Rat Bag Lit: Short Story - Paid Submission Gold Star Program Gold Star Fee: usd $5.00

Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026 11:59 PM EST (in 28 days).

Your paid submission will include at least a sentence or two of reader feedback with your response. You may opt out of reader feedback in your cover letter. Your submission fees help us pay our authors and we thank you!

1000 words up to a maximum of 7500 words.

Please remember we are a weird lit publication -- please be sure to read our guidelines for your best chance of success.

Simultaneous submissions are always okay. Just let us know if the status of your submission changes.

We pay via PayPal only.

Digital publication as a standalone e-book with a custom designed cover available for sale online.

Pays a penny a word, up to $20. (Reprints, half-rate up to $10)

We will do our best to respond to your submission within 60 days, but pieces that are held for further consideration will take longer.

[We offer a limited number of free submissions for short stories each month. If free submissions are closed and paying a submission fee presents a hardship to you, you may email us for a no questions asked fee waiver.]

We often send reader's notes, some of which may be rat-themed and unhinged. You can opt out of receiving reader's notes by including a note in your cover letter.

Category: Fiction
File type: .docx
Number of Pieces: 1 piece

Anonymous submissions are required (no identifying information in files).
Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Reprints are allowed. (Rights must have reverted to the author by the date of publication. We will credit the original publisher(s). Please include the original publication details with your submission in your cover letter.)
Multiple entries are allowed.
AI-assisted works are not allowed.

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