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Why Submit Here?

At Electric Spec, we encourage authors to do their market research before submitting work . Lots of great magazines are out there, but there are also lots of, well, not so great magazines. Electric Spec stands out from other markets because:
  • We pay for stories and artwork
  • We don't have slush readers. At least one of our editors looks at every story that comes in
  • We've been around for over three years--and we've never missed an issue, deadline, or author payment
  • We actually edit the stories we publish. Our experienced editors work with authors to make their stories the best they can possibly be. Many magazines out there don't do that--and it shows
  • We have a quick turn around time. We turn send out rejections in 30-40 days. Acceptances take longer, but we will let you know if your story is in the running (i.e. held for voting) in that same 30-40 day time frame.
  • We love authors because we're authors, too. All of the editors are published speculative fiction authors.

Electric Spec Fiction Submission Guidelines

A note on our editorial policy: before publication, we may edit the story for length or readability. However, we always remain true to the spirit of the story.

We are accepting submissions for consideration for our June 30, 2009 issue.

Please do not submit the same story more than once.

What We're Looking For

We will consider any story between 250 and 7000 words with a speculative fiction element to it. We prefer science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre, but we're willing to push the limits of traditional forms of these genres. We will not consider poetry, stories with over-the-top sex or violence, serials, novels, fan fiction, or non-fiction. We will not accept more than one story by the same author at a time. We accept simultaneous submissions so long as you let us know up front and tell us as soon as it's accepted elsewhere. We do not publish reprints, including anything that has appeared on a website.

Rates

We pay $20 for each story we publish. We buy first-printing world exclusive rights for four months. Payment will be made shortly after publication using PayPal. We encourage our authors to establish a PayPal account if they don't already have one.

Format

We prefer to read submissions in traditional manuscript format. This means indented paragraphs instead of left justification, and Courier or Times New Roman font in 12 pt, double-spaced. Also, please include the title, your name, address, and story length on the first page of your story.

How to Submit

To submit your story to Electric Spec, e-mail it as an attachment in Rich Text Format (RTF) to submissions at electricspec (dot) com. Use the following subject line: SUBMISSION: [Story Title] by [Author's Name] In the body of the e-mail, please include some information about yourself and the word count of the story. Make sure you let us know if it's a simultaneous submission.

Response Time

We respond to most submissions within a month. Because we are a tri-annual magazine, it may take us up to four months. When you send in your submission, you will receive an automated e-mail message to let you know that we received it. Please make sure your Spam filter doesn't block our message (we will not resend spam-filtered messages). If you don't receive an e-mail within three days of submission, please re-submit.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions or comments, please e-mail us at editors at electricspec (dot) com.

Electric Spec Art Guidelines

We are currently accepting submissions for consideration for our 2009 issues.

Please do not submit the same artwork more than once.

Please submit artwork separately from stories.

What We're Looking For

We will consider any picture with a speculative fiction element to it, primarily for issue cover art. No over-the-top sex or violence, or fan fiction characters or settings please. Look at previous covers to ascertain our tastes. We prefer energetic pieces that narrow the boundary between realism and fantastical, both in genre and style. Consider that our readers come to Electric Spec for stories; we want to see the story portrayed by your imagery. That said, though we appreciate the form, we don't use caricature or graphic novel style art for our covers.

Rates

We pay $20 for each piece of artwork we publish on an issue cover. We buy first-printing world exclusive rights for four months - please note this means we want art that has not been published elsewhere. We are also interested in art to accompany our stories, but cannot pay for it at this time.

Payment will be made shortly after publication using PayPal. We encourage our artists to establish a PayPal account if they don't already have one.

Format

We prefer standard electronic formats such as jpeg or gif files. Sending a link to your website is fine, but in the interest of saving time, please make a note of available pieces. Art may be resized to fit standard browsers; we will not crop or alter the piece without your permission.

How to Submit

To submit your art to Electric Spec, e-mail it as an attachment to betsy at electricspec (dot) com. Use the following subject line: ART SUBMISSION: [Title] by [Artist's Name]. Unless you receive a note indicating otherwise, your work may be considered for any future issue. We have, rarely, commissioned original artwork for the cover; if we ask, please be honest about how fast you can work. We operate under tight deadlines for art as we don't select it until issue stories are finalized.

Response Time

We respond to most submissions within a month. Because we are a tri-annual magazine, it may take us up to four months. When you send in your submission, you will receive an automated e-mail message to let you know that we received it. Please make sure your spam filter doesn't block our message (we will not resend spam-filtered messages). If you don't receive an e-mail within three days of submission, please re-submit.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions or comments, please e-mail us at editors at electricspec (dot) com.

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