Short Fiction Pay Rates

AKA How Many Cents per Word

As you know, money flows to the writer. Whether it’s a novel or a short story, authors are paid for their words.

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In the case of most short fiction markets, you are literally paid for each word at the rate determined by the publisher. While there are some markets that pay a flat rate for a story, a professional by-the-word rate is considered to be five cents a word by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

John Scalzi recently wrote a post about what he has been paid for his short fiction.

Cat Valente also posted her thoughts on the pay rates of the short fiction market.

What does all this mean for you?

It means there are lots of options out there.

You have to decide where you want to submit your short fiction and how important pro-level pay rates are to you.

And a good place to start looking at short fiction genre markets is Ralan.com.

Richard Fish: Make enough money, and everything else will follow. Quote me. That’s a Fishism.
- Ally McBeal

Dec 10, 2009

Tags: pay rates  |  short fiction

Categories: agents & editors & publishing | writing