Upcoming Volumes:

The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 8 – Stories (short stories, novelettes, and novellas) originally published in English in 2022.

The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 9 – Stories (short stories, novelettes, and novellas) originally published in English in 2023.

About Publication Dates

  • Magazines: A magazine’s cover date will normally be used to determine year of publication. However, when a magazine deliberately releases individual stories ahead of that date, it may change the year of eligibility. For example, if a publisher posts stories from their January issue on their website in December, those stories will be considered as having been published in December, regardless of the date that appears on the cover.
  • Anthologies: If the ebook (or an e-Arc) of an anthology is made available for purchase (and delivery, preorders don’t count) in the year prior to the official copyright year, the earlier date will override the stated copyright date.  If the print edition happens to ship a few days earlier than the official publication date, causing it to drift into the prior year, the copyright date will still be used. Unlike the digital publication dates, this is something that tends to be outside the publisher’s control. This is why they are treated differently.
  • Serialized works: These will be considered published (as a complete work) at the time of the final installment.
  • Translated works: Translations are eligible for consideration during the year they are first published in English, even if published in prior years in other languages.

Rights

I will be acquiring non-exclusive World anthology rights in English and foreign languages in print, audio, and ebook formats. If there are pre-existing foreign language restrictions please notify me of these at time of submission.

Submissions Process

Deadlines

  • Print materials: Received by November 1st of the year specified.
  • Digital materials: Received by November 15th of the year specified.

If your project is scheduled for publication after the above dates, please send galleys by the above deadlines so that I will have sufficient time to consider your work.

Formatting

Stories, collections, magazines, and anthologies may be submitted as EPUB, MOBI, DOC/DOCX, or web pages. If those digital formats are not readily available, print is an acceptable alternative. PDF is STRONGLY discouraged, but will be accepted if no other alternative exists.

Directions for Publishers

If sending a magazine/anthology/collection that also contains other fantasy/horror/other stories, please list the titles of the science fiction stories in your cover letter or email.

Directions for Authors

I will not be able to let you know whether or not your work has been submitted by your publisher. To avoid duplication, please check with your publisher before sending a story. If your work is self-published, please include the date and location (blog, website, Amazon, etc.) your work was originally published.

The following magazines have routinely submitted works or otherwise made them available: Abyss & Apex, Analog, Apex, Asimov’s, Cirsova, Clarkesworld, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, Cossmass Infinities, Departure Mirror Quarterly, Diabolical Plots, Escape Pod, F&SF, Fiction River, Future SF, Future Tense Fiction/Us in Flux (Slate), Galaxy’s Edge, GigaNotoSaurus,  Interzone, Kaleidotrope, Lightspeed, Little Blue Marble, Metaphorosis, Mithila Review, Samovar, Shoreline of Infinity, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Translunar Travelers Lounge, Uncanny.

How to Submit Stories/Anthologies/Collections

Print – mail to:
Neil Clarke
PO Box 172
Stirling, NJ 07980 

EPUB, MOBI, and .DOC – email to:
bestsciencefiction@clarkesworldmagazine.com

Questions

All questions should be emailed to bestsciencefiction@clarkesworldmagazine.com.