FANTASY

Submission Guidelines for FANTASY

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We plan to stay open to submissions by BIPOC* authors throughout 2023.

We opened to general submissions from March 1 to March 7, 2023. We don't have another specific general submissions window planned yet.

We may revise any plans depending on the needs of the magazine and the nature of the submissions. Please check back here for official updates; information is sometimes posted to our Twitter: @fantasymagazine

Please note that we do not use first readers, sometimes known as "slush readers" - all submissions are seen by co-Editors-in-Chief Christie or Arley. Due to the volume of submissions and the demands of our lives outside the magazine, including both editors also working full-time jobs, it typically takes a few months for us to look at a submission.

Detailed instructions for submitting to Fantasy Magazine follow. Please read everything on this page, and we strongly recommend reading some of the work in the magazine before submitting.

Please note - especially for poetry submissions but also for prose - due to the challenges and constraints of some of our publishing platforms, we may not be able to replicate unusual choices in formatting, such as mirrored or parallel text, interesting spacing and tabs, and so on. Please keep in mind that we may need to change the formatting should we offer to publish the work.

We are looking forward to seeing your work!

*Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color - this includes mixed folks (like Arley) and People of Color from other countries. Used here as a familiar term, while also acknowledging that many communities of color feel the term itself does not properly serve everyone it's meant to serve.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Anonymous Submissions: Fantasy only accepts anonymous submissions. Do not include your name, address, phone number, or other similar identifiers on the manuscript. All original short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry submissions will be read anonymously on first read: moving out of slush depends on the merits of the story alone. Please make sure the title is on the manuscript.

Simultaneous and Multiple Submissions: We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Please do not submit more than one set of poems at a time, more than one piece of flash fiction at a time, or more than one story at a time. You may, however, submit a single entry in each category at the same time: you can submit one batch of poems, one flash fiction piece, and one short story all at the same (or overlapping) time, and each category will be considered a separate submission. If we are already considering work in any given category, please wait until you have received an acceptance or rejection before submitting again in that same category.

Instructions: All fiction must be submitted through our Moksha online submission system. Please do not email your submissions. If one of the Submission Type options is grayed out, that means we are currently closed to that Submission Type.

Questions/Problems: Email editors@fantasy-magazine.com for all submission-related inquiries, or if you have any trouble using our online submission system. Please do not email your submissions to this address. All submissions must be submitted via our Moksha online submission system.

Rejections/Response Times: We receive hundreds of submissions during our open submissions periods. As such, we cannot offer personalized feedback on each story. If we say “send more” it means we really do hope to see something else from you. Currently, most rejections will be sent out within a few months, while stories being seriously considered may be held longer. Please do not respond to rejection letters, even just to say “Thanks for considering my work” etc. We appreciate the thought, but it is unnecessary and will just clutter up our editorial inbox.

Cover Letters: Your cover letter may include your name and other identifying elements. It should contain the length of your story, your publishing history, and any other relevant information (e.g, if you send us a fantasy story about the Byzantine empire and your doctoral dissertation was on Byzantine empire politics, mention that). If you don’t have credentials to cite, don’t worry! We care about your story, not your resume. If you’re not sure what should go in your cover letter, this article on cover letters might help.

Diversity Statement: We encourage people of color, Black people, Indigenous people, Native people, women, people with disabilities, older people, LGBTQIA+, and anyone from typically marginalized or underrepresented communities to submit their work.

 

FICTION

Fantasy is seeking original fantasy and dark fantasy stories. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. If you’re not sure whether your story is fantasy (vs. horror or science fiction) go ahead and submit and let the editors decide. We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Do not submit more than one short story at a time.

Format: Please submit your manuscript in double-spaced Times New Roman or Courier font. Please remember to NOT include any identifying information on your manuscript apart from the story title. Your manuscript must be in either .RTF, .DOC, or .DOCX format.

Word Counts: We are open to short fiction up to 7500 words. When you make your fiction submission, you can submit in one of the two categories described below.

• Short Story: 1500-7500 words. (Stories of 5000 words or less are preferred.)
• Flash Fiction: Up to 1500 words.

Work previously rejected by Lightspeed or Nightmare: We welcome submissions that were previously rejected by our sister-publications. 

Pay Rate: Fantasy pays 8 cents per word for original short stories and flash fiction. If there are any payment processing fees associated with your payment (i.e., if we use PayPal, WorldRemit, Western Union, Wise, or the like to pay you), we cover the processing fee. 

Rights: To see which rights we’re seeking, please review our contract template for original fiction/poetry.

 

POETRY

Fantasy is seeking original fantasy and dark fantasy poems. All types of fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome. If you’re not sure whether your poem is fantasy (vs. horror or science fiction) go ahead and submit and let the editors decide.

We prefer shorter form poems with literary sensibilities which are evocative, emotionally resonant, and/or visually vibrant—in other words, poems which are viscerally impactful, and/or meaningful in some way. At the same time, we will not limit submissions to these parameters.

Please ensure that the title of the poems are in the manuscript.

Submission Quantity: You may submit up to six poems in the same document. (Our submission system will not allow multiple attachments.) We do not accept simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Do not submit more than one batch of six poems at a time.

Pay Rate: Fantasy pays $40 per poem. If there are any payment processing fees associated with your payment (i.e., if we use PayPal, WorldRemit, Western Union, Wise, or the like to pay you), we cover the processing fee. 

Rights: To see which rights we’re seeking, please review our contract template for original fiction/poetry.

 

NONFICTION

Essays in Fantasy are primarily by invite only, and all feature interviews are assigned in-house. If you wish to pitch an essay idea, email editors@fantasy-magazine.com with the subject line Essay Pitch. Essay pitches should be no more than a few lines, and should connect in some way to the theme of Fantasy, even if tenuously. Thought pieces which bring an interesting or unique perspective will be considered.

Pay Rate: Fantasy pays $75 per essay. If there are any payment processing fees associated with your payment (i.e., if we use PayPal, WorldRemit, Western Union, Wise, or the like to pay you), we cover the processing fee. 

Rights: To see which rights we’re seeking, please view our contract template for nonfiction.

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Fantasy is edited by Christie Yant & Arley Sorg and published by John Joseph Adams via Adamant Press. You can learn more about our team on our Staff page.

We welcome the submission of translations of work from other languages. Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that has never before been published in the English language would be considered “original.”

Sexual themes and stories with strong sexual content are acceptable, but Fantasy is not a market for erotica. If in doubt, feel free to submit your story and let our editors decide.

Fantasy is not a market for media-based fiction (e.g., stories set in the A Game of Thrones or Buffy the Vampire Slayer universes, etc.), or any kind of fan fiction. (Note: We don’t have a problem with people reading or writing fan fiction or media-based fiction, we’re just not legally allowed to consider publishing it.)

If you’re not sure if your story is suitable, don’t query; please just submit it and let our editors decide.

Fantasy pays professional rates as defined by HWA and SFWA and is a SFWA-qualifying professional market.