Fiction
Uncanny Magazine
Uncanny’s official submissions page: original speculative fiction of 750–10,000 words pays 10 US cents a word including audio rights. The next fiction window is 24 August to 7 September 2026. AI-written work is rejected and can ban the author.
🟡 Opens soon Verified 2026-08
This window has closed. The deadline BRYME recorded was 7 September 2026, which has passed. BRYME has not yet re-checked whether a new window has opened — read the publication’s own guideline below before you pitch.
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 (including audio rights)
- Length
- 750–10,000 words
- Who can submit
- Not statedOfficial: passionate, diverse SF/F from writers from every conceivable background. No country list.
- Reading period
- Fiction window 24 August–7 September 2026
- Response time
- They try to respond in 30 days; query after 60 days
- 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
- StatedPayment includes audio rights. Broader contract terms are not fully quoted on the public page.
- Experience
- Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 3 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
- Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.
Record last human-checked 2026-08-19. Sources listed at the foot of this page. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- 10¢ per word (including audio rights)
- Word count
- 750–10,000 words
- Submission
- Moksha when the fiction window is open
- 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: Uncanny Magazine guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Original unpublished speculative fiction. Intricate, experimental stories with verve.
- Modern manuscript format, .RTF/.DOC/.DOCX, via Moksha.
- Cover letter: length, significant publishing history, anything relevant to that story.
Subjects they avoid
- Do not submit fiction before 24 August 2026.
- Multiple stories at once. Resubmitting a rejected story.
- Any submission written with artificial intelligence or similar technologies. Undisclosed AI can permanently bar you.
Key requirements
- Wait for 24 August 2026
- Moksha only
- 750–10,000 words
- No AI
Who can submit
Official: passionate, diverse SF/F from writers from every conceivable background. No country list.
Rights
Payment includes audio rights. Broader contract terms are not fully quoted on the public page.
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 the fiction window is open
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 the fiction window is open
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Watch https://www.uncannymagazine.com/submissions/.
- When open, use https://uncannymagazine.moksha.io/publication/uncanny-magazine.
What happens after submission
Expected response: They try to respond in 30 days; query after 60 days
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.