Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Reviews

Westerly

Westerly, published twice a year out of the University of Western Australia, pays $250 for one poem, $300 for a poetic sequence, $500 for prose, $620 for visual art, photo essays and comics, and $250 for online publication. It aims to pay Australian Society of Authors rates.

🟡 Opens soon 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: $250–$620 depending on formOf the other 4 records based in Australia that state a flat-fee figure, 3 state less, 1 state more.
Length: Fiction/CNF max 3,500 words; scholarly max 5,000; reviews ~800
Who can submit: Not statedNo nationality restriction stated on the submit page. Westerly is based at the University of Western Australia.
Reading period: Westerly is published twice a year, in June and November.Submission windows open for each issue as advertised. Scholarly articles may be submitted at any time.
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 accepted — send to one place at a timeWork should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration elsewhere. — https://westerlymag.com.au/submit/ (read 2026-09-30)
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 5 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.
Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
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 2026-09-06. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in Australia quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.

Quick facts

Payment: $250–$620 depending on form
Word count: Fiction/CNF max 3,500 words; scholarly max 5,000; reviews ~800
Submission: Online submission during an open window
International writers: Yes
Status: 🟡 Opens soon
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: Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Reviews. Official guideline: Westerly guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

Poetry: a maximum of five poems, each a maximum of 50 lines.
Fiction and creative non-fiction: maximum 3,500 words. Scholarly articles: maximum 5,000 words.
Reviews of approximately 800 words, for online or print. Comics of up to four A5 pages.
Manuscripts 1.5-spaced in Times New Roman 12, with a cover letter carrying a two-line bio and email.

Subjects they avoid

More than one short story at any one time — wait for a response before submitting again.
Separate files when submitting online: collate poems and material into a single document.

Key requirements

Open window (scholarly articles anytime)
1.5-spaced Times New Roman 12
Two-line bio in cover letter

Who can submit

No nationality restriction stated on the submit page. Westerly is based at the University of Western Australia.

Rights

Not fully stated on the submit 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.

Seasonal Last verified 2026-09-06 Official submission page

Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Online submission during an open window

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 during an open window

What the guideline asks you to prepare

Check https://westerlymag.com.au/submit/ — the open window is advertised at the bottom of the page.
Collate your work into a single 1.5-spaced document with a two-line bio.
Submit online, and wait for a response before sending anything else.

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 stated; they endeavour to give brief feedback on request

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.

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How to write a pitch

A step-by-step structure for a pitch that a busy editor can act on.

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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.