Smart Search List of the Day

Fee-Free Mainstream Short Stories

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Today's Smart Search List of the Day is: Fee-Free Mainstream Short Stories. Check back tomorrow for a new list.
Color Coding: Purple indicates a Wildcard, Green indicates a paying publication, and Blue is everything else.

3Elements Literary Review

3Elements began as a simple strategy to combat writer’s block. As an exercise, Marlon would select three words (elements), and Mikaela would write a story that used them. The writing that resulted was creative, often surprising, and very satisfying. The two decided they wanted to share their elegant technique to generate ideas with other writers and artists…
Genres: Open to all/most genres, including: General.
Lengths: Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: No monetary payment.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 5.0 days.
Acceptances: Approachable. 23.5% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Across the Margin

Simply put, Across the Margin is an online Arts & Culture magazine / publishing company / media group. Within these “pages” can be found an eclectic mix of fiction, criticism, essays, satire, poetry, podcasts, and more that explore the current state of the world around us, and the depths of our human nature.
Genres: General.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: No monetary payment.
Avg. Response: Average responder. 65.4 days.
Acceptances: Approachable. 15.8% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Backsliders Wildcard

Backsliders is a literary & arts magazine for those who decided to leave the church behind. We are an online literary & arts magazine for former Christians. You may say Ex-vangelical, Devangelical, Ex-Christian, Post-Religious, deconstructing, Unsaved, Reformed, Former Fundamentalist, Post-Pentacostal… Whatever you call yourself, if the term 'Backslider' means anything to you, you’re in the right place. We want to hear your stories and see your artwork.
Genres: Open to all/most genres, including: General.
Lengths: Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: No monetary payment.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 15.0 days.

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BULL

BULL is dedicated to rewriting modern masculinity from the voices that most often get drowned out amongst the shouting and posturing—voices that often struggle in silence and shame. We're looking for anybody with a story to tell about masculilnity. Whoever you are, whatever you identify as, and wherever you come from, we want to hear from you…
Genres: General.
Lengths: Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: No monetary payment.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 9.7 days.
Acceptances: Approachable. 25.3% of fiction submissions accepted.

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CommuterLit

CommuterLit.com is an ezine for readers like you — smart, interested in the world and on the go. CommuterLit.com posts a new short story, novel excerpt or poem each day from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays we post CL and contributor news. Our focus is on works of fiction or poetry that can be enjoyed during a 20- to 30-minute public-transit commute to work…
Genres: Open to all/most genres, including: General.
Lengths: Flash Fiction, Short Story, Novel Excerpt.
Payment: No monetary payment.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 38.4 days.
Acceptances: Approachable. 18.2% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Cult. Magazine

No description available.
Genres: General.
Lengths: Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: to Token to Professional. Details: USD $25 for online publication; $40 for inclusion in print edition.
Avg. Response: Average responder. 54.3 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 3.5% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Five on the Fifth

Five on the Fifth is an online literary magazine. Five on the Fifth publishes five selected pieces on the fifth of every month. We pride ourselves in our quick response time and monthly publication schedule. As writers ourselves, we understand how frustrating it can be to wait several months before receiving a response from most literary magazines. Or waiting to submit work to magazines that only publish once every quarter or once every year…
Genres: General, Horror.
Lengths: Flash Fiction, Short Story.
Payment: No monetary payment.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 6.6 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 2.0% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Gavagai

Gavagai is a place for writers and readers to share original stories, discover new voices, and build community. We believe thoughtful writing deserves a thoughtful home. Our editorial team curates stand‑out work, while our tools help authors present beautiful, accessible stories. Readers can follow favorite authors, collect stories, and explore Editor Picks.
Genres: General, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: Professional. Details: USD $0.08/word.
Avg. Response: Average responder. 67.6 days.
Acceptances: Average. 7.5% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Raconteur Press Anthology Series

No description available.
Genres: Open to all/most genres, including: General.
Lengths: Short Story, Novelette.
Payment: No monetary payment. Royalties. Details: Authors receive an equal share of royalties with the press, editors, and administration.
Avg. Response: Faster than average responder. 35.9 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 15.8% of fiction submissions accepted.

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Solarpunk Magazine

The time for solarpunk has come, and the mission of this magazine is to become one of many important catalysts for an important and necessary revolution within both the literary world and our larger culture. The genre has been around since the early 2000s, but the current state of global affairs in the 2020s—from dismally apocalyptic climate reports to the global rise of authoritarianism, right wing extremism, xenophobia, male chauvinism, and white supremacy—means solarpunk has never been…
Genres: General, Fantasy, Science Fiction.
Lengths: Short Story.
Payment: Professional. Details: USD $0.10/word, $100 minimum.
Avg. Response: Average responder. 70.1 days.
Acceptances: Challenging. 5.3% of fiction submissions accepted.

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