MM Anthologies Info
Micromance Magazine curates two annual romance anthologies:
Hometown Hearts
Submissions Open April 1, 2026 - May 31, 2026
Tentative Release date: Early July 2026
Please do not submit early. Early submissions will be deleted unread.
Hometown Hearts is a small-town romance collection. For this anthology, we are seeking sweet, kissing-only romances with no foul language, innuendo or “spice.” Small-town vibes are a must. Think parades, community festivals, neighborhood picnics, high school classmates, childhood best friends, dog parks, quirky little businesses, fun annual traditions, etc. If your story feels like a Hallmark movie, you’re on the right track. Stories may be set at any time of year, but romances heavily focused on specific holidays are better suited for KissMet Quarterly.
How to Submit
SEND an email to mmanthologysubs@gmail.com with the subject line: Hometown Hearts - [Your Story Title] We receive a lot of emails, and your message will get lost if it is not appropriately labeled.
ATTACH your story of no more than 2000 words in .doc/.docx format. The file name should include your last name.
PASTE an author bio of no more than 100 words into the body of your email. Please do NOT include your bio in your Word doc.
Formatting Guidelines:
Times New Roman 12pt. font
Double spaced
Section breaks should be marked by * * *
In the header of your document, please include just your name and a title and word count for your story.
Avoid elaborate formatting.
Please do not include additional information in the header. Simplifying your submissions helps us respond more quickly.
Unlike Saltwater and Ash, submissions for this anthology will not be read blind. All authors will be notified about the status of their stories no later than June 15, 2026.
No simultaneous submissions or previously published pieces. No AI, erotica, or overt political rhetoric.
Submissions that have disregarded the guidelines will not be considered.
Author Rights:
• Authors will retain the publishing rights to their individual submitted pieces, but please refrain from publishing pieces anywhere else within 6 months of publication in Hometown Hearts. MM Publishing (Micromance Magazine) will retain the rights to each published issue in perpetuity.
• Currently, we are not a paying market, but we offer exposure and publicity through social media promotions and Micromance Magazine newsletters (sent out to 750+ inboxes). Stories accepted for Hometown Hearts may be used by MM Publishing and its representatives (Micromance Magazine; G. Lynn Brown, EIC; etc) in whole or in part to promote Hometown Hearts. Authors will be appropriately credited in all promotional materials.
• Contributors will have the opportunity to purchase bulk lots of “wholesale” author copies.
• Contributors will receive a sneak preview of the cover before it’s revealed to the public, as well as a complementary PDF of the ebook.
Submit:
***By submitting to Hometown Hearts you acknowledge that you agree to all of the above as stated in Guidelines, and Author Rights, and that your submission is a previously unpublished, original story exclusively submitted to Hometown Hearts and, upon acceptance, you are willing to sign a copy of above author rights***
Click here to submit:
Editors:
G. Lynn Brown, 2x Pushcart Nominee, EIC Micromance Magazine
Katie Fitzgerald, Sparkie Award Winner, The Cupid Prize nominee, Co-editor Micromance Magazine
Saltwater And Ash:
Submissions Are Now Closed
Tentative release: Late March 2026
Saltwater and Ash is a paramythromantasy anthology… what is “paramythromantasy?” you ask. Well, it is mythical romance that can be set in either our contemporary world, making it paranormal, or in a fantasy world: Para-Myth-Romantasy.
Specifics:
Saltwater and Ash is dedicated to romantasy set in any world, but must include a mythical water being (mermaid, merman, sea nymphs, selkies, sea faeries, sea dragons, banshees, etc) and/or a dragon (flying, fire-breathing, two-headed, etc). And must have romance as the central plot - romance between a human and merperson; or between merpeople; sorceresses that turn into either Saltwater or Ash beings and allure unsuspecting men…you get the idea…but keep it clean/sweet/wholesome/PG (or however you like to think of it, and if you're not sure, if we were on a romantic spice Scoville chart, we'd be anything between a bell pepper and a mild banana pepper).
We're looking for imaginative stories that pull the reader into the action, the realm, and, of course, the romance. Let's see stories about modern people somehow going back in time to medieval days; stories of time portals and dimension shifts to other worlds; I want to read the *real* true story of Amelia Earhart, of how she landed on a Pacific Island and was charmed by a handsome merman who took her as his sea queen…Get creative - stick with usual romantasy tropes or invent your own. Most of all, have fun with it!!
Editors:
G. Lynn Brown, 2x Pushcart Nominee, EIC Micromance Magazine
Katie Fitzgerald, Sparkie Award Winner, The Cupid Prize nominee, Co-editor Micromance Magazine
Guest Editor/Reader:
Romantasy Author Desirae Gracyn, author of “A Bond of Blood and Lavender” (as Caroline Crews)
Guidelines:
Maximum word count: 2,000
All submissions sent as .doc/.docx ONLY
Do *NOT* include any identifying info in the .doc…submissions are being read blind….keep bios and any other ID to the cover letter…
No Simultaneous Submissions! Decisions will be sent out within 2 weeks of the end of the anthology call
No Previously Published Pieces. We want original work
No AI
No Erotica
No Political Agendas - this is about love and fantasy, a place to escape the real world
Please include a short bio (100 words max) in 3rd person
Any violation of the guidelines will result in automatic rejection
Author Rights:
• Authors will retain the publishing rights to their individual submitted pieces, but please refrain from publishing piece anywhere else within 6 months of publication in S&A. MM Publishing (Micromance Magazine) will retain the rights to each published issue in perpetuity.
• Currently, we are not a paying market, but we offer exposure and publicity through social media promotions and Micromance Magazine newsletters (sent out to 750+ inboxes). Stories accepted for Saltwater and Ash may be used by MM Publishing and its representatives (Micromance Magazine; G. Lynn Brown, EIC; etc) in whole or in part to promote Saltwater and Ash. Authors will be appropriately credited in all promotional materials.
• Contributors will receive a promo code for discounts on Saltwater and Ash merch and will have the opportunity to purchase bulk lots of “wholesale” author copies.
• Contributors will receive a sneak preview of the cover before it's revealed to the public.
Submit:
***By submitting to Saltwater and Ash you acknowledge that you agree to all of the above as stated in Guidelines, and Author Rights, and that your submission is a previously unpublished, original story exclusively submitted to S&A and, upon acceptance, you are willing to sign a copy of above author rights***
Click here to submit:
Hometown Hearts:
More info coming soon!!