Cold Signal Magazine
@cold-signal.com
https://cold-signal.com
Issue Three: Underworld, out now!
///a weird genre & indie lit online anthology series exploring the existential questions of today & tomorrow///
EIC: @johnchrostek.com
Issue Three: Underworld, out now!
///a weird genre & indie lit online anthology series exploring the existential questions of today & tomorrow///
EIC: @johnchrostek.com
Pinned
Cold Signal Magazine
@cold-signal.com
· Apr 6
Starting up the official Issue Three megathread that I'll build out over the next two weeks, spotlighting the fantastic fiction, poetry and cnf in UNDERWORLD. The pieces will be shared in collage order (so, first name alphabetical) on the TOC page. Thanks in advance for reading!
Hey pals, CS update:
Novelettes are still in consideration. Sorry for the delay. Novelette summer will be novelette fall and winter as I got way more than I expected. But once this is done, CS will be going into stasis for a time.
Novelettes are still in consideration. Sorry for the delay. Novelette summer will be novelette fall and winter as I got way more than I expected. But once this is done, CS will be going into stasis for a time.
September 27, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Hey pals, CS update:
Novelettes are still in consideration. Sorry for the delay. Novelette summer will be novelette fall and winter as I got way more than I expected. But once this is done, CS will be going into stasis for a time.
Novelettes are still in consideration. Sorry for the delay. Novelette summer will be novelette fall and winter as I got way more than I expected. But once this is done, CS will be going into stasis for a time.
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
FFer Read of the Day: "Toxic Positivity" by @joellekillian.bsky.social in @cold-signal.com
cold-signal.com/toxic-positi...
cold-signal.com/toxic-positi...
Toxic Positivity – Joelle Killian
Toxic Positivityby Joelle Killian I dig ragged nails into my thighs, quietly hyperventilating as our Quest Guides circle around us. Neither their altar crowded with owls, nor the sunlight flooding …
cold-signal.com
September 6, 2025 at 4:31 PM
FFer Read of the Day: "Toxic Positivity" by @joellekillian.bsky.social in @cold-signal.com
cold-signal.com/toxic-positi...
cold-signal.com/toxic-positi...
Just as an update to all interested parties, I’ve been extremely busy the past few weeks and as such it’s been slow going through the novelettes. I don’t want to reject anyone just bc I’m not in peak submission reading condition so please don’t be discouraged by radio silence!
July 10, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Just as an update to all interested parties, I’ve been extremely busy the past few weeks and as such it’s been slow going through the novelettes. I don’t want to reject anyone just bc I’m not in peak submission reading condition so please don’t be discouraged by radio silence!
Extremely, deeply pleased to see Karlo Yeager Rodriguez (@kjy1066.bsky.social) on the Nebula Reading List for his wonderful story "A Line of Ink, Stretching Back Like a Shadow" in the latest issue of Cold Signal. A wonderful testament to Karlo's craft and the quality of the story itself
July 10, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Extremely, deeply pleased to see Karlo Yeager Rodriguez (@kjy1066.bsky.social) on the Nebula Reading List for his wonderful story "A Line of Ink, Stretching Back Like a Shadow" in the latest issue of Cold Signal. A wonderful testament to Karlo's craft and the quality of the story itself
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
just an example of something moody and vibey, totally at random, of course:
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
July 6, 2025 at 6:34 PM
just an example of something moody and vibey, totally at random, of course:
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
Happy to have a story on this year’s @wigleaf.bsky.social longlist. Thank you @laughingyeti.bsky.social and the Wigleaf readers and series editors for selecting it. And thank you, always, @johnchrostek.com for publishing the piece in @cold-signal.com
July 2, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Happy to have a story on this year’s @wigleaf.bsky.social longlist. Thank you @laughingyeti.bsky.social and the Wigleaf readers and series editors for selecting it. And thank you, always, @johnchrostek.com for publishing the piece in @cold-signal.com
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
FFer Read of the Day: "The Problem of Evil" by @spencerwriting.bsky.social in @cold-signal.com
cold-signal.com/the-problem-...
cold-signal.com/the-problem-...
The Problem of Evil – Spencer Nitkey
The Problem of Evilby Spencer Nitkey I am Mother and Father’s final test. The fluorescent moon, that diadem of Heaven Industries, smiles a crooked, asteroid ridden smile. It is so close I feel I co…
cold-signal.com
July 2, 2025 at 8:30 PM
FFer Read of the Day: "The Problem of Evil" by @spencerwriting.bsky.social in @cold-signal.com
cold-signal.com/the-problem-...
cold-signal.com/the-problem-...
Psyched to see @pdforan.bsky.social’s story from Issue 2 of Cold Signal in the @wigleaf.bsky.social 2025 long list alongside so many other wonderful names of friends and talents! Wigleaf has always done a wonderful job championing short fiction + it’s lovely to see Pat’s work + CS make the list
June 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Psyched to see @pdforan.bsky.social’s story from Issue 2 of Cold Signal in the @wigleaf.bsky.social 2025 long list alongside so many other wonderful names of friends and talents! Wigleaf has always done a wonderful job championing short fiction + it’s lovely to see Pat’s work + CS make the list
Today’s the last call for novelette submissions! As a reminder, it’s novelettes only at this time :)
Novelette Week is here! Until Friday, I'll be accepting submissions for strange, singular + surreal novelettes between 7k-18k in length. To best understand Cold Signal's house style, reading prior issues is recommended. More info about submitting can be found here:
cold-signal.com/submissions/
cold-signal.com/submissions/
SUBMISSIONS
SUBMISSIONS NOVELETTE SUBMISSION WINDOW:JUNE 16-20th 2025 7K- 18k WORD COUNTNo ThemeSee Fiction Submission Guidelines Below MAIN ISSUE SUBMISSIONS CLOSEDUNTIL LATER THIS YEAR (Will be a Themed Issu…
cold-signal.com
June 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Today’s the last call for novelette submissions! As a reminder, it’s novelettes only at this time :)
Quick note: I've gone in and made a change to the Submissions page to reflect that previous inclusion in a Cold Signal issue is not disqualifying for the novelette calls.
Novelette Summer is a block party and I'd love a mix of new and familiar voices getting funky with the format
Novelette Summer is a block party and I'd love a mix of new and familiar voices getting funky with the format
June 16, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Quick note: I've gone in and made a change to the Submissions page to reflect that previous inclusion in a Cold Signal issue is not disqualifying for the novelette calls.
Novelette Summer is a block party and I'd love a mix of new and familiar voices getting funky with the format
Novelette Summer is a block party and I'd love a mix of new and familiar voices getting funky with the format
Novelette Week is here! Until Friday, I'll be accepting submissions for strange, singular + surreal novelettes between 7k-18k in length. To best understand Cold Signal's house style, reading prior issues is recommended. More info about submitting can be found here:
cold-signal.com/submissions/
cold-signal.com/submissions/
SUBMISSIONS
SUBMISSIONS NOVELETTE SUBMISSION WINDOW:JUNE 16-20th 2025 7K- 18k WORD COUNTNo ThemeSee Fiction Submission Guidelines Below MAIN ISSUE SUBMISSIONS CLOSEDUNTIL LATER THIS YEAR (Will be a Themed Issu…
cold-signal.com
June 16, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Novelette Week is here! Until Friday, I'll be accepting submissions for strange, singular + surreal novelettes between 7k-18k in length. To best understand Cold Signal's house style, reading prior issues is recommended. More info about submitting can be found here:
cold-signal.com/submissions/
cold-signal.com/submissions/
June 9, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Novelette Summer is here and it's happening! Love to see it & love Strange Horizons!
As a reminder, Cold Signal will also be open for novelettes from the 16th-20th. CS's tastes skew towards the weird and genre-agnostic. Check out our backlog for a taste of the house style.
Long live the novelette!
As a reminder, Cold Signal will also be open for novelettes from the 16th-20th. CS's tastes skew towards the weird and genre-agnostic. Check out our backlog for a taste of the house style.
Long live the novelette!
The novelette window is now OPEN!
Send us your fiction between 10,000 and 18,000 words. The cap will be 300 stories.
Happy submitting!
NOTE: In order to allow more writers to submit to us and widen our pool of submissions, writers may only send one story across all three 2025 submission windows.
Send us your fiction between 10,000 and 18,000 words. The cap will be 300 stories.
Happy submitting!
NOTE: In order to allow more writers to submit to us and widen our pool of submissions, writers may only send one story across all three 2025 submission windows.
Novelette Submission Guidelines
On June 4th, we will be opening for speculative fiction novelette submissions between the word count of 10,000 and 18,000 words. We will cap submissions at 300.
strangehorizons.com
June 4, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Novelette Summer is here and it's happening! Love to see it & love Strange Horizons!
As a reminder, Cold Signal will also be open for novelettes from the 16th-20th. CS's tastes skew towards the weird and genre-agnostic. Check out our backlog for a taste of the house style.
Long live the novelette!
As a reminder, Cold Signal will also be open for novelettes from the 16th-20th. CS's tastes skew towards the weird and genre-agnostic. Check out our backlog for a taste of the house style.
Long live the novelette!
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
The way this piece in @cold-signal.com had me transfixed.
The Existential Game of Tarot – Camille Gazoul
The Existential Game of Tarotby Camille Gazoul Guidance We may be reluctant to trust our inner guide when it appears, because we are so used to taking cues from the outside.¹ Should I move? S…
cold-signal.com
May 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM
The way this piece in @cold-signal.com had me transfixed.
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
COLD SiGNAL UPDATES:
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
May 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
COLD SiGNAL UPDATES:
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Bumping this up! Sharpen them novelettes, people :)
COLD SiGNAL UPDATES:
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
May 21, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Bumping this up! Sharpen them novelettes, people :)
COLD SiGNAL UPDATES:
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
May 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
COLD SiGNAL UPDATES:
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Novelette submission window: June 16th-20th. No theme. Aiming to publish a handful throughout the summer, spaced out. 7k-18k length.
Issue Four later this year. Themed. Haven't officially settled on a theme yet, but leaning towards THE CREATURE. Demons, beasts, oddities & us.
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
very dizzying piece of contemporary weird horror, twists structure in some very chewy, evocative ways
Perry Ruhland brings us a weird horror meditation on trauma, love and spinal catastrophism in "Nerves" exploring the way we grow like roots into ourselves & into the world.
"The more closely one inhabits a body, the more that body grows strange."
cold-signal.com/nerves-perry...
"The more closely one inhabits a body, the more that body grows strange."
cold-signal.com/nerves-perry...
Nerves – Perry Ruhland
Nervesby Perry Ruhland Nothing would cohere, everything collapsed. The stories were half-formed things, shoddy skeletons wrapped in fat. They were written, abandoned, the drafts thrown out. Sleep w…
cold-signal.com
April 25, 2025 at 8:22 PM
very dizzying piece of contemporary weird horror, twists structure in some very chewy, evocative ways
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
National Short Story Month means you should read great short stories, like A Ways Off by @addisonzeller.bsky.social in @cold-signal.com Issue 3: Underworld. A hotel and a house and all kinds of weird happenings. Oh and a brass button. cold-signal.com/a-ways-off-a...
May 2, 2025 at 9:58 PM
National Short Story Month means you should read great short stories, like A Ways Off by @addisonzeller.bsky.social in @cold-signal.com Issue 3: Underworld. A hotel and a house and all kinds of weird happenings. Oh and a brass button. cold-signal.com/a-ways-off-a...
Reposted by Cold Signal Magazine
Reminder: my oldest, most recent story's free to read!
Many thanks to @cold-signal.com for giving this oldie (but goodie) a home at last
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
Many thanks to @cold-signal.com for giving this oldie (but goodie) a home at last
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
A Line of Ink, Stretching Back Like A Shadow – Karlo Yeager Rodriguez
A Line of Ink, Stretching Back Like A Shadowby Karlo Yeager Rodriguez Mamán loved words; this, Gre-mamán told me. Mamán had covered her belly with writing, painted words on it in great loops and wh…
cold-signal.com
April 30, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Reminder: my oldest, most recent story's free to read!
Many thanks to @cold-signal.com for giving this oldie (but goodie) a home at last
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
Many thanks to @cold-signal.com for giving this oldie (but goodie) a home at last
cold-signal.com/a-line-of-in...
Been thinking about making a direct transfer Cold Signal shirt in the next few months, once Evening House is hopefully secure and I can get a transfer machine. Mainly to have one for myself, but maybe make a few extra too for those interested. Trying out some designs that might look cool on a shirt
April 29, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Been thinking about making a direct transfer Cold Signal shirt in the next few months, once Evening House is hopefully secure and I can get a transfer machine. Mainly to have one for myself, but maybe make a few extra too for those interested. Trying out some designs that might look cool on a shirt
people are finding singular, electric weird fiction, poetry and cnf on cold signal
April 28, 2025 at 8:36 PM
people are finding singular, electric weird fiction, poetry and cnf on cold signal
Only a few left to add to the thread that’ll all be posted this weekend! It’s never been easier to pick out some Cold Signal work that speaks to you.
The collages are designed to mirror the work, so walk through the collage + description trail and get rocked by the good shit
The collages are designed to mirror the work, so walk through the collage + description trail and get rocked by the good shit
Starting up the official Issue Three megathread that I'll build out over the next two weeks, spotlighting the fantastic fiction, poetry and cnf in UNDERWORLD. The pieces will be shared in collage order (so, first name alphabetical) on the TOC page. Thanks in advance for reading!
April 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Only a few left to add to the thread that’ll all be posted this weekend! It’s never been easier to pick out some Cold Signal work that speaks to you.
The collages are designed to mirror the work, so walk through the collage + description trail and get rocked by the good shit
The collages are designed to mirror the work, so walk through the collage + description trail and get rocked by the good shit