Fiction, Poetry, Creative nonfiction, Interviews
Prairie Fire
Prairie Fire, a Winnipeg quarterly, pays 10 cents per word for prose to a maximum of $250 per piece, and $40 per poem, plus a contributor's copy. AI-generated text of any kind is refused. Response takes three to six months.
🟢 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
- 10¢ per word prose (max $250), $40 per poemBRYME records 3 other records based in Canada that state a per-word rate — too few to rank this one against without over-reading 3 data points. Following publication.
- Length
- Maximum 5 poems per submission
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo nationality restriction stated on the submissions page.
- 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
- Generally three to six months
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWe ask that you let us know if your work is also submitted elsewhere, and, if it is accepted, to notify us right away. — https://prairiefire.ca/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedPrairie Fire buys First North American Serial Rights and First Digital Publication Rights only. Rights are reassigned to the author upon publication.
- 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 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.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- 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. Figures are compared only against other records based in Canada quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- 10¢ per word prose (max $250), $40 per poem
- Word count
- Maximum 5 poems per submission
- Submission
- Submittable
- International writers
- Yes
- 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, Poetry, Creative nonfiction, Interviews. Official guideline: Prairie Fire guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, with a word count at the top right of the first page and your address at the top left.
- Numbered pages, a maximum of 5 poems per submission.
- A twelve-month gap between submissions — once you submit, wait a year before submitting again.
Subjects they avoid
- Work that uses AI, algorithmic, machine-learning or computer-generated text of any sort.
- Work that promotes intolerance.
- Revisions, replacements or substitutions once you have submitted.
- Previously published work, including work published with a digital publication.
Key requirements
- Submittable
- Word count on page one
- Max 5 poems
- Twelve-month gap between submissions
Who can submit
No nationality restriction stated on the submissions page.
Rights
Prairie Fire buys First North American Serial Rights and First Digital Publication Rights only. Rights are reassigned to the author upon publication.
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.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Submittable
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Submittable
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read the rate sheet at https://prairiefire.ca/rates-of-payment/ and the guidelines at /submissions/.
- Format with word count top-right and address top-left of page one, pages numbered.
- Submit via Submittable, then wait twelve months before submitting again.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Generally three to six months
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.