Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction

Grist: A Journal of the Literary Arts

Grist pays $10 per poem and 1 cent per word for prose up to $50, plus a contributor copy, for a $4 submission fee that is waived for subscribers. It takes one story or one essay of up to 7,000 words, or three to five poems, and its average response time is six months.

🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-09 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: $10 per poem; 1¢ per word for prose, up to $50Of the other 4 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 2 state less, 2 state more.
Length: One story or essay up to 7,000 words; 3–5 poems
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: Average six months; query after that
Simultaneous submissions: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are acceptable as long as we are immediately notified if the piece has been accepted elsewhere. — https://gristjournal.com/submit/ (read 2026-09-30)
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 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.

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.
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 2026-09-30. 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; 1¢ per word for prose, up to $50
Word count: One story or essay up to 7,000 words; 3–5 poems
Submission: Submittable — $4 fee, waived for subscribers
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟢 Currently accepting
Last verified: 2026-09

🟡 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, Creative nonfiction. Official guideline: Grist: A Journal of the Literary Arts guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Fiction: one story of up to 7,000 words.
Nonfiction: one essay of up to 7,000 words.
Poetry: three to five poems.
Pitches, reviews and craft essays are handled under separate guidelines on the same page.

Subjects they avoid

A second submission in the same genre before the first has been answered — wait for the response.
Prose over 7,000 words.

Key requirements

Submit through Grist's Submittable manager after reading the guidelines.
Pay the $4 fee unless you are a subscriber, in which case it is waived.
Wait for a response before sending another piece in the same genre.
If six months pass with no response, send a query email to the editor for that genre.

Who can submit

No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.

Rights

Not stated on the official submit 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 2026-09-30 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Submittable — $4 fee, waived for subscribers

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

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Submittable — $4 fee, waived for subscribers

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://gristjournal.com/submit/ — pitches, reviews and craft essays have their own rules.
Subscribe if you plan to submit more than once; it waives the fee.
Budget for a six-month wait before querying.

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: Average six months; query after that

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: 2026-09.

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.