These websites / magazines and anthologies accept humor. They can be in the form of humorous lists or letters, articles or jokes, or a funny bent in stories. Some of them pay writers. Where possible, please read the publication to get a sense of the work they’re looking for.
Thin Air Magazine
The magazine is published by Northern Arizona University. Submissions for Thin Air Online are fee-free. “Thin Air Online, distinct from our print magazine, accepts the following: poems, art, fiction, tiny films, nonfiction, humor, songs, paintings, collages, interpretative dances, jokes, audio projects and other precious creations that celebrate the seasons.” Details here.
Chortle
They publish a new piece of short humor every weekday, including essays, comics, lists, and commentary + reaction. “If you like McSweeney’s, Shouts and Murmurs, or The AV Club, there’s a good chance you’ll like us, too.” Some of their most popular posts are here. They pay $40 for pieces up to 600 words. Submission is via a form on their website. Details here.
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
They publish humor, including lists and letters to people or entities who are unlikely to respond. They have detailed guidelines. And, “Submissions should be shortish. By shortish we mean an absolute maximum of 1,200 words, but in truth we veer toward pieces that are under 1,000 words, and snuggle closest to ones that are even shorter than that.” They pay, except for New Food Reviews. Details here.
The New Yorker: Shouts & Murmurs
The New Yorker accepts submissions for its Shouts & Murmurs section. “We ask that you not send us more than one submission at a time, and that you wait to hear back about each pending submission before sending another. Keep in mind that Shouts & Murmurs are humorous fiction; first-person essays will not be considered.” Details here (scroll down).
Dirty Magick Magazine
They publish fiction – urban fantasy, sword and sorcery (not high fantasy), as well as gothic and supernatural horror. Please read their guidelines to see how they define these genres, and also see the sub-genres they are interested in. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Humor is always welcome, especially if it is organic to the story”. They pay $50 for stories of 2,000-12,500 words. The deadline is 30 June 2025. Details here.
Funny Times
They publish cartoons and stories. “Our print publication pokes fun at politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion (yes, even religion) and the human condition in general. Not much is off limits, so do your best to make us laugh.” And, “Stories — the funniest you have ever written — should be about 500-700 words. Don’t send us things that aren’t funny. We won’t publish them.” They pay on publication; $30-$50 per cartoon based on reproduction size and $75 each for story. Details here.
Altitude Press Flash Fiction Anthology
They’re reading flash fiction (1,500-2,000 words) on the Gen X theme for an anthology; the call is open to all writers. The audience for this anthology is young adult (YA) to adult. Regarding genres/categories accepted, “Literary, Romance, Sci-Fi & Spec Fic, Mystery, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Historical Fiction, Humor/Satire, Paranormal, Magical Realism, and others.” They pay $25, and the deadline is 15 July 2025. Details here.
Starship Blunder Anthology
This is a shared-world anthology, the second one in this universe. They have detailed guidelines, including, “As soon as the Starship Wonder goes on her inaugural mission, it becomes clear to her crew that there’s nothing wonderful about the new starship. They immediately start referring to their new ship as Starship Blunder as they wonder, did the Conglomeracy commission a new starship because the fleet needed another vessel, or because they just wanted somewhere to stuff the misfit crew away from the more elite spacecraft?” About the theme, they say, “This is a shared universe anthology. Stories should be set in the Starship Blunder universe. Embrace humor, delve into deeper themes, or spin a romantic tale under the stars. Include some diverse characters and a mix of genres.” They pay $35 for stories of 2,000-8,000 words. The deadline is 1 August 2025. Details here.
Points in Case
They publish comedy articles (Satire and parodies, observational humor, funny stories, humorous guides or essays, and open letters, including evergreen topics with an original approach, timely and topical humor, and offbeat ideas), funny lists ( Shorter, punchier comedy formats encompassing lists, quizzes, reviews, and other non-paragraph-style formats typically involving a series of beats), as well as original jokes, one-liners, observations, deep thoughts, tinylists, and anecdotes. They pay $10-35. Details here and here.
The Bare Bones Book of Humor
Bare Bones Press, an India-based publishing house, has issued a call for submissions for its anthology. They want humorous prose writing—fiction and creative nonfiction—of 500-2,000 words. The deadline is 15 August 2025. Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
