Samovar submission guidelines
We are currently open to submissions.
Last update: 23rd February 2020
Samovar is a triannual magazine of and about speculative fiction in translation, published by Strange Horizons.
This page explains what types of material Samovar publishes, and how to submit. All submissions are considered by the Samovar editors:
- Sarah Dodd
- Greg West
- Laura Friis
Samovar encourages and welcomes submissions from all languages, and by individuals from groups or backgrounds that have historically been marginalized and/or under-represented within speculative fiction. Please don't self-reject; we want to consider your work!
All submissions should be made through our Moksha page, here. Please note that Samovar and Strange Horizons are separate publications, so stories submitted to Samovar can subsequently be submitted to Strange Horizons and vice-versa. (SH can only print and pay for the translation, however, not the original as well). Please send any queries to samovar@strangehorizons.com.
Fiction/Narratives & Poetry
What we publish
In each issue, Samovar prints at least one short story newly translated into English, one reprint of a previously published fiction translation, and a translated poem. In all cases, the English-language versions will be accompanied by the original-language versions.
What we want
We want excellent speculative fiction stories, and strong poems, in translation!
If your work doesn't have a speculative element, or speculative-fiction sensibilities, it's probably not for us. If it is not a translation, it's not for us. We value expanding our perceptions, whether through reading narratives or poems from under-represented groups, or through you sharing insight. We are open to unusual yet readable styles, inventive structures and narratives, and works that address political issues in complex and nuanced ways, resisting oversimplification.
What we pay and what we buy
For newly translated stories, accompanied by the original-language version, we pay 8 US cents per word to the author, and 8 US cents per word to the translator, up to a maximum word count of 3,750 words, based on the English language version of the text (this is not to privilege English but to apply a consisted rate between author and translator). We can consider longer pieces, but regret that we will have to cap payment at $300 to the translator and $300 to the author).
We buy first-printing world exclusive English-language and non-exclusive original language rights (including audio rights for both languages) for six (6) months.
For reprints of translated stories, accompanied by the original-language version, we pay a flat US$100 to the author and US$100 to the translator, regardless of word-count. We do not have a word limit for reprints. We buy non-exclusive English-language and original-language rights (including audio rights for both languages) for six (6) months.
For poetry we pay US$40 to the author and US$40 to the translator. We buy non-exclusive English-language and original-language rights (including audio rights for both languages) for six (6) months.
How to submit
For newly translated stories/poems, please submit either:
- The full translated text (preferred, if available); or
- Sample pages (if available)
(Please tell us what language the story is translated from, and whether you are the author or the translator, we appreciate the inclusion of the original language version, if this is possible).
For reprinted stories, please submit:
- The full translated text
If your submission is accepted, we will request the original-language text to be published alongside the translation.
Submissions should be made via Moksha.
(Please make clear in your cover letter whether the submission is an original or a reprint.)
Non-fiction
Review-essays: we are looking for in-depth critical essays of 2,000 to 3,000 words. These may cover:
- Works recently translated into English
- Works that have not been translated but that will be of interest to an English-language audience
- Critical works focusing on speculative fiction in translation
- Some combination of the above.
Works can be in any medium; we are interested in discussions of speculative books, stories, poetry, film, TV, and other artistic works.
Interview/conversations:we want to provide authors, artists, poets, critics, and fans from non-Anglophone countries with a space to hold in-depth discussions of speculative fiction in their country, or in general, for an English-language audience. You can see some examples of the format we like in the Strange Horizons archive. Interview/conversations may be conducted in a language other than English and then translated.
What we pay and what we buy
For review-essays, we pay US$40 regardless of final wordcount.
For interview/conversations, we pay each participant US$40 regardless of final wordcount. If the interview/conversation is translated into English, we pay the translator US$40 regardless of final wordcount.
We buy first-printing English-language rights exclusive for six (6) months.
How to submit
For review-essays, please submit either:
- Your proposal for a review-essay; or
- The full text of the review-essay
For interview/conversations, please submit your proposal for a conversation. Please do not submit the full text of an interview/conversation unless asked to do so.
Submissions should be made via Moksha.
Our response time
Though we review submissions regularly, our triannual structure means that in practice we have reading periods across the year. We welcome simultaneous submissions.
We do not close to submissions at present as we would like to maximise your opportunity to submit new & excellent work.
Our expected Reading Periods for 2022 are: March/April, June, and September.