The Sun Magazine

About

The Sun is an independent, ad-free magazine that for more than fifty years has used words and photographs to evoke the splendor and heartache of being human. Each monthly issue celebrates life, but not in a way that ignores its complexity. The personal essays, short stories, interviews, poetry, and photographs that appear in The Sun’s pages explore the challenges we face and the moments when we rise to meet them.
From its idealistic, unlikely inception in 1974 to its current incarnation as a nonprofit magazine with more than 60,000 print and digital subscribers, The Sun has attempted to marry the personal and political; to challenge the status quo and reveal injustice; to honor courageous and honest writing; and to touch the mystery of our humanity. In a world where advertising pursues us almost everywhere, The Sun remains a rare ad-free sanctuary.
Writing from The Sun has won the Pushcart Prize and been selected for numerous anthologies, including Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees, except for visual art and "Readers Write" submissions.
The fee is USD $2.50 (below average for magazines that charge).

Important: "Readers Write" may be open to submissions when general nonfiction is closed.

Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1974

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 12 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 12 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

3,138 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower: The Sun Magazine's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging: The Sun Magazine's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive: The Sun Magazine's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Send us your emotionally honest story — the one that helps us learn what it feels like to be someone else. Share satire that hits close to home, tragedy that's cathartic without being manipulative, or a parable that lingers long after we finish reading. We’re looking for stories in any genre of fiction that take risks to tell us something true about ourselves.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: CAD $200 and up, based on page length.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Send us your essay that’s too personal for any other journal — the one where you’re so unguarded you need editors you can trust and compassionate readers who will honor your vulnerability. Share a clear-eyed reflection on your big mistakes, a joyful celebration of your hard-won victories, or a testament that makes a newsworthy event feel intimate instead of faceless. We’re looking for essays that seek to understand the world from a fresh perspective and that wrestle with questions that resist easy answers.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Interview: 6,000 - 15,000 words.
Essay: Up to 7,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal. Excluding: Academic.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Politics/Political Science.
Society/Culture.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $200 and up, based on page length.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Open Fee-based

Send us your poem that basks in the mysteries of the universe — the one where the smallest detail tells us about our place in the world. Share reflections on your relationships, questions for God, or an elegy for something you’ve lost. We’re looking for poems — usually narrative but always accessible — that invite us into your confidence and lead us to revelation.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms. Excluding: Rhyming.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $200 and up, based on page length.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Open

We’re interested in black-and-white photographs — from intimate moments of human connection to striking natural wonders — reminding us to take a closer look at the world around us.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Unknown number of pieces.
Photo Essay: No image limits known.

Art Media:

Black & white photography.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per piece) Professional payment. Details: USD $200 and up, based on page length for photo essays; $200 for interior; $500 for cover art.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Sun Magazine

Go to publication's website

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
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Instagram @thesunmagazine
X (Twitter) @thesunmagazine

Support this Publisher:
Subscribe

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Link to Duotrope

The Sun Magazine Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Nonfiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the 25 Most Challenging Poetry Publishers in our database.

Filter:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 755 reports from 617 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

0 min | 168.7 mean avg | 175.0 median | 502 max days (117.1 std dev)

Responses

87.55 %

Acceptances:

1.06 % of submissions accepted (232.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.13 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

86.49 % (175.9 avg. days per rejection) | 7.2 % personal, 76.6 % form, 16.2 % unspecified | 0.1 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

0.79 %

Lost/Returned:

0.13 % (230.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as lost or returned)

Never Responded:

0.66 % (429.8 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

11.66 % (95.1 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

245 responses are pending (4 min | 85.8 mean avg | 76.0 median | 456 max days waiting | 417.2 std dev) from 232 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $2.50. (55.1 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 96.6 % paid fees.)
Submissions are acknowledged within 3 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 15 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 19 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 16 Sep 2026 02:24 UTC (2 hours, 28 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 04 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.