Want to write flash fiction but not sure where to actually get paid for it?
Today we’re sharing an up-to-date list of 37 literary magazines and outlets that pay for flash fiction. Those short, sharp stories usually under 1,000 words that pack a full narrative punch into a fraction of the space.
Don’t let the word count fool you: plenty of editors are willing to pay real money, from a few dollars to three-figures for a story that lands in a page or less.
We’ve included information on pay rates, word counts, themes and descriptors, submission fees (where they apply), and direct submission links. Everything you need to start sending your shortest, sharpest work out into the world and get paid for it.
Not sure if flash fiction is for you? If you’ve ever had an idea that felt too small for a full short story, a scene that said everything it needed to in a handful of paragraphs, or a moment you couldn’t stop thinking about long after it happened… you’ve probably already got a flash piece in you.
This list spans literary, speculative, horror, and genre-agnostic markets, so there’s likely a home for whatever you write.
If you have insights into specific pay rates, or if you’ve been offered different terms than those listed here, please let me know via email at thefreelancewritingnetwork@gmail.com or by messaging me on Substack.
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37 Lit Mags Paying for Flash Fiction
Not only are these lit mags paying for flash fiction, they’re regularly publishing fantastic writers across formats. Please remember to support the lit mags you enjoy reading and submitting to, it’s not easy to fund those that pay!
CRAFT Literary
An online literary magazine known for its craft-focused editorial voice, publishing flash fiction, short fiction, flash CNF, and craft essays.
Flash fiction up to 1,000 words, plus short fiction, flash CNF, and craft essays. Pays $100 for original flash, $200 for original short fiction and CNF, and $50–$100 for craft content.
No fee; open year-round.
Fractured Lit
A widely respected online journal dedicated to micro and flash fiction, celebrated for elevating underrepresented voices in the flash community.
Micro fiction and flash fiction (401–1,000 words). Pays $50 for original micro, $75 for original flash.
No fee; open year-round.
Baffling Magazine
A queer-focused speculative fiction market publishing short speculative flash through Patreon-funded issues.
Queer-bent science fiction, fantasy, and horror under 1,200 words. Pays $0.08/word.
No fee to submit.
SmokeLong Quarterly
One of the longest-running and most respected dedicated flash fiction publications online, read anonymously by its editorial team.
Flash narratives (fiction, nonfiction, hybrid) up to 1,000 words. Pays $100 per story, $150 with audio.
Free windows at the start of each period (Nov 16–Feb 15, May 15–Aug 15, Aug 16–Nov 15); a small fee later.
Every Day Fiction
A daily flash fiction site publishing one new story every day across all genres, popular as an entry point for new flash writers.
Any-genre flash up to 1,000 words. Pays a token $3 CAD via PayPal.
No fee; up to three stories in the queue; no simultaneous submissions.
Okay Donkey
An online magazine with a taste for surreal, funny, off-kilter flash and poetry, publishing weekly.
Odd, off-kilter, weird flash up to 1,200 words (one piece or a batch of micros). Pays $25 per published flash or poem.
No fee for regular submissions, which open on the 1st of every month except December until the cap is reached.