Call for Submissions
Submissions are currently open for one issue of The Periodical, Forlorn:
Volume II, Issue I
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Theme: Graveyards, Haunted Houses and Summer Ghost Stories
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Deadline: May 1, 2023
Issue to be published June 2023.
Word Limit: 6,000 words
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Compensation: flat $15 fee upon publication, plus a digital copy of the magazine (which you're free to share).
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Format: We will accept short-form fiction any way you want to write it. This can include poetry, flash fiction or short stories.
We're particularly interested in the subversion of form. We don't care about hard and fast rules, so don't worry too much about formatting. If you feel its good, chances are that shines through in the writing. And we want to read it.
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Genre: Anything that's dark, creepy, weird and just a little off-kilter. We're open to genre fiction, particularly anything related to horror, science-fiction, speculative fiction or weird fiction. But we're also interested in anything that twists or subverts these genres in some unexpected way.
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Simultaneous submissions: We will accept simultaneous submissions, but please inform us if this applies to you. If a story may be pulled away from us at the last minute, we want to know as this may affect our decision on acceptance.
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Multiple Submissions: We do not accept multiple submissions.
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Reprints: We do not accept reprints. We will accept stories that have already been published if they've been dramatically altered in some way. If this is the case, please inform us.
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Publishing Rights: We claim First North American Serial Rights for all accepted submissions. After publication, rights revert back to the author.
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All submissions decisions will be made at the close of the open submissions period for the issue to which you're submitting.
We try to make all decisions within 2 weeks of the date we close submissions on an issue, but due to the volume of work we receive, it may take us longer than that to get back to you.
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We appreciate your patience.
Helpful Hints for Getting Your Submission Accepted
Will you accept stories that contain gore, violence, sex and swearing?
Yes, if its integral to the story. We know fiction sometimes need to take us uncomfortable places in order to make its point. So, we're open to things of a graphic nature if they in some way contribute significantly to the story.
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Please do not send us stories that use the coronavirus as a source of conflict or that turn recognizable political figures (we don't care from which party) into villains.
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What formatting should I use?
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Please use 12-point font and single space your text. Use standard 1 inch margins and indent the first line of each paragraph and each line of dialogue. Use double quotation marks, rather than single, around all dialogue.
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Poetry submissions do not need to use this formatting.
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What personal information should I include?
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Please attach a cover page that includes a brief biography, ideally no longer than a paragraph, your contact information and your story's approximate word count. If you wish to use a pseudonym, make sure to let us know. Also include any social media handles you want us to plug should we accept your work. Please note: failure to include this information will greatly reduce your chances of having your submission accepted.
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Please also note: while you're free to plug your publishing record in your biography, this does not affect our acceptance decision. We're as interested in first-time authors as veterans.
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The editorial team reserves final say on all acceptance decisions.