Lightspeed Magazine

About

Lightspeed is a digital science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.

Important: Check their guidelines to see what genre(s) and lengths they are accepting. Demographic restrictions vary.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2009

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 12 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

1,455 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Faster: Lightspeed Magazine's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Approachable: Lightspeed Magazine's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive: Lightspeed Magazine's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

All types of science fiction and fantasy are welcome. No subject should be considered off-limits, and we encourage writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope. We believe that the science fiction/fantasy genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues; we welcome submissions from writers of every race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: All nationalities, All ethnic groups/populations, All genders, All religions, All sexual identities.

Genres:

Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Fabulism, Heroic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Science Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Urban Fantasy
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic, Contemporary/Near Future, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 1,500 words.
Short Story: 1,500 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Folklore/Mythology.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $0.08/word.

Submissions:

Method: Moksha submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Expand section Visual Art DNQ

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Lightspeed Magazine

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Submission/Response
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Social:
Bluesky @lightspeedmagazine.com
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X (Twitter) @lightspeedmag

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For the Editor(s):
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Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

Lightspeed Magazine Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

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Group by submission

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Accuracy

We have received 18 reports from 10 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

4 min | 18.6 mean avg | 16.0 median | 54 max days (13.0 std dev)

Responses

94.45 %

Acceptances:

16.67 % of submissions accepted (26.3 avg. days per acceptance) | 30.00 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

77.78 % (15.8 avg. days per rejection) | 28.6 % personal, 64.3 % form, 7.1 % unspecified

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

5.56 % (29.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

2 responses are pending (11 min | 58.5 mean avg | 58.5 median | 106 max days waiting | 908.0 std dev) from 2 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days.
Most recent response reported was received on 20 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 17 Jul 2026.
Date compiled: 12 Sep 2026 05:28 UTC (1 hour, 40 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 29 Jul 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.