Poetry, Fiction
The Fairy Tale Magazine
The Fairy Tale Magazine pays $25 USD for each poem and prose piece it publishes, and its fall call is free to enter. Stories run 900-2,000 words and poems up to 500 words, one piece per submission period, in a window that runs 15-21 August. Work from any country is welcome, the magazine does not read work made with AI, and simultaneous submissions are accepted with notice.
🔴 Currently closed Verified 2026-10
This window has closed. The deadline BRYME recorded was 21 August 2026, which has passed. BRYME has not yet re-checked whether a new window has opened — read the publication’s own guideline below before you pitch.
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 USD per published poem or prose pieceOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 26 state less, 24 state more, 13 state exactly this.
- Length
- Short stories 900-2,000 words; poetry up to 500 words; one piece per submission period
- Who can submit
- Open worldwideThe guideline states the call is worldwide. Diaspora writers are explicitly welcome.
- Reading period
- Submission window: 15-21 August (midnight to midnight EST), for the fall issue that…launches 1 November; the 2026 window closed on 21 August and chosen authors were notified on or around 22 September 2026
- Response time
- About a month after the window closes
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are welcome. Please email thefairytalemagazine@gmail.com with WITHDRAW in the subject line to let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere. — https://fairytalemagazine.com/submissions (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedFirst and all electronic and digital rights are sought, along with rights to use the work to promote The Fairy Tale Magazine in perpetuity; electronic and digital rights revert to the author immediately after 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 1 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- 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
- $25 USD per published poem or prose piece
- Word count
- Short stories 900-2,000 words; poetry up to 500 words; one piece per submission period
- Submission
- Online Google Form only; the link appears on the page when submissions are open.
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🔴 Currently closed
- 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: Poetry, Fiction. Official guideline: The Fairy Tale Magazine guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Fairy-tale stories and poems on the announced theme - the fall call was Food in Fairy Tales.
- Work with an element of the supernatural and a transformation at its heart; mashups are welcomed.
- Previously unpublished stories of 900-2,000 words and poems of up to 500 words.
Subjects they avoid
- Work made with AI: the page says AI-generated submissions are equal to plagiarized work.
- Sci-fi, time travel, futuristic or space travel stories, high fantasy, erotica, stage magic, dystopian work, extreme horror or gore, westerns and lengthy gross-out description.
- Anything above PG - the page notes that children find the site.
- Previously published work, or more than one piece in a submission period.
- Work from anyone under 18.
Key requirements
- Read https://fairytalemagazine.com/submissions before sending.
- Submit through the Google Form only; it appears on the page while the window is open.
- One piece per submission period: a story of 900-2,000 words or a poem of up to 500 words.
- Include a third-person biography of 50 words or fewer.
- You must be 18 or older to submit.
- Email the magazine with WITHDRAW in the subject line if a simultaneous piece is accepted elsewhere.
Who can submit
Official page: "We are happy to read and publish work from any country, and are open to work with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences."
Rights
First and all electronic and digital rights are sought, along with rights to use the work to promote The Fairy Tale Magazine in perpetuity; electronic and digital rights revert to the author immediately after publication.
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.
Not accepting submissions at the last check.
How to submit
Online Google Form only; the link appears on the page when submissions are open.
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online Google Form only; the link appears on the page when submissions are open.
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://fairytalemagazine.com/submissions before sending.
- Submit through the Google Form; the link appears only while the submission window is open.
- Send one piece: a story of 900-2,000 words or a poem of up to 500 words.
- Include a 50-word third-person bio.
- The fall call is free - the page describes it as a no-fee call.
- Tell the editors if a simultaneous piece is taken elsewhere, using WITHDRAW in the subject line.
What happens after submission
Expected response: About a month after the window closes
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.