During the second quarter of 2019, several paying journals and anthologies are open to submissions of speculative poems that engage with set topics.
Here are six opportunities to contribute to upcoming collections of themed SFF poetry, listed in order of nearness of submission deadline:
Tales from the Space Force (anthology) Theme: the United States Space Force Deadline: 15 Apr. 2019 What they want: Poems (including mock “nursery rhymes”) dealing with fictional futures centering on the proposed USSF branch of the American military. Serious takes and dry satire are acceptable, but the editors are especially looking for “campy stories” that recall “the golden age of pulp.”
Timeless Tales Magazine (special poetry-only call) Theme: Pandora’s Box Deadline: 19 Apr. 2019 What they want: Poems reworking the ancient Greek myth of Pandora or retelling comparable stories from other bodies of mythology.
Apparition Lit (Issue #7) Theme: Retribution Deadline: 31 May 2019 What they want: Original poems with “obvious fantasy or sci-fi elements” that address the theme of retribution.
Timeless Tales Magazine (special poetry-only call—yes, another one!) Theme: The Twelve Dancing Princesses Deadline: 14 June 2019 What they want: Poems retelling or reworking the “Twelve Dancing Princesses” fairy tale.
Eye to the Telescope (Issue #33) Theme: Infection Deadline: 15 June 2019 What they want: Poetry “fall[ing] within the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural horror, [or] related genres such as magic realism, metafiction, and fabulation” dealing with the topic of infection.
Midnight in the Witch’s Kitchen (anthology) Theme: Witches Deadline: ??? (open to subs as of April 2019) What they want: Rhyming poems that feature at least one witch character and “have a paranormal, horror or fantasy/dark fantasy aspect” to them.
Whether you wind up submitting to any of these publications or not, I hope you’ve found something here to get you brainstorming.
Happy writing, all!