Lightspeed
Description
Note: check the guidelines if this is limited to certain story lengths.
Note: one submission per reading period.
Lightspeed is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. No subject is off-limits, and we encourage our writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. Lightspeed was a finalist for the 2011 and 2012 Hugo Award, and stories from Lightspeed have been nominated for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Theodore Sturgeon Award.
FICTION: All types of science fiction and fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We believe that the science fiction/fantasy genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues; we welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation.
Note: one submission per reading period.
Lightspeed is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. No subject is off-limits, and we encourage our writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. Lightspeed was a finalist for the 2011 and 2012 Hugo Award, and stories from Lightspeed have been nominated for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Theodore Sturgeon Award.
FICTION: All types of science fiction and fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We believe that the science fiction/fantasy genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues; we welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation.
This market is temporarily closed.
Market Genres
Genres
FantasyLiterary
Science Fiction
Market Types, Lengths & Pay Scale
Originals
Flash
0 to 1000 words
8 cents/word
Short Story
1000 to 7500 words
8 cents/word
Novelette
7500 to 10000 words
8 cents/word
Market Submission Types
AI Submissions?: Unknown Policy
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: No
Translations: Original Language and Translations
Estimated Response: 30 days
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: No
Translations: Original Language and Translations
Estimated Response: 30 days
Market-Provided Data
This section can be updated by a representative of the publication. To add a representative, the publication should contact us to request it (no cost).
Market Response Data (User-Reported)
View recent responses from this market
This statistical information is an aggregation of submission data provided by our members. The more data we have the more accurate our
numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
Count:
There are 244 completed reports in the past 12 months.
Averages and Boundaries:
Min: 1 | Average: 41.59 | Median: 35 | Max: 629
Responded:
98.36%
Accepted:
12.29% - avg 29 days
Rejected:
85.24% - avg 43 days
(20.19% of rejections are personal)
Rewrites:
0.81%
Dead Letters:
-
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawn:
1.63%
Pending:
There are 4 pending responses.
(0 min | 3.00 average | 3 median | 6 max days waiting)
Note: pending statistics may skew high if some users neglect their data.
We recommend querying after the time the market suggests to query.
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Listing added: 14 December 2012
Last officially checked: 13 April 2025