Get Paid for Your Short Stories: 9 Websites That Will Pay You
If you have a talent for crafting short stories, fiction, and drama, then you can monetize your writing skills with the help of this guide. While writing a novel is one way to make money from your hobby, there are plenty of other opportunities available online for writers who prefer shorter formats. In fact, you may even be able to earn enough to make writing your primary source of income. Unlike our previous guide on creative writing websites, this list will focus specifically on platforms that pay for short stories, catering to writers who don't have the time or inclination to write lengthy novels or books
How much do Story writers can earn?.
The amount of money story writers make depends on the publishers and magazines they write for. Some fiction and drama writers can earn up to $15,000 per month, while others may receive around $20 to $30 per page from most publications. If you write a story that spans several pages, you can calculate your potential earnings accordingly
Short Story Online Magazines That Offer Payment for Writers
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of popular online magazines and publications that pay for short stories. These websites offer opportunities for writers of different genres in the English language, so choose one that suits your style and start earning money by doing what you love
AGNI
Agni Literary Magazine: Submission Guidelines and Payment Details
Agni is a literary magazine that accepts essays and poetry submissions from aspiring writers and literary enthusiasts. The company offers payment to published writers and accepts manuscripts between September 1st and May 31st through both postal and electronic submissions. The magazine does not specify a word limit for essays but evaluates the length of each submission for publishing consideration.
However, Agni is not interested in publishing romance, mystery, horror, or science fiction genres. Instead, the magazine seeks personal essays, memoirs, think pieces, short stories, and poems. Writers can submit only one story at a time and up to five poems at a time. The work must be original, not previously published or featured elsewhere, double-spaced, and page-numbered.
Once accepted for publication, Agni pays $10 per page for short stories or essays and $20 per page for poetry. It is important to note that payment is made only after acceptance of the work for publication.
Analog
Analog Science Fiction and Fact Magazine: Submission Guidelines and Payment Details
If you are a science enthusiast and enjoy science fiction stories, you have a chance to publish your imaginative science world in Analog, a leading science fiction magazine. Analog seeks professionally written, realistic, and scientifically accurate stories, as well as fact articles on leading research in science. The magazine also accepts illustrations that are visually appealing and related to the submitted story.
Analog accepts up to 6 poem submissions and 4 stories or articles per submission. Don't forget to include a cover letter that contains your name, publishing history, and manuscript format, which you can check on their website.
You can submit your work through their online portal. Payment for accepted work varies depending on the type of submission. Analog pays 8-10 cents per word for short fiction, up to approximately 20,000 words, 6 cents per word for serials, ranging from 40,000-80,000 words, and 9 cents per word for fact articles. They also pay $1 per line for poetry, $1200 for colored cover art, and $125 for black and white cover art. Payment is made upon acceptance of the work for publication.
If you have a passion for science and fiction, consider submitting your work to Analog for a chance to be published and compensated for your creative efforts.
The Sun
The Sun Magazine: Submission Guidelines and Payment Details
The Sun is a world-renowned magazine that publishes personal essays, stories, and poetry on a variety of cultural and political issues. Although there is no specific word limit for submissions, the magazine typically does not publish anything longer than 7,000 words.
Writers can submit their work to The Sun via online portal or by post. To submit online, simply create an account on their website and use the submission portal.
Accepted personal essays and fiction stories are paid in the range of $300 to $2000, while poetry is paid between $100 to $250. Payment is made only after acceptance of the work, so it is recommended that writers review the sample essays available on The Sun's website before submitting their manuscript.
If you have a flair for writing about cultural and political issues and want to reach a broad and diverse audience, The Sun Magazine is an excellent platform for your work.
Clarkesworld
Clarkesworld Magazine: Submission Guidelines and Payment Details
Clarkesworld Magazine is a renowned monthly publication that specializes in science fiction and fantasy stories and articles. When submitting a story, it is important to keep the writing language in mind, as the magazine seeks science fiction stories that are easy to read on-screen, have good writing quality, and are suitable for audio. It is recommended to avoid long paragraphs and clichés when writing your story. All submissions must be in English and should fall within the word limit of 1000 to 22000 words.
Non-fiction articles are also accepted, but they must be limited to a maximum of 2500 words and adhere to the guidelines outlined on the Clarkesworld website. Talented artists and illustrators can also submit their artwork for publication.
Payment is made through PayPal or Check for writers, with the option of wire transfer for international writers. The magazine pays 10 cents per word for fiction stories.
If you are a science fiction or fantasy writer and want to get your work published in an award-winning magazine, Clarkesworld is a great opportunity to showcase your writing skills.
Daily Science Fiction
That sounds like a great opportunity for science fiction writers and
artists to showcase their work! It's always important to follow the
guidelines provided by any publication platform to increase the chances
of acceptance. It's also good to know that the length of the story is a
priority for Daily Science Fiction, so writers can focus on crafting
concise and impactful stories within the given word count range.
Overall, it's great to see platforms like Daily Science Fiction
promoting and supporting the science fiction genre.
Carve
Carve magazine seems like a great platform for writers and poets to showcase their work, especially those who write literary pieces with emotional depth. The lack of a specific submission window allows for more flexibility for writers to submit their work throughout the year. It's important to note that Carve does not publish genre writing, so writers should make sure their work fits within the literary genre before submitting.
The payment details offered by Carve magazine are also noteworthy, with $100 offered for accepted fiction stories and $25 for accepted non-fiction and poetry. Additionally, it's great to see that Carve is willing to publish work that has been accepted elsewhere, which is not always common in the publishing industry. Overall, it seems like a promising opportunity for writers and poets looking to get their work published and compensated.
One story
One Story is a literary magazine that provides a platform for writers of all ages and backgrounds to publish their short stories. Submissions are accepted twice a year, from January 15th to May 31st and from September 3rd to November 14th. The ideal word count for each story is between 3000 and 8000 words. You can submit your work online through their website, and the file format should be PDF, RTF, TXT, and under 500KB.
One Story also has a separate category for teenage writers called One Teen Story, which is open to writers between the ages of 13 and 19. You can choose to submit to either One Story or One Teen Story, but not both. Simultaneous submissions are not allowed, and your work should not have been previously published.
When submitting your work, be sure to include your name, the story title, and a brief cover letter.
One Story pays $500 for each accepted submission.
Penpee
Penpee seems like an interesting platform for writers looking to earn through their story views. The two membership plans, free and paid, allow for flexibility in terms of word count and earning potential. However, it's important to note that the earnings are based on the number of credits earned through story views, rather than a flat rate for each story.
The payment details, with a minimum balance of 5 pounds and the option to withdraw via PayPal or some bank accounts, are also noteworthy. It's good to see that Penpee offers multiple payment options for writers to receive their earnings.
Overall, Penpee could be a good option for writers who are willing to invest in a membership plan and are interested in earning through story views. However, it's important to keep in mind that the earnings are dependent on the number of credits earned through story views, so writers may need to actively promote their work to increase their earning potential.
Wattpad
Wattpad's Paid Stories program allows selected writers to earn money for their work. This program is invitation-only, and stories are selected based on their potential marketability and reader engagement. Additionally, other writing platforms such as Medium and Substack also offer opportunities for writers to earn money through their writing. These platforms provide a space for writers to share their work and grow their audience while also earning money through subscriptions, sponsorships, or other means. It's important to note that competition for these opportunities can be tough, but if you have a talent for writing and a unique voice, it's definitely worth exploring these options to build your writer portfolio and potentially earn income.