Fiction
Kill Your Darlings
Kill Your Darlings pays a minimum of $1,000 for short fiction of 2,000–5,000 words, and reads year-round from established and emerging writers. The catch is real: only KYD Members may submit fiction, and membership is a paid subscription.
🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-09
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
- Minimum $1,000The highest figure of the 5 records based in Australia that state a flat-fee figure.
- Length
- 2,000–5,000 words
- Who can submit
- Restricted to a stated groupOfficial and restrictive in a way that costs money: "We only accept fiction submissions from KYD Members." Membership is a paid subscription (advertised at under $5 a month) which also gives free entry to their writing prizes. No nationality restriction is stated.
- 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
- 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 publicationKill Your Darlings welcomes submissions of short fiction to the magazine from established and emerging writers year-round. — https://www.killyourdarlings.com.au/write-for-us/ (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.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- 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 2026-09-06. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in Australia quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- Minimum $1,000
- Word count
- 2,000–5,000 words
- Submission
- Submission portal, members only
- International writers
- No — see eligibility
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- Last verified
- 2026-09
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction. Official guideline: Kill Your Darlings guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Short fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words, previously unpublished.
- Submissions from established and emerging writers alike, year-round.
- A current KYD membership — fiction submissions are members-only.
Subjects they avoid
- Previously published work.
- Fiction submissions from non-members — they are not accepted.
Key requirements
- KYD membership required
- 2,000–5,000 words
- Previously unpublished
Who can submit
Official and restrictive in a way that costs money: "We only accept fiction submissions from KYD Members." Membership is a paid subscription (advertised at under $5 a month) which also gives free entry to their writing prizes. No nationality restriction is stated.
Rights
Not stated on the write-for-us 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.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Submission portal, members only
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Submission portal, members only
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://www.killyourdarlings.com.au/submission-guidelines/ in full.
- Become a KYD Member — fiction submissions are members-only.
- Submit your 2,000–5,000 word story through the members' portal.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Not stated
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: 2026-09.