Literary Journal

Tractor Beam

Closes in 11 days

Journals & literary magazines0 open opportunities listed

About the magazine

Tractor Beam is an artist-run initiative founded in 2020, operating as a decentralized platform for experimental and socially engaged art. Its ethos centers on mutual aid, resource-sharing, and non-hierarchical collaboration, aiming to support practices that fall outside commercial or traditional institutional frameworks. The organization facilitates exhibitions, residencies, and public programs that prioritize process over product and community over spectacle.

Editorial focus

Tractor Beam is a new quarterly speculative and science fiction publication dedicated to soilpunk: radical visions of hopeful futures built from the ground up. Its editorial mandate is to explore audacious and provocative ideas around farming, food, earth science, and beyond, reimagining how humans can live more harmoniously with nature. Bring sci-fi down to earth—literally—and sow the seeds of a better tomorrow, today.

Fiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodSep 22 to Oct 15

Reading feeNo

PaymentCash

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Approach with a clear articulation of how your practice aligns with collective values and resource-sharing. Proposals should emphasize collaboration, process, and community impact over individual career advancement. Review past projects to understand the scale and tone; unsolicited applications are welcome but should demonstrate genuine engagement with the platform's mission.

We prefer submissions under 6,000 words for writing or 16 panels for graphic novellas. Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. Word format only. Include your full name, email, and story title at the top of the document. Submission file name should follow the following format: “AUTHOR FULL NAME_STORY TITLE.” Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your piece was accepted elsewhere so we can withdraw it and congratulate you! We are currently seeking work related to the following themes: ice and snow (the frozen earth), the ocean and soil under water, fashion and style, soil as tech, soil as the origin of life, and anti-apocalyptic futures.

Read official guidelines