Storyville: Ten Places to Send Your Fiction in 2015

This column, I’d like to talk about some of the best places to send your stories in 2015—new markets that are just getting started, newer publications that are doing well, and classic magazines that are always a great idea.

BRAND NEW

1. Terraform

Looking for primarily science fiction stories, Terraform wants near-future tales, but only up to 2,000 words, and publishes online only. The good news is that they’re paying a whopping 20 cents per word, which is quadruple the standard pro rate of 5 cents per word. This magazine is a product of Vice Magazine, and is under the Motherboard umbrella and website. From what I’ve seen, this market looks amazing—great art, and fiction.

2. Sixpenny

The gist of Sixpenny is they are looking to place illustrated work alongside flash fiction, stories up to 1,250 words. The title comes from illustrated chapbooks that used to cost sixpence. It looks like they are seeking literary fiction, but with crime and speculative notes. Paying pro rates, they were created out of a Kickstarter, which always makes me nervous, so get in while you can—as who knows how many future issues there will be. But for now, it will launch in February 2015, and the art has been amazing, from what I’ve seen.

3. Shades of Terror

While the art and design isn’t blowing me away, Shades of Terror is looking to pay pro rates for horror stories, and that’s always a good thing. They call themselves a horror quarterly, so that means four times a year, online as well. Length is 1,500-7,500 words, so if you have longer horror stories (over 5,000 words) then this is a great place for you. They say they want horror stories in the tradition of Weird Tales and The Twilight Zone, and those are excellent examples, in my opinion—tension over gore. They also don’t want excessive graphic sex, violence, gore, or language. They do mention a possible print magazine. DEAD MARKET. HA. It happens.

NEWER, GOING STRONG

4. Aghast

Billed as a bi-annual, but only paying 1 cent per word, what Aghast has going for it is the excellent design and artwork of George Cotronis, who runs Kraken Press. Yes, they published my short story collection, Staring Into the Abyss, but really, I’d love what they were doing even if I didn’t have a connection with them. With writing by Tim Waggoner, Jonathan Maberry, Gemma Files and Jeff Strand, you may want to send them something. If nothing else, you’ll be in great company, and surrounded by excellent artwork, which really means a lot. Up to 7,000 words. They Kickstarted the first issue, so I hope they keep it going.

5. Lamplight

Looking for fantasy, science fiction, crime and horror, Lamplight is going strong, with ten issues out now. They are looking for stories up to 7,000 words, and this quarterly digital magazine is paying a flat rate of $150 for short stories and $50 for flash (under 1,000 words). They’re also inspired by The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits and have published work by some amazing authors: Gary Braunbeck, Kealan Patrick Burke, Bracken MacLeod, Nick Mamatas, William Meikle, Norman Prentiss, Lucy Snyder, and Mercedes Yardley, to name a few. Expect a three month wait for a response.

6. Pantheon Magazine

Even though they only pay 1 cent per word, what I love about Pantheon is that they have excellent art and graphic design, and each issue is set around a mythological god or creature—some recent issues including Hades, Persephone, Ares, and Aphrodite, for example. Open prompts right now include Nyx and Typhon. I’ve seen all kinds of interpretations, everything from reality-based crime and horror to supernatural science fiction and fantasy—and anything in-between. I should mention that I’ve published with them three times now, because they are professional, the company is great, and the illustrations and designs are amazing. Up to 7,500 words, and they want poetry as well.

7. Buzzy Magazine

I know, I know—the name is silly—Buzzy Mag. But consider that they have almost 7,000 likes on Facebook and a pay rate of ten cents per word, and maybe you’ll stop laughing long enough to submit. They are looking for fantasy, science fiction and horror, and I’ve read a lot of great stories at their website. They’ve only been around since 2012, but they’re an online market that I’ve kept an eye on, and have sent several stories (no luck so far). With an acceptance rate of UNDER one percent, they’re a tough nut to crack for sure.

THE ESSENTIALS

8. Black Static

Amazing art, and fantastic dark fiction, Black Static is one of my favorite magazines out there. I believe that they pay 3 cents per word, but couldn’t find the exact rate anywhere for this British magazine. What’s new and exciting about them is that they are finally taking submissions via Submittable, so you don’t have to mail stories overseas. This takes forever and things tend to get lost (happened to me a few times). They’re publishing work by some of my favorite authors, emerging voices (and many good friends) such as Sarah Read, Usman T. Malik and Alyssa Wong. They’re definitely one of my white whales. (Also check out Interzone [science fiction] and Crimewave [crime], also at TTA Press, and I do believe both of them now take Submittable submissions as well.) Up to 10,000 words.

9. Nightmare Magazine

With 28 issues under their belt, Nightmare is one of the best places to submit, having shown that they can stand the test of time. Edited by John Joseph Adams, one of the toughest and most established visionaries out there today, they are looking for dark fantasy and horror between 1,500-7,500 words. And they’re MONTHLY, which I don’t think I have to tell you is hard to pull off—but great for writers since they’re almost always reading. And the artwork—it’s always amazing, the covers and interiors as well. They recently did a women destroy horror issue that was just fantastic. This white whale is as white as they come. They pay 6 cents per word. (I’ve been rejected 6 times, but will continue to submit—the nice thing is the really fast response time, typically only a few days. So even though they have a no simultaneous submission policy, you’re bound to get a response quickly.)

10. Tor.com

My biggest complaint about Tor.com, a premiere online destination for fantasy, science fiction and horror, is that there are no simultaneous submissions and they take an average of four months to respond. But with Ann VanderMeer and Ellen Datlow in charge, they are a really important market, one of the best. They can really help to get your name out there, establish you as a legitimate voice. What else—how about TWENTY-FIVE CENTS PER WORD? That is not a typographical error. It’s for the first 5,000 words, and then it declines, but never less than ten cents, and for stories up to 17,500 words—for those of you writing novellas. On their website they say that they are working on the response time, keeping most to 90 days, which isn’t terrible, but they really are one of the top paying speculative markets out there. So, maybe send them something, and then get to work on something new.

Richard Thomas

Column by Richard Thomas

Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of eight books—Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), Transubstantiate, Staring Into the Abyss, Herniated Roots, Tribulations, Spontaneous Human Combustion (Turner Publishing), and The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books). His over 175 stories in print include The Best Horror of the Year (Volume Eleven), Cemetery Dance (twice), Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders (Bram Stoker winner), Lightspeed, PANK, storySouth, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Shallow Creek, The Seven Deadliest, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), PRISMS, Pantheon, and Shivers VI. He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker (twice), Shirley Jackson, Thriller, and Audie awards. In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor. He was the Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine. For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com or contact Paula Munier at Talcott Notch.

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Comments

Skygrotto's picture
Skygrotto from Southwestern Ontario is reading Europe: A History by Norman Davies January 8, 2015 - 1:01pm

Any great websites with lists of places to submit to?

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies January 8, 2015 - 1:44pm
Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On January 8, 2015 - 6:22pm

Another awesome list, Richard. Just sent something to Buzzy Mag because of it, so thanks!

Skygrotto's picture
Skygrotto from Southwestern Ontario is reading Europe: A History by Norman Davies January 8, 2015 - 7:06pm

Thanks, Richard.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies January 8, 2015 - 9:44pm

thanks, although i'm ALREADY hearing rumblings that SHADES OF TERROR is quiet and not responding. so it goes, right? might be closed before they even open. WTH? :-)

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia January 9, 2015 - 9:33am

Great article, as usual! 

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated January 9, 2015 - 5:34pm

Richard, that might be the first-time someone ever wrote that something wasn't a typo when I was really wondering if it was a typo.  Great work there.

Carolyn Charron's picture
Carolyn Charron from Canada is reading text books on history of feminism, Acadians, sexual mores January 10, 2015 - 2:43pm

Thanks for the list! I knew about a few of these (and am collecting their rejection letters already) but it's nice to add a few more to my list of favourites.

Joshua Chaplinsky's picture
Joshua Chaplinsky from New York is reading Library Books January 15, 2015 - 2:01pm

Duotrope is already listing Shades of Terror as defunct.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies January 15, 2015 - 4:08pm

yeah, just heard that. WTH. see how quickly things change? guess i backed the wrong horse there. it happens.

Luke Schamer's picture
Luke Schamer from Cincinnati, Ohio is reading "House of Leaves" January 20, 2015 - 5:42pm

Awesome... Thank you so much. It is very appreciated!

Brian Dunn's picture
Brian Dunn from Phoenix, AZ is reading multiple things January 22, 2015 - 3:06pm

Is there anything going on with The Oddville Press? They were supposed to publish a new issue in December. Here it is almost February and...silence.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies January 22, 2015 - 11:38pm

brian, i thought they put one out recently, i had a story reprinted there. drop them a note and see what's up.

Brian Dunn's picture
Brian Dunn from Phoenix, AZ is reading multiple things January 23, 2015 - 2:03pm

Hey, Richard. Their last issue was published in September, 2014. Just wanted to make sure no one had heard anything bad befalling them, because I've got a story going out in the next issue.

By the way, I found out about them through your Where To Send Your Stories article, so thanks much for that.

 

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies January 23, 2015 - 3:49pm

i know they were revamping it, but didn't realize september was the last issue. did you send them an email to inquire?

Brian Dunn's picture
Brian Dunn from Phoenix, AZ is reading multiple things February 26, 2015 - 12:11pm

Yep. They said things had been delayed just a bit due to illness. I totally understand that, but I'm getting a tad nervous just the same.

UPDATE: They just published the new issue. And my story's in it. Good work, Oddville Press people!

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies March 1, 2015 - 11:13am

cool. congrats.