirit and Con Todo Press are now open for their Latino Voices in Children’s Literature contest. “The contest is open to Latino authors who are at least 18 years of age or older and residing anywhere in the United States. The contest’s mission is to elevate authentic, culturally relevant children’s stories written by and about Latino people. Every entry is considered for publication and three cash prizes will be awarded.” It is for children’s books; there are two categories, ages 0-4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words); stories must feature authentic, realisticLatino characters and culture. They have detailed guidelines. Apart from cash prizes, there are non-cash prizes as well. 
Value: $1,000, $500, $300
Deadline: 14 October 2026
Open for: Latino authors in the US
Details here and here (see the relevant category)

Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship
This is for a poet of American birth, who is willing to spend a year outside the continent of North America. One of the requirements is a poetry sample (either up to 40 typed pages or a printed volume of your poetry and no more than 20 additional typed pages). Applications have to be mailed.
Value: Approximately $78,000 adjusted for inflation; if there are two winners, each will receive the full amount
Deadline: 15 October 2026 (must be received by this date)
Open for: Poets of American birth (see guidelines)
Details here.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest: Travel Nonfiction
They want essays, 1,000-5,000 words, by unpublished writers (see guidelines). They are currently reading for the Travel Nonfiction category – “Stories should be factual and true accounts of a trip taken by the author or a person or persons known by the author.” Please read the guidelines carefully; “contest runners-up and winners are expected to remain on the site for as long as the Preservation Foundation exists."
Value: $200; $100
Deadline: 30 October 2026
Open for: All unpublished writers (see guidelines)
Details here.

The Society of Authors: The Betty Trask Prize
This is for UK, Ireland, or Commonwealth (see guidelines) based writers under 35, for a debut novel. Writers can enter a published or self-published book or an unpublished manuscript which must be in a traditional or romantic, and not experimental, style.
Value: £10,000 for the winner, and a fund of £16,200 will be divided equally between shortlisted authors
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Open for: UK, North Ireland, Commonwealth writers (see guidelines)
Details here.

(The Society of Authors also has other awards, including those with end-October deadline – The Queen’s Knicker Awards for children’s picture books published in the UK; the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize for a published novel focusing on the experience of travel away from home; Somerset Maugham Awards, enabling young writers to enrich their work through experience of foreign countries, for a published work of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry; see all of SOA’s prizes here and grants here.)

The Society of Authors: ADCI Literary Prize This is a prize for UK writers, for published and self-published novels, including on Kindle; “the ADCI (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) Literary Prize seeks to encourage greater positive representation of disability in literature.” The author must self-identify as disabled or chronically ill, and must be a British national OR resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for three years prior to the date of submission for the award. The prize is for a work of fiction that contains one or more characters that are disabled and/or living with chronic illness (poetry, short stories, and works for children are not eligible). Submissions must have been published or self-published in the UK between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2026; Kindle submissions are eligible.
Value: Total prize fund of £2,000
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Open for: Disabled or chronically ill UK writers
Details here

The Society of Authors: The Eric Gregory Awards
These are for young UK poets. The work submitted may be a published or unpublished volume of poetry (up to 30 poems), drama-poems or belles-lettres. The prize purse for these awards is unspecified. “Winners of the Eric Gregory Awards are invited to a free solo week residency at Thomas Cottage. Part of a historic farmhouse in the Lake District hamlet of Hartsop, the cottage is in a beautiful location in the rising fells just south of Ullswater.” 
Value: Unspecified, residency
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Open for: Poets who are British nationals or living in the UK/North Ireland aged 30 or under
Details here.

The Young Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction
This is a prize for UK writers for two categories, ages 11-15 and 16-19; send historical fiction of 800-2,000 words. The fiction can be in any form – a story or an extract from a longer work, a poem or drama script, a fictional diary, letters, or reportage. The story can be set at any time in history, as long as it is an identifiable period before the author was born, in a world recognisably different from the present. They want mailed entries only. Winners receive £500, and an invitation to visit the Borders Book Festival and Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, and their work published.
Value: £500
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Open for: Young UK writers
Details here (download entry form / T&C).

U.S. Naval Institute General Prize Essay Contest
This prize is for an essay of up to 3,000 words on rethinking how the US Sea Services will have to address national, strategic, and operational challenges in an era of intense global competition, and how they will have to fight – see guidelines for theme details/suggested topics. The contest is open to “all contributors - active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and civilians”, according to their guidelines.  
Value: $6,000, $3,000, $2,000
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Open for: “All contributors - active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and civilians”  
Details here and here.
(See all of their contests that are currently open here.)

The Society of Authors: The McKitterick Prize
This prize is for an author over the age of 40 for a debut fiction novel, published or self-published in the UK (see guidelines), or unpublished. The author must not have had a novel published before, barring works for children. For unpublished manuscripts, submit the first 30 pages; longlisted authors will be asked to provide the full manuscript. And, “The novel must be a full length work in the English language by one author (not a translation, poetry, or short story collection and not a work for children).
The work must be a work of 'fiction or imagination or substantially of fiction or imagination'.”  
Value: £4,000, £2,000, £1,000
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Open for: Debut novelists over 40
Details here.

-- Poetic Justice Institute: Editor's Prize for BIPOC writers: This is a prize for a poetry manuscript. While there is a submission fee for the general category, there is no fee for BIPOC writers. “Manuscripts must be formatted for 8 ½ x 11 letter sized paper; pages must be numbered” and the suggested manuscript length is 50-100 pages (approximate). Apart from the cash prize, the winning volume will be published by Fordham Press. The award is $1,000 and publication, and the deadline is 15 November 2026; details here and here.

-- Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition: This is an international contest for novel manuscripts in the malice domestic genre, for writers who have never been the author of any published mystery novel. “Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Whatever violence is necessarily involved should be neither excessive nor gratuitously detailed, nor is there to be explicit sex. The suspects and the victims should know each other. There are a limited number of suspects, each of whom has a credible motive and reasonable opportunity to have committed the crime. The person who solves the crime is the central character. The “detective” is an amateur, or, if a professional (private investigator, police officer) is not hardboiled and is as fully developed as the other characters. The detective may find him or herself in serious peril, but he or she does not get beaten up to any serious extent. All of the cast represent themselves as individuals, rather than large impersonal institutions like a national government, the mafia, the CIA, etc.” The work must be at least 65,000 words. The prize is $10,000 advance against royalties, and the deadline is 30 November 2026. Minotaur is an imprint of Macmillan.
Details here (scroll down).
Minotaur is also running a First Crime Novel Competition, the deadline for that is 14^th December 2026.

-- One Teen Story Contest: This is an international fiction contest for writers ages 13-19 by One Story Magazine; there are three categories divided age-wise for this contest. It is for a story of 2,000-4,500 words. The contest will open on 20^th October and close on 1 December 2026, and the prize is $500. See this page for details about the prize; their submission portal will open during the submission period.)