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Entry tags:
Pro SF/F mags for November 2021 (w/ some into early Dec)
As ever, cobbled together from the SFWA market list, the Submission Grinder, and the markets' posted guidelines. Some more this time!
Apex
Open: now
Format: Shunn Standard Manuscript Format (https://www.shunn.net/format/story/). Use .docx.
Cover letter: they want one
Submissions: no simultaneous, no multiple
Length: 7,500 words max
Payment: $.08; minimum of $50
Preferences:
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
Open: now, according to SFWA
Format: Standard Manuscript Format, with name, address, and email on the first page, and running header with last name, title, and pg # on every subsequent page. Attachment should NOT be .docx but .doc or .rtf. Paste the manuscript into the email if those don’t work. Send to submissions@beneath-ceaseless-skies.com with subject line Submission: [Title].
Cover letter: type cover letter into the body of email and mention title of story.
Submissions: no multiple; simultaneous is okay if you state it in the cover letter and withdraw if you get accepted/choose to go with another market.
Length: 15,000 words max
Payment: $.08
Preferences:
Brave New Worlds
Open: until 31 Dec
Format: attachment w/ the title of the story as the file name in .doc or .docx. The header of the email should include the name of the anthology the submission is for (i.e., Brave New Worlds), along with the title of the submission. The content of the email should also include the anthology. Manuscript format: double-spaced, 12 pt font, standard margins, numbered pages, Times New Roman, w/ the title, author’s name, address, email, word count, and pseudonym on the first page. Italics and bold should be marked by italics and bold.
Cover letter: ?
Submissions: multiple is fine (as many as you like), simultaneous—?
Length: no more than 7,500 words
Payment: .08/word advance + royalties
Preferences:
Cast of Wonders
Open: 15 Nov-20 Dec
Format: here; it’s customized to the podcast—in particular, no identifying information in body, headers, and file name; word, Google Docs, or .rtf. No pdfs!
Cover letter: please do not supply a full covering letter or summary of the story, either on the submission form or the manuscript. The information we’re after includes: reprint information (if applicable), if the author is a Young Author or previously unpublished, if the author is part of an under-represented demographic, if the story is #ownvoices, or if it skirts our content guidelines in any way/touches on sensitive topics. For this last point, this allows us to assign appropriate readers. We’d also ask that you don’t include any identifying personal information here.
Submissions: reprints are fine; no multiple submissions, but simultaneous is fine unless the specific submission call says otherwise—just let them know if you get accepted elsewhere.
Length: maximum of 6,000 words; preference for 3,000-4,500 for short stories and under 1000 for flash fiction.
Payment: .08/word for original of any length; $100 for short fiction reprint, $20 for flash fiction reprint.
Preferences:
Clarkesworld
Open: now
Format: Standard Manuscript Format. Send in .docx, .doc, .rtf.
Cover letter: http://neil-clarke.com/short-story-cover-letters/
Submissions: No simultaneous submissions
Length: 1,000-22,000 words, no exceptions
Payment: $.10/word (PayPal or check)
Preferences:
Open: the 1st and second day of every month, 12 am (of first) to 12 am (of third), EST.
Format: Standard Manuscript format and .docx; only use letters and numbers in filenames
Cover letter: NO resume
Submissions: No simultaneous or multiple submissions
Length: at least 1,000 words
Payment: $.08/word
Preferences:
Cossmass Infinities
Open: Nov 1st-7th for underrepresented authors and Dec 1st-7th
Format: .docx
Cover letter: ?
Submissions: no multiple but simultaneous are fine
Length: short stories (1,000-7,500 words) and novelettes (7,501-17,500 words)
Payment: $.08/word through Paypal
Preferences:
Daily Science Fiction
Open: now until Dec 23rd, according to Submission Grinder
Format: plain text via web form; do not put address, word count, title, name, or other info there. Write “End” at the end.
Cover letter: no need for a cover letter, but you should include your name, address, any letter you choose to include, title, and notes in the cover letter box (esp your name). Responses go to the email address used to log-in, not to the cover letter version.
Submissions: no simultaneous, no multiple
Length: 100 to 1,500 words
Payment: $.08/word
Preferences:
Fantasy and Science Fiction
Open: Yes
Format: Standard: https://www.sfwa.org/2008/11/07/manuscript-preparation/. Send in .doc, .docx, or .rtf. Include mailing address and PayPal on manuscript.
Cover letter: No summary of the story
Submissions: No simultaneous or multiple submissions. Wait 21 days between submissions.
Length: flash up to 25,000 words; give the actual count, not an estimation.
Payment: 8-12 cents per word
Preferences: https://fandsf.moksha.io/publication/fsf/guidelines
Query: 90 days
Flash Fiction Online
Open: 1 Nov-21 Nov
Format: double-spaced, 12 pt TNR or other serif font (not Courier) with 1” margins and black letters on an unadorned white background
Cover letter: do not include identifying information on the manuscript, not sure about cover letters (is there one?).
Submissions: you can submit one original and one reprint story at once, but not simultaneous submissions.
Length: 500- to 1000-word stories.
Payment: .08/word
Preferences:
PodCastle
Open: 1 Nov-1 Dec
Format: Standard Manuscript Format, but doesn’t require home address or telephone number; .odt, .rtf, .docx, .doc. Include byline/name!
Cover letter: most recent publications if you’d like, but it doesn’t affect the story’s consideration. Historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to mention it in the cover letter.
Submissions: one original and one reprint at a time; simultaneous are allowed, apart from other Escape Artist podcasts, if you mention it in the cover letter.
Length: up to 6,000 words, preference for between 3,000 and 4,000.
Payment: .08/word for original, $100 for reprints over 1,500 words, and $20 for flash.
Preferences:
Strange Horizons
Open: 1 Nov-30 Nov
Format: .rtf, .doc, or .docx; standard manuscript format. Name and contact information in the upper left, with pronouns if you want to include them.
Cover letter: minimal—these should be short and list just a few recent or most relevant publications or workshops. If you've got life experience relevant to your story (e.g. your story takes place on a submarine, and you served on a submarine), please do mention that. Cover letters shouldn't include plot synopses or pitches. Advice here.
Submissions: no simultaneous, no multiple.
Length: 10,000 max, preference for under 5,000; no minimum.
Payment: .10/word
Preferences:
Uncharted Magazine
Open: year-round
Format: double-spaced, 12-pt, TNR, ideally in a Word doc.
Cover letter: optional, but nice. They don’t need a mailing address. Don’t describe your stories, but including the title and word count is helpful. Include a brief third-person biography statement. Include a content warning to protect readers.
Submissions: simultaneous is allowed, no multiple; wait a month to submit again.
Length: 1,000-5,000 words.
Payment: $200.
Preferences:
Apex
Open: now
Format: Shunn Standard Manuscript Format (https://www.shunn.net/format/story/). Use .docx.
Cover letter: they want one
Submissions: no simultaneous, no multiple
Length: 7,500 words max
Payment: $.08; minimum of $50
Preferences:
- “Mind-bending short fiction,” dark and spectacular
- Emphasizes top pros in field
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
Open: now, according to SFWA
Format: Standard Manuscript Format, with name, address, and email on the first page, and running header with last name, title, and pg # on every subsequent page. Attachment should NOT be .docx but .doc or .rtf. Paste the manuscript into the email if those don’t work. Send to submissions@beneath-ceaseless-skies.com with subject line Submission: [Title].
Cover letter: type cover letter into the body of email and mention title of story.
Submissions: no multiple; simultaneous is okay if you state it in the cover letter and withdraw if you get accepted/choose to go with another market.
Length: 15,000 words max
Payment: $.08
Preferences:
- Emphasizes new and/or unpublished writers
- Lots, but core: stories w/ a secondary world setting and some fantasy feel, with a literary approach
- Secondary world w/ qualities bearing on the setting + no urban fantasy or modern/futuristic tech
- Focus on characters
- “Literary but readable”
- Close/limited POV preferred
- Originality; don’t want familiar tropes
- Nothing beyond “R” and no sex/sadistic violence be acted upon children
- Fairy tales/fables don’t really work for them
- No famous people unless it’s really different
- Humor is hit and miss
Brave New Worlds
Open: until 31 Dec
Format: attachment w/ the title of the story as the file name in .doc or .docx. The header of the email should include the name of the anthology the submission is for (i.e., Brave New Worlds), along with the title of the submission. The content of the email should also include the anthology. Manuscript format: double-spaced, 12 pt font, standard margins, numbered pages, Times New Roman, w/ the title, author’s name, address, email, word count, and pseudonym on the first page. Italics and bold should be marked by italics and bold.
Cover letter: ?
Submissions: multiple is fine (as many as you like), simultaneous—?
Length: no more than 7,500 words
Payment: .08/word advance + royalties
Preferences:
- Science fiction stories set along the pathway of us leaving Earth for the stars. Stories can be set during our departure from Earth, on the long journey to reach a new planet, or upon arrival at said planet. Generation ship or colony ship stories are allowed, as well as terraforming stories once the new planet is reached. Stories featuring the human element to these types of journeys will receive more attention than strictly plot-based stories. Be creative and come up with an unusual and unexpected take on this “pathway to the stars” story. They’re looking for a range of tones, from humorous all the way up to dark.
Cast of Wonders
Open: 15 Nov-20 Dec
Format: here; it’s customized to the podcast—in particular, no identifying information in body, headers, and file name; word, Google Docs, or .rtf. No pdfs!
Cover letter: please do not supply a full covering letter or summary of the story, either on the submission form or the manuscript. The information we’re after includes: reprint information (if applicable), if the author is a Young Author or previously unpublished, if the author is part of an under-represented demographic, if the story is #ownvoices, or if it skirts our content guidelines in any way/touches on sensitive topics. For this last point, this allows us to assign appropriate readers. We’d also ask that you don’t include any identifying personal information here.
Submissions: reprints are fine; no multiple submissions, but simultaneous is fine unless the specific submission call says otherwise—just let them know if you get accepted elsewhere.
Length: maximum of 6,000 words; preference for 3,000-4,500 for short stories and under 1000 for flash fiction.
Payment: .08/word for original of any length; $100 for short fiction reprint, $20 for flash fiction reprint.
Preferences:
- Intersectional feminist YA podcast
- 12-17 age range: sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without gratuitous or explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language.
- Audio format, so there’s no skimming past boring bits; strong pacing, well-defined characters, engaging dialogue, and clear action.
- We like a proper narrative structure and a prose style not laden with clichés and over-worn idioms. We like fiction that makes us think, but the main elements should be thrilling entertainment, adventure and emotional connection.
- We like all forms of fantasy — high, modern, urban, alternative history, etc. We’re less fond of the complex, intricate or cerebral forms of fantasy more common in novel markets; short stories rarely offer enough room to sufficiently develop.
- We like all forms of science fiction — far-future, near future, space opera, “hard” sci-fi — but it must be accessible to our target audience, meaning a minimum of technical jargon.
- More here.
Clarkesworld
Open: now
Format: Standard Manuscript Format. Send in .docx, .doc, .rtf.
Cover letter: http://neil-clarke.com/short-story-cover-letters/
Submissions: No simultaneous submissions
Length: 1,000-22,000 words, no exceptions
Payment: $.10/word (PayPal or check)
Preferences:
- SF/F, no horror
- No distinction between style / substance / story / writing, but it needs to be well-written (...obviously…)
- Avoid long paragraphs or typographical trickery bc of onscreen reading
- Suitable for audio
- Fantasy can be folkloric, contemporary, surreal, whatever; don’t like zombies, vampires, werewolves, witches, demonic children, gore, evil civilian government, takeover by whatever party/religion for good or evil, thou/thine, children discovering anything, RPG character’s adventures, puns, theme anthology stuff, “trunk stories” (...)
Open: the 1st and second day of every month, 12 am (of first) to 12 am (of third), EST.
Format: Standard Manuscript format and .docx; only use letters and numbers in filenames
Cover letter: NO resume
Submissions: No simultaneous or multiple submissions
Length: at least 1,000 words
Payment: $.08/word
Preferences:
- Favors shorter pieces
- SF, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales(!), and eldritch stuff, both serious and humorous, soft and hard.
- Doesn’t care for vampires, werewolves, zombies, monsters, superheroes, Lovecraftian stuff, anthro, robots with feelings, despairing post-apocalyptic stuff, and doesn’t accept horror, hate, blood and guts, explicit language, violence, angsty romance, fanfic, sex, axe-grinding, super depressing stuff, or mockery of grief, suffering, and death.
- Don’t care whether you’re new or established, just about the story
Cossmass Infinities
Open: Nov 1st-7th for underrepresented authors and Dec 1st-7th
Format: .docx
Cover letter: ?
Submissions: no multiple but simultaneous are fine
Length: short stories (1,000-7,500 words) and novelettes (7,501-17,500 words)
Payment: $.08/word through Paypal
Preferences:
- Encourages new writers
- Original sf/f
Daily Science Fiction
Open: now until Dec 23rd, according to Submission Grinder
Format: plain text via web form; do not put address, word count, title, name, or other info there. Write “End” at the end.
Cover letter: no need for a cover letter, but you should include your name, address, any letter you choose to include, title, and notes in the cover letter box (esp your name). Responses go to the email address used to log-in, not to the cover letter version.
Submissions: no simultaneous, no multiple
Length: 100 to 1,500 words
Payment: $.08/word
Preferences:
- Short is favored
- Well-written and ideally character-driven (though they aren’t always the latter); interesting, worthwhile
- No horror, erotica, military SF, iffy about humor
Fantasy and Science Fiction
Open: Yes
Format: Standard: https://www.sfwa.org/2008/11/07/manuscript-preparation/. Send in .doc, .docx, or .rtf. Include mailing address and PayPal on manuscript.
Cover letter: No summary of the story
Submissions: No simultaneous or multiple submissions. Wait 21 days between submissions.
Length: flash up to 25,000 words; give the actual count, not an estimation.
Payment: 8-12 cents per word
Preferences: https://fandsf.moksha.io/publication/fsf/guidelines
Query: 90 days
Flash Fiction Online
Open: 1 Nov-21 Nov
Format: double-spaced, 12 pt TNR or other serif font (not Courier) with 1” margins and black letters on an unadorned white background
Cover letter: do not include identifying information on the manuscript, not sure about cover letters (is there one?).
Submissions: you can submit one original and one reprint story at once, but not simultaneous submissions.
Length: 500- to 1000-word stories.
Payment: .08/word
Preferences:
- Crisp prose
- Well-developed characters
- Compelling plots
- Satisfying resolutions
- Engagement of minds and emotions
- Multiple genres are okay, esp speculative and literary.
- https://www.flashfictiononline.com/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/what-were-looking-for-and-not/
PodCastle
Open: 1 Nov-1 Dec
Format: Standard Manuscript Format, but doesn’t require home address or telephone number; .odt, .rtf, .docx, .doc. Include byline/name!
Cover letter: most recent publications if you’d like, but it doesn’t affect the story’s consideration. Historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to mention it in the cover letter.
Submissions: one original and one reprint at a time; simultaneous are allowed, apart from other Escape Artist podcasts, if you mention it in the cover letter.
Length: up to 6,000 words, preference for between 3,000 and 4,000.
Payment: .08/word for original, $100 for reprints over 1,500 words, and $20 for flash.
Preferences:
- Open to all the sub-genres of fantasy, from magical realism to urban fantasy to slipstream to high fantasy, and everything in between.
- Fantastical or non-real content should be meaningful to the story.
- Ideally, fiction should have strong pacing, well-defined characters, engaging dialogue, clear action, and still be beautiful. Above all, we’re looking for stories that are fun to listen to. Humor is encouraged.
- We hope to publish fiction reflecting the full range of settings and tropes found in fantasy fiction. We’d particularly like to see more stories set outside America, and stories that feature characters who represent a range of backgrounds and ethnicities.
Strange Horizons
Open: 1 Nov-30 Nov
Format: .rtf, .doc, or .docx; standard manuscript format. Name and contact information in the upper left, with pronouns if you want to include them.
Cover letter: minimal—these should be short and list just a few recent or most relevant publications or workshops. If you've got life experience relevant to your story (e.g. your story takes place on a submarine, and you served on a submarine), please do mention that. Cover letters shouldn't include plot synopses or pitches. Advice here.
Submissions: no simultaneous, no multiple.
Length: 10,000 max, preference for under 5,000; no minimum.
Payment: .10/word
Preferences:
- Speculative, all subgenres and forms.
- Fiction from or about diverse perspectives and traditionally under-represented groups, settings, and cultures, written from a non-exoticizing and well-researched position.
- Unusual yet readable styles and inventive structures and narratives.
- Stories that address political issues in complex and nuanced ways, resisting oversimplification.
- Hypertext fiction, interactive fiction, and other stories that explore and exploit the forms available to us. If you have a work of this type that you think might be a good fit for Strange Horizons, please query us to discuss how to submit it.
Uncharted Magazine
Open: year-round
Format: double-spaced, 12-pt, TNR, ideally in a Word doc.
Cover letter: optional, but nice. They don’t need a mailing address. Don’t describe your stories, but including the title and word count is helpful. Include a brief third-person biography statement. Include a content warning to protect readers.
Submissions: simultaneous is allowed, no multiple; wait a month to submit again.
Length: 1,000-5,000 words.
Payment: $200.
Preferences:
- We want stories that richly imagine the future of technology and science, that explore our world through a speculative lens.
- We want stories of fantasy that make us hunger for new worlds, new biomes, new places we can explore through thrilling sensual details and human empathy.
- We want stories that thrill us, that make us feel alive, that awaken our desires to explore and go on adventures.
- We reserve the right not to publish works that dwell unnecessarily in or that are unchallenging of discrimination. We reserve the right to send back work unread and unevaluated if we find the work violates our vision of inclusivity and non-discrimination. This may result in banning individual works or writers from our submission queue.
- Don’t withdraw and re-submit for typos and the like.