Do I have to pay to get published?

No. You can submit work for free on Kavyar. Over 92% of accepted submissions in our analysis had no submission payment recorded.

Some publishers offer optional paid upgrades or services, and some charge review fees. Check the options and terms for the opportunity you choose.

Free options and paid services

Free submission options are available on Kavyar. A publisher may also offer services such as priority review or promotional placement. A review fee pays for consideration, not a promise that your work will be accepted or published.

Contribution and advertising options are different: contribution decisions are based on editorial review, while payment can factor into acceptance, promotion or placement for advertising options. Learn more about contribution and advertising options and review fees and submission options.

How we calculated the percentage

The analysis covers submissions made from November 7, 2025 through November 6, 2026 (UTC) that were accepted. Of 111,790 accepted submissions, 103,248 had no successful payment charge linked to the submission in Kavyar’s records.

103,248 ÷ 111,790 × 100 = 92.36%, rounded to two decimal places.

This counts submissions, not individual people. Acceptance is not confirmation that a work was ultimately published. The calculation measures recorded submission payments, not any payments made outside Kavyar. It also does not establish that payment was required for publication when a charge was recorded.

Source: Kavyar’s internal accepted-submission and linked-payment analysis, prepared November 7, 2026. Article updated November 13, 2026.

How did we do?

How to message publishers on a submission

Exclusive photos and exclusivity periods