The Colored Lens

Fiction

Non-Fiction

We publish all varieties of speculative fiction, from alternate history, to high fantasy, to nuts and bolts hard science fiction, to dark fantasy, so long as it meets the guidelines above. Whatever the genre, the focus should be used to comment on our world and society rather than exclusively to keep the reader turning pages.

A few things to keep in mind when submitting:

• Stories should have a plot. Although we want stories that comment on our world and society, stories should also have a hook, rising action, climax, and resolution, although the handling of those elements can be experimental.
• Flash fiction is great, but make sure it has a fully developed plot.
• Stories must have a speculative element. It can be slight, but must be present.
• Present tense will be a harder sell than traditional past tense. We have published stories in the present tense, and undoubtedly will continue to do so, but stories in the past tense tend to have a higher chance of acceptance.
• Sex, violence, and related themes are fine, but those elements should not be the main focus of the story.

Length & Format
We publish stories up to 10,000 words, although we prefer stories in the 500-5000 word range. We also publish novellas up to 20,000 words, serialized over multiple issues.

We are willing to consider novella-length graphic novels. If you have a proposal, please contact us at Submissions@TheColoredLens.com

Cover letter
In your cover letter, please tell us the title, genre, and word count of your story. Also include a short (less than 100 words) biography. Please do not tell us about your story. We would rather find out by reading it.

If you’re uncertain how to write a cover letter, Jed Hartman has an excellent article of what to include/not include at http://www.kith.org/journals/jed/2004/08/22/2205.html

Submission & Responses
Short stories should be in standard manuscript format, and submitted using our online submission system. Do not worry about double spacing or paragraph indentions, although double spacing between paragraphs is nice. This can be done by running a search/replace for ^P and replacing it with ^p^p. Novellas too large to be uploaded using the online submission system should be pasted into the email as text and sent to Submissions@TheColoredLens.com. You should receive email confirmation that your story has been received within a few hours. If you do not, contact us at Submissions@TheColoredLens.com. We try to respond to stories within a week, although stories held for final determination take longer. We will notify you if your story is being held.

We do not accept simultaneous submissions, multiple submissions or reprints.

View submission statistics.

Although topics may be controversial, within reason, the goal should be to show our readers different perspectives, not to incite anger, attack other viewpoints, or build your own soap box. The purpose of non-fiction submissions is ultimately to both provoke thought and inform our readers. When you submit non-fiction articles for publication at The Colored Lens, you agree to follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics—though you are by no means required to be a journalist, professional or otherwise, to write for us. Failure to adhere to the Code of Ethics will result in the rejection of your submission, and may prevent you from submitting non-fiction articles in the future.

Our readers are generally knowledgeable and intelligent, but may not be acquainted with your specific area of expertise. Technical jargon should be kept to a minimum, or explained appropriately.

Length & Format
We will consider articles up to 10,000 words in length, but articles in the 1000-5000 word range are most likely to be published. Articles should be written in APA, Chicago Manual of Style, or Associated Press Style as appropriate, with a preference toward the Chicago Manual of Style when possible. Citations should be either hyperlinks or cited in one of the three styles. Good examples of speculative non-fiction can be found here, or in a variety of publications, both online and in print. Wired, io9, Scientific American, PC Magazine, and the official SETI blog are a few examples of sources of occasional speculative non-fiction, though many more exist.

Cover Letter
In your cover letter, please tell us the title, field, and word count of your article. If you have yet to write the article, and would like to see if your idea for an article is a good fit for our publication before you write it, then please include both a synopsis of what you plan to do with your article and explain to us why you think we should pick it up. Submitting a working first draft at this stage is greatly preferred, though not required. Also include a short (less than 100 words) biography that includes your background and experience in the field you are writing about.

Submission & Responses
Stories should be submitted via email to Non-Fiction@theColoredLens.com. You should receive confirmation that your article has been received within 24 hours. If you have not, please resend it. If the article is accepted, you will receive a second confirmation and will be given instructions on how to start the editing process with one of our editors. Please note that it may take multiple revisions of the original draft of the article before it is ready for publication. We do not accept articles that have previously been published elsewhere.