109 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction

 

Pixabay

Updated 11/11/23

Flash fiction is shorter than the normal range of short stories, which are generally 3,000 words or more. The precise length remains somewhat elusive. Some literary journals ask for 2,000 words or less, others set maximum word counts in the hundreds. Each publication has its own style, its own format, and its own needs, so whether your 1,953-word short story qualifies as "flash" is entirely up to the editors.

Flash fiction is very popular. There are dozens of sites where you can read flash fiction on a daily basis. This is perfect for people who are commuting on a train, waiting to see a doctor, or have other brief, potentially interrupted periods of time to fill.

Below is a list of paying markets for flash fiction. I have included links to submission guidelines, payment information, and word counts where available. Make sure you follow their guidelines carefully. (Editors don't consider submissions that fail to follow guidelines.) None of these magazines charge submission fees.

For my excellent list of paying markets, nicely organized by genre and form, see Paying Markets.

Journal	Submission Guidelines	Payment	Notes
Confrontation	https://confrontation-magazine.org/submit/	$150-$200; more for commissioned work.	See reading period 500 words max
ergot	https://www.ergot.press/about	$25	Experimental horror
Fabula Argentea	http://www.fabulaargentea.com/ index.php /submissions/	$5 up to 1000 words	Accepts all genres
Flash Fiction Online	https://www.flashfictiononline.com/submission-guidelines-flash-fiction/what-were-looking-for-and-not/	$100 for otiginals; reprints $.02 (two cents) per word	500 to 1000 words
The Orange & Bee	https://theorangebee.substack.com/p/submission-guidelines	$80	Has submission periods Also accepts poetry and nonfiction
Every Day Fiction	https://everydayfiction.com /submit-story/	$3	Up to 1,000 words
Stupefying Stories	https://stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/p/submission-guidelines_1.html	$15 $5 for reprints	Science fiction, fantasy, and horror, in that order
Longleaf Review	https://longleafreview.com/submissions/	$20	Horror 1000 words max See submission periods
Wallstrait	https://www.wallstrait.com/submissions	$25	Flash fiction, longer stories, hybrid, and experimental stuff you can't quite define. See submission periods
Manawaker Studios	http://www.manawaker.com/ffp-submissions/	1 cent/word	Flash fiction podcast ideal length is around 800 words, but stories as short as 250 or as long as 1500 may be considered
Craft	https://www.craftliterary.com/submit/	$100	Reprints accepted (no pay)
Baltimore Review	http://baltimorereview.org/index.php /submit	$50	You can submit up to 3 pieces of flash fiction See submission periods
The Cafe Irreal	http://cafeirreal.alicewhittenburg.com/	1 cent/word	Magical realism 2000 words max
The Aesthete	https://theaesthete.blog/submissions/ CLOSED?	$5	“For the radicals and impressionists, those deemed aged, too classic, and out of touch.”
The Cincinnati Review	https://www.cincinnatireview.com /submission_guidelines/	$25/page	500 words maximum Submit up to 3 pieces
Electric Lit	https://electricliterature.com/submit-ebdd3b73083a	$100	Electric Lit has short, infrequent submission periods
Odyssa	https://odyssamagazine.com/submit/	$30	Travel themes 700-1500 words
Chestnut Review	https://chestnutreview.submittable.com/submit	$120	All genres 1,000 words max
The San Franciscan	https://thesanfranciscanmagazine.com/write-for-the-san-franciscan/	Honorarium	Fiction, Flash Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry While contributors do not need to be current residents of San Francisco, we are looking for authors with a strong connection to the Bay Area.
The Fantastic Other	https://fantasticother.com/submissions/	$5	Fiction, flash fiction, poetry, art on themes See submission periods
Tales and Feathers	http://www.augurmag.com/submissions/	11 cents CAD/word	Cozy slice-of-life fantasy short stories 2,500 words max Has submission periods
Ruminate	https://ruminatemagazine.submittable.com/submit	$20/400 words for prose	Also accepts poetry and art Has submission periods
The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts	https://matter.submittable.com/submit	$50	"We accept fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, mixed media, visual arts, and even kitchen sinks" See reading periods
Funny Times	https://funnytimes.com/about/ submissions/	$60	Humor 500-700 words
Futures	http://blogs.nature.com/futureconditional/ 2015/04/19/how-to-write-for-nature-futures/	$130	Science fiction 850 - 950 words
Paper Butterfly	https://paperbutterflyflash.wordpress.com/subguidelines/	$15 CAD	Up to 1000 words Has submission periods
Calliope Interactive	https://calliopeinteractive.com/open-call	5 cents/word	Speculative fiction
Gotham Literature	https://www.gothamliterature.nyc/submit	$50 - $100	Flash fiction, poetry, comics, and dialogue that can be read in under 5 minutes
Twenty-two Twenty-eight	https://www.twentytwotwentyeight.com/submissions	$30	500 - 2000 words Accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, non-fiction essays, visual art, music, and videos.
PseudoPod	http://pseudopod.org/submissions/	$20	Horror Podcast
THEMA	http://themaliterarysociety.com /submissions.html	$10	Accepts reprints Each issue has a theme
The Temz Review	https://www.thetemzreview.com/submissions.html	$20	If your pieces are fewer than 1000 words each, feel free to submit several pieces at once See submission periods
Carmen et Error	https://carmenerror.com/?page_id=19	£5	Poems, 40(ish) lines max. Fiction, 400(ish) words max
Wound Up Literary	https://woundupliterary.com/submissions/	Payment not specified	1000 words max
The Ex-Puritan	http://puritan-magazine.com/submissions/	$75	See submission periods Submissions are free on a limited basis
Lammergeier	https://www.lammergeier.org/submit	$25	Submit up to 3 flash pieces
Gordon Square Review	http://www.gordonsquarereview.org/submit.html	$25	1,000 words max See submission periods
Nightmare Fuel	https://nightmarefuelmagazine.com/submit/	2 cents AUD per word	Dark fiction and poetry 666 words max Australian writers only
Last Girls Club	https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/last-girls-club-lImp7	$0.01 USD per word	Feminist horror See submission periods
Wyldblood Press	https://wyldblood.com/submissions-2/	£0.01 per word for print and digital rights (to a maximum of £75)	1000 words max for flash fiction See submission periods
New Myths	https://sites.google.com/newmyths.com/newmyths-com-home/submissions	3 cents/word with a minimum payment of $50	Speculative fiction (no horror) See reading periods
The Fabulist	https://fabulistmagazine.com/about/submissions/	$100	See reading periods Fantastical and speculative fiction up to 1,000 words
Intrepidus Ink	https://intrepidusink.com/submissions/	$.02/word for flash fiction 300 – 1,000 words. $30 flat rate for short stories 1,500 – 2,500 words	Has themes See submission periods
Brilliant Flash Fiction	https://brilliantflashfiction.com/submissions/	$20	1,000 words or fewer All genres
Three-lobed Burning Eye	http://www.3lobedmag.com/ submissions.html	$30 for flash fiction	Horror and dark fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, cross genre, or weird fiction
Paranoid Tree	https://www.paranoidtree.com/submit	$50	Up to 400 words
Points in Case	https://www.pointsincase.com/submissions	$10 for lists, $35 stories under 1,000 words	Humor under 1000 words, lists
Okay Donkey	https://okaydonkeymag.com/submissions/	$20	They like the odd, the off-kilter, and the just plain weird  1,200 words max
Mithila	http://mithilareview.com/submission-guidelines/	$10	Under 2,500 words Speculative fiction See reading periods
Daikaijuzine	https://daikaijuzine.org/guidelines	$5	See reading periods Up to 1,000 words
Timber Ghost Press	https://www.timberghostpress.com/submissions.html	$5	1000 words max Horror Opens from the 1st to the 10th of every month
The Arcanist	https://thearcanist.io/a-call-for-submissions-244f646d25a4	$50	Medium-based publication, weekly 1000 words max Speculative fiction Has reading periods
Smokelong	https://smokelong.submittable.com/submit /128/smokelong-general-submissions	$50	1000 words max
Flash Fiction Magazine	https://flashfictionmagazine.com/submissions/	$40 Only pays for stories selected for anthologies	300–1000 words
The Archive	https://www.sanspress.com/submissions	€50	We want the weird, the unexpected, the completely new. No theme, no genre, no need to be previously unpublished 2000 words max Has submission periods
Fractured Lit	https://fracturedlit.com/submit/	$50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction	400-1000 words See submission periods
Middle House Review: Height Chart	https://middlehousereview.submittable.com/submit	$25	Up to 1000 words See submission periods
Baffling Magazine	https://www.bafflingmag.com/submissions	8 cents/word	Under 1,200 words We are looking for speculative stories that explore science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a queer bent. We want queer stories and we want trans stories and we want aro/ace stories. We want indefinable stories. We welcome weird, slipstream, and interstitial writing.   See submission periods
Short Circuit	https://short-edition.com/en/contest/short-circuit-short-circuit-02/guidelines	100 euros for short stories, 50 euros for poems	Short stories and poems of maximum 7,500 characters (spaces included) or children's works of maximum 7,000 characters.
Banshee	https://bansheepress.org/submit	"small"	Poetry, essays, flash fiction, short stories See submission periods
Variant Lit	https://variantlit.com/submit/	$10	Poetry, fiction, flash fiction, art Has submission periods
Litomosphere	https://www.charlottelit.org/litmosphere/	$50	Has submission periods
The Theatre Phantasmagoria	https://nightterrornovels.wordpress.com/submissions/	£10	Horror flash fiction up to 2,000 words.
Flash Point Science Fiction	https://flashpointsf.com/submissions/	$15	Speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,000 words in length Has submission periods
Orion’s Belt	https://www.orions-belt.net/submissions	8 cents/word	Speculative fiction up to 1,200 words Has submission periods
The Masters Review New Voices	https://mastersreview.com/submissions/	$100	Open to new or emerging author who has not published a work of fiction or narrative nonfiction of novel length. 1,000 words max
Split Lip	https://splitlipthemag.com/submit	$50 - $75 per author (via PayPal) for web issues. Payment for print is $5 per page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies and a 1-year subscription	Fiction (flash and short stories), memoirs, and poetry. with a pop-culture twist. Submit early to avoid submission fees. See submission periods
Flash Frog	https://flash-frog.com/submit/	$25	1,000 words max
The Forge Literary Magazine	https://forgelitmag.com/submit/	$75	Open to all genres and voices  "We love flash and micro prose." Opens to free submissions on the first of the month until they hit their quota
Scrawl Space	https://scrawlplace.com/submit/	$35	CNF, Fiction, Poetry, Hybrids Must be connected to a specific place No length requirements
Havok	https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/	$10 for each story published in an anthology	Mystery, scifi, comedy, thriller, and fantasy 300 - 1000 words See themes
Aphabet Box	https://alphabetbox.com/submissions/	$20	Fiction, poetry 900 words max See submission periods
Cast of Wonders	https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/	$20	Open to young authors YA Speculative fiction podcast See submission periods
Tales From Between	https://talesfrombetween.wordpress.com/submissions/	£15	2000-to-6000 words. "Not strict, we’re flexible." Accepts reprints Has submission periods
MetaStellar	https://www.metastellar.com/write-for-us/flash-fiction-story-submission/	8 cents/word	Science fiction, fantasy, horror up to 1000 words See submission periods
A Velvet Giant	https://www.avelvetgiant.com/submit	$20	"We are open to work that takes the shape of basically any format: words, recordings, visual art, hybrid forms, etc. We are open to translated original work." See submission periods
The Lorelei Signal	https://www.loreleisignal.com/guidelines	$5	Fantasy with strong female characters 1000 words max
Factor Four	http://factorfourmag.com/submissionsinfo/	11 cents/word	Science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, super hero, or any combination up to 1000 words
U.S. Kids Humpty Dumpty Jack and Jill	https://uskidsmags.com/writers-guidelines/	$20 - $40 and up	Flash fiction and nonfiction for children
Aquila	https://www.aquila.co.uk/contributors-guidelines.htm	£105	Short stories between 1,000 and 1,150 words; Nonfiction articles of 800 words for children
Nightmare Diaries	https://www.moonstruck-books.com/submissions	$0.10 per word	Dark fiction short stories, fairy tales, flash fiction, and novellas of 500-10,000 words
The Colored Lens	http://thecoloredlens.com/?page_id=137752	$10	Speculative fiction 500 words and up
Teach. Write.	https://heymrswinkler.com/about/teach-write/teach-write-submission-guidelines/	$15	Fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF. "I prefer writing that is either written by composition teachers and writing students or about teaching and learning."
The Fabulist	https://fabulistmagazine.com/about/submissions/	$100	Fantastical flash fiction See submission periods
The Waking	https://ruminatemagazine.submittable.com/submit	$10	Fiction and nonfiction, image text/hybrid work up to 1500 words See submission periods
Variety Pack	https://varietypack.net/submissions-2/ HAS BEGUN TO CHARGE A FEE FOR SUBMISSIONS	$20	Fiction, flash fiction, poetry, CNF, art See submission periods
Memezine	https://www.memezinelit.com/submit	$5	Maximum of three (3) pages Send any work (traditional or hybrid) that engages with our participation in the digital landscape. Send us your best…oh screw it, send us your worst too. Has submission periods
Rough Cut Press	https://roughcutpress.com/submit/	650 words max; $25	Experimental poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art LGBTQIA writers only Themed issues
Interstellar Flight Press	https://www.interstellarflightpress.com/submissions.html	8 cents/word	Speculative flash fiction. See submission periods
The Good Life Review: "Micro Monday" (online)	https://thegoodlifereview.com/submissions/	$25	Flash fiction and CNF (500 words) and poetry See submission periods
Unnerving Magazine	https://www.unnervingbooks.com/submissions	$15 for flash fiction	Horror and suspense 400 - 1,500 words See submission periods
The Bureau Dispatch	https://www.bureaudispatch.com/submissions	$50	"Our stories often contain a hint of the speculative, a dash of the intriguing."  500 - 1,500 words See submission periods
The Offing	https://theoffingmag.submittable.com/submit	$25 - $100, depending on length and department	Back of the envelope seeks writing of any length which relates to, or draws on, science and the natural world The offing also publishes art, fiction, CNF, poetry, micro-fiction, translations, and humor
101 Words	https://101words.org/submit-your-stories/	$10 for flash fiction anthologies	Stories of exactly 101 words
Flickers of Fear	https://www.offlimitspress.com/flickers-of-fear	$10	Flash fiction up to 300 words and poetry Horror Has themes
Thinking Ink Press	https://www.thinkinginkpress.com/keikos-calls/	$20	Poems or flash stories you wish someone would send you in the mail. Story length is about 100 to 300 words. Poetry length is 30 lines or fewer.
Etherea Magazine	https://ethereamagazine.com/submissions/	$25 for flash fiction (1000 words max)	Australian publication Fantasy and science fiction, 500 to 1000 words for flash fiction
Midnight and Indigo	https://www.midnightandindigo.com/write-for-us/	$100 - $200	Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, and Personal Essays written by Black women writers 1500 words minimum
The First Line	http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm	$25.00 - $50.00 for fiction	Fiction, poetry, nonfiction using the first line provided 300 - 5,000 words - all genres
Short Story Substack	https://shortstory.substack.com/p/coming-soon?s=r	$100	6 words - 10,000 words, any genre
Trampset	https://trampset.org/submissions-6e83932b0985	$25	3,000 words max - any genre Free submissions for broke writers
Apogee/Perigee	https://apogeejournal.org/submit-perigee/	$50	Under 1000 words See submission periods
Stanchion	https://www.stanchionzine.com/submissions	$10	Stanchion is looking for original, never-before-published short stories (3000-ish word max), flash fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, prose poems, stray thoughts, short screenplays, monologues, experimental work, interviews with inanimate objects, reviews of everyday items and moments, comics, black & white photography (vertical, portrait-oriented images are preferred), black & white drawings, black & white collage art, and other evocative images of mixed media artwork (you guessed it, also in black and white). Has short submission periods
The Suburban Review	https://thesuburbanreview.com/submit/	1000-2000 words (payment $200) 500-1000 words (payment $150) AUD	Poetry, prose and art on themes
Aothen Magazine	https://aothenmagazine.com/#work	$10	Ancient Greece/Roman/Egyptian related poetry, fiction (1000 words max), nonfiction (2500 words max), art, translations Quarterly submission schedule
Book Worms	https://rsaintclaire.com/	8 cents/word	Horror Short fiction 500 – 3000 words
Sasee	https://sasee.com/submissions/#writer-guidelines	Varies	Essays, humor, satire, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women 500-1000 words
Freeze Frame Fiction	https://freezeframefiction.com/write/submission-guidelines-faq/#query	$10	"Any genre, no content restrictions. We want your science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, drama, literary works, satire, bizarre fiction, or anything else you can come up with or mix together. The more original, the better. The weirder, the better.”
Abandon Journal	https://abandonjournal.submittable.com/submit	$15	Flash - up to 1000 words
Sci-fi Shorts	https://www.scifishorts.co/write-with-us	Percentage of pooled royalties	Up to 1000 words Science fiction
Air and Nothingness Press	http://aanpress.com/submissions.html	8 cents/word	Exactly 1000 words Has submission periods Speculative fiction anthologies
Goatshed Press	https://www.goatshedpress.co.uk/submito	£25	All genres Also accepts short stories, poetry, novels, novellas, graphic novels
The Drop	https://inkbloodbook.company/#thedrop	$10	Dark fantasy and science fiction Up to 1000 words See submission periods
The Aurora Journal	https://www.theaurorajournal.org/submit	$12	Poetry and prose 1000 words max for prose
Small Wonders	https://smallwondersmag.com/submissions/	Original flash fiction: $0.10/word Reprint flash fiction: $0.01/word or $10, whichever is more Poems: $60 Art: $125 for reprint rights	Speculative fiction and poetry with elements not of this world: fantasy, science fiction, horror 1000 words max for prose Accepts reprints
Nightlight (Podcast)	https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/nightlight-black-horror-fiction-podcast-dV3fG ON HIATUS	Flash fiction (750-1,500 words) is paid at $0.05 per word.	Horror At least one of your birth parents must be Black. See submission periods
Stone's Throw	https://www.rockandahardplacemag.com/stones-throw-submissions	$25	Noir stories Themed issues 1000 - 2000 words
The Cosmic (Microwave) Background	https://www.thecosmicbackground.com/	8 cents/word	Slipstream 1000 words max
Flash Digest	https://www.hiraethsffh.com/flash-digest-guidelines	1 cent a word	Science fiction, fantasy, and spooky horror Art accepted 1500 words max
Loft	https://loftbooks.square.site/	£30	Up to 500 words All work must be free of violence Also accepts poetry and short stories (up to 3000 words)
Matchbook	https://www.matchbooklitmag.com/guidelines	$20	Up to 1000 words
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