I started compiling a list of literary magazines that pay writers and have no submission fee simply because I’m broke. I’m a college student, and while a $3 fee per submission doesn’t seem like a lot— it adds up.
The submission process is a game. I’ll submit one story to multiple magazines and expect multiple rejections in return. Everything about the submission process takes time: writing the piece, editing, submitting, organizing submissions, and more.
I love writing, but it is a time commitment. Having lists of journals that fit certain criteria helps to streamline the process.
Many literary magazines that don’t offer payment are still amazing journals with phenomenal people behind them. However, it feels good to be rewarded for your writing. I wish you all the best of luck with the submission process.
Baltimore Review
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 5000 words) and poetry.
Pays: $40/piece
baltimorereview.org
Banshee: A Literary Journal
Publishes stories, essays, flash fiction, and poetry.
Pays: Yes
bansheelit.com
Bennington Review
Publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, hybrid, translations, and reviews.
Pays: $100/prose that is six pages or under, $200/prose that is over six pages, $20/poem benningtonreview.org
Blue Marble Review
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (under 1500 words) and poetry by writers between the ages of 13 – 22.
Pays: $30/piece
bluemarblereview.com
Blue Route, The
Publishes fiction and poetry by undergraduate students only.
Pays: $25
widenerblueroute.org
Book XI
Publishes any creative work that is philosophically informed.
Pays: $200/piece $50/poetry
bookxi.org
Do You Write Flash Fiction?
Be sure to check out our article on
the top 31 places to get paid for publishing flash fiction.
Canthius
Publishes feminist prose (max 3000 words) and poetry
Pays: $50 for one page, $75 for two pages, $100 for three, $125 for four pages, and $150 for five pages or more.
canthius.com
Cincinnati Review, The
Publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid, and micro (max 500 words).
Pays: $25/per a page of fiction, $30/per a page of poetry in the print journal
cincinnatireview.com
City. River. Tree.
Publishes any genre with a word limit of 100 – 500.
Pays: $0.02/word ($2 min, $10 max)
cityrivertree.com
CRAFT
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 6000 words), flash (max 1000 words), and micro-fiction has a focus on writings that deal with craft.
Pays: $200/fiction and nonfiction $100/flash
craftliterary.com
Corvid Queen
Publishes fiction (max 5000 words), nonfiction, and poetry that deal with feminist folktales and myths.
Pays: $5
corvidqueen.com
down river road
Publishes fiction and nonfiction between 2000 – 5000, flash fiction 500 – 1500, poetry, reviews, and interviews.
Pays: $30/piece
downriverroad.org
Extra Teeth
Publishes fiction and nonfiction between 800 – 4000 words.
Pays: £100/piece
extrateeth.co.uk
Fiction Desk, The
Publishes fiction between 1000 – 10000 words.
Pays: £25 per thousand words
thefictiondesk.com
fractured literary
Publishes flash and micro fiction.
Pays: $50/micro and $75/flash
fracturedlit.com
Funicular Magazine
Publishes fiction, poetry, and flash (max 1000 words)
Pays: $10/per a page for fiction (up to a maximum of $100) $25/flash and poetry.
funicularmagazine.com
Grain
Publishes fiction/nonfiction (max 3500 words), poetry, comics, and plays.
Pays: $50/per a page with a max payment of $250
grainmagazine.ca
Isele Magazine
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 8000 words) and reviews.
Pays: Yes
iselemagazine.com
Lor Journal
Publishes fiction, poetry, essay, and reviews. Short content and prioritizes emerging and marginalized writers.
Pays: $50/piece
lorjournal.wordpress.com
Lumin
Publishes anti-colonial experimental prose and poetry.
Pays: Yes
lumin-press.com
Malahat Review, The
Publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and translations.
Pays: CAD $70/page
malahatreview.ca
Matter Press: Journal of Compressed Creative Arts
Publishes all forms compressed writing (flash, micro prose poetry).
Pays: $50/piece
matterpress.com/journal
Middle House Review
Publishes fiction (max 7000 words), flash (max 2000 words), poetry.
Pays: $25/piece
middlehousereview.com
Minola Review
Publishes prose, poetry, reviews, and creative nonfiction from nonbinary and those who identify and women writers.
Pays: $175/prose and $25/poem
minolareview.com
Mud Season Review
Publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Pays: $50/piece
mudseasonreview.com
Looking for more opportunities to publish your work?
Valley of Writers has a whole section with opportunities for publishing your poetry, flash fiction, short stories, etc.
It also includes awards listings and competitions.
Mumber Mag
Publishes fiction, flash, poetry, nonfiction
Pays: $50/piece, $25/poem and flash
mumbermag.me
Neon Magazine
Publishes prose and poetry that is dark, speculative, and surreal.
Pays: 2p per word/fiction, 20p per line/poetry
neonmagazine.co.uk
New Yorker, The
Publishes fiction, poems, and translations
Pays: Yes
newyorker.com
One Story
Publishes fiction between 3,000 – 8,000 words and translations.
Pays: $500
one-story.com
Pandemic Publications
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 3000 words), poetry.
Pays: $120/fiction and nonfiction $50/poem
pandemicpublications.com
Paranoid Tree Press
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 400 words) and poetry.
Pays: $50/piece
paranoidtree.com
Raconteur Magazine
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 2000 words) and poetry (max 500 words).
Pays: $10/fiction and nonfiction $5/poetry
raconteurmag.com
Room Magazine
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 3500 words) and poetry all by marginalized genders.
Pays: Between CAD $50 – $200
roommagazine.com
SmokeLong Quarterly
Publishes flash narratives, nonfiction, hybrid, fiction (max 1000 words).
Pays: $100/story
smokelong.com
Sonder Magazine
Publishes fiction and nonfiction between 1000 – 2500 words and flash (max 700 words)
Pays: €300/piece
sonderlit.com
Sunlight Press, The
Publishes personal essays, fiction, poetry, reviews.
Pays: $40/essays, $40/fiction, $30/first poem accepted ($10 for additional poems) thesunlightpress.com
Threepenny Review, The
Publishes poems, stories, critical articles, and memoire.
Pays: $400/story and $200/poem
threepennyreview.com
Trampset
Publishes fiction and nonfiction (max 3000 words), poems, and translations
Pays: $25/piece
trampset.org
Vast Chasm Magazine
Publishes fiction, nonfiction (max 5000 words), poetry, hybrid, genreless writing
Pays: $50/piece
vastliterarypress.org
Velvet Giant, A
Publishes genreless writing
Pays: $20 per an author
avelvetgiant.com
VIDA Review, The
Publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, and interviews by marginalized groups
Pays: $40/piece
vidaweb.org
West Review, The
Publishes poetry and will very rarely publish prose
Pays: $10
westreview.org
Author: Livvy Krakower
Livvy Krakower (she/her) is currently an undergraduate student at UMass Amherst. She has previously been published in Wrongdoing Magazine, Roadrunner Review, Writers Resist, and more. She has pieces forthcoming in Duck Duck Mongoose Magazine and The Washington Square Review. You can find more of Livvy’s writing on Instagram @littlepenguinswrite.
Thank you for this!