The fall 2023 submission cycle for original speculative fiction begins on October 1 and closes at midnight on October 31.
We’re looking for your best enthralling, imaginative, or bone-chilling original fiction stories, as long as they’re 1,200 words or fewer.
Please visit our flash fiction submission page for full details and the online submission form.
Accepted authors will be paid 8 cents per word for their original work. Simultaneous submissions of as-yet-unpublished stories under consideration by other magazines are allowed, but we do not accept multiple submissions from the same author during a single submission cycle. Accepted authors will be notified and be offered first-rights contracts by November 15.
Due to the shakeup that AI-based tools have caused in the fiction writing industry recently, MetaStellar has clarified its position on AI-assisted writing and submissions on our site here; please familiarize yourself with it before submitting.
Our ability to publish our fantastic original fiction is only possible due to the generous funding of our Patreon supporters and direct donors. The more support we receive, the more stories we can pay for, and the more great work you get to read!
We also have non-paying opportunities for other kinds of work. These include essays, reviews, reprints and excerpts of longer stories.
To submit a reprint, your short story must have previously been published somewhere else, and you hold the rights to republish it. For example, you can submit your story as a reprint if your story was previously published with a publication that only asked for first-time publication rights, or was self-published, or which was posted on your blog, social media page, or other publicly accessible online outlet.
All writers will get a bio box that includes their photograph and links to their Amazon author pages, personal blogs, and social media feeds.
Become a part of the MetaStellar community by following us on Threads, on Facebook, on YouTube, (and also, while it still exists, on Twitter) or subscribe to our newsletter, which features all the latest stories, essays, and reviews!
We eagerly look forward to reading your submissions!
MetaStellar fiction editor Geordie Morse works primarily as a personal language coach, developing curricula and working with clients remotely. His first book, Renna's Crossing, is out now. His various other projects are cataloged on his site Arnamantle.