Congratulations! Your speculative short story got published in a paying magazine or anthology. A few months or a year has passed, and you’ve gotten the rights back to your work—so now what?
Well, you could self-publish your piece through Kindle Direct Publishing, charge $0.99 for it, and hope somebody finds your tale in the vast galaxy of other indie authors. Or, you can submit your previously published work to speculative markets that accept reprints. Speculative reprint markets are few and far between, but this list may help you gain a new audience for your previously published work. And yes, a number of these paying markets accept stories through Submittable.
“Make sure you own the rights to your previously published work…” Illustration by Josh Quick
Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores
First on the list is Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, a science fiction and fantasy market with unusually narrow submission windows. Be sure to mark your calendar! Stories 1,000 words and up are welcome, but shorter pieces are preferred. Reprints receive $0.02 per word. Feedback on submissions through this publisher’s portal is offered to authors who request it.
DreamForge
Does your previously published science fiction or fantasy story portray a hopeful vision of the future? If so, DreamForge may provide a second home for your work at $0.04 – $0.05 per word on acceptance. Read their guidelines carefully for formatting instructions and to determine if your piece is a good fit. DreamForge uses its own submission portal.
Escape Artists
This parent company to four speculative podcast magazines welcomes reprints for science fiction, fantasy, horror, and young adult speculative fiction. Reprinted stories of at least 1,500 words receive a flat rate of $100. Flash fiction reprint payment is $20. Please note that Escape Artists’ science fiction market Escape Pod does not accept any stories under 1,500 words. All four markets accept submissions through Moksha, but each market has different submission requirements. Read all instructions carefully.
Flash Fiction Online
If your previously published speculative piece runs 500 to 1,000 words, take a look at Flash Fiction Online. Reprints pay $0.02 per word and must be submitted via Submittable. Remember to use this organization’s “REPRINTS ONLY” category, regardless of the genre of your speculative piece.
Frozen Wavelets
Founded in 2019, Frozen Wavelets is a relatively new ezine market for speculative flash fiction and poetry. Reprint fiction submissions from 500–1,500 words must be sent via email during open submission periods. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, and slipstream, as well as mysteries and thrillers with speculative elements, are all welcome. Submissions are read blind. Be sure to read this list of “Hard Sells from the Editor’s Desk.”
LampLight
If your eerie, creepy, unsettling story in any genre would have made a good episode of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits, LampLight may be interested in reprinting your work. Speculative reprints up to 7,000 words pay $0.01 per word. Check out a free issue for inspiration before submitting via Submittable.
Metamorphosis Books
Previously published speculative short stories from 1,000 to 8,000 words that received at least $0.01 per word within the last year are eligible for submission to the annual anthology Best Vegan Science Fiction & Fantasy. Published by Metamorphosis Books, which also manages the speculative Metamorphosis Magazine, Best Vegan SFF anthology pays $0.01 via PayPal. Read their guidelines regarding what constitutes “vegan” before sending your story via Submittable.
Neon
Does your previously published dark science fiction or horror story incorporate literary elements, surrealism, or magical realism? If so, Neon: A Literary Magazine may be interested in reprinting your work. Payment for publication in this U.K.-based print magazine is a small royalty and a contributor copy. Submit work via email. Subscribers to the magazine receive feedback from the editor.
Pulp Literature
Despite the name of this print and digital publication, Pulp Literature is open to a variety of serious and lighthearted stories in various genres. Both speculative and literary short stories are welcome in alignment with the magazine’s philosophy that genre fiction is literature. Payment varies by story length, with reprints earning 50% of what originals earn. Read this organization’s extensive guidelines carefully before submitting work through their Google Docs portal.
Tales from the Moonlit Path
Do you have a dark speculative or horror story that is 2,000 words or fewer? Is it character-driven rather than plot-driven? If so, consider sending it to Tales from the Moonlit Path. Accepted stories receive a $10 flat payment via PayPal. This publication’s submission email is provided on their guidelines page.
Speculative reprint tips
Most magazines and anthologies, whether seeking literary or genre fiction, generally prefer original stories to reprints. But don’t be discouraged! Getting a story republished can be a great opportunity to reach new readers and make a little extra money for the effort. As with any submission, read all guidelines carefully before hitting “send.” This is especially important for reprints because of potential legal complications. Make sure you own the rights to your previously published work before sending it elsewhere, and be ready to offer proof of ownership.
If a market expresses interest in your story, you may be required to send a copy of your previous contract and give bibliographical information for where your story originally appeared. If you choose the self-publishing route, be sure to credit the publication that first accepted your work, even if the venue wasn’t a paying market. Whether or not your contract requires it, providing the name, issue number, and possibly a link to the original publisher is a much-appreciated courtesy to those who first believed in your work. Thanks to speculative reprint markets, you may be able to expand your reach even more. And in the financially unstable trade of the written word, what writer doesn’t want a bigger audience?
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E.J. LeRoy is a freelance writer, poet, and aspiring novelist who is a big fan of Submittable. Recently, LeRoy’s speculative short story, “Babel of Silence,” was published in ON TIME, an anthology from Transmundane Press. For more information, visit the author’s website at https://ejleroy.weebly.com.