Sci-fi/fantasy magazines to submit stories?
I’m looking to submit stories to sci-fi/fantasy magazines. I realize most of everything is online now. It’s just been tedious (and a strain on the eyes) looking for good ones.
I submitted one to Fantasy and Science Fiction, but was rejected. I’m considered something for Asimov’s Science Fiction, and then I discovered Lightspeed. Then I just tend to stumble upon rather mediocre ones with crappy website set ups. . .
Along with other places to submit, any tips on what they like to accept would be helpful, as well as the overall word length they accept.
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7 Answers
I cannot be very helpful other than to suggest that you examine the stories that are published; reading them carefully will give you a good idea of what is considered acceptable. You can also estimate the word count.
Most publishers make submission guidelines available to writers. In addition to studying the magazines (as the editors always urge writers to do), you should read their guidelines. Not doing so is one of the biggest lapses that hopeful authors commit, say editors over and over and over again.
One trail you can follow is reading the author blurbs. When you read a story that’s similar to the kind of thing you like to write, and it says at the end, ”(Author’s name) has published stories in (names of three or four other magazines),” you know that those magazines are other possible markets for you.
@Nullo I never understood the difference between Analog and Asimov’s. Analog has a weird title: Science Fiction and Fact. So is it like hard sci-fi? Or virtually the same as Asimov’s?
Analog and Asimov’s are both published by the same company, but they have completely different staffs and acceptance policies. I receive both, and I regard Asimov’s as avenue for new authors and more fluff stories, and Analog as a venue for higher quality stories.
Read the background for the name Analog, you might enjoy the history lesson.
@ScottyMcGeester @YARNLADY has a better grasp of the differences than I do. Analog does have stories, though. I first read Ben Bova out of an old Analog magazine; his book, Orion Among the Stars, had an excerpt.
Do a google search for keywords like “Science Fiction” , “Sci-Fi”, “Magazine” (leave the word “fantasy” out on this one, too much smut out there)
Then use the advanced filters on the left and click ‘Blogs’, and you can further narrow your search with time frames and choose to look for posts or home pages, etc.
That’s just a good start, Google is pretty good if you leverage it to your needs. For example, I found this site using that method:
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2012/09/toc-fantasy-science-fiction-magazine-septemberoctober-2012/
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