PENUMBRA SUBMISSIONS
We are ONLY accepting submissions in our themed calls.
August Issue - Dreams:
Aeschylus once said, "I know how men in exile feed on dreams of hope." If we are such stuff as dreams are made of, let your imaginations run wild and bring those dreams to the pages of Penumbra. Broad as a theme? Yes, of course it is--and lots of room to play on the speculative fiction field.
CALL ENDS MARCH 30, 2012
September Issue -- Native American Folklore
There's a wealth of folklore, legend and mythology that has stemmed from the Native American peoples of America. Use this as the backdrop for an amazing story. It doesn't have to be Cowboys and Aliens, but then again it wouldn't hurt either.
CALL ENDS APRIL 30, 2012
Future Submission Calls -- 2012
October, 2012 -- Edgar Allan Poe
"It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream."—Edgar Allan Poe
Who better to inspire a speculative fiction writer than the legendary Poe? While we do not encourage authors to drink themselves silly and sleep in a gutter, some Poe-inspired dreaming makes for a skin-crawling read—in any speculative fiction genre. And, since this is our first anniversary issue, we want it to be extra-special.
CALL BEGINS ON APRIL 1, 2012. No, really. It does.
November, 2012 – Exploration
Time to boldly go where no man has gone before—whether that's the final frontier or an archeological dig. We're wanting to see stories of expeditions and reconnaissance and amazing discoveries, no matter where—or when--that exploration takes place. After all, exploration is what speculative fiction is all about at its heart. Your journeys of discovery will be welcomed here.
CALL BEGINS ON MAY 1, 2012.
December, 2012—Utopia
Nah, we're not buying into that 12/21/12 nonsense. So, to protest of all the apocalyptic frenzies ongoing in the media (because we're ornery like that) we're focusing our December issue on the opposite thematic end of the spectrum. Keep your dystopias and welcome to Utopia, where Sir Thomas More once envisioned a perfect world…and then got decapitated. We figure that on 12/22/12, we'll get to say "We told you so."
Unless of course we're wrong—in which case we'll be dead and there won't be anyone to point at us and laugh.
CALL BEGINS ON JUNE 1, 2012
Please do NOT submit until the beginning date of a future call for submissions. We will not evaluate any stories BEFORE the scheduled date.
How do I submit to Penumbra?
Penumbra publishes speculative fiction that always culminates in something unexpected - a flash of humor in the darkest tale or a fantasy piece that goes against the tropes--always something that hovers right on the periphery of the eclipse.
Penumbra is looking for speculative fiction that's unexpected and adventurous. We don't want the same old short stories--we want funny horror stories, or fantasy with a modern theme, or science fiction that takes the reader someplace they really didn't expect to go...even if its their own kitchen at home.
Word counts - 500 to 3000 words, paid at 5 cents a word.
Poetry - we will review poetry for each issue.
Please send a cover letter with brief publishing history and your entire submission as a .doc or .rtf attachment to Submissions. Please put "Penumbra submission" in the subject line of your email. No simultaneous or multiple submissions please. We will consider reprints to rights reverted stories. We do not accept multiple submissions.
Initial response time is expected to be short, within 2-3 weeks. This is likely to change and any such submission changes will be listed here.
We absolutely do not accept fan fiction, not even thinly disguised fan fiction. We will review previously published, rights reverted material on a case by case basis. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us using the contact form found on the Contact page.
June 2012
Theme: Greco-Roman Mythology
Coming June 1, 2012
Penumbra Themes
- June, 2012 -- Greco-Roman Mythology
- July, 2012 -- Politics
- August, 2012 -- Dreams
- September, 2012 -- Native American Folklore
- October, 2012 -- Edgar Allan Poe
- November, 2012 -- Exploration
- December, 2012--Utopia
See Submissions page for more details