Science Fiction & Fantasy magazine ClarkesWorld just raised their pay rate for authors. They now pay $0.10 a word for the first 5,000 words, and $.08 cents each word after that. They have a maximum of 16,000 words. That means a total payment of up to $1,380.

Clarkesworld is a monthly sci-fi and fantasy publication. They publish interviews and fiction in multiple formats — including ebooks, audipodcasts, and print anthologies.

They have won numerous awards, including 3 Hugo Awards.

On their submission’s guidelines page, they write:

“Science fiction need not be “hard” SF, but rigor is appreciated. Fantasy can be folkloric, contemporary, surreal, etc. Horror can be supernatural or psychological, so long as it is frightening. There are no barriers as to levels of profanity, gore, or sexuality allowed, but high amounts of profanity, gore, and sexuality are generally used poorly. Be sure to use them well if you do use them. “

They also have a thorough list of themes that are “hard sells.” This list is very interesting to read. I suspect many editors of other publications would have a very similar list, tailored to their own market.

They typically respond to submissions within 2 days.

To learn more, be sure to read their full submission guidelines.