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Escape Pod The Original Science Fiction Podcast

A project of Escape Artists (see other related projects).

About

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Escape Pod is the premier science fiction podcast magazine, founded in 2005 by Serah Eley, and presently co-edited by Mur Lafferty and Valerie Valdes.
Every week we bring you short stories from some of today’s best science fiction, in convenient audio and text formats.

Important: They accept longer pieces of previously-published fiction than unpublished fiction.
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 Media & Frequency

Audio Publication Audio PublicationPublished 52 x per year.
Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 52 x per year.

Fiction Temp Closed

Escape Pod is a science fiction market. We are fairly flexible on what counts as science (superheroes! steampunk! space opera! time travel!) and are interested in exploring the range of the genre. We want stories that center science, technology, future projections, and/or alternate history, and how any or all of these things impact individuals and society.
Escape Pod leans in the direction of escapism, hopepunk and optimism rather than grimdark and gloom. We love to see funny stories, which can include dark humor that doesn’t punch down, and satire that isn’t painfully bleak. Remember that the failure mode of irony is sincerity, so if you’re mocking something, be sure you’re hitting the right target.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Cyberpunk, Hard Science Fiction, Space Opera.
Lengths:
Short Story Short Story1,500 - 6,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including: Other (May vary).

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $0.08/word; $100 flat rate for reprints.

Submissions:

Method: Moksha submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.


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

Escape Pod 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 25 Most Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 135 reports from 87 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported2 min | 19.1 mean avg | 13.0 median | 141 max days (19.2 std dev)
Responses98.52 %
Acceptances0.74 % of submissions accepted (89.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.15 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections97.78 % (17.6 avg. days per rejection) | 45.5 % personal, 41.7 % form, 12.9 % unspecified | 8.9 % shortlisted
Non-Responses1.48 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded0.74 % (141.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals0.74 % (16.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending1 response is pending (127 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 30 days. (16.3 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 30 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 90 days have passed.
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 04 Sep 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 11 Jul 2024.

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Dates

Last Updated: 07 Aug 2024
Last Audited: 25 Jun 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 07 Aug 2005

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.