We are closed to submissions as of November 30, 2008
Sybil's Garage accepts all works of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, etc.). We also will accept stories with little or no speculative element, but with speculative tendencies (e.g. weird but not-necessarily supernatural.)
Also, please DO NOT assume, after having read our previous issues, that you know what we like. We are making a concerted attempt to diversify the types of stories we publish. If in doubt, send it to us anyway.
In addition, we are very interested in seeing stories written by and/or including varied ethnicities, social classes, and nationalities. We'd like to see more stories featuring under-utilized cultures and settings as well. Our editors and readers represent a variety of backgrounds and we're always working to ensure that our publication reflects that as well.
Fiction:
Your stories should be no greater than 5000 words. While we may publish longer works, the greater your story is above this limit, the less likely we are to publish it. We prefer original work to reprints. We also accept non-fiction (please query first).
Do not submit more than one item to us for consideration at a time. We are strict about this.
Please do not submit your story to another publication while we are considering it. We attempt to keep response times under 30 days.
Important Note: We have an online submission form for fiction. Email for fiction will be deleted unread.
In other words, for Fiction:
5000 words maximum.
Reprints are a hard sell.
No simultaneous submissions.
No multiple submissions.
Poetry:
We have no specified length or theme for poetry, however we prefer poems of less than 50 lines. Some of our favorite poets include Edna St. Vincent Millay, Octavio Paz, William Blake, John Milton, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, Rumi, Poe, Whitman, etc. Perhaps it goes without being said, but we enjoy poems with strong emotional themes.
You may send up to three poems at once to us. You may send your poems to other markets while we are considering them, but if they sell, please let us know as soon as possible.
In other words, for Poetry:
50 lines or less preferred
Reprints are a hard sell
Simultaneous submissions are OK
You may send up to 3 poems at once to us.
We attempt to keep our response times under 30 days. Feel free to query us at
if you haven't heard from us after 30 days. We also frequently post updates about the status of the reading queue on our blog. Please check there first before querying.
The payment breakdown is as follows:
For all works of fiction, 2000 words and above, $20, plus 2 print copies
For all works of fiction, 1-1999 words, $15, plus 2 print copies
For all works of poetry, $15, plus 2 print copies
Payment for artwork and non-fiction is negotiable. Payments are made prior to publication. If you are outside of the US and cannot accept US checks, our only available option is PayPal.
