We accept unsolicited submissions all year long. Please submit only one story or essay at a time (10,000 words or fewer). Our average response time is twelve to sixteen weeks. We pay writers $100 piece. All writers are paid the same amount, regardless of where they might be in their writing career. Submit via Submittable here.
The publishing industry has a long way to go in terms of diversity and championing Black writers. If you are a Black writer, we’d like to invite you to submit your work to us free of charge. You may do so here.
About the Journal
Founded in 2008 by Emily Schultz and Brian J Davis, Joyland is based on the idea that fiction is an international movement supported by local communities. Our editors work with authors globally to highlight the most exciting voices in literary fiction and creative nonfiction.
Several of our stories have been included as Notables in Best American Short Stories and published in the Journey Prize Anthology. We’ve been the first publisher of some of today’s most compelling emerging writers, and have published work from acclaimed writers, including Roxane Gay, Leopoldine Core, Zinzi Clemmons, Lydia Millet, Amelia Gray, Marina Endicott, Ottessa Moshfegh, Lynne Tillman, Peter Orner, Chris Kraus, Emily St. John Mandel, Mona Awad, Rachel Khong, and Sarah Gerard.
Above all, it is our mission to be a place where writers can tell the stories that matter to them most.