Submissions are: CLOSED
Learn More→Theme: Power
Quest is an online magazine using science fiction and fantasy to examine the systems shaping the present day.
We’re inviting writers, artists, and collaborators to help shape Issue 02, exploring the theme: Power — arcane, technological, institutional, intimate.
Selected contributors are paid for first publication rights and may collaborate with us on artwork and merchandise based on their work. Creators retain copyright of their characters and worlds.
Issue 02 launches June 2026
What we’re looking for:
We publish science fiction and fantasy, and welcome adjacent speculative genres including magical realism, slipstream, and fabulism.
- Short stories
- Serialized fiction
- Creative essays & nonfiction
- Poetry
- Comics
- Art
- Illustration
What we like:
- Engages with the issue theme in a meaningful or unexpected way
- Experiments with form, voice, or style
- Uses imagination to examine real systems and real power
- Questions the familiar or reframes the present
- Stages “what if” thought experiments about our world
- Builds impossible or secondary worlds to explore ethical or existential questions
- Is bold and radical in its approach to the theme and message
What we don’t like:
- AI-generated writing or artwork
- Previously published work (no reprints)
- Gratuitous violence or sexual violence
- Fan fiction
Submission categories & specs
Writing
Short Stories
— Minimum 500 words
Serialized Fiction
— Minimum 1,500 words per installment
Essays / Creative Non-Fiction
— Minimum 1,000 words
Poetry
— Up to 3 poems per submission
File format:
Upload as .DOCX (preferred) or PDF
Please include your name and the title in the document header.
Artwork, Illustration & Comics
Submit as:
- JPG
- PNG
- TIFF
Music
Submit as MP3 or streaming link.
Video
Submit as Vimeo link.
Artist Roster
We’re also building an artist roster for commissioned work and merchandise.
If you’d like to be considered, please submit a portfolio link.
How to submit
- Prepare your work according to the specs above
- Submit using the form below
- You’ll receive a confirmation email
* Form is disabled while submissions are closed
Payment
Writing
- Short Stories — $250
- Serialized Fiction — $250 per installment
- Essays / Creative Non-Fiction — $250
- Poetry — $100
Artwork, Illustration & Comics
- Comics — $25–$100 per page
- Artwork & Illustration — $50–$500 per piece
Music
Playlists / Mixes — $10–$25
Video
Video — $50–$500 per piece
Quest is a paying market. Payment is made upon acceptance.
Rights
Quest purchases first publication rights.
Creators retain copyright of their work, characters, and fictional universes and are free to republish their work elsewhere after publication.
We do not claim exclusivity after publication.
Timeline
- Feb 15 – Apr 15: Submission window
- Apr 15 – May 01: Reading & selection
- May: Design and proofing
- Early June: Issue 02 launch
Please allow about one month after submissions close for a response.