Where to Submit Short Stories: 20 Places Accepting Submissions

If you want to get your foot in the door of the publishing world, you should look for outlets open to short story submissions. As an aspiring author, these publications can serve as a training ground where you can learn to appeal to editors, build some credits for your author bio, and grow your fan base. Plus, it’s a chance to get paid for your writing, which is nothing to be sniffed at.

To help you get started, we've compiled 20 publications that accept short stories.

Magazines open to short story submissions

1. AGNI

About: On the lookout for distinctive voices with fresh perspectives, AGNI magazine proudly showcases talented writers from all around the globe. Judging by its recent issues, this magazine focuses on stories from writers in the early stages of their careers 一 making it an invaluable platform for emerging literary talent.
Submission window: September 1st – December 15th | February 15th – May 31st
Compensation: $20 per printed page
Word Count: No set word limit
Submission Guidelines: Here

2. The Atlantic

About: Founded in 1875, The Atlantic has been home to some of "the most urgent essays, the most vital literature," publishing works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Aside from writing an exceptional piece, your key to getting through the door of this venerable institution is to be familiar with what they've already published.
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: Unspecified
Word Count: Unspecified
Submissions Guidelines: Here

3. Guernica

About: A non-profit magazine operated by a passionate team of volunteers, Guernica has a reputation for literary works that challenge boundaries and pose thought-provoking questions at the intersection of culture and politics. They are open to short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interviews and more, focusing mostly on themes of “identity, conflict, culture, justice, science, and beyond.” They do not accept flash fiction or serialized longer pieces. 
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: $150 for fiction
Word Count: Between 2,000 and 7,000 
Submissions Guidelines: Here

4. Black Warrior Review

About: Established by graduate students in an MFA Program in Creative Writing, Black Warrior Review releases two issues annually, encompassing a mix of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and comics. Central to their mission is the desire to provide a platform for underrepresented voices 一 if your work ventures into the realm of the strange, unorthodox, or culturally niche, consider adding them to your hit list. 
Submission window: December 1st – March 1st | June 1st – September 1st
Compensation: One-year subscription + nominal lump-sum fee for all works published
Word Count: Up to 7,000 for short stories
Submission Guidelines: Here

5. PROMPTED

About: Reedsy’s very own fiction review, it presents a selection of short stories handpicked from the winning entries of its weekly writing contest. Each contest winner receives a $250 cash prize, and is considered for a feature in PROMPTED. There are no genre restrictions 一 in general, winning stories are those that are well-crafted, stylistically creative, and emotionally moving.
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: $250 for winning the short story contest
Word Count: Between 1,000 and 3,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

6. Boulevard Magazine

About: Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Boulevard is a biannual literary magazine publishing contemporary fiction, essays, interviews, and poetry. They are welcoming of unpublished authors, so if your work is ready for its main stage debut, this may be your chance to shine. Note that they don’t accept works of science fiction, erotica, western, horror, romance, or children's stories.
Submission window: November 1st – May 1st
Compensation: $100 – $300
Word Count: Up to 8,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

7. The Georgia Review

About: Published quarterly by the University of Georgia since 1947, The Georgia Review is a journal that features stories addressing “the evolving concerns and interests of readers from around the world.” They publish short stories of literary fiction, but also works of poetry, essays, and book reviews.
Submission window: August 15th – May 15th
Compensation: $50 per printed page, up to $800
Word Count: Up to 9,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

🧹 To increase your chances of getting your story published, make sure you polish it to professional standards before submitting it. Reedsy's editors are ready to help you tighten your submissions. 

8. New England Review

About: An exciting magazine collecting short stories, novellas, poetry, personal essays, travelogues, and other forms of writing, the New England Review champions all genres with the aim of giving readers “a vital snapshot of the literary moment.” They accept stories of up to 20,000 words, though they tend to prefer those under 10,000. The New England Review is particularly interested in translated work, so if your original piece is in a language other than English, consider hiring a literary translator.
Submission window: September 1st – November 1st | March 1st – May 31st
Compensation: $20 per page ($50 minimum), two copies of the issue, one-year subscription
Word Count: Up to 20,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

9. Daily Science Fiction

About: Daily Science Fiction (DSF) is an online platform that publishes science fiction short stories every single day and distributes them to their email list. They look for character-driven science fiction, fantasy, and slipstream narratives, though they value originality and craft above all else. They’re also open to publishing flash series composed of three or more tales, connected by a shared theme. Their submission window is ongoing, but its worth noting that they do occasionally go on pause. 
Submission window: Ongoing outside of December 24th – January 2nd
Compensation: 8 cents per word
Word Count: 100 – 1,500
Submission Guidelines: Here

10. The First Line

About: Offering an opening sentence to use as a starting point for their stories, The First Line challenges writers to craft a unique piece from a shared beginning. They accept short fiction of all genres, as well as essays and poetry. Each of their quarterly issues shares a distinctive first line between all their stories, making it a great place to showcase a writer’s unique lens and style.
Submission window: February 1st (Spring), May 1st (Summer), August 1st (Fall), November 1st (Winter)
Compensation: $25 – $50
Word Count: 300 – 5,000
Submission Guidelines: Here

11. The Incandescent Review

About:  Shining a spotlight on young voices, The Incandescent Review caters to writers aged between 13 and 24. With a growing number of teenagers grappling with anxiety in our modern age, this publication serves as a platform for them to articulate their opinions and share their emotional reactions to global issues through the mediums of poetry, prose, visual art, and more.
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: Unspecified
Word Count: No more than six pages per submission
Submission Guidelines: Here

12. The New Yorker

About: Founded in 1925, The New Yorker is an eclectic journal that has published countless iconic works from authors like Edmund Wilson, J.D. Salinger, and Alice Munro, just to name a few. But don’t get discouraged: they’re open to rising writers too. They accept short fiction, essays, poetry, and satire, all sent via email as PDF attachments. In the event that your submission is successful, you will be notified within 90 days. 
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: Unspecified
Word Count: Unspecified
Submission Guidelines: Here

13. North American Review

About: As the oldest literary magazine in America, the North American Review boasts a storied history that has seen them print works from American titans like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edith Wharton, and Flannery O'Connor. Their magazine features short stories, creative nonfiction, nonfiction, and poetry on all kinds of subjects. However — as their title would suggest — they have a particular fondness for stories grounded in North American experience and identity, exploring issues such as the environment, class inequality, and sexuality. As per their website, they also love stories that “start quickly and have a strong narrative arc.”
Submission window: November 2nd – May 1st
Compensation: Unspecified
Word Count: No set word limit
Submission Guidelines: Here

☝️ Make sure you double-check the formatting requirements on the magazine's website before submitting. Use our free manuscript template as a starting point, then adjust it as needed.  

14. One Story

About: Where most literary magazines work hard to curate sympathetic collections of stories, One Story has taken the opposite approach: each of their issues contain just a single piece of short fiction. With a steadfast mission to ensure that short stories and budding authors never fade into literary obscurity, they seek out literary fiction that resonates with their audience as standalone works. Accepting submissions based on almost any subject matter, their focus is on finding work that’s crafted in a way that leaves the reader satisfied.
Submission window: January 15th – May 31st | September 3rd – November 14th
Compensation: $500
Word Count: 3,000 - 8,000
Submission Guidelines: Here

15. Ploughshares

About: Emerson College’s award-winning literary journal has been publishing high-quality literature since 1971. Each of their quarterly issues is guest-edited by a prominent writer and features a mix of short stories, poetry, personal essays, and standalone novel excerpts. If you want to be featured in the magazine that helped to launch the careers of writers like Raymond Carver, John Irving, and David Foster Wallace, you may want to look at Ploughshares’ submissions guidelines.
Submission window: June 1st – January 15th
Compensation: $45 per page (min $90, max $450)
Word Count: Up to 7,500 
Submission Guidelines: Here

16. Story Magazine

About: Released three times a year, Story is a print magazine dedicated to diverse and high-quality short fiction stories, some of which have been reprinted in prestigious anthologies such as The Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, and The O. Henry Prize Stories. This outlet accepts both flash fiction and long stories, with no formal guidelines regarding style or genre. For the impatient writers out there, note that their average response time is around five months. 
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: $10 per page
Word Count: Between 2,000 and 25,000
Submission Guidelines: Here

17. Vestal Review

About: If you’re a flash fiction writer, Vestal Review may be the ideal platform for you. This magazine seeks captivating stories of any genre and style, so long as they remain with a concise 500-word limit. They value narratives that, despite their brevity, can transport the reader from point A to point B. Oh, and they love a story that makes them laugh.
Submission window: February 1st – May 31st | August 1st – November 30th
Compensation: $75
Word Count: Up to 500 
Submission Guidelines: Here

18. The Threepenny Review

About: The Threepenny Review has been publishing quarterly issues since it was founded in 1980. It features short stories of fiction, memoirs, poetry, and personal essays, reaching a readership of over 10,000 devoted readers. If you’re interested in submitting, they recommend browsing through their Reading Room to get a sense of the writing they prefer. Note that their response time can vary from two days to two months.
Submission window: January 1st – May 1st
Compensation: $400
Word Count: Up to 4,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

19. Zoetrope: All-Story

About: Co-founded by filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), All-Story is a print-only journal that has been publishing quarterly issues since 1997. Each issue features a ‘Classic Reprint’ of an older story that has been adapted to film, alongside newer works from established and upcoming writers. The magazine runs an annual contest where winners stand the chance to win agency representation and have their story published in their pages. They’re currently closed to submissions, but do keep an eye out for future openings.
Submission window: Ongoing
Compensation: Unspecified
Word Count: Up to 7,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

20. The Antioch Review

About: Currently on a hiatus. The Antioch Review stands as a revered institution among independent literary magazines, boasting an impressive legacy of over 75 years. Over the course of that history, the Review has consistently published essays, fiction, and poetry from both emerging talents and established writers. They feature only three short stories per issue, selecting the most thought-provoking, pertinent, and skillfully crafted ones.
Submission window: September 1st – May 31st
Compensation: $20 per printed page and two copies of the issue
Word Count: Up to 5,000 
Submission Guidelines: Here

💡 If you want to learn what makes a good short story, and its essential elements, watch this workshop by writer Shaelin Bishop. 

More resources to nail your short story submissions

While these publications are some of our favorites, there are hundreds of other places you can submit your writing. Search for them here:

• The Best Writing Contests of 2023
• The Best Literary Magazines of 2023

Or maybe you’re still working on your writing, and are not quite sure if it’s ready to send out to the world yet. If that’s the case, here are a few resources to help:

• Browse editors who work on short fiction
• Check our guide to writing a short story
• Find out how many words go into a short story

And finally, perhaps you’re still at step one: you haven’t started writing yet and are waiting for inspiration to strike. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there as well:

• How to Start Creative Writing
• 200+ Short Story Ideas
• 100 + Creative Writing Exercises
• 700+ Creative Writing Prompts
• 25 Creative Writing Examples to Inspire You Today

Best of luck with your submissions! We hope you’ll get published by a magazine you love, and that it'll be the first step of a long and successful literary career.