Incensepunk Magazine

Incensepunk is, at its core, a genre of longing. It desires a world in which traditional faiths and churches play a major role in society. Incensepunk extrapolates Byzantine and Gothic architecture styles into a modern world of skyscrapers and globalization. However, it is not regressive. It doesn’t view the past as good and the present as wicked and depraved. Instead, it tries to envision what the world could look like if faith and society were more integrated.

Incensepunk is speculative fiction, but it need not be alternate history (though it is certainly acceptable to be). It could imagine a future in which the church regains the influence it once had, or where it never lost it at all, or even just the technological struggles of a small faith community. The role of the church in incensepunk is more than merely aesthetic, though the church can (and probably should) look somewhat different than it does today.

Incensepunk is not historical fiction. While stories need not take place in present day Earth, technology extrapolates into the future. The church grapples with emerging technologies, global trade, high-speed communication, and all the complications therein.

Like many of the “punk” subgenres, incensepunk needn’t focus on the “dregs of society”, though doing so is welcome and encouraged. The church may take on a villainous role in stories, but it shouldn’t be evil. Corruption is acceptable and appropriate, but the genre isn’t a place to criticize the traditional teachings of any faith or the faithful. The church itself and its place in society is relevant to stories, not just a set dressing.

Aesthetic motifs common in incensepunk work include Byzantine or Gothic architecture; crucifixes; icons of the saints and Christ; chant; incense (naturally); elaborate altars; monasteries; ostentatious vestments and tall hats; stained glass; or any other aesthetic connected to traditional faiths. These can be combined with or juxtaposed against modern or future technologies to create the incensepunk mood.

Textual themes can include how the church adapts to (or resists) new technologies; global social integration; a society less interested in the sublime; individualism; the supremacy of economic models over other institutions; stewardship of the planet; or evolving ideas of what constitutes human rights, to list a few examples. Meanwhile, characters might be approaching such themes from the opposite end, seeking eternity in a fast-moving world; seeking meaning as cogs in an economic machine; or seeking dignity in a global society.

Incensepunk is inevitably going to hit on political issues, but it is not a primarily political genre. Even when it addresses political issues, it shouldn’t treat adherents of any political belief as wicked or without dignity. It’s not a place to fantasize about a world where your political opponents don’t exist, but it is a place to fantasize about a world where the church can better address political differences.

Importantly, incensepunk is not a genre for hate. If a story exists just to bash any group of people, it has no place in incensepunk. It is not a genre for Inquisition or Crusades apologetics or fantasies. Interactions with other religions and atheism can exist, but it should not make strawmen of them nor should stories be Christian apologetics in disguise.

Note: Because of the limitations of the authors, this manifesto is focused on traditional Christian themes and aesthetics, but incensepunk can be inclusive of other faiths as well, so long as the faith has a sufficient history and aesthetic to reference. Judaism, Islam, Shinto, Buddhism, and Hinduism all come to mind as faiths ripe for incensepunk treatment, but creators are encouraged to explore settings in which any faith traditions encounters the future.

Quick Links to Open Calls:

Flash Fiction Free Open

Length

Under 1,500 words

Pay

$25, plus lifetime “paid” subscription to Incensepunk Magazine. Stories included in annual anthology also receive pro-rata share of 50% of profits (each story’s author receiving a share from that 50% proportioned by the length of their contribution to the total length of the book) and a print copy of the anthology. See the sample contract for details.

Rights

First digital print plus one-time non-exclusive digital and print rights (for the annual anthology).

Formatting

We aren’t too picky on formatting, but don’t try to get clever with it - Substack, where the magazine is hosted, is designed to send posts as emails, which means formatting is more or less barebones. Bold/italics/underlines, special characters, and horizontal rule/divider work fine, but multiple fonts, indenting, tables, etc., are no-go.

What We Want to See

Sci-fi worlds that embrace the breadth of human religion
Complex characters that experience doubt as well as faith
Compelling journeys, whether metaphysical or adventurous
A light at the end of the tunnel, even if the way there is fraught
Thoughtful re-imagining of religious aesthetics in future settings.

What We Aren’t Looking For

Apologetics or sermonizing on any particular faith
Made-up religions or unstructured spirituality
Characters who are walking exemplars of their church
Bashing other religions or the non-religious
Transparent allegories of contemporary political issues

Additional tips

A few additional tips to keep in mind:

Read the Incensepunk Manifesto to find out if your story is a good fit.
AI-generated content is not accepted.
If you do not hear from us after three months, feel free to send a follow-up query.
Here’s a preview of our contract. Note that this is just a sample; actual contract may vary slightly.

Reprints

We cannot pay for flash reprints at this time, but do still offer lifetime "paid" subscription to the magazine for accepted stories.

For reprints, we only ask for one-time digital publication rights. Be sure that you have the rights to republish before submitting.

Submit

Nonfiction Article Free Open

We are open to submissions for pitches for nonfiction articles exploring the intersection of faith and emerging tech, as well as book reviews and other related topics.

Currently, nonfiction articles are not paid; however lifetime “paid” subscription benefits to our Substack will be provided to nonfiction authors.
We accept pitches as well as completed articles; include “PITCH” in your cover letter for pitches so we know what we’re looking at.
Word count is flexible but generally on the shorter end—more likely sub-1000 words.
One-time electronic publication rights are requested.
Multiple submissions and simultaneous submissions are accepted.
AI-generated content is not accepted.
Read the Incensepunk Manifesto to see what we're about.

Submit

Short Fiction Free Open

Guidelines

Length

About 4,000 to 6,000 words

Pay

$100, plus lifetime “paid” subscription to Incensepunk Magazine. Stories included in annual anthology also receive pro-rata share of 50% of profits (each story’s author receiving a share from that 50% proportioned by the length of their contribution to the total length of the book) and a print copy of the anthology. See the sample contract for details.

Rights

First digital print plus one-time non-exclusive digital and print rights (for the annual anthology).

Formatting

What We Want to See

Sci-fi worlds that embrace the breadth of human religion
Complex characters that experience doubt as well as faith
Compelling journeys, whether metaphysical or adventurous
A light at the end of the tunnel, even if the way there is fraught
Thoughtful re-imagining of religious aesthetics in future settings.

What We Aren’t Looking For

Apologetics or sermonizing on any particular faith
Made-up religions or unstructured spirituality
Characters who are walking exemplars of their church
Bashing other religions or the non-religious
Transparent allegories of contemporary political issues

Additional tips

A few additional tips to keep in mind:

Read the Incensepunk Manifesto to find out if your story is a good fit.
AI-generated content is not accepted.
If you do not hear from us after three months, feel free to send a follow-up query.
Here’s a preview of our contract. Note that this is just a sample; actual contract may vary slightly.

Reprints

We accept reprints at a flat rate of $25 per story.

For reprints, we only ask for one-time digital publication rights. Be sure that you have the rights to republish before submitting.

Submit