Glimmertrain pays well, but stories have to be excellent.
They have five submission categories from which to choose, including the standard category ($2 processing fee; payment for accepted pieces is $700), and four contests (1st-place prizes from $2,000 to $3,000 are made possible by reading fees). Contest vs. standard.
NOTE: contest deadlines are always followed by a one-week grace period.
Short Story Award for New Writers (1st place – $2,500):
Welcome in January/February, May/June, and September/October.
Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Previous online publication is fine.) Most entries run from 1,000 to 5,000 words, but any length up to 12,000 is welcome.
Very Short Fiction (1st place – $2,000):
Welcome in March/April and July/August.
We invite any length stories from 300 to 3,000 words.
Fiction Open (1st place – $3,000):
Welcome in March/April and July/August.
Open to all subjects and themes. Most entries run from 3,000 to 6,000 words, but we invite stories from 3,000 to 20,000 words.
Family Matters (1st place – $2,500):
Welcome in November/December.
Calling for stories about families of all configurations. Most entries run from 1,000 to 5,000 words, but any lengths up to 12,000 are welcome.
Standard Category ($700):
Welcome in May and November.
Open to all. $2 processing fee. Maximum word count: 12,000. Any shorter length is welcome.
Miscellany
Formatting: We’re not fussy about that since when we read the story we can change the font style and size if we need to. Double spacing is nice, but not necessary.
Contact info and page count: including that information at the top of your story is entirely optional; word count is helpful, but not required.
Pen name: If you use one, you’re welcome to list both your legal name and pen name, but that is not required.
For more information, go to http://www.glimmertrain.com/pages/writing_guidelines.php.