The 23rd Annual Triangulation anthology will be edited by Marie Vibbert with a theme of BAD ROMANCE.

You know that friend who keeps falling for terrible people? That couple that not only fights all the time but makes each other a worse person, and they keep getting back together?

Send us them.

We want stories or poetry about trashfire, toxic relationships, with a speculative element.

Your submission must:

• Contain a failed romance. Your protagonists may succeed at everything but love.
• Not have graphic trauma or abuse – we’re going for a lighthearted tone. The kind of mess it’s fun to gawk at, not the one that makes you call social services.
• Contain a speculative (science fiction or fantasy) element
• Be fewer than 5,000 words long (for a story) or 60 lines long (for a poem.)

We also ask:

• Soft core / R-rating is okay, but no explicit erotica.
• No gore for gore’s sake, gratuitous sexual assault, bigotry (outside of portraying characters), or things that end on a pun.
• Sorry, no fanfic.
• Absolutely NO AI-generated work.

We welcome writers from all backgrounds. Please let us know if your piece is “own voices.”

To submit:

Use a semblance of Standard Manuscript Formatting. We aren’t sticklers, but it helps.

However, remove identifying information.

We are reading blind: please do not have your name on your manuscript!

Simultaneous subs are okay, but please let us know if the piece is accepted elsewhere.

Submit one short story or three poems at a time. You may submit something new if rejected before the window closes.

Poetry Guidelines:

Do not use Standard Manuscript Formatting or double-space poetry; format it as you wish it to appear on publication.

You may send up to three poems in the same document, each starting on a separate page.

I prefer short poems, particularly something that fits on one page, but will accept submissions up to two pages or 60 lines long. Stanza breaks count toward your line total.

Payment and Rights:

Prose Compensation:

Originals: 3 cents per word, minimum ($5.50 minimum payout)

Reprints: 1 cent per word, ($5.50 minimum payout)

Poetry Compensation:

Original: 25 cents per line. ($5.50 minimum payout)

Reprints: $5.50 per poem.

Payments are made via PayPal or check.

Rights: For originals, we purchase first North American serial rights, for reprints, non-exclusive North American serial rights, plus for both: Spanish language rights, audio and electronic rights for the downloadable version(s).