The Big List of Paying Sci-Fi Markets

We love good sci-fi… and we’re not the only ones. There are hundreds of magazines and publishers seeking speculative, slipstream, and sci-fi stories. And, better yet, many of them have the budget to pay for contributions.

Here’s our list of writing markets which publish science-fiction. All the literary magazines listed here accept submissions from anywhere in the world, and all of them pay for accepted pieces.

If you want to suggest an addition or correction for this list, you can do so using the Big List Update Form.

Abyss & Apex

[ Abyss & Apex Website ]

This magazine seeks to publish the best in speculative and imaginative fiction and poetry – and, indeed, many pieces first published here have gone on to win awards. Consult the website for reading periods, and for detailed information about their preferences.

Apex

[ Apex Website ]

Apex Magazine publishes an every-other-month eBook issue, and also gradually releases stories from previous issues online for free. Its mission is to entertain you with entertaining, diverse, and thought-provoking fiction, and to challenge your perceptions, rattle your beliefs, and shake you free of the expected path.

Analog

[ Analog Website ]

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine continues to bring together celebrated authors, new talent, and award-winning stories, poems, and articles, as it has since its launch in 1930. Originally published as Astounding Stories of Science Fiction, Analog remains the unparalleled literary magazine in the genre.

Asimov’s Science Fiction

[ Asimov’s Science Fiction Website ]

From its earliest days in 1977 under the editorial direction of Isaac Asimov, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine has maintained the tradition of publishing the best stories from award-winning authors and first-time writers alike. In recent years, Asimov’s has placed more stories on the final Hugo ballot than all of its competitors combined.

Clarkesworld

[ Clarkesworld Website ]

This long-running magazine has won multiple awards over its lifespan. New issues are published each month, and the featured stories are also recorded in audio format for the Clarkesworld podcast. The magazine is named after its publisher and editor-in-chief Neil Clarke.

Daily Science Fiction

[ Daily Science Fiction Website ]

This online publication posts a new sci-fi story every day of the year. As such, they’re always looking for new writers. Stories can be read online for free, or delivered direct to your email inbox if you join as a reader for a small yearly fee.

Escape Pod

[ Escape Pod Website ]

This weekly podcast features sci-fi short stories… although the editors are happy to be loose with their definition of sci-fi. As well as great production values and a large audience, Escape Pod are notable for the quality of the work they publish.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

[ Fantasy & Science Fiction Website ]

First published way back in 1949, Fantasy & Science Fiction is, without a doubt, one of the oldest magazines on this list. Few other sci-fi markets have a record stretching back more than 50 years! They’re usually open to submissions, and publish around six issues each year.

GigaNotoSaurus

[ GigaNotoSaurus Website ]

GigaNotoSaurus publishes one longish fantasy or science fiction story monthly. Longish meaning longer than a short story, and shorter than a novel. Their focus is on sci-fi and fantasy stories of between 5,000 and 25,000 words in length.

Interzone

[ Interzone Website ]

This UK magazine has garnered the admiration of everyone from Terry Pratchett to Michael Moorcock. It’s an iconic publication that’s been in print since 1982, and has launched the careers of many well-known sci-fi writers.

Strange Horizons

[ Strange Horizons Website ]

This magazine of speculative fiction publishes a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy. Featured stories are published online and recorded for their podcast. They also have a sister publication which considers stories and poems in translation.

The Arcanist

[ The Arcanist Website ]

This weekly online magazine specialises in sci-fi and fantasy flash fiction. They strongly believe that fantasy and sci-fi are two of the most important genres in the literary world. They want to provide readers snippets of the genres they love and give writers of these genres a paid place to publish their work.

Unfit

[ Unfit Website ]

This magazine wants stories that are well-written, intelligent, and enjoyable to read. They are looking for stories with metaphors and emotional ambiance and imaginative descriptive writing. Most importantly, they want original ideas.