Ballads of the Distant Reaches is currently open for submissions!

We are seeking writers to participate in the Conclave of Bards! We want compelling characters who make bold choices that force us to keep reading. While every story we publish is set in the Distant Reaches, writers are free to explore any genre. If you don’t have a capital-F fantasy piece as a writing sample, that’s OK!

Before submitting, please review this page and familiarize yourself with our published content.

Ballads of the Distant Reaches publishes original commissioned work up to 6,000 words in length. We do not publish original work set outside of the world of the Distant Reaches or reprints.

Instructions: Submit a prose writing sample of no more than 5,000 words, or short screenplay or screenplay excerpt in standard screenplay format no longer than 10 pages, and a brief cover letter to editors@distantreaches.com. (Do not pitch stories until we contact you. Unsolicited pitches will not be read and will be deleted.)

Your sample may be published or unpublished. It may be a sample from a longer work, but it must have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Include your name and a good email address for contact. Submit your sample only in .PDF, .RTF, .DOCX, or .DOC file formats. If your piece has been published previously, you can send us a .PDF of that!

You may include the cover letter in the body of your email. We simply want to know who you are, what makes you tick, and why you want to write for us! Think of this less as an admissions essay and more of a cool hang-out.

Diversity Statement: The Distant Reaches are for everyone! We encourage women, writers with disabilities, writers of color, Black writers, Indigenous writers, Native writers, LGBTQIA+ writers, older writers, and anyone from marginalized and/or otherwise underrepresented communities to submit their work. The Distant Reaches are as diverse as our own world, and your voices will only enrich it. Please note: We are unable to work with writers in translation at this time.

Response Time: We strive to respond as soon as possible. We send most responses within 30 business days of receipt, if not sooner. Thank you for understanding we are unable to provide personalized feedback on your submission.

Pay: All authors and artists are paid for commissioned work.

Confidentiality: An author’s personal information (name, address, phone, secret identity, submission material) will not be shared with anyone beyond the editors of Ballads of the Distant Reaches, unless the author gives us written permission to do so.