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
March 2026: Rogue Operators Lone wolves. Fixers. Professionals who operate by their own code when institutions fail. We want protagonists with specialized skills, personal ethics that supersede the rules, and high-stakes scenarios requiring competence under pressure.
April 2026: Satire as Weapon Dark comedy with teeth. Stories that use humor as a scalpel—cutting into systems, institutions, and sacred cows. We want satire that attacks power, not the powerless.
May 2026: Surviving the Apocalypse The world ends and your characters have to survive what comes after. We want moral dilemmas with no clean answers, the psychology of survival, and hope that's earned rather than assumed.
Nonfiction
February 2026: Second Chances & Society's Castoffs Essays examining redemption narratives, who gets forgiven and who doesn't, and the mythology of the second act in American storytelling.
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.
Upcoming Themes
New theme guidelines are posted quarterly. Here's what's ahead:
- June 2026: No Man's Land (Westerns) — Print Issue
- 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.