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Lightspeed Magazine

About

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LIGHTSPEED is a science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. No subject is off-limits, and we encourage our writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. LIGHTSPEED is a 2014 Hugo Award Winner (and a four-time Hugo finalist), and stories from LIGHTSPEED have been nominated for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Theodore Sturgeon Award.

Important: Check their guidelines to see what genre(s) and lengths they are accepting. Demographic restrictions vary.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 2009

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 12 x per year.

Fiction Temp Closed

All types of science fiction and fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We believe that the science fiction/fantasy genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues; we welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: All nationalities, All ethnic groups/populations, All genders, All religions, All sexual identities.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
Fantasy FantasyOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Fabulism, Heroic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Science Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Urban Fantasy.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic, Contemporary/Near Future, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera.
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 1,500 words.
Short Story Short Story1,500 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 10,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

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

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

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


This project does not qualify to be listed at Duotrope in this category. Reason: They work on commission.

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

Lightspeed Magazine 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.
AccuracyWe have received 180 reports from 131 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported0 min | 31.0 mean avg | 31.0 median | 101 max days (22.9 std dev)
Responses98.33 %
Acceptances5.00 % of submissions accepted (45.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 6.87 % 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.
Rejections93.33 % (30.4 avg. days per rejection) | 9.5 % personal, 68.5 % form, 22.0 % unspecified
Non-Responses1.67 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded-
Withdrawals1.67 % (21.7 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending5 responses are pending (0 min | 57.8 mean avg | 38.0 median | 150 max days waiting | 59.1 std dev) from 5 different members 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 120 days.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 14 Jun 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Apr 2024.

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Dates

Last Updated: 06 Jun 2024
Last Audited: 18 Apr 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 20 Nov 2009

Before Submitting

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  • 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.