Niall from the online speculative fiction magazine Strange Horizons writes, “Our annual fund drive has just 6 days to run, and we still need to raise at least $3,000! Why should you, the fine readers of Boing Boing, consider donating this year?”
1. We’re the longest-running online SF magazine, founded in 2000 and crowdfunded ever since then. In that time we’ve given first professional sales to writers as varied as Amal El-Mohtar, Mary Robinette Kowal, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, John Scalzi, Vandana Singh, J. Y. Yang and many more. Don’t you want to know who we’ll find for you to read tomorrow?
2. We’re a magazine that believes that in the twenty-first century, speculative fiction must be a global, inclusive tradition, and to that end we aim to showcase work that challenges and delights us, by new and established writers from diverse backgrounds and with diverse concerns. To that end, one of our stretch goals this year is to add regular translated fiction to the magazine — we need to raise an extra $5,000 to do that.
3. We have, as you’d expect, all sorts of donor rewards. We have a massive prize draw for donors, including signed and/or first edition books by Aliette de Bodard, Joe Hill, Ada Palmer, Alastair Reynolds, Nisi Shawl, and many more. We have SH t-shirts and mugs and other merchandise. And if you support us at Patreon you can get a monthly ebook of the magazine as well.
4. We’re a non-profit with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the US Internal Revenue Service, which means that (in the US) all your donations to us are tax-deductible. And we have an all-volunteer staff, so your donations go straight to paying our contributors.
If any of that sounds interesting to you, check out our fund drive page, which has all the details — and thanks!