Kill Your Darlings publishes commentary, essays, memoir, reviews and interviews online, with a particular interest in writing on culture, politics and society with a personal, accessible approach.
If you’d like to pitch to KYD we strongly recommend that you read our content first to familiarise yourself with our tone and style.
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 encourage writers from diverse backgrounds and at all levels of experience to pitch and submit to us. We’ve put together a list of tips on pitching to help you put your best pitch forward.
Kill Your Darlings pays all contributors. Our minimum standard pay rate is $300 for an article of approx. 1200–1500 words.
Active submission portals will appear below. For upcoming projects and submission dates, visit our Write For KYD page.
Please note that Submittable, where we accept pitches and submissions, is a separate platform to the KYD website, so you’ll need to create a new account here and cannot use your KYD login details.
We’re excited to launch a new Flash Fiction Prize!
We welcome submissions of previously unpublished stories, between 750–1000 words. Submissions close midnight Sunday 23 March 2025.
Judged by KYD editor Suzy Garcia and KYD publishing director Rebecca Starford, the winner of the prize will receive $1000, and three runners-up will receive $500. All four pieces will be published online at Kill Your Darlings.
Need some inspiration? Check out our new courses: Finding Ideas for Short Fiction with Claire Thomas and Writing Very Short Stories with Ennis Ćehić
You must be a current KYD member to submit.
Terms & Conditions
- To enter you must be an Australian resident or citizen.
- To enter you must have a Kill Your Darlings Individual or Bundle Membership, active on the prize's closing date. To subscribe from $49.95, please click here. (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writers are invited to enter without a membership—please indicate on your entry if this applies to you.)
- You must be 18 years of age or over at time of submission.
- Submissions close at 11:59pm (AEDT) Sunday 23 March 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. Entries submitted by email (unless in exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement from Kill Your Darlings) will not be considered.
- '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.
- Completed stories 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.
- 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.