Fiction, Creative nonfiction
SmokeLong Quarterly
SmokeLong publishes flash up to 1,000 words and pays $100, or $150 if you grant audio rights. See reading windows and anonymous-submission rules.
🟢 Currently accepting 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 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- $100 per story, or $150 with audio rightsOf the other 51 records based in the United States that state a flat-fee figure, 22 state less, 21 state more, 8 state exactly this. Upon publication in the quarterly issue, via PayPal or Zelle.
- Length
- Up to 1,000 words
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction. SmokeLong reads internationally and assigns every submission to two editors anonymously.
- 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
- Up to 4 weeks in free windows; usually sooner
- 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
- StatedExclusive electronic rights for six months, then non-exclusive rights for the online archive; non-exclusive print rights for potential anthologies and promotion. All other rights remain with the writer.
- 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.
- 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 2026-10-03. 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
- $100 per story, or $150 with audio rights
- Word count
- Up to 1,000 words
- Submission
- Online via Submittable during reading periods
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- 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: SmokeLong Quarterly guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Flash narratives up to 1,000 words — fiction and creative nonfiction — that are previously unpublished.
- Stories that stand up to rereading: the guidelines ask for something sincerely and uniquely yours, surprising and thrilling.
- Reviews of flash collections, essays on craft and articles on teaching flash are considered for the blog.
- Work previously published only on a personal blog or website is considered, if it is taken down before publication and flagged in the cover letter.
Subjects they avoid
- Previously published work, except in the annual Grand Micro Contest.
- Narratives created with the aid of AI — including AI translation or stylistic modification. Grammar tools are fine.
- Poetry — the magazine publishes prose flash only.
- Identifying information in the manuscript, filename or Submittable title; editors read anonymously.
Key requirements
- Submit one unpublished piece at a time and wait for a decision, or use the multiple-submission option with up to three pieces in one document (paid windows, faster response).
- Include a print-ready, third-person bio in your cover letter.
- Keep the manuscript, filename and Submittable title free of your name.
- Watch for the free-submission window at the start of each reading period; after it closes a small fee applies, and the magazine always keeps a free window.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction. SmokeLong reads internationally and assigns every submission to two editors anonymously.
Rights
Exclusive electronic rights for six months, then non-exclusive rights for the online archive; non-exclusive print rights for potential anthologies and promotion. All other rights remain with the writer.
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
Online via Submittable during reading periods
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online via Submittable during reading periods
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Check the reading calendar on the guidelines page and submit inside a window — the December issue window runs roughly August 16 to November 15.
- Send your piece through the Submittable manager; one piece, or up to three via the multiple-submission option.
- If the piece is under consideration you will be told more time is needed; otherwise expect a decision within four weeks in free windows and about a week in paid windows.
- If your story is accepted elsewhere first, withdraw it through Submittable right away.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Up to 4 weeks in free windows; usually sooner
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.