iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 31/07/2026

It's RELEASE DAY! Lower those shoulders, take a deep breath, and read some fantastic short fiction and poetry! www.heartlines-spec.com/issue-11/

A light purple and pink illustrated cover for Issue 11 of Heartlines Spec. The scene depicts a PEI red-toned beach with two woman's straw bonnets caught in the sand, a bottle of raspberry cordial, and footprints leading to the ocean.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 12/07/2026

We've learned that AI is especially good at generating based on themes. It's likely that our Wishlist setting out story themes we're interested in reading is harvested as prompts to tailor a generated story to our preferences.

Example of one of our wishlists. Stylized as a paper note, the Wishlist sets out themes we want to read.
More: Unabashedly fantasy or scifi setting; queerplatonic relationships; rural/pastoral settings/symbiotic relationships (toxic or beneficial)
Less: dead spouses; retellings; stories that don't show the monster; meet cutes (we're here for established relationships)

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 07/07/2026

Our Submission Guidelines are clear: no AI. We don’t want it and we don’t have time for it. We also block and filter it out in our submission system. Our contracts have clauses requiring the bought piece is original work and doesn’t use AI. These contracts were signed by the author.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 30/06/2026

Hear ye, hear ye! It's time to OFFICIALLY announce our Table of Contents for Issue 11. Releasing on July 31 (iykyk), it's a summer special with stories and poetry from new and old friends!

A view of Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island. The landscape is tinted purple with "Issue 11" in white text with a watercolour heart behind the first letter

A pink flat background with watercolour flowers around the corners. The list of the contributors in Issue 11 is in white text.

The list reads: Fiction, Moh Afdhaal, Hap Aziz, Ares J. Benoit, J. A. Espersmyth, Esther Lim, Avra Margariti, Jillian Schedneck, T.R. Steele. Poetry: Chris Clemens, Wren Douglas, R. F. Hovis, Diem Okoye, Julia Sinclair

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 06/06/2026

BEHOLD! Our cover art for Issue 7 is an Aurora Award nominee for Best Cover Art/Interior Illustration! If you're a member of @csffa.bsky.social you can vote TODAY! We've been so lucky to work with Alice M -- Alice's work is consistently gorgeous and we'd love to see it rewarded.

A blue oval table with 4 sets of hands positioned around a handheld mirror. A ghostly set of hands is at the edge of the table and a red-eyed woman peers through the mirror's glass

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 28/05/2026

Send us your words! We're open until the end of the month for submissions for Issue 11! We're looking for: 🌊 deep dives into SFF (not just surface level) 💗 established relationships 🍁more Canadian/Turtle Island submissions! www.heartlines-spec.com/submission-g...

We're looking for short fiction and poetry focused on long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. We don't want the blaze of new love or the obsession of a new friend. We want pieces that show that comfort that develops when people know each other for years.

Give us deep space, dusty frontiers, or dreamy fantasy. We want stories and poetry with strong, confident relationships amid all the sci-fi/fantasy. Stories where the character's choices, trials, and joys are all that much harder because of their existing relationships. Stories that feature dead or murdered spouses will be a hard sell. For more examples of our favoured vibes, check out this post.

We are especially interested in stories featuring queer platonic relationships, ace/aro love stories, and polycules.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 26/03/2026

LOOK! Look with your special eyes! Our cover for Issue 10 is inspired by a folktale of New Brunswick's ghost ship--a ghostly, firey schooner that appears in the Northumberland Strait. @itsbabypears.bsky.social used gorgeous colours to mimic the eerie effect of St. Elmo's Fire Coming March 31!

Cover for Issue 10, art by Alice M. Purple hued seascape with a lighthouse on a rocky coast, a ghost ship with St. Elmo's Fire is in the distance

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 22/12/2025

We're open for early subs from Dec 24-31! If you're an equity-deserving writer, send us SFF short fiction (500-3,500 words) & poetry. Not sure what we want? Less fabulism and more entrenched fantasy/scifi. We'd love pieces that deliver on the promise of their title (show us the monster!!)

our wishlist for the submission period. MORE: unabashedly fantasy or scifi settings; queerplatonic relationships, rural/pastoral settings; symbiotic relationships (toxic or beneficial). LESS: dead spouses; retellings; stories that don't show the monster; meet cutes (we're here for established relationships)

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 08/12/2025

We’ve been looking for low-key features each province/territory and finding ways to make them more speculative. There’s the Ogopogo from Issue 5, the Newfoundland mummers from Issue 6, the canola fields of Saskatchewan in Issue 8.

Cover Art for Issue 5, a brightly lit tent next to the shoreline. A grey-haired person is by the water. In the lake is the Ogopogo. The cover has moody blue tones

Cover art for Issue 6, brightly-coloured row houses under a purplish sky. A crowd of assorted mummers assemble in front--some are traditional some are more folk

Cover art for Issue 8, a spaceship in the middle of a canola field. The sky is lit up green and starry. The constellations are highlighted, making the shape of two lovers

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 08/12/2025

A week ago we released Issue 9! We’ve been shining a light on the stories, poetry, and essays within the issue but now we want to highlight @itsbabypears.bsky.social gorgeous cover art. You might have noticed that we’ve been shifting our covers to be inspired by Canada’s provinces and territories🍁

Cover Art for Issue 9 -- a pink and orange sunset by a highway with one lone car. To the right is a large tree with two pale ghosts behind it.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 28/11/2025

oh hey, is your wallet open for Black Friday? While you're looking for deals, why don't you pay us FULL PRICE PLEASE 💸 $18CAD for a yearly subscription. That's right, there's NO DISCOUNTS, NO DEALS, AND WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT A DRAGON It breaks down to 40 cents a piece for human-made works

Black background with pink neon $18/year. Overtop is curved white text reading 'no discounts, deals, or hoard-stealing dragons'. Directly below the $18 is a list of: 8 stories, 5 poems, 2 essays per year. Six Heartlines covers are arranged below in a fan. Random asides are scattered across the image saying: 'wait, and it's Canadian'; 'that's like 40 cents a piece'; 'i bet that barely covers expenses!'; and 'oh wow such a good deal'

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 28/11/2025

In After Ever, Happily by @elismontgomery.bsky.social the story goes on, people change, but the love is always there. Follow two ancients as they build their lives together and apart. Coming soon to paid subscribers November 30th!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 26/11/2025

Missing you, No Matter Where I Am by @brokenswanquill.bsky.social has all the yearning of a Celine song and the hope of a good tarot spread Coming soon to paid subscribers Nov 30th!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 26/11/2025

Of Flowers and Snails by Allie Leigh is a sweet fae-ry tale about protection and devotion. Coming soon to paid subscribers Nov 30th!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 24/11/2025

The world is changing in 'How Grey was my Valley' by M. J. Pettit. This story has sentient sheep, delicious petrol, and decisions about what comes next. Coming to paid subscribers November 30th!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 22/11/2025

Any lingering questions you want to ask? I Consult a Spiritualist by @mernadyerskinner.bsky.social has the board set up and is searching for truths Coming soon to paid subscribers November 30!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 20/11/2025

We can't wait for you to dive deep into Snow, Stars, Stone by @arielmarkenjack.bsky.social -- plunge into the abyss and make peace with the darkness Coming soon to paid subscribers November 30, 2025!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 18/11/2025

Frolic with strange creatures in Grotto by Leah Duarte! This is a gorgeous poem that will have you checking the next time something nibbles at your toes in the water. Coming to paid subscribers Nov 30, 2025!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 17/11/2025

Find your purpose and your peace in The Last Two Gardeners of Mars by Irene W. Collins. It's a gorgeous story that will have you yearning for spring just so you can listen to the plants. Coming to paid subscribers November 30th!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 14/11/2025

Don't drop your stitches! Looped by @nadiaradovich.bsky.social sticks with you, even if you just want to reset. Coming to paid subscribers November 30th!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 13/11/2025

Create something beautiful out of the rubble of the past. Five of Us by Jayasri Sridha is a meditation on building, recovering, and loving. Coming to paid subscribers November 30th! $18CAD gets you a full-year subscription with the full issue on release day

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 12/11/2025

Hey, we'll split this bag of Hawkins if you share some KitKats? At the End of the World, Meet Me By the Vending Machines by @cjtavares.bsky.social is a funny, epistolary look at the end of the world and how crucial tasty food can be. Please talk to her about horror of end of the world chocolate.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 11/11/2025

If there's gotta be an apocalypse, let's make it a cosy one. On Time We Have Spent by Holly Easton focuses on maintaining friendships and community during the worst times Issue 9 coming to subscribers Nov 30!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 10/11/2025

Let's embrace this November chill and kick off promoting Issue 9 with Counting To A Hundred by Aishatu Ado. The cold will find its way to you, decide what you want to give it.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 19/10/2025

I was lucky enough to meet Common Bonds creator @clh2oars.bsky.social at Can*Con. Currently obsessed with Busy Little Bees by @polenth.bsky.social — perfectly weird distillation of inheritance and found family

Story cover of Busy Little Bees by Polenth Blake

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 18/09/2025

TORONTO PEEPS! Heartlines Spec is going to be at Word on the Street! We'll be selling ALL THE SWAG: magazines, art prints, stickers, pins, and patches ❤️ Visit us! Say hi! Maybe buy something cute? WOTS is 100% free to attend. Learn more at toronto.thewordonthestreet.ca #TorontoWOTS #WOTS2025

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 14/09/2025

The search is ooooooooooover! We're delighted to announce that @manuelaamiouny.bsky.social is our new Poetry Editor! She'll be working with Jess to finish out the issue. Look how judgey that bonus editor is! You definitely want to impress them by sending your weirdest, best poetry.

purple static background with formatted text in white. Text reads Poetry Editor Manuela Amiouny. There is a circular image with Manuela smiling at the camera with her cat Maamoul. Below the image is curved font reading "plus bonus editor Maamoul"

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 02/09/2025

Do you kick your feet over chosen family stories? Do you yearn about generation ships lost to time? Are you haunted by multiverse and all the different iterations of your love/nemesis? Heartlines is growing! We’re looking for - A poetry editor - 2-3 submission readers Looking until we're not 🫀

Magazine Seeking Roles
US: A 3-year old magazine seeking a new poetry editor excited to join our group of quiet weirdos.
POETRY EDITOR:
You are a Canadian/Turtle Island resident and member of an equity-deserving group. Willing to spend 15-20 hours each submission period to read and select pieces. Familiar with Heartlines poetry/vibes. Comfortable sending rejections. Ideally some publication history but not required.
Email info@heartlines-spec.com with your bio and any social media links

Magazine Seeking Roles
US:
A 3-year old magazine seeking 2-3 submission readers excited to join our group of quiet weirdos.
SUBMISSIONS READER:
You are a Canadian/Turtle Island resident and member of an equity-deserving group. Willing to spend 20+ hours each submission period. Excited to read widely but able to eye-bleach when needed.
Email info@heartlines-spec.com with your bio and any social media links

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 30/07/2025

Let's make life and death a little more complicated shall we? Fate, friendship, and fucked up vibes It's Charli's Body, You're Just Living In It by @prioryruins.bsky.social Available to paid subscribers July 31st!!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 28/07/2025

An Ear for Magic by @itsesi.bsky.social takes you down a winding path into a witchy market, asks what you yearn for, and keeps you lingering in an unexpected, longtime friendship Available to paid subscribers on July 31st!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 28/07/2025

Issue 8 will be coming to your inbox July 31st 👾 @itsbabypears.bsky.social aced these Unbothered Flirty Objects $18CAD gets you a full year of Issues and helps us continue to pay our artists www.heartlines-spec.com

Cover for Issue 8: a canola field at night with a alien spacecraft, in the starry sky two constellations are cuddling

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 25/07/2025

What the Birds Taught Me by @nicowritesbooks teaches you to hold onto your friends, listen closely, and care for them (ever so gently) 🪶 Available to paid subscribers July 31st!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 25/07/2025

Protect your sibling, protect your people, and guard your knowledge. It's the hard choices that make For the Pursuit of the Better by @criverawrites.bsky.social such a gorgeous read. Coming soon July 31st for all paid subscribers!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 24/07/2025

Space is big and it can be lonely with two people, but at least you have each other. Orbit Decay by Bella Chacha is comforting and homey, even when you're losing ground 🛰️

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 22/07/2025

And I Will Read to You About Butterflies by @cornellwriter.bsky.social is grief-struck, hope-laden, and humanity-affirming. Coming to paid subscribers July 31st! $18CAD gets you a full year subscription with access to everything on release day.

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 21/07/2025

What do dissections, awkward declarations of love that ruin everything, and an alien virus have in common? They're fun to read about (probably less fun to deal with tho)!! Kissing, Brain Parasites, and a (Mild) Nuclear Explosion by @j-needham.bsky.social is a 'splody good time

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 18/07/2025

Liturgy for Boys who Bloomed before the World was Ready by CP Nwankwo is an embrace of gentleness and love, while standing strong against societal expectations of manliness. Coming to paid subscribers July 31st!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 17/07/2025

Girl Adventure Story by @rosemaxwell.bsky.social is the Narnia aftermath of your dreams. It's friendships that outspan portals and time. Coming to paid subscribers July 31st ❣️

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 16/07/2025

Math, philosophy, and delicious food -- three great tastes that are heartbreaking when mixed together Which is why we're so excited for you to read Timeloop by @patluri.bsky.social Coming to paid subscribers July 31!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 14/07/2025

Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Cranes by @kanishkt.bsky.social is about going home, grief, creation, and destruction. You're going to love it (and then make some origami animals and weep at them) Available to subscribers July 31st!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 11/07/2025

We guarantee you'll be pulled into riptide by @rukman.bsky.social to survive a riptide, you must/ give into it. submit to the writhing waves./ the harsh wind, whipping water into peaks, This poem will comfort you back on dry land 🌊 Coming to subscribers July 31st!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 09/07/2025

We're getting hyped for Issue 8! Under the Skin by @authortrsteele.bsky.social could also be boiled down to Tinker, Tailor, Sister, Goodbye It's a sweet fantasy flash that may remind you to hem those pants Issue 8 will be released July 31, all works available to subscribers immediately 💗

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 20/06/2025

It's the longest day of the year, so we've got extra time to shine on our contributors for Issue 8! The stories and poems launch portals into griefdom, skirt past acceptance, and take a detour through memory lane. It's gonna be a good one folks!!

A warm yellow flat background with black line art of a spaceship taking off, a planet with two small moons, and an asteriod.

Text reads: Short Fiction by: Esi Aboagye; P.A. Cornell; Gwendolyn Maia Hicks; Rose Maxwell; J. Needham; Chey Rivera; T.R. Steele; Kanishk Tantia

A warm yellow flat background with line art of an astronaut with swirls and stars around them; a constellation of the big dipper is in the lower corner.

Text reads: Poetry by: Prasant Atluri; Bella Chacha; Nico Martinez Nocito; CP Nwankwo; Rukman Ragas. Non-Fiction by: TJ Rowley; Lulu Vidal

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 17/06/2025

If you’re in the Ottawa area this weekend, come visit us at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair! Let’s be mutually awkward and chat about short fiction together 💕

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 02/04/2025

In all this talk of AI artwork, it’s time to give extra love to our artists Who are some SFF cover artists you love? @itsbabypears.bsky.social has done our cover art since the start— always richly coloured, gorgeous textures, and hits the vibe EVERY TIME

Cover art for issue 7, blue table with hands conducting a seance, a ghostly set of hand joins the table and a face looks through the mirror placed on the centre of the table

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 31/03/2025

Issue 7 releases tomorrow to paid subscribers! Final taste comes from The Colour of Longing by @leokaaolive.bsky.social where knowledge is power and power is also power

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 30/03/2025

Petals, promises, and pain -- Numbered by @devanbarlow.bsky.social asks you to carefully count your blessings Coming March 31st!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 28/03/2025

White Crane and Red Fox by @chezza.bsky.social looks for balance and asks if you really need to live within the rules assigned to you. Coming soon March 31st to paid subscribers!

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Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · 27/03/2025

As the old saying goes, "you can't fight the moonlight". In Sheep's Clothing by @scmillsbooks.bsky.social is about finding comfort and community Coming soon March 31st!

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