I Was Only Writing as a Hobby; I Didn’t Know It’d Turn Into a Side-Hustle
5 international platforms to publish your short stories — and 1 strategy — to make big money
I have always been a huge nerd.
Isaac Asimov and Douglas Adams used to be my childhood heroes. Inspired from them, I’ve written various short stories, poems and essays over the years.
My work have been published in local newspapers and magazines. One of my stories won the first-prize at a competition organized by IIT Guwahati in 2013. At another time, I won a national-level prize at the Toyota Dream Car Art contest many years back.
I’d post regularly at r/WritingPrompts, which earned thousands of points of karma — it was good for bragging rights, but didn’t help me in any real sense of the word.
I know my writing has great potential (even if I do say so myself). Though I have won awards, I have never made any money. There were times I’d think it would be impossible. Life happened, I got a job, Covid-19 struck, my country went into lockdown, and wrote a lot — most of which went unpublished.
All that changed in 2021. My sister, Anangsha made it big through freelance writing. At around the same time, the government launched a scheme to nurture and support new writers. Though my genres weren’t a good fit for the scheme, it did get me thinking. “There has to be a way,” I told myself, “to turn my hobby into a career.”
My sister pointed me in the right direction, and I spent several weeks doing online research. After six months, I have found several platforms that publish fiction, poetry, art, non-fiction and reprints, and offer good payouts. I’ve also developed a strategy to make a name for yourself — and make money — by pursuing your passion. I wrote this article as guide for struggling authors like me.
Clarkesworld Magazine
Established in 2006, Clarkesworld is a fantasy and science-fiction magazine. It is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning publication with monthly issues available in various formats viz. e-book, audio podcasts and print issues. They publish short stories, interviews, art and essays. They do not, however, accept poetry. All submissions must be in English. The magazine will accept stories from all over the world. They have a diversity statement, which means that international submissions are actively encouraged. At the time of writing this article, Clarkesworld is open for submissions.
In the case of fiction, Clarkesworld has a broad definition of sci-fi and fantasy. Hard science is not a requirement, but they do appreciate rigor. For example, convenient FTL methods (like hyperspace) would be a hard-sell. Well-written and nuanced prose is encouraged. Stories should not contain any obvious plot-holes. All kinds of themes and settings are welcome. However — and this not a written rule — excessively grim narratives are generally not accepted. My advice is to try and maintain hopeful undertones in your stories. You can read the full submission guidelines here.
What I like about Clarkesworld
- The reply process is really quick. Generally, they respond within two days of submission.
- The payout is great: 12¢ per word. E.g., one stands to make 700 USD with a single 6000-word story. Converted into Indian Rupees, that is equivalent to an entire month’s salary for me. It’d be a significant amount anywhere in the world.
- Their word limit of up to 22000 words is extremely generous. It means that I can write my stories with as much detail as I’d like, without having to worry about hitting the limit.
- Clarkesworld provides detailed feedback for your submissions, whether it is accepted or not. One really gets a chance to improve with this.
Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
Founded in the 1970s by Isaac Asimov and Joel Davis, Asimov’s is a prestigious and established market for science-fiction short stories. Over the decades of its existence, this magazine has had multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winners as editors. Asimov’s has the unique privilege of being platform where many famous fictional characters have made their debuts. In fact, G.R.R. Martin’s Daenerys Targaryen had first appeared here. Its pedigree is unmatched.
Be warned, though, that this pedigree has a flip side. Asimov’s gets a lot of traffic all through the year, and their response window is very long — it takes them two months (or more) to reply to any given submission. They also won’t provide any kind of feedback if they reject an application.
Asimov’s publishes short stories and poetry. They will accept submissions from any author from anywhere in the world, whether they are previously published or not. All submissions must be in English. Reprints and simultaneous submissions are not welcome. Read more about their submission guidelines and process here.
Asimov’s expects character-oriented stories. The “science” should be the backdrop, and not the main narrative focus. They want serious, thought-provoking writing. Explicit sex and excessive violence is not accepted.
What I like about Asimov’s
- It is an extremely prestigious publication. Getting a story published here lends a lot of credit to one’s portfolio.
- Payout is good: 8–10¢ per word, depending on the quality, and at the editor’s discretion.
- Their online submission system is streamlined, intuitive and easy to use.
- The magazine is typically open for submission throughout the year. This means that you can submit your story immediately after you finish writing and editing it.
Escape Artists Podcasts Group
Escape Artists is a conglomerate of multiple podcast platforms, each dedicated to a specific genre. The venture began with EscapePod — one of the world’s earliest fiction podcasts — in 2005. The subsequent years saw the establishment of two other platforms, PseudoPod and PodCastle. When the podcast revolution occurred in the late 2000s to early 2010s, their market exploded. In 2016, the platform Cast of Wonders was added to the group, and the family has been known as Escape Artists ever since.
EscapePod is dedicated to science-fiction, PseudoPod to horror and PodCastle is for fantasy. The later addition, Cast of Wonders, accepts a broad range of young adult literature. This is a primarily audio fiction market. As such, stories have to be concise and fast-paced. Typographic quirks like epigraphs and footnotes are generally unwelcome. The narrative should be character-driven. Their word-count limit is pretty tight — 6000 words only.
What I like about Escape Artists
- Some of these platforms accept simultaneous submissions. So if your story blurs the lines between genres, you might as well apply to multiple podcasts.
- The response window is pretty quick — generally about four to five weeks.
- They have a strong diversity statement, meaning submissions from international authors, persons belonging to marginalized communities etc. are encouraged.
- Payout is decent: 8¢ per word.
Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons is a marketplace for speculative fiction, artwork and poetry, and for reviews of and discussions on said forms of art. It is an internationally acclaimed weekly magazine, whose publications have gone on to win reputed literary awards.
Strange Horizons is a good platform for stories that invite introspection and discussion, that contain social and/or political commentary, written from typically underrepresented perspectives with well-researched positions. They offer a good payment of 10¢ per word, with a word-count limit of 10000. However, they prefer stories of under 5000 words. From their “About Us” page:
Speculative fiction has a vibrant and radical tradition of stories that can make us think, can critique society, and can show us how it could be otherwise, for better or worse. We aim to be part of that tradition, and to update it: in the twenty-first century, speculative fiction must be a global, inclusive literature. We want to showcase work that challenges us and delights us, by new and established writers from diverse backgrounds and with diverse concerns.
At the time of writing this, Strange Horizons is closed for submissions. They should be opening up later this month. This platform actively looks for stories with typographic novelties. You can read their detailed submission guide here.
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a non-profit, bi-monthly online magazine that specializes in adventure fantasy literature. They want character-focused stories with a fantastical or paranormal setting. The characters’ conflicts should drive the narrative. While the setting is to be ‘historical’, your prose should be modern, impactful, and if possible, poetic yet clear. As a non-profit venture, Beneath Ceaseless Skies is supported by (tax deductible) Patreon donations.
BCS has a generous word-count limit of 15000 words, and offers a decent payrate of 8¢per word. You can find their detailed submission guide here.
A strategy to get published and make money
Rejections are part of any application process, be it for a job, a university admission, or in a publication. Though everybody knows that, it can be a disheartening. Moreover, when one has multiple avenues — each with their own requirements and response — one can get confused. Having a strategy helps in keeping positive and in managing your time well. Here’s what I’ve devised:
- If you’ve written science-fiction, submit it first at Clarkesworld. They have the shortest response window and offer the highest payrates. If it’s accepted, great! You’re a published author in a reputed international journal, and you’ve just made a lot of money.
- While Clarkesworld makes a decision, take a quick break and gather yourself.
- Next, try your luck with EscapePod. They will take about a month to respond. Dedicate this time to planning your next story. Build your world, decide upon the main themes, think up the characters and the plot points that will turn your vision into a story.
- EscapePod will provide detailed feedback pertaining to your writing. Carefully consider this advice. If you feel making some changes will improve your story, go ahead and edit it. Make sure, however, that it stays true to your original vision and stylistic choices — this is your story, after all.
- Go for Asimov’s next. They will take months to reply. You can start writing your next story now. It is at this point that EscapePod’s comments will come in handy. If you can meet their requirements from the outset, you’ll have a much better chance at getting accepted by any of these platforms.
- After this, Cast of Wonders or Strange Horizons since they accept a broad variety of genres.
- For fantasy stories, start with Cast of Wonders. Then go for Strange Horizons, and lastly try Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- For horror, PseudoPod is your best bet. Then, go for Strange Horizons, then BCS. Lastly, you can try Cast of Wonders if your story can be classified as young adult.
Conclusion
Whenever you are creating anything, consistency is key. The steps I laid out here are basically blanket recommendations. Each story will be different and so will the circumstances. And, full disclosure here, even I have not made big money yet. What I do have is experience — in writing and at pitching to publishers. I am all set on the right track. Going forward, I plan on self-publishing an anthology. The sky, as they say, is the limit.
