The Drabblecast is currently *closed* for short fiction, drabble, and twabble submissions.

All submissions to our April call should have received an email from us. If not, please query. Watch this space for more information on our next opening, possibly coming soon if the Void Path opens on the solstice sun and the Yellow God’s protection circle fails.

Please send questions, comments, or follow-ups to our inbox:  submissions@drabblecast.org. Submissions sent to our email will be deleted unread.

About the Drabblecast

The Drabblecast is an award-winning online speculative fiction magazine and podcast that publishes “Strange Stories for Strange Listeners,” often also classified as “Weird Fiction.”

Loosely, this encompasses any and all genres, but largely centers around those of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.

We’re looking for powerful stories that are simultaneously relatable and a good degree off the beaten path. We’re looking for stories that will work particularly well when read aloud and treated with full cast audio production. We’re looking for submissions that are humorous, bizarre, gross, disturbing, badass, interesting, and original — your favorite story that we both know would be a hit if only it found the right home.

We’ve been expecting you! Please leave your feet with the other various dismembered feet on your way in, and leave your hat with one of the hands reaching out from the pocket universe void in the hall.

What We Want

STRANGE. We love stories about the absurd that speak a human truth. We love stories with outlandish premises that have a gooey character arc hidden inside. The story that you think is too weird? We want to see it.

We explicitly want authors from backgrounds that are often underrepresented or excluded from publishing, podcasting, and short fiction markets, including but not limited to people of color, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, members of religious minorities, and people from outside of the United States to submit to us. Please do not self-reject.

Here are some of our recent stories and the audience’s favorites we have run to give you an idea of what awakens the many-eyed god, Norm Sherman.

“Cosmic Bowling” by Mike James Davis – Bowling alley carpet brings a new religious fervor to a father, that he gives over to his family, ultimately transforming them into nine perfect bowling pins.

“Those Who Forget and Those Who Perish”  by K.W. Colyard – Horse girls. Tusk meets My Little Pony. The daughters of humans meet the sons of Ixion.

“The Little Mermaid of Innsmouth” – by Caroline M Yoachim – One of Dagon’s children doesn’t WANT to go into the deep, like at all.

“Jelly Park” by Aliya Whiteley – Our first Drabblecast People’s Choice winner. A jelly-gem of celebration.

“Teddy Bears and Tea Parties” by S. Boyd Taylor – Ravenous teddy bears, murderous kids!

What We Buy

  • Short Fiction — 500 – 4,000 words

We Also Run

  • Drabbles — Exactly 100 words.
  • Twabbles — Exactly 100 characters.
  • Episode Art — See the Art page.

Payment Considerations:

  • The Drabblecast currently pays $.06/word for original fiction, with a cap of $300.00.
  • The Drabblecast accepts reprint submissions at a pay rate of $.03/word, with a cap of $300.00.
  • Stories under 500 words (including Drabbles and Twabbles) are published on a pro bono basis.
  • The Drabblecast accepts Simultaneous Submissions (please let us know if someone else accepts before us)
  • Drabblecast does NOT accept Multiple Submissions, unless specifically requested or solicited by Drabblecast editorial staff.

Your Submission Should:

Submit stories via our link (Link will be active only during active submission period).

  • Include your name and story title in the subject of the email.
  • Include bio (including preferred gender pronouns), story word count, information regarding the submission’s publication history or indication if the work is original and unpublished in the body of the email.
  • You do not need to submit a cover letter.
  • Please attach submission as either a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file.

Our response time is no later than 3 months, most often sooner. In the event that you have not received a response from Drabblecast after 90 days, please feel free to inquire as to story status.

Rights Requested:

The Drabblecast requests first world electronic rights (text and audio), first print rights, and non-exclusive anthology rights for any print and electronic anthologies.

Drabblecast Content is protected by a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative 2.0 License.

Diversity Statement:

The Drabblecast believes that, like great fiction, great writers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds. We welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation.

AI Statement:

The Drabblecast will not consider submissions that are machine-generated/AI-generated. Attempting to submit machine-generated/AI-generated works may result in you being banned from submitting works in the future. We only want work from humans.