Your Shadow Proves Your Light
Rethinking the “imposter syndrome” story.
This week my Between the Stacks extra is by Aisling, a 6th grader, on the nature of innocence and pain. Read her first professional publication here and leave her some love!
Shadows only exist where something bright is shining. What we call imposter syndrome may actually be proof that we’re daring to step into our own light.
Watch a toddler make something and you will be watching an experiment in joy.
Whether they are creating with mud, blocks, or crayons, they are fully immersed in the dance between medium and magic. A toddler doesn’t worry about credentials before making their masterpiece. They don’t stay awake during naptime fearing that the reviews for their latest work will be chilly.
So why do we?
Because creativity is terrifying… but not to who you think. It’s terrifying to the Gatekeepers.
Who Are the Gatekeepers, and Why?
There are many reasons to gatekeep: from standardizing education, to selling expensive certifications, to controlling the narrative. You might recognize some of these:
Schools and standardized testing: Creativity is hard to measure on a scantron, so systems reward conformity and measurable outcomes over play.
Censorship and propaganda: Free artistic expression can question authority, expose corruption, or inspire rebellion. Gatekeeping keeps the “official story” intact.
Profit-driven creativity: Advertisers reward art that sells, not art that challenges. Creativity becomes a tool for consumerism rather than expression.
Museums, galleries, publishers: Institutions curate “legitimate” art based on taste, connections, or market trends.
Family expectations: “Get a real job” may be the most common refrain artists hear.
The belief that we are “not enough” is manufactured by advertisers, institutions, and cultural pressures designed to keep creativity tame. But can you blame them? When we unleash our full creative power, we become unpredictable… and uncontrollable.
Creativity is Divinity
Across the world’s sacred stories, creativity is inseparable from divinity. In Genesis, God speaks and the world unfurls from sound into substance with words as the first brushstrokes on existence. In Hindu tradition, Brahma dreams creation into being while Saraswati’s voice weaves language, music, and wisdom into life. The Norse tell of Odin shaping the cosmos from Ymir’s body, molding chaos into order. In Egyptian myth, Ptah conceives the world in his heart and speaks it into reality.
Again and again, the divine is portrayed as an artist, a maker. Creation itself is the primal act of making.
And if creation is divine, then so are we. Which is exactly why the institutions fear us. No wonder they try to hold us back… but for the sake of everything, we cannot let ourselves be held back.
When Gatekeepers Win
When Gatekeepers win, art shrinks into something safe, tame, and predictable. The child who once smeared mud into galaxies learns to color only within the lines. Voices that could question, disrupt, or heal are muted into slogans and jingles. Communities lose the mirrors that once reflected their truths. Innovation slows; culture flattens into repetition.
On a personal level, the maker becomes a consumer, afraid to create unless it’s approved, graded, or monetized. And on the collective level, society becomes easier to control, but infinitely poorer in spirit.
Partnering with Your Imposter
One of the most powerful ways to fight the imposter is to remember that it isn’t really you. It’s the Gatekeeper’s echo living rent-free in your head. The imposter whispers: Who are you to write this? Paint this? Sing this? But the truth is, you were born with the same creative spark that shaped mud into worlds and silence into song.
To fight back, you make anyway.
You play. You reclaim the toddler’s boldness by splashing, stacking, scribbling without apology. You surround yourself with other makers who remind you that the act of creating is already enough. Every brushstroke, sentence, or note is an act of rebellion, proof that the Gatekeepers don’t get the last word.
I don’t call it Imposter Syndrome because that label suggests something broken in me. A syndrome is a sickness. But the imposter isn’t proof of sickness. It’s proof of light. I call it my Imposter Shadow, because shadows only exist where something bright is shining. The more I step into my worth, the more the shadow lengthens behind me. It follows not because I’m failing, but because I am daring to shine. The darker the shadow, the brighter the light.
We make peace with the imposter by remembering it is not our enemy, but our companion. The shadow shows up because we’re walking into new territory. Its presence is proof that we’re stretching beyond what feels safe. Instead of banishing it, we can turn and say: Thank you for showing me that what I make matters.
The imposter keeps us humble, reminding us to keep learning, but it doesn’t get to hold the pen or the paintbrush. When we partner with it, we let the shadow walk beside us while we keep moving forward into the light. Its fear becomes our signal: here is where the real work begins.
The Imposter Shadow only proves you’re shining. Come share that light with us in the Authortunities Hub, a free community where creativity grows unchecked and the only gates are the ones we leave to the algorithms.
Weekly Download: Gatekeeper to Guide Reframe
This worksheet helps you transform the limiting voices of Gatekeepers into the empowering wisdom of Guides. By listing the doubts and criticisms you’ve internalized and reframing them into affirmations, you’ll build a practice of turning fear into fuel. Use it whenever your Imposter Shadow shows up. Each reframe is a step further into your own brilliance.
Subscribers: Your download is available for just $8.88 here.
Supporting Subscribers will find your free download in the chat here.
My authortunities are organized by emoji!
🟢 opening for submissions
🔴 closing for submissions
🖼️ visual art submission
⭐ events, classes, networking
♻️ reprints
🟢 WEEKLY· Reedsy Prompts is open until the following Friday for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59 pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. This week’s prompt is: Rituals with the London Writers’ Salon 🕰️.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
⭐ OCT 5 · State of the Story Screenwriting Event A screenwriting event featuring a full-day series of curated discussion panels, providing practical insights into the state-of-the-craft and profession of storytelling. Learn and network with industry leaders. Virtual tickets $75 USD.
⭐ OCT 5 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
🟢 OCT 7 · Apex Magazine Monthly Flash Fiction Contest Submissions open to all for speculative flash fiction until the last day of the month at midnight. Winner will be announced no later than the 15th of the following month and be paid $0.08/word or $10, whichever is more and published on the Apex Magazine Patreon as an exclusive the month following and will be included in the forthcoming issue of Apex Magazine.
https://apexbookcompany.moksha.io/publication/apex-magazine-flash-fiction
⭐ OCT 8 · The First-Person Voice: Getting Past “I” Writing a novel in first-person seems easy at first. After all, how hard can it be to get inside just one character’s head and stay there? As it turns out, quite hard. By the end of this presentation, you’ll be armed with a variety of techniques to help you use first-person effectively in a variety of genres and to recognize several pitfalls before you get too far along. Taught by Amy L. Bernstein. Online workshop costs $35.
https://symposium.pipelineartists.com/event/the-first-person-voice-getting-past-i
🔴♻️ OCT 10 · Vellum Mortis (Memento Mori Ink) closes submissions for flash fiction up to 1,000 words for their August 2025 issue themed “Terraform the Damned.” This theme invites horror stories that delve into fae horror, exploring the eerie and unsettling aspects of the fae realm. Payment is $5 per story. Submission is via email. Reprints accepted.
https://www.mementomoriinkmag.com/vellummortissub
🔴 OCT 10 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week’s deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
⭐ OCT 11 · Master Screenplay Writing with Thomas Fenton Learn the art of fear in this 3-hour horror story screenwriting masterclass with Thomas Fenton. For $195, you’ll explore how to build chilling stories from the ground up using beat sheets, notecards, and the 5-act structure, while mastering pacing, jump scares, reveals, and twist endings. From character design to balancing gore, mythos, and subgenres, you’ll walk away with the tools to craft screenplays that keep audiences haunted long after the credits roll.
https://www.workingscreenwriter.com/class-page-horror-story
⭐ OCT 12 · Inspirational Indie Authors podcast with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and Howard Lovy. Dive deep into personal stories of indie authors, understanding their pathways to success, challenges faced, and lessons learned. 1 pm GMT.
https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/inspirational-indie-author-interviews-podcast/
⭐ OCT 12 · Bi-Weekly Open Mic Night Join The Mad Poet and host Jordan Francis for a NeighborHub community open mic every other Sunday at 8 pm EST. Prose and poetry readings welcome. A welcoming and supportive group that encourages creative growth. For members of the Authortunities NeighborHub. Membership is free.
https://www.authortunitieshub.com
⭐ OCT 12 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
🔴 OCT 15 · Shenandoah is closing for fiction submissions. Accepts flash fiction up to 1,000 words (up to 3 pieces), short stories between 1,000–7,500 words, and novelettes up to 8,000 words. Payment is $80 per 1,000 words, up to $400. Reprints are not accepted. Submit via Submittable.
https://shenandoahliterary.org/submissions/
🟢🏆 OCT 15 · Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest is open until May 1 for submissions of short fiction and nonfiction essays with prizes of $3,500 and ten Honorable Mentions of $500 each. The winner will also enjoy a two-year gift certificate from co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). $25 fee to enter.
https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-john-h-reid-fiction-essay-contest
🔴♻️ OCT 17 · Collaborature Monthly Contest is closing for fiction and poetry “written by more than one author or include a collaboration of two people (i.e., art and poetry).” Reprints are allowed. Payment is $20 USD.
https://collaborature.blogspot.com/p/contests.html
🔴 OCT 17 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week’s deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
⭐ OCT 17-19 · Multiverse 2025 in Peachtree City, GA is an all‑ages geek‑culture convention with panels, art shows, dealer hall, workshops, gaming, charity events, writing workshop, and volunteer & sponsor opportunities at the Hilton Peachtree City Conference Center. More info & tickets at:
https://www.multiversecon.org/
⭐ OCT 18-19 · SelfPubCon The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is a membership association offering education, resources, community, and advocacy for self‑publishers: live events & webinars, podcasts, vetted services, membership tiers, rights protection, discounts, etc. ALLi operates globally, primarily online.
https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/
⭐ OCT 19 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
🔴 OCT 22 · Astrolabe closes for submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography/art. Payment: $50 honorarium upon publication. Simultaneous submissions allowed; no multiple submissions; unpublished work only. Submit via email.
https://www.astrolabe.ooo/submissions
🟢 OCT 23 · Mythaxis Magazine – Autumn Window will open until OCT 30 for speculative or crime fiction (1,000–5,000 words). Payment: €0.01/word (min €20). Accepting simultaneous submissions; no reprints.
https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html
⭐ OCT 23 · HWA-NY Galactic Terrors Special presentation with Ellen Datlow’s Night and Day anthology, with Ellen and authors Jeffrey Ford, A. T. Greenblatt, and Clay McLeod Chapman.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCijjNjdfKdeekoXo3FN_8MA
🔴 OCT 24 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week’s deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
🔴 OCT 25 · The Stygian Lepus Magazine closes October 25, 2025 for dark fiction, serialized dark fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, articles, and art. Token payment: $5 USD. Reprints allowed (3-month exclusivity). No simultaneous submissions. Submit via email.
https://stygianlepus.com/submissions/
⭐ OCT 25-26 · The BookFest Fall 2025 a free Livestream Event featuring Keynotes, Panel Discussions, Conversations and Segments for the Reading and Writing Communities. an online event bringing readers, writers and publishing communities together. Free to attend, virtual.
⭐ OCT 26 · Bi-Weekly Open Mic Night Join The Mad Poet and host Jordan Francis for a NeighborHub community open mic every other Sunday at 8 pm EST. Prose and poetry readings welcome. A welcoming and supportive group that encourages creative growth. For members of the Authortunities NeighborHub. Membership is free.
https://www.authortunitieshub.com
⭐ OCT 26 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
🔴 OCT 30 · Mythaxis Magazine – Autumn Window closes for speculative and crime fiction (1,000–5,000 words) submitted during their October window. Payment: €0.01/word (min €20). Simultaneous submissions accepted; no reprints.
https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html
🔴 OCT 31 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week’s deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
🔴 OCT 31 · Apex Magazine Monthly Flash Fiction Contest Submissions close to all for speculative flash fiction at midnight. Winner will be announced no later than the 15th of the following month and be paid $0.08/word or $10, whichever is more, and published on the Apex Magazine Patreon as an exclusive the month following and will be included in the forthcoming issue of Apex Magazine.
https://apexbookcompany.moksha.io/publication/apex-magazine-flash-fiction
🔴 OCT 31 · Renaissance Press: AfriCANthology II closes for short fiction (2,500–4,000 words, any genre) exploring the Black experience in Canada. Open exclusively to Black writers who are Canadian citizens or residents. Payment: $200 CDN per accepted story. Simultaneous and multiple submissions allowed; no reprints. Submit via email as a Word document.
https://www.africanthology.ca/submit
🔴 OCT 31 · Short Story Substack closes for submissions of short stories (any genre, 6–10,000 words). Payment: Base pay $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue. One winner per month. Reprints accepted if distribution rights are available. Submit via email.
https://shortstory.substack.com
🔴 OCT 31 · New Writing Scotland is closing for original short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, travel writing, memoir, graphic artwork (monochrome), screenplays, or creative essays by writers resident in Scotland or Scots by birth, upbringing, or inclination. Maximum combined length: 3,500 words (or up to four poems; one prose piece). Payment: £50 for first published page, £25 per additional page. Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Submission method: Submittable.
https://duotrope.com/magazine/new-writing-scotland-3131
🔴 OCT 31 · Split Lip Magazine is closed for tip jar submissions in fiction, flash, memoir, poetry, interviews/reviews, and micro reviews. Payment: $75 (fiction, flash, memoir, poetry), $50 (interviews/reviews), $25 (micro reviews). Submit via Submittable.
https://splitlipthemag.com/submit
Always Open♾️Organized Alphabetically
🟢 · AAWW: The Margins accepts original and translated poetry (up to 5 pages total), fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, and interdisciplinary writing exploring Asian American culture, social justice, and literature. Payment: $50–$90 for poetry; payment varies for prose. Simultaneous submissions and unpublished digital reprints considered. Submit via Submittable.
https://aaww.submittable.com/submit/44797/poetry
🟢 · 4LPH4NUM3R1C Podcast seeks speculative poetry (up to 50 lines) and prose (up to 1,500 words) ideal for audio performance. Each accepted piece is paid $15 and featured in twice-monthly podcast episodes, with a year-end anthology starting in 2026. Submit via Duosuma.
https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/4-l-p-h-4-n-u-m-3-r-1-c-ynFf4
🟢 · Asimov Press is always open for Long Reads, Columns, and Fiction exploring scientific progress and its impact on climate, energy, medicine, and more. Writers with expertise in science or journalism are encouraged to pitch.
Payment: $1,000 for fiction, $1,500 for articles under 2,500 words and $2,000 for longer pieces.
https://press.asimov.com/about
🟢 · Bad Day Book is always open for poetry and prose submissions with themes specified on their site. Payment ranges from $40 to $75, depending on length.
https://thebaddaybook.com/faq/
🟢🖼️ · Berkeley Fiction Review is always open for visual art submissions across all mediums, intended for print publication in their annual issue. Accepted pieces should evoke strong emotions—joy, awe, fear, etc.—and must be adaptable to fit within 5⅛ inches wide by 8 inches tall. Submit up to 7 pieces in JPG, PNG, or PDF format via email with the subject line “Art Submission: [Name], [Title].” Include a brief artist statement (max 150 words) and a 2–3 sentence third-person bio. Payment is $25 plus a contributor copy.
https://berkeleyfictionreview.org/submit/art/
🟢 · BFS Horizons Poetry is always open for original short stories, poetry in various forms and creative, engaging images depicting fantasy, Sci-Fi, or horror scenes. Payment: £20 per poem, piece or artwork per issue.
https://britishfantasysociety.org/get-in-touch/bfs-horizons/
🟢 · Breath & Shadow is always open for submissions from people with disabilities, broadly defined, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, or sensory impairments that significantly affect major life functions. They welcome poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama on any topic, with a focus on disability-related academic or article-type nonfiction. Payment is $20 for poetry and $30 for prose.
https://www.abilitymaine.org/submission-guidelines
🟢 · Bourbon Penn is always open for 2000-7500 word “highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd… looking for genre / speculative stories and are quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist, and the surreal.” Payment is .04 cents per word.
https://www.bourbonpenn.com/submissions
🟢♻️ · Chicken Soup for the Soul is always open for stories or poems on a variety of themes posted on their drop down menu. Payment is $250 to be paid “one month after publication of the book and ten free copies.”
https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story/
🟢 · Chortle on Substack is always open for sharp, original humor up to 600 words. Submit finished pieces to greg@chortle.blog with the word SUBMISSION and the name of the piece in the subject line. Payment is $40. No submission guidelines posted, originally posted on The Freelance Writing Network.
🟢 · Clarkesworld Magazine is open year-round for original, unpublished science fiction and fantasy short stories between 1,000 and 22,000 words. The magazine seeks stories with strong narratives and compelling characters. Translations are welcome, provided the translator has secured rights from the author. Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions are not accepted; authors must wait for a response before submitting again. Reprints are not accepted. AI-generated or assisted content is strictly prohibited. Payment is $0.12 per word for original fiction. Submit via Moksha.
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/submissions/
🟢 · Craft is always open for “fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as craft essays and interviews.” They offer free submissions with fast response times for BIPOC and other mis- and underrepresented writers. Craft pays $100 for flash and $200 for short fiction and creative nonfiction.
https://craft.submittable.com/submit
🟢 · Electric Spec closes to speculative fiction stories of “science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre” between 250 and 7000 words for their next issue. Payment is $20 per piece.
http://www.electricspec.com/Submissions.html
🟢 · Every Day Fiction is always open for flash fiction up to 1000 words. Payment $3 USD. “All fiction genres are acceptable, and stories that don’t fit neatly into any genre are welcome too.”
https://everydayfiction.submittable.com/submit
🟢♻️ Fusion Fragments is open for unpublished science fiction or SF-tinged literary fiction stories and novelettes ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 words. Their tastes lean towards slipstream, cyberpunk, post-apocalypse, and anything with a little taste of the bizarre. FF prefers character-driven stories, and often skews towards quiet, reflective pieces.” Payment is “unpublished work and reprints pay 4 cents (CAD) per word, up to a maximum of $400 (CAD) per story.”
https://www.fusionfragment.com/submissions/
🟢 · Griffith Review is always open for nonfiction and fiction submissions on the theme “No Place Like Home,” what it means to us, why it matters and how it shapes our sense of self. Payment is $0.75 AUD per word for fiction and nonfiction, $200 AUD per poem and $500 per piece AUD per work commissioned for GR Online.
https://www.griffithreview.com/submit-to-griffith-review/
🟢♻️ · Ill-Advised Records is always open for artwork, short horror fiction, and music “modeled after 70s/80s pulp fiction zines.” Payment is “$15 for under 500 words, $25 for 500 to 1000 words, and $50 for 1000+ words.”
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVqaB46US5ojfyMv7OI7PtMgD-BxdK7xqN3HiFnHFd8sOt-g/viewform
🟢 · Lilith Magazine is always open for “high-quality, lively, original writing: reporting, analysis, opinion pieces, memoir, fiction and poetry with a feminist take on subjects of interest to Jewish feminists.” Writers and artists are paid for their work in Lilith, in print and on the blog.
https://lilith.org/contact/writing-for-lilith/
🟢 · Lit Shark’s Poem of the Month Contest accepts poetry submissions (up to 5 poems or 10 pages) monthly on a rolling basis. No theme required; simultaneous submissions welcome; no reprints. Monthly winner receives $20, a digital broadside, featured publication, and inclusion in the annual Best Of anthology. Honorable Mentions also published. Submit via email: publishing@litshark.com.
https://litshark.com/submit-potm/
🟢 · long con magazine is open year‑round for Art re. art replies from creative nonfiction (up to 3000 words), fiction or scripts (up to 3000 words), poetry or prose-poetry (up to 6 pages), translations, visual art, audio, video, or hybrid forms. Must be responses to one or more artworks/artifacts (identified in artist statement). Payment: CAD $20 via e‑transfer per contribution (regardless of length or form).
https://longconmag.com/submit/
🟢 · MAYDAY Magazine seeks literary fiction (300–3,000 words), nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), poetry (1–3 poems, max 10 pages), translations, book reviews, interviews, culture writing, visual art, and MAYDAY:Black (nonfiction from Black writers). Simultaneous submissions encouraged. Payment: $20 (fiction, nonfiction, translations), $10 per poem, $50 (MAYDAY:Black). No AI-generated content or reprints. Submit via Submittable (free submissions July & December).
https://maydaymagazine.com/submit/
🟢 · MEMEZINE is always open for hybrid work engaging with digital culture (text <1200 words, video <1 min). Simultaneous submissions and previously published work accepted. Payment: $5 per accepted featured piece (via Venmo or PayPal). No AI-generated or offensive content. Submit via Duosuma.
https://www.memezinelit.com/submit
🟢 · New Orleans Review is always open for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions. Payment is $300 for nonfiction and fiction prose and $100 for poetry regardless of word counts.
https://www.neworleansreview.org/submit/
🟢 · NonBinary Review accepts speculative writing and art year-round, with rotating themed issues. Currently open for visual art, poetry, prose, and all genres via Duosuma. Submissions may close early if acceptance cap is reached.
https://www.zoeticpress.com/submit
🟢 · Orion’s Beau is open until September 10 for LGBTQ science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and dark fantasy in fiction, poetry, and art. Payment is $3.
https://www.orionsbeau.com/arts-and-literary-submissions
🟢 · Reappropriate, an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) race advocacy and feminism blog is always open for pitches on topics such as race, gender, identity, Asian American history, and current events. They pay $75-150 for 800 to 2,500 words.
http://reappropriate.co/submit-writing/
🟢♻️· Samovar, published by Strange Horizons, seeks speculative fiction, review-essays, poetry, interview/conversations, and reprints in translation. Payment for fiction is 8 US cents per word to the author, and 8 US cents per word to the translator. Payment for reprints is a flat $100 USD to the author and $100 USD to the translator. Payments for poetry are $40 USD to the author and $40 USD to the translator. Payment for interview/conversations is $40 USD to each participant. Payment for review-essays is $40 USD.
http://samovar.strangehorizons.com/submit/
🟢♻️ · Scrawl Place is open year-round for submissions of creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry that explore specific, physical places—whether local or visited. Submissions should be connected to a tangible location that readers could potentially visit. Payment is USD $35 per accepted piece. Simultaneous submissions and reprints are accepted. Submissions are accepted via Submittable.
https://scrawlplace.com/submit/
🟢♻️ · The Dark Magazine is open year-round for original, unpublished horror and dark fantasy fiction between 2,000 and 6,000 words. The editors encourage experimental and unconventional narratives but do not accept graphic, violent horror. Reprints are considered if published within the past two years in established print markets. Payment is $0.05 per word for original fiction upon publication and $0.01 per word for reprints upon acceptance. Submit via email to submissions@thedarkmagazine.com
https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/
🟢 · The SFWA Blog is open to pitches for original nonfiction articles on topics that might be of interest to new and/or established creators of science fiction and fantasy. SFWA welcomes pitches from both members and nonmembers. Black, Indigenous, and other writers of color, and writers of other under-represented identities, are encouraged to submit article pitches. Payment is 10 cents per word.
https://www.sfwa.org/sfwa-publications/sfwa-blog-guidelines/
🟢 · Solarpunk Magazine is always open for nonfiction that will “stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement.” Payment is $75 for nonfiction.
https://solarpunkmagazine.com/submissions/
🟢 · Star*Line, the official print journal of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA), is a literary venue for speculative (including science-fiction, fantasy, and horror) poets and poetry enthusiasts, and features interviews, articles, reviews, member news and letters, association business, and poetry. Star*Line is open for submissions year-round. Payment for poetry: 4¢/word rounded to next dollar, minimum $4. Nonfiction, 1¢/word rounded to the next dollar. Reviews pay a flat fee of $4.
https://www.sfpoetry.com/starline.html
🟢 · Strange Horizons is open for speculative poetry submissions year-round, including at times when Strange Horizons is closed to fiction submissions. The editors operate on a rotation system, so the person who reads and replies to your poem will depend on when you send it. Payment is $50 USD per poem, regardless of length or complexity.
http://strangehorizons.com/submit/poetry-submission-guidelines/
🟢 · Tagg Magazine, a US-based queer women’s publication, is always open for pitches on various themes, including personal essays, listicles, dating advice, and fashion-related content. Articles are 350-1,000 words long and pay $75-175. They also welcome pitches for article ideas.
https://taggmagazine.com/contribute/
🟢 · takahē Magazine accepts poetry submissions (up to 4 poems) year-round. Poems should engage with urgency, sensitivity, authenticity, and flair. Simultaneous submissions welcome. Payment: NZ$45 for first poem, NZ$35 each additional. Submit via Submittable.
https://takahemagazine.submittable.com/submit
🟢 · The Gay & Lesbian Review is always open for “unsolicited manuscripts and proposals on all LGBT-related topics.” Payment is $250 for features.
https://glreview.org/writers-guidelines-for-submission/
🟢 · Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern is open to unpublished fiction up to 10k words. Snail mail submissions. Payment is $400.
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidelines-for-quarterly-submissions
🟢 · Torch Literary Arts is always open for creative writing by Black women for their Friday Features. “We are interested in work that challenges and disrupts preconceived notions of what contemporary writing by Black women should be” in fiction, hybrid works, poetry, and drama, including pieces accompanied by video or dramatic audio. Payment is $150.
https://torchliteraryarts.submittable.com/submit
🟢 · Wildsam is a first of its kind national magazine dedicated to road trips, recreational vehicles and the outdoors with a reverence for the textures, stories and characters of the open road. See listing for multiple submission opportunities. Payment rates are roughly $1/word and can vary with the complexity of an assignment.
https://www.wildsam.com/about-us