Romance, Mystery & Alternate History

About the Magazine

Editorial standards, masthead, and market status

Selene Quarterly Magazine is a speculative romance, mystery, and alternate history quarterly periodical launched in 2017. The magazine is published by Aurelia Leo, LLC, under Editor-in-Chief Zelda Knight, who writes speculative romance across science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Contributors are paid for their work and receive a free digital copy of their issue in .epub or .mobi format.

Archives are kept online, with each issue releasing three months after its original publication. In 2019, Selene Quarterly Magazine became a semi-pro qualifying market for SFWA, and also gained qualifying status with HWA and MWA — milestones that reflect its growing standing among speculative fiction publications.

Selene Quarterly Magazine occupies a distinctive niche in the landscape of speculative fiction, bringing together three genres that rarely share the same table of contents. Romance, mystery, and alternate history each demand their own narrative discipline, yet within these pages they coexist in a dialogue that rewards the curious reader. The quarterly format allows for careful curation, giving each story room to breathe while maintaining a rhythm that keeps subscribers returning to discover what new combinations the editors have assembled.

The magazine launched in 2017 with a clear editorial vision: to create a space where genre boundaries could be tested and reimagined. Alternate history scenarios unfold alongside tender romantic arcs, while mystery plots thread through worlds that might have been. This cross-pollination is not a gimmick but a genuine exploration of how speculative fiction can illuminate human experience from unexpected angles. Each issue becomes a curated journey rather than a simple collection of unrelated pieces.

Since 2019, Selene Quarterly has held the distinction of being a qualifying market for multiple professional writers' associations, a recognition that speaks to the magazine's commitment to editorial standards and fair treatment of contributors. Writers who place work in these pages know they are building a professional bibliography, and readers benefit from the caliber of storytelling that such standing attracts. The magazine pays all contributors and provides a complimentary digital copy of each issue.

The editorial team approaches each volume with an eye toward diversity of voice and perspective. Speculative fiction has always been at its most vital when it draws from a wide range of experiences and traditions, and the magazine's submission process reflects that understanding. Stories emerge from established names and emerging talents alike, united by a shared willingness to push against the expected contours of genre fiction.

Beyond short fiction, Selene Quarterly also features poetry and interviews, rounding out each issue with forms that complement the central narratives. Poetry distills the emotional and thematic concerns of the magazine into concentrated language, while interviews offer readers a glimpse into the creative processes behind the work. Together these elements create a periodical that rewards both quick browsing and deep, sustained reading.

The magazine operates under the publishing house Aurelia Leo, LLC, benefiting from the infrastructure and industry relationships that an established publisher provides while retaining the editorial independence essential to its mission. This arrangement allows the quarterly to focus on the work itself: discovering stories that surprise, pairings that provoke thought, and voices that deserve a wider audience.

For readers drawn to fiction that defies easy categorization, Selene Quarterly offers a regular appointment with the unexpected. Each issue arrives as an invitation to step sideways from the familiar into narratives where history bends, mysteries deepen, and human connection remains the constant thread. The magazine continues to build an archive of work that demonstrates what becomes possible when genres are treated not as walls but as doorways.