In 2016 we are going to begin publishing themed issues. Below you will find a list of these themes, and the deadlines for submitting to them.
Keep in Mind
- We pay token rates of $25 each for stories over 1k words, $10 for stories under 1k, and $10 each for poetry.. We are also hiring cover artists. Rates for cover artists are $35 per cover.
- Make sure submissions are in manuscript format (with “END” at the end of the piece!).
- General submissions for positive LGBT genre fiction are still welcome, as we are still looking for 6-7 pieces to round out our February and March issues. General submissions deadline is Dec 31st.
- We are also looking for illustrators who would like to create covers for these themes.
- Our guidelines regarding positivity and content still apply to all submissions, regardless of theme (unless an exception is stated).
- You can submit one piece to be considered for multiple themes at once. (Example – If you have a story about a classic Greek siren, that might fit under “Myths and Monsters” as well as “Sirens & Sailors.”)
Vitality has very strict guidelines about content and positive representation. Many pieces are rejected for not meeting these guidelines, so please read them over.
Themes for 2016
May – Myths and Monsters – Deadline: Jan 15th, 2016
Dragons, Pegasus, basilisks, oh my! Write a piece about an ancient myth or mythical creature (Note: We’d prefer these myths not be ancient, not retold fairytales. Give us Medusa, not the Little Mermaid.)
June – Death Comes Knocking – Deadline: Feb 15th, 2016
Give us necromancy, ghosts, murder mysteries, and traveling to the afterlife. (Note: stories must NOT violate our rule against tragic LGBT characters or grief-centric pieces. A LGBT character can be a ghost/undead as long as the piece is about something other than how sad it is that they died. Use your discretion – we want to be entertained, not weepy.)
July – Starry Night – Deadline: March 15th, 2016
Spaceships among the stars, new lovers mingling beneath the moonlight, or an astronomer discovering something incredible. We want your pieces about stars!
Aug – Behind the Mask – Deadline: April 15th, 2016
Superheroes, masquerades, theater – write us a story in which at least one character wears a mask (Note: Masks can be real or metaphoric; though we’d highly prefer real).
Sept – Sirens and Sailors – Deadline: May 15th, 2016
Pirates! Mermaids! Sunken ships! Write us your best pieces about adventures on the high seas!
Oct – Spooky Stories – Deadline: June 15th, 2016
Tell us your tales about things that go bump in the night. We want haunted houses, ghosts, undead, witches, and graves. We prefer fun/exciting stories than actual horror, and our PG-13 content rating remains.
Please review the guidelines and rights information then click here to submit:
