The Cosmic Background - Fiction
(Poetry)
Description
We want the single best piece of flash fiction you have that comes from the places in-between. We are primarily a slipstream publication -- that means we like your stories that don't make a ton of sense. We want your giant talking frogs. We want your people with unexplained, never commented-upon eyes in their fingertips. We enjoy character-focused writing, with an emphasis on voice.
Market Genres
Genres
FantasyGeneral
Market Types, Lengths & Pay Scale
Originals
Flash
0 to 1000 words
8 cents/word
Short Story
1000 to 1500 words
8 cents/word
Reprints
Flash
0 to 1000 words
3 cents/word
Short Story
1000 to 1500 words
3 cents/word
Market Submission Types
AI Submissions?: Not Allowed
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: Yes
Translations: Original Language Only
Estimated Response: 15 days
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: Yes
Translations: Original Language Only
Estimated Response: 15 days
Market-Provided Data
This section can be updated by a representative of the publication. To add a representative, the publication should contact us to request it (no cost).
Market Response Data (User-Reported)
View recent responses from this market
This statistical information is an aggregation of submission data provided by our members. The more data we have the more accurate our
numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
Count:
There are 276 completed reports in the past 12 months.
Averages and Boundaries:
Min: 0 | Average: 33.84 | Median: 18 | Max: 377
Responded:
96.73%
Accepted:
1.44% - avg 126 days
Rejected:
95.28% - avg 32 days
(2.66% of rejections are personal)
Rewrites:
-
Dead Letters:
0.36%
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
0.36%
Withdrawn:
2.89%
Pending:
There are 87 pending responses.
(0 min | 16.48 average | 15 median | 137 max days waiting)
Note: pending statistics may skew high if some users neglect their data.
We recommend querying after the time the market suggests to query.
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Listing added: 20 April 2023
Last officially checked: 7 March 2025