Kill Your Darlings magazine now accepts short fiction submissions from members year-round. (Not yet a member? Join here!) 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• Stories, or substantial portions of these stories, must be previously unpublished.
• Stories may be submitted/pitched elsewhere, but must be withdrawn if accepted for publication elsewhere.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.