Electric Spec

About

Electric Spec is a not-for-profit speculative fiction magazine published four times per year. Our primary goal is getting great speculative fiction into the hands (or screens) of readers. Since 2005, we've been publishing short stories from authors all over the world. We've worked with all kinds of authors, from published professionals to new writers. We also believe in the value of the editorial process, and we edit every story we publish.

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

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2005

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

704 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Faster: Electric Spec's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Challenging: Electric Spec's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Less Responsive: Electric Spec's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres.

Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 15 October 2026* (approx. 40 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: 250 - 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $20.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

We prefer energetic pieces that narrow the boundary between realism and fantastical, both in genre and style.

Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 15 October 2026* (approx. 40 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork:

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.
Excluding: Cartoon/Comic strip.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles, including: Fantastical, Science fiction art.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Token payment (under US$10 per piece) to Semi-pro payment (US$10-49 per piece) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: USD $20.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Electric Spec

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Facebook Facebook
X (Twitter) @electricspec

Support this Publisher:
Make a Donation

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

Electric Spec Submission Statistics

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.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 174 reports from 128 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

0 min | 43.6 mean avg | 39.5 median | 231 max days (46.6 std dev)

Responses

83.33 %

Acceptances:

1.15 % of submissions accepted (53.5 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.56 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

82.18 % (37.7 avg. days per rejection) | 11.2 % personal, 72.7 % form, 16.1 % unspecified | 0.6 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

8.62 %

Lost/Returned:

0.57 % (231.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)

Never Responded:

8.05 % (154.3 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

8.05 % (24.3 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

29 responses are pending (1 min | 51.9 mean avg | 32.0 median | 193 max days waiting | 831.4 std dev) from 28 different members

Other Information

The editors request that you don't query on the status of your submission.
Most recent response reported was received on 15 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 13 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 05 Sep 2026 10:43 UTC (2 hours, 15 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!

Members accepted here also had work accepted by...

This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today!

Your Submissions

This section is available to subscribers only. Join today!

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.

Dates

Last Updated: 24 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.