Market Guide
for Obsidian

---
tags:
  - markets
  - speculative-fiction
  - writing-resources
updated: 2026
source: easonblackwood.com
---

# 2026 Speculative Fiction Market Guide

> [!info] About this guide
> A curated list of pro, semi-pro, and token markets for short speculative fiction, compiled by Eason Blackwood. Always verify current submission guidelines on each market's website before submitting.

---

## Pro Markets

> [!tip] Pro rate
> SFWA qualifying — **$0.08 / word or above**

| Market | Rate | Window | Genres | Link |
|--------|------|--------|--------|------|
| Clarkesworld | 12c/word (USD) | Open all year | Science Fiction, Fantasy | [↗](https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/) |
| Strange Horizons | 10c/word (USD) | Varied / periodic - check website | Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction | [↗](https://strangehorizons.com/) |
| Analog Science Fiction & Fact | 10c/word (USD) up to ~7,500 words; 8c/word beyond (up to around 20,000 words) | Open most of the year (check website for details) | Science Fiction (hard / science-heavy) | [↗](https://analogsf.com/) |
| Asimov's Science Fiction | 8-10c/word (USD) for first ~7,500 words; 8c/word thereafter (up to ~20,000 words) | Open most of the year (check website) | Science Fiction | [↗](https://www.asimovs.com/) |
| Beneath Ceaseless Skies | 8c/word (USD) | Open all year | Literary adventure fantasy | [↗](https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/) |
| Flash Fiction Online | $100 per story | Varied / periodic - check website | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Slipstream | [↗](https://flashfictiononline.com/) |
| Escape Pod | 8c/word (USD) | Open all year | Science Fiction | [↗](https://escapepod.org/) |
| Haven Spec | 8c/word (USD) | Varied / periodic - check website | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Weird fiction | [↗](https://havenspec.com/) |
| Three-Lobed Burning Eye | 8c/word (USD) | Periodic — Jan, May & Sep windows | Horror, Dark fantasy, Science Fiction, Weird fiction | [↗](https://www.3lobedmag.com/) |
| Small Wonders | 10c/word (USD) | Varied / periodic - check website | Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror | [↗](https://smallwondersmag.com/) |
| Writers of the Future *(Beginners only — ineligible if you have published a novel or more than 3 professional short stories)* | Prizes: $500–$5,000 (quarterly contest) | Quarterly — 4 windows per year | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Light Horror | [↗](https://writersofthefuture.com/) |
| Utopia Science Fiction | 8c/word (USD) | Open — themed windows, check website | Science Fiction | [↗](https://www.utopiasciencefiction.com/) |

---

## Semi-Pro Markets

> [!note] Semi-pro rate
> **$0.02 – $0.07 per word**

| Market | Rate | Window | Genres | Link |
|--------|------|--------|--------|------|
| The Dark Magazine | 5c/word (USD) | Open all year | Horror, Dark Fantasy | [↗](https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/) |
| Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet | 3c/word (USD), $25 min; $10/poem | Varied / periodic — check website | Speculative Fiction, Literary Fiction | [↗](https://smallbeerpress.com/lcrw/) |
| Seize the Press | 3p/word (GBP) | Open all year | Dark Speculative Fiction, Bleak Sci-Fi, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Weird Fiction | [↗](https://www.seizethepress.com/) |
| Interzone | 1.5¢/word (EUR) | Open all year | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Fantastika | [↗](https://interzone.press/) |
| Intrepidus Ink | 2c/word (flash); $30 flat (short story) | Varied / periodic — check website | Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Adventure | [↗](https://intrepidusink.com/) |
| Radon Journal | 2.5c/word (USD), $15 min; $25/poem | Varied / periodic — check website | Science Fiction, Anarchist Fiction, Transhumanism, Dystopia | [↗](https://www.radonjournal.com/) |
| Troll Breath | 4c/word (USD) | Open — closed Nov & Dec | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Fabulism, Slipstream, Hopepunk, Surrealism | [↗](https://magazine.trollbreath.com/) |
| Foofaraw | 2c/word up to $50 (fiction); $1/line up to $25 (poetry) | Quarterly + rolling novelette/op-ed windows | Magical Realism, Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Noir, Surrealist / Absurdist | [↗](https://foofaraw.press/) |
| Waxen | $50 flat + contributor copy | Quarterly — Mar, Jun, Sep & Dec 15 | Weird Fiction, Experimental Horror, Literary Horror | [↗](https://www.waxen.org/) |
| Body Shots | $35–$150 (based on word count) | Varied / periodic — check website | All genres — horror, sci-fi, slipstream, weird fiction, crime, surrealism & more | [↗](https://subtlebodypress.com/bodyshotsguidelines) |

---

## Token Markets

> [!abstract] Token rate
> **Flat fee or under $0.02 per word**

| Market | Rate | Window | Genres | Link |
|--------|------|--------|--------|------|
| Electric Spec | $20 flat | Quarterly — closes Jan, Apr, Jul & Oct 15 | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Macabre | [↗](https://www.electricspec.com/) |
| Allegory | $15 flat | Bi-annual — May–Jun & Nov–Dec | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror | [↗](https://www.allegoryezine.com/) |
| Black Cat Weekly | 1c/word ($5 min, $50 max) | Open all year | Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure | [↗](https://blackcatweekly.com/) |
| The Colored Lens | $20 (short story); $10 (flash) | Quarterly — check website | Speculative Fiction, Alternate History, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dark Fantasy | [↗](https://thecoloredlens.com/) |
| The Fantastic Other | $5 flat | Quarterly — check website | Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Surrealist, Fabulist, Magical Realism | [↗](https://fantasticother.com/) |
| Mystic Mind Magazine | $5 flat | Open all year | Science Fiction, Fantasy (modern pulp, PG-13) | [↗](https://kirincomicscontact.wixsite.com/my-site/about-1) |
| Amazing Stories | $30 (short story 2,500+ words); $15 (flash / poetry / reprints) | Open — check website | Science Fiction | [↗](https://amazingstories.com/) |
| The Literary Fantasy Magazine | $10 flat (web); 3c/word (print) | Periodic — check website for open windows | Fantasy (all subgenres) | [↗](https://magazine.thearcanist.net/) |

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*© 2026 Eason Blackwood · easonblackwood.com*
*Always verify current guidelines before submitting.*