neon hemlock
speculative fiction and queer chapbooks

submissions

Please scroll down for more information regarding open calls.

 

There are currently no open calls for submission.

Submissions to We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2023 for queer short fiction reprints from 2023 are closed—we’ll reopen for 2024 soon.

Flash fiction submissions at Baffling Magazine are closed but will open in June on the theme of “monstrous” as well as for unthemed stories.

Submissions for the Novella Series are closed. We will re-open again in June 2025 for the 2027 novella series.

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General submission notes:

  • Unless the editors are otherwise specified, you can address cover letters to “Dear editors” or “Dear dave.” Please avoid “Dear Mr. Ring.”

  • If you joke about how straight white men are underrepresented in speculative fiction, it will not win you any points.

  • Please query admin@neonhemlock.com if you aren’t sure if your submission went through. We’re happy to check.

  • Thanks for thinking of Neon Hemlock for your work!

  • Please don’t self-reject.

Submissions to We’re Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2024 for queer short fiction reprints from 2024 will open soon.

We are looking for:

  • The best speculative stories published in 2023 under 17,500 words that implicitly or explicitly explores queerness and/or transness.

  • We refer to queerness that is inclusive of ace/aro stories, trans and nonbinary stories, and intersex stories.

  • What we don’t want to see: Original/unpublished work, unqueer work, non-speculative work.

Guidelines:

  • Please submit your story in .pdf, .doc or .docx file, formatted for publication or in something approaching Standard Manuscript Format. Please use italics and bold as necessary. This should be the final version that was published, not including editor notes or track changes.

  • Please include a cover/query letter with the title, length, where/when the story was published, and a brief bio. You may include links to your website/social media, and previous publications if any. Please don’t stress about this cover letter, if we have additional questions about your submission, we’ll ask them.

  • Simultaneous submissions are welcome.

  • Multiple submissions are welcome. 

  • Reprint submissions from 2024 only. This can include self-published stories, and those published on your blog or Patreon.

Submissions are open to all.  Neon Hemlock Press is particularly interested in queer stories and authors.  Authors from all underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to submit.  Please don’t self-reject.

The compensation level for stories accepted to WE’RE HERE: THE BEST SPECULATIVE FICTION 2024 is $0.01/word. Submissions will close December 31st 2024.

Editors are encouraged to recommend work from their publications and can submit multiple stories for consideration. Authors may also submit their own work; authors from all underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to submit. Please don’t self-reject.

Please note that we will not be sending rejections for this anthology, as is standard for other Best Of anthologies. The authors of selected stories will be reached out to in April 2025. We will be announcing our ToC in May 2025.

We’d love if you tracked your submissions on Duotrope or the Submission Grinder. 

You can view our former calls for submission here.