Writer Guidelines
Stories with sex, profanity, excessive violence, or that belittle traditional family values or religion will not be considered. To get a feel for what we will and will not accept, please purchase a sample copy. You can find single issue sales and subscription information on our website.

Simultaneous submissions or manuscripts submitted electronically will not be considered. All simultaneous submissions will be recycled without reply. Because of our current backlog, expect processing time to be around two to four months. Any questions or comments can be e-mailed to the fiction director at fiction@leadingedgemagazine.com.

All submissions should be sent to the following address with the appropriate genre in the attention line (fiction director or poetry director):

Fiction
Stories under 10,000 words are preferred, though we will consider stories up to 15,000 words. 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 (one) cent per word, $10.00 minimum. Two contributor copies are also provided.

Poetry
Poetry should reflect both literary value and popular appeal and should deal with science fiction- or fantasy-related themes. Payment is $10.00 for the first 4 (four) pages, $1.50 for each subsequent page of published poetry. Two contributor copies are also provided.

Rights
For both fiction and poetry, we purchase First North American serial rights.

Manuscript Preparation
Your manuscript should be printed on white paper. Make sure to double-space and use an easy-to-read font. Each page should be numbered and have 1-inch margins. The first page of your manuscript should include your name, street address, and e-mail address (if you have one). 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.

Artist Guidelines
Leading Edge will not accept material that contains nudity, extreme violence, or overly graphic content. Your best gauge for what is and what is not acceptable is to purchase a sample issue. You can find single-issue sales and subscription information on our website.

If you are interested in illustrating for the magazine, please send a portfolio. All portfolio pieces must be black and white. If you want to be considered for illustrating the cover, your portfolio needs to include at least one color piece. Any electronic file submissions will be ignored, although you may send us links to your artwork online. Any questions can be e-mailed to art@leadingedgemagazine.com. Submissions are to be considered disposable.

All submissions should be sent to the following address

Illustrations
A commissioned illustration package consists of at least six illustrations—one full-page, a minimum of four half-page, and one piece of teaser art. Original illustrations must be actual printing size.
4 3/4" wide by 7 1/2" high for the full-page
4 1/2" x 4 1/2" for a half-page
3/4" x 3/4" for the teaser
If you must make your originals larger than these measurements, please use the same ratio as the measurements given above. Keep in mind that your illustrations will not appear in print any larger than the sizes given above. This is important to remember if doing pieces with higher levels of detail. Don’t feel limited to a square shape based on the measurements. The measurements are to give you the maximum area that your illustrations will take up on the page. Payment for story illustrations is variable based on assigned story length. Minimum payment is $30.

Poetry
We commission one artist per issue to illustrate all of our poetry. This will include a full-page illustration and a full-page frame illustration for each poem. Payment for poetry illustrations is $45.

Cover
One story will be designated as the cover story for each issue. The artist for the cover story will be asked to do the cover illustrations. Payment for cover illustrations is $50.

Sketchbooks
We are also interested in displaying sketchbooks of promising illustrators. We ask that you send us fifteen to twenty sketches/illustrations for consideration. Illustrations can be no larger than 4 3/4" by 7 1/2". Payment for sketchbook illustrations is $50.

Rights
For all artwork, we purchase First North American serial rights.