{"id":12407,"date":"2025-03-18T12:29:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T19:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=12407"},"modified":"2025-03-18T12:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T19:29:59","slug":"10-magazines-paying-up-to-500-for-short-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/10-magazines-paying-up-to-500-for-short-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Magazines Paying up to $500 for Short Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These fiction magazines and anthologies pay up to about $500 for fiction. They\u2019re a mix of literary and genre magazines. A couple of them are for a limited demographic, and one will open soon for a brief period. Also see some themed calls at the end of this list.

Uncanny
<\/strong>This award-winning speculative fiction magazine will open soon for a brief submission period, for flash fiction only. Do not send works of other lengths or genres during this submission period. Their submission portal will open during the reading period.
Reading period: 24-28 March 2025
Length: 750-1,500 words for flash fiction
Pay: $0.10\/word
Details here<\/a>.

The Fiddlehead
<\/strong>They want submissions by Canadian writers only via Submittable, for this reading period \u2013 fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translations. They\u2019ll accept work by all writers via Submittable during their Fall reading period (see guidelines). They also say, \u201cFor those who prefer snail mail and handwritten responses, we accept\u00a0mailed submissions\u00a0in any category all year\u00a0round.\u201d
Deadline: 31 March 2025
Length: Up to 6,000 words for prose, up to 6 poems
Pay: CAD65\/page
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(And, Short Fiction<\/strong> Magazine<\/strong> is open for story submissions of 500-5,000 words; \u201cWe accept submissions from the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and every other country except for the USA.\u201d They pay \u00a30.02\/word up to \u00a3100, and the deadline is 23 March 2025; details here<\/a>.)

Consequence Magazine<\/strong>
They publish work \u201cthat addresses the human experiences, realities, and consequences of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art.\u201d They accept fiction (including flash and excerpts), nonfiction (interviews, essays, and narrative non-fiction), poetry, translations, and art. All works will be considered for online and print.
Deadline: 15 April 2025
Length: Varies
Pay: $30-50 for prose, $20\/poem for print poetry, $30-50 for online poetry
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrain.org<\/strong>
This magazine focuses on place, climate, and justice. They publish fiction, poetry, essays, articles, artwork, videos, and other contributions, as well as translations. They particularly seek underrepresented voices (see guidelines). Poetry submissions will close end-March while general fiction and non-fiction will close end April; submissions for ARTerrain and Letter to America have no deadlines listed.
Deadline: 31 March 2024 for poetry, 30 April 2025 for prose
Length: 2-6 poems, up to 5,000 words for prose
Pay: $50
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Terrain.org also has an annual Editor’s Prize of $500 per genre for underrepresented writers for which there is no submission fee, and another prize, for all writers, for which there is a submission fee \u2013 see guidelines).

Pulp Literature
<\/strong>They\u2019re open for fiction submissions. They want any genre or between-genre work of literature up to 50 pages in length. They accept short stories, novellas, poetry, and comics.\u00a0They take all genres of fiction, not just pulp \u2013 including fantasy, romance, mystery, literary. They do not publish non-fiction, memoir, or children\u2019s stories. They take more short fiction than novellas, and stories under 5,000 words have the best chance of publication. They also publish reprints. Please note, fiction submission is via a form on their website, which may close temporarily even during open reading periods, if submissions get overwhelming. They accept queries for art.
Deadline: 31 March 2025 (see guidelines)
Length: Up to 10,000 words (prefer up to 4,000 words)
Pay: $0.05-0.08\/word for short stories (to 5,000 words),\u00a0 $0.03-0.06\/word for stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words; $25-50 for poetry and art; $25-75\/page for sequential art
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

kh\u014dr\u00e9\u014d
<\/strong>This is a quarterly magazine of speculative fiction and migration, and they only publish fiction by immigrant and diaspora authors. They also accept speculative fiction translations with migration themes.
Deadline: 31 March 2025
Length: Up to 5,000 words for fiction, up to 3,500 words for translations
Pay: $0.10\/word
Details here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.
(And, The Skull & Laurel <\/strong>is looking for at least one Weird Folk Horror story from a BIPOC writer for Issue 4. \u201cWeird Folk Horror\/Folk SF\/Folk Fantasy, broad interpretation, all kinds of folklore and lore welcome.\u201d They also accept translations and reprints. They accept works of 100-4,999 words, pay $0.03\/word, and the deadline is 1 April 2025; details here<\/a>.)

West Branch<\/strong>
West Branch<\/a> is a literary magazine affiliated with Bucknell University. They accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and translations.
Deadline: 1 April 2024
Length: Up to 30 pages for prose; up to 6 poems
Pay: $100 per submission of poetry, $.10\/word for prose up to $200
Details here<\/a>.

Translunar Travelers Lounge
<\/strong>They want fun speculative fiction; stories must have elements of science fiction or fantasy. \u201cA fun story, at its core, is one that works on the premise that things aren\u2019t all bad; that ultimately, good wins out. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that your story has to be silly or lighthearted (though it certainly\u00a0can<\/em>\u00a0be). Joy can be made all the more powerful when juxtaposed against tragedy. In the end, though, there should be hope, and we want stories that are truly fun for as many different kinds of people as possible.
Swashbuckling adventure, deadly intrigue, and gleeful romance are some of the most obvious examples of what we\u2019re looking for, but we won\u2019t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider \u201cfun\u201d umbrella.\u201d Their reading period is 15 March to 15 April 2025. Please note, the first week (i.e. 15-21 March) is for submissions from writers of color only (see guidelines) and, \u201cAuthors who submit to this window are welcome to also submit a different story to the general submissions window.\u201d\u00a0
Deadline: 15 April 2025
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Pay: $0.03\/word
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Cold Caller Mag
<\/strong>Cold Caller<\/a> is a new Substack-based magazine; it is \u201ca publisher of crime and mystery fiction, and we define those terms broadly. We’re looking for stories of bad decisions and worse consequences; unlucky losers who can’t catch a break; grifters and con men convinced they’re about to score big; good men and women who have very good reasons to do terrible things.\u201d They\u2019ve given a list of stories, as well as TV shows and movies, that match their vibe (see guidelines). And, \u201cWe lean toward noir and realism, so generally speaking we aren\u2019t looking for cozy mysteries, spy thrillers, or for cross-genre work such as mystery-romance, mystery-science fiction, mystery-fantasy, etc.\u201d
Deadline: Open now
Length: Up to 10,000 words (prefers 2,000-6,000 words)
Pay: $125
Details here<\/a>.

Belanger Books: Sherlock Holmes \u2013 A Year of Mystery 1889 & 1890
<\/strong>This is a call for fiction for a Sherlock Holmes themed anthology. \u201cWhen I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years ’82 and ’90, I am faced by so many which present strange and interesting features that it is no easy matter to know which to choose and which to leave.\u201d – Dr. Watson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synopsis: The year 1889 was a particularly busy one for Holmes with a number of cases including The Hound (Sept. 25-Oct. 20); \u201cThe Beryl Coronet\u201d (Feb. 19-20); \u201cThe Man with the Twisted Lip\u201d (June 18-19);\u00a0 \u2026 \u00a0But what other cases did our heroes encounter in these years? Find out in\u00a0 Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries \u2013 1889 &\u00a0 Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries \u2013 1890. \u2026 The stories must be Canonical in nature and fit with the timeline. Holmes and Watson should act like they do in the original stories.\u00a0As you can see above, a number of the original cases from this period are specifically dated, so please bear that in mind when you are writing your story.\u201d And, \u201cAuthors interested in participating should first send a synopsis of their adventure and the month of the year they wish it to take place. If your story does not need a specific month (i.e. it takes place in autumn and could be in September, October, or November) please let us know that as well. Once your synopsis has been accepted, you should begin drafting the story.\u201d Submission deadline for proposals is April 30th, 2025. Submission deadline for stories is June 30th, 2025.
Deadline: See above
Length: 5,000 \u2013 10,0000 words
Pay: $125
Details here<\/a>.
(Belanger Books is also open for two other anthologies, with later deadlines \u2013 The Necronomicon of Sherlock Holmes<\/strong>; and Solar Pons: A Year of Mystery 1919<\/strong>; see the guidelines page<\/a> for details.)
\u00a0
(There are also some other themed calls that are open now:<\/strong>

— <\/strong>Flame Tree Publishing: Afrofuturism Short Stories<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>\u201cThe National Museum of African American History and Culture\u00a0characterises Afrofuturism as expressing “notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life.”\u00a0This is Africa, based in Kenya, defines\u00a0Africanfuturism\u00a0as located in “the African point of view, experience, culture, themes, and history with technology based in Africa, not the diaspora”.\u00a0\u2026. Authors must be writing from an authentic perspective of the Black experience, whether based in the diaspora or in Africa.\u201d They also accept reprints. Pay is $0.08\/word for stories of 2,000-4,000 words (see guidelines), deadline 28 March 2025.

— <\/strong>Riddle Fence:<\/strong> Knots, Nets, and Ties that Bind<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> This Labrador-based journal wants submissions on Knots, Nets, and Ties that Bind.At the time of writing, fee-free submissions of poetry and fiction on this theme were still open; they will close end-March, or when their submission cap is reached, whichever comes first. Pay is CAD50\/page for up to 3,000 words for prose, up to 10 pages for poetry; details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

— <\/strong>Banshee Press: It doesn\u2019t have to be this way<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>They welcome submissions from Irish and international writers. They have detailed guidelines about what the fiction editor is looking for in this issue, including, \u201cSpeculative Fiction, or It doesn\u2019t have to be this way<\/em>\u2019. It was Ursula K. LeGuin who coined this as a simple summary of what fantasy and sci-fi can achieve: a way of looking at the world and ourselves and imagining how else they might be. It is playful, she said, and it is also subversive. What excites me about speculative fiction is not really magic wands, elves or spaceships, but its ability to examine our world through the lens of another.\u201d Pay: \u20ac250 for fiction\/nonfiction up to 5,000 words; \u20ac75 for flash fiction; \u20ac50\/poem (see here<\/a> \u2013 click on \u2018Say what you pay\u2019); deadline 31 March 2025; details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

— <\/strong>Cohesion Press: SNAFU \u2013 Contagion<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>They want fantasy, horror, or science fiction stories with a military focus for the latest in their SNAFU anthology series. \u201cSNAFU: Contagion, featuring action-filled tales of viral, fungal and bacterial horror. \u2026 Please ensure the action is central to the story, from start to finish, and don\u2019t forget monsters! It really should be in the style of military or paramilitary action.\u201d Pays AUD0.05\/word for stories of 2,500-7,500 words, deadline: 31 March 2025.

— <\/strong>Barbecued Beef: Tales of Disagreement<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>They want fiction and poetry. \u201cWe are now open for submissions for our Summer 2025 issue. The theme for that issue will be\u00a0\u2018Barbecued Beef: Tales of Disagreement\u2019. Our themes are broadly interpreted. And, \u201cEarlier submission\u00a0within the submission window greatly improves the chance of publication.\u201d Submission is via a form on their website. Pays $10 for poetry, $20-50 for fiction of up to 2,000 words, deadline 31 March 2025.

— <\/strong>Foofaraw Anthology<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>\u201cEvery piece must align, at least a tiny bit, to one of these two definitions:
a great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant.
an excessive amount of decoration or ornamentation, as on a piece of clothing, a building, etc.\u201d They want fiction, comics, humor\/satire, poetry, essays, \u201cand anything else that fits the vibe\u201d. And, \u201cthe general areas\/genres of interest for fiction in\u00a0foofaraw<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0are: Magical Realism, Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Literary, LGBTQIA+, Horror, Mystery, Noir, Odd\u200a\/\u200aSurreal\u200a\/\u200aAbsurdist \/ Experimental. Submission is via a form on their website. \u00a0Pays $0.01\/word for fiction of 500-5,000 words, $5 for poetry, deadline 31 March 2025.

— <\/strong>Utopia Science Fiction<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Wants fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for their June issue on the Disability Pride <\/strong>theme, deadline 1 April 2025; they pay $0.08\/word for fiction up to 4,000 words, $25 for poetry, and $30 for non-fiction; submission is via a form on their website.
\u00a0
— <\/strong>Sally Port Magazine: Making the Choice<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>They accept fantasy fiction only \u2013 for a general, as well as mid-grade and YA audiences. You can read about them here<\/a>. Their upcoming theme is \u2018Making the Choice\u2019. They also accept non-fiction. There is no deadline given for the themed issue. Pays $0.05\/word, details here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Bio:<\/strong>\u00a0S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By S. Kalekar These fiction magazines and anthologies pay up to about $500 for fiction. They\u2019re a mix of literary and genre magazines. A couple of them are for a limited demographic, and one will open soon for a brief period. Also see some themed calls at the end of this list. UncannyThis award-winning speculative…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12407"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12408,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12407\/revisions\/12408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}