Discover How to Sell Stories Online: Top 19 Platforms Paying Big in 2024 (proposed new title)

Want to know how to write stories and get paid instantly?

There are many places for freelance writers to make money, and there's a bigger market for them than you might think!

Short stories come in many different forms, from flash fiction to romance novels, and they can be sold in a range of different publications.

For those where writing short stories is your passion, then there are plenty of opportunities to make money selling them!

And here's the best part:

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What Are Short Stories?

A short story is one with a fully developed theme but shorter (often significantly) and less elaborate than a novel. They generally range in length from 500 to 20,000 words.

Short stories are usually fiction, but there are outlets that also accept non-fiction stories. For the sake of those who write non-fiction, I’ll let you know where you can sell these pieces too!

Popular Short Story Genres

The most popular short fiction genre tends to be science fiction and fantasy.

There is a very large market for these types of writing, so there are many outlets looking to buy.

Other popular short story genres include:

• Erotica
• Romance and love
• Speculative fiction
• Horror and ghost
• Crime and mystery.

That is not to say that ‘modern stories with a twist’ or ‘slice of life stories’ cannot be sold either.

When you are good at what you do, there will be plenty of opportunities.

How Much Can You Make?

When you follow through with this writing career path, your earning potential is great.

Let’s say you are truly good and can build up a strong following—then there’s no reason you can’t earn multiple six figures per year.

Working as a freelance writer for blogs and magazines generally holds less earning potential, but that is not to say you won’t become in demand when your hard work pays off.

How Do You Get Paid To Write Short Stories?

What types of publishers are buying short stories?

Magazines, blogs, and newspapers (check out cool newspaper name ideas here) have to publish every day and are always on the lookout for skilled, talented writers.

Here are some of the different types of outlets where you can sell short stories.

1. Magazines And Blogs

The largest buyers for those selling short stories are online magazines, news sites, and blogs. This is where most of the opportunities are found.

There are both small niche publishers and large publications accepting submissions year-round.

Here are just a couple of examples:

The New Yorker

The New Yorker is one of the most prestigious literary magazines that publishes short fiction. While they don't disclose exact payment rates, The New Yorker is known to pay very well for accepted short stories, often amounting to thousands of dollars. 

They purchase first serial rights, meaning the story cannot have been published elsewhere before. 

Payment is made upon publication in the magazine. 

And for established and emerging writers alike, having a short story published in The New Yorker is considered a huge accomplishment and financial win.

The Sun Magazine

The Sun Magazine is a well-regarded literary journal that publishes short fiction, poetry, and essays. For short stories, they typically pay around $300-$500 for first serial rights.

Payment is made on acceptance rather than publication. 

And The Sun Magazine has a relatively high pay rate compared to many literary journals, making it an attractive market for writers looking to earn income from their short fiction. The magazine has a strong reputation and getting published in Sun can provide good exposure for writers as well as fair compensation.

Medium

Medium is a popular online publishing platform that lets writers monetize their work through its Partner Program. Writers can publish short stories on Medium and earn money based on how many viewer engagements (reads, claps) their stories receive.

The payment is calculated through Medium's complex formula that factors in paid member engagement - so, writers don't get paid for stories read by non-paying users.

While publishing short stories on Medium doesn't guarantee payment upfront, writers who build an audience on the platform can earn recurring income from reader subscriptions. Successful writers on Medium can make anywhere from a few dollars to thousands per month from short story publications.

The keys are consistently producing high-quality work, building a following, and taking advantage of Medium's tools for writer monetization. Overall, it provides an avenue for short story writers to get paid, albeit through a non-traditional model.

2. Kindle Books And eBooks

Kindle books, or writing stories for Amazon, are growing in popularity as an avenue to sell stories online. This way, you can retain ownership of your work and have greater control over the publishing process.

When it comes to Amazon and Kindle, there are individual consumers who are ready and willing to pay for good short stories published under your name.

3. Podcasts and Radio Shows

There are podcasts dedicated to telling short stories. Your freelance writing does not only need to be a published article as text!

For example, This American Life, one of the largest podcasts in the world, is essentially just telling short, non-fiction, stories. There are also many smaller podcasts dedicated to telling short stories on every topic imaginable.

Where To Submit Short Stories For Money

We've put together a huge list of writing sites to submit short stories for money.

Some of these outlets are large publications with a major readership, while others are small niche sites with a loyal following nonetheless.

It's about discovering which would be more receptive to your short story genre and writing style.

The first 3 writing sites I’m listing are actually platforms for finding opportunities to sell short stories. These are services that display requests from publishers looking for short story writers.

Duotrope - One Of The Best Ways to Get Paid to Write Short Stories

Duotrope is one of the best spots matching short story buyers with sellers.

It's a paid tool, but at only $5 per month, it really pays for itself!

Not only does it help you find and apply for writing opportunities, but it is also a writing management platform. It’s recommended if you are intending to frequently make submissions!

Poets & Writers

Poets and Writers has a job board for aspiring writers looking for opportunities to publish their short stories.

Alongside one-off requests, there are longer-term assignments and even writing residencies. They also have a lot of information about short story writing contests.

Poets and Writers is a one-stop-shop for those who are serious about getting their short stories published.

The Grinder

Similar to the previous sites, The Grinder is a helpful site for short story writers.

The tools available will enable you to track submissions and find markets for your work.

Many of the results will include non-paying or very low-paying writing jobs, so make sure you know what you're signing up for!

Readers Digest

Readers Digest needs no introduction, but did you know they are accepting short story submissions?

These aren't any old short stories, they're super short stories of 100 words or less!

Getting published in Reader's Digest would be a good way to start selling your writing!

One Story 

One Story is a non-profit literary magazine that publishes short fiction stories. They also have a companion magazine called One Teen Story that accepts submissions by teens.

When your submission is accepted by One Story, they pay writers $500. 

Short story submission guidelines for One Story include works between 3,000 and 8,000 words and "stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone". 

Vestal Review

Vestal Review is a well-established online magazine publishing flash fiction.

Many well-known short story authors have contributed to Vestal Review, and it boasts a large readership. Each issue is free for anyone to read and the writing site is supported by donations.

Writing flash fiction online can be a good direction to go in as the earnings per word usually work out favorably.

Vestal Review's short story submission guidelines state that R-rated content is allowed, but X-rated is not. Other than that, your options are pretty wide open.

The BBC

The BBC has a program called Short Story that is accepting submissions.

While this isn't somewhere that will pay you for your submission, they also run yearly short story writing contests with a top prize of over $20,000.

Being featured on BBC radio and podcast would certainly be payment in itself!

Flash Fiction Online

Flash Fiction Online is another large online publisher of short stories.

A new issue of the literary magazine gets published each month, for which they charge $4.

Got a short horror story? This is the place!

Popular genres on the platform include literary, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, but they will take a look at all submissions.

The Threepenny Review

The Threepenny review is a literary magazine with a focus on literature, arts and society, and memoirs.

Subscribers pay $25 per year for four quarterly issues.

This publication accepts submissions through the mail and via an online submission system.

Barrelhouse

Barrelhouse is “a non-profit literary organization consisting of pop culture obsessed oddballs who like to hang out in the corner.”

This publication started in 2004 as a literary magazine and is now a print and online magazine, a small book press, event organizers, and a website.

Like to write about pop culture, nerdy topics, or off-the-wall musings?

This is the place to get paid to write and sell short stories.

Submission guidelines include no previously published work and no maximum length, although they like to stay under 8,000 words.

East Of The Web

East of the Web has a huge audience, receiving over 500,000 visitors to the writing site per month.

They are seeking imaginative short stories with strong plots and compelling story characters in the sci-fi and fantasy genres.

You can submit previously published high quality short stories here as well.

Strange Horizons

Strange Horizons is an online magazine of speculative fiction that is published weekly.

This non-profit corp run by volunteers believes in fairly compensating freelance writers, hence the higher than average per word rate.

Strange Horizons publishes a range of genres and also offers other opportunities. For example, audition to be a short story podcast reader!

Giganotosaurus

While the earnings aren't fantastic on Giganotosaurus, telling your friends the name of the writing site you've been published on will be!

This site only publishes one short story per month. It's longer than usual, at least 5000 words, but still a lot shorter than a novel.

Being the sole featured author for the month would be a huge privilege!

Clarksworld

Clarkesworld is another of the monthly online literary magazines publishing sci-fi and fantasy short stories.

They have a dedicated readership and a solid subscriber base. The magazine can be read on the Clarkesworld iPhone or Android app, Kindle, or a range of other devices.

You can be sure your work is going to get in front of the right people!

Asimov

Science fiction freelance writers have plenty of options to sell short stories online.

Asimov is another online magazine dedicated to the genre and looking for submissions from people looking to get paid to write short stories.

Analog

Analog is a smaller site where you can sell short stories for money, but they pay reasonably well.

The exciting thing about Analog is that they also do a print copy of the magazine. Most of the magazines featured here are digital only, but it can be really rewarding to see your work in a printed magazine.

While submissions can be on the longer side, around 20,000 words, they also accept fast fiction. These are stories around 4000 words

Ploughshares

Ploughshares is both a literary journal that is published 4 times a year and an active blog.

Publication in the journal is a great honor, and the payout isn't bad either!

They publish short stories, essays, and other writing on the blog daily, though payment for this is not guaranteed.

The Southern Review

The Southern Review is another literary journal that is published quarterly.

It's a prestigious magazine that features quality works of fiction and non-fiction.

You may also submit translations of short stories originally written in other languages.

The Iowa Review

Our final site on which to sell short stories for money is The Iowa Review.

The lead time for publications like this tends to be quite long, especially when they are only releasing content 4 times a year.

However, it can be worth it, not only as a way to get paid to write stories but also for the connections and wide readership.

How To Get Paid To Write Short Stories On Amazon

Selling short stories for money on Amazon is a very good alternative to being published in magazines and blogs.

Amazon has the whole process set up to make self-publishing a lot easier than it used to be!

With Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, you can learn about here - you are able to publish books for free. They are then available to tens of millions of users around the world through the Kindle Store and on Amazon.

You have much greater control over all the aspects of your book, including:

• Pricing
• Genre
• Story length
• Sales and discounts
• Marketing

Pros Of Selling Short Stories On Amazon

Of course, Amazon will take a cut of the sale, but you will get a 70% royalty.

Over the long run, you can earn a lot more than a measly $50 magazine publishing fee, provided your story is good and you're successful at marketing it.

Other benefits to selling short stories online with Amazon:

• You keep control of your rights - you still own your stories.
• Very fast to market - no waiting for magazine issues to be published.
• Make changes - you are able to edit the book after publication.
• Online resources - many helpful guides that can help each step of the way.
• Easy payout options - Amazon can work with most people in most places around the world.

There are many supporting resources from Amazon and other online creators that will teach you how to publish Kindle books. There are even tools like Publisher Rocket that will help you determine the best things to write about in order to get sales!

While there might be greater prestige in being published in a college journal or major online magazine, self-publishing on Amazon is definitely attractive. You must admit!

FAQ: Sell Stories Online

Here are the answers you may be interested in regarding common questions on the topic!

How can I sell my short stories online?

You can sell your short stories online through all of the sites listed in this article as well as self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP or Smashwords, other online fiction marketplaces like Radish Fiction, literary journals and magazine submissions, your own author website, or as audiobooks. Build an audience, promote your work, and explore different marketplaces to monetize your creative writing.

Can I get paid for my short stories?

Yes, you can get paid for your short stories. Many online publishers, literary journals, and fiction websites pay writers for accepted short story submissions. Self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing also allow you to sell your stories as ebooks and earn royalties. With quality writing, promoting your work, and exploring various marketplaces, you can monetize your short fiction by selling short stories.

Do short stories sell on Amazon?

Yes, short stories can sell well on the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Many authors find success self-publishing and selling short stories as affordable ebooks on Amazon. By leveraging Amazon's massive reader base and implementing effective marketing strategies, writers can earn royalties from short story sales in this popular online marketplace.

Have Fun & Get Paid To Write Short Stories

Whether you decide to make submissions to short story publishers or to self-publish on Amazon will depend on your situation.

There are so many options for where to sell short stories, especially when you consider those first three platforms. Duotrope, Poets and Writers, and The Grinder have many more examples of websites, magazines, and podcasts that are accepting submissions (you may also be interested in this list of podcast submission sites).

Many writing sites allow you to submit stories that have been submitted elsewhere as well, giving you greater opportunity to be published.

Getting paid for your freelance writing career might not come quickly, but work hard and persevere, and it will pay off!

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