Please note that submission guidelines and pay rates have changed. As of June 15th, 2019, we pay a $35 flat rate for stories and reviews, but we will only publish three times per month. We have experienced a significant uptick in submission numbers, so response times are no longer predictable or short, though we still aim to get responses back within a month of submission.
Also, though we qualify in other respects, as of May 2019, Tough is unable to pay on acceptance, so MWA eligibility is not possible and stories published in Tough will not be eligible for MWA honors. We're sorry about this, but see no viable alternative unless a relative shit-ton of money falls into our, meaning my, lap. Tough is funded from my pocket and from sales of the periodic anthologies, and that's not likely to change.
Thanks for your interest, and for reading thus far, and for supporting the journal.