Echoes of a Northern Future

Echoes of a Northern Future is a science fiction magazine with an emphasis on stories that envisage a future in which we have learnt to live both with each other, and our environment.

We believe that the first step towards changing the future is to be able to envision an alternative to the path we're currently on. We hope that stories published within this magazine will help to inspire people towards making these futures a reality.

All the stories we publish have a connection to the North of England. By keeping the magazine local we hope to encourage local action.

We're currently accepting submissions for the first edition, to be published in Winter 2024.

Submissions

What we're looking for

Stories that imagine new ways that we might live together in sustainable societies. Or that imagine a step on the road to such a future. We're not looking for dark gritty dystopias. Things might not be perfect in your envisioned future, but your story should ultimately leave the reader with a sense of something hopeful to aim for. Climate fiction, hopepunk and solarpunk stories will all find an appreciative audience here.

We're looking to imagine specifically how the North of England might develop towards a range of better futures, so all submissions should have a local relevance. What will Newcastle look like in 2350? How do the anarchist communes of the Lake District share skills and tools? What are the power structures of the techno-pagan society of Hebden Bridge?

A crucial factor is that these futures should be inclusive and intersectional. Stories from the perspective of groups marginalised in the present, imagining a more equitable future are especially welcome.

Reprints are welcome, and are paid at the same rate as unpublished works, as long as they fit within the theme of the magazine.

Submission window

Submissions are currently open for the Winter 2024 edition, the deadline for this issue is the 15th of November.

Payment

Flash fiction (under 1000 words): £0.06/word (minimum £10)
Short fiction (1000 - 10000 words): £0.04/word (minimum £60)
Poetry: £30/poem
Cover art: £200
Internal art: £50

Submission Process

Upload your work to our submissions portal
It will then be reviewed by a volunteer for suitability for the magazine in general and the upcoming issue in particular.
You may optionally opt-in to receiving anonymous feedback from the reader. Please note, this will purely be one person's brief notes made whilst they read your work.
Stories recommended by reviewers for publication will then be sent to that issue's editor for a final decision on inclusion. This decision will be taken roughly two months before publication.
If accepted you'll then be asked to sign a license agreement, granting us the necessary non-exclusive rights required to publish your work in print, digitally and as audio.
Once the agreement is signed you'll be paid and your work will be prepared for publication.
When the issue featuring your work is published you'll receive a free print (UK postal addresses only), digital and audio copy.

Artwork

Please e-mail editor@todo.tld with a link to your portfolio and whether you'd be interested in working on cover art or internal art.

If you're interested in cover art, please provide a brief description of what you'd like to create. This doesn't need to relate to any specific story within the current issue, it just needs to fit with the themes of the magazine.

For internal art we'll send you a story to provide a small illustration for.

AI Policy

We have a blanket ban on any work created partially or wholly through the use of AI systems.

Order

We plan to publish the magazine twice yearly, with a winter edition in January and a summer edition in July. It will be available in print, digital (PDF/ePub) and audio forms. The first edition is scheduled for January 2024. If you'd like to stay up-to-date with progress you can follow us on Mastodon.