SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES

We are currently closed to book-length submissions. This includes novels, novellas, short story collections and non-fiction. Please note that we do not publish children’s or YA books.

We are also currently closed to short story submissions, but aim to reopen them in mid-March. Please keep an eye on our website and social media for updates.

Short story submissions FAQs:

Is there a word count limit?

Each story submitted should not exceed 5,000 words. We do not have a minimum word count and are happy to consider flash fiction. Please include the story’s word count in the body of your submission email.

Do you have a preferred genre for short stories?

The majority of short stories we publish are literary fiction or well-written general fiction for a broad readership. We don’t tend to publish genre fiction such as crime, romance, horror or hard sci-fi, although we do love stories that cleverly blend elements of different genres with literary flair. We only publish stories written for adult readers and cannot consider children’s fiction.

What should I write in my submission email?

Please include a brief cover note including the title and word count for each story and a short author bio. Feel free to let us know about any previous publications or award listings (but we won’t be put off if you’ve never been published before – we have published many first-time authors in the past).

Can I send you a hard copy of my story by post?

No – we only accept email submissions, and are unable to consider or return any submissions sent by post.

Can I send multiple or simultaneous submissions?

We accept up to two submissions of short stories at a time by the same author. Your stories should be attached to the same email, but in separate documents.

If the submission is simultaneous (i.e. the story has been sent to more than one publisher or online magazine at the same time) you should notify us via email if your work is accepted elsewhere.

What about rights?

Please ensure that you have full ownership of the work you are submitting and that it has not been plagiarised. If we publish your story, we will ask you for first exclusive rights to publication of the story, which means that the short story should not have been published before, either in an anthology or a magazine, online or in print.

Can I submit a story written by or with generative AI?

No, please don’t submit any AI-generated writing to us; we are looking for human-authored stories.

Will you pay me for my story?

Unfortunately, no. We don’t receive any payment from readers who read the stories on our website, and we don’t place the stories behind a subscription-based paywall like some online short story publications do. The aim of our short story publishing programme is really to help promote the writers we publish and the art of the short story, and to make high-quality writing freely accessible to readers.

Do I have to/can I pay for my short story to be published?

No; please see the answer above. We consider all submissions based on merit, and as a traditional publishing house we never charge authors any fees for publishing their work.

How long will you take to get back to me?

We aim to respond to all submissions within three months – sooner if we can.

Will you give me feedback if my story is not accepted for publication?

We are only able to publish a small proportion of the stories we receive, and owing to the volume of submissions we receive, unfortunately we can’t provide individual feedback if we decide not to move forward with your story.