Getting paid to write is the goal of every dedicated author—and it’s
even better if you can get paid to write only a couple of words at a
time. That frees you up to go write more things elsewhere, keep your
releases coming regularly, and always be providing your fans with new
work to enjoy.
This is one of the reasons flash fiction is so
great. We’ve talked before about what flash fiction is and how you can
use it to promote your books, but did you know you can also get paid to
write super-short stories?
Paid Flash Fiction Markets
Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few paying markets for flash fiction!
You’ll never make as much as you would selling a novel or a short story, but you
can get paid to write flash fiction and start building your publishing credits up.
If you belong to a
writing marketplace website like
Poets & Writers,
Writers Digest, or
Duotrope, you can search their listings for magazines and journals that are currently accepting flash fiction submissions.
You can also check in with these 18 markets, all of which are reputable paying publications and were active as of July 2017.
American Short Fiction
American Short Fiction
prefers literary fiction of 2,000 words or less and is open to
submissions year-round. It also holds contests for flash fiction of
1,000 words or less.
The journal charges a $3 fee per submission,
but it pays a professional rate for published work, likely 5 cents per
word or a bit more (it doesn’t publicly disclose rates).
Brevity
Brevity magazine publishes flash
nonfiction,
meaning very short (under 750-word) essays. It also publishes short
essays on the craft of writing. It offers $45 on publication. The
magazine opens to submissions periodically, so check in on the website
to see when you can submit.
Daily Science Fiction
Daily Science Fiction
publishes new, short works of sci-fi daily, just like the name says.
They accept flash fiction between 100 and 1,500 words in any speculative
genre, including hard sci-fi, space opera, fantasy, slipstream, and
more. The shorter the story, the better your chances of publication (as
long as it’s a great story, naturally).
You can’t have published your story anywhere else previously, including on your blog, Twitter, or email newsletter.
DSF
pays 8 cents per word. You may also have the opportunity to appear in
one of DSF’s theme anthologies, which pays a small additional amount.
Devilfish Review
Devilfish Review
publishes short speculative fiction—fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and other,
weirder things. Unlike many journals, it’s open to poetry submissions.
Stories should be 5,000 words or less, with a separate submissions
category for 500-word flash fiction. It also considers some nonfiction
submissions.
Devilfish Review publishes quarterly and pays $10 per accepted piece.
Everyday Fiction
Everyday Fiction
publishes flash fiction of 1,000 words or less that tells a complete
story. You can’t have previously published the story anywhere, including
on your blog. Any and all genres are welcome, and the magazine pays $3
per story. Authors are encouraged to link to their website and to any
available books.
Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine
Flash
is the journal of the International Flash Fiction Association and, as a
result, getting published here is a pretty big deal. That said, it’s
not
really a paying market—you only receive a complimentary contributor copy of the print issue your work appears in.
Still,
it’s worth considering as a professional publication credit, especially
since published stories might be nominated for the Pushcart Prize or
other major awards. The journal publishes twice a year and has rolling
submissions depending on whether the next issue is full; check the
website for details. It prefers literary fiction of 360 words or less.
Flash Fiction Online
Flash Fiction Online
is open to submissions on a revolving basis; be sure to check the
website to see if they’re currently open. Stories should be between
500–1,000 words long, in any genre other than erotica. The editors
particularly like fantasy and science fiction, but they’re open to any
well-crafted flash fiction.
Flash Fiction Online pays $60
for original fiction. Reprints are also now accepted, with a payment
rate of 2 cents per word. If your work is selected for inclusion in an
anthology, you’ll receive 2 cents per word. This is an SFWA-qualifying
market, too, so you can work towards your professional guild membership
status with publication here.
Funny Times
The Funny Times
is all about humor—it publishes original cartoons and funny stories of
500–700 words. Nothing’s off limits, as long as it’s humorous.
They only accept printed, mailed submissions, and pay $60 per published story.
Gettysburg Review
Gettysburg Review
publishes a variety of fiction, essays, and poetry and accepts
submissions between September and May every year. It doesn’t accept
genre fiction—only literary fiction, though the editors prefer stories
that are “off-beat, penetrating, and surprising.”
The journal
publishes once a quarter and pays $25 per printed page for prose.
There’s a $3 fee to submit online, but you can submit a hard copy by
mail for free (or, well, the cost of a stamp).
Glimmertrain
Glimmertrain
is one of the most respected literary magazines out there, and they
love to publish new writers and unusual work. That includes flash
fiction! They open to general submissions twice a year, and also have a
variety of contests that run throughout the year, including a contest
specifically for flash fiction.
Submitting regular fiction to
Glimmertrain
costs $2, and writers are paid on publication; the journal doesn’t
specify how much, but it’s a professional market and may pay $500 or
more per piece. Contest submissions often cost more, but awards can be
up to several thousand dollars.
Journal of Compressed Literary Arts
The Journal of Compressed Literary Arts
is produced by Matter Press and welcomes a wide range of super-short
works. Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and artwork all have a
place here, as long as they’re “compressed” in some way—what that means
is up to you and the editors.
Accepted pieces earn $50. Only 1% of
work is accepted—this is a super-competitive journal. Reading periods
run from June 15–September 15 and December 15–March 15 every year, and
work is published weekly.
Nanoism
Nanoism
specializes in Twitter-length short fiction: all submissions have to be
140 characters or less. They also accept serials: linked segments or
episodes that tell a bigger story. Literary fiction is preferred.
Nanoism
pays $1.50 for stories and $5 for serials regardless of number of
segments. You can submit up to once a week, and they publish an author
bio with links to your website, Twitter, etc. to help promote your other
work.
Nature Futures
Believe it or not, the highly respected international science journal
Nature has a long-running science fiction column called “
Futures.”
It publishes book, TV, and movie reviews, criticism, and even runs a
podcast. But best of all, it publishes sci-fi flash fiction.
Submissions
should focus on hard science fiction—sci-fi that uses real scientific
principles to construct fantastic or futuristic scenarios and plots,
rather than using hand-waving to explain the future. Stories should be
between 850–950 words.
Nature pays $130 per published piece and is extremely selective.
New England Review
The New England Review
accepts a range of literary-style submissions, including flash fiction,
essays, and even art. They currently read submissions between September
and May, although this may change due to submissions volume—check the
website to see when they’re open. Literary fiction, nonfiction, and
poetry are the most likely to be accepted.
You can choose whether
to submit to the print journal or to the website, which publishes
various forms of creative writing. It costs $3 to submit to the print
journal and $2 to submit for the website, but published stories are paid
$20 per page in print and $50 flat rate for the website.
Pedestal Magazine
The Pedestal Magazine
accepts a quirky variety of work, preferring poetry and speculative
fiction (preferably flash fiction). It has rolling submissions, so check
in before sending your work; sometimes it’s open only to poetry, other
times only to certain genres of fiction.
Only new, unpublished work will be considered. Accepted works are paid $40 on publication.
People’s Friend
The People’s Friend
is a long-running UK short story publication that also encourages
poetry and so-called “pocket novels.” Stories should be between 1,200
and 3,000 words long—so a bit longer than standard flash fiction, but
still shorter than many short stories. They prefer upbeat,
inspirational, and slightly traditional stories—no gore, erotica, or
depressing subject matter. If you like writing sweet romances and
uplifting inspirational stories, this is the market for you.
The People’s Friend
doesn’t disclose its pay rates, but various writers suggest they’ve
received anywhere from £100–300 for stories of 2,000 words or less. The
magazine pays on acceptance, not publication, so you get paid right
away—which is pretty rare!
Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons
is one of the best markets for short speculative fiction. They don’t
have a category specifically for flash fiction, but they prefer stories
under 5,000 words and may welcome very well-crafted flash work. Look
carefully at the editors’ guidelines and preferences, as certain
sub-genres are more likely to be published than others.
Submissions
open each week on Monday night and close when the editors get swamped,
so always check the website before submitting.
Published pieces
are paid 8 cents per word with a minimum payment of $60, and you get
paid within 60 days of being accepted—which is awesome, and slightly
unusual for the industry (you usually have to wait until some time after
publication).
Vestal Review
Having been around since 2000,
Vestal Review
is the longest-running publication devoted exclusively to super-short
stories. It publishes flash fiction of 500 words or less twice a year,
both in print and online. It accepts a range of genres, but literary
fiction is the most likely to be published.
Submissions are only
accepted in February–May and August–November, and you can only submit
two stories in any given reading period.
Vestal Review charges $2 per submission and pays $25 for each published story.
Beyond
these, there are many, many other places to publish your flash fiction,
but lots of those places don’t pay—you only get exposure for your work
and a potential publication credit.
Don’t get me wrong, exposure
is incredibly valuable, and it never hurts to have new people exposed to
your work. But you may want to try the paying venues we’ve listed here
before going to free markets, just on general principle.
Source:
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