Essays, Fiction, Poetry, Personal essays
The Rumpus
The Rumpus pays $500 for prose and comics and $200 for poetry for work accepted on or after 1 April 2026. Official Submittable: fiction, essays and poetry are closed until 15 September 2026 so they can catch up. Interviews are closed until September. AI-assisted work is not considered.
🟡 Opens soon Verified 2026-08
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
- $500 prose/comics; $200 poetry/interviewsOf the other 51 records based in the United States that state a flat-fee figure, 35 state less, 13 state more, 3 state exactly this.
- Length
- Not a single sitewide limit on the About page.El Alboroto (Spanish section) states a 2,500-word maximum — that is a different card.
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo country list. Official: emerging and established writers.
- Reading period
- Fiction, essays and poetry reopen 15 September 2026
- Response time
- They hope to respond within three months. Do not query sooner.
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeWe accept simultaneous submissions to other publications. — https://therumpus.net/about/ (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
- Wants some prior publicationWe welcome work from both emerging and established writers. — https://therumpus.submittable.com/submit (read 2026-09-30)
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 2 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.
- Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.
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 prose/comics; $200 poetry/interviews
- Word count
- Not a single sitewide limit on the About page. El Alboroto (Spanish section) states a 2,500-word maximum — that is a different card.
- Submission
- Submittable when the genre reopens — do not email
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟡 Opens soon
- Last verified
- 2026-08
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Essays, Fiction, Poetry, Personal essays. Official guideline: The Rumpus guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Original unpublished fiction, poetry, essays, comics, criticism, interviews — when that genre is listed as open.
- One submission per section at a time. Simultaneous submissions allowed if you withdraw promptly.
Subjects they avoid
- Do not submit essays, fiction or poetry before 15 September 2026.
- Pitches. Official: they do not accept pitches under any circumstances.
- Work written with assistance from or by AI.
- Previously published work, including personal blogs and social media.
Key requirements
- Wait until 15 September 2026
- Submittable
- Previously unpublished
- No AI
Who can submit
No country list. Official: emerging and established writers.
Rights
Not fully stated on the About 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.
Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.
How to submit
Submittable when the genre reopens — do not email
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Submittable when the genre reopens — do not email
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Do not submit now.
- On or after 15 September 2026, use https://therumpus.submittable.com/submit and only the categories that appear.
What happens after submission
Expected response: They hope to respond within three months. Do not query 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: 2026-08.