Paying Fee-Free Science Fiction

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…
Genres:   Fantasy, Science Fiction.
Lengths:    Short Story, Novelette, Novella.
Payment: Professional. Details: USD $0.08-$0.10/word.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 36.7 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 2.4% of fiction submissions accepted.

a zine of surreal storytelling and worldly observations published by humdrum industries
Genres:    General, Fantasy, Science Fiction.
Lengths:   Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: Semi-pro. Details: USD $0.02/word; $50 maximum.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 35.9 days.
Acceptances: Approachable. 14.6% of fiction submissions accepted.

Haven Spec is a speculative fiction magazine featuring stories for a 21st century audience. We love stories with a sense of adventure, stories that teach us, that touch us, that leave us wanting more. We publish six issues every year, two of which (the DRY Issue and the WET Issue) are focused exclusively on the climate crisis and themes of displacement (very broadly defined)…
Genres:   Fantasy, Science Fiction.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: Professional. Details: USD $0.08/word.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 25.2 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 0.8% of fiction submissions accepted.

Horrific Scribes is an expanding online archive of dark short fiction (and some poetry) by various authors who share the Horrific Scribblings imprint’s dedication to the provocative, scary, and strange. Most of the stories will have elements of horror, ranging from bloodless slow burns to raucous extreme romps, but related genres–dark fantasy, dark sci-fi, surrealist and other experimental writing with dark tendencies–are likely to appear…
Genres:    Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: to Token to Semi-pro. Details: USD $25 per story.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 8.7 days.
Acceptances: Average. 8.1% of fiction submissions accepted.

We’re on the trail. We got our noses to the ground. In this den there are plott hounds sniffing out for quality animal-centric speculative fiction. Here at Plott Hound Magazine, we want stories that really dig deep into what it’s like to be an animal yet also teach us what it means to be human. Both deeply animal and deeply human. Humans have had enough stories to go around and more. It’s time to make some room for the ones with paws, claws, fangs, and tails…
Genres:    Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction.
Lengths:   Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: Professional. Details: USD $0.08/word for originals; $20 for reprint flash fiction; $100 for reprint short stories.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 14.2 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 4.4% of fiction submissions accepted.

Radon is a journal publishing prose and poetry relating to science fiction, anarchism, transhumanism, and dystopia. Radon nominates its writers for nearly a dozen awards. They include the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, O. Henry Prize, Best Microfiction, PEN/Dau Short Story Prize, Best Small Fictions, New Weird Horror Award, Best Horror of the Year, and Best New Poets.
Genres: Science Fiction.
Lengths:   Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: Semi-pro. Details: USD $0.025/word.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 13.5 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 2.9% of fiction submissions accepted.

StarShipSofa is one of the top SF podcasts in the multiverse that delves into the world of SF. There are a number of shows that fall under the Sofa's wing.
Genres:   Horror, Science Fiction.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: to Token to Semi-pro. Details: $50.
Avg. Response: Average responder. 69.3 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 1.9% of fiction submissions accepted.

We are looking for great speculative fiction, namely Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Don’t overthink it! Just write an incredible story and you will find yourself in this anthology.
Genres:   Fantasy, Science Fiction.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: to Token to Semi-pro. Details: CAD $0.005/word, with a min. of $15.
Avg. Response: Average responder. 60.4 days.
Acceptances: Unknown. None reported yet in fiction.

At Velox Books, we’re passionate about bringing the most chilling, weird, and captivating horror tales to readers who crave the extraordinary. With over a decade of independent publishing experience, we’re a small press with an enormous appetite for horror, specializing in collections of horror, weird fiction, and intriguing tales that push the boundaries of the imagination. Our roster includes Amazon bestsellers and top-voted authors from Reddit’s horror story community, NoSleep.
Genres:   Horror, Science Fiction.
Lengths:   Fiction Collection, Novel.
Payment: + Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 26.5 days.
Acceptances: Average. 4.8% of fiction submissions accepted.