True Confessions & the other Trues

Dorchester Media, LLC
200 Madison Ave., Ste 2000
New York, NY 10016

True Confessions magazine has been around since the 1920s, and though True Confessions, True Romance and the other Trues don’t have the enormous popularity they once enjoyed, they still sell.

As you might guess, the stories aren’t necessarily (or usually) true, but they could be and they’re always told as if they are. They must be in the first person, past tense and should be written if you’re confiding your story to your best friend.

They pay 3 cents a word for full length stories of 2,000 to 10,000 words. (That’s $60 to $300 U.S.) Submit by email or send hard copy manuscript, double-spaced, standard font (Courier New or Times New Roman are always safe bets), and one inch margins, accompanied by a CD file in .doc or .rtf format. Allow up to a year for a response.

Read examples of stories here.

True Love (2,000 to 7,000 Words)
Suggested Subject Matter: "Ranges from light romances and current social concerns to more passionate romances and 'stories with a twist.' We're very big on the chick-lit type (heartfelt stories about young women and their dilemmas in love and life). Think modern romantic comedies/dramas. A good description of True Love stories is Sex & The City meets The Lifetime Channel.Other popular topics:- Racy stories about bold and unconventional situations, relationships, etc.- Mysteries- Stories about deception, conspiracies, abuse, betrayal- Stories about the harsh realities of married or family life- Stories about seemingly mundane problems that are brought to life by colorful twists"
Submit to Lauren Lund, Editor
TrueLoveMagazine@yahoo.com

True Story (2,000 to 10,000 words)

“Light romances to sizzling passion, from all-out tear-jerkers to happily-ever-after endings, and everything in between. Stories are written from the hearts of real people and deal with all of the issues that affect us today: parenthood, relationships, careers, family affairs, and social concerns."

Submit to:
True Story
Attn: Heather Josepowitz, Editor
Dorchester Media, LLC
200 Madison Ave., Ste 2000
New York, NY 10016
(no e-mail submissions for True Story)

True Confessions (14 - 16 pages)
Suggested Subject Matter:"Family problems, relationship issues, realistic romances, working woman, single moms, single woman problems, abuse, etc. Stories should help women lead better, more victorious lives. Also, stories about multicultural experiences-Latino, African-America, Caribbean, Asian, Aboriginal, and Native American, Alaskan/Aleut, Native Pacific Islander stories are encouraged.
Submit to Lauren Lund, Editor
TrueLoveMagazine@yahoo.com

True Experience (2,500 to 8,000 Words)
Suggested Subject Matter: Believable stories, including those concerning career, family, marriage, relationships, and spirituality. Although the stories don't necessarily need to end with happily ever after, there should be a certain sense of positive resolve. However, stories that deal with complex issues, such as cheating or sexual assault, should have the potential to help a reader deal with a similar experience in a constructive way.
Submit to: Gia Portfolio, Senior Editor
or Nicole Scarmeas, Assoc. Editor
TrueRomanceMagazine@hotmail.com

True Romance (3,000 to 8,000)

“We are looking for true or believable stories that deal with romance, relationships, love, sex, beauty, and the female body and mind. We want to read about the issues that you, your friends, and your family have talked, laughed, and cried about!

In general, stories pertaining to raw emotion, dreams, and symbols of love work the best. Don't be afraid to send us stories that make you or others laugh and cry—the best stories are ones that move you. Also, although the stories don't necessarily need to end with happily ever after, there should be a certain sense of positive resolve.

We have added a few new features to our magazine that will contribute greatly to its essence. Please feel free to contribute to any of these sections:

Happily Ever After: Do you have a dream-come-true tale and want to share it? Please send a short 200-400 word description of your relationship from start to present and a picture.
Love Letter: If you are in love with someone and would like to tell the whole world, we would love to publish your letter! The letter can be anonymous if you choose.

How I Met My Love: Tell us the interesting way you met your love. Keep it under 400 words.
Poetry: Look at poetry published in three or four prior issues before submitting. Poetry should be no longer than twenty-four lines.

Some Helpful Guidelines:
We look for a balance of internal narrative and dialogue that is true to the way people speak. True Romance encourages writers to experiment with and expand the standard formula. We might not even know what we're looking for until we read your story. Give your narrators smart reasons to be who they are. Be careful to make the motives and the thinking of the narrator sympathetic and consistent. Avoid giving away early on where you are taking the story—build suspense. Please make sure your ideas are original!

Length: Stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. We will not accept stories above 8,000 words. We also accept shorter stories for Snippets.

Submission: Send your submission via email as an attachment to or by mail on a disk, along with a double-spaced hard copy. If you want your manuscript and/or disk returned, you must enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Otherwise, we cannot be responsible for its fate. Unfortunately, the editorial staff cannot critique each manuscript. Seasonal material should be sent six months in advance. Mark the outside of the envelope: seasonal material

Note: We buy all rights to our published materials.

Payment: We pay three cents per word for stories. You will receive a check about a month after publication. Poetry payment is $20 to $50. Love Letters pay $35. How I Met My Love and Happily Ever After pay $50 each.

Submit to Gia Portfolio, Senior Editor
or Nicole Scarmeas, Assoc. Editor
TrueRomanceMagazine@hotmail.com

Note: For information about Brian Henry's writing workshops and courses see here.