Radon is a triannual online journal publishing prose and poetry relating to science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, and dystopia. Our goal is to amplify leftist speculative writers who see the world differently, who use story and verse to expose injustice and investigate our futures.

We are a semi-professional market paying 2¢/word for fiction and $20 per accepted poem. 

Lastly, we pay $100 for cover art, $30 for back art, and $20 for art used on our site.

New issues launch every January, May, and September.

General Submission Guidelines:

  • 3,000-word limit for fiction
  • Up to 5 poems per submission
  • Submissions are open year-round
  • Simultaneous submissions accepted
  • Reprints are accepted at half pay-rate
  • For additional help, please see our FAQ
  • No fees, but please consider our Patreon
  • We are not accepting AI-generated works
  • Response time is typically two to four weeks


Flash fiction and short story submissions may be up to 3,000 words. 2¢/word and 1¢/word for reprints. 

For quick processing, please use a single-spaced style similar to Shunn's Modern Manuscript Format.

Stories most often accepted contain a great story combined with progressive social commentary.

Please note that we do not accept fantasy or science fantasy and are likely to reject these genres.

For Dystopian submissions, we look for narratives combining dystopia alongside revolutionary 

attitudes, often featuring characters actively fighting to break their chains of oppression.

Please submit up to five poems in a single document. There is no line limit. 

Label submission "YourLastName_5 Poems" (replace "5" with the number of poems submitted.)

We request single-spaced formatting using a 12pt font such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Lato.

Our poetry editors prefer free verse with narrative elements. Page and spoken word poems welcome.

Poems containing end rhymes or wildly varying line lengths are less likely to be accepted.

Radon is looking for evocative digital art for our covers and to showcase on our site. Please see our previous covers here for the type of art styles we are looking for.

Cover art pay is $100, back cover art $30, and art placed our site $20.

We request digital-native artwork that is at least 300 DPI. 

Please do not send us photographs or physical paper/canvas art.

Cover submissions should be oriented vertically and resize well into a 5.5 x 8.5 ratio. 

Artists retains full copyright to their work. Radon asks for only non-exclusive rights.

Due to ethical and rights concerns, we cannot accept AI-generated artwork.

Radon Journal