Fiction

Thriller Magazine

Thriller Magazine pays $15 for accepted short stories of 1,000 to 7,000 words. Submissions carry a non-refundable $4.49 fee and every submission receives detailed editorial feedback, which is unusual at this price. It was reading for its December 2026 issue when this record was checked.

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

Payment: $15 per accepted short storyOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 17 state less, 42 state more, 4 state exactly this.
Length: 1,000-7,000 words
Who can submit: Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines 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: Four to five weeks
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 127 of the 288 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
Rights: Not statedBRYME records that 149 of the 288 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 yet assessedBRYME has read this publication's guideline but has not yet put the experience question to it, so this row is untouched rather than unanswered — it is our gap, not theirs. Treat it exactly as you would an unstated policy.

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.

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.
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 — BRYME has not assessed this one yet, so do not read the blank as either a welcome or a bar. Look at who the publication normally publishes before you pitch.

Record last human-checked 2026-09-30. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records quoting in USD on this desk quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: $15 per accepted short story
Word count: 1,000-7,000 words
Submission: Online submission form
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: Fiction. Official guideline: Thriller Magazine guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Short stories in the crime and thriller space, 1,000 to 7,000 words.
Finished stories - the magazine reads everything and returns editorial feedback.

Subjects they avoid

Stories outside the 1,000 to 7,000 word range.
Previously published work, unless declared honestly in the submission form.

Key requirements

Read https://thrillermagazine.org/submissions before sending.
Submit through the online form.
Keep stories to 1,000-7,000 words.
Pay the non-refundable $4.49 submission fee.
Declare honestly whether the story has been previously published.

Who can submit

No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.

Rights

Not stated on the submissions page.

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 2026-09-30 Official submission page

Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Online submission form

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

Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
Submission: Online submission form

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Read https://thrillermagazine.org/submissions before sending.
Submissions were open for the December 2026 issue on the date this record was read.
Stories run 1,000 to 7,000 words.
The $4.49 submission fee is non-refundable and applies whether or not the story is accepted - count it against the $15 rate.
Every submission receives detailed editorial feedback, which is the main thing beyond the fee that separates this from most $15 markets.

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: Four to five weeks

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.