Fiction

Berkeley Fiction Review

Berkeley Fiction Review pays $25 for each accepted story and sends a complimentary copy of the issue, and states that it does not charge submission fees. It reads previously unpublished short fiction from around the world year-round, publishes annually, encourages simultaneous submissions, and asks for content warnings where they apply. Responses take eight months to a year, and the page states no AI policy.

🟢 Currently accepting 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 288-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.

Payment: $25 per accepted story, plus a complimentary copy of the issueOf the other 48 records based in the United States that state a flat-fee figure, 6 state less, 35 state more, 7 state exactly this.
Length: No word limit stated; the review publishes one annual issue of short fiction
Who can submit: Open worldwideThe guideline states the call is worldwide. Diaspora writers are explicitly welcome.
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: Eight months to a year
Simultaneous submissions: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are encouraged. — https://berkeleyfictionreview.org/submit/short-fiction (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: Not statedBRYME records that 149 of the 288 publications on this desk state their terms. This one does not. Ask what rights you are assigning, for how long and for what territory, before you sign anything.
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.

Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.
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 based in the United States quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: $25 per accepted story, plus a complimentary copy of the issue
Word count: No word limit stated; the review publishes one annual issue of short fiction
Submission: Online through the review's submission manager.
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟢 Currently accepting
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. Official guideline: Berkeley Fiction Review guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Previously unpublished short fiction of any kind.
Stories that provoke a visceral reaction in the reader - the page names joy, fear, and the solace of being seen and understood.
Work from anywhere in the world; there is no country restriction.

Subjects they avoid

Previously published stories.
Work without a content warning where the material demands one - warnings do not affect the review process, but the page asks for them.

Key requirements

Read https://berkeleyfictionreview.org/submit/short-fiction before sending.
Submit through the review's submission manager; there is no fee.
Include content warnings where the story contains particularly sensitive material.
Expect eight months to a year for a response, and note that the journal runs as a class, so submissions can sit between semesters.

Who can submit

Official page: "We invite submissions of previously unpublished short stories from around the country and the world year-round."

Rights

Not stated on the submissions page.

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.

Open Last verified 2026-10-01 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Online through the review's submission manager.

Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Online through the review's submission manager.

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://berkeleyfictionreview.org/submit/short-fiction before sending.
Submit year-round through the submission manager - submissions are free.
Send one previously unpublished story, with content warnings where needed.
Expect a long wait: eight months to a year, with the journal's schedule set by the academic calendar.

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: Eight months to a year

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.