#1 | Why Should You Support DreamForge?
Because tomorrow isn’t as bad as it seems.
From TV and Movies to Social Media, from the never-ending News Cycle to Dystopian Fiction, the defining spirit of our moment in history is bleak and may grow bleaker still.
At DreamForge, we know this self-fulfilling vision of apocalyptic culture shall not stand.
- The course of history is clear. The dreams that have opened the universe to us live longer than the nightmares which test our resolve.
- While the universe is a dangerous place and we, as a species, often add to that danger by becoming our own worst enemies – at DreamForge we do not subscribe to hopelessness or futility as a vision of the future or of any setting or situation.
- You need to be a part of DreamForge Magazine; if for no other reason than because we believe in you. As compelling as tales of darkness and devastation may be, you want more. More than stories of lone heroes struggling against tyrannical empires. More than visions of worlds put to ruin by the darker impulses of mankind.
- Our theme is hope. In all worlds and times, our tales revolve around those communities and individuals who bring meaning and value to the world, whose actions are of consequence, and whose dreams are the vanguard of things to come.
In addition to our sanguine attitude, our mission is to publish outstanding stories, support experienced authors, help teach less experienced authors, and spread hope. We offer a Reader's Portal, MOBI and EPUB version - and twice a year, a print version on Amazon Print on Demand.
We need heroes to support our efforts and help us develop a new vision of the possible.
By Frank Schurter
| What Types of Stories does DreamForge Publish?
DreamForge Magazine is a publication of fantasy and science fiction.
Our stories of Science Fiction are based in worlds where the core theory of physics holds sway and technology, science, and scientific thinking are critical aspects of solving challenges and securing a better future. (Presenting science as a key human endeavor takes precedence over delivering “hard” or factually accurate science.)
Our stories of Fantasy are based in worlds where the author’s own imagination sets the rules, but where the rules are coherent and understandable, and where critical thinking and inventive approaches win out.
We prefer basic, traditional storytelling.
An empathetic protagonist (or group of characters) faces a difficult challenge. Engaging with the challenge reveals further difficulties, the consequences of which could be catastrophic for the character, their loved ones, or their community.
By putting themselves at risk and proceeding with perseverance, integrity, and intelligence, the character brings the evolving crisis to a conclusion.
The challenge could be physical, moral, existential, or psychological. The protagonist need not be human, only humane. The conclusion need not be an ultimate one (the world is saved), nor a happy one, nor one in which the character survives. Only hope, compassion, love, and another chance at a better future must endure.
With those parameters in mind, we expect to publish a little of everything, including space opera and urban fantasy, steampunk and high adventure. We hope to provide a fertile playground for the imaginations of authors from across the spectrum of speculative fiction.
If you believe new and exciting experiences make life more interesting, Subscribe Now - or sign up for our Newsletter.
By John Blumen
By Mike Nicholson
| Where Do You Get Your Stories?
Our tagline “Connecting Dreamers – Past and Future” has several levels of meaning. On one plane it refers to our goal of publishing old hands and established authors alongside new and inclusive voices.
At DreamForge Magazine, we seek contributions from people with wide ranging and diverse experiences in life. There are many possible futures and many more worlds of the imagination. We would be poor indeed to imagine only one wearisome and uniform reality.
The publishers of DreamForge Magazine are eclectic readers. We find delight in exploring new worlds, especially those reflecting the experience of authors whose life stories brings with them perceptions, discernments, and values worthy of being shared.
We acquire our stories from:
- Unsolicited Submissions, where we can drink from an ever-freshening fount of unexpected treasures. Visit our Submissions page to learn more. We open for submissions several times each year.
- Solicited Works, as we reach out to established authors with the skills to advance our dreams further still.
- The DreamForge Team, as we seek to explore the limits and potentials of our vision.
To keep updated on when DreamForge opens up to general submissions, sign up for our newsletter today.
By Aviv Or
#4 | Should We Expect Happily Ever After Endings?
No, not necessarily. We hope to tread unusual ground. While it is easy to appear serious in creating grim and dark adventures, it is equally likely to come across as banal and hackneyed when crafting falsely upbeat tales.
Our goal is to publish fiction and commentary that embody, in one way or another. these essential principles: integrity and decency, compassion and creativity, intelligence and inventiveness, the rule of law and liberty under the law; the dignity of the individual, and the power of synergy to unleash the potential of disparate individuals and communities for the betterment of all.
Instead of heroes whose trials save the world, we prefer tales of exploration and discovery, narratives where individuals struggle for the ascendancy of humane values and communities work together to overcome dire challenges. That is the world of the imagination with which we should concern ourselves. That is the future that has been given to us, across multiple generations of science and fantasy fiction fans, to build.
By Rose Catherine Kahn
#5 | How Will You Engage with Your Audience?
More than a message, DreamForge is a conversation. You’ll see us on Social Media, including Patreon, Facebook, X, Bluesky, Mastadon, YouTube and Instagram. We plan to introduce surveys, contests, interviews, and giveaways. We also offer webinars targeting authors interested in improving their craft.
Ours is not to preach but to encourage. The human adventure is about more than divisive politics, cut-throat competition, and the ascendancy of greed and power. You know it, and we believe in you.
By Jane Noel
| How Can I Help?
Are you a dreamer too? There are a number of ways to support our efforts - over an above a subscription.
DreamForge is a project of Scot and Jane Noel, lifelong geeks and fans of fantasy and science fiction. Disenchanted with today's emphasis on grim, apocalyptic tales in speculative fiction, we decided to tell tales of hope in the universe, where reason and humane values survive and occasionally triumph.
We hope you'll join us as we connect dreamers, past and future, to rekindle that spirit of science and fantasy - the hope and belief that we can work together to build a better world.
Sign up for our Newsletter. Keep apprised of the latest news from DreamForge.
By Jane Noel
#7 | When Do You Accept Submissions?
DreamForge Magazine will open for set submission periods. Check our current submission status on our Call for Submissions page. Sign up for our Newsletter to be informed of upcoming Submission periods.
Frank Schurter
#8 | What Rates Are You Paying?
Payment is $0.08/word.
Payment for reprints is $0.04/word
Poems are paid at the rate of $25 to $100
We pay on acceptance and our author’s contract is substantially based on the model contract provided by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA). Publisher Scot Noel is an Associate Member of the SFWA.
At DreamForge Magazine, our goal is to build, not to profit. We are a family owned, team supported volunteer enterprise and we will do right by our contributors as long as we stand.
By Jane Noel
#9 | Who Is Publishing DreamForge Magazine?
Scot and Jane are life-long science fiction and fantasy fans who have worked together since the 1990s, starting at DreamForge Intertainment, one of the pioneering companies in the early days of computer game development.
You can learn more about Scot and Jane on our About Us page and on the page About Scot Noel.
Joining us on this adventure are a core team of colleagues and friends, including:
- Renowned Science and Fantasy Fiction Author Jane Lindskold, best known for her Firekeeper Saga and collaborations in David Weber’s Honorverse.
- Henry Gasko is our Editorial Assistant, helping us select stories that embody that special DreamForge touch.
- Our incredible team of First Line Readers.
By Fiona Jayde Media
#10 | What is your Worldview?
At DreamForge Magazine, we believe the core tool kit for human advancement is comprised of science and medicine, technology and artistic expression, an adherence to irrefutable and objective truth, universal education, exploration, and the free and equitable commerce of goods and ideas.
While the universe is a dangerous place and we, as a species, often add to that danger by becoming our own worst enemies – at DreamForge we do not subscribe to hopelessness or futility as a vision of the future or of any setting or situation.
Even so, we see no value in demonizing any of the forces that work against our ideals, including the powers of oppression and of discord and divisiveness. We are all human, and the best stories embrace the many facets of our long-troubled species while holding firm to the better angels of our nature.
The key to changing the argument may not be to argue at all. We encourage those who embrace in their daily lives the principles of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit.
Want to see if we can develop a cohesive and honorable worldview that unites more than it divides? Join our community Newsletter and stay tuned. To be a part of the DreamForge Adventure, Subscribe Now.
By Hugh Ebdy
#11 | Are You Crowd Funded?
Yes. Crowd-source funding is an important part of to the success of DreamForge Magazine. We run a Kickstarter Campaign each year. Signup for our Newsletter to stay informed.
You can also support us on Patreon to receive a digital subscription.
Visit our Support Page To see a number of differnet ways that you can support DreamForge.
We couldn't do this without your support.
By Mark Zingarelli
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.
Please consider supporting DreamForge Magazine.
DreamForge is a volunteer effort supported by Dreamers like you. Every small donation helps us to buy hopeful stories and help new authors learn how to bring hope into this crazy world.
Hope is not an illusion; it's a perspective backed by engagement with the world, whatever the condition of the world may be. Like the crew of the Enterprise, we don't expect everyone to share our values, only that we will engage them with ours, and in the course of doing so, possibly, just possibly, win a better future.
Thank you for your support!
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