If you’re looking for advice on writing science fiction, we’ve produced a comprehensive beginner’s guide on this particular genre.
If it is a publisher you need for a science fiction short story you’ve written, continue reading.
Below you’ll find 17 top science fiction short story publishers.
1. Apex Magazine
Apex Magazine is an online magazine that publishes prose and poetry for the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. This award-winning magazine has earned several Best Semiprozine Hugo nominations, and have had stories win the Nebula Award for Best Short Story. With a new issues published every month, Apex Magazine is a fantastic science fiction short story publisher to consider submitting to.
They accept short fiction up to 7500 words in length and pay $0.06 per word (with a minimum payment of $60). For more information, be sure to review their submission guidelines. If you’re ready to submit your story for consideration, you can use Apex Magazine’s online submissions form.
2. Fantasy & Science Fiction
Established in 1949, Fantasy & Science Fiction is an award-winning magazine that was the original publisher of classics like “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, “A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller, and “The Dark Tower” by Stephen King. They are currently accepting science fiction short stories up to 25,000 words in length and offer their writers $0.07-$0.12 per word upon acceptance.
Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, they ask that you allow up to 8 weeks to receive a response. They also note that they do not accept simultaneous submissions and do require your entire manuscript for consideration. All stories can be submitted online. For more information, be sure to check out their submission guidelines.
3. Shimmer
Shimmer magazine first began publishing short story works of contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and horror in the autumn of 2005. Some of their featured stories have been reprinted in Best American Fantasy 3 and Rich Horton’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Science Fiction. In their most recent issue, they’ve published “Black Fanged Thing” by Sam Rebelein, “Held” by Ian O’Reilly, and “The Passenger” by Emily Lundgren.
While they are unfortunately closed to submissions at this time, you’re strongly encouraged to check back at a later date after their new issues publish in September and November. They accept short fiction for speculative genres up to 7500 words in length and pay $0.05 per word.
4. Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons is an online magazine that publishes works of speculative fiction every week. They love to feature works of science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, and other fantastical fiction. Having been founded in September of 2000, Strange Horizon is a non-profit corporation based out of the state of Utah that operates with the help of volunteer staff and limited budgeting for advertising and self-promotion.
They is temporarily closed science fiction short story submissions through their online submissions form. Be sure to check back at a later date to see when they reopen. They accept works up to 10,000 words in length and offer their accepted writers $0.08 per word. You’re strongly encouraged to review their submission guidelines to make sure your story is a good fit for the magazine and meets all their minimum requirements.
5. Clarkesworld Magazine
Clarkesworld Magazine is an award-winning publisher of science fiction and fantasy short stories. Founded in 2006, the magazine offers content to their wide readership in both print and digital formats. Clarkesworld has been awarded several accolades like the Hugo Awards, the British Fantasy Award, and the World Fantasy Award. They are currently accepting short stories for science fiction through their online submissions form.
They accept stories between 1000-22,000 words in length and offer their writers $0.10 per word for the first 7000 words and $0.08 per word for anything after. They do not accept horror short fiction, but are happy to consider darker science fiction and fantasy. You’re strongly encouraged to review their submission guidelines before proceeding to make sure your story is a good fit for the magazine.
6. Pantheon Magazine
Pantheon Magazine is an online publisher of speculative short fiction that publishes new works on a quarterly basis. Some of their featured stories include “The House of the Boat of Psychos” by Rhonda Eikamp, “The Helpfulness of Those Who Cannot Help” by Amanda McTigue, and “The Clawfoot Requiem” by Gwendolyn Kiste.
They are currently accepting science fiction short story submissions up to 7500 words in length. They pay their writers $0.06 per word and $0.03 for reprints. The team at Pantheon Magazine also offers open prompts to encourage writers to explore specific themes. They do not accept simultaneous submissions and can take up to 90 days to get back to you with a response. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
7. Daily Science Fiction
Daily Science Fiction is an online magazine that –as their name would suggest– publishes science fiction short stories daily. They have published works like “The Watcher Wants to Weep” by Jonathan Bonner, “I Am Become Life” by Abby Vogler, and “On First Contacts and Second Chances” by Markus Lauerer.
They are currently accepting short story submissions through their online submissions form. They note that they are especially interested in flash fiction, but do not accept simultaneous submissions. They accept projects no longer than 1500 words, and offer their writers $0.08 per word. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines to make sure your story is a good fit with the magazine.
8. Asimov’s Science Fiction
Asimov’s Science Fiction is a magazine that offers its readers content in both print and digital formats. Founded in 1977 by Joel Davis and Isaac Asimov, the magazine has published works by renowned writers and poets like Robert Frazier, Bruce Boston, Octavia E. Butler, George R.R. Martin, and Kelly Link.
They are currently accepting science fiction short stories of up to 7500 words. The team at Asimov’s Science Fiction pays their writers $0.08-$0.10 per word. They are especially interested in character-oriented projects that don’t feature explicit sex or violence, swords, or sorcery. If you’re interested in submitting your short story, you can do so by using their online submission form. For more information, be sure to review their submission guidelines.
9. Escape Pod
Escape Pod is a leading science fiction podcast magazine that was established in 2005 by Serah Eley. They rely entirely on the generous contributions and support from their devoted community through Patreon, and love to publish awesome stories for free while always paying their authors and narrators.
They are currently accepting shot fiction submission for science fiction projects between 1500-6000 words in length. They pay their authors $0.06 per word, and $100 per reprinted story. They do not accept poetry, serialized fiction, novel excerpts, or nonfiction. For more information, please review their submission guidelines before proceeding. All short stories can be submitted through their online submissions form.
10. Analog Science Fiction & Fact
Analog is a magazine that publishes award-winning stories in both print and digital formats for their diverse and widespread readership. Officially launched as far back as 1930, the team at Analog strives to promote stories that are scientifically accurate and equally as imaginative. Over 60 years, this magazine has won 39 Hugo Awards, 23 Nebula Awards, and 8 Hugo Awards for Best Magazine.
They are currently accepting short fiction stories up to 20,000 words in length (offering $0.08-$0.10 per word), serial science fiction between 40,000-80,000 words in length (offering $0.06 per word), fact articles ($0.09 per word), and poetry ($1 per line). You’re strongly encouraged to review their submissions guidelines to make sure your project is a good fit with the magazine. Once you’re ready, you can submit your science fiction short story through their online submissions form.
11. Third Flatiron Publishing
Founded in 2012, Third Flatiron Publishing is a digital science fiction and fantasy anthology publisher based out of both Boulder, Colorado and Ayr, Scotland. They’ve featured short stories like “Learning to Fly” by Marie Vibbert, “Replica” by John Paul Davies, and “The Dance of a Thousand Cuts” by Liam Hogan.
Third Flatiron Publishing produces themed anthologies and unfortunately do not accept unsolicited reprints. They are currently closed for submissions at this time, but strongly encourage you to check out their website to see when they’ll host their next open call. They prefer short stories between 1500-3000 words and happily pay their authors $0.06 per word).
12. Galaxy’s Edge
Galaxy’s Edge is a bi-monthly online science fiction magazine that publishes in both print and digital formats to reach their wide readership. Their current issue features stories like “A Fragment for Father” by Floris M. Kleijne, “Aftershock” by Brian Trent, and “The Star Beneath the Staircase” by J.W. Alden.
They are currently closed to submissions at this time, but will be reopening in May 2019. In the meantime, you can prepare your story for submission. They typically accept science fiction and fantasy short stories up to 7000 words in length, and pay their authors $0.07 per word. For general inquiries or more information, you can contact the team at Galaxy’s Edge via phone, fax, or mail.
13. Fireside Magazine
Fireside Magazine was founded in 2012 and has since operated as a short-story magazine specializing in all types of genres, including speculative fiction like science fiction. Some of their featured stories include “The Autumn of June” by Stu West, “Symphony for the Space Between the Stars” by Jenn Reese, and “Due by the End of the Week” by Brandon O’Brien.
They are unfortunately closed to submissions at this time, but you’re strongly encouraged to check back at a later date when this status may change. They typically accept short stories up to 4000 words and offer their authors $0.125 per word. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
14. The Dark Magazine
The Dark Magazine is an online magazine that’s published on a monthly basis. They love to consider and feature works of short fiction in the realm of dark speculative fiction. They’ve featured stories like “The Body in Concentrated Ground” by Kristen Kashock, “Modern Science” by Nelson Stanley, and “Here and There” by Karen Heuler.
They are currently accepting submissions for stories between 2000-6000 words in length and can pay their authors $0.06 per word, and $0.01 per word for reprinted fiction. All submissions can be sent via email in the form of a document attachment. They ask that you include a brief author bio in the cover letter you send along with your submission. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
15. Andromeda Spaceways Magazine
Andromeda Spaceways Magazine is an online publisher of speculative short fiction. They are currently accepting submissions for short stories up to 10,000 words in length. If you’re an author who resides in Australia or New Zealand, you’re permitted to submit a short story up to 20,000 words in length.
Since all submissions are considered through a blind selection process, they ask that you do not include any personal information such as your name, contact info, etc. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines. Once you’re ready to submit, you can use Andromeda’s online submissions form.
16. Terraform
Terraform is an online publisher of science fiction and fantasy stories that push the boundaries of the imagination. They are currently accepting short stories via email up to 2000 words in length, and offer their authors $0.20 per word. They ask that you limit your submission to one story at a time.
Be sure to include a short description of your story in the body of your email, it’s work count, and a short author bio. Please note that due the high volume of submissions they receive, they will only contact those authors whose projects have interested them. You can find out more about their submission guidelines here.
17. Uncanny
Uncanny is an online magazine that publishes science fiction and fantasy short stories. They were the winner of the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Hugo Award and the 2016 Parsec Award for science fiction and fantasy. As a bimonthly press, they publish the entirety of their work in digital formats to reach audiences worldwide.
They are currently close for a short period of time to submissions, but encourage you to check back at a later date to see when this status may change. They typically accept speculative fiction stories between 750-6000 words in length, and they pay their authors $0.08 per word. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
Do you know any other science fiction short story publishers? Please tell us about them in the comments box below.
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.