{"id":283,"date":"2026-05-11T18:27:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T18:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afronautpress.com\/?page_id=283"},"modified":"2026-06-11T16:37:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T16:37:03","slug":"open-calls","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/afronautpress.com\/index.php\/submissions\/open-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Call"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The Call is now closed<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are always looking for new stories to tell, and will hold open calls for adult fiction manuscripts \u2014 short stories and novellas from time to time. We are looking for writers whose stories are rooted in Africa, alive with its voices, and honest about its contradictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We typically offer a fee of USD$200 for successful short story submissions, USD$400 for Novellas. Should the work be sold internationally we offer royalties and a further fee, based on the rights sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work should be set in Southern Africa, the broader African world, or in the imagination of people who come from here.\u00a0Please read the requirements carefully before submitting.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Short Story 5,000 words <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We will publish a selection of short stories as standalone books in digital and print formats. 5000 words is the target length for final manuscripts, and we understand you may have to write more than that initially. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A short story is not a chapter with no novel attached to it. It is a complete thing: one moment, one tension, one shift in the world or in a person. We are interested in short fiction writers who understand this and know the power of constraint. They use the limited space to do something that a novel, with all its room, could not do as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stories may be submitted individually; if you wish to submit more than one, please send each in a separate email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Novella 20,000 words  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The novella is a form that African fiction has not always been permitted to inhabit. It is longer than a story and shorter than a novel. We believe the format suits the kind of writing that is emerging from Zimbabwe right now \u2014 focused, pressurised, unwilling to waste a word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are interested in all genres \u2014 literary fiction, crime, thriller, romance, speculative fiction, historical fiction, magical realism, and genre work that refuses easy categorisation. The quality of the writing and the truth of the story matter more than the shelf it would sit on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submit your full manuscript. If it is part of a longer project you are developing, include a brief note describing the broader work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What We Will Not Accept <\/h3>\n\n\n\n