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The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy

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About

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The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor—a leading writer in the field—then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected—and most popular—of its kind. Science fiction and fantasy enjoys a long literary tradition, stretching from Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne to Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and William Gibson. In The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy award-winning editor John Joseph Adams delivers a diverse and vibrant collection of stories published in the prior year. Featuring writers with deep science fiction and fantasy backgrounds, along with those who are infusing traditional fiction with speculative elements, these stories uphold a long-standing tradition within both genres—looking at the world and asking, What if…?

Important: Reprints only. The original publication of the story must have been in a nationally-distributed American or Canadian publication.
Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to American or Canadian residents or citizens.
The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, assume your submission will not be accepted.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 1 x per year.

Fiction Open
Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
Fantasy FantasyOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Lengths:
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 12,000 words.
Novella Novella15,000 - 17,499 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Moksha submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.
This project ranks among the Most Unresponsive Fiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 11 reports from 10 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported8 min | 237.1 mean avg | 247.0 median | 427 max days (111.3 std dev)
Responses18.18 %
Acceptances0.00 % No publication has a 0% acceptance rate. This data is based on submission reports sent to Duotrope, and we have not received reports of any acceptances yet.
Rejections18.18 % (127.5 avg. days per rejection) | 0.0 % personal, 100.0 % form, 0.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses81.82 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded81.82 % (261.4 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals-
Pending3 responses are pending (22 min | 120.7 mean avg | 25.0 median | 315 max days waiting | 168.3 std dev) from 3 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, assume your submission will not be accepted.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 05 May 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 22 Nov 2023.

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Dates

Last Updated: 02 Oct 2024
Last Audited: 17 May 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 24 Jul 2015

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.