Black Market Fiction publishes serial fiction and feature articles for readers who want stories with teeth. We're looking for psychological thrillers, dystopian fiction, speculative work, and contemporary narratives featuring characters who go their own way--consequences be damned.
If your protagonist operates outside the system and fights for what matters to them—we want to see it.
Before submitting, review our full Submission Guidelines for formatting requirements, rights information, and editorial standards.
Currently Open
Fiction
June 2026: No Man's Land (PRINT ISSUE) The Western—or its spiritual descendants. Stories set in lawless spaces where justice is personal, survival is uncertain, and civilization is either a distant memory or a distant hope. This is our first print issue: we want fiction that earns the paper it's printed on.
August 2026: Forbidden Relationships Desire that crosses lines. Connections that society forbids, families reject, or circumstances make impossible. This issue explores what people risk for intimacy and what happens when they refuse to stay in their prescribed lanes.
September 2026: Best Served Cold Revenge—patient, calculated, and served with precision. This issue wants stories about characters who don't forgive, don't forget, and make their enemies pay. Bonus points if food, cooking, or culinary culture plays a role.
October 2026: Bargains with the Dark Supernatural transactions. Characters who negotiate with forces beyond the ordinary—and face the consequences. This issue explores what people will trade for power, knowledge, love, or survival, and what happens when the bill comes due.
View Monthly Fiction Guidelines
Nonfiction
March 2026: Rogue Operators Cultural analysis of the lone operator mythology—why these narratives resonate, the evolution of the action hero, and the appeal of competence fiction.
April 2026: Satire as Weapon Essays on how satire functions as resistance—why some satire cuts deep while most barely scratches.
May 2026: Surviving the Apocalypse Cultural commentary on our obsession with the end of the world—what apocalyptic fiction reveals about us and what it gets wrong about human nature.
June 2026: No Man's Land (PRINT ISSUE) Essays exploring the Western genre, frontier mythology, and the cultural meaning of lawless spaces—in fiction and in the American imagination.
View Monthly Nonfiction Guidelines
Upcoming Themes
New theme guidelines are posted quarterly. Here's what's ahead:
- July 2026: Cults & True Believers
- August 2026: Forbidden Relationships
- September 2026: Best Served Cold (Revenge + Culinary)
- October 2026: Bargains with the Dark (Paranormal)
- November 2026: Family Secrets & Defying Legacy
- December 2026: Art of the Con — Print Issue
Check back for detailed guidelines as each quarter approaches.
How to Submit
Email staff@blackmarketfiction.com
Fiction: Subject line "FICTION SUBMISSION – [MONTH] – [Your Title]" Features: Subject line "FEATURE SUBMISSION – [MONTH] – [Your Title]"
Response time: 2–5 weeks. If you don't hear from us within 5 weeks, feel free to submit elsewhere.
Questions?
Email staff@blackmarketfiction.com with "SUBMISSION QUESTION" in the subject line.