Personal essays, Essays

Longreads

Longreads pays $500 for personal essays. They do not commission personal essays from a pitch — send a full, polished draft. Official page: writers and journalists around the world. Generative AI is not accepted.

🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-08 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: $500Of the other 51 records based in the United States that state a flat-fee figure, 45 state less, 2 state more, 4 state exactly this. Net-60. The official page says payment is often processed sooner.
Length: No hard personal-essay limit stated.Official guideline for most published features: 2,000–6,000 words — a guideline, not a rule.
Who can submit: Open internationallyThe guideline states no geographic restriction.
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: You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWhile we encourage simultaneous submissions, we hope for stories that take maximum advantage of Longreads’ broad purview and emphasis on storytelling. — https://longreads.com/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
AI policy: AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
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: Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.

What this record does not tell you

This publication leaves 4 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.
Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.
Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.

Record last human-checked 2026-08-19. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in the United States quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: $500
Word count: No hard personal-essay limit stated. Official guideline for most published features: 2,000–6,000 words — a guideline, not a rule.
Submission: Email a finished draft
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟢 Currently accepting
Last verified: 2026-08

🟡 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: Personal essays, Essays. Official guideline: Longreads guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

A full, polished personal-essay draft. They will not commission a personal essay from a pitch.
Smart, unexpected angles and a compelling voice. Wide range of topics.
Attach PDF, Google Doc or Word, or paste the draft in the email.
Subject line should include the pitch type (“Personal Essay”) and the topic.
They do not accept fiction.

Subjects they avoid

A personal-essay pitch without a finished draft.
Any submission or pitch written or edited using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.
Fiction.

Key requirements

Finished draft
Email hello@longreads.com
Subject includes Personal Essay and the topic

Who can submit

Official page: pitches and original nonfiction from writers and journalists around the world. No country list.

Rights

Not publicly stated on the official submissions 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.

Open Last verified 2026-08-19 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Email a finished draft

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

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Email a finished draft
Submission email: hello@longreads.com

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Email hello@longreads.com with subject line Personal Essay + topic.
Attach or paste the finished draft.
They cannot confirm receipt. They generally reply only if interested. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged.

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: They generally only reply if interested

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: 2026-08.

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.