Paying Markets for Storytellers

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Smaller Markets

Although there are many hundreds, if not thousands, of American publications printing fiction, only a fraction of these pay. Of these, there are only a handful that pay well. But between the ones that pay well, and the ones that pay nothing at all, there is a sizable group of magazines who pay at least something, and sometimes, as a writer, that's all you can ask for, at least something.

The Indiana Review, which has been around for 30 years, is a not for profit literary journal edited by Indiana University graduate students. It is funded by subscriptions, grants, contests, and through the partial support of the University. The magazine is interested in printing both emerging and established writers.

Around 6-10 stories are published in each of their two issues per year. Payment is $5 per page, with a maximum payment of $10. Contributors also receive two copies of the issue in which they are published plus one copy of the next subsequent issue.

Unfortunately the magazine does not accepted emailed submissions. For detailed submission guidelines, visit the Indiana Review website.

As always, you should try to read the magazine before you submit in order to get an idea of what they go for. Sample copies of the Indiana Review are available for $9 each, with $6 per issue added for postage to outside the USA.

The Missouri Review, is at roughly the same vintage as the Indiana Review, first printed in 1978. Printed four issues for year, it is based at the University of Missouri. Payment by the Missouri Review is $30 per page, so it is slightly more attractive than the Indiana.

Another advantage of the Missouri Review is that they accept both conventional and online submissions, there is though, for online submissions, a $3 reading fee.

Take a look at the website for more detailed submission guidelines. You can order back issues of the magazine through the website for $8.95 each.