Update 07/01/2024: Submissions OPEN
We are currently open to literary and speculative fiction submissions. This July submission window is our unthemed open call for our summer reading season. Please review guidelines below carefully, especially our word count limits. THEY ARE FIRM!
It is free to submit. Our current turnaround is 10–12 weeks for a reply, but can often be much faster.
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We want stories that engage our minds and emotions.
We publish across many genres, including speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and literary fiction. For more information on the type of stories we enjoy, please read a few issues and check out our "What We're Looking For" page.
FORMATTING: Please format your submission in a double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman or other serif-type font (NO Courier), with standard 1" margins and black font on an unadorned, white background. No PDF submissions. No Images and no graphics.
ANONYMOUS SUBMISSIONS: Do not include your name, address, email, or other identifying information on your manuscript (header, byline, file name, etc).
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: We will accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us and withdraw the story as soon as you learn that it has been accepted somewhere else.
MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: Please only submit one original story, and one reprint.
AI-GENERATED SUBMISSIONS: We are committed to publishing stories written and edited by humans. We reserve the right to reject any submission that we suspect to be primarily generated or created by language modeling software, Chat GPT, chat bots, or any other AI apps, bots, or software. We reserve the right to ban submissions from accounts, emails, or users who we believe or suspect have submitted AI-generated content.
QUERIES: You can check on the status of your submission at any time via your Submittable account. If, after 10 weeks, your submission is still marked as "in-progress," you may email editor@flashfictiononline.com with QUERY in the subject line for an update on its status. (Submissions sent to this address will be deleted unread.)
COMPENSATION: Our 2024 rate is $100 for each original story.
We are unable to provide personal feedback or critiques.
We do NOT accept resubmissions of stories previously rejected by Flash Fiction Online, unless requested by the editorial team.
We will NOT consider stories that promote or affirm hatred, prejudice, or violence toward any group of people based on age, race, nationality, religion, sex, gender, political affiliation, disability, neurodiversity, or other social identity.
Love what we publish? Flash Fiction Online is funded entirely through the generosity and support of our readers! Check out our Patreon here.
THEMES: This is an unthemed submission call. However, we'd really love to see stories that go BIG on the EMOTION. All emotions -- not just grief or rage. We'd love to see a punch of joy, a spark of inspiration, a cluster of confusion.
ANONYMOUS SUBMISSIONS: Do NOT include your name, address, email, or other identifying information on your manuscript (header, byline, file name, etc). This allows our First Readers to evaluate your story based on the work alone.
PAYMENT & RIGHTS FOR ORIGINAL FICTION: For original (previously unpublished) fiction, Flash Fiction Online pays $100 per story for first electronic rights with 6 months exclusivity, as well as a non-exclusive one-time right to publish the stories in an anthology. The author retains all other rights. Original stories must not have been previously published anywhere, including a blog or on Patreon. Payment is made via PayPal (preferred) or mailed as a check.
SCHEDULE: FFO reviews stories in two stages – a slush stage and a winnowing stage. In the slush round, first readers vote on stories to be passed forward. These top-tier stories are reviewed once a month in our Winnowing round. We are moving to a seasonal unthemed submission call. The July call will be open until Jul 31st or until our cap of 500 speculative fiction stories is reached. We expect there to be at least two winnowing rounds -- one in August and one in September. Please allow a full 10 weeks before querying.
THEMES: This is an unthemed submission call. However, we'd really love to see stories that go BIG on the EMOTION. All emotions -- not just grief or rage. We'd love to see a punch of joy, a spark of inspiration, a cluster of confusion. I'd love to see more historical fiction. I understand it's hard to convey an entire time period in a flash fiction piece, if you've done it, I'd love to see it. I'm also not opposed to non-erotic romance; however, we need to feel the will-they-won't-they tension of the relationship, not just a happily ever after.
ANONYMOUS SUBMISSIONS: Do not include your name, address, email, or other identifying information on your manuscript (header, byline, file name, etc). This allows our First Readers to evaluate your story based on the work alone.
PAYMENT & RIGHTS FOR ORIGINAL FICTION: For original (previously unpublished) fiction, Flash Fiction Online pays $100 per story for first electronic rights with 6 months exclusivity, as well as a non-exclusive one-time right to publish the stories in an anthology. The author retains all other rights. Original stories must not have been previously published anywhere, including a blog or on Patreon. Payment is made via PayPal (preferred) or mailed as a check.
SCHEDULE: FFO reviews stories in two stages – a slush stage and a winnowing stage. In the slush round, first readers vote on stories to be passed forward. These top-tier stories are reviewed once a month in our Winnowing round. We are moving to a seasonal unthemed submission call. The July call will be open until Jul 31st or until our cap of 250 literary fiction stories is reached. We expect there to be at least two winnowing rounds -- one in August and one in September. Please allow a full 10 weeks before querying.