PFN – Call for Submissions to F(r)iction. Theme: Ocean

Covering 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, the ocean directly and constantly impacts our lives in ways we see and ways we don’t. From epic sea squalls and hurricanes and floods, to quiet currents that maintain the weather and house thousands of creatures, large and small, the seas wield immense power over climate and the lives of humankind. Yet, there’s so much we don’t know about the vast, abyssal territories of darkness, high pressure, and incredible cold and heat that surround us, impenetrable (or extremely dangerous) to landlubbers. In F(r)iction’s Ocean issue, we seek stories, poetry, and nonfiction about underwater cities, rising seas, harrowing travels, creation, destruction, thirst, and whales. Give us space whales! Tell us about a galaxy of oceans contained in a holographic fishtank, preach the gospel of Poseidon, or win millions with the help of a chance-taking cephalopod. The opportunities for observant and original writing are as boundless as expansive as the briny deep.

Form:

• Short stories: 1,001 – 7,500 words
• Creative nonfiction: up to 6,500 words
• Flash fiction: (up to three pieces in the same document) up to 1,000 words per piece
• Poetry: (up to five poems in the same document) up the three pages per poem

Our Submission Guidelines

We accept work, written in English, from anywhere in the world—regardless of genre, style, or origin—and welcome speculative writing and experimental literature.

We read all submissions anonymously. Please include your name and contact information in your cover letter only and remove any identifying information from both the submitted manuscript and the file name as well.

We accept, and encourage, simultaneous submissions and only ask that you withdraw your piece(s) using Submittable upon acceptance elsewhere.

There is a small reading fee for general F(r)iction submissions ($2.50), but authors accepted will be awarded payment for their work. Our staff is almost entirely comprised of volunteers, so this fee goes toward paying all the contributors who are printed in our beautiful pages. F(r)iction pays contributors $10 per final printed page, plus two contributor copies.

We edit every piece accepted for publication; for this collaborative process we will pair you with one of our Senior Editors. All our editors have been trained to help guide the development of each piece to reach its fullest potential in keeping with the author’s vision. This does not mean we will take on a wild jumble of words and half-formed musings. But it does mean that we value your work and want to help each piece to be as unforgettable as possible.

We respond to every submission as quickly as possible, usually within one or two months.

Other notes:
● All genres are welcome, but especially those that celebrate the weird, take risks with form and content, and are driven by a strong, unique voice.
● All work must be previously unpublished. This means if your work has appeared in any print or online source (this includes personal blogs, websites, and social media pages), we cannot accept it.
● No AI submissions: We currently do not accept work from artificial intelligence (“AI”) generators or similar.