Clarkesworld Magazine
Clarkesworld Magazine is a monthly digital science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Wyrm Publishing since 2006, serving genre readers and authors worldwide through original short fiction, articles, interviews, audio podcasts, and multi-storefront digital distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersStirling, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Clarkesworld Magazine does
Clarkesworld Magazine is a monthly digital science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Wyrm Publishing, founded in July 2006 by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace at Readercon and first issued in October 2006. The magazine publishes 12 issues per year (currently Issue 238, July 2026) containing original short fiction, science articles, author interviews, and cover art, with audio editions of selected stories distributed through the Clarkesworld Podcast narrated by Kate Baker and others. The publication is editorially led by Neil Clarke, a four-time Hugo Award winner (Best Editor Short Form), three-time Locus Award winner, and four-time Chesley Award winner, and is headquartered in New Jersey under the Wyrm Publishing entity.
Clarkesworld Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clarkesworld Magazine
- Legal name
- Wyrm Publishing
- Website
- https://clarkesworldmagazine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Clarkesworld Magazine is a monthly digital science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Wyrm Publishing since 2006, serving genre readers and authors worldwide through original short fiction, articles, interviews, audio podcasts, and multi-storefront digital distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Clarkesworld Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stirling
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clarkesworld Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Magazine Subscriptions: Clarkesworld sells digital subscriptions through its website and platforms like Weightless Books, Patreon, and Barnes & Noble Nook Newsstand. Subscribers receive monthly issues containing fiction, articles, interviews, and audio content.
- Individual Issue Sales: Individual magazine issues are sold as EPUB/MOBI/PDF downloads through multiple digital retailers including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Bookshop.org, and Fable.
- Patreon Membership: The magazine operates a Patreon page offering EPUB/PDF issues to supporters, providing a recurring revenue stream from dedicated readers.
- Podcast/Audio Content: Audio editions of stories are produced and distributed through the podcast channel, enhancing reader engagement with audio content.
- Donations and Support: The magazine offers a 'Support Us' donation option for readers who want to financially support the publication.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual digital issues available for purchase through multiple retailers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly subscription via Patreon supporting the magazine |
| Subscription | Annual | 12-month digital subscription through Weightless Books |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Clarkesworld Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clarkesworld Magazine is a monthly digital science fiction and fantasy publication (ISSN 1937-7843) featuring original short fiction, non-fiction articles, author interviews, cover art, and audio fiction editions, sold via subscription and individual-issue download across its own website and a network of digital retailers and podcast platforms. The operation is supported by recurring reader membership (Patreon, Clarkesworld Citizens), donations, and a parallel Neil Clarke-edited magazine (Forever Magazine), all published through Wyrm Publishing.
Product overview
Clarkesworld Magazine operates as a digital science fiction and fantasy publication with a multi-platform distribution model. The core product is Clarkesworld Magazine (ISSN 1937-7843), published 12 times annually by Wyrm Publishing, featuring original short fiction, articles, interviews, and cover art. The magazine is accompanied by a podcast/audio fiction component and is distributed through multiple subscription channels including Weightless Books, Patreon, Barnes & Noble Nook Newsstand, and direct retail sales via Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and Bookshop.org. Additional products include Forever Magazine (another Neil Clarke-edited publication), back issue archives, and a cover art gallery. The publication is editorially led by Neil Clarke, who also manages several anthology series including the Best Science Fiction of the Year.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clarkesworld Podcast: Audio editions of short fiction published in the magazine, read by Kate Baker and others.
- Clarkesworld Citizens
Products and services
- Clarkesworld Magazine A monthly digital science fiction and fantasy magazine (12 issues per year, ISSN 1937-7843) featuring original short fiction, non-fiction articles, author interviews, and cover art, published by Wyrm Publishing.
- Clarkesworld Podcast Audio fiction readings and podcast episodes featuring professional narration of short stories from the magazine (including narration by Kate Baker), distributed via podcast platforms.
- Digital Subscription (Weightless Books) Electronic subscription offering 12 months of Clarkesworld issues delivered in EPUB/MOBI/PDF formats via the Weightless Books retailer.
- Patreon Membership Monthly membership support program offering subscribers recurring access to EPUB/PDF issues and additional supporter benefits via Patreon.
- B&N Nook Newsstand Subscription Digital subscription to Clarkesworld issues delivered through the Barnes & Noble Nook Newsstand platform.
- Clarkesworld Back Issues Archive of previous Clarkesworld magazine issues offered for individual purchase or subscription in EPUB/MOBI/PDF format.
- Forever Magazine A separate Neil Clarke-edited science fiction magazine featuring original genre fiction, distinct from but related to Clarkesworld Magazine.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple Hugo Award wins and nominations for stories published
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Clarkesworld Magazine
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clarkesworld Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Clarkesworld Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights10 records
Clarkesworld Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beneath Ceaseless Skies: Online fantasy fiction magazine publishing original short fiction on a biweekly schedule; directly comparable in digital-first approach and short fiction focus to Clarkesworld.
- Strange Horizons: Online speculative fiction magazine publishing original fiction, poetry, and articles weekly; comparable digital-first SF/F publication operating in the same online short fiction market.
- Analog Science Fiction and Fact: Monthly science fiction magazine publishing original short fiction and articles; serves the same genre fiction reader market and competes with Clarkesworld for SF short story submissions.
- Lightspeed Magazine: Online science fiction and fantasy magazine publishing original short fiction, articles, and audio content; directly comparable digital-first SF/F publication and the closest online peer to Clarkesworld's model.
- Nightmare Magazine: Online horror and dark fantasy magazine featuring original fiction and a podcast component; sister publication to Lightspeed with a comparable digital-first short fiction model to Clarkesworld.
- The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (F&SF): Established SF/F magazine publishing original short fiction, articles, and reviews; directly comparable to Clarkesworld in format, content type, audience, and award-recognition profile.
- Asimov's Science Fiction: One of the longest-running SF/F magazines, publishing original short fiction monthly and competing directly with Clarkesworld for both readers and prestige authors in the genre short fiction space.
- Apex Magazine: Online dark fiction and SF/F magazine publishing original short fiction, poetry, and interviews; comparable digital-first SF/F short fiction publication with overlapping author pool.
- Uncanny Magazine: Online SF/F magazine featuring original short fiction, poetry, and essays; shares Clarkesworld's digital-first model, genre focus, and multiple-Hugo recognition.
Broad incumbents
- Tor.com: Major SF/F publisher and platform (Macmillan imprint) that publishes original short fiction online and operates as a broader SF/F content hub; broader incumbent with adjacent short fiction content rather than a direct monthly-magazine competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clarkesworld Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceClarkesworld Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clarkesworld Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Clarkesworld Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clarkesworld Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clarkesworld Magazine
What does Clarkesworld Magazine do?
Clarkesworld Magazine is a monthly digital science fiction and fantasy publication (ISSN 1937-7843) featuring original short fiction, non-fiction articles, author interviews, cover art, and audio fiction editions, sold via subscription and individual-issue download across its own website and a network of digital retailers and podcast platforms. The operation is supported by recurring reader membership (Patreon, Clarkesworld Citizens), donations, and a parallel Neil Clarke-edited magazine (Forever Magazine), all published through Wyrm Publishing.
Is Clarkesworld Magazine a public or private company?
Clarkesworld Magazine is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Clarkesworld Magazine founded?
Clarkesworld Magazine was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Clarkesworld Magazine based?
Clarkesworld Magazine is headquartered in Stirling, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clarkesworld Magazine make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Digital Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are individual Issue Sales, patreon Membership, podcast/Audio Content and donations and Support.
Who are Clarkesworld Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Strange Horizons, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Lightspeed Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (F&SF), Asimov's Science Fiction, Apex Magazine and Uncanny Magazine. Tor.com is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Clarkesworld Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clarkesworld Magazine.