Sometimes you find yourself with a piece of work that doesn’t fit into a clear genre. Sometimes you worry no one will ever ‘get’ your weird writing. Fear not! These publications are happy to accept your weird, absurd, quirky, and genre-bending poetry and prose. If you don’t know where your story belongs, start here. The publications on this list are all currently open for submissions and none charge reading fees.
Note: We are a creative writing school and compile these lists for the benefit of our students. Please don’t send us your publishing queries or submissions :). Click on the links to go to the publication’s website and look for their submissions page.
Intrinsick publishes intermittently online and accepts submissions year-round. They publish fiction and nonfiction (up to 2,000 words) and pay a $10 honorarium for every story they accept. They’re looking for the weird, the bizarre, and for writing that shows ‘the sunny side and the dark side at the same time. Both sides. All sides. There are so many sides to every story.’
Bourbon Penn is looking for ‘highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd. Odd characters, odd experiences, odd realities.’ They accept fiction submissions between 2,000 and 7,500 words year-round and publish their favorites in an online magazine three times per year. They pay 2¢/word and usually respond within two or three months.
Twin Pies Literary (yes, this is a reference to Twin Peaks) is a new online literary magazine currently looking for short fiction and nonfiction (up to 1,000 words) and poetry (up to 25 lines) to populate the second volume of their online publication. They like anything ‘weird, absurd, sad, hysterical, manic, whatever. Just make it good.’ Average response time ranges from a few weeks to twelve minutes (the editors recently hosted an instant-response submissions period).
The Corvus Review publishes short fiction and nonfiction (up to 1,000 words) and poetry in an online publication twice per year. They are especially interested in odd and quirky stories, but are also looking for work about the human struggle and ‘phoenix-style submissions about overcoming adversity and the indomitable nature of the human spirit.’ Average response time is 3 months.
Strukturiss publishes flash fiction (up to 1,000 words), short fiction (up to 7,500 words), non-fiction (up to 7,500 words), and poetry in its quarterly online publication. The editors are adamant about only taking work that ‘doesn’t fit the mold of conventional publishing’ and are eager to see your writing fragments, experimental poetry, and anything else you can dream up. Submissions are open year-round and the editors generally respond within two weeks.
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I am submitting one of my poems and it’s unique. If I am not mistaken, nobody has written a poem on Covid-19.
Light over darkness
Darkness, Darkness, Darkness all over.
Filled with sadness and thinking there is no cover.
I look back to life and I am filled with grief.
That I did not guard my steps, I stare in utter disbelief.
I made mistakes and it seemed that I never learned.
I pondered over and over and at myself I glared.
Was it my character, my empathy or weakness?
I just cannot fathom the depth of my meekness.
My life changed forever when I trusted with no inkling.
The fiction and the truth were blurred and only heard the yelling.
The conviction was strong and I could not be swayed. It was camouflaged.
The conviction was backed by blood and I did not see the red flag.
Will you blame a man when blood is always thicker than water?
My naivety was raw but will a novice dream that blood can be altered?
There is a crisis and it appears things are beyond repair.
But I will not give up, look back, nor despair.
Regardless of the challenges I will prepare.
Though the picture looks blurred there is hope.
I look up to heavens, pray for fortitude so I can cope.
It may seem late but step by step, the despair I will forgo.
So lets see if this makes me feel any better.
The type type type will drive me to being discouraged.
I wish I was writing this to someone whose mouth pontentially drops.
fuck what i even say. its always the the misfit. im an outcast.
Im like literally desperately self sabotaging everything in my life.
Then get drunk and mad and offended when noone talks to me.
Im kinda sad bro. I find myself doing what it is that kills me and shortens my breath.
The man that is my lifesaver.
hes been the most kindest of souls of intercepted.
He pays out od pocket till theres nothing left to give.
He sleep with me most nights on the couch cause i cant stand sleeping lonely.
He saved my life for all the rest of my days.
I havent had a tooth ache since he met me.
That means he took me to the dentist and have all my worse teeth cut and butchered.
he is such a blessing.
He gets mad at me oh yeah he does. I ignorant feel like ive been leading him on to somewhere were just not at.
emotionally.
This is all I have to do is my spare time. its time to be spent with god. this second and the every second with everything
My back is hurt. my shoulder feels jacked. I wish I would come across somebody thought could adjust me. thats a sickening crack, so neccesary.
So as far as my social life, ive deactivated my facebook for now and am interested to see how long that is.
TOMORROW is the second year My mothers been dead.
Sketchy. it truly explains my destructiveness.
I dont know how to handle it, if that even a thing. is it?
I talk to absolutely nobody of my past last life or present.
Its truly so sad because i believe rons death of a year is 4 days later.
i cant breathe they didnt die one after another. i think that means he died a year and four days after my mother if i remember correctly.
I just wish to be heard or to have a place to vomit.
thats what writing this feels like.
I hate rereading my writings i swear ill tape it over. in a book of a journal i spend time vomiting how i was feeling.
I hardly ever feel the temptation to take a knife and slice me open.
Im so proud what I write especially when its to god.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Do you see this? Im sure your aware of all the plans and days of my heart. So i refuse to say your plans arent great, you promised in the bible.
For the plans i have for you you declare as the LORD “plans to prosper you and to not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
What a coincidence that just so happen was HAILEE and DEANS favorite scripture.
Its so hard to believe thats she was studying to be a minister and I literally have her college books.
Its a real thing and she was smart as a whip to be able to ACE every semester.
I WAS SUPER PROUD AND I CELEBRATED every VICTORY. I thought for sure GOD you would have have made a example of her.
She was able to do greater things. i can only remember.
She is yours for the rest of forever. she will never be mine to hold and caress her earthly figure.
I will never Knock on her door and know she will answer. I will never make sure she needed a bottle of water or whatever..
I will never again get to tell her. To shut her mouth and that what she was saying wasnt nothing but outrageous.
She literally was the opposite of what she would try to convince you, her life was surely convicted.
How you gave me a place to sit next to a model in the seventh grade. She was an actress reminded me of Jenny. Forrest gump
She said you can sit next to me like jenny did to forrest. Its not a total wierd love story but it comes close but first should i close my prayer i started
a few run on sentences ago?
Why what does that mean? to me im taking god out of every word of poetry i am writing.
Father. Your here are you not? Of course you are. for you are always with me and you will never leave or leave me forsaken me to be forgotten.
Stop questioning yourself Cassandra thats so ignorant in itself. are you doubting the great power that you could not even be existed without?
Am i talking to myself? i dont know are you? Its truly so impossible to figure out? The higher power is the holyghost.
Now anyone else your brain has tricked or used as a crutch, are your coping excused but really your brain has managed to develope defensive mechanisms.
So amazing that youve basically tricked yourself all this time. try not to feel like the victim.
Listen to me for i am the one who gifts you to see angels. I told so loud sometimes you hold your ears and start internally screaming.
have no fear let not your heart be afraid.
Heavenly father wont you help me with what ive severed? What seems to be broken beyond repair.including everything nothings left out.
short and simple as ive been instructed to make my rambling run on sentences even in the prayers i render. AMEN
Love me.
Cassie Lippert.
THE POETRY BABE THE POETRY
DARKNESS (mystery)
There is a mystery have be pondering about ,
been trying to draw out its wisdom .
A mystery is a body, a seal,a covering, an embodiment of wisdom .
So my question is what is darkness ?
A little deep contemplation won’t lead to madness
Back to darkness , the best ingredient for greatness , does it sound funny ?
darkness means nothing ,the answer is nothing.
Remember creation came from nothing .
From nothing to something…
What is the use of light if there is no darkness
He calls light out of darkness, that why I said its an ingredients ,in a nutshell “whatever is,was not ,and whatever will be, already is ,but hidden “… Because he wants humankind to discover ,and find out his mystery …
So GOD made chairs and hid em in the trees !
he made plates, but hid them in the sand
he made hibiscus tea ,but hid them in Russell plants…
he made mammal’s, and hid them in the sea… (remember he called them out of the water before they where )…
He made you and put you in the dust (earth) …so nothing is equivalent to something, in facts nothing always produces something…
Dear Fellow Magpies, We are honored to earn a spot on your list. Keep finding the shiny bits.
Editors@Corvus
Corvus Review
I wrote this poem in the Spring at 20:20
Silent Spring
Oh what an ominous and scary thing
This we now face our most silent Spring
The birds still chirp and the church Bells ring
So go out now and open your heart and sing
Of the life you’ve lived and The Times you’ve had
Raise your voice and be happy and glad
The plans seemed much simpler way back when
But this is the new now that was then
Rejoice if you can and cry if you must
There are no greater words than in God we trust
So say a prayer of hope and love
Then step outside and look up above
We are all there we good people of the Earth
This was our fate from the day of our birth
Remember now more than ever to practice goodwill
Take a long slow breath and let your heart be still
We brothers and sisters face a new future today
Dear God help us all I fervently pray
Weird Fiction is an actual writing category. Duh.
seven years ago I saw a cartoon a man walked up to a dog the dog jumped up the man grabbed the dog’s head and went into a backward roll it looked great months pass I received a phone call from my friends daughter saying pick up the dog when I got there the police let me in I felt the presence of a spirit I looked up it looked like the virus bar code only different I went out side with the dog I felt the spirit enter my mind love poured out of my eyes into the dog’s eyes I felt my eye sparkel the dog stood up on his back legs I took two steps back the pittbull walked towards me and jumped I heard a voice say grabbe his head and pull him towards you we went into a backward roll like the cartoon only better the police witnessed it only thay did not see what I saw thay think IAM a legend but I don’t two spirits entered me that night a lady spirit to keep me carm the other a American Indian spirit he was my twin brother in my past life we played with a pet wolf like that when we were young true story