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Asimov's Science Fiction 588

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About

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, unsurpassed in modern science fiction, 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, and more than twice as many as its closest competitor. Bestselling author Robert Silverberg calls Asimov’s "a truly distinguished magazine, worthy of being set beside such classics of the earlier golden ages as John W. Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction of 1939-42." The Austin Chronicle lauds Asimov's as "the most consistently innovative and readable SF magazine on the newsstands today."

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1977

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 6 x per year.

Fiction Open

In general, we’re looking for “character oriented” stories, those in which the characters, rather than the science, provide the main focus for the reader’s interest. Serious, thoughtful, yet accessible fiction will constitute the majority of our purchases, but there’s always room for the humorous as well. SF dominates the fiction published in the magazine, but we also publish borderline fantasy, slipstream, and surreal fiction. No sword & Sorcery, please. Neither are we interested in explicit sex or violence. A good overview would be to consider that all fiction is written to examine or illuminate some aspect of human existence, but that in science fiction the backdrop you work against is the size of the Universe.

Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Genres:
GenreSubgenres
Fantasy FantasyOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, excluding Sword & Sorcery.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, Hard Science Fiction, Slipstream, Soft Science Fiction.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream, Surrealist.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics.
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 15,000 words.
Novella Novella15,000 - 20,000 words.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK OK No NoText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Poetry Open

Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Genres:
GenreSubgenres
Fantasy FantasyOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, excluding Sword & Sorcery.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Cross-Genre, Hard Science Fiction, Slipstream, Soft Science Fiction.
Poetry Forms:
Open to all/most Forms.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream, Surrealist.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics.
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Poem PoemUp to 40 lines.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK OK No NoText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Asimov's Science Fiction Submission Statistics

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Dates

Last Updated: 25 Jan 2024
Last Audited: 27 Nov 2023 We audit each active listing twice a year.
Date Added: 25 Jul 2005

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