Lightspeed Magazine seeks to publish original science fiction and fantasy stories. According to their website, "no subject should be considered off-limits." According to their guidelines, they pay $0.08 a word, for 1500-10,000 words; stories of 5000 words or less are preferred. They also consider flash fiction stories of 1500 words or less. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Strange Horizons is a speculative fiction magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, reviews, essays, and interviews. They previously indicated to pay 8 cents a word, but current rates are unclear. For their fiction department, they want "speculative fiction, broadly defined." To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Giganotosaurus is a publisher of science fiction & fantasy stories. They accept submissions between 5,000 and 25,000 words. GigaNotoSaurus publishes one story a month. They “want a variety of settings, styles, viewpoints, and backgrounds. This includes but is not limited to cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, and genders.” According to their guidelines, they pay $200 per story on acceptance. They are not always open to submissions. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Cricket Magazine, often referred to as the New Yorker for children, is a nationally distributed literary journal for kids. They publish short stories, non-fiction articles, poetry, and puzzles/crafts/activities for children. Most short stories they publish are 1200 to 1800 words in length. They previously indicated to pay 25 cents per word, but current pay rates are unclear. They are not always open to submissions. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Ladybug is also a Cricket media publication, and it is also intended as a read-aloud, read together magazine. This one is targeted at children ages 3-6 and the parents or caregivers who read with them. It needs “imaginative contemporary stories,” new spins on fairy and folk tales, and stories from different cultures. They previously indicated your piece should be no longer than 800 words and that pay was up to $.25 per word. Current rates are not clear. See full submission guidelines here.
Babybug, published by Cricket Media, is meant for babies and the parents and caregivers who read to them. They are interested in manuscripts that explore simple concepts, encourage very young children’s imaginative play, and provide opportunities for adult readers and babies to interact. They previously indicated to pay up to $.25 per word for these pieces, but current pay rates are unclear. Full submission guidelines can be found here.