Despite frequent cries to the contrary, there are lots of great places buying speculative fiction these days. Professionally-paying science fiction markets top the list, followed closely by fantasy, trailed distantly by markets open to horror. Still, there are many options—even more if you expand your search to include semi-pro rates, one-off anthologies, or open forums. But today I thought I’d gather up some of the strongest markets for speculative fiction writers to submit their work to. These twenty options all pay professional rates, have been around a while, and are ether currently open to submissions or plan to be within the next month.
Standard disclaimers: I am not personally endorsing any of these markets or their work. I have submitted to some but not all; I’ve had work published in some but not all. You still need to do your due diligence to see if you like the publications and/or feel good about their terms of agreement. Nor can I promise maintained accuracy of the details; contributor guidelines change frequently, as do submission windows and the markets themselves. So be sure you check their websites for details before sending in your own work.
Without further ado and in no particular order, twenty great places to submit your speculative short stories right now:
1. Apex Magazine
What: science fiction, fantasy, horror
Publication format: digital, audio, print
Length: up to 7,500 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
2. Shimmer
What: science fiction, fantasy, horror
Publication format: digital
Length: up to 7,500 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.05/word
3. Fantasy & Science Fiction
What: science fiction, fantasy
Publication format: digital, print
Length: up to 25,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.07-$0.12/word
4. Strange Horizons
What: science fiction, fantasy
Publication format: digital, audio
Length: up to 10,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.08/word
5. Pseudopod
What: horror
Publication format: audio
Length: up to 6,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
6. Clarkesworld Magazine
What: science fiction, fantasy, horror
Publication format: digital, print
Length: 1,000-16,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.10/word for the first 5000 words, $0.08/word over 5000
7. Pantheon Magazine
What: science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery/crime
Publication format: digital, print
Length: up to 7,500 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
Guidelines: general magazine & open prompts
8. Daily Science Fiction
What: science fiction, fantasy
Publication format: digital
Length: 100-1,500 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.08/word
9. Asimov's Science Fiction
What: science fiction, fantasy
Publication format: print, digital
Length: 1,000-20,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.08-$0.10/word
10. Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
What: science fiction, fantasy, horror
Publication format: digital
Length: up to 17,500 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
11. *PodCastle
What: fantasy
Publication format: audio, digital
Length: up to 6,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06
*next window opens April 1
12. sub-Q Magazine
What: (interactive) science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance
Publication format: digital
Length: 1,000-5,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word, $0.03/word for interactivity
13. Escape Pod
What: science fiction
Publication format: audio, digital
Length: 1,500-6,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
14. Reckoning
What: science fiction, fantasy, mainstream
Publication format: digital, print
Length: up to 45,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
15. Analog Science Fiction & Fact
What: science fiction
Publication format: print
Length: up to 40,000 words (excluding novels)
Pay for original fiction: $0.08-$0.10/word
16. Beneath Ceaseless Skies
What: fantasy
Publication format: digital, audio
Length: up to 14,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
17. Third Flatiron Publishing
What: science fiction, fantasy
Publication format: digital, print
Length: 1,500-3,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.06/word
Guidelines: general & themed calls
18. Galaxy's Edge
What: science fiction, fantasy
Publication format: digital
Length: up to 7,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.07/word
19. *Fireside Magazine
What: science fiction, fantasy, horror, mainstream
Publication format: digital, print
Length: up to 4,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.125/word
*next window opens April 23
20. Terraform
What: science fiction
Publication format: digital
Length: up to 2,000 words
Pay for original fiction: $0.20/word
A final reminder to check the details before sending in your work, plus encouragement: hop to it! The worst they can say is no. Now get to work.
About the author
Annie Neugebauer likes to make things as challenging as possible for herself by writing horror, poetry, literary, and speculative fiction—often blended together in ways ye olde publishing gods have strictly forbidden. She’s a two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated author with work appearing and forthcoming in more than a hundred publications, including magazines such as Cemetery Dance, Apex, and Black Static, as well as anthologies such as Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volumes 3 & 4 and #1 Amazon bestsellers Killing It Softly and Fire. She’s an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and in addition to LitReactor, a columnist for Writer Unboxed. She’s represented by Alec Shane of Writers House. She needs to make new friends because her current ones are tired of hearing about House of Leaves. You can visit her at AnnieNeugebauer.com for news, poems, organizational tools for writers, and more.
