Novella &mdash; Nerd for Hire https://write.as/nerd-for-hire/tag:Novella Freelance scribbler exploring worlds real and imagined Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:39:48 +0000 Review: Itzá https://write.as/nerd-for-hire/review-itza?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Rios de la Luz 143 pages Broken River Books (2017) Read this if you like: Isabel Allende, V. Castro, Arundhati Roy tl;dr summary: A pair of sisters in a magical family navigate the grief of losing their Abuelita, grow up See the book on Bookshop !--more-- There’s this ephemeral feel to a well-crafted magical realist world. It’s a kind of confidence—the world owns its strangeness to such an extent that you can’t imagine it existing any other way. The first page of Itzá does this beautifully. It opens on the death of the family matriarch, Abuelita Araceli, on a bed that has inexplicably moved into the middle of the forest, a four-day drive from the family home. As we delve deeper into the history of this family, we learn where this magic comes from: they are water witches, or so says Abuelita. This is a background thread throughout the story, a burst of something strange and wonderful to brighten the darker edges of the narrative. And it needs that bit of brightness, because the underlying narrative happening here is pretty bleak. Marisol and Araceli’s step-father is abusive, their mother emotionally unstable; once Abuela and Abuelita die, they lose their protection, until Marisol is forced to flee to her Tía Lucia in Denver. At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story about finding your own strength through tragedy, woven through with themes of racism, identity, and what it means to find a home when your ancestry stretches across borders. All of these themes come across effectively without feeling heavy handed, thanks in large part to the more mystical, fantastical elements. Because it uses the sparkling and surreal, it is able to convey a bleak reality without it overwhelming the reader.  The characters are another strength of this novel, particularly the character of Abuelita. While she’s technically dead for the entire book, the reader gets to see her in flashback moments—and she’s an effing delight. Like her assertion that “TV is not bad for you in the afterlife”, and her wish that her great-granddaughters bury a TV for her after she dies so she can watch her stories. Abuela Rubí is equally vibrant but in a different way, a character who is a force of nature—who wanders the neighborhood at night in a goblin mask, who would volunteer at the border and gather the things left behind by people as they crossed the desert. I was also intrigued by the use of voice. The book is divided into very small sections, regularly switching between first, second, and third person as it moves between them. I was concerned at first that this would be jarring but I found the transitions fairly smooth, and only had a few moments where I had to stop and reacclimate myself to whose perspective I was sharing. This floating between POVs enhances the dreamy feel of the narrative, and expands the scope for the reader, too—we get glimpses inside Marisol’s head but we aren’t locked there; we can venture into the thoughts of other characters, or sometimes zoom in and take a place within the narrative when it lapses into second person. I appreciate books that experiment with new ways to approach voice and perspective, and Itzá does this artfully and effectively, in a way that enhances the story and works with its natural rhythms.  A book that switches voice, using such small chapters, could easily read as fragmented or disjointed, but Itzá avoids that trap. I think the main way it does this is through the beauty of the language, which is consistent across sections and voices. I started going through to pull out lines I loved and realized I was flagging half the pages. The imagery and descriptive language in this book are on point, and I’d definitely recommend this as an example of how to write poetic prose without it reading flowery or melodramatic—it skirts that line beautifully throughout. I also appreciate that this book is novella-length, because it being that short made me feel justified in lingering over it—and it’s definitely a story that is worth spending time digging into. Sometimes I would get to the end of a section and realize I’d been completely focused on the lyricism of the language, without really absorbing what had actually happened, and need to go back and give it a second pass. I also found myself flipping back and forth, catching new details that I’d missed the first time or weaving them together in new ways. Front to back, this is a multi-layered, deftly-constructed story that still manages to read as effortless and that alone makes it worth a read, in my book, particularly for lyrical or magical realist writers.   See similar posts: #BookReviews #Novella ]]> Rios de la Luz 143 pages Broken River Books (2017)

Read this if you like: Isabel Allende, V. Castro, Arundhati Roy

tl;dr summary: A pair of sisters in a magical family navigate the grief of losing their Abuelita, grow up

See the book on Bookshop

There’s this ephemeral feel to a well-crafted magical realist world. It’s a kind of confidence—the world owns its strangeness to such an extent that you can’t imagine it existing any other way. The first page of Itzá does this beautifully. It opens on the death of the family matriarch, Abuelita Araceli, on a bed that has inexplicably moved into the middle of the forest, a four-day drive from the family home. As we delve deeper into the history of this family, we learn where this magic comes from: they are water witches, or so says Abuelita. This is a background thread throughout the story, a burst of something strange and wonderful to brighten the darker edges of the narrative.

And it needs that bit of brightness, because the underlying narrative happening here is pretty bleak. Marisol and Araceli’s step-father is abusive, their mother emotionally unstable; once Abuela and Abuelita die, they lose their protection, until Marisol is forced to flee to her Tía Lucia in Denver. At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story about finding your own strength through tragedy, woven through with themes of racism, identity, and what it means to find a home when your ancestry stretches across borders. All of these themes come across effectively without feeling heavy handed, thanks in large part to the more mystical, fantastical elements. Because it uses the sparkling and surreal, it is able to convey a bleak reality without it overwhelming the reader. 

The characters are another strength of this novel, particularly the character of Abuelita. While she’s technically dead for the entire book, the reader gets to see her in flashback moments—and she’s an effing delight. Like her assertion that “TV is not bad for you in the afterlife”, and her wish that her great-granddaughters bury a TV for her after she dies so she can watch her stories. Abuela Rubí is equally vibrant but in a different way, a character who is a force of nature—who wanders the neighborhood at night in a goblin mask, who would volunteer at the border and gather the things left behind by people as they crossed the desert.

I was also intrigued by the use of voice. The book is divided into very small sections, regularly switching between first, second, and third person as it moves between them. I was concerned at first that this would be jarring but I found the transitions fairly smooth, and only had a few moments where I had to stop and reacclimate myself to whose perspective I was sharing. This floating between POVs enhances the dreamy feel of the narrative, and expands the scope for the reader, too—we get glimpses inside Marisol’s head but we aren’t locked there; we can venture into the thoughts of other characters, or sometimes zoom in and take a place within the narrative when it lapses into second person. I appreciate books that experiment with new ways to approach voice and perspective, and Itzá does this artfully and effectively, in a way that enhances the story and works with its natural rhythms. 

A book that switches voice, using such small chapters, could easily read as fragmented or disjointed, but Itzá avoids that trap. I think the main way it does this is through the beauty of the language, which is consistent across sections and voices. I started going through to pull out lines I loved and realized I was flagging half the pages. The imagery and descriptive language in this book are on point, and I’d definitely recommend this as an example of how to write poetic prose without it reading flowery or melodramatic—it skirts that line beautifully throughout.

I also appreciate that this book is novella-length, because it being that short made me feel justified in lingering over it—and it’s definitely a story that is worth spending time digging into. Sometimes I would get to the end of a section and realize I’d been completely focused on the lyricism of the language, without really absorbing what had actually happened, and need to go back and give it a second pass. I also found myself flipping back and forth, catching new details that I’d missed the first time or weaving them together in new ways. Front to back, this is a multi-layered, deftly-constructed story that still manages to read as effortless and that alone makes it worth a read, in my book, particularly for lyrical or magical realist writers.

 

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#BookReviews #Novella

]]> https://write.as/nerd-for-hire/review-itza Sun, 05 Jan 2025 21:51:07 +0000 50+ Markets for Long Short Stories and Novellas (Updated November 2025) https://write.as/nerd-for-hire/60ish-markets-for-novellas-and-long-short-stories?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Submitting work to journals and presses can be frustrating for a variety of reasons, but for those of us who write longer fiction, just finding places willing to consider stories can be a challenge. Many journals max out at around the 5,000 mark for prose, while many presses aren’t interested in stand-alone manuscripts smaller than around 40,000 words. That leaves a pretty big gap where stories fall into a kind of publishing limbo. !--more-- I gathered this list during my own tedious searches for long-ish fiction publishers over the years. Journals and presses are listed alphabetically. If you’re looking for a particular genre, you can see what each place usually accepts on this Google Sheet: Novella and Long Short Story Publishers by Genre Note that all of these publishers were currently active and the information on them accurate as of the last time this post was updated (November 2, 2025) but longevity is never guaranteed in literary publishing. It’s always a smart move to double check their webite for any updates before sending work. When Does a Short Story Become a Novella (and a Novella a Novel)? As a general rule, you can use these divisions: Flash fiction: under 1,000 words Short story: 1,000-7,500 words Novelette: 7,500-15,000 words Novella: 15,000-40,000 words Novel: more than 40,000 words However, these aren’t set in stone. Some people consider novelettes to start at 10,000 words, and may not consider something a novella until it’s 20,000 words or longer. Others don’t think the novelette exists and say novellas start around 10,000, as soon as something’s too long to be a short story. If a publisher says it wants one of the above types of writing without giving a more specific word count, though, you can expect they generally want something in this listed length range. Also remember presses and journals often have their own length restrictions, separate from these broad category guidelines. If a publisher specifies a word count, that always supersedes any general advice you’ve heard. This means manuscripts in the 10,000-20,000 range might be submitted as a short story, novelette, or novella depending on the publisher, while manuscripts in the 35,000-50,000 range could be considered novels or novellas. Journals that Publish Long Short Stories and Novellas All of the journals and magazines on this list have a maximum word limit no lower than 10,000 words. I’ve included only journals that meet one or more of the following criteria: Established history and readership Pays contributors Provides other value for submitters/contributors (e.g. guaranteed feedback, nominates works for prizes like the Pushcart, etc.) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSubs Listing Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .05-.08/word Publication in print magazine Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine publishes all types of mystery and crime stories, including courtroom dramas, police procedurals, whodunits, and even ghost stories if they have some kind of mystery element. They also publish a full novella (15,000-20,000 words) through the Black Orchid Novella Award. Analog Science Fiction and Fact Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .08-.10/word Publication in print magazine Analog is one of the oldest sci-fi publications, starting off as Astounding Stories of Science Fiction way back in 1930. They’re open to any sci-fi sub-genre, so long as the story includes an integral technological element. They also publish serials of 40,000-80,000 words at .06/word. A Public Space Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: None stated Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Honorarium (amount unspecified) Publication in their online or print journals Since 2006, A Public Space has been a home for overlooked and unclassifiable work. Part of this mission is accepting stories that exceed the typical literary journal length limits, including novellas and novelettes. Asimov’s Science Fiction Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .08-.10/word Publication in print magazine Another mainstay of the sci-fi literary world, Asimov’s Science Fiction has a slightly broader scope than Analog, publishing surreal fiction, science fantasy, and other sci-fi adjacent subgenres alongside more firmly sci-fi stories. Belmont Story Review Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: November-January Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $100 Publication (electronic and print) Belmont Story Review wants work that’s, as they say, “at the intersection of faith and culture”. They’re also nationally distributed and pay their writers, making them a great home for longer stories with a spiritual bent. Beloit Fiction Journal Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: August 1-November 16 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication Based at Beloit College, Beloit Fiction Journal is solely focused on literary fiction and comes out once per year in print. They also have a long history, founded in 1985, and have published a number of award winners and prestigious names during that span. Beneath Ceaseless Skies Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 15,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .08/word eBook Publication Beneath Ceaseless Skies publishes character-driven adventure fantasy. Plot is important, but they also like works written, as they say, “with a literary flair”, and publish stories that use modern and experimental forms and storytelling techniques, as well as more traditional dragons and elves types of adventure tales. Black Cat Weekly Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 45,000 (up to 15,000 preferred) Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .01/word up to $50 Electronic publication Black Cat Weekly is devoted to adventure, mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy. They want stories with a plot and publish weekly, meaning they have lots of space to fill compared to other journals. This is also one of the few markets on the list that publishes reprints, though they ask for those in a separate call. The Cincinnati Review Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: September, December, May Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $25/page Publication in print journal Here’s another one for long stories in the literary realm. Associated with the University of Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Review publishes two print issues a year, mostly filled through their open submission calls. Clarkesworld Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 22,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .14/word Publication in print and/or online Here’s another top market for longer sci-fi and fantasy stories. Clarkesworld prefers stories that don’t rely on over-done tropes, or at the least present the usual tropes in a new and inventive way. One thing to note: they’re one of the few markets on this list not open to simultaneous submissions. Dragon Soul Press Anthologies Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Rolling theme deadlines Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Portion of royalties Publication in print and ebook This publisher of themed anthologies has a growing following and works across genres, making it a potential home for hard-to-place genres like romance. They usually announce upcoming themes a year or more out, so check their website to see what’s coming down the pike. Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (open year-round for members) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $300 Publication in online magazine The Electric Literature crew made a video explaining what they’re looking for better than I could, but in general they’re open to a wide range of content and genres, with an eye for work that’s relevant and timely. Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .05-.08/word Publication in bi-monthly print magazine Established in 1941, Ellery Queen is an established and beloved magazine for mystery, crime, and detective fiction. The upper word limit for most issues is 12,000, though they will occasionally publish novellas (“short novels”) up to 20,000 words. Epoch Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up through novella length (no specified word count) Typical Reading Period: August and January (print submissions accepted year-round) Reading Fee: $3 for electronic submissions (free for print) Accepted authors get: $100-$500 per story Publication in print journal Epoch Magazine only recently started accepting electronic submissions, though during a limited reading period. While you can mail a submission any time, they only review them the two months following each electronic reading period (in September-October and February-March) so keep that in mind for response times. Epoch was founded in 1947 and is based at Cornell University. This is a firmly literary publication, so not the place to send work that falls under the broad umbrella of “genre”. Failbetter Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: Short stories, novel excerpts, and novellas (no stated word count) Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Online publication Failbetter is an online journal of literature and art that publishes fiction and poetry every couple of weeks. This is a good home for more literary long fiction, with a connecting thread of lyricism and attention to craft in the works they publish. Fantasy & Science Fiction Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 25,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .08-.12/word Publication (print and electronic) Fantasy & Science Fiction has published heavy-hitters across the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres, but while they’re a tough market to get into they do publish emerging writers alongside these established names. They don’t accept simultaneous submissions, but have a relatively quick response time (around 8 weeks). Faun by Moonlight Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $25-$50 per story Electronic publication This is a fairly new publisher of experimental literary fiction, which for their definition also includes things that incorporate elements of genre fiction. They define literary fiction as having a focus on language and character more than its level of realism, so this could be a good home for slipstream or literary-speculative stories. Fiction on the Web Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $15 Online publication Fiction on the Web publishes a new story every Monday and Friday, across six categories: funny, creepy, fantasic, futuristic, criminal, and real life. That basically means writers in any genre can find a home for their work here. Footnote (Alternating Current Press) Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: soft upper limit of 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies based on submission volume Reading Fee: $5.99 (includes digital copy of latest issue) Accepted authors get: Varying payment Publication in annual print journal Historical writers will want to know about Footnote if they don’t already. They publish historical fiction on any era, alongside scholarly work, poems, and historical documents pulled from the public domain. Fusion Fragment Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 15,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .04/word up to $400 Publication in print and ebook Based in Canada, Fusion Fragment’s focus is on sci-fi in all its forms. Their preference leans toward character-driven and reflective pieces, with a particular interest in cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic fiction. The Future Fire Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 17,500 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $20 Online publication “Social Political & Speculative Cyber-Fiction” is the sub-title of The Future Fire. They’re looking for inclusive, socially-conscious speculative fiction, and are a great home for feminist and queer narratives as well as cli-fi and other speculative work with ecological themes. GigaNotoSaurus Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 5,000-25,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (follow their Bluesky for updates) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $200 Publication online and in eBook format GigaNotoSaurus publishes a single longer story a month, and looks for works in the general sci-fi and fantasy space. While they don’t accept simultaneous submissions, they’re usually pretty quick with their response time. Interzone Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 17,500 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .015/word Publication online and in eBook format The sole focus of Interzone is Fantastika, and they define exactly what that means on their website if you’re not familiar with the term. They’re based in Europe but publish work from anywhere in the world. This is also one with a long history, first started in 1982. Joyland Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $200 Publication online and in eBook format Started in 2008, Joyland quickly catapulted into the elite lit mag category, and stories published here have been included in Best American anthologies. Their focus is primarily literary with some wiggle room. The journal is affiliated with Joyland Editions (listed under novellas down the page). Leavings Literary Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $15 Online publication Leavings is a good home for longer literary stories that explore human relationships, both at the personal level and the broader connection between people and their world. Narrative Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 40,000 Typical Reading Period: open year-round (free in early April) Reading Fee: $23-$27, depending on category Accepted authors get: $350-$4,000 Online publication Narrative is a non-profit organization with a mission to make great literature accessible to the masses, and it’s one of the few journals that’s free to read that also pays its writers. The flip side of this is they do charge a somewhat pricey reading fee. If $20+ is outside your submission budget, they have an open free reading period the first 2 weeks of April. NewMyths Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: January 1-Feburary 28, June 1-July 31 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .015/word Online publication Among the many sci-fi/fantasy mags on this list, NewMyths stands out for the variety of tones, styles, and sub-genres it publishes. The publish themed anthologies along with their online magazine, so be sure to check their call for submissions to see if there’s a current open theme. Night Picnic Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: no word count limits Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication Night Picnic publishes just about everything, including plays, interviews, essays, and art, as well as fiction of any length. That said, they don’t do hard sci-fi, though they’re open to works on the weird side of literary. While they’re relatively new (established 2018), I’ve included them here because they are a print publication, and with a novella-length work it can be especially nice to have it on a printed page. Pleiades Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication Pleiades has a long history, established in 1981, and has published some heavy-hitters in its 40+ years. They look for realism in their characters and setting, a good home for lyrical and literary long fiction. Ploughshares Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 15,000 Typical Reading Period: June 1-November 15 Reading Fee: $3.75 Accepted authors get: $45/page up to $450 Print publication Though they discontinued their stand-alone Solos series in 2022, Ploughshares does still accept longer fiction for their fall Longform issue. They also accept creative non-fiction for that issue, one of the few places that considers CNF at this length. Propagule Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $30 Print and electronic publication Propagule is relatively new, founded in 2022, but has been putting out strong issues consistently during that span. They also do pay, which was the main reason I included them. Their focus is on speculative surrealism, and they favor work with a narrative progression as well as strong writing and language. PULP Literature Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (check their website for current open calls) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .02-.06/word Print and/or online publication PULP aims to publish one work in the 10,000+ length in every issue, so while the odds of acceptance are higher for shorter stories, they do have a home for compelling longer works. They’ll also publish work from any genre, including literary realism and oft-overlooked genres like romance. Reckoning Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .08/word Publication (print and online) Reckoning publishes creative writing about environmental justice. Their issues often have themes (check their website for the current focus) and the fiction they publish tends to be speculative, though they’re not limited to work in that genre. ShortStory Substack Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $100+50% of subscriber revenue Publication on subscriber-only website ShortStory Substack is a new take on the literary journal. A single short story is sent each month to subscribers, and half the subscriber revenue from that period is shared with the story’s author. While it doesn’t have the history and longevity of some of the publishers on this list, the concept’s an intriguing one, and writers tend to walk away with $500+ (they also publish monthly transparency stats, which I appreciate). SLAB Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: August 1-April 15 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication Published by Slippery Rock University, SLAB was founded in 2005 and is a student-edited publication. Their primary focus is on literary fiction though they’re willing to bend into genre-inspired work. They also have a contest that runs concurrent with their reading period and has a $10 entry. Story Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 25,000 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: $3 Accepted authors get: $10/page Print publication Story has an entire category for long stories in the 10,000-25,000 length range. This is also one of the most established fiction publishers out there, founded in 1931 and a winner of prizes like the O’Henry and Pushcart. The /temz/ Review Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 (soft limit) Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $20 Online publication The /temz/ Review publishes fiction that’s, as they say, strange, experimental, and boundary-pushing. They’ll be a better fit for modern, innovative long narratives, and will consider works longer than 10,000 if they justify their length (read: tight with no fluff). Uncanny Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 10,000 (short story), novellas 17,500-30,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (check submission guidelines for current openings) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .10/word eBook publication Another well-regarded sci-fi and fantasy magazine, stories published in Uncanny Magazine have won the Hugo, Parsec, and British Fantasy Awards, so it’s likely your novella will be in good company if it’s accepted here. Presses that Publish Standalone Novellas and Novelettes The list includes both open submission calls and prizes. I’ve aimed to include only presses where a novella has a realistic chance of finding a home, either because the press is actively seeking novellas or because they’ve published them before. Royalty and advance information is listed where it’s known—if nothing’s listed, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t get paid for publishing with that press, it’s just not information they make public. Android Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 20,000-60,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $500 + 30% royalties Print and eBook publication Android Press is specifically focused on sci-fi, fantsy, climate fiction, and the various -punk subgenres. They publish novels as well as novellas and can publish both YA and adult books. There are more specific details about what they look for on their submission page. Aqueduct Press Conversation Pieces series Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 20,000-35,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print and eBook publication (unknown advance/royalties) Aqueduct Press is a niche publisher focused exclusively on feminist science fiction. They’re looking for thoughtful and challenging novella-length narratives for their Conversations Pieces series, and consider work in any sci-fi subgenre, with a list ranging from post-apocalypse survival to planetary romance. Black Hare Press Short Reads Series Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 5,000-50,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: Free Accepted authors get: $25-$50 eBook publication Black Hare Press publishes across genres. For their Short Reads series they’re specifically looking for dark stories, though they don’t necessarily need to fit neatly into the horror genre. Candlemark & Gleam Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 12,000-42,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Profit-sharing royalty structure Digital publication Candlemark & Gleam is a speculative publisher of both full-length manuscripts like novels and novellas. All forms of sci-fi, fantasy, and blends of the two are welcome, and mythic or historic elements are especially in their wheelhouse. Driftwood Press Novella Series Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 15,000-30,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round (occasional closures based on volume) Reading Fee: $20 Accepted authors get: $300-$500+20% royalties on all sales over 100 Print publication (10 author copies) This Tampa, Florida-based litearary journal also has a novella series, and veers toward lyrical, literary work with a touch of magical realism or surrealism. Eerie River Publishing Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 25,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: 40-50% royalties eBook publication For this upcoming call for submission, Eerie River is seeking specifically horror and dark fantasy. They plan to expand this in the future, though, so check their website to see what genres they’re currently reading in. Interstellar Flight Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 17.500-40,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: 30-40% royalties Print and eBook publication Interstellar Flight Press is an indie speculative press focused on publishing innovative sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. They’re not always open for novellas, but when they are there’s usually a specific genre or topic they’re looking for so make sure to read their open call carefully. Joyland Editions Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 20,000-60,000 Typical Reading Period: March Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Publication with wide distribution through Asterism The small press arm of the magazine Joyland, Joyland Editions launched in 2025 and publishes two novellas per year. Lanternfish Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 18,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Varies (check website for open calls) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication (unknown advance/royalties) Lanternfish is a self-described publisher “of the rare and strange”, including speculative works and those straddling the boundary between literary and genre. They usually take novellas during their open calls, and you can sign up for their newsletter to get access to advance submission windows. Luna Press Publishing Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 20,000-40,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication (unknown advance/royalties) Luna Press has a dedicated novella series, many of whose titles come through their open submission calls. Their niche is generally speculative, including sci-fi and fantasy. Mannison Minibooks Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 5,000-20,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print and eBook publication (unknown advance/royalties) The Minibook series from Mannison Press are small, self-contained stories, published as pocket-sized 4”X7” volumes. They’re open to all genres, with a catalog that ranges from western to cosmic horror to period mysteries. They also publish novellas of 20,000-40,000 words in a separate series. Meerkat Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 17,000-60,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print Publication (unknown advance/royalties) Meerkat Press is a small, independent publisher with a growing catalog devoted to literary-leaning speculative fiction. Overtime Series (Workers Write!) Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 5,000-10,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $40-$60 Print publication The Overtime Series are single-story chapbooks for stories a bit too long for the partner journal, Workers Write! Stories should have work as a central focus, though there’s no limitation on genre or style beyond this. Psychopomp Submission Guidelines Duotrope listing Word Count: 20,000-40,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $750 advance + 25% royalties Print and ebook publication Psychopomp press has a singular focus: work about death. They publish the literary magazine The Deadlands with the same theme, and accept novella manuscripts that engage with death in some way (there’s a detailed list of what they do and don’t want on their website). Querencia Press Submision Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 7,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: $3 Accepted authors get: 50% royalties Print publication As a publisher of both chapbook and full-length books, Querencia Press is very flexible with word counts, and equally flexible with genre, willing to consider just about anything except children’s fiction. That said, their preference is for experimental and hybrid work, as well as sci-fi, surrealism, magical realism, and horror. They accept tip jar submissions year-round, with occasional free calls. Rescue Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 25,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Print publication (unknown advance/royalties) This independent publisher founded in 2009 is a particularly good home for hybrid work and non-traditional forms, as well as literary stories that are experimental or break boundaries in other ways. Split/Lip Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 15,000 and up Typical Reading Period: July 1-September 1 Reading Fee: $15 Accepted authors get: 25% royalties on print books/50% royalties on eBooks Print and eBook publication (10 author copies) Another great home for experimental and boundary-breaking stories, Split/Lip Press publishes fiction and hybrid manuscripts at a novella length, and all of their books come to them through their open reading calls. Stelliform Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 17,500 and up Typical Reading Period: September 1-December 31 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .02/word advance+royalties Print and eBook publication Stelliform Press is a niche independent publisher of fiction and CNF related to how people interact with their environment, especially in the area of climate change and ecological destruction. They’ll consider work from a broad range of genres so long as it relates to this theme. Texas Review Press Clay Reynolds Novella Prize[ Submission Guidelines](http://texasreviewpress.org/submissions/clay-reynolds-novella-prize) Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 20,000-50,000 Typical Reading Period: January 1-March 31 Entry Cost: $20 Accepted authors get: $1,000 advance Print publication (10 author copies) This novella series has been running continuously since 2001, making it one of the most reliable annual novella contests out there. The press as a whole is especially interested in Southern, Latino, and Texas literature, folklore, and culture, but their novella series isn’t limited to these topics or demographics. It is, however, firmly literary. Working Titles (The Massachusetts Review) Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing Word Count: 7,000-25,000 Typical Reading Period: May 1-October 1 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $250 eBook publication A project of The Massachusetts Review, Working Titles are stand-alone eBooks that are either too long for the journal or use interactive elements that can’t be done in print. Serialization Options for Longer Fiction I’ve included here only places that routinely publish unsolicited work and outline a process for doing so on their website (there are other cool projects doing serials, but they either have an in-house writing team or work solely with established authors). This is a much shorter list than the others, but there are a few places regularly serializing fiction: Analog Science Fiction and Fact Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 40,000-80,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: .06/word Serialized publication I mentioned Analog above as a publisher of short stories, but they’ll also serialize works in the short novel/long novella length range. Content-wise, they’re just what they sound like: science fiction in all its forms. Bewildering Stories Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: no length restrictions Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: E-zine publication Bewildering Stories will publish fiction of just about any length as long as it fits their focus of speculative and experimental work. They’ll also consider mainstream fiction if it’s unconventional in some way. Stories longer than around 9,000 words are serialized across 2 or more of their weekly e-zines. The Colored Lens Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: $20 for first 10,000 words + $1 for each additional 1,000 words Publication in eBook format Most self-contained fiction published in The Colored Lens is in the 500-5,000 word range, but they also serialize novellas and novelettes across multiple issues, which are released quarterly as a Kindle eBook. Their niche is speculative, but they apply that term more broadly than many of the genre magazines listed here. Some element of non-reality needs to be present in everything they publish, but this element can be subtle. They also do not consider simultaneous submission, so keep that in mind when you’re planning where to send your work. Narrative Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: Book-length (no word count given) Typical Reading Period: open year-round (free in early April) Reading Fee: $23-$27, depending on category Accepted authors get: $350-$4,000 Online publication Another one familiar from the list above, Narrative Magazine serializes longer work along with publishing long short stories and novellas in their full form in a single issue. Straylight Online Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing Word Count: 17,500-45,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get: Online publication Straylight Literary Arts Magazine_ publishes novellas in installments on their website. Their overall aesthetic leans literary, though they’re open to any genre except erotica and fan fic. Word of warning that they don’t consider simultaneous submissions. --- Obviously this is not a complete list—the literary world is vast, and new journals, presses, and other ways to get stories to readers are popping up all the time. But hopefully you’ve found at least one place that could be a great home for your work, whatever its length or genre! If you’re looking for more places to send stuff, I’ve compiled a few other lists: Publishers of fiction chapbooks Journals with guaranteed feedback Publishers that pay for reprints See similar posts: #WriterResources #Publishing #Novella #ShortStory]]> Submitting work to journals and presses can be frustrating for a variety of reasons, but for those of us who write longer fiction, just finding places willing to consider stories can be a challenge. Many journals max out at around the 5,000 mark for prose, while many presses aren’t interested in stand-alone manuscripts smaller than around 40,000 words. That leaves a pretty big gap where stories fall into a kind of publishing limbo.

I gathered this list during my own tedious searches for long-ish fiction publishers over the years. Journals and presses are listed alphabetically. If you’re looking for a particular genre, you can see what each place usually accepts on this Google Sheet:

Novella and Long Short Story Publishers by Genre

Note that all of these publishers were currently active and the information on them accurate as of the last time this post was updated (November 2, 2025) but longevity is never guaranteed in literary publishing. It’s always a smart move to double check their webite for any updates before sending work.

When Does a Short Story Become a Novella (and a Novella a Novel)?

As a general rule, you can use these divisions:

  • Flash fiction: under 1,000 words
  • Short story: 1,000-7,500 words
  • Novelette: 7,500-15,000 words
  • Novella: 15,000-40,000 words
  • Novel: more than 40,000 words

However, these aren’t set in stone. Some people consider novelettes to start at 10,000 words, and may not consider something a novella until it’s 20,000 words or longer. Others don’t think the novelette exists and say novellas start around 10,000, as soon as something’s too long to be a short story. If a publisher says it wants one of the above types of writing without giving a more specific word count, though, you can expect they generally want something in this listed length range.

Also remember presses and journals often have their own length restrictions, separate from these broad category guidelines. If a publisher specifies a word count, that always supersedes any general advice you’ve heard. This means manuscripts in the 10,000-20,000 range might be submitted as a short story, novelette, or novella depending on the publisher, while manuscripts in the 35,000-50,000 range could be considered novels or novellas.

Journals that Publish Long Short Stories and Novellas

All of the journals and magazines on this list have a maximum word limit no lower than 10,000 words. I’ve included only journals that meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Established history and readership
  • Pays contributors
  • Provides other value for submitters/contributors (e.g. guaranteed feedback, nominates works for prizes like the Pushcart, etc.)

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSubs Listing

Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .05-.08/word
  • Publication in print magazine

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine publishes all types of mystery and crime stories, including courtroom dramas, police procedurals, whodunits, and even ghost stories if they have some kind of mystery element. They also publish a full novella (15,000-20,000 words) through the Black Orchid Novella Award.

Analog Science Fiction and Fact Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .08-.10/word
  • Publication in print magazine

Analog is one of the oldest sci-fi publications, starting off as Astounding Stories of Science Fiction way back in 1930. They’re open to any sci-fi sub-genre, so long as the story includes an integral technological element. They also publish serials of 40,000-80,000 words at .06/word.

A Public Space Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: None stated Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Honorarium (amount unspecified)
  • Publication in their online or print journals

Since 2006, A Public Space has been a home for overlooked and unclassifiable work. Part of this mission is accepting stories that exceed the typical literary journal length limits, including novellas and novelettes.

Asimov’s Science Fiction Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .08-.10/word
  • Publication in print magazine

Another mainstay of the sci-fi literary world, Asimov’s Science Fiction has a slightly broader scope than Analog, publishing surreal fiction, science fantasy, and other sci-fi adjacent subgenres alongside more firmly sci-fi stories.

Belmont Story Review Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: November-January Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $100
  • Publication (electronic and print)

Belmont Story Review wants work that’s, as they say, “at the intersection of faith and culture”. They’re also nationally distributed and pay their writers, making them a great home for longer stories with a spiritual bent.

Beloit Fiction Journal Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: August 1-November 16 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication

Based at Beloit College, Beloit Fiction Journal is solely focused on literary fiction and comes out once per year in print. They also have a long history, founded in 1985, and have published a number of award winners and prestigious names during that span.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 15,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .08/word
  • eBook Publication

Beneath Ceaseless Skies publishes character-driven adventure fantasy. Plot is important, but they also like works written, as they say, “with a literary flair”, and publish stories that use modern and experimental forms and storytelling techniques, as well as more traditional dragons and elves types of adventure tales.

Black Cat Weekly Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 45,000 (up to 15,000 preferred) Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .01/word up to $50
  • Electronic publication

Black Cat Weekly is devoted to adventure, mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy. They want stories with a plot and publish weekly, meaning they have lots of space to fill compared to other journals. This is also one of the few markets on the list that publishes reprints, though they ask for those in a separate call.

The Cincinnati Review Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: September, December, May Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $25/page
  • Publication in print journal

Here’s another one for long stories in the literary realm. Associated with the University of Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Review publishes two print issues a year, mostly filled through their open submission calls.

Clarkesworld Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 22,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .14/word
  • Publication in print and/or online

Here’s another top market for longer sci-fi and fantasy stories. Clarkesworld prefers stories that don’t rely on over-done tropes, or at the least present the usual tropes in a new and inventive way. One thing to note: they’re one of the few markets on this list not open to simultaneous submissions.

Dragon Soul Press Anthologies Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Rolling theme deadlines Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Portion of royalties
  • Publication in print and ebook

This publisher of themed anthologies has a growing following and works across genres, making it a potential home for hard-to-place genres like romance. They usually announce upcoming themes a year or more out, so check their website to see what’s coming down the pike.

Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (open year-round for members) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $300
  • Publication in online magazine

The Electric Literature crew made a video explaining what they’re looking for better than I could, but in general they’re open to a wide range of content and genres, with an eye for work that’s relevant and timely.

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .05-.08/word
  • Publication in bi-monthly print magazine

Established in 1941, Ellery Queen is an established and beloved magazine for mystery, crime, and detective fiction. The upper word limit for most issues is 12,000, though they will occasionally publish novellas (“short novels”) up to 20,000 words.

Epoch Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up through novella length (no specified word count) Typical Reading Period: August and January (print submissions accepted year-round) Reading Fee: $3 for electronic submissions (free for print) Accepted authors get:

  • $100-$500 per story
  • Publication in print journal

Epoch Magazine only recently started accepting electronic submissions, though during a limited reading period. While you can mail a submission any time, they only review them the two months following each electronic reading period (in September-October and February-March) so keep that in mind for response times. Epoch was founded in 1947 and is based at Cornell University. This is a firmly literary publication, so not the place to send work that falls under the broad umbrella of “genre”.

Failbetter Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: Short stories, novel excerpts, and novellas (no stated word count) Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Online publication

Failbetter is an online journal of literature and art that publishes fiction and poetry every couple of weeks. This is a good home for more literary long fiction, with a connecting thread of lyricism and attention to craft in the works they publish.

Fantasy & Science Fiction Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 25,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .08-.12/word
  • Publication (print and electronic)

Fantasy & Science Fiction has published heavy-hitters across the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres, but while they’re a tough market to get into they do publish emerging writers alongside these established names. They don’t accept simultaneous submissions, but have a relatively quick response time (around 8 weeks).

Faun by Moonlight Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $25-$50 per story
  • Electronic publication

This is a fairly new publisher of experimental literary fiction, which for their definition also includes things that incorporate elements of genre fiction. They define literary fiction as having a focus on language and character more than its level of realism, so this could be a good home for slipstream or literary-speculative stories.

Fiction on the Web Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $15
  • Online publication

Fiction on the Web publishes a new story every Monday and Friday, across six categories: funny, creepy, fantasic, futuristic, criminal, and real life. That basically means writers in any genre can find a home for their work here.

Footnote (Alternating Current Press) Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: soft upper limit of 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies based on submission volume Reading Fee: $5.99 (includes digital copy of latest issue) Accepted authors get:

  • Varying payment
  • Publication in annual print journal

Historical writers will want to know about Footnote if they don’t already. They publish historical fiction on any era, alongside scholarly work, poems, and historical documents pulled from the public domain.

Fusion Fragment Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 15,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .04/word up to $400
  • Publication in print and ebook

Based in Canada, Fusion Fragment’s focus is on sci-fi in all its forms. Their preference leans toward character-driven and reflective pieces, with a particular interest in cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic fiction.

The Future Fire Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 17,500 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $20
  • Online publication

“Social Political & Speculative Cyber-Fiction” is the sub-title of The Future Fire. They’re looking for inclusive, socially-conscious speculative fiction, and are a great home for feminist and queer narratives as well as cli-fi and other speculative work with ecological themes.

GigaNotoSaurus Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 5,000-25,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (follow their Bluesky for updates) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $200
  • Publication online and in eBook format

GigaNotoSaurus publishes a single longer story a month, and looks for works in the general sci-fi and fantasy space. While they don’t accept simultaneous submissions, they’re usually pretty quick with their response time.

Interzone Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 17,500 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .015/word
  • Publication online and in eBook format

The sole focus of Interzone is Fantastika, and they define exactly what that means on their website if you’re not familiar with the term. They’re based in Europe but publish work from anywhere in the world. This is also one with a long history, first started in 1982.

Joyland Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $200
  • Publication online and in eBook format

Started in 2008, Joyland quickly catapulted into the elite lit mag category, and stories published here have been included in Best American anthologies. Their focus is primarily literary with some wiggle room. The journal is affiliated with Joyland Editions (listed under novellas down the page).

Leavings Literary Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $15
  • Online publication

Leavings is a good home for longer literary stories that explore human relationships, both at the personal level and the broader connection between people and their world.

Narrative Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 40,000 Typical Reading Period: open year-round (free in early April) Reading Fee: $23-$27, depending on category Accepted authors get:

  • $350-$4,000
  • Online publication

Narrative is a non-profit organization with a mission to make great literature accessible to the masses, and it’s one of the few journals that’s free to read that also pays its writers. The flip side of this is they do charge a somewhat pricey reading fee. If $20+ is outside your submission budget, they have an open free reading period the first 2 weeks of April.

NewMyths Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: January 1-Feburary 28, June 1-July 31 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .015/word
  • Online publication

Among the many sci-fi/fantasy mags on this list, NewMyths stands out for the variety of tones, styles, and sub-genres it publishes. The publish themed anthologies along with their online magazine, so be sure to check their call for submissions to see if there’s a current open theme.

Night Picnic Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: no word count limits Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication

Night Picnic publishes just about everything, including plays, interviews, essays, and art, as well as fiction of any length. That said, they don’t do hard sci-fi, though they’re open to works on the weird side of literary. While they’re relatively new (established 2018), I’ve included them here because they are a print publication, and with a novella-length work it can be especially nice to have it on a printed page.

Pleiades Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 12,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication

Pleiades has a long history, established in 1981, and has published some heavy-hitters in its 40+ years. They look for realism in their characters and setting, a good home for lyrical and literary long fiction.

Ploughshares Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 15,000 Typical Reading Period: June 1-November 15 Reading Fee: $3.75 Accepted authors get:

  • $45/page up to $450
  • Print publication

Though they discontinued their stand-alone Solos series in 2022, Ploughshares does still accept longer fiction for their fall Longform issue. They also accept creative non-fiction for that issue, one of the few places that considers CNF at this length.

Propagule Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $30
  • Print and electronic publication

Propagule is relatively new, founded in 2022, but has been putting out strong issues consistently during that span. They also do pay, which was the main reason I included them. Their focus is on speculative surrealism, and they favor work with a narrative progression as well as strong writing and language.

PULP Literature Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (check their website for current open calls) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .02-.06/word
  • Print and/or online publication

PULP aims to publish one work in the 10,000+ length in every issue, so while the odds of acceptance are higher for shorter stories, they do have a home for compelling longer works. They’ll also publish work from any genre, including literary realism and oft-overlooked genres like romance.

Reckoning Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .08/word
  • Publication (print and online)

Reckoning publishes creative writing about environmental justice. Their issues often have themes (check their website for the current focus) and the fiction they publish tends to be speculative, though they’re not limited to work in that genre.

ShortStory Substack Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $100+50% of subscriber revenue
  • Publication on subscriber-only website

ShortStory Substack is a new take on the literary journal. A single short story is sent each month to subscribers, and half the subscriber revenue from that period is shared with the story’s author. While it doesn’t have the history and longevity of some of the publishers on this list, the concept’s an intriguing one, and writers tend to walk away with $500+ (they also publish monthly transparency stats, which I appreciate).

SLAB Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 Typical Reading Period: August 1-April 15 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication

Published by Slippery Rock University, SLAB was founded in 2005 and is a student-edited publication. Their primary focus is on literary fiction though they’re willing to bend into genre-inspired work. They also have a contest that runs concurrent with their reading period and has a $10 entry.

Story Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 25,000 Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: $3 Accepted authors get:

  • $10/page
  • Print publication

Story has an entire category for long stories in the 10,000-25,000 length range. This is also one of the most established fiction publishers out there, founded in 1931 and a winner of prizes like the O’Henry and Pushcart.

The /temz/ Review Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 (soft limit) Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $20
  • Online publication

The /temz/ Review publishes fiction that’s, as they say, strange, experimental, and boundary-pushing. They’ll be a better fit for modern, innovative long narratives, and will consider works longer than 10,000 if they justify their length (read: tight with no fluff).

Uncanny Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 10,000 (short story), novellas 17,500-30,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies (check submission guidelines for current openings) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .10/word
  • eBook publication

Another well-regarded sci-fi and fantasy magazine, stories published in Uncanny Magazine have won the Hugo, Parsec, and British Fantasy Awards, so it’s likely your novella will be in good company if it’s accepted here.

Presses that Publish Standalone Novellas and Novelettes

The list includes both open submission calls and prizes. I’ve aimed to include only presses where a novella has a realistic chance of finding a home, either because the press is actively seeking novellas or because they’ve published them before. Royalty and advance information is listed where it’s known—if nothing’s listed, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t get paid for publishing with that press, it’s just not information they make public.

Android Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 20,000-60,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $500 + 30% royalties
  • Print and eBook publication

Android Press is specifically focused on sci-fi, fantsy, climate fiction, and the various -punk subgenres. They publish novels as well as novellas and can publish both YA and adult books. There are more specific details about what they look for on their submission page.

Aqueduct Press Conversation Pieces series Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 20,000-35,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print and eBook publication (unknown advance/royalties)

Aqueduct Press is a niche publisher focused exclusively on feminist science fiction. They’re looking for thoughtful and challenging novella-length narratives for their Conversations Pieces series, and consider work in any sci-fi subgenre, with a list ranging from post-apocalypse survival to planetary romance.

Black Hare Press Short Reads Series Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 5,000-50,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: Free Accepted authors get:

  • $25-$50
  • eBook publication

Black Hare Press publishes across genres. For their Short Reads series they’re specifically looking for dark stories, though they don’t necessarily need to fit neatly into the horror genre.

Candlemark & Gleam Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 12,000-42,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Profit-sharing royalty structure
  • Digital publication

Candlemark & Gleam is a speculative publisher of both full-length manuscripts like novels and novellas. All forms of sci-fi, fantasy, and blends of the two are welcome, and mythic or historic elements are especially in their wheelhouse.

Driftwood Press Novella Series Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 15,000-30,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round (occasional closures based on volume) Reading Fee: $20 Accepted authors get:

  • $300-$500+20% royalties on all sales over 100
  • Print publication (10 author copies)

This Tampa, Florida-based litearary journal also has a novella series, and veers toward lyrical, literary work with a touch of magical realism or surrealism.

Eerie River Publishing Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 25,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • 40-50% royalties
  • eBook publication

For this upcoming call for submission, Eerie River is seeking specifically horror and dark fantasy. They plan to expand this in the future, though, so check their website to see what genres they’re currently reading in.

Interstellar Flight Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 17.500-40,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • 30-40% royalties
  • Print and eBook publication

Interstellar Flight Press is an indie speculative press focused on publishing innovative sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. They’re not always open for novellas, but when they are there’s usually a specific genre or topic they’re looking for so make sure to read their open call carefully.

Joyland Editions Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 20,000-60,000 Typical Reading Period: March Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Publication with wide distribution through Asterism

The small press arm of the magazine Joyland, Joyland Editions launched in 2025 and publishes two novellas per year.

Lanternfish Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 18,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Varies (check website for open calls) Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication (unknown advance/royalties)

Lanternfish is a self-described publisher “of the rare and strange”, including speculative works and those straddling the boundary between literary and genre. They usually take novellas during their open calls, and you can sign up for their newsletter to get access to advance submission windows.

Luna Press Publishing Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 20,000-40,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication (unknown advance/royalties)

Luna Press has a dedicated novella series, many of whose titles come through their open submission calls. Their niche is generally speculative, including sci-fi and fantasy.

Mannison Minibooks Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 5,000-20,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print and eBook publication (unknown advance/royalties)

The Minibook series from Mannison Press are small, self-contained stories, published as pocket-sized 4”X7” volumes. They’re open to all genres, with a catalog that ranges from western to cosmic horror to period mysteries. They also publish novellas of 20,000-40,000 words in a separate series.

Meerkat Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 17,000-60,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print Publication (unknown advance/royalties)

Meerkat Press is a small, independent publisher with a growing catalog devoted to literary-leaning speculative fiction.

Overtime Series (Workers Write!) Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 5,000-10,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $40-$60
  • Print publication

The Overtime Series are single-story chapbooks for stories a bit too long for the partner journal, Workers Write! Stories should have work as a central focus, though there’s no limitation on genre or style beyond this.

Psychopomp Submission Guidelines Duotrope listing

Word Count: 20,000-40,000 Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $750 advance + 25% royalties
  • Print and ebook publication

Psychopomp press has a singular focus: work about death. They publish the literary magazine The Deadlands with the same theme, and accept novella manuscripts that engage with death in some way (there’s a detailed list of what they do and don’t want on their website).

Querencia Press Submision Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 7,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Year-round Reading Fee: $3 Accepted authors get:

  • 50% royalties
  • Print publication

As a publisher of both chapbook and full-length books, Querencia Press is very flexible with word counts, and equally flexible with genre, willing to consider just about anything except children’s fiction. That said, their preference is for experimental and hybrid work, as well as sci-fi, surrealism, magical realism, and horror. They accept tip jar submissions year-round, with occasional free calls.

Rescue Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 25,000 and up Typical Reading Period: Varies Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Print publication (unknown advance/royalties)

This independent publisher founded in 2009 is a particularly good home for hybrid work and non-traditional forms, as well as literary stories that are experimental or break boundaries in other ways.

Split/Lip Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 15,000 and up Typical Reading Period: July 1-September 1 Reading Fee: $15 Accepted authors get:

  • 25% royalties on print books/50% royalties on eBooks
  • Print and eBook publication (10 author copies)

Another great home for experimental and boundary-breaking stories, Split/Lip Press publishes fiction and hybrid manuscripts at a novella length, and all of their books come to them through their open reading calls.

Stelliform Press Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 17,500 and up Typical Reading Period: September 1-December 31 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .02/word advance+royalties
  • Print and eBook publication

Stelliform Press is a niche independent publisher of fiction and CNF related to how people interact with their environment, especially in the area of climate change and ecological destruction. They’ll consider work from a broad range of genres so long as it relates to this theme.

Texas Review Press Clay Reynolds Novella Prize Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 20,000-50,000 Typical Reading Period: January 1-March 31 Entry Cost: $20 Accepted authors get:

  • $1,000 advance
  • Print publication (10 author copies)

This novella series has been running continuously since 2001, making it one of the most reliable annual novella contests out there. The press as a whole is especially interested in Southern, Latino, and Texas literature, folklore, and culture, but their novella series isn’t limited to these topics or demographics. It is, however, firmly literary.

Working Titles (The Massachusetts Review) Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing

Word Count: 7,000-25,000 Typical Reading Period: May 1-October 1 Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $250
  • eBook publication

A project of The Massachusetts Review, Working Titles are stand-alone eBooks that are either too long for the journal or use interactive elements that can’t be done in print.

Serialization Options for Longer Fiction

I’ve included here only places that routinely publish unsolicited work and outline a process for doing so on their website (there are other cool projects doing serials, but they either have an in-house writing team or work solely with established authors). This is a much shorter list than the others, but there are a few places regularly serializing fiction:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 40,000-80,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • .06/word
  • Serialized publication

I mentioned Analog above as a publisher of short stories, but they’ll also serialize works in the short novel/long novella length range. Content-wise, they’re just what they sound like: science fiction in all its forms.

Bewildering Stories Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: no length restrictions Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • E-zine publication

Bewildering Stories will publish fiction of just about any length as long as it fits their focus of speculative and experimental work. They’ll also consider mainstream fiction if it’s unconventional in some way. Stories longer than around 9,000 words are serialized across 2 or more of their weekly e-zines.

The Colored Lens Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: up to 20,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • $20 for first 10,000 words + $1 for each additional 1,000 words
  • Publication in eBook format

Most self-contained fiction published in The Colored Lens is in the 500-5,000 word range, but they also serialize novellas and novelettes across multiple issues, which are released quarterly as a Kindle eBook. Their niche is speculative, but they apply that term more broadly than many of the genre magazines listed here. Some element of non-reality needs to be present in everything they publish, but this element can be subtle. They also do not consider simultaneous submission, so keep that in mind when you’re planning where to send your work.

Narrative Magazine Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: Book-length (no word count given) Typical Reading Period: open year-round (free in early April) Reading Fee: $23-$27, depending on category Accepted authors get:

  • $350-$4,000
  • Online publication

Another one familiar from the list above, Narrative Magazine serializes longer work along with publishing long short stories and novellas in their full form in a single issue.

Straylight Online Submission Guidelines Duotrope Listing | ChillSub Listing

Word Count: 17,500-45,000 Typical Reading Period: Open year-round Reading Fee: None Accepted authors get:

  • Online publication

Straylight Literary Arts Magazine publishes novellas in installments on their website. Their overall aesthetic leans literary, though they’re open to any genre except erotica and fan fic. Word of warning that they don’t consider simultaneous submissions.

Obviously this is not a complete list—the literary world is vast, and new journals, presses, and other ways to get stories to readers are popping up all the time. But hopefully you’ve found at least one place that could be a great home for your work, whatever its length or genre!

If you’re looking for more places to send stuff, I’ve compiled a few other lists:

See similar posts:

#WriterResources #Publishing #Novella #ShortStory

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