Contributed by Jaclyn Grimm
The following is a list of new publications that pay writers for sci-fi short stories. The list is in no particular order.
1. Scout combines science fiction and journalism in a new online community. They’re seeking vignettes and short stories of 250 to 2,000 words that illustrate the social impacts of emerging technologies. Scout specifically seeks science fiction that explores the near future and focuses on stories that could potentially occur within the next one to seven years. Each accepted short story is paired with existing Scout reporting. They pay $0.08 per word. More information and how to submit can be found on their website.
2. Blind Spot wants to see science fiction and fantasy stories up to 10,000 words long. Submissions are accepted in both English and French. They pay $0.08 per word and don’t accept multiple submissions. Read more about Blind Spot and how to submit.
3. Retro Future is a bi-monthly magazine looking for “diverse, surprising, and progressive science fiction.” They are particularly interested in fiction and essays of 250-500 words, but will consider any length. Retro Future pays a minimum of $0.06 per word for every accepted piece. More information and how to submit can be found on their website.
4. FIYAH seeks speculative short fiction by authors from the African diaspora and specifically looks for work that “rejects regressive ideas of blackness, respectability politics, and stereotype.” They pay a flat rate of $150 for short stories of 2,000 to 7,000 words and $300 for novelettes under 15,000 words. FIYAH will publish accepted stories in a quarterly ebook magazine format, as well as archiving them on their website. Read submissions guidelines on their website.
5. The Centropic Oracle accepts fiction between 200 and 6500 words and is open to queries about longer serial works. Published work is accompanied by an audio podcast reading. The magazine pays CAD $0.01 per word. More information and how to submit can be found on their website.
6. SciFan Magazine exclusively publishes Science Fantasy fiction–short stories that combine elements of both Science Fiction and Fantasy. Submissions must be between 1,000 and 10,000 words. SciFan Magazine pays $2.00 per 1,000 words up to $20 total. Read their submissions guidelines on their website.
7. Alien Dimensions accepts hard core science fiction between 3,5000 and 5,000 words. They look for “mind-numbing ideas,” and “brain expanding concepts,” and prefer stories set in space. The magazine pays a flat token rate of $10.00 and publishes an issue every month. Read more about Alien Dimensions.
8. Black Ice Magazine seeks speculative fiction between 1,000 and 6,000 words. They’re looking for “character driven fiction, with a clear plot, that extrapolates today’s technological and social landscape into tomorrow.” For pieces between 1,000 and 3,000 words the magazine pays a flat token rate of $5 and $10 for fiction over 3,000 words. More information and how to submit can be found on their website.
