Submissions are now open to an anthology of speculative fiction published through Rosarium Publishing and edited by Chinelo Onwualu titled Planet Black Joy. If you are a Black, African, or of Afro-descendent woman or non-binary person, then this opportunity is for you!

Rosarium Publishing is a fledgling publisher based in Maryland, US specializing in speculative fiction, comics, and a touch of crime fiction—all with a multicultural flair.

The collection will be published in fall 2025 and will feature about 20 to 25 short stories by women and non-binary folk who identify as Black, African, or of Afro-descendent heritage exploring and celebrating Black joy and pleasure. It will be edited by Nigerian author Chinelo Onwualu, Susana M. Morris, and Bill Campbell.

The anthology aims to showcase stories of Black joy in the fantastical and the mundane in the present, past, and the future. Themes include a variety of Black joy from catharsis to irreverence to clawing resilience out of the darkness. From Black Twitter after the Alabama Brawl to the kind of joy that has been constructed in the face of white supremacy and patriarchy. What does Black joy mean to you?

Original submissions in English are preferred, but Rosarium is open to translations and reprints. Payment includes professional rates of $0.08 (USD) per word, for original short stories between 3,000 and 7,000 words long and $0.02 (USD) per word for reprints. The writer’s permission will be necessary to include the work as part of the anthology in the following formats: print, digital, and Braille.

Email your submission as an attachment to [email protected].

Deadline: January 1, 2025

Good luck to all applicants!