We accept submissions for commentary, essays, memoir, reviews and interviews to be published online in Kill Your Darlings magazine. 

What we're looking for: 

• Intelligent and accessible Essay/Commentary (1000–2000 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!
• We always encourage feel-good or funny pitches (to give us a break from the news)!

Who we're looking for: 

• Kill Your Darlings is proud to publish writers at varying stages of their careers, from new and emerging voices to established and well-known writers. We’re especially keen to hear from people from diverse and/or marginalised backgrounds, as well as writers from rural and regional areas. 
• We strongly recommend becoming familiar with Kill Your Darlings' tone and style before pitching or submitting.
• Only pitches from current KYD Members will be accepted*. To become a member, visit our Shop. 
• * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers are invited to submit pitches without the need for a KYD Membership. Please indicate in your submission if this applies to you.

Your pitch should include a relevant biography, a short description of the proposed article, length, and why it makes a good fit for KYD. Check out our tips on pitching for more on how to craft a strong pitch. Attached files will only be considered in addition to a strong pitch.

Kill Your Darlings pays all contributors. Our minimum standard fee is $400 for an article of 1200-1500 words.

Please note: Unfortunately publication slots are very limited, and we cannot accept all the work we would like to. We endeavour to respond to pitches within 1 month of submission, though can sometimes take longer at certain busy times of the year. If your pitch is relevant to a specific date, please let us know. You are welcome to submit to multiple publications (if you are successful elsewhere, please withdraw your submission from KYD).