GENERAL NOTES:
POLAR BOREALIS is CURRENTLY Closed to short story submissions.
The next submission window for short stories will open October 01, 2025.
POLAR STARLIGHT and POLAR BOREALIS are CURRENTLY CLOSED to poem submissions.
The next submission window for poems will open September 01, 2025.
E-mail a word doc (not a PDF) to me at < polar.borealis.magazine@gmail.com > and include “Story Sub” in your heading. You may send up to 2 short stories.
Always open for cover art.
Open only to Canadians, long-term foreign residents living in Canada, landed immigrants, or Canadians currently living outside Canada.
SHORT STORY SUBMISSION INFORMATION:
POLAR BOREALIS is CURRENTLY CLOSED to short story submissions. Always open for cover art.
The next submission window for short stories will open October 01, 2025.
In short stories I prefer Science Fiction over Fantasy, though of course SF can include fantasy elements, so I’m flexible. Weird Fantasy would intrigue me. Also interested in Horror with SF aspects. Have a weakness for Lovecraftian Horror. Nothing obscene or ultra-violent. Idea-driven combined with character-driven would be ideal.
Stories can be Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror.
Subgenres can include:
Science Fiction: Alternate History, Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic, Contemporary/Near Future, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Hard SF, Humorous SF, Mystery cross genre, Space Opera, Steampunk, Time Travel, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.
Fantasy: Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Heroic, Mythological, Science Fantasy, Shapeshifter, Steampunk, Supernatural, Sword & Sorcery, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.
Horror: Creature Horror, Gothic, Historical, Horror Western, Lovecraftian, Monsters, Noir, SF Horror, Shapeshifter, Steampunk, Supernatural, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.
In other words, almost anything goes as long as it is genre-related and imaginative.
The primary purpose of these zines is to encourage beginning writers. I welcome experienced authors but am particularly interested in beginning writers who haven’t made a sale yet.
SPECIFICS:
I offer First Publication English Language World Serial Online (PDF) Internet Rights with a post-publication exclusivity period of just one week, after which the author/artist is free to sell as a reprint to anyone anywhere.
The exclusivity period is unusually short because I have no financial stake in holding on to rights and am more than willing to encourage the author to sell again ASAP.
The advantage of selling First Publication to me is that I want to publish at least two or three works per issue which are first sales for previously unpublished authors, so I am more likely to buy than magazines concentrating on known authors with proven sales records.
I am also willing to publish reprints under the same rights as First Publication.
Apart from the publisher’s right to maintain the Polar Borealis/Starlight issue with your work online indefinitely, all rights revert to contributors within one week of publication.
Please bear in mind:
Short stories must be three thousand words or less. For budget / financial reasons I prefer stories 1,000 words or less, will look at stories 2,000 words or less but will only accept a few, and just one story 3,000 words or less per issue.
Up to 2 stories may be submitted. Prefer each submitted separately. Doesn’t matter if simultaneous submission elsewhere.
Not currently open to themed interior art for specific stories (hope to be some day) or interior fillo pieces, but am currently open to potential Cover Art.
Be aware normally contributors are paid after they have signed the contract but before publication. (See “Contract” for a sample contract.)
Be sure to include the word count of each story.
Also, be sure to let me know if the work being submitted has been previously published or not, and whether my acceptance would constitute your first sale ever.
And please include your full mailing address as I will need to put that into the contract.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
E-mail a word doc (not a PDF) to me at < polar.borealis.magazine@gmail.com > and include “Story Sub” in your heading.
The format of your submission should be as follows: A word doc. in either Courier or Times Roman font size 12, black print on white page, double spaced, beginning of paragraphs indented, ragged justification, your name and title on each page in the header, each page numbered, and your name, address and contact info on the title page. In other words, the standard, traditional, classic format.
Note: prefer single space between the end of one sentence and the start of the next sentence.
Everyone submitting should confirm Canadian status, publication status (original or reprint), and include a short biography of one or two paragraphs which makes you appear quite the character.
Note: In the case of short stories I do accept both reprints and multiple submissions, and don’t care if simultaneously submitted elsewhere, but this does not apply to poems.
POETRY SUBMISSION INFORMATION:
Note that Polar Starlight and Polar Borealis are not currently open for poetry submissions.
The next submission window for poetry will open September 01, 2025.
Up to 5 poems may be submitted, either separately or together. Poems for Polar Starlight must be original and not previously published. Polar Borealis editor R. Graeme Cameron prefers original poems, but will consider reprints (title & date of publication must be included). Please, no simultaneous (to other publications) submissions.
Since all poems will be considered submissions to both magazines, status (original or reprint) must be stated above each poem.
Poems can be up to 60 lines in length. Flat rate of $10.00 CAD paid per poem. Payment will be made shortly before publication.
Apart from the publisher’s right to maintain the Polar Borealis/Starlight issue with your work online indefinitely, all rights revert to contributors within one week of publication.
Poems can be Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror.
Subgenres can include:
Science Fiction: Alternate History, Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic, Contemporary/Near Future, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Hard SF, Humorous SF, Mystery cross genre, Space Opera, Steampunk, Time Travel, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.
Fantasy: Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Heroic, Mythological, Science Fantasy, Shapeshifter, Steampunk, Supernatural, Sword & Sorcery, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.
Horror: Creature Horror, Gothic, Historical, Horror Western, Lovecraftian, Monsters, Noir, SF Horror, Shapeshifter, Steampunk, Supernatural, Weird Tale, Weird Western, etc.
In other words, almost anything goes as long as it is genre-related and imaginative.
HOW TO SUBMIT POETRY:
E-mail a word doc (not a PDF) to me at < polar.borealis.magazine@gmail.com > and include “Poetry Sub” in your heading.
The format of your submission should be as follows: A word doc in either Courier or Times Roman font size 12, black print on white page, double spaced, your name on each page in the header, each page numbered, and your name, address and contact info on the title page. In other words, the standard, traditional, classic format.
Make sure you include your full mailing address as I will need to put that into the contract.
Note: prefer single space between the end of one sentence and the start of the next sentence.
Note: it is customary in poetry that the indentation and justification (left, centred, or right) is according to the visual pattern the poet has laid out. So, if your pattern is anything other than repeated left hand justification, to ensure the layout is printed as intended, it would be best to submit the poem with Bookman Old Style font, point size 13, and line spacing 1.5, as this is how the poem will appear in the magazine.
Everyone submitting should confirm Canadian status, publication status (original or reprint), and include a short biography of one or two paragraphs which makes you appear quite the character.
Also, for each poem, include line count.
Note concerning cover art: Must be portrait-shaped (as opposed to landscaped shaped) in JPEG form about 1,000 kb in size. It will fit under title on cover page and be surrounded by white space, no bleed. I will adjust size of JPEG to fit space.