Apex Magazine is dedicated to publishing diverse voices, uplifting marginalized voices, and improving on these goals every year. As such, we sent out voluntary, anonymous demographics surveys to our authors and our team. In the interest of transparency, that data is compiled here.
2024 Apex Magazine: A Year in Review
Our author demographics survey was sent to the 65 authors published in our 2024 issues. Of those, 61 responded. The results indicate we are publishing a diverse spread of genders and sexual identities, and are at least somewhat accessible for neurodivergent and disabled authors. The results also indicate that we have some work to do in the realm of publishing more non-white voices and in particular, voices from the global south.
We see similar results in our first reading team demographics, which we view as causative. The Apex team has lots of women, and is women-led. We have neurodivergent and disabled readers, and we have a spread of sexual orientation identities. However, the team is heavily white/western.
We made a number of changes in 2024, including this being the first year of Editor in Chief Lesley Conner's solo leadership, changing our reading system from a one-reader system to a two-reader system, and running a Kickstarter with a different approach.
In 2025, our goal will be to improve our accessibility and diversity, especially in regards to voices from the global south.
Author Demographics
PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME CATEGORIES WERE AGGREGATED TO ENSURE ANONYMITY.
Ethnicity
Gender Identity
Sexual Orientation
Disabilities/Neurodivergence
Team Demographics
Ethnicity
Gender Identity
Sexual Orientation
Disability/Neurodivergence
Year in Review
Subscriber Report
Apex Magazine 2024 Submissions
9,182 total submissions
187 held for consideration by Lesley Conner
21 Acceptances
41 Original stories published
Average response: 36.5 days
Max response: 183 days
Average word count: 3952 words
Average subs/day: 28
Average time from submission to hold notice: 32 days (This goes up to almost 60 days when looking only at stories subbed after our two-reader change)
Average time from hold notice to acceptance: 97 days (This goes down to 70 days when looking only at stories subbed after our two-reader change)
Unpublished Author Submissions
932 total submissions
62 held for consideration by Lesley Conner
These stories are still under consideration. The selected stories will appear in Issue 150 of Apex Magazine.
Flash Fiction Contest Submissions
1,974 total submissions
Milestones and Achievements
- 521 backers pledged $22,919 to fund our 2025 Kickstarter Campaign
- Six issues released, with 65 authors
- 119,236 words of original fiction
- Three episodes of “Snap Judgment” with special guests Brent Lambert, Rae Wilde, and Vajra Chandrasekera
2024 Original Fiction
We have just about wrapped up our year of original short fiction. We are so grateful to our readers, subscribers, and backers. We’re proud of the outstanding fiction and authors we had the opportunity to publish in 2024!
Quick by-the-numbers for stat fans.
- 6 issues released (Issues 142-147)
- 41 original stories published
- 119,000 words of original fiction
There are a number of prestigious awards honoring works of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Perhaps most notable of these are the Hugo Awards, the Stokers, and the Nebula Awards.
The stories listed below are eligible in the short fiction categories of most major SF/F awards. We are grateful for any consideration for these categories.
Additionally, Lesley Conner is eligible for the Hugo Award category of Best Editor (Short Form). Rebecca E. Treasure is eligible as our flash fiction editor.
Issue 142
ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION
Spread the Word by Delilah S. Dawson
Born a Ghost by Nadia Bongo
Just You and Me, Now by KT Bryski
When No One Has to Say Goodbye by Elisabeth Ring
FLASH FICTION
Then Came the Ghost of My Dead Mother, Antikleia by Nadia Radovich
For As Long As You Want It by Kanishk Tantia
Issue 143
ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION
The Ghost Tenders of Chornobyl by Nika Murphy
Everything in the Garden is Lovely by Hannah Yang
Complete Log of Week 893819 – Dana’s Story by Renan Bernardo
Chị Tấm is Tired of Being Dead by Natasha King
The Ferns and the Fiddleheads by Leah Ning
FLASH FICTION
The End of the Middle by Andrew Kozma
A Ring Around by Lyndsey Croal
Issue 144
ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION
Those Left Behind by Kanishk Tantia
At Night She Dreams of Silverfish by Monica Joyce Evans
Down the Dust Hatch by Derrick Boden
The Clown Watches the Clown by Sara S. Messenger
The Art the Owls Can’t Swallow by Spencer Nitkey
The Jukebox Man by Natalia Theodoridou
FLASH FICTION
Out of Print by Wen Wen Yang
To Rise Again by Kelsea Yu
Issue 145
ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION
Our Lady of the Clay by Daniela Tomova
The Owl by Stephen M.A.
A Lullaby of Anguish by Marie Croke
Loss Prevention by Pamela Rentz
FLASH FICTION
What is Conjured Shall Vanish by Akis Linardos
Intertwined by Anne Wilkins
Issue 146
ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION
Kizimbani by Eugen Bacon and Clare E. Rhoden
And Someone Has To Do It by Koji A Dae
A Tapestry of Dreams by Victor Forna
What Good Daughters Do by Tia Tashiro
The Price of Moss by Akis Linardos
FLASH FICTION
The Eight Things You’ll Never Be Now That You’re Slowly Turning Into a Giant Spider Creature by Alex Sobel
A Very Short History of the Discovery and Origin of Homo Sapiens Microplasticus in Three Parts by Joshua Ginsberg
Issue 147
ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION
And She Had Been So Reasonable by Rachel Bolton
Birds of a Feather by Rachael Severino
What Happens When a Planet Falls from the Sky? by Danny Cherry Jr.
Their Wings as Powdery as Bones by Avra Margariti
Ceasing to Be by Garrett Ashley
FLASH FICTION
Your Return to the Five Ruins of the Bog by Parker M. O’Neill
Let Her Collect Stamps by Juniper White (posting 12/17)
2024 Changes
2024 saw a number of changes at Apex Magazine. It was the first full year under Editor in Chief Lesley Conner's sole leadership, we ran a funding/subscription Kickstarter, and we made huge changes to our reading system.
Lesley Conner took over in fall 2023 as the sole EiC of Apex. Issues 142-147 were published in 2024, with 119,236 words of original fiction shared with our readers. Lesley also took the lead on our 2025 Kickstarter, with the help of Leah Ning and the rest of the team, which successfully funded four new issues in the coming year. Together, EiC Lesley Conner and Managing Editor Rebecca E Treasure have worked to expand the reading team, support our first readers, make our reading process more equitable, and diversify our team.
As part of that focus, in April we changed our reading system from a one-reader referral to a two-reader system, where a minimum of two readers are recommending or not recommending pieces before they are passed to Lesley's desk or returned to authors. Our goal was to ensure that the biases and reading preferences of one reader were balanced by another perspective. This has slowed our reading time considerably, but we believe it is an important step.
As a part of our Kickstarter results, we opened to Unpublished Authors only in August and September. We are almost done working through those stories, and will publish an Unpublished Authors issue in 2025. We plan to continue to work on finding ways to lift up new voices.
Our 2025 kickstarter had a different approach than previous funding drives. We didn't offer physical rewards, and we didn't ask established authors to contribute stories to the future magazine issues. Instead, we focused on digital rewards and uplifting voices that might not be heard. We didn't reach our ultimate goal of funding a full six issues of the magazine, but those issues that are funded are fully covered by our kickstarter funds.
We are incredibly proud of the work we've done in 2024 and are eager to continue to improve in the future.
Looking Ahead
Below are our plans to make concrete changes moving forward to improve our accessibility and diversity, platforming marginalized voices and broadening our reading team and community to be more inclusive.
- New Discord channels for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, ESL/international voices with the explicit goal to foster conversation and community.
- An anonymous feedback form has been pinned to both our general Discord channel and our team chat to provide a means to give feedback to the editorial team. This form will be linked in our monthly newsletters as well.
- We will continue to prioritize BIPOC and LGBTQ+ readers when we add new team members.
- We will provide regular training and reminders to our reading team that we are eager to uplift diverse voices.
- We will continue to seek out opportunities to boost non-white writers.
- Future demographic surveys will add nationality and religion as categories.
Final Note
This report was compiled by Rebecca E. Treasure. If you have any questions or concerns about this report, contact her at rebecca.treasure@apexbookcompany.com.
