Since first posting this article in January 2015, the list of markets has changed considerably. For the current list, please click HERE to read “SFWA Short Story Qualifying Markets for Speculative Fiction: 2016.”
For the most up-to-date listing, go to 2017 SFWA Short Story Qualifying Markets for Speculative Fiction or visit my Writing Resources page.
SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) is a professional organization for authors who specialize in science fiction, fantasy and other related genres. Active Membership in SFWA is something many speculative fiction writers (including myself) continue to work towards – that is, trying to make sales to qualifying markets as part of their membership eligibility requirements. But no matter my status, I will continue to use the organization’s free Information Center for great articles of interest to writers and their Writer Beware site for advice and warnings regarding the publishing industry.
The following is a list of SFWA short story qualifying markets still accepting unagented submissions as of the date of this post. At the end of the list you’ll find a link to a pdf spreadsheet for future reference.
(This article was updated October 16, 2015.)
AE is looking exclusively for science fiction, though their interpretation of the genre can be quite inclusive. They welcome submissions from both established and emerging authors – they are a Canadian market that publishes a limited number of international stories.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 500-3,000 | 7 cents/word | 90 days | No |
| Other: Accepts simultaneous submissions (read guidelines). Submit one story at a time. No excerpts or poetry. | |||
Analog publishes science fiction stories in which some aspect of future science or technology is so integral to the plot that, if that aspect were removed, the story would collapse. The science can be physical, sociological, psychological, but the stories must be strong and realistic, with believable people (who needn’t be human) doing believable things – no matter how fantastic the background might be.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 2,000-80,000 (see Other) | 8-10 cents/word up to 7,500 words 8-8.5 cents/word for longer works |
2-3 months | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions. Accepts manual submissions. Preferred lengths: short stories, 2,000-7,000 words; novelettes/novellas, 10,000-20,000 words; serials, 40,000-80,000 words. | |||
Apex Magazine is a monthly online prose and poetry magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash-ups of all three. Works full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful. Update: Closed to submissions until January 1, 2016.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 7,500 | 6 cents/word | 30 days | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. | |||
Asimov’s is looking for character-oriented science fiction stories in which the characters, rather than the science, provide the main focus for the reader’s interest. Borderline fantasy is fine, but no Sword & Sorcery. No explicit sex or violence.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 1,000-20,000 | 8-10 cents/word up to 7,500 words 8-8.5 cents/word for longer works |
5 weeks | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Accepts manual submissions. | |||
Beneath Ceaseless Skies is an award-winning online magazine publishing “literary adventure fantasy” with a secondary-world setting – different from our own primary world – and a traditional/classic fantasy feel, written with a literary focus on the characters. No urban fantasy.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 10,000 | 6 cents/word | 2-4 weeks | No |
| Other: Accepts simultaneous submissions (read guidelines). No multiple submissions or novel excerpts. | |||
Buzzy Mag is looking for original science fiction, fantasy and horror short stories. Thriller, suspense, and paranormal tales that cross into traditional speculative fiction are welcome. Update: On hold for submissions.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 10,000 | 10 cents/word | 6-8 weeks | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: 2 cents/word. Stories must be acceptable for 15-year-old readers. No fan fiction. | |||
Clarkesworld Magazine is a Hugo award-winning monthly science fiction/fantasy magazine. Science fiction need not be “hard” SF. Fantasy can be folkloric, medieval, contemporary, surreal, etc. Horror can be supernatural or psychological, as long as it’s frightening.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 1,000-16,000 (4,000 preferred) |
10 cents/word for first 5,000 words, 8 cents/word over 5,000 |
2 days | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions. | |||
Crossed Genres Magazine seeks short stories that combine elements of either science fiction and/or fantasy with the current theme. One story slot is reserved each month for an author without a professional-rate sale.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 1,000-6,000 | 6 cents/word | 30 days from end of submission window | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions or poetry. Accepts two submissions per month sent separately. Do not submit stories for a particular theme outside that submission window. Themes: Submit September 1-30, 2015 – January 2016 Issue ♦ Theme: Nonsense Submit October 1-31, 2015 – February 2016 Issue ♦ Theme: Decoration Submit November 1-30, 2015 – March 2016 Issue ♦ Theme: Sword & Sorcery |
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Escape Pod seeks science fiction stories, centered on science, technology, future projections, alternate history, and how any or all of these things intersect with people. Fairly flexible on what counts as science. No fantasy, magical realism, or more than a tinge of horror.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 2,000-6,000 | 6 cents/word | Unknown | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: 3 cents/word. No flash fiction, poetry, serialized fiction, or novel excerpts. | |||
IGMS (Intergalactic Medicine Show) is looking for science fiction and fantasy stories of any length. Science fiction: hard sf, sf adventure, alternate history, near-future, far-future, psi, alien, etc. Fantasy: heroic fantasy (based on any culture’s mythology), fairy tales, contemporary fantasy, and horror in the sense of supernatural suspense (not gory bloodfests).
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Any Length | 6 cents/word | 90 days+ | No* |
| Other: No multiple submissions. Might accept some reprints (see guidelines)*. This is a PG-13 magazine and website – no explicit/detailed sex that would earn a movie rating over PG-13 or language that earns an R rating. | |||
Nightmare is seeking all types of original horror and dark fantasy stories. No subject is considered off-limits, and they encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 1,500-7,500 (< 5,000 preferred) |
6 cents/word | 2-14 days | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: 1 cent/word. No simultaneous submissions, multiple submissions, fan fiction, or poetry. | |||
Strange Horizons is a weekly online magazine seeking speculative fiction, broadly defined, previously unpublished in English.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 10,000 (< 5,000 preferred) |
8 cents/word | 41-40 days | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions, multiple submissions, resubmissions, novel excerpts, serialized novels, or unsolicited reprints. | |||
Terraform is seeking speculative fiction that hones in on tech, science, and future culture topics, especially nearer-future fiction, more along the lines of sentient chat bots or climate-changed dystopias than far-flung alien space operas. They publish one new story every week.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 2,000 | 20 cents/word | Up to 4 months | No |
| Other: No previously published works. One story per submission. | |||
Tor.com publishes original speculative fiction short stories and poetry, to include SF, fantasy, horror, alternate history, and related genres.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 17,500 (< 12,000 preferred) |
25 cents/word first 5,000, 15 cents/word for next 5,000, 10 cents/word after that | 90 days+ | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions, multiple submissions, or unsolicited reprints. No novels or serializations. | |||
Here’s a handy spreadsheet incorporating the information from this post. Click HERE for the pdf version. I’ll keep an updated list on my Writing Resources page.
Is this a good resource to help you meet your publishing goals?
Speculative Fiction Writer
KL Wagoner 
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