Article Queries and Submissions

Thanks for checking this page for any updates to our requirements for article submissions to Metaphor Publications. Please note that we are not accepting manuscript submissions for our fantasy catalog at this time.

For manuscript submission to our Six Guns Press westerns imprint, please click here.

General Article Queries

Metaphor Publications, Inc. is not accepting general submissions at this time. However, we are always open to queries, and we do pay for content we publish. Payment is usually in money, but may also include article exchanges, link exchanges, mutual social media promotion, or other amiable arrangements.

Once your idea is accepted and we've agreed on payment, here are some guidelines to keep in mind while writing it:

Original content, of course. We shouldn't have to say it, but it turns out, we do.
We want the result in HTML, please. We use WordPress here, so if you write the DRAFT in your own WP blog, once your article is composed, flip over to the "Text" editor (rather than "Visual") and copy what's in the editing window. You should see raw HTML in what you're clipping.
As such, don't be afraid to use section titles, or a bulleted list, or inset quotes to encourage the reader to continue scrolling down the screen.
We may ask you to work a few easy keywords into the opening paragraph.
If you have any images you'd like to include, that's encouraged. Just please send us proof that you have permission to use them. Thanks.
We'll likely assign an image, if you don't. At least one.
Be sure to include your Author Bio section at the bottom. We like self-promotion, so link up your best stuff to anchor the article.
Attach the HTML file and any images to an email addressed as above.

Put your article title in the Subject line.
List your name as you'd like it to appear.
Image copyright permissions should be included.
Include any other information you'd like. Gratuitous flattery is merely encouraged, not required.

We'll verify receipt when someone lays eyeballs on it. We may make some suggestions, in which case we'll ask you to join us in a Google Doc for a collaborative editing session at our mutual convenience. These are fun sessions for us, and we hope they'll be for you, too. When we're done, we should both feel pretty confident in what we've got.
We'll transfer the agreed-upon funds into your Paypal account the day the article is posted to our blog.
And the arrangement concludes after we finish our agreed-upon promotions.

Even if you don't intend to write for the column below, you'll probably find the guidelines there helpful.

Uncommon Catalysts

This article series aims to explore the broad, capacious intersection of fantasy/speculative fiction - in any of its forms - and role playing games. Our specific interest is in the catalytic affect that SFF has on RPGs, and vice versa. Our small but growing readership is going to groove on the best results of synergies, mashups, fusions, and/or collaborations in all kinds of media, so if you've got an angle to pitch - a unique vector into that SFF/RPG nexus, we'd like a chance to look at it. If we publish it, we'll gladly pay you for the privilege.

Focused ideas work better than general ideas. This is because
This is an introductory series. Each article should have 800 words minimum. Maximum is 1000.
Pitch your idea to us at submissions ((at)) metaphorpublications ( dot ) com. Please include your website link, or any link to any page that contains something of your work so we can see what you're about.
We'll get back to you as quickly as we can (hours/days, not weeks/months) with a response. We may want to massage your idea a bit, or hear more about it. In any event, we'll nail down what we expect from you, what you can expect from us - and that includes payment.

Use what's listed above to format and submit your article. We look forward to hearing from you.