Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Essays

Granta

Granta is open to unsolicited fiction and non-fiction during four month-long windows a year — the current one closes 30 September 2026. Granta pays contributors but does not state a rate publicly. There is a £3.50 submission fee, with 200 free places per window for low-income writers.

🟡 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: Not statedPays contributors — rate not stated. The publication publishes no figure BRYME could record. That is not the same as unpaid — but you cannot price the work from this page.
Length: No set maximum or minimum; most submissions run 3,000–6,000 words
Who can submit: Open internationallyThe guideline states no geographic restriction.
Reading period: Granta opens four windows in 2026: 1-31 March, 1-30 June, 1-30 Septemberand 1-31 December. The September window closed on 30 September 2026; the next opens at 10 a.m. UK time on 1 December and closes at midnight UK time on 31 December 2026. Poetry is closed, though Granta says it aims to reopen soon. 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 statedThe guideline does not address simultaneous submissions. BRYME records that as silence rather than assuming a yes: if you are sending the same piece to several publications, say so in your cover letter and withdraw it everywhere the moment it is taken.
AI policy: Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 138 of the 304 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
Rights: Not statedBRYME records that 162 of the 304 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: Wants some prior publicationGranta is committed to championing new voices and is open to unsolicited submissions of fiction and non-fiction. — https://granta.com/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)

What this record does not tell you

This publication leaves 5 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.

Payment — pitch only if you are comfortable negotiating the fee itself, or ask before you write.
Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
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.

Record last human-checked 2026-10-01. Sources listed at the foot of this page. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: Pays contributors — rate not stated
Word count: No set maximum or minimum; most submissions run 3,000–6,000 words
Submission: Submittable during an open window
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, Creative nonfiction, Essays. Official guideline: Granta guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

One complete story or essay at a time, or one document of no more than four poems when poetry is open.
Original material only — first-ever publication. An original translation is fine if the work has never appeared in English.
A cover letter stating where your work has been published before, if relevant.
Double-spaced prose; for poetry, whatever spacing best represents the work.

Subjects they avoid

Academic essays or reviews.
Book manuscripts or unsolicited book proposals — Granta Books does not accept these.
Work that has already appeared on the web or elsewhere in print.
Multiple submissions in a single genre.
Work not written in English.

Key requirements

Submittable
£3.50 fee for full-length prose (200 free low-income places per window)
English only
Original material only

Who can submit

Official: committed to offering a home to writing by those who are marginalised or underrepresented — writers of colour, working class or low-income writers, queer, transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming writers, and writers with disabilities. No nationality restriction. Work must be in English.

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.

Seasonal Last verified 2026-10-01 Official submission page

Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Submittable during an open window

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

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Submittable during an open window

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://granta.com/submissions/ and their FAQ page.
If you are a low-income writer, read the low-income entry guidelines first — there are 200 free places each window.
Submit through Submittable before midnight UK time on 30 September 2026.

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. They cannot comment on your work.

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.