Call for Submissions: Speculative Fiction

Posted on February 7, 2014 by KL Wagoner — Leave a comment

For you speculative fiction writers, here are a few online magazines accepting short story submissions of science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror.

LIGHTSPEED, a Hugo-nominated digital science fiction and fantasy magazine, has put out a call to women writers of science fiction for a special June 2014 double issue. Women Destroy Science Fiction! will include original and reprinted short stories of 1500-7500 words and flash fiction of 1499 words or less. They pay 8 cents/word for short stories and flash fiction, 2 cents/word for reprints. Submission deadline: February 14, 2014. Click here and scroll down to find their guidelines.

Women Destroy Science Fiction! was funded through a Kickstarter campaign within seven hours of posting it to the Internet. Pledges continued coming in and broke through their second stretch goal to fund a Women Destroy Horror! issue. If they reach their last goal, they’ll also produce an issue devoted to fantasy.

The Kickstarter campaign will continue until February 15. If you’re interested, pledge just $5 to receive both Women Destroy Science Fiction! (ebook issue of LIGHTSPEED) and Women Destroy Horror! (a special ebook issue of Nightmare Magazine), plus three randomly-selected ebook back issues of LIGHTSPEED. Check out more pledge options on their Kickstarter page.

Clarksworld is a Hugo award-winning monthly science fiction/fantasy magazine that’s open for submissions of short stories of 1000-8000 words (preferred length is 4000). They pay 10 cents/word for the first 4000 words, 6 cents/word thereafter. Science fiction need not be “hard” SF, but rigor is appreciated. Fantasy can be folkloric, medieval, contemporary, surreal, etc. Horror can be supernatural or psychological, so long as it is frightening. See their submission guidelines that include a list of what will likely make your submission a hard sell.

Nightmare magazine is seeking original horror and dark fantasy stories of 1500-7500 words. Stories of 5000 words or less are preferred. All types of horror or dark fantasy are welcome; if in doubt, submit it and let the editors decide. No subject should be considered off-limits, and they encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. They pay 5 cents/word for original fiction, on acceptance. Nightmare also publishes two reprints each month. Though most reprints are directly solicited, you’re welcome to submit, but keep in mind they’re only interested in those stories currently available online in any form. They offer 1 cent/word for reprints, on acceptance. Go to their submission page to read the guidelines.