Should Writers Pay Submission Fees?

As someone who’s been actively helping writers get published for more than two decades while also trying to get published himself for nearly three decades, there’s one controversial term that’s existed throughout: the submission fee. That is, a fee that writers pay a publisher, contest, or other entity to have their writing considered for publication, prize money, and/or other enticement.

(25 Publishing FAQs for Writers.)

Some writers think any kind of a submission fee is a scam. Other writers see no problems with them at all. So what’s the real deal with submission fees? And should writers pay submission fees?

Should writers pay submission fees?

Like so many things in the publishing world, the answer to this question is not so clear cut as some might think. Context, expectation, and, yes, financial situation will all factor into one writer’s decision-making process when it comes to paying submission fees. Here are three things to consider.

Literary journals and contests often require a submission fee. 

While not always the case, many literary journals and contests require a submission fee to submit writing. Often for the journals, the submission fee might be $3 to $5, which would’ve been the equivalent of postage and return postage back when submissions were handled through the mail. That doesn’t mean a writer should pay these fees, just giving context.

Recently, I saw a journal that charged $15.99 per submission with no limit to the number of submissions a writer could make. Even though this publication pays writers, that seems like a very excessive submission fee to me. And for some writers, the $3 to $5 fee may feel excessive, because those fees add up quick.

Meanwhile, contests tend to charge fees of $15 to $100 or more. These submission fees can add up even faster, especially when winning is not guaranteed, and it’s why I usually advise writers who do enter contests to enter those that offer some sort of premium with the entry fee (like a subscription to the magazine, the winning book in a book competition, or something else).

But don’t think that free contests that offer cash prizes are the way to go. Click here to read about one of my most embarrassing rookie mistakes as a teenage poet to understand why free is not always better (or cheaper) than fee.

Submission fees should guarantee nothing.

Writers who pay submission fees to contests are not guaranteed to win. In fact, most contests with worthwhile prizes are very competitive as far as the quality of writing that is submitted. So it’s not as simple as showing up with an entry fee and taking home the grand prize. Odds are usually slanted in the other direction, just because there are a lot of great writers out there.

Likewise, writers should not feel that their writing will be published just because of paying a submission fee to a literary journal. In fact, if that’s the case, I would be wary of the legitimacy of the magazine and the value of being published in it. It would be akin to my previously mentioned rookie mistake, except that the writers are paying money upfront for the vanity project.

Submission fees add up over time.

For some writers, any submission fee is a difficult expense. So there is a level of privilege built into any type of writing endeavor that requires a submission fee. That doesn’t mean the literary journal, contest, or other entity isn’t legitimate, but fees are money, plain and simple.

Some writers might be able to handle $3 and $5 submission fees for a while but find they get more difficult after sending out a dozen or more submissions at this rate. Other writers might find contests with $25 submission fees an acceptable level once or twice, but it only takes a dozen of these entries for the expenses to get into the hundreds of dollars. 

So writers shouldn’t pay submission fees?

I won’t argue with any writer who says they won’t do submission fees anytime under any circumstance. That’s their prerogative. But personally, I do pay submission fees from time to time myself, so I understand the other side of the argument if a writer is in a position to afford them.

We don’t require submission fees for writers to submit nonfiction pitches for our magazine and website, but we do offer writing competitions with entry fees. The fees go toward the prize money, paying judges to read all the entries, hosting fees, and other expenses. That’s generally the case with any legitimate writing contest. 

And the winners really do win significant prizes. Every writer is different, but this is often the reason why I enter: the chance at a cash prize with publication and distribution to a guaranteed audience of readers. They really are opportunities to earn money and expand your readership, though nothing is guaranteed.

So I do follow my own advice and enter contests that offer up some sort of premium as part of the entry fee, whether that’s a magazine subscription, copy of the winning chapbook, or other incentive. For me, it’s an investment in my writing career, like attending a writing retreat or conference. But it’s my choice, and I only do it when it feels right to me and for my situation.

So should writers pay submission fees? As with most things in life, it really is a personal decision that will be different for each writer.