Fiction
After Dinner Conversation
After Dinner Conversation pays $75 one-time for accepted unsolicited short stories, with no future royalties. Adult stories run 1,500-7,000 words. It will not consider stories already readable on the open web, and it does not accept AI-generated writing.
🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-10
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 288-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- $75 one-time payment per accepted short story, with no future royaltiesOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 51 state less, 8 state more, 4 state exactly this.
- Length
- Adult stories 1,500-7,000 words (2,500-4,500 tend to fare best); young adult under 3,500; children's under 1,500
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
- Reading period
- Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
- Response time
- Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeDo you accept reprints and/or simultaneous submissions? Yes, but... It is one thing for your story to be behind a paywall or in a print magazine, it's another thing for it to be freely available on a website. If it is on a website and can be found and read online via a google search we are not interested in it. — https://afterdinnerconversation.com/submissions (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedAccepted stories are published under an author agreement that grants the magazine the right to publish the story. Payment is a one-time $75 with no future royalties.
- Experience
- Not yet assessedBRYME has read this publication's guideline but has not yet put the experience question to it, so this row is untouched rather than unanswered — it is our gap, not theirs. Treat it exactly as you would an unstated policy.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 4 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- Experience — BRYME has not assessed this one yet, so do not read the blank as either a welcome or a bar. Look at who the publication normally publishes before you pitch.
Record last human-checked 2026-10-01. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records quoting in USD on this desk quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- $75 one-time payment per accepted short story, with no future royalties
- Word count
- Adult stories 1,500-7,000 words (2,500-4,500 tend to fare best); young adult under 3,500; children's under 1,500
- Submission
- Online submission form; a $25 Fast Pass gives priority reading
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- Last verified
- 2026-10
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction. Official guideline: After Dinner Conversation guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Short stories that raise a philosophical or ethical question and carry it through, which is the magazine's stated remit.
- Stories that present both sides of an ethical dilemma rather than a position.
- Shorter work: the page says 2,500-4,500 words tend to do best.
Subjects they avoid
- Writing generated with AI software.
- Stories that are already freely readable online - if a Google search finds the text on a website, the magazine is not interested.
- Reprints that would breach another agreement the writer has signed.
- Very long work: the page warns that past 5,000 words readers may skim, and long stories are rarely published.
Key requirements
- Read the submissions page and FAQ at https://afterdinnerconversation.com/submissions before sending.
- Word counts: adult 1,500-7,000, young adult under 3,500, children's under 1,500.
- Optional costs: a $25 Fast Pass buys priority reading and a response in 3-5 business days; an $80 service buys developed feedback from the story editor.
- Check the author agreement linked from the page; the page tells writers not to submit if they are not comfortable with its terms.
- Quotes from copyrighted work need written permission and attribution.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
Rights
Accepted stories are published under an author agreement that grants the magazine the right to publish the story. Payment is a one-time $75 with no future royalties.
AI policy
Prohibited
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Online submission form; a $25 Fast Pass gives priority reading
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online submission form; a $25 Fast Pass gives priority reading
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read the submissions page and FAQ at https://afterdinnerconversation.com/submissions before sending.
- Submit through the online form on that page.
- Stories are also considered for the magazine's themed anthologies.
What happens after submission
Expected response: A few sentences of reader feedback with each rejection; no timeframe stated
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-10.