Closed for Submissions

DreamForge is closed for Submissions.

We received nearly 1000 submissions in September. We’re working on reading and we’ll be busy with that through October.

Thank you so much for letting us see your stories and poems!

What can you do  now is help us buy more stories!  Support DreamForge in the way that works best for you at our Support Page.

 

Story Examples

Are you new to DreamForge?  Consider the following DreamForge stories as  representative of our best.  From these starting points and take your visions to an even higher elevation.

  1. A Bowl of Soup on the 87th Floor (https://bit.ly/bowl-of-soup) – Can a special recipe bring a species of tree back from the brink of extinction? [Finalist for this year's WSFA Award]
  2. Dandelion Brew (https://bit.ly/Ana-Sun-Dandelion-Brew) – Saving the environment is about more than defeating enemies; it’s about making allies everywhere.
  3. A Language, Older than Words (https://bit.ly/DF-12-Language) – Kindness and forgiveness are both older than language, and together will journey with us to the stars.
  4. The Spiral Ranch (https://bit.ly/spiral-ranch) – Sustainable farming in a spiral skyscraper.
  5. Loitering with Mathematical Intent (https://bit.ly/loiteringwmi) – A Utopia where a young would-be mathematician still has a problem.
  6. Wrath of a Lightweight (https://bit.ly/wratholw) – The children of a settlement on Mars claim the Red Planet as their rightful home.
  7. DreamForger (https://bit.ly/DF4-Dreamforger) – When the curse is one of empathy, more than one life may be changed.
  8. Unlinked (https://bit.ly/kelley-stead-unlinked) – Even utopia can become dystopia for those who simply don’t want to participate.
  9. Being Me (https://bit.ly/Lif-Being-Me) – Rescuing the last whale at the end of Earth’s natural life-span.
  10. Another Day on the Orbital Ranch (https://bit.ly/df-orbital-ranch) – Setting up orbital pastures to relieve ranching stresses on Earth.
  11. Esclados the Red (https://bit.ly/esclados) – The intersection of honor, fighting skill, and sexual identity.
  12. Sapiens (https://bit.ly/DF-Sapiens) – A time-traveling historian comes back to find out why we embraced hopelessness.
  13. But We’re Still Alive, Aren’t We? (https://bit.ly/df-still-alive) – A poem where the direction of reading creates all the meaning.
  14. Fire in The Sky (https://bit.ly/fire-sky) – There is still enchantment in the Earth and magic in a small boy’s sacrifice.
  15. Summit Attempt (https://bit.ly/DF-Summit-Attempt) – A metaphor for the pathfinder, the one who defies risk and hardship in order to kindle the fires of hope in others.
  16. Pangenesis (https://bit.ly/df-pangenesis) – No extinction for Humanity, but at the end of time a new Universe awaits.
  17. Countryside (https://bit.ly/DF-countryside) – A garden of flowers collected from across the galaxy gives colonists hope in their first years.
  18. Eat and be Eaten (https://bit.ly/DF-Anvil-4-Eat-be-Eaten) – What would it mean to relinquish human form and become nature itself?
  19. The Winds and Waters of Mars (https://bit.ly/winds-waters) – When we move to other worlds, we take our cultures and our heritage along.
  20. Gibson Goes to Work (https://bit.ly/DF-Anvil-Gibson) – Chaos is no excuse for panic. Always keep calm and carry on, and look out for others in your life.
  21. The Giant and the Thaumaturge (https://bit.ly/DF-Anvil-4-Giant) – Forgiveness is a radical act, especially when your pain involves a loss that can never be forgotten.
  22. Huddle (https://bit.ly/DF-Anvil-4-Huddle) – Accepting the Other in the mundane of the everyday is more utopian than you might imagine.
  23. The Peculiar Constraints of Peacetime (https://bit.ly/Peculiar-Constraints) – When is the most advanced and fearsome weapons system no longer to be feared?
  24. Vern Fronk Returns to Our Neighborhood (https://bit.ly/vern-fronk) – The answer to the zombie apocalypse may be love, patience, and a few dedicated caseworkers.
  25. The Joy Fund (https://bit.ly/the-joy-fund) – We don’t know what the future of AI is, any more than we know our own. AI is simply something new in the world that we have to figure out...together.
  26. The Express (https://bit.ly/the-express) – We’ll be taking more than technology to our settlements on other worlds: a love of the soil for one.
  27. Lost in Intuition (https://bit.ly/lost-in-intuition) – What happens when a driverless car is empowered to take you not where you want to go, but where you need to go?
  28. Walker in Leaves (https://bit.ly/DF-Walker-Leaves) – Humanity uplifting another species toward society and civilization.

DreamForge Magazine is publishing 2 print issues/year, with stories compiled from our quarterly online/digital issues of DreamForge Anvil. DreamForge Anvil continues to deliver SUPER SECRETS on writing by author Wulf Moon, as well as articles on hopepunk, solar punk, and more!

1Are AI Generated Stories Acceptable?
DreamForge exists to showcase human talent, both from experienced authors and those we are privileged to publish for the first time.

Stories that make it into our consideration rounds will be checked for AI generated text. Of course, we know AI detectors are not reliable, so we're not going to be banning anyone from submission or blacklisting you in any way if we get a positive result.

If you're a new author and AI was your gateway into getting excited about writing, we suggest checking out our DreamCasters writing group or many other helpful and educational resources online where you can develop your talent.

Writing is fun, so is experimenting with AI. When it comes to paying you for a story, however, we want to reward your skill, not pay for your chatbot. (You wouldn't have a computer give you the moves in a chess tournament, would you?)

We look forward to reading your work!
2Story Genres and Themes
We like to see science fiction and fantasy stories with a positive vibe, where the human adventure is just beginning. Solar Punk and Hope Punk themed stories are welcome. We're open to all genres of science fiction and fantasy, as long as they are not focused on horror and/or dark outcomes.
3Story Length
Shorter is better!

Our sweet spot for stories will be between 3,500 and 5,000 words.

Overall, we will consider the following word counts:

Flash Fiction: 500 - 1500 words
Short Stories: 1,500 - 7,000 words
Poems: up to 900 words (As with stories, send one at time. Poetry collections will be returned unread.)
4Submission Formatting
Your story must be submitted in Word or RTF format.

Name, Address, Email, and Word Count at the top left of the first page.
Title of Story (centered)
Your Byline (centered)

Page Layout:

Font: Arial, Size 12
Double spaced
Indented paragraphs
Single space after periods.
No extra line break between paragraphs
Section breaks, as needed, should be three ### symbols, centered on the page.
In the document Header, include Title/Last Name/Page #

File Naming:

When you SAVE your file, name it in the following way: StoryTitle-V01.doc  as in "Pangenesis-V01.doc." 

In case we ask for edits or a rewrite, the second version would be V02, etc. (You may include your name in the file name if you wish)

During the submission process, you will have the opportunity to write a cover letter, enter the word count, select genre and story type, etc. (We know that's a bit of double work, but there's the story and then there's the submission log, and if they get separated this helps us know what went where and what belongs to whom, etc.)
5Our General Guidelines
Positive stories demonstrating the triumph of the human spirit and the power of hope and humane values in overcoming the most daunting challenges.

We are interested in all SF and Fantasy genres, but horror is unlikely to find a home here.

No to Pollyannish and Utopian simplicity.
Yes to communities and teams working together to overcome dire challenges.
Yes to marginalized and under-represented characters as protagonists.
Yes to science and magic that solve problems, alleviate suffering, and boldly explore new possibilities.
No to corrupt, dystopian governments or evil corporations.
Tone down the violence, profanity, and sex. It's only useful if the story demands it.
6Contracts and Payment
Our contract is based on the model provided by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA). Copyright and story ownership remain with the author. Contract terms are negotiable within reason.

We acquire First World Rights for online/electronic and print publication, exclusive for a period of six (6) months following the first date of publication and nonexclusive thereafter.

Payment is $0.08/word.
Payment for reprints is $0.04/word
Poems are paid at the rate of $25 to $100

Payment is on Acceptance
7Miscellaneous Notes
One submission at a time, please.

Simultaneous submissions are OK, but let us know when your story is accepted elsewhere.

Depending on our workload, we'll try to get back to you within a few weeks. If you don't hear from us query to submissions@DreamForgeMagazine.com.

Please let us know if your submission is a reprint.

8Will Your Story be in Print?
New stories are published 4 times per year in our quarterly online and eBook editions of DreamForge Anvil. Stories appear first online at our reading portal (https://dreamforge.mywebportal.app/) and in digital eBook form for our subscribers. Twice a year we collect the online stories and publish them in print editions of DreamForge Magazine, available to print subscribers and on Amazon (search Amazon for DreamForge Magazine).

We wish you all the best!

We realize that submitting your story is a personal and hopeful activity. The statistical reality however is that we can only publish between 2% and 5% of what we receive. If all the stories submitted were perfect, that number would still be the same. As a team, we don't always agree on which stories to select. We just do our best, and we know that you do too. Have fun. Be kind. And know that you are appreciated.

Ralan.com

By Frank Schurter

Join the DreamForge Adventure!

At DreamForge Magazine, we welcome readers with a passion for positive fantasy and science fiction. Here you will find stories where characters endure, overcome, and embrace that spirit of wonder and discovery through which sentient beings invest the universe with meaning and purpose.

Our outlook is sanguine, faithful to those dreamers and makers who came before us to brave ages far darker than our own, supportive of present idealists who remain indomitable in the face our time’s apocalyptic fears, and hopeful that the principles of compassion, justice, and truth shall endure until the end of time.

Entrust us with your email address and we will keep you informed as DreamForge Magazine continues to showcase the talents of new and established writers and reaffirms your belief in the promise of a greater tomorrow. Sign up for Our e-Newsletter today by completing our Contact Form.