First things first: read a few stories on Sci-Fi Shorts! This is a great way to better understand the kind of stories we are looking for. We have several free ones you can read on the homepage as well as a free ebook you can download.

 

Although we encourage you to subscribe and participate in our community, you do not have to be a subscriber to submit. You must however, create a free site account. This cuts down on spam submissions and ensures you can join the writing team if your submission is published.

 

GUIDELINES:
 

1. Your submission must be original SCIENCE FICTION. No rants or agendas disguised as Sci-Fi. No fan fiction (legally we can't publish it). We do not accept serialized fiction or stories in multiple parts at this time. Each story must stand alone. We only accept previously unpublished work.
    

2. We do not publish any erotica, graphic, or obscene material. Leave the harsh profanity for other publications. Keep it classy.
    

3. Your story must be 1,000 words or fewer (not including the title and subtitle). Submissions over 1,000 words will be rejected.
    

4. Formatting. We are online publication. These simple formatting guidelines make your story easier to read on web and mobile devices:

   • Use a blank line between paragraphs.

   • For separators, use three asterisks spaced and centered * * * with a blank line above and below.

   • Every title must be title case with no punctuation.

   • Every subtitle must be sentence case with no punctuation.

   • If pasting your story from another editor, use your browser's "paste and match style" command to retain formatting.
      

5. Include a subtitle. Don’t waste your subtitle on something like, “A 1,000-word flash fiction story.” Make it good. The best subtitles speak to the theme of the story. In case you haven’t picked up on it, consistency, themes and styles are important to us. If you don’t know your theme, your story probably isn’t ready to be published here. If it fits, it’s always great to use a line from your story as the subtitle.
    

6. Poor writing will be rejected. It’s easier to reject a story than to waste time trying to improve poor work. Make your story clear with an entertaining takeaway for the reader.
    

7. Every accepted submission will receive an edit before publishing. If you are nit-picky about an editor tweaking your work, this is probably not the publication for you.
    

8. You will not be able to make changes to your story once it has been submitted. Before you submit, please run your story through a free editor like Hemingway. If you are serious about writing, we recommend robust self-editing tools like Grammarly, or ProWritingAid. Once you've edited your piece as best you can, it's always a good idea to run your story by some other writers and editors on the official Sci-Fi Shorts Discord channel.
    

9. Sci-Fi Shorts provides all artwork for stories. But, if you have an idea for an image you think conveys the heart of your story, let us know in the notes to editor when you submit.
    

10. We pay writers every month by splitting a distribution pool among all the writers published that month. If you are curious about how we pay, please be sure to review the details on the get paid to write page.
     

11. By submitting, you are agreeing to the author rights and publishing agreement.
     

12. No multiple submissions (several stories at once) and no simultaneous submissions (also submitted to other publications). Once your story has a status, you may submit another. We will NOT notify you regarding your submission. However, you may check the status page for real-time updates regarding your submission. Do not spam us with submissions or we will reject them en masse.

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All good? If so, submit your story here.

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Last updated 2/22/23