Leading Edge is a science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes the work of people from all over the world. We are always accepting submissions, especially short stories. There are a few rules, so please read through our submissions guidelines before sending us your work. We look forward to seeing your submission soon.
General Guidelines
As with any publication, Leading Edge Magazine will not tolerate plagiarism in any form. If you submit plagiarized work, your work will be rejected and your name and email will be flagged for any future submissions.
In addition, Leading Edge does not accept previously published pieces.
Leading Edge is affiliated with and run through Brigham Young University; written and visual submissions must conform with the BYU Honor Code. This includes no nudity, sex, excessive violence, belittlement of traditional family values or religion, or drug use. More specifics can be found on the Honor Code website. Please note that while we may tolerate a small extent of this content in the submission stage because it can be taken out in the editing stage, excessive disregard for the Honor Code in a submission will send your work to the rejection pile. To get a feel for the work we accept, please purchase a copy of Leading Edge to survey.
Fiction
Stories under 10,000 words are preferred, though we will consider stories up to 15,000 words. In your email, please include a word count and a short description of your work.
Because Leading Edge is interested in helping new authors improve, each story is critiqued by at least two members of our staff; these comment sheets are returned to the author with our response. If you do not want your story critiqued, please let us know.
Fiction payment is 1 cent per word, $10.00 minimum, $50.00 maximum.
Submit to: [email protected]
Poetry
Poetry should reflect both literary value and popular appeal and should deal with science fiction- or fantasy-related themes.
Payment for poetry ranges from $5.00 to $20.00.
Submit to: [email protected]
Nonfiction
Pieces are to be kept under 5,000 words. Nonfiction pieces will not be critiqued, so you will not receive feedback on your work. We accept nonfiction such as book reviews and essays. Payment will be discussed if your work is accepted for publication.
Submit to: [email protected]
Artistic Portfolios
All artistic portfolios must be digital; we no longer accept physical portfolios. All images must be 300dpi or higher. Please note that you are submitting a portfolio, so you must send at least five examples of your work. You will be given roughly five weeks from time of commission to complete a piece for us.
Art payment depends on the number of pieces contracted, but generally does not exceed $75.
Submit to: [email protected]
Submissions FAQ
When emailing my submission, is there a preferred document type?
If possible, please email all fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions as a Microsoft Word document.
How long will it take for me to hear back about my submission?
If you submitted written work, especially fiction, it generally takes several months for our staff to review your piece. If you have yet to hear back in a twelve-month period, please contact the Fiction Director, whose name and information is in the Contact Us section.
We generally solicit artistic portfolios at a specific time, but you are welcome to submit at any point. You should hear back between one and three months about your portfolio.
What does the review process look like?
It differs between written work and art. When you submit an artistic portfolio, it will be reviewed once written work is chosen for the issue. If your work is selected to accompany a piece, you will be contacted by the Art Director in an email. We do not store portfolios, so if your work is not chosen for a specific issue, please resubmit in the future.
When you submit fiction, your work goes into our Dropbox and is reviewed by magazine volunteers. If two readers approve or “pass” your story, it goes into a separate section of our Dropbox to be reviewed by the Managing Editor and Assistant Managing Editors. From there, the editors choose stories of the highest quality and best fit for the magazine.
When you submit poetry, our Poetry Director will read it and have selected submissions approved by the Managing Editor or an Assistant Managing Editor.
When you submit nonfiction, our Nonfiction Director will read it and have selected submissions approved by the Managing Editor or an Assistant Managing Editor.
How many submissions do you generally receive?
We have a rolling submissions period, so feel free to submit your work whenever it’s ready. We keep all of our submissions in a Dropbox account and generally have 200-250 submissions in that account. Volunteers read and review submissions twice a week.
What makes my fiction submission stand out?
Because we receive so many submissions and our volunteers are well-versed in science fiction and fantasy, it can be hard to make an impression. Make sure to have an interesting title—this is the first thing volunteers see. Ensure that you submit a piece that has already been edited. This doesn’t mean we are checking for Oxford commas or correct use of semicolons, but rather that it isn’t a first draft. We can tell; many of our volunteers are studying English or editing. Put work in to your submission! The most important thing is to make your story compelling. Catch our attention in the first two or three paragraphs. (And remember that if your submission is picked as a potential publication piece, our editors will work with you to make it even better. It doesn’t have to be perfect.)
How will I find out when you’re soliciting artistic portfolios?
We will post this information on our Facebook page. Good times to look out for these posts are mid-October and mid-February.
Can I submit a book/movie/play review?
Feel free to submit a review. Please send this to [email protected].
What rights are involved?
For both fiction and poetry, we purchase First North American serial rights.
Will I get paid?
Yes! We are a semi-professional magazine, so we pay our authors and artists. We pay the highest that we can, predominately using funds from our sales. The more issues we sell, the more money we can afford to spend on authors and artists. You will be paid only after the issue containing your work is released.
I’ve seen a few different rates through the years. How do I know which paying rate will apply to my work?
You will be paid the rate we are offering when your work is contracted, not the rate offered when you submitted your work. We do our best to keep relatively standard rates, and we always offer the highest rate possible.
I don’t have the ability to email my manuscript. Now what?
In the event that you are unable to electronically submit your written work, your manuscript should be printed on white paper. Make sure to double-space and use an easy-to-read font, such as Times New Roman or Calibri. Each page should be numbered and have 1-inch margins. The first page of your manuscript should include your name, street address, and any other available contact information. Include a cover letter with any publishing credits and any other relevant information. Always keep a copy of your manuscript for yourself. The postal system is not perfect, and Leading Edge is not responsible for lost or misdirected manuscripts.
Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your manuscript—if you don’t, we have no way of responding to you. If your manuscript is disposable, include a regular envelope with one first-class stamp for submissions within the US, more for international submissions. If you would like your manuscript returned, include a manila envelope with sufficient postage. International submissions must be disposable due to difficulties presented by international postage. Please remember that we return 2-3 comment sheets per submission, so prepare adequately. You are responsible for providing adequate postage.
Submissions may be sent to the following address with the appropriate genre in the attention line (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry):
Leading Edge Magazine
Attn: [Genre] Director
4087 JKB
Provo, UT 84602
All other questions can be directed to [email protected]
