Other

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency accepts finished humour pieces, not pitches. Official: they pay a modest fee for accepted general, open-letter and list pieces if Patreon stays above Goal #2. No dollar amount is published. AI is banned. Max 1,200 words, preferably under 1,000.

🟢 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 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.

Payment: Not statedModest fee if accepted — dollar amount not published. 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: Absolute maximum 1,200 words; they prefer under 1,000, shorter still better
Who can submit: Not statedNo country list on the official guidelines.
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 7.39 days (their figure)
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: AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
Rights: StatedYou retain rights after publication. They keep it in the internet archive and may reshare the link.
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 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.
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.
Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.

Record last human-checked 2026-09-06. 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: Modest fee if accepted — dollar amount not published
Word count: Absolute maximum 1,200 words; they prefer under 1,000, shorter still better
Submission: Email a finished draft pasted in the body — no attachments
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: Other. Official guideline: McSweeney’s Internet Tendency guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

A finished humour piece pasted in the email, titled, with your name and email under the title.
General: websubmissions@mcsweeneys.net. Lists: lists@mcsweeneys.net. Open letters: openletters@mcsweeneys.net. Timely news riffs: timelysubmissions@mcsweeneys.net, subject TIMELY.
One piece at a time. After they reply you may send another immediately.

Subjects they avoid

Pitches. Attachments. Google Docs. Previously published work including blogs.
Any AI assistance. Authors must attest AI played no part.
Poetry, book reviews, short stories, personal essays, news-article format.
New Food Reviews if you expect pay — those are unpaid.
Pieces about McSweeney’s, or sequels to other people’s McSweeney’s pieces.

Key requirements

Finished draft in the email body
Name under the title
One submission at a time
No AI

Who can submit

No country list on the official guidelines.

Rights

You retain rights after publication. They keep it in the internet archive and may reshare the link.

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 2026-09-06 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Email a finished draft pasted in the body — no attachments

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 pasted in the body — no attachments
Submission email: websubmissions@mcsweeneys.net

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidelines-for-web-submissions.
Paste the piece into an email. No attachment.
If you hear nothing, resend rather than sending a ‘did you get this?’ note.

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 7.39 days (their figure)

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.