FUTURISMIC FICTION GUIDELINES
NOTE: Futurismic is currently closed to fiction submissions. Please read this announcement for more details.
OVERVIEW
Futurismic seeks contemporary, near future science fiction for online publication. We’re looking for innovative, exciting stories that use the tools of speculative fiction to examine contemporary issues and take a look at what’s just around the corner.
Whether by established professionals or promising newcomers, we would like to see the very best in today’s SF, with an emphasis on work that truly connects with and illuminates the fast-paced, fascinating times we live in.
Stories should be compelling and well written, with a strong emphasis on characters confronting or embracing imminent cultural, social, technological, and scientific changes.
PLEASE NOTE: Near-future, Earth-based science fiction is our primary focus!
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
- Mundane SF
- Post-cyberpunk SF
- Satirical/gonzo futurism
- Realistic near future hard SF
WHAT WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR:
- Fantasy
- Horror
- Space opera
- Off-world SF
- Distant futures
- Aliens
- Time Travel
- Alternate History
(Stories submitted from the above-listed tropes or subgenres will likely be rejected out of hand.)
LENGTH
We will consider works of any length up to 15,000 words. Note that stories of 2,000 words or less tend to be a very tough sell to us.
SUBMISSION FORMAT
Our submissions webform is currently closed. We are not accepting fiction submissions at this time.
All submissions will need to come as Rich Text Files (RTF) – no other formats will be accepted.
Attempted fiction submissions by any other method or channel will be deleted unopened and not responded to!
PAYMENT
Payment is a flat rate of US$200.00 per story, before publication, for first electronic rights (for publication on the world wide web) and nonexclusive audio performance rights (for podcasting).
READING PERIODS AND RESPONSE TIMES
We are open for submissions year-round – although we may close the webform periodically to let the editors recharge their batteries!
Response times tend to fall between 2-5 weeks of receipt of your story. Stories that we are strongly considering tend to take longer than that.
If you haven’t heard back after 5 weeks, feel free to query.
OTHER NOTES
- No reprints, please.
- No simultaneous submissions, please.
- No multiple submissions–please submit only one story at a time. This really helps us keep the response times reasonable.
- Please do not resubmit stories that we have already rejected during previous reading periods, unless we have specifically requested a rewrite.
QUESTIONS?
Questions about these guidelines or queries about submitted manuscripts are welcome; just send an e-mail to the address included with your automated response. We will respond to queries as promptly as possible.
We look forward to seeing your work. Good luck!
Christopher East, Fiction Editor
Paul Raven, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Is there a date on when the submissions webform might be unlocked? Alternately, how does one apply to get the password? I have a piece I think would be enjoyed by the Futurismic editors. Thank you.
Rest assured, Listener – the reopening of the webform will be announced on the blog as soon as it happens. We don’t want to set a date until we know we can keep to it!