Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Creative nonfiction
The First Line
The First Line pays $10 for a poem, $25 for a nonfiction essay and $25 to $50 for a story, plus a copy of the issue, and states flatly that it will never charge a submission fee. Every piece must begin with the first line the magazine supplies, stories run 300 to 5,000 words, and it does not accept simultaneous submissions - one of the few markets on this desk that says so outright.
🟢 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
- $10 per poem, $25 per nonfiction essay, $25-$50 per story, plus a copy of the issueOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 6 state less, 49 state more, 8 state exactly this. On publication, with the contributor copy.
- Length
- Fiction: 300-5,000 words.Nonfiction: critical essays of 500-800 words. Poetry: no line limit, but rare.
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
- Reading period
- Quarterly deadlines on 1 February, 1 May, 1 Augustand 1 November; the next is 1 November 2026
- Response time
- Four to five weeks after the deadline
- Simultaneous submissions
- Not accepted — send to one place at a timeThere are, however, literary magazines that run traditional contests, where they charge entry fees and rank the winners. We do not - nor will we ever - charge a submission fee, nor do we rank our stories in order of importance. And, just to be clear, we do not accept simultaneous submissions. — https://thefirstline.com/submission.htm (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 3 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.
- 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
- $10 per poem, $25 per nonfiction essay, $25-$50 per story, plus a copy of the issue
- Word count
- Fiction: 300-5,000 words. Nonfiction: critical essays of 500-800 words. Poetry: no line limit, but rare.
- Submission
- Email or postal submission; the page asks for MS Word or WordPerfect attachments.
- 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, Poetry, Essays, Creative nonfiction. Official guideline: The First Line guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Stories written to the first line supplied for the coming issue, in any genre.
- Critical essays of 500-800 words on a favourite first line from a literary work.
- Poetry, rarely, with no restriction on form or line count.
- Work that cannot be taken out of context and dropped into another magazine.
Subjects they avoid
- Simultaneous submissions: "just to be clear, we do not accept simultaneous submissions."
- Previously published work, including a story that already ran with a new first line added.
- Work generated or co-written by AI: submissions found to be AI-generated are disqualified.
- Altering the supplied first line in any way.
- More than one story or poem in the same issue.
Key requirements
- Read https://thefirstline.com/submission.htm before sending.
- Write to the first line supplied for the issue you are entering; it cannot be altered.
- Fiction runs 300-5,000 words; nonfiction essays run 500-800 words.
- Include a two- to three-sentence biography.
- Send by email or post as an MS Word or WordPerfect document; there is no submission fee.
- Submit once per issue against the 1 February, 1 May, 1 August or 1 November deadline.
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.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Email or postal submission; the page asks for MS Word or WordPerfect attachments.
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Email or postal submission; the page asks for MS Word or WordPerfect attachments.
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://thefirstline.com/submission.htm for the current issue's first line - every piece must start with it.
- Send the piece by the quarterly deadline: 1 February, 1 May, 1 August or 1 November.
- Use the first line unchanged, and do not send simultaneous submissions.
- Include a two- to three-sentence biography.
- There is no submission fee to pay.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Four to five weeks after the deadline
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.