Stories must be 55 words exactly, excluding the title.
We welcome previously unpublished micro-fiction as well as reprints that can be considered any of the following: mainstream fiction; speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror); crime fiction (including mysteries and their sub-genres); dark fiction (including dark humor).
Submissions are accepted during the following dates for each year of publication:
February 1- 15 (for the Spring Issues, which will be published March, April, and May)
May 1 - 15 (for the Summer Issues, which will be published June, July, and August)
August 1 - 15 (for the Fall Issues, which will be published September, October, and November)
November 1 - 15 (for the Winter Issues, which will be published December, January, and February)
Please note that the submission periods are subject to cancellations and changes. The editors will do their best to give notice before any changes occur. Please consider subscribing to Pen Pricks' mailing list to receive notices and updates. Submissions sent while the submission periods are closed will be deleted, unread, unfortunately.
No more than 3 stories per author will appear in each issue.
Authors retain all rights and copyrights to their works. Each issue is archived indefinitely, but authors can request removal of their fiction by sending an email here.
No pay is currently offered.
If interested in submitting, please send up to 3 micro stories in the body of your email to pen.pricks.subs@gmail.com. Please send your bio with each submission even if you have already been published at Pen Pricks. Otherwise, no bio will appear with your story.
Rejected submissions might receive a comment or two. We will always be professional and respectful in our communications and hope that writers who submit to Pen Pricks will return the professionalism and respect where rejection is concerned.
Response times currently vary from 1 week to 2 weeks. If you do not receive an acceptance letter or a refusal letter two weeks after the date of your submission, then please email an inquiry to us.
Thank you for considering Pen Pricks!
Elizabeth, Editor
C. M. Clifton, Editor
