Award-Winning Editor of Clarkesworld Magazine, Forever Magazine, The Best Science Fiction of the Year, and More

Tag: submission guidelines

Clarkesworld 2010

I’ve started mapping out some of the bigger changes for Clarkesworld Magazine’s 2010 year:

  • In 2009, we experimented with publishing longer stories. In 2010, we’re making the change official. Our new upper word limit is 8000 words. Pay is 10 cents per word for the first 4000 and 5 cents per word after. Our preferred length is still around 4000 words, but we no longer feel the need to tie our hands with that limitation.
  • For the last 18 months, Clarkesworld has been podcasting short fiction on a monthly schedule. Starting in January, we will change our podcast publication schedule to twice a month. Stories will be podcast on the 1st and 15th of each month. You can subscribe (for free) to our podcast at iTunes and Podcast Alley.
  • Starting in the 2nd quarter, we will add a reprint fiction track to the magazine. Stories will be serialized from a trade paperback anthology to be published by Wyrm sometime in late 2010. Details to follow.

And that’s just the first few months…

Clarkesworld Magazine Submissions

Clarkesworld Magazine will be closed to short story submissions from December 1st through January 15th. The holidays are crazy enough without having to keep up with a slush pile. 🙂

I shouldn’t need to say this, but….

This does not mean that we’re shutting down the magazine. It is simply a vacation for the slush readers. Through this period and for the foreseeable future, new issues will be published monthly, as scheduled.

Clarkesworld Magazine open for submissions

Dear Authors,

Have you recently completed a 1000-4000 word story that needs a good home? Here at Clarkesworld Magazine, we might be willing to pay you 10 cents a word for your little gem. Just check out our submissions guidelines, send us your baby, and we’ll do a quick analysis to determine if your work is compatible with our patented system of product placement. ACT NOW! OPPORTUNITIES ARE LIMITED!

October Slush Statistics at Clarkesworld

I broke out the spreadsheet last night and compiled Clarkesworld’s slush statistics for October.

Total Submissions:
386

Submissions by Gender

    Male: 267 (69.17%), 2 accepted
    Female: 119 (30.83%), 1 accepted

Average Response Time: 1.23 Days (roughly 30 hours)

21 people (5.44%) had their stories rejected for not following the guidelines. (Gender breakdown matches the overall submissions breakdown.)

In the future, I’d like to see more of a gender balance in the slush pile. We’ve maintained a healthy balance in our first 26 issues and I’d hate to see that change. Suggestions, comments, etc. welcome.

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