This substack almost didn’t come out today — midwest weather be crazy! Regardless, here are some microfiction markets that are open in May — whoop whoop!
Carmen et Error
Word Count: 400 words max
Genre: any
Open: in May
Rate: £5
Sim Subs Allowed / No Reprints
What do they want?
The cause of Roman poet Ovid’s exile was “carmen et error”, a poem and a mistake. We want your poems and your mistakes. Fiction that falls between genres. Weird, wild poems. Anything speculative, daring, or just plain odd.
My take: They had me at ‘weird’…
Strange Pilgrims Micro Contest (short window!)
Word Count: 300 words max
Genre: literary
Theme: announced monthly
Open: 5/1-3 only
Rate: $30
What do they want?
Starting in April, for the first three days of every month, we’ll open for a free, themed writing challenge. One winner — who we feel has written the Micro of the Month — will be selected and published on the last Sunday of the month alongside an editor’s note and a contributor’s note. The winner will receive $30.
We want to explore what makes a piece of writing stand out when the room is small. What happens when you strip a story or a fragment or a moment down to 300 words or fewer? What survives? What can’t help but be there?
The rules are simple: the piece must be 300 words or under, it must respond to the month’s theme (however loosely, however strangely), and it must be submitted within the 3-day window. We’ll reply to everyone within 2-3 weeks (before we announce and publish the winner, of course).
We’ll announce each month’s theme when the window opens — or just before — so you’re not planning weeks in advance. We don’t want you to overthink this! Just let the writing flow.
My take: I love a prompt and a deadline! Fair warning, though: they received 473 submissions in the three days they were open for April’s (inaugural) contest! Those are some steep odds — but you can’t win if you don’t play!
Unfortunately, with such a short window and my self-imposed restriction of sending newsletters once a week, I will miss the theme announcement more often than not. So set yourself a reminder to check back on the first of every month!
Here are some markets that were open last month, and are still open:
100-Foot Crow
Word Count: 100 exactly
Genre: Speculative
Theme: inhuman (or general)
Open: until 5/15
Rate: $.08/wd
Sim Subs Allowed / No Reprints
What do they want?
Speculative fiction (science fiction or fantasy)
Note: We accept horror, but it must have a speculative element, whether science fiction or fantasy.
Drabbles (100-word stories EXACTLY)
Note: We calculate word count using Microsoft Word. If using Google Docs, please manually count your words. It has a truly baffling definition of a word (e.g., “1,000” = 2 words).
Actual, complete stories
Even though they’re only 100-words, drabbles still need all the essential elements of a story: character, setting, conflict, theme, and plot.
Their current theme is “inhuman,” and you can submit two drabbles per call — one themed, and one unthemed.
My take: I’m still trying to crack this market. I’ve subbed seven drabbles, and have received one higher tier rejection.
Orion’s Belt
Orion’s Belt is one of my favorite markets to have never cracked. They previously accepted flash up to 1200 words, I think, but recently separated into both flash (up to 1000 words) and micro (up to 400 words). Yay for a new micro category!
Word Count: 400 max
Genre: literary sci-fi & fantasy
Open: until 5/15
Rate: $.08/wd
Sim Subs Allowed / No Reprints
What do they want?
Literature is a matter of the heart, not just of the intellect. As such, conveying exactly what kinds of stories will delight us is impossible. A story that sounds banal and cliche-ridden in concept can be philosophical and achingly beautiful in execution. Conversely, a story that sounds lovely in concept can fail to move us in execution. Additionally, while we prize elegant, vibrant writing, not every well-written story will appeal to us.
The best way to know what we like is to read what we’ve published in the past. Our past issues are free to read under our “Issues” tab. If you’re only looking for individual stories, check our “Archives” tab. Reading stories published in Strange Horizons and Beneath Ceaseless Skies will also help, as they are the two most popular literary speculative magazines here at Orion’s Belt.
Nonetheless, there are tendencies, formats, and ideas we tend to appreciate. A complete list of these would be too long and granular to be of any real use, but here is an adequate summary:
Characters who are rogues or tricksters working outside oppressive bureaucratic systems.
Characters forced to make difficult decisions that may conflict with their moral codes.
Hard-won optimism, not to be confused with saccharine sentimentality.
Ecological storytelling that avoids clear answers or easy moralizing.
The blurring of lines between poetry and prose.
Extensive allusions to mythology or classic literature.
My take: I sent one micro early on, which got rejected (but with some lovely feedback), and my second micro is now currently in the Submission Queue. If it gets rejected before the deadline, I’ll have time to yeet one more their way…
Shacklebound Books
Word Count: 100 exactly
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Theme: witches & warlocks
Due: 5/31/26
Rate: $5 flat + digital copy
No Sim Subs / Reprints Allowed
We’re looking for stories of exactly 100 words to the dark fantasy theme of “Witches & Warlocks” for a digital and print anthology.
We’re looking for five drabbles sent together in one file from each author. Each story must stand on it’s own, and each must use the “Witches & Warlocks” theme in some meaningful way to the story.
My take: I’ve had a couple of reprint drabbles accepted by Shacklebound for no pay, so it’s nice that they’ve switched to at least a token payment. You do have to submit five drabbles at once, but if you have some witch/warlock drabbles lying around, even reprints, consider packaging them up and submitting!
And a Reminder:
I’m looking for some more reprint microfiction from YOU to feature here! Don’t be shy — if you’ve had a micro published, send me a link to it (either message me here, or email me at klmillwriting@gmail.com).
What you can look forward to from Micro Markets: themed and unthemed calls, monthly micro contests, micro-lit mags that are always open, micro-focused anthologies... maybe even some craft essays about writing microfiction and a place to feature YOUR published micros.
So dust off some of your tiny treasures, and let’s send them out into the world!