Lackington's Magazine

This project is on indefinite hiatus. Check their site to find out whether this is a submission and/or publication hiatus. (August 2022)

About

This place where prose does more than get the job done. Where it shakes out its feathers or tries on outrageous costumes. Where it recalls tradition or flouts it completely. Where it’s a character in its own right. Where it expands its chest and breathes. This place, where prose itself speculates, is here. Lackington’s publishes speculative tales told in unusual language.

Country of Publication & Year Established

Canada

Established in 2013

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 2 x per year

Fiction On Hiatus

This is a space for prose poetry. We’re looking for stylized prose. Not inept purple prose, of course, but controlled and well-crafted wordsmithery that reflects the story, setting, theme, atmosphere, or philosophy it seeks to describe. Stylized prose can be sparse and simple, diamond-cut like the writing of Ursula K. Le Guin. It can be sumptuous like the writing of Oscar Wilde. It can be epic, archaic, experimental, mythic, rhythmic, and it can be quiet and subtle, too. Story and character are indispensable, but so is wordcraft. We trade in aesthetics, so make us gasp with unexpected words and give us inventive voices, structures, and narratives. Many editors reject heavily stylized prose out of hand. We welcome it. So: If you write conventional prose — the kind that dominates the marketplace — we’ll turn your story away. This is no reflection on the quality of your language or the story as a whole. We may even love your work. It just doesn’t fit the scope of this project.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Heroic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Retrofuturism, Slipstream
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Retrofuturism, Slipstream

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,500 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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Lackington's Magazine Submission Statistics

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This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026