Write for Science Fiction Classics

Science Fiction Classics is a new site, and we would love for you to write for us.

You don't need to be an expert—you need to have English skills equivalent to a native speaker, a sense of humor, and a love for classic science fiction.

Rates of Pay

For the first and second assignments, we use a fixed-rate schedule.

The Submission Process

• You read our author guidelines and article requirements,
• You write an article,
• You submit it with the proper Google Form (there is one for each article type),
• We reply and say, "Amazing—we will publish it" and pay you via PayPal;
• Or we reply, "Sorry—this one isn't going to work—give it another shot."

Article Requirements

Each article type has different requirements. One requirement they share is the understanding that you must have read our guidelines and that you accept the copyright agreement.

Science Fiction Episode Review

Science Fiction Classics pays $10 for a review of a single episode of a science fiction television series that is at least 650 words in length.

Your review should be more than a regurgitation of what happened in the episode. Instead, have an opinion about what made the episode good or bad. Describe how this episode impacts the series or a specific character.

You will need:

• A headline,
• A short description of the article (about 160 characters),
• At least 650 words of well-written, grammatically correct copy.

Science Fiction Opinion Article

Science Fiction Classics pays $10 for a science-fiction-themed opinion article at least 650 words long.

If you hate what Disney has done to Star Wars and the M-she-U and can articulate your feelings, you have an idea of what we are looking for in an opinion article.

You will need:

• A headline,
• A short description of the article (about 160 characters),
• At least 650 words of well-written, grammatically correct copy.

Science Fiction Movie Review

Science Fiction Classics pays $15 for a review of a science fiction movie that is at least 650 words in length.

The review should include these sections:

• Movie Review — a few paragraphs about the movie and whether or not you would recommend it.
• Plot Synopsis — a fast summary of the film.
• Positive Elements — describe uplifting parts of the film.
• Negative Elements — give a quick overview, and then describe each of the sub-topics here:  Sexual content, Violent content, Crude or profane language, Drug Content, Other negative elements.
• Who should watch — describe who will enjoy the film and provide a conclusion.
  

You will need:

• A headline,
• The movie title,
• The year the movie was released,
• A short description of the article (about 160 characters),
• At least 650 words of well-written, grammatically correct copy that includes the sections described above.

Science Fiction Novel Review

Science Fiction Classics pays $25 for a review of a science fiction movie that is at least 800 words in length. We are particularly interested in novels published before 2000, with an emphasis on the 1960s to 1980s; however, we will consider any science fiction novel review.

The review should include these sections:

• Book Review —  a few paragraphs about the book and whether or not you would recommend it.
• Plot Synopsis — a fast summary of the novel.
• Characters — a list of the main characters in the novel, with a one-sentence description for each.
• Positive Elements — describe uplifting parts of the book.
• Negative Elements — give a quick overview, and then describe each of the sub-topics here:  Sexual content, Violent content, Crude or profane language, Drug Content, Other negative elements.
• Who should read it — describe who will enjoy the novel and provide a conclusion.

You will need:

• A headline,
• The book title,
• The author's name,
• The year the book was first published,
• A short description of the article (about 160 characters),
• At least 800 words of well-written, grammatically correct copy that includes the sections described above.

A Science Fiction List Article

Science Fiction Classics pays $30 for a science fiction listicle that is at least 1,000 words in length and includes ten list items.

This article is top ten or ten reason style list. Here are a few example titles to give you the idea.

• Star Trek's 10 Worst Fashion Choices of All Time
• 10 Greatest Star Wars MacGuffins Ever
• The Top 10 Reasons Everyone Should Read Ringworld
• Top 10 Science Fiction Novels from the 1940s

Each item on your list should be at least two paragraphs long, and there should be a balance between the items, meaning they are all about the same length.

You will need:

• A headline,
• A short description of the article (about 160 characters),
• At least 1,000 words of well-written, grammatically correct copy.

Long-form Science Fiction Article

Science Fiction Classics pays $50 for a long-form science fiction article at least 2,500 words long.

At the moment, we are only accepting a few types of long-form articles.

• Data articles, i.e., science fiction box office revenue from the 1970s.
• Favorable views of traditional values found in science fiction.
• Positive examples and capitalism from science fiction.
• Surveys of the origins of science fiction.
• Science fiction and the occult.

You will need:

• A headline,
• A short description of the article (about 160 characters),
• At least 2,500 words of well-written, grammatically correct copy.

Author Guidelines

We want you to have a successful article submission, so here are some things to keep in mind.

Use Proper English and Grammar

Write your article in proper English. Your spelling, grammar, and word choice should make a 1970s-era English teacher happy.

Here are a few more tips.

• Avoid exclamation points.
• Use the word "use" instead of "utilize."
• Employ "less" and "few" correctly.
• Don't be casual.
• Don't use "they" as a singular pronoun.

Don't Plagiarize

We don't care if you are the former President of Harvard University, don't plagiarize. If you use a source, reference it. Also, don't quote a source unnecessarily.

Do not submit a translation of an article.

We will run every submission through plagiarism detection software; if we find that an article is plagiarized, we will reject it.

Don't Include Adult Content

The Science Fiction Classics website is PG at worst.

Do not submit graphic or abhorrent descriptions of sex, nudity, torture, violence, surgeries, or anything else that will make us want to throw up.

Avoid Profanity

Don't use profanity in your article. One possible exception would be in a direct quote necessary to move the article forward.

Submit Your Own Content

We will not accept farmed content —meaning you subcontract someone to write it for you— or content wholly created by a generative artificial intelligence (AI).

You may use generative AI to help with research and ideas, but we want you to write this.

Try to be Unique

Pick a unique or uncommon topic when possible. If your article is similar to 50 other articles online, it will have to be ten times better.

Use Loads of Facts

Write factual content about your topic. Facts are like gems buried in an article. Reads love to find them and share them.

Also, check your sources. Tabloid sites like Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, National Enquirer, Metro, Vox, The Verge, and similar are not reliable sources.

Write Simply, Concisely

We like short sentences with a simple noun-verb structure.

"Simple" does not mean you should only use monosyllabic words; rather, use the most pithy words possible. "Simple" also does not mean your topic has to be simplistic. You can cover a complex and challenging topic in a direct and understandable way.

Copyright And Payments

When you submit your article, you grant AERO 1917 LLC D.B.A. Science Fiction Classics the first right of refusal to publish your article.

If we accept your article, we will pay you the published amount via PayPal (minus PayPal fees) within thirty days.

Once we accept your article, it becomes the property of AERO 1917 LLC D.B.A. Science Fiction Classics. We will have exclusive, worldwide rights to it, including the right to edit it.

You may not submit the content to other websites or use it in any other format for public consumption.

If we don't accept your article submission and pay you within 30 days, all copyright and rights remain with you.