Personal essay, Narrative nonfiction

Narratively (The Personals)

Narratively's Personals pays $300 for short, cinematic first-person stories focused on one moment, one day or one week.

🟢 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: $300Of the other 51 records based in the United States that state a flat-fee figure, 40 state less, 9 state more, 2 state exactly this.
Length: 1,000-1,500 words ideal; 2,200 hard max
Who can submit: Open worldwideThe guideline states the call is worldwide. Diaspora writers are explicitly welcome.
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: 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 6 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.
Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.

Record last human-checked 2026-09-21. 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: $300
Word count: 1,000-1,500 words ideal; 2,200 hard max
Submission: Submittable form (full draft)
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: Personal essay, Narrative nonfiction. Official guideline: Narratively (The Personals) guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

First-person stories built on vivid, cinematic scenes - one moment, one day, one week, one summer
A subject we have heard about before, but with a unique way in
Active, dramatic narrative - not internal opinion pieces or essays worked out on the page
Surprise: an upside-down view of something society is used to looking at head-on

Subjects they avoid

Pitches for this category - full drafts only
Anything longer than 2,200 words (not considered)
More than one essay in consideration at a time

Key requirements

Full draft, 1,000-1,500 words ideal, 2,200 maximum
Submit one essay at a time; wait for a response before sending another
Rolling consideration - no deadline
Rate: $300 flat per accepted Personals piece

Who can submit

Worldwide — no stated geographic restriction.

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 2026-09-21 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Submittable form (full draft)

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

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Submittable form (full draft)

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Submit the full draft via Narratively's Submittable page (Submissions: The Personals)
Wait to hear back before submitting another piece

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: 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.

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.