Fiction, Articles

Aurealis

Aurealis, Australia's long-running science fiction and fantasy magazine, pays AUD 2–6 cents a word for stories of 2,000–8,000 words, rising to a flat 6 cents a word for everything published in 2027. Non-fiction pays A$40. It has a no-AI policy.

🟡 Opens soon Verified 2026-10 Researched by BRYME Editorial Desk.

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 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.

Payment: AUD 2–6c a word; 6c a word for 2027; A$40 non-fictionThe lowest figure of the 5 records based in Australia that state a flat-fee figure. Soon after publication of the issue containing your story.
Length: 2,000–8,000 words
Who can submit: Restricted to a stated groupOfficial and window-dependent: Australian writers and subscribers from anywhere may submit 1 February – 30 September. Everyone else, anywhere in the world, may submit only during 1–14 March. Subscribers are fast-tracked through assessment, though stories are selected anonymously on merit regardless of subscriber status.
Reading period: Two reading periods a year.Australian writers and subscribers from anywhere: 1 February to 30 September. Anyone anywhere: 1-14 March only. The 2026 window closed on 30 September 2026; the next opens 1 February 2027, and a writer who is neither Australian nor a subscriber has only 1-14 March 2027. Re-checked 1 October 2026.
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: Not accepted — send to one place at a timeWe do not accept simultaneous submissions. — https://aurealis.com.au/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
AI policy: AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
Rights: StatedThey buy first digital rights for publication in the magazine, plus non-exclusive online, audio and print rights, with a twelve-month exclusivity window after electronic publication (apart from 'Best of' anthologies).
Experience: Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.

What this record does not tell you

This publication leaves 2 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.

Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.

Record last human-checked 2026-10-01. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in Australia quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: AUD 2–6c a word; 6c a word for 2027; A$40 non-fiction
Word count: 2,000–8,000 words
Submission: Online submission during an open reading period
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟡 Opens soon
Last verified: 2026-10

🟡 Research only. BRYME has researched this opportunity but has not yet submitted to it. Nothing here should be read as a claim of acceptance, publication or payment.

What this publication wants

This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction, Articles. Official guideline: Aurealis guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2,000 and 8,000 words.
All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror of a genuinely speculative nature.
Non-fiction articles and queries by email to nonfiction@aurealis.com.au — these must stay unpublished for 12 months after appearing in Aurealis.

Subjects they avoid

Derivative work, or horror without a supernatural element.
Reprints, poetry, novel extracts or serials — none of these are published.
AI-generated work: they state a no-AI policy.

Key requirements

Open reading period
2,000–8,000 words
No reprints
No AI

Who can submit

Official and window-dependent: Australian writers and subscribers from anywhere may submit 1 February – 30 September. Everyone else, anywhere in the world, may submit only during 1–14 March. Subscribers are fast-tracked through assessment, though stories are selected anonymously on merit regardless of subscriber status.

Rights

They buy first digital rights for publication in the magazine, plus non-exclusive online, audio and print rights, with a twelve-month exclusivity window after electronic publication (apart from 'Best of' anthologies).

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.

Seasonal Last verified 2026-10-01 Official submission page

Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Online submission during an open reading period

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 during an open reading period
Submission email: nonfiction@aurealis.com.au

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Check which window applies to you at https://aurealis.com.au/submissions/ — non-Australians outside 1–14 March must be subscribers.
Submit a 2,000–8,000 word speculative story through their form.
For non-fiction, email nonfiction@aurealis.com.au instead.

Safety note. Never pay to submit your work. A legitimate publication does not ask writers to pay a fee or provide identity documents to be considered. If you are asked to, do not proceed.

What happens after submission

Expected response: Not 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.

OFFICIAL

Read the official guideline

Open the publication's own page and confirm everything on this record before you pitch.

Open → GUIDE

How to write a pitch

A step-by-step structure for a pitch that a busy editor can act on.

Open the guide →

Check, question or correct this record

BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-10.

What do these statuses mean? Every badge on this page explained — open, closed, researched, tested, paid. Report an outdated listing Guideline changed, link dead, or submissions closed? Tell the desk and it gets rechecked. How BRYME verifies The editorial standard behind this record: sources, dates, corrections and limits.