Where to submit in December 2022

Looking for a home for your off-beat or obscure literary stories? Look no further. The journals in this month’s list have a mix of tone, from progressive to quirky to downright strange, and all welcome previously-unpublished writers. All of them are currently open to submissions (and are free to submit to, as always!).

Note: We are a creative writing school and compile these lists for the benefit of our students. We’re happy to answer questions about our courses but please don’t send us your publishing queries or submissions :). Instead, click on the green links to go to the publication’s website and look for their submissions page. For more great places to submit as well as our best tips on getting published, check out our other lists and resources.

BOMBFIRE publishes every two weeks and seeks stories that are weird, surreal, spooky, beautiful, and dreamy (bonus if more than one of these). Share an ‘earworm’ that the editors can’t get out of their heads, or stories that change their perspective. BOMBFIRE accepts flash fiction up to 1,000 words, poetry (up to 3 poems per submission), and visual art. The journal is open year-round to submission, average response time is 3 weeks.

Fiction International is open to submissions for their themed issue, Refugee, until 15 February, 2023, and ask that you read previous works to get a feel for their magazine. They accept fiction and nonfiction prose up to 5,500 words, and want stories that reflect their progressive political stance.

On The Seawall is a space for art as intervention in times of emergency (“and there’s always an emergency”). They’re open to cross-genre writing, lyrical and speculative fiction, translations, art, and more. Submit 3-5 flash fiction pieces of up to 1,000 words, one short story up to 7,500 words, one nonfiction essay, or 3-6 poems. The reading period for Seawall is year-round, and issues are published online once a month.

streetcake: experimental writing magazine publishes every two to three months and aims to create an inclusive space for all writers. They want “poetry and fiction that surprises us, makes us laugh, looks downright weird and is a little out of the ordinary,” including visual poetry, non-linear writing, mixed-media pieces, and more. Submit your short fiction up to 2,500 words (up to 2 pieces per submission), 2-5 poems, and visual art year-round; the next publication date is 15 January 2023.

Author: Beka Bevans