Submission Guidelines

KIRBY is a UK seasonal magazine dedicated to publishing original second-world fantasy fiction. We seek immersive, fully realised worlds built through strong craft, voice, and narrative consequence.

Please read the following guidelines carefully before submitting.

Editorial Scope

KIRBY publishes second-world fantasy only.

All submissions must:

  • Have the underlying theme of Reborn.

  • Be set entirely in invented worlds

  • Feature original histories, mythologies, cultures, and internal logic

  • Standalone as complete works of fiction

We do not accept:

  • Urban fantasy

  • Portal fantasy originating from Earth

  • Real-world analogue settings

  • Science fiction

  • Fan fiction

  • Previously published material

  • AI-generated or assisted stories

Submission Categories

Each issue includes:

  • Flash Fiction — 300 to 1,000 words

  • Short Fiction — 2,500 to 7,500 words

Submissions outside these word count ranges will not be considered.

Submission Rules

  • One submission per author per issue

  • Submissions must be original and unpublished

  • Work must be written in English

  • The author must hold full copyright to the work

  • Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but authors must notify ARCANE immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere

  • There is no submission fee

  • All stories should be in [standard manuscript format] and can be submitted in either .RTF or .DOCX format. No images accepted.

  • ** Please note that we do not accept any AI-generated work. **

Payment

KIRBY pays contributors at a rate of:

  • £0.05 per word

Payment caps:

  • Flash Fiction: up to £50

  • Short Fiction: up to £375

Payment is issued upon contract signing and acceptance for publication.

Rights

By submitting and accepting publication, authors agree to the following:

Publication Rights

KIRBY acquires exclusive World English print and digital rights for twelve (12) months from the official publication date.

After twelve months:

  • All publication rights revert to the author.

  • KIRBY retains non-exclusive archival rights to continue selling and distributing the issue in which the work appears.

The author retains full copyright at all times.

Audio Rights

During the twelve-month exclusivity period, KIRBY may produce and distribute a professional audio narration of the work.

After this period, audio rights revert to the author, though KIRBY retains non-exclusive archival rights to previously recorded versions.

Screen Adaptation Option

KIRBY is granted an exclusive twelve (12) month option from publication to shop the work for potential film or television adaptation.

This option:

  • Does not transfer ownership of screen rights

  • Does not guarantee production

  • Requires a separate negotiated agreement if exercised

If no production agreement is secured within twelve months, all adaptation rights remain solely with the author.

Formatting Requirements

  • Submit in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format

  • Standard manuscript formatting preferred

  • Include the story title, word count, and author name

  • Include a short author bio (100–150 words)

Response Times

Submissions are open for a fixed period prior to each issue.

Authors can expect responses within 4–6 weeks following the submission window’s close. Due to volume, we are unable to provide individual feedback on declined submissions.

Our Commitment

KIRBY is committed to:

  • Professional pay rates

  • Clear contracts

  • Respect for author rights

  • Careful editorial consideration

  • Publishing fantasy as a serious literary form

We look forward to discovering bold new worlds.

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