Many literary journals are only interested in publishing short stories that are up to 5,000 words or so in length. Some place the cut off point even lower at 3,000 words. It can be harder for someone who wrote a longer short story to place it in a good home, unless they are publishing a collection of short stories.
The following literary journals are all open to publishing longer short stories, although the specific lengths the journals are looking for do vary. So if you have written one or several short stories exceeding 5,000 words in length, here are some good options for you.
Not all the journals are currently open to submissions, but many are. The journals are listed in no particular order.
The Sweet Tree Review
This thoughtful online literary journal accepts prose up to 7,500 words in length.
The Ex Puritan
This established and paying Canadian market is open to fiction up to 10,000 words. They close to submissions when they reach their monthly limit so it’s always better to submit at the beginning of the month.
Blanket Gravity
This new literary journal is interested in publishing writing that explores mental health and emotional life. They are a paying market and consider work up to 9,000 words in length. They pay $40 per story.
One Story
This established print literary journal pays, and only publishes 12 stories a year, many by respected writers. They only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They reopen to submissions in the fall.
The Cincinnati Review
Instead of a strict word count, they have a strict page count, they ask that fiction submissions not exceed forty double-spaced pages. They are an established print journal with three reading periods a year.
Cottonwood Literary Magazine
This respected and established literary journal publishes one issue a year and only accepts postal submissions. They are open to a range of work, including fiction up to 8,000 words in length.
Short Story Substack
They publish works as short as 6 words in length and up to 10,000 words. They are a paying market with a lot of subscribers via Substack. They pay around $500 per story.
