Merganser Magazine is a new online journal of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. They accept all genres of poetry and prose: “We’re eager to find strong, well-written pieces across a wide range of material.” That said, they seem to favor science fiction and fantasy themes, as the visual aesthetic of the journal suggests.
Merganser Magazine was established in 2024, and since then they’ve published three issues online. Each issue features writing from three to four contributors.
While Merganser Magazine doesn’t have any firm editorial guidelines, they focus on short pieces that are quick and easy to read online. They prefer writing under 2,000 words, and they don’t like long paragraphs. Authors may submit any number of pieces, but Merganser Magazine prefers not to publish more than one piece by an author at a time.
Merganser Magazine accepts submissions on a rolling basis, and submitting authors can expect a response within one month. Authors published in Merganser Magazine should wait at least six months before submitting again.
Merganser Magazine pays authors published in the journal. Authors of fiction and creative nonfiction receive $0.08 per word (the SFWA pro rate), and poets receive $1 per line.
Merganser Magazine accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw writing published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work, and they do not accept work that’s generated, translated, or developed by AI.
Merganser Magazine only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.
If you would like to learn more or submit to Merganser Magazine, please visit their website here.
Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.
