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These are the known upcoming themes:

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• ISSUE #12 = Tales of the Arabian Nights - Submission window open until April 30, 2021

  • Special Note #1: Normally we only accept retellings of specific tales, but this time we have expanded the theme to include original stories/poems featuring the creatures of Arabian/Islamic folklore, including:

    • Djinn/jinn ("Genie" is the the Americanized term, but NO Robin Williams ripoffs, please!).

    • Ifrits/efreets.

    • The type of ghoul found in Arabic folklore.

    • Another creature I'm not familiar with (Please send an explanation in your cover letter).

  • Special Note #2: Because of the sheer enormity of the original 1001 Tales of the Arabian Nights, please mention in your cover letter if your story is an original piece or if it is a retelling. Be sure to specify which tale you are retelling (I realize they're not individually named, but any info to help me refresh my memory is much appreciated). 

  • Special Note #3: Think twice before you send us an Aladdin retelling. Despite its popularity, it's not technically part of the original Arabian Nights collection. Well-researched retellings will be considered, but if you're basing it off the Disney version, we aren't interested. 

  • Special Note #4 (last one, I promise!): Please try to be culturally sensitive with your retelling, especially around the themes of race and slavery. We're working on becoming more educated on these subjects and will be writing a blog post that will hopefully provide some guidelines. 

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• ISSUE #13 = We often choose our themes via a poll, so sign up for our newsletter to vote for your favorite!

 

RULES: 

 

• Length: Up to 2,000 words. Under 1,500 preferred. (For poems, you may technically send us multiple pieces up to 1,500 words total, but please be considerate of our editor and only send your best and most polished work).

 

• Genres: Short stories and poetry. In general, please think outside the box! We love to see modernizations, sci-fi retellings, prequels, continuations, mash-ups, etc. Just no eroticism, please (see Content section).

 

• Formatting: Please put your story's title and the author's name in the file name of your submission. Example: "Pandora's Choice by Zeus Smith.doc". Too often, we'll get a ton of submissions all labeled "Pandoras Box.doc" and it makes it harder to keep track of them. 

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• Content: While Timeless Tales is not targeted specifically at children, it is a fairly tame magazine, especially when it comes to language and sexual content, so I intend to keep the stories in the PG-13 range or below. However, I have a deep appreciation for the darker side of many original fairy tales, so don’t assume I only want “happy” stories.

 

• Pay Rate (Increased!): As of 5/2020, we now pay a flat rate of $30 per piece accepted--both poetry and fiction. You'll also get a free year of our audio narrations (usually reserved for our patrons).

  • A special note about poetry: ​Authors may send multiple poems, but if multiple poems are accepted, they will be grouped together and considered one piece, meaning the author will receive one payment of $30 for the set. 

1.    We do NOT accept multiple submissions for fiction. For poetry, you may send up to THREE separate pieces as long as they collectively do not exceed 1500 words. 

 

2.    REPRINTS: We DO accept reprints as long as the author has the rights to the story. But please include in your cover letter the details of where and when the story was previously published.

 

3.    We DO accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us by email immediately if your story has been accepted elsewhere.

 

If you have a question, please us the contact form at the bottom of our ABOUT page.

 

• Process (NEW!): Use the form below to submit your cover letter and story/poem. Attach your story in .doc or .docx format. In your cover letter, include the following:

  • Special information for Arabian Nights theme. (Read the "Special Notes" at the top of this page)

  • Your piece’s word count.

  • A short description of your previous writing experience.

    • We love getting submissions from new writers, so even if you're currently unpublished, don’t be shy!

  • Mention if you have a blog. We want to subscribe!

 

• Response Time: Because we respect our writers' efforts, Timeless Tales is committed to sending out rejection/acceptance emails to everyone who submits. Unfortunately, rejections are often form letters, but we send personalized feedback as much as possible.

  • NEW: We're doing things differently for our Arabian Nights issue. Our editor is taking a break from magazine work while the submission window is open. So we will (probably) not start reading submissions until after the window is closed (April 2021). We realize that this is a VERY long time to wait, so we want to set expectations accordingly up front. Thanks for your patience.

 

• Rights Summary: You agree to give us non-exclusive worldwide rights to publish your work in book or other form (including electronic, audio, or print on demand form). In practical terms this means you're allowing us to use your work on our website, social media pages, Patreon page, sell it through Amazon, etc. Email us at timelesstalesmagazine@gmail.com if you'd like to see a sample contract or have questions. 

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Temporarily not applicable: Timeless Tales only publishes retellings of fairy tales and myths. We only accept submissions that retell the fairytale or myth listed as our theme. We don't accept original fairy tales or stories outside of our current theme.