Writing is hard, but getting paid for it doesn鈥檛 have to be. If you’re a Nigerian writer looking to earn in dollars or pounds, these international literary magazines are a great place to start. They publish diverse voices and fairly compensate writers for poetry, fiction, non-fiction, essays and more.
Here鈥檚 a curated list of 10 literary magazines that accept submissions from Nigerian writers and pay in foreign currency.
1. Palette Poetry
pays up to $150 for unpublished poetry. They accept submissions year-round and spotlight fresh voices monthly.
- What They Publish: Poetry.
- Payment: $50鈥�$150.
- Who Can Submit: Poets worldwide, including Nigerians, writing in English.
- Guidelines: Only unpublished work; submit up to 5 poems (max 10 pages).
- Special Consideration: They actively seek under-represented and marginalised voices.
- Submission: All year round.
2. The Offing Mag
pays up to $100 for unpublished writing, depending on length and section. Their Back of the Envelope section focused on science and the natural world is currently open for submissions.
- What They Publish: Writing (any genre or length) related to science and nature
- Payment: $25鈥�$100, based on length and section.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, including Nigerians.
- Guidelines: Only original, unpublished work in English.
- Submission Window: January-May 1, 2025.
3. The Frontier Poetry
pays $50 per poem for its New Voices category, which is always open and free to submit. Poets from historically marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds are actively encouraged to submit their work.
- What They Publish: Poetry.
- Payment: $50 per poem.
- Who Can Submit: Poets worldwide, including Nigerians.
- Guidelines: Maximum of 5 poems or 10 pages. No AI-generated work is accepted.
- Submission Window: Always open.
The magazine also runs poetry contests, with currently open in 2025.
- : $2,000 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third, and publication.
- Submission Window: Mar 3 鈥� May 4, 2025.
4. One Story
pays $500 per accepted story and will reopen for submissions in Spring 2025 (March 21).
- What They Publish: Literary fiction (3,000鈥�8,000 words).
- Payment: $500 + 25 contributor copies.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, including Nigerians.
- Guidelines: Only unpublished works are accepted.
- Submission Window: Currently closed, reopening March 21, 2025.
5. Poetry Foundation
pays at least $400 per poem and accepts text, visual, and video poetry and prose.
- What They Publish: Poetry (text, visual, video) and prose.
- Payment: A minimum of $400 per text poem, $400 per visual poem, $600 per video poem and $250 per published prose page.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, including Nigerians.
- Guidelines: Only unpublished work is considered.
- Submission Window: Open except from June 15 鈥� September 15 annually.
6. Guttermag
pays 拢30 per published piece of fiction, poetry, or essays.
- What They Publish: Fiction, poetry, and essays.
- Payment: 拢30 per piece, plus a complimentary copy.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, including Nigerians.
- Guidelines: Only unpublished work is accepted; no simultaneous submissions are allowed. You may submit up to 3 poems, with a maximum total of 100 lines. For fiction and essays, the limit is 2,500 words (only one submission per issue).
- Submission Windows: Twice a year, during Spring (Jan-Mar) and Autumn (Sep-Dec). The current window closes on March 31, 2025.
7. Shooterlitmag
publishes themed print issues twice a year and runs poetry and fiction contests throughout the year.
- What They Publish: Short fiction, poetry, essays, and memoirs.
- Payment: 拢25 per story, 拢5 per poem. International contributors can choose between cash payment or magazine copy.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, including Nigerians.
- Submission Windows: Themed print issues twice a year; poetry contests in the first half of the year; fiction contests in the second half; and monthly flash fiction contests.
8. The Fiction desk
runs multiple short story submission calls annually, including a general fiction call, themed calls, and a ghost story call.
- What They Publish: Short fiction (1,000鈥�10,000 words).
- Payment: 拢25 per 1,000 words (e.g., 拢100 for 4,000 words), plus two complimentary copies.
- Who Can Submit: Authors worldwide.
- Submission Window: The spring short story call is open until May 30, 2025.
- Guidelines: No novel excerpts, poetry, non-fiction, illustrated work, or AI-generated writing.
- Additional Perks: Contributors are eligible for the Writer鈥檚 Award (拢100 for the best story in each volume).
9. Swamp Pink Literary Journal
formerly Crazyhorse) publishes bimonthly fiction, poetry, and nonfiction and pays up to $200 per published work.
- What They Publish: Short fiction (up to 7,500 words), nonfiction (up to 7,500 words), flash fiction (up to 1,500 words), and poetry (3鈥�6 poems per submission).
- Payment: $40 per poem, $0.05 per word for prose and a maximum $200 payout per accepted piece.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, with a focus on underrepresented voices.
- Submission Windows: General Submissions for fiction, nonfiction and poetry are accepted from (Sept 1 鈥� Dec 3) & (Feb 1 鈥� May 31, 2025).
10. Narrative Magazine
welcomes submissions of original, previously unpublished manuscripts of all lengths and pays up to $1000 per published piece. However, they charge a fee for receiving, reading, and responding to submissions.
- What They Publish: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, novel excerpts, novellas, memoirs, reportage, interviews, and literary biographies.
- Payment: $100鈥�$1,000 (varies by format and word count). All submissions with a reading fee from new or emerging writers are eligible for the $5,000 annual Narrative Prize.
- Who Can Submit: Writers worldwide, including Nigerians, writing in English.
- Guidelines: Accepts original, unpublished manuscripts of all lengths.
- Submission Window: Open year-round.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re a poet, fiction writer, or essayist, these magazines offer a platform for your voice and a fair paycheck for your craft.
Before submitting, read the guidelines carefully. Some publications have restrictions on simultaneous submissions, word counts, or themes. And if your piece gets rejected, don鈥檛 be discouraged; keep refining your work and trying again.
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