This article is a major update of one of my most popular posts, “14 SFWA Short Story Qualifying Markets for Speculative Fiction.” Several markets have been added, others removed from the original list due to closures, and pertinent submission information is up-to-date as of February 29, 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.
Achieving active membership status in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) is a continuing goal of mine. To be a member requires a certain number of speculative fiction sales to eligible markets for short stories, novels, scripts, etc. But I don’t have to be an SFWA member to benefit from the organization’s expertise. Their site maintains an Information Center full of articles ranging from manuscript preparation to publishing technologies, and Writer Beware is an indispensable resource for warnings regarding scams in the publishing industry (including which agents and publishers not to query). You can follow the Writer Beware blog here.
As much as I appreciate SFWA, their list of eligible short story markets is updated infrequently and has no links to the appropriate websites—so I’ve created my own list with submission information.
The following are the markets I submit to first in hopes of satisfying SFWA membership requirements. Those listed are still accepting unagented submissions as of February 29, 2016. At the end of the post you’ll find a link to a pdf spreadsheet for future reference.
1. 
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¢/word | 90 days | No |
| Other: Accepts simultaneous submissions (read guidelines). Submit one story at a time. No excerpts, screenplays, or poetry. | |||
2. 
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¢/word up to 7,500 words 8-8.5¢/word over 7,500 |
2-3 months | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions. Accepts online and manual submissions. Preferred lengths: short stories, 2,000-7,000 words; novelettes/novellas, 10,000-20,000 words; serials, 40,000-80,000 words. | |||
3. 
Apex Magazine is a monthly online prose and poetry magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash-ups of all three. They seek works full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 7,500 | 6¢/word | 30 days | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Accepts poetry. | |||
4. 
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¢/word up to 7,500 words 8¢ each word over 7,500 |
5 weeks | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions or multiple submissions. Accepts online and manual submissions. Accepts poetry. | |||
5. 
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¢/word | 2-4 weeks | No |
| Other: Accepts simultaneous submissions (read guidelines). No multiple submissions or novel excerpts. | |||
6. 
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 |
10¢/word for first 5,000 words 8¢ each word over 5,000 |
2 days | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions. | |||
7. 
Cosmos is looking for original science fiction based on scientific premises, principles or possibilities, with characterization and a story arc.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 2,000-4,000 | $300, print $100, online |
Unknown | No |
| Avoid profanity, explicit sex, and gratuitous violence. | |||
8. 
Daily Science Fiction accepts speculative fiction submissions: science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, etc. They will consider stories with dark elements but no pure horror.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 100-1,500 | 8¢/word | < 4 weeks | No |
| Other: Accepts flash series (3+ standalone stories built around a common theme). No simultaneous or multiple submissions. No erotica. | |||
9. 
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¢/word | Unknown | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: $100 flat rate. No flash fiction, poetry, serialized fiction, or novel excerpts. | |||
10. 
Fantastic Stories of the Imagination accepts stories that cover the entire science fiction and fantasy spectrum, from magic realism to hard SF. Let your imagination run wild, push the limits of genre, or send them something traditional.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 3,000 | 15¢/word | 2-8 weeks | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: any length, 1¢/word ($25-$100). No simultaneous submissions. Accepts up to two submissions at a time. | |||
11. 
Flash Fiction Online seeks complete stories with a resolved plot and strong, interesting characters (not a story synopsis or scene from a novel). They lean toward science fiction and fantasy, but also like literary fiction; great flash stories aren’t always easily classified.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 500-1,000 | $60 flat rate | 2-10 weeks | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: 2¢/word. No poetry, erotica, porn, graphic sex, or violence. No simultaneous submissions. Accepts multiple submissions. | |||
12. 
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¢/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. | |||
13. 
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is looking for stories that appeal to science fiction and fantasy readers. The SF element may be slight, but it should be present. They prefer character-oriented stories.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| Up to 25,000 | 7-12¢/word | < 8 weeks | Unknown |
| Other: No simultaneous or multiple submissions. | |||
14. 
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. Open for submissions June 1-15, 2016.
| Word Range | Payment | Response Time | Reprints |
| 1,500-7,500 (< 5,000 pref.) |
6¢/word | 2-14 days | Yes |
| Other: Reprints: 1¢/word. No simultaneous submissions, multiple submissions, fan fiction, or poetry. | |||
15. 
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 pref.) |
8¢/word | < 40 days | No |
| Other: No simultaneous submissions, multiple submissions, resubmissions, serialized novels/excerpts, erotica, horror, or poetry. | |||
Here’s a handy spreadsheet incorporating the information from this post. Go HERE for the pdf version with clickable links. I’ll keep an updated list on my Writing Resources page.
Good Luck!
Speculative Fiction Writer
KL Wagoner 
Thanks! I see a place I can submit a YA short story when my critiquers are finished with it.
Lots of legwork in this post, thank you for taking it on. I have yet to find a market for my first foray into spec fic, but I’m ever hopeful. So far it doesn’t seem sf enough, or dark and twisted enough for most of those markets. Ah well, keep writing, right?
You’re welcome! I thought if the information was something I could use, it might be helpful to others as well. Looking at the list, IGMS (Intergalactic Medicine Show) seems to hold a lot of promise — a decent rate, unlimited word count, and a broad range of categories. Give it a try, and NEVER give up. Good luck!
SFWA had great resources and I too would like to be a member one day. Thanks for the more up to date list on short story markets. I favorited this post :-) You never know :-)
You’re welcome. I’ll keep checking the listings to make sure they’re current.
Great list!
Thank you, Jed. I’ll be posting an update soon.