Fiction
Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons pays 10 US cents a word (minimum $60) for original speculative fiction up to 10,000 words. Official page updated 9 August 2026: currently closed; they anticipate opening again in fall 2026. Worldwide. Author-only translations only. AI/LLM stories are not considered.
🟡 Opens soon Verified 2026-08
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- 10¢ per word (minimum $60)Of the other 5 records based in the United States that state a per-word rate, 3 state less, 2 state more. Within 60 days of contract.
- Length
- Up to 10,000 words; under 5,000 preferred
- Who can submit
- Open internationallyThe guideline states no geographic restriction.
- Reading period
- Official: currently closed; anticipate opening again in fall 2026. No exact date.
- Response time
- Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
- Simultaneous submissions
- Not statedThe guideline does not address simultaneous submissions. BRYME records that as silence rather than assuming a yes: if you are sending the same piece to several publications, say so in your cover letter and withdraw it everywhere the moment it is taken.
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedFirst-printing world exclusive English-language rights including audio for six months. After that you may republish. Archive removal allowed after one year.
- Experience
- Open to unpublished writersIt's okay if you are unpublished! — https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/ (read 2026-09-30)
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 2 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
Record last human-checked 2026-08-19. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in the United States quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- 10¢ per word (minimum $60)
- Word count
- Up to 10,000 words; under 5,000 preferred
- Submission
- Moksha when they reopen — do not email stories
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟡 Opens soon
- Last verified
- 2026-08
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction. Official guideline: Strange Horizons guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Good speculative fiction, including work from or about diverse and under-represented perspectives, written without exoticising.
- When open: Moksha only. Previously unpublished in English.
Subjects they avoid
- Do not submit while the page says closed.
- Simultaneous or multiple submissions. Reprints previously published in English. Resubmissions.
- Stories translated or written using LLMs/AI.
- Translations by someone other than the original author — those go to sister magazine Samovar.
Key requirements
- Wait for the fall 2026 reopen
- Moksha
- Speculative
- No AI
Who can submit
Official: submissions from anywhere in the world. British spellings are fine.
Rights
First-printing world exclusive English-language rights including audio for six months. After that you may republish. Archive removal allowed after one year.
AI policy
Prohibited
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.
How to submit
Moksha when they reopen — do not email stories
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Moksha when they reopen — do not email stories
- Submission email: fiction@strangehorizons.com
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Do not submit now.
- Watch https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Not stated for the closed period
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-08.