Submissions Guidelines
A Note about AI
and writing:
You must be the author of what you submit. Please respect yourself as a creative: do not use AI. AI-generated submissions are equal to plagiarized work. We do not seek, nor do we knowingly publish AI-generated submissions (this includes outlining, structuring/restructuring—those are big parts of the creative process)!
our next no-fee call for submissions
Theme: Animal Fairy Tales
For Spring/Summer 2027 (Issue Launch: April 15th)
submission window: January 15-21 (midnight to midnight EST)
Inspiration:
Tell us of enchanted/cursed cats, deer (harts!), gazelle, frogs. Tell us tales with a wolf, tiger, bear, horse, goose (or geese). Have a tale of a rabbit, a dog, or a frog? What about a nightingale, a golden bird, a peacock, a fish, goat, donkey, elephant or even a mouse? Spin us tales of shape-shifters: from Crane wives or husbands, to shapeshifting Cranes who marry Sea Dragons. Give us tales of fox spirits (Kitsune or Huli jing), of a wedding of foxes, of tricksters (like coyote or raven, Puss in Boots, the Bremen Town Musicians), of selkies or swan maidens. If it breathes but isn’t human (at least not all the time)—fish, fowl, fauna—all types of animal tales from around the world, we want to read your tale or poem. Here’s your chance to share a talking (or silent) animal tale!
We seek retellings AND original fairy tales the world over—from any and all traditions. We do not specifically seek fables, nor do we seek fantasy stories. Please read past issues of our magazine to see what we are drawn to and what range of styles we publish. (Recent issues: Briar and Thorn; the Sleeping Beauty Issue; The Troll Issue, Wildwood, and Ravenous. Search our site to find/download each beautiful PDF.)
No horror! No erotica! No AI!
Chosen Authors notified on or around February 22nd, 2027
Payment $25USD per poem and prose piece we publish
A Few More Things
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No generative-AI "writing." Please write your own stories and poems. We're looking for human experiences written by humans, not plagiarized by people through the use of machines.
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Questions? Email us at thefairytalemagazine@gmail.com.
Fall/Winter Issue Debuts Nov 1st, 2026
Spring/Summer Issue Debuts April 15, 2027
see below for formatting/word limit guidelines
You must be the author of what you submit. Please respect yourself as a creative: do not use AI. AI-generated submissions are equal to plagiarized work. We do not seek, nor do we knowingly publish AI-generated submissions (this includes outlining, structuring/restructuring—those are big parts of the creative process)!
About Us
The Fairy Tale Magazine publishes two full issues per year and one bonus mini-issue. We seek worldwide fairy tale stories and poems from and about a wide range of backgrounds. Full issues are released online on April 15th and November 1st. Bonus issue is released July 15th.
This is NOT a children's publication. It is intended for teens and adults (age 15 and older).
Guidelines 2027
(Updated on Oct 16, 2026)
The Fairy Tale Magazine accepts only previously unpublished stories and poems. We accept unsolicited submissions. Use the following word counts:
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Short Stories (between 900-2,000 words): Fairy tales inspired by any aspect of the above-listed themes. (1 piece per submission period)
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Poetry (500 word limit) inspired by any aspect of the above-listed themes are welcome. (1 piece per submission period)
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We do not accept submissions of art or nonfiction. We are not hiring. No inquiries please.
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We pay $25 USD per piece (whether prose or poetry).
If you were published in the previous full issue, please wait one full issue before submitting again.
Format and Submit Your Work
Submit your work using our fillable Google Form only. The link to the submission form appears when submissions are open.
The portal closes January 21st at midnight!
(If you encounter issues, please notify us at: thefairytalemagazine@gmail.com.)
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Prose should be single spaced—left justified or full justified. Indent new paragraphs.
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For poetry, special spacing may be submitted if necessary for your poem
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Include a brief third-person bio (50-word max)
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Please include your PayPal address so we know how to pay you. PayPal ONLY! Thank you!
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Only works in English, please.
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We are happy to read and publish work from any country, and are open to work with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
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Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please email thefairytalemagazine@gmail.com with WITHDRAW in the subject line to let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere. Once we accept a story or poem for publication, be sure to withdraw your submission from other publications.
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You must be 18 years old or older to submit work to The Fairy Tale Magazine.
About Theme and Content
Fairy tale fiction and poetry needs an element of the supernatural—as well as transformation. Mashups welcomed. The essence of classic fairy tales should be maintained in stories and poems submitted here. You can take license with the work, but there must be a clear connection to the theme.
We do not publish: sci-fi, time-travel, futuristic, space travel, high fantasy, erotica, stage magic, dystopian, extreme horror/gore, western, lengthy grossout descriptions of bodily functions or injuries, objectifying descriptions of people’s bodies, excessive world building (a.k.a., info dumps) war or battle as a major plot device, love triangles, and any form of romance that is not between humans or human-like creatures like fairies.
All content must be PG. Many children find our site even though it’s not a children's publication.
Notification and Payment
Our google form is set to email you a copy of your submission. You will receive an email notifying you of our decision. Chosen authors are announced on the blog at fairytalemagazine.com. Issues are published on the following schedule:
The Spring/Summer Issue (PDF) will be on the blog on or around April 15th. There is a contract to sign.
The Fall/Winter Issue (PDF) will be on the blog on or around November 1st. There is a contract to sign.
No editorial feedback is provided. We do not justify decisions.
RIGHTS
First and all electronic and digital rights are being sought, as are rights to use the work for promoting and to benefit The Fairy Tale Magazine (FTM) in perpetuity, although you will retain the right to withdraw consent for using your work in promotional efforts after one year from publication. We are also buying the first podcast, YouTube, and all potential digital media rights to your work. Media rights are not exclusive.
Once a work is published on this website, you are free to shop it elsewhere—meaning electronic and digital and electronic rights revert to you immediately after publishing, but FTM will continue to sell or publish your work as part of the magazine’s mission, on media platforms such as YouTube and on podcasts platforms indefinitely. FTM is not published anywhere but on this site.
Sample Work
To see what we have published before, browse our blog publications to find current samples of the type of work we publish. Or search for Throwback Thursday in our search bar to find more examples. Older works are archived at Enchanted Conversation, which you may search for a deeper connection to the fairy tale stories and poems we publish.