Sci-fi Literary Journals with the Lowest Acceptance Rates

Submitting to literary journals has always been a tough business. Some journals maintain lower acceptance rates than others. But which journals boast the lowest rates? Check out the list below!

Note: don’t get discouraged! It takes a long time to “go pro” as a speculative author, but it’s not impossible. It only takes one journal to accept you before more opportunities start coming. So take this list to heart.

Interzone 0.36%

According to the Submission Grinder, an excellent resource for finding out how literary journals accept and reject their submissions, this journal holds the top spot at 0.36%. According to Interzone’s site, “Interzone is open to unsolicited submissions of fiction of up to 17,500 words from everyone, whoever or wherever you are.” They accept simultaneous submissions, but not multiple submissions.

You can find their full guidelines through this link.

Uncanny Magazine – 0.56%

Next up on the list is Uncanny Magazine at a little over .5%. This journal looks for fiction between 750 and 10,000 words, poetry, and novellas up to 17,500 words. According to their site, “Uncanny Magazine is seeking passionate, diverse SF/F fiction and poetry from writers from every conceivable background.  We want intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Uncanny believes there’s still plenty of room in the genre for tales that make you feel.” They also pay $0.10 per word for fiction!

Find their full submission guidelines here.

Asimov’s Science Fiction – 0.63%

Clocking in at around .6%, Asimov’s Science Fiction is one of the most well-known sci-fi literary journals. According to their site, “Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine is an established market for science fiction stories. Asimov’s pays 8-10 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, and 8 cents for each word over 7,500. We seldom buy stories shorter than 1,000 words or longer than 20,000 words, and we don’t serialize novels. We pay $1 a line for poetry, which should not exceed 40 lines.”

You can find their full guidelines on what they’re looking for here.

Clarkesworld – 0.7%

Clarkesworld is another well-known magazine that pays a pro-rate (and with a 0.7% acceptance rate). According to their site, “Clarkesworld Magazine is a Hugo, World Fantasy, and British Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes short stories, interviews, articles, and audio fiction.” They look for fiction between 1,000 and 22,000 words, and they pay $.14 per word.

Find out how to submit your work here.

Alien Magazine – 0.74%

At around the same acceptance rate as Clarkesworld, Alien Magazine looks for fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art. While they look for nonfiction and art year-round, they only have a couple of submission windows for fiction and poetry. According to their site, “Our reading periods for 2023/24 are May 22 – August 5 for the Summer/Fall issue and Nov 27 – Feb 29 for the Winter/Spring issue. We pay a $20 honorarium for each written piece and art collection we publish.”

Find their full guidelines and Submittable here.

Apex Magazine 1.14%

Last but not least, Apex Magazine looks for fiction and flash fiction. They also pay a pro rate. According to their site, “Maximum word length is a firm 7,500 words. Anything more will be auto-rejected. Payment for original fiction is $.08 per word up to 7,500 words. Minimum of $50. If we podcast your story, additional payment is $.01 per word up to 7,500 words.”

Find their full guidelines here.

These magazines might have low acceptance rates, but don’t give up! It only takes one acceptance to go pro. Happy writing and keep submitting!

You can get a FREE LIST of 100+ science fiction and fantasy literary journals to submit to when you subscribe!

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