5 US Publications that pay for short stories

Listed below is a selection of US publications that publish short fiction, essays and also poetry. These publications pay for work that they post online and are also well respected in their fields. It’s a good idea, if not already known, to check the kind of work they have previously published and if it matches your style of writing, or if you need to further cater your work to the publication.

Please also check the publication guidelines before submitting your work. Most publications will have the requirement that they are the first to publish the piece and may not accept it if it’s already been published on or offline.

Also for further information on publications that pay for your written work or other articles on publishing please see the publishing section. 

American Short Fiction:

The American Short Fiction website has both short story contests and regular fiction submissions. To see their submission page please click the link here 

  • It doesn’t provide specific payment details but does state – Payment is competitive and upon publication. American Short Fiction purchases first serial rights. All rights revert to the author upon publication.

Information from the Website:

We have separate guidelines for our short story contests and regular submissions. We run two short story contests a year, the American Short(er) Fiction contest in the winter/spring, and The Halifax Ranch Prize for Fiction in the spring/summer, plus the Insider Prize for incarcerated writers in Texas. Please check our homepage for current contest information. Guidelines for regular submissions are below; please follow these guidelines for all non-contest submissions.

 

The New Yorker:

A world-famous publication that has both a well-known website and print published magazine. One of the challenges you face by entering your work into this publication is the large number of submissions that constantly receive, but don’t let that put you off. They accept fiction, poetry and cartoons. Link here.

  •  I was not able to find the rates that pay for submitted entries, but I am assuming they have the resources to pay competitive fees if they do publish your work.

Information from the Website:

Fiction submissions: Please send your submissions (as PDF attachments) to [email protected], or by mail to Fiction Editor, The New Yorker, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. We read all submissions within ninety days, and will contact you if we’re interested in publishing your material. We regret that, owing to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to call or e-mail unless a story is accepted for publication. If you have not heard from us within ninety days, please assume that we will not be able to publish your manuscript. Submissions sent by regular mail will not be returned, so please do not send original copies of your work.

 

The Georgia Review:

The Georgia Review has a heritage that goes back to 1947 and is ran by the University of Georgia. It accepts short fiction, poetry, essays and book reviews. To get your work published here is to add a little piece to literary history. Please see the submission page here

Information from the Website:

The Georgia Review accepts submissions both online and by post. We do not accept submissions via email. Submissions are free for those who mail them in and those who are current subscribers to The Georgia Review. Subscriptions and online submission fees ensure that we can maintain our pay rate for our writers.

  • The current standard rates are $50 per printed page for prose,
  • $4 per line for poetry
  • A flat rate of $150 for book reviews published on GR2.
  • In addition, all contributors receive a one-year subscription to The Georgia Review and a 50% discount on additional copies of that issue.

Boulevard:

One of the things I like about this publication is that it has clear and concise submission guidelines and also payment details. It’s not always straight-forward finding out what publications pay for submitted work, but Boulevard is clear on all these points.

  • Prose minimum is $100, maximum is $300
  • Poetry minimum is $50, maximum is $250
  • Natural Bridge Online publication is a flat rate of $50

Information from the Website:

Boulevard strives to publish only the finest in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. While we frequently publish writers with previous credits, we are very interested in less experienced or unpublished writers with exceptional promise. If you have practiced your craft and your work is the best it can be, send it to Boulevard. To get a feel for style, content, quality, and form of the work we publish try a sample issue or subscription.

 

AGNI:

It’s always great to see a clear vision from an organisation and AGNI address this in their mission page. The initial opening paragraph is below, but the full mission statement is here. To submit your work please see the submissions page here.

  • First worldwide serial rights and pay $10 per printed (or printed-out) page for accepted prose, and $20 per page for accepted poetry, up to a maximum of $150.
  • A year’s subscription to AGNI

Information from Website:

At AGNI we see literature and the arts as integral to the broad, engaged conversation that underwrites a vital society. Our poets, storytellers, essayists, translators, and artists lift a mirror to nature and the social world. They not only reflect our age, they respond. We have no formula. We seek fresh vision and listen for dynamic voices that address our common reality.

For further info on where you can publish your work see – publications that pay for your short stories.