Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Creative nonfiction, Reviews, Interviews

Blackbird

Blackbird pays $40 per poem, $200 per story or essay, and $100 for book reviews, craft essays and interviews. It reads submissions year-round, takes simultaneous work if flagged, and will not accept work produced or altered by AI in any way.

🟢 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: $40 per poem, $200 per story or essay, $100 per book review, craft essay or interviewOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 43 state less, 19 state more, 1 state exactly this.
Length: Poetry: 2-6 poems per submission; prose guidelines are on the page
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: Six months or longer
Simultaneous submissions: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are acceptable so long as they are indicated as such and we are immediately notified upon acceptance elsewhere. — https://blackbird.vcu.edu/submissions (read 2026-10-01)
AI policy: AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
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.

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.
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 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: $40 per poem, $200 per story or essay, $100 per book review, craft essay or interview
Word count: Poetry: 2-6 poems per submission; prose guidelines are on the page
Submission: Online form through Submittable
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: Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Creative nonfiction, Reviews, Interviews. Official guideline: Blackbird guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Short stories, novel excerpts that stand alone, personal essays and memoir excerpts.
Poetry: send up to six poems, but no fewer than two.
Book reviews, craft essays and interviews.
Bodies of work whose individual pieces have appeared elsewhere, provided the majority is unpublished.

Subjects they avoid

Work produced or altered by AI in any way.
Unsolicited book reviews and criticism outside the stated categories.
Work that has not been indicated as a simultaneous submission when it is one.

Key requirements

Read https://blackbird.vcu.edu/submissions before sending.
Submit through Submittable.
Poetry: 2-6 poems in a single document, set as they should appear in print.
Prose: double-spaced.
Flag simultaneous submissions as such, and notify the magazine immediately on acceptance elsewhere.
Withdraw individual poems by message through Submittable, not by resubmitting.
Expect six months or more for a response, and wait for a decision before sending more.

Who can submit

No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.

Rights

Not stated on the guidelines page.

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.

Open Last verified 2026-10-01 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

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://blackbird.vcu.edu/submissions before sending.
Submit through Submittable; submissions for Blackbird 2.0 are open.
Send 2-6 poems, or prose in the stated categories.
Indicate simultaneous submissions and withdraw immediately on acceptance elsewhere.

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: Six months or longer

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.