Lightspeed

Guidelines summary

Pays

8¢ per word for original fiction

Length

Short stories and novelettes 1,500–10,000 words (5,000 or less preferred); flash up to 1,500

Wants

All types of science fiction and fantasy, from hard SF to sword-and-sorcery, urban fantasy and folktales

Simultaneous submissions

No

Multiple submissions

One story per open period

Reprints

No (solicited only)

Response time

Up to about a month

Submissions

Closed. Reopening dates are posted on the guidelines page.

Submission or entry fee

None

Rights

See their contract template for original fiction

Last checked

October 31, 2026