Podcasting is a huge industry, and is growing exponentially. Apart from the big players there are also small, indie podcasts that feature stories, poems, and essays. And many of them accept submissions from writers. This list includes six such fiction podcast outlets and two contests, and most of these pay writers. They are all open now for submissions.
Escape Artists: Escape Pod and PseudoPod
These are online publishing and audio markets for fiction. Read the submission guidelines closely – they give tips on how to effectively write fiction for a podcast.
— Escape Pod publishes science fiction. “We are fairly flexible on what counts as science (we’ll delve into superheroes or steampunk on occasion) and are interested in exploring the range of the genre. We want stories that center on science, technology, future projections, and/or alternate history, and how any or all of these things intersect with people”, according to guidelines. They’re open till 1 June, pay $0.08/word for originals, and accept reprints.
— PseudoPod publishes horror; “dark, weird fiction. We run the spectrum from grim realism or crime drama, to magic-realism, to blatantly supernatural dark fantasy. We publish highly literary stories reminiscent of Poe or Lovecraft as well as vulgar shock-value pulp fiction. We don’t split hairs about genre definitions, and we do not observe any taboos about what kind of content can appear in our stories. Originality demands that you’re better off avoiding vampires, zombies, and other recognizable horror tropes unless you have put a very unique spin on them. What matters most is that the stories are dark and compelling”, according to guidelines. They’re open for reprints only until end-July, and pay $100 for those (pay $0.08/word for originals).
Also see the guidelines for their associated markets, which are scheduled to open for submissions later in the year – PodCastle (fantasy) and Cast of Wonders (YA). These markets also occasionally look for narrators. Please note, the entire Escape Artists suite has switched to a new submission portal, Moksha. Details here.
The Drabblecast
This is a weekly audio fiction podcast and their tagline is ‘Strange Stories for Strange Listeners’ (also called Weird fiction). Their guidelines say, “Our singular focus is off-beat, funny, eclecticism in science fiction, fantasy, and horror.” Pay is $0.06/word for originals of 500-4,000 words and $0.03/word for reprints; payment is capped at $300. Fiction under 500 words is unpaid. Details here.
The Overcast
This is a speculative fiction podcast. Their guidelines say, “We are interested in speculative fiction, whatever that means to you, be it Science Fiction, Fantasy, Steampunk, Magical Realism, Slipstream, or an as-yet-unnamed genre. Anything that looks at the world and life from an unexpected angle. We want the original vision of William Gibson. The magic and beauty of Erin Morgenstern. The uncompromising voice of Margaret Atwood. The technical brilliance of Ted Chiang. We want to read stories that transport us to places that we’ve never imagined.” They accept stories of 1,000-5,000 words, and pay $0.01/word. Half the stories they accept are from writers in the Pacific Northwest. They are open for submissions until end-April 2020. Details here.
StarShipSofa
This is a Hugo Award winning podcast. Their guidelines say, “In a word: science-fiction. From the soft, social science fiction to the weird pulpy stuff to the vigorous hard SF and YA adventure. We welcome all sub-genres and all variety of punks in all their colours. From high-octane action to quiet philosophical stories, we’re after it all. … We welcome translations and are very interested in stories that take place/written by authors outside the US/Anglo-sphere, as well as as alternative movements and styles. These include (but not limited to) “non-Western” science fiction, Chinese SF, Soviet speculative fiction, Afro-futurism, etc.” The science fiction element must be the backbone of the story. They accept reprints, but not those that have appeared in an audio market earlier. They are now open for submissions, accept stories of 3,000-9,000 words, and pay $50. Details here.
Litro Lab Podcast
Litro is a literary and creative arts platform, and they have published work from first-time authors to award-winning writers. They have a print magazine, an online platform, and an audio venue called Litro Lab Podcast, in which they sometimes feature standalone fiction and nonfiction stories of up to 3,000 words. It can follow the month’s theme (see above link for themes – scroll down), or not. Writers must submit an MP3 recording of their short story; they can get someone else to read it if they’d prefer, and also submit a written version of their piece. They accept MP3s of pieces previously published elsewhere in written form, as long as the author has the right to let them publish it in audio form. They also run audio interviews and readings with authors. Details here.
Remastered Words Contest
This organization creates audio dramatizations of short story submissions and an audio recording, and this is their fifth year of producing audio anthologies. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words in any fantasy sub-genre. The title of the anthology will be ‘One Last Chance’ and writers must use this image in the story. First, second, and third-place winners get £75, £50, £25, and royalties. The deadline is 1 May 2020. Details here.
Semi-Sages of the Pages
This is a slightly different entry – this isn’t a fiction podcast, but a podcast about writing, and they interview writers for it. They are running a themed writing contest. The prompt is, ‘You receive an odd package and have no idea who sent it to you.’ Stories have to be 250-500 words. Four winners will be published on their website, get a shout-out on the podcast, and a $25 Amazon gift card. The deadline is 8 May 2020. Details here.
Author Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.
