When you’re starting out as a writer for the “Friend”, there are lots of questions you might have, and one of them may be regarding payment. What can you expect to be paid for a short story?
The answer depends on how long you’ve been writing for us. New writers start on a fee of £80. After six successful stories, payment rises to £95 on your seventh acceptance. After six payments of £95, you move up to our top rate of £110.
If you’re working with us on a serial, the payment is £150 for each instalment.
For pocket novels and “long reads”, the payment is £300. And for poetry, it’s a flat fee of £15 per poem.
Signing A “Friend” Contract
When your first story is accepted, we send you two copies of our Standard Contributor’s Contract. We ask you to read through this carefully, to make sure you’re happy with our terms and conditions. Once that’s done, we ask you to sign both copies, retaining one for your own reference, and returning the other to us in the SAE provided.
Contracts are legally binding, and it’s important to read them carefully; put simply, we offer to buy the rights to publish your work for the first time, allowing you to retain the copyright and publish again in future.
Please remember, we only buy stories that haven’t been published anywhere else.
Once we receive your signed contract, payments can be set up, made directly to your bank. We’ll also ask you to confirm whether you’d prefer to invoice.
How Long Does It Take To Be Paid?
Unlike some other publications, the “Friend” pays on acceptance. So, once your story has been given the go-ahead, we’ll begin the payment process straight away.
Lucy Crichton Better known as “Fiction Editor Lucy”, I am always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, I enjoy working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of “Friend” fiction!
