Fiction
American Short Fiction
American Short Fiction pays for accepted stories, though it publishes no figure, and buys first serial rights with all rights reverting to the author on publication. Unsolicited submissions run September through December, cost $3, and are read alongside two annual contests.
🟢 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
- Not statedPayment is competitive - amount not published. The publication publishes no figure BRYME could record. That is not the same as unpaid — but you cannot price the work from this page. On publication.
- Length
- No set guidelines as to the content or length of regular submissions
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
- Reading period
- Unsolicited submissions are accepted September through December each yearcontests run at other times
- Response time
- No stated timeframe; the page asks writers to wait at least eight months before following up
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWe will read and consider simultaneous submissions on the condition that if the manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere, the author immediately withdraw the submission through the Submittable site. — https://americanshortfiction.org/submityourwork (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 127 of the 288 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
- Rights
- StatedAmerican Short Fiction purchases first serial rights for accepted work, and all rights revert to the author upon publication.
- 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.
- Payment — pitch only if you are comfortable negotiating the fee itself, or ask before you write.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
- 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. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- Payment is competitive - amount not published
- Word count
- No set guidelines as to the content or length of regular submissions
- Submission
- Online form through Submittable
- 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: American Short Fiction guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Original, previously unpublished short fiction - the magazine says its standards are extremely high and asks writers to read the magazine first.
- Work from established, new and lesser-known writers alike.
- Translations, provided a copy of the original text accompanies them.
Subjects they avoid
- Work that has appeared online, including on blogs or Facebook - the page counts that as previously published.
- Poetry, plays, nonfiction, reviews and other non-fiction forms.
- Paper submissions - they are recycled on receipt.
- More than one story at a time.
- Manuscripts not written in English.
Key requirements
- Read https://americanshortfiction.org/submityourwork before sending.
- Pay the $3 submission fee, then submit.
- Send one story at a time, typed and double-spaced, with the author's name, address, phone number and approximate word count on the first page and pages numbered throughout.
- Unsolicited submissions are read September through December only; contests run outside that window.
- Wait at least eight months before sending a follow-up inquiry, to editors@americanshortfiction.org with "Submissions Inquiry" in the subject.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
Rights
American Short Fiction purchases first serial rights for accepted work, and all rights revert to the author upon publication.
AI policy
Not stated in the guideline
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 form through Submittable
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online form through Submittable
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://americanshortfiction.org/submityourwork before sending.
- Regular (non-contest) submissions are accepted September through December.
- Submit through Submittable and pay the $3 fee before the work is sent.
- Contest guidelines are separate and are announced on the magazine's homepage.
What happens after submission
Expected response: No stated timeframe; the page asks writers to wait at least eight months before following up
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.