80 Calls for Submissions in August 2023 — Paying markets
This August there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.
I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month’s calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)
Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.
Happy submitting!
The First Line. Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided. (See site.) Payment: $25.00 — $50.00 for fiction, $5.00 — $10.00 for poetry, and $25.00 for nonfiction. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
The Polyglot. Genre: Multilingual art, poems, essays, stories, artworks, and translations on any theme. Payment: $100 CAD. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Fiction, flash fiction, micro-fiction. Length: Under 3,000 words preferred. Payment: $75. Deadline: They open to fee-free submissions on the first of each month and close when they reach their quota.
Fractured Lit: BIPOC Love Story. Genre: Flash fiction. See theme. Payment: $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
We’Moon Lunar Calendar. Restrictions: Open to women only. Genre: Art, poetry and prose, 350 words maximum. Payment: Small honorarium; art up to $500. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Upbeat Tales. Genre: Upbeat and/or comedic fantasy, science fiction and horror stories. Payment: 1 cent/word. Length: 100–6,000 words. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Totally Entwined: Falsely, Madly, Deeply. Genre: Novellas, 30,000–50,000 words. Theme: Fake relationships. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Wizards in Space. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. “We’re ready to hear about the chapters of your own journeys. Which pages have you turned, and which are you now opening? We want your cliffhangers, we want your tidy knots, we want your open endings. Fresh starts and sweet farewells.” Payment: $40 per original poem or per page of original art; $20 per reprinted poem or per page of reprinted art; $0.04 per word for original prose, based on final published word count; $0.02 per word for reprinted prose, based on final published word count. Deadline: August 1, 2023. Accepts reprints.
Grimoire: Medusa — The Stone-Cold Bitches. Genre: Short stories, poems, CNF. See theme. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Monosyllabic Queer Theory. Genre: Poem about queer theory using monosyllabic words. Payment: $250 per piece. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Occult Detective Magazine. Genre: Mystery short stories, nonfiction, art. “We love both old-style and modern, cutting edge weird fiction, and we love folk horror; we embrace unashamed arcane adventure, and we also draw gritty noir mysteries into our domain. At the heart of all these tales are the occult detectives.” Payment: $0.01/word (up to $50, up to $30 for nonfiction). Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Bad Day Book — Parenting Edition. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for theme. Payment: $40 — $75, depending on length. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Bad Day Book — Kids (Written by kids for kids) Edition. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for theme. Payment: $40 — $75, depending on length. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Bad Day Book — Teenage Years (Written by teenagers for teenagers) Edition. Genre: Poetry and prose. See site for theme. Payment: $40 — $75, depending on length. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Propertius Press. Restrictions: We are actively seeking submissions by and about persons who identify as Trans and/or Non-Binary. Genre: Full-length literary fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Propertius Press. Genre: Cozy mysteries. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2023. May close early if cap is reached.
Terrors from the Toy Box. Genre: Horror. Payment: £20 regardless of story length plus a paperback and digital (pdf & Epub.) copy. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Acre Books Genre: Poetry, nonfiction, translation, graphic essays, & fiction by women of color, including writing by trans, nonbinary, & genderqueer writers. Subject line: OPEN CALL. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
L’Esprit Literary Review. Genre: Short fiction, creative non-fiction, novel extracts, drama, art, literary criticism, autotheory, and book reviews “written in the fearless, risk-adept, and revolutionary spirit of High Modernism.” Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems — see themes. Payment: Short Story-2,500 words or less. $0.01 USD per word/$25 USD and copy of magazine; Flash Fiction-less than a 1,000 words $0.01 USD per word/$10 USD; Poems-less than 200 words $10 upon acceptance and a PDF of the magazine. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Madame Gray’s Graveyard of Blood. Genre: Horror. “Open to all subgenres of horror, as long as the story takes place in, or is connected in some way to a cemetery. The more ghoulish, the better! The scarier, the merrier! And a bit of gallows humor is always welcome, but not required.” Payment: $5. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
B Cubed Press: Alternative Leadership. Genre: Stories, poetry, and essays. “This anthology is about leadership. Leadership by the under-represented, by those too often forced to watch as those less qualified, less capable rise in a system that cannot see the value of diversity and change. We’re looking for broken barriers of all kinds. Can a man lead the National Organization of Women? Can a woman lead the NFL Players Association? Not in our current world, perhaps, but maybe in alternative worlds?” Payment: $.03 a word upon publication, plus a share of the profits. Deadline: August 1, 2023. Reprints accepted.
Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Genre: Speculative stories. Payment: 8 cents/word for original work. 2 cents/word for reprints. Deadline: August 2, 2023. Opens August 1.
Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $50 per essay. Deadline: August 3, 2023.
Sci Phi Journal. Genre: Hard science fiction, fictional nonfiction, and speculative philosophy. Translations accepted. Payment: €0.03/word; €0.01/word for translations. Deadline: August 4, 2023.
Alien Magazine. Genre: All types of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual art. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 5, 2023.
the other side of hope. Genre: Poetry by refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants only. They accept submissions in any language other than English. Payment: £50. Deadline: August 5, 2023.
The Off-Season. Genre: New Weird horror set in landscapes and communities on the edge of the sea. Word Limit: 2000–4000 words, firm. Payment: $0.08/word, paid prior to publication. Deadline: August 6, 2023, for marginalized voices.
Havok. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Legendary Things. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 6, 2023.
Flame Tree: Folk Horror. Genre: Folk horror. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word. Deadline: August 6, 2023.
Cirsova. Genre: Genre fiction short stories. Payment: $0.0125 per word. Deadline: August 7, 2023.
The Suburban Review. Genre: Prose, art, poetry. See theme. Payment: AUD150–275 for prose; AUD125–275 for poetry. Deadline: August 9, 2023.
Shub-Niggurath’s Sweater. Genre: Cosmic horror. Short fiction and poetry. Stories should be between 1,000 and 5,000 words. Payment: 1 cent/word. Deadline: August 11, 2023.
Yolk. Restrictions: Print edition is open to residents of Canada. International submissions for digital publication. Genre: Fiction, art, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $100CAD honorarium for digital publication. For print, $30 per page, regardless of genre, up to a maximum of $200. $200 for print cover art. Deadline: August 14, 2023.
Orca. Genre: Literary fiction. Payment: $50 for short stories, $25 for flash fiction. Deadline: August 15, 2023. Submit early in the month to avoid submission fees.
Showcase: Object & Idea. Genre: Prose and poetry. “We explore Object & Idea. A poem and a prose piece are selected for each monthly issue, and the authors answer questions about the meaning behind their work.” Payment: $50. Deadline: August 12, 2023. Reprints accepted.
khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. “This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work.” Genre: Stories, essays, and art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 0.08/word for fiction, $100 for nonfiction, and $40–300 for art. Deadline: August 15, 2023.
Muse Magazine. Genre: Nonfiction articles for children. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: August 15, 2023. See themes. Queries only.
Sasee. Genre: First-person, non-fiction material that is for or about women. Essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women are their primary editorial focus. See theme. Payment: Varies. Deadline: August 15, 2023.
Cricket Media: ASK Magazine. Genre: Science articles for children 7–10 years old. Theme: Wild in the city. Payment: Unspecified. Deadline: August 15, 2023. Queries only.
Songs of Eretz Poetry Review. Genre: Poetry and art. Payment: $7 per poem, $12 for cover art and $7 for inside art. Deadline: August 15, 2023. See themes.
The Lorelei Signal. Genre: Fantasy short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with strong female characters. Payment: $15 for short stories, $5 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces, $5 for reprints. Deadline: August 15, 2023. Accepts reprints.
Luna Station Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to women writers only. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 15, 2023. Some reprints accepted.
Jersey Pines Ink. Genre: Fantasy flash fiction. 1,000 words max. Payment; 1/2 cent/word. Deadline: August 15, 2023.
Speculative City. Genre: Speculative fiction set in the city. Payment: $20-$55 according to the category and length of the submission. Deadline: August 16, 2023.
The Other Stories (Audio). Genre: Horror on themes. Payment: 15 GBT. Deadline: August 18, 2023. See themes.
Pseudopod. Genre: Horror (Audio format). Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: August 21, 2023. Reprints accepted.
Carte Blanche (Canada). Genre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, translations. comics, photography. Payment: “Modest” Deadline: August 21, 2023.
The Off-Season. Genre: New Weird horror set in landscapes and communities on the edge of the sea. Word Limit: 2000–4000 words, firm. Payment: $0.08/word, paid prior to publication. Deadline: August 28, 2023.
Tree and Stone: Queer as F*. Restrictions: Open to writers/artists who self-identify as queer/LGBTQIA/pan/non-binary. Our cishet/ cisallohet allies, are welcome to submit, but we ask that the story center around a character who self-identifies as queer/LGBTQIA/pan/non-binary. Genre: Short fiction, CNF, art. This issue is to celebrate queerness in all its forms, experiences, and expressions. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 28, 2023.
Bright Wall/Dark Room. Genre: Essays on film and TV. See theme. Payment: $50 per essay. Deadline: August 28, 2023.
JANE NIGHTSHADE’S SERIAL ENCOUNTERS. Genre: Horror. “For this anthology, we’re looking for short stories about casual encounters of fictional people with serial killers, that turned creepy or deadly. Stories can be straight crime/thriller stories or ones with a supernatural bent (haunted objects, ghosts, demons, etc.).” Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2023.
Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: August 30, 2023.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: The power of positive thinking. Genre: True stories and poems. “How did you “think positive” and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of positive thinking!” Payment: $200. Deadline: August 30, 2023.
Hellbound Books: Happy Hellidays. Genre: “We want your stories of of holidays (any holiday at all!) filled with terror and dread, blood and guts, ghosts, and demons most foul.” Payment: $5. Deadline: August 30, 2023.
Dragon Soul Press: Magick and Mystery. Genre: “All witch stories for all genres.” Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Sadwrn: Wind Guide You. Genre: Poetic prose in English or Spanish. “Wind Guide You will be a pixelstruck anthology of enchanted texts devoted to exploring these territories and digital ramblings. We want pieces that talk about the most otherwordly and intense settings of virtual universes. We want your beautiful dérives. We want your utter escapism, your childlike stray in the woods.” Payment: €40/text and a complimentary copy of the zine. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
B.E.N.T. Flash Novel Challenge. Genre: “Write a 50,000-word novel in the B.E.N.T. universe in 45 days, ready to be reviewed for publication.” Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
The McNeese Review. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Broken Antler publishes online and in print. Genre: All genres of horror, as well as sci-fi and dark fantasy. The editors are partial to a wide range of subgenres — body, cosmic, folk, gore, etc. “For poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid submissions, we’re looking for work that is haunting and monstrous, weird and bizarre. Extra points if your work is experimental or doing something unusual with form.” Send up to two hybrid submissions. Payment: $10 — $20. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Hidden Villains — Betrayed. Genre: Speculative fiction. “Theme: Hidden Villains: Betrayed– Bold, imaginative fantasy, horror, and sci-fi sculpted to thrill and entertain readers with the bizarre or delve into the shadows. Finish it off with a twist of betrayal!” Word Limit: 2,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: 2+ cents per word. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Why Didn’t You Just Leave. Genre: Horror. “There are a lot of reasons why people don’t just leave scary situations, and we’d like to see smart, spooky stories that reflect the complexity behind that question.” Length: 500–5,000 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Solar Press Horror Anthology. Genre: Horror. Length: 1,000–10,000 words. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Broken Sleep Books. (UK) Genre: Nonfiction prose pamphlets (up to 70 pages). Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
The New Quarterly. Restrictions: Open to Canadian writers. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Payment: $275 for a short story or nonfiction entry, and $50 per poem or postscript story. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Variant Lit. Genre: Poetry, art. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Necronomi-RomCom. Genre: Speculative comic romance. “In this anthology, we’re looking for cosmic tales with a light romantic twist.” Payment: 1 cent/word for prose, $5 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Quarter Press: Quarter(ly). Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. See themes. Payment: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Haven Speculative. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 1 cent/word for fiction and $5 — $10 for poetry. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Split Lip Magazine. Genre: Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Payment: $50 — $75 per author (via PayPal) for our web issues. Payment for print is $5 per page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies and a 1-year subscription. Deadline: August 31, 2023. Note: Submit early to avoid submission fees.
The Rumpus. Genre: Fiction. “We strive to be a platform for marginalized voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere, and to lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers we love. We work to shine a light on stories that build bridges, tear down walls, and speak truth to power.” Payment: $300 divided among all contributors. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Mud Season Review. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Art. Payment: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry on theme of Reclamation. Payment: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2023. Opens August 15. Submission periods are extended by a week for BIPOC creators only.
Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Genre: Short stories and poetry. See themes. Payment: 20.00 USD for featured authors, or $10.00 USD for stories published on their &More page and $5.00 USD for poems. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Nightlight (Podcast). Restrictions: At least one of your birth parents must be Black. Genre: Horror. Flash fiction (750–1,500 words) Payment: 5 cents per word. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Fahmidan Publishing is a publisher for all POC & Women ardent in battle against subjugation. Genre: Poetry or fiction chapbook. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
The Underdogs Rise Vol. 2 (Working Title) Genre: Speculative fiction. “This is a sequel to our Current highly reviewed collection. All stories must have science fiction or fantasy elements. Please no stories dealing with space exploration or colonization in this anthology. We want stories about underdogs that take fantastical worlds or places but want characters to be the focus. We are looking for polished manuscripts of about 3,500–12,000 words.” Payment: 3 cents per word. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Queens in Wonderland. Genre: Fiction. This is an LGBTQ+ Alice in Wonderland themed anthology. 1,500–5,000 word count. Payment: $20. Deadline: August 31, 2023.
Sundress Publications. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscripts. Payment: Publication. Deadline: Submission is free until August 31, 2023 for BIPOC writers only.
AND A FEW MORE…
The Wicked Bestiary: An Anthology of Monstrous Folk Tales. Genre: Horror short stories (5,000–8,000 words) that include creatures from legend, world myth, and folk tales. Payment: US: $40 + author copy/non-US: $45 + ebook author copy). Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Qwerty. Genre: Fiction, CNF, Poetry. Payment: $15 CAD. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF. Payment: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Parabola. Genre: Original essays and translations, poetry, reviews. See themes. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Orion’s Belt. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Length: 1200 words max. Payment: 8 cents per word. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Lethe Press. Genre: Speculative fiction, especially queer speculative fiction, historical fiction. Full-length manuscripts. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.
