Content

We are hard at work behind-the-scenes at Electric Spec. We are especially busy going through slush. The submission period for this issue was October 16, 2021 through January 15, 2022. We will contact all authors by ~February 7, 2022--at the latest. Notice this is a 4-month window maximum. Most authors hear from us sooner than 4 months.
Once in a while, we get an email asking what happened to a story submitted many months ago. I'm sorry to say if you haven't heard within 4 months, we did not get your story. Resubmit.

We are currently accepting submissions for the marvelous May 2022 issue, so perhaps you'd like some suggestions for story content.
We like fantasy, from classic swords & scorcery & dragons, to contemporary fantasy, to snarky urban fantasy.
We like science fiction, especially stuff involving time travel, mind-bending AI/computer stuff, quantum fiction, and cli-fi.
We don't get enough steam-punk and alternative history: send us some!
We enjoy spooky, creepy horror. Give us goosebumps, or make us rethink reality. We do not enjoy gory horror with murder, rape, or brutalizing other people.

Thank you for your submissions!

Next week, I'll give you a report from our Production Meeting.

Market

The submission deadline for the fabulous February 2022 issue of Electric Spec has passed. If you submitted: Thank you! You will hear back from us in early Feb at the latest.
We are planning the next production meeting. We are deep, deep into the slush pile.

As I read stories, I am strongly reminded of the importance of market. Electric Spec is a market for short speculative fiction. The editors of Electric Spec have some subjective opinions about short speculative fiction. If you read past issues of Electric Spec (all free!) you will learn what we like in our particular market. Other markets like other stuff.

Stories for our market must include some kind of speculative element. Stories must include at least one point-of-view character. We do not like many hundreds of consecutive words of descriptions. Personally, I do not like a lot about hair. We do not like many hundreds of consecutive words of telling. We do like showing. We do like unique situations/worlds/problems/creatures.
We also don't like it when you don't obey our submission and/or formatting guidelines.

Good luck with your submissions!

submission deadline Jan 15

Wow! Time flies. We are already approaching the submission deadline for the first Electric Spec issue of 2022. The deadline for the fabulous February 2022 issue is: January 15, 2022. Please get those stories in for consideration.

We have already been working hard behind the scenes on the slush pile. There are lots of nice stories. We should have another great issue in February 2022.

If you're submitting: good luck!