NON-FICTION:
We commission articles from our staff of freelancers, though suggestions are always welcome. The best place for this is the forum.

POETRY:
We don't really published poetry other than as fillers - as such we provide a Poetry Board on our forum for writers to share their poems with other forum members. Poetry can be posted at http://forum.somethingwicked.co.za/YaBB.pl?board=poetry . We do not pay for poetry submissions.

We accept submissions of new science fiction and horror short stories. Stories should be over 2000 words and up to about 10,000* words in length. We like intelligent, original stories with a supernatural or fantastical flavour. We're not very keen on serial killer stories (we like our horror with a dash of the supernatural), so be warned, though we are open to surprises.
Be imaginative - steer clear of the obvious choices unless you are purposefully re-exploring classic territories in an original fashion. Please avoid gore for gore's sake. We prefer character-based stories that keep us up at night rather than gross us out. Humour is always good.

*Due to page contraints in the print version of Something Wicked, accepted stories of over 8000 words might only be published in the eVersion of the magazine - pay rate will remain the same.

POSTAL SUBMISSIONS:
We accept postal submissions all year-round.
Manuscripts should be posted flat or folded no more than once.
Please send your manuscript in standard manuscript format, (double spaced, 1 inch margins, typed or printed on white paper on ONE SIDE ONLY) with a cover letter. Avoid small typefaces and strange fonts. Indent paragraphs & dialogue but do not leave extra spaces between them, unless they signify a chapter break.

Author's name, address, email and phone number should be on the first page. Pages should be numbered with Title/Author's name on the top of every page.
All manuscripts should be disposable. Manuscripts can only be returned if you include a Stamped Self-Addressed Envelope for the correct postage. If not, acknowledgment of receipt will be done by email so please make sure you include it.
If your story is accepted we will require a digital copy via email so please make sure you have an email address or access to a computer.

• We DO NOT accept simultaneous submissions.
• We DO NOT accept multiple submissions.
• Don't submit stories unless you have proof-read and spell-checked them. Be aware that Word tends to default to US spelling, so make sure you spell-check on UK Spelling (unless you are a US writer, of course).

Submissions should be sent to:
SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED

Most importantly do not be disheartened if your story is not selected for print. All writers have their stories rejected at some point or another. Keep writing, keep learning and keep submitting. Our response time is pretty crap but we try and get repliies out within a few weeks of receiving your postal submissions. Check our Accepted Stories List to see if your submission has been accepted, though we will also contact you via email to confirm.

We pay 7 (South African) cents a word (minimum of R40/+/-$15) for published stories between 2000 - 5000 words and R350 (+/-$40) for stories over 5000 words. All non-South African authors will receive 1 contributor's copy. International authors MUST have a PAYPAL account in order to receive payment or they will be paid in contributor's copies.
 

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS:

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED 

ARTWORK:

We are always interested in professional-level illustrative artwork of distinctive style and high quality. Portfolio samples are kept on record and all illustration is commissioned on an issue-by-issue basis.
All interior art is B&W/greyscale, and is solicited according to the style of specific stories or cover requirements. If you would like to be considered for inclusion in our contact list, please send us a few medium-res samples of your work that demonstrate your style/s and medium/s, grasp of anatomy and perspective, and ability to interpret a scene and visually realise character and/or action. Web links to your online portfolio are also welcome.
Cover art is commissioned from our pool of artists.
Note that while we do not use photographic, comic book or abstract art, elements of these may be incorporated where it suits the style of a particular story, illustration or cover design.

When you submit you will receive an automatic receipt to confirm that we have received your email. If your submission has been successful then you will hear from us within the next three months with a commission brief (sent out to all our artists on a per issue basis).

Please note that we only accept art by email - see below for address.
Click here for a more detailed guideline and FAQ.

We offer R100 for individual images, R250 if a story requires more than two illustrations and R500 for full colour cover art. 

WHERE TO SEND ART:

ART: Send medium-res jpgs or a link to your online portfolio and a short note about yourself to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with only the words ART SUBMISSION in the subject line.

By submitting your work you acknowledge that you have read and understood the Terms & Conditions.