Fiction, Creative nonfiction
The Literary Fantasy Magazine
The Literary Fantasy Magazine pays a $10 token payment for fiction accepted for Arcanist Online, its web publication, and says its print magazines pay more. Stories run 4,000 to 10,000 words, serials 20,000 to 50,000, and creative nonfiction 700 to 5,000. General submissions are closed after a 376-submission window; only a special October window for Short Story September participants is announced. It asks for first printing and internet archival rights.
🔴 Currently closed 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 token payment per story published on the webOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 6 state less, 49 state more, 8 state exactly this.
- Length
- Short fiction 4,000-10,000 words (6,000-10,000 preferred); serial fiction 20,000-50,000 words in one document; creative nonfiction 700-5,000 words
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
- Reading period
- General submissions closed after the June 2026 window drew 376 submissionsa special window in October 2026 runs for Storytelling Collective's Short Story September participants only
- 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
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are allowed. Please inform us immediately if it is accepted elsewhere and accept our sincere congratulations. — https://www.thearcanist.net/submissions (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedThe magazine asks for first printing rights and internet archival rights; work may be republished six months after the release date with credit.
- 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.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- 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 token payment per story published on the web
- Word count
- Short fiction 4,000-10,000 words (6,000-10,000 preferred); serial fiction 20,000-50,000 words in one document; creative nonfiction 700-5,000 words
- Submission
- Online submission form; contact support@thearcanist.net only if the form fails.
- 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: Fiction, Creative nonfiction. Official guideline: The Literary Fantasy Magazine guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Fantasy of any flavour, preferably from emerging authors at the start of their journey.
- Short fiction of 4,000-10,000 words, with 6,000-10,000 preferred.
- Serial fiction of 20,000-50,000 words, submitted whole in one document.
- Creative nonfiction of 700-5,000 words.
Subjects they avoid
- Anything touched by AI: "Anything touched by AI. Grammarly and ProWritingAid is allowed, but highly discouraged."
- Curse words that would not fly on television.
- PDF files - the page accepts .docx, .doc or .odt only.
- General submissions at present: the window is closed until the backlog is read.
Key requirements
- Read https://www.thearcanist.net/submissions before sending.
- Submit through the online form; the general window is closed and only the October 2026 Storytelling Collective window is announced.
- Keep to the word counts: 4,000-10,000 short fiction, 20,000-50,000 serial in one document, 700-5,000 creative nonfiction.
- Send .docx, .doc or .odt files - no PDFs.
- Check the site for the Writer Circle and future window announcements.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
Rights
The magazine asks for first printing rights and internet archival rights; work may be republished six months after the release date with credit.
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 submission form; contact support@thearcanist.net only if the form fails.
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online submission form; contact support@thearcanist.net only if the form fails.
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://www.thearcanist.net/submissions before sending.
- Wait for a window to open - general submissions are closed and the announced October 2026 window is limited to Short Story September participants.
- Send .docx, .doc or .odt files within the stated word counts.
- Note the $10 web rate applies to Arcanist Online; print rates are not published.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Not publicly 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: 2026-10.