Question 1

What Are You Looking For?

Accepted Answer

Swords Against! magazine is looking for kickass sword & sorcery fiction from 1,500 to 5,000 words.

Question 2

What Is Sword & Sorcery To You?

Accepted Answer

Wrong question. What is sword & sorcery to you?! To us, it's a fast-paced story with a very active protagonist fighting against larger forces they cannot control (and sometimes don't even understand). Sorcery dark and unpredictable. Kings and other rulers are not to be trusted. The gods don't care about your problems. Is it Blood and Thunder? Yeah, it can be. But, look at Moira McMahon's story, Baby Mama, in the first issue. There was hardly a roar, only the hint of a sword, but the heart palpitated all the same. Is it yet another take on Conan/Elric/Fafrd & the Gray Mouser/etc? It definitely can be, but it'll be a hard sell.We want to see sword & stone, sword & planet, sword & romance(?). We want to see protagonists solving unique problems in unique ways (even if they do hit it with a sword, eventually). Give us cultures that don't look like (insert vaguely medieval datestamp) northern Europe. Give us cultures that only vaguely resemble those on Earth (the Vancian approach). Other stuff that's a hard sell: Your D&D campaign log in fiction format. Stories whose purpose is only to make a "point." Yeah... themes are great. Give us a blood-pumping yarn and weave your message into it. Anything set after the invention of early gunpowder weapons is going to be difficult to convince us. See Candice Roma's The Bone Compass for sword & powder done right. Stuff that ain't sword & sorcery: Passive protagonists that tell us all about how great they are, but do nothing. Magic school high school drama. Dragons humping werewolves or vice versa. Probably a lot of other stuff.  Stuff that's tired: Women in chains. Torture. Climb the tower and get the thing. Descend into the dungeon and get the thing. Stuff that will be rejected and likely get you banned from future submissions: Anything that punches down on folks that have enough troubles. Nazi/racist bullshit. Anything generated, even in part, by AI/Large language models. AI Statement for those that need it: We don't use or condone the use of AI/LLM systems for any creative endeavor. AI is a computer tool for computer tool things. Write your own damned stories. Draw your own damned art.

Question 3

What Are the Deets?

Accepted Answer

Swords Against! magazine publishes four times a year, starting in 2027. We are accepting submissions for our first two issues of 2027. As always, reading the magazine is the best way to understand what we're going for. Read these guidelines very carefully. Submission Period: We are accepting submissions from midnight (Central US time) September 6th through midnight September 30th, or until we receive 300 submissions (whichever comes first). Check the Submissions Tracker for current status. Anything received before or after we open the submission window will not be read. Word Count: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Pay Rate: 0.04/word (with possible raises based on crowdfunding targets). Rights: First Worldwide Publication rights (physical, digital, web) exclusive for 6-months. We'll retain the right to sell the issue that your story appears in, indefinitely. We also might ask to include a 12-month non-exclusive right to reprint your story in a Swords Against! anthology (we'll pay you for that, too). Otherwise, the story belongs to you. Simultaneous Submissions: Feel free to submit your story to other potential publishers, however, please notify us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere. Please just send one story for this open call, however you CAN submit both to this and the Flash Fiction open call. Reprints: We want only original, unpublished stories (including on your blog, substack, royal road or whatever other online platform). Format: This is very important because it reduces review/acceptance time as well as production time. If your manuscript is not in the prescribed format, it will be rejected. Use the Classic or Modern Manuscript format (with the following caveats):Do not put identifying information in the manuscript header (name, e-mail, address, phone). Do not include your name in the page number header. Do not include a byline. Your manuscript must be in .doc, .docx, .odt, or .rtf format. The Filename of the manuscript must match the title of the story. Don't bother with a cover letter. E-mail your submissions to: submissions@swordsagainst.com. The Subject of your e-mail should be: General Submission: [Title of Your Story]

Question 4

What Response Can I Expect to My Submission?

Accepted Answer

We're committing to these response times. Acknowledgement: We'll acknowledge that we received your e-mail immediately. Rejections: We will send rejections within 90 days of closure of the submission period. Acceptance: We will send acceptance e-mails within 120 days of closure of the submission period. Check the Submissions Tracker for information before you e-mail us about your submission. Answers to direct inquiries will be delayed.

Frequently asked questions

What Are You Looking For?

What Is Sword & Sorcery To You?

What Are the Deets?

What Response Can I Expect to My Submission?