Kill Your Darlings magazine now accepts short fiction submissions from members year-round. Minimum payment is $1000. We encourage you to read short stories we’ve published to get a sense of the kind of material we like!

Please follow these guidelines:

• You must be a KYD member to be considered for fiction submissions. Memberships are $59.95.
• Stories must be between 2000 and 5000 words.
• Submissions should be in PDF or Word document format, size 12, double-spaced, Times New Roman font. Please leave your name off the document to assist with the judging process.
• Stories, or substantial portions of these stories, must be previously unpublished.
• Stories may be submitted/pitched elsewhere, but must be withdrawn if accepted for publication elsewhere. 
• Submissions are open year-round. However, to manage efficient reading, please only submit one active submission at a time. 
• Include a short cover letter with relevant biography (no more than 100 words).

We encourage writers from diverse backgrounds and all levels of experience to submit. All successful writers will be expected to undergo editing with KYD staff. Due to the expected volume of submissions, we will not be able to provide feedback on unsuccessful works. 

Interested in developing your writing? Check out our writing courses and manuscript assessments.

Please note that Submittable is a separate platform to the KYD website, so you’ll need to create a free Submittable account to submit your story.

Our prize for creative non-fiction essays is back!

Submissions open Monday, 1 September 2025.

The Kill Your Darlings Creative Non-Fiction Essay Prize is a competition for essays between 2500 and 3500 words, on any subject and in any style (such as memoir, commentary, cultural criticism, reportage, etc.). All work must be new work, previously unpublished.

First prize is $2500, with two runner-up prizes of $1000 each. The winner and runners-up will be notified and published in Kill Your Darlings magazine in late 2025/early 2026.

Read 2023 winner:  ‘Think an Empty Room, Moonly with Phone Glow’ by Xiaole Zhan.

Read 2022 winner: ‘Hungry Little DisHuman Beings’ by Caitlin McGregor.

Sign up to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Bluesky and Instagram for updates about other KYD prizes and writing opportunities. 

Terms & Conditions

• To enter you must have a Kill Your Darlings membership that is active on the prize’s closing date. To subscribe, please click here.
• You must be 18 years of age or over at the time of submission.
• Submissions close at 11:59pm (AEDT) Sunday, 28 September 2025. Entries submitted after the closing date will not be considered.
• Entries must be submitted using this Submittable portal. Submitting requires a free Submittable account—this is separate from the login associated with your KYD Membership.
• ‘Hybrid’ works including illustrations or other non-textual elements will be considered, but they must contain prose text within the stated word limits. 
• Entries must be an original and previously unpublished work. (Previously published writing can be adapted or built upon to form a new original work.) 
• Entries may be submitted/pitched elsewhere during the prize period, but must be withdrawn if accepted for publication elsewhere. 
• Entries must include a brief pitch/synopsis, no more than 100 words, outlining your topic and argument, entered into the ‘Synopsis’ box in Submittable. Essays submitted without a synopsis will not be considered.
• Completed essays must be attached as one single PDF or MS Word document. Numbered A4 pages with double-spaced 12pt Times New Roman (or similar) font is encouraged but not essential. Please leave your name off the document to assist with the judging process.
• Only one entry per person will be accepted.
• The decision of the judges is final. The judges will not enter into any correspondence and no individual feedback will be provided to entrants.

Kill Your Darlings magazine regularly publishes short fiction alongside commentary, essays, memoir, reviews, profiles and interviews that examine books and ideas, creative practice and the publishing industry. We prioritise the reading of and responses to pitches from KYD members.
 

Non-fiction pitches are currently open and will close 11.59pm AEST, Sunday 14 September. 

We are looking for:

• Intelligent and accessible essay/commentary (1200–2000 words) that analyses a cultural, political or societal issue of interest to KYD's progressive and engaged readership. Longer, investigative feature essays (2000–3000 words) will also be considered.
• Memoir or personal essay (1200–1500 words) that reflects on or tells us something broader about society, identity and/or culture.
• Smart, entertaining cultural criticism (1200–1500 words) that illuminates or engages with works and trends in art, literature or pop culture. 
• Work that doesn't quite fit within the above categories but you think would be a good fit for us!

KYD pays all its writers. Minimum payment for non-fiction is $700. 

Want to make your pitch stand out from the crowd?

KYD has put together a short course called How to Pitch. This resource examines key pitching tips, how to develop your pitch and manage deadlines, and explores what kind of material KYD looks to publish—all designed to improve your chances of publication. This online resource is available free and for immediate access to all KYD Members.

Please note:

·  KYD prioritises responses to pitches from our members

·  Due to volume, only one pitch per writer can be considered each round

·  Pitches are open to Australian citizens (at home and abroad) and Australian residents

·  KYD is proud to publish writers at all stages of their careers

·  We encourage pitches from writers from diverse and/or marginalised backgrounds, as well as from writers from rural or regional areas

·  We endeavour to respond to pitches within one month of the closing date, though this sometimes takes longer at busy times of the year

·  Please do not make follow-up enquiries about the status of your pitch

·  If your pitch is successful elsewhere, please withdraw your submission from KYD as soon as possible

Contributor terms:

An invitation to submit a draft to KYD does not guarantee publication and payment. Upon delivery, if KYD determines that the delivered draft does not fit the agreed-upon brief or is otherwise unsuitable for further editorial work, KYD reserves the right not to proceed with publication.

Please note: Article titles, subtitles and images are decided upon by KYD staff, though suggestions are welcome.