Fractured Literary

We're excited to launch a new themed contest for our microfiction and flash writers. From February 20 to April 16, 2023, we welcome writers to submit to the Fractured Lit Legends, Myths, & Allegories Prize. (We would also love to see your ghost stories!)

Using these genre themes, we’re looking for stories that scare as much as they resonate, stories that help us discover the roots of desire and conflict, that shimmer on the page, that keep us reading and wondering long after the last period on the page. Transport us from the here and now to a new land of discovery, a fresh way of being entertained, a new way of embracing all of the ways we show our humanness. Fractured Lit is a flash fiction–centered place for all writers of any background and experience.

We're thrilled to partner with Guest Judge Natalie Lima, who will choose three prize winners from a shortlist. The first-place winner of this prize will receive $3,000 and publication, while the second- and third-place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively. All entries will be considered for publication.

Good luck and happy writing!

Natalie Lima is a Cuban-Puerto Rican writer raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Hialeah, Florida. Her essays and fiction have been published or are forthcoming in Longreads, Guernica, Brevity, The Offing, Catapult, Sex and the Single Woman (Harper Perennial, 2022), Body Language (Catapult, 2022), and elsewhere. Lima’s writing has been honored in The Best Small Fictions (2020) and noted twice in The Best American Essays (2019 and 2020). Her work has received support from PEN America Emerging Voices, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Tin House, the VONA/Voices Workshop, the Mellon Foundation, the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, and the Hedgebrook Writers’ Residency. Lima recently joined the creative writing faculty at Butler University as assistant professor in the Department of English. She is currently working on a memoir and an essay collection.

  GUIDELINES:

• Your $20 reading fee allows up to two stories of 1,000 words or fewer each per entry—if submitting two stories, please put them both in a SINGLE document.
• We allow multiple submissions—each set of two flash stories should have a separate submission accompanied by a reading fee.
• Please send flash fiction only—1,000 word count maximum per story.
• We only consider unpublished work for contests—we do not review reprints, including self-published work (even on blogs and social media). Reprints will be automatically disqualified.
• Simultaneous submissions are okay—please notify us and withdraw your entry if you find another home for your writing.
• All entries will also be considered for publication in Fractured Lit.
• Double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 (or larger if needed).
• Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable).
• We only read work in English, though some code-switching is warmly welcomed.
• We do not read anonymous submissions. However, shortlisted stories are sent anonymously to the judge.

The deadline for entry is April 16, 2023. We will announce the shortlist within ten to twelve weeks of the contest's close. All writers will be notified when the results are final.

Some Submittable Hot Tips:

• Please be sure to whitelist/add to contacts, so notifications do not get filtered as spam/junk: notifications@email.submittable.com.
• If you realize you sent the wrong version of your piece: it happens. Please DO NOT withdraw the piece and resubmit. Submittable collects a nonrefundable fee each time. Please DO message us from within the submission to request that we open the entry for editing, which will allow you to fix everything from typos in your cover letter to uploading a new draft. The only time we will not allow a change is if the piece is already under review by a reader.

OPTIONAL EDITORIAL FEEDBACK:

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Fractured Lit. Should your story win, no feedback will be offered, and your fee will be refunded.

Fractured Lit publishes micro and flash fiction from writers of any background or experience. Both Micro and Flash categories are open year round and we do not charge any submission fees. We accept simultaneous submissions but ask that you inform us immediately and withdraw your work if your story is accepted elsewhere. We pay our authors $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction.

Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.

Flash fiction is 401-1,000 words. 

We will also consider previously published fiction, as long as the writer retains the rights or second-publication rights can be obtained. We do not pay for reprints.

Writers may submit up to two stories in the same document. Please wait 1 month after our initial reply before submitting again.

Cover letters are optional, but it's nice to know who is submitting to us. Please refrain from describing your stories. The work needs to speak for itself. Including the title and word count of each story is helpful for more efficient consideration of your work. Please include a brief third-person biography statement. 

Please allow us up to two months to inform you if we have accepted your work for publication. You will usually hear from us much sooner.

We consider submissions sent via Submittable. We are not open to email submissions and are not open to submissions sent via post.

 Fractured Lit holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. Authors agree not to publish, nor authorize or permit the publication of, any part of the material for three months following Fractured Lit’s first publication. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of its publication in Fractured Lit first.

OPTIONAL EDITORIAL FEEDBACK:

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Fractured Lit.

Fractured Lit publishes micro and flash fiction from writers of any background or experience. Both Micro and Flash categories are open year round and we do not charge any submission fees. We accept simultaneous submissions but ask that you inform us immediately and withdraw your work if your story is accepted elsewhere. We pay our authors $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction.

Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.

Flash fiction is 401-1,000 words. 

We will also consider previously published fiction, as long as the writer retains the rights or second-publication rights can be obtained. We do not pay for reprints.

Writers may submit up to two stories in the same document. Please wait 1 month after our initial reply before submitting again.

Cover letters are optional, but it's nice to know who is submitting to us. Please refrain from describing your stories. The work needs to speak for itself. Including the title and word count of each story is helpful for more efficient consideration of your work. Please include a brief third-person biography statement. 

Please allow us up to two months to inform you if we have accepted your work for publication. You will usually hear from us much sooner.

We consider submissions sent via Submittable. We are not open to email submissions and are not open to submissions sent via post.

Fractured Lit holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. Authors agree not to publish, nor authorize or permit the publication of, any part of the material for three months following Fractured Lit’s first publication. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of its publication in Fractured Lit first.

OPTIONAL EDITORIAL FEEDBACK:

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Fractured Lit.

  Fractured Lit  is committed to providing a platform to diverse, emerging voices. We are now offering an expedited reading category explicitly for marginalized or underrepresented writers. Submissions to this category will receive a response in three weeks or fewer. 

All submissions are considered for publication at the payment rates below based on the appropriate word counts. 

Please see the guidelines below, or contact us at contact [at] fracturedlit.com with any questions. This form is for marginalized or underrepresented writers only. 

Black Lives Matter. Black Voices Matter.

 Fractured Lit publishes micro and flash fiction from writers of any background or experience. Both Micro and Flash categories are open year round and we do not charge any submission fees. We accept simultaneous submissions but ask that you inform us immediately and withdraw your work if your story is accepted elsewhere. We pay our authors $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction.
Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.
Flash fiction is 401-1,000 words.
We will also consider previously published fiction, as long as the writer retains the rights or second-publication rights can be obtained. We do not pay for reprints.
Writers may submit up to two stories in the same document. Please wait 1 month after our initial reply before submitting again.
Cover letters are optional, but it's nice to know who is submitting to us. Please refrain from describing your stories. The work needs to speak for itself. Including the title and word count of each story is helpful for more efficient consideration of your work. Please include a brief third-person biography statement.
We consider submissions sent via Submittable. We are not open to email submissions and are not open to submissions sent via post.
 Fractured Lit holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. Authors agree not to publish, nor authorize or permit the publication of, any part of the material for three months following Fractured Lit’s first publication. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of its publication in Fractured Lit first.

Fractured Lit publishes micro and flash fiction from writers of any background or experience. Both Micro and Flash categories are open year round and we do not charge any submission fees. We accept simultaneous submissions but ask that you inform us immediately and withdraw your work if your story is accepted elsewhere. We pay our  $75 for original micro series.

Micro fiction series for Fractured Lit should include at least 3 micros of 400 words or less with a total word count of 1,600 or less words. All of the pieces must be unpublished in order to be considered for payment.

We will also consider previously published micro fiction series, as long as the writer retains the rights or second-publication rights can be obtained. We do not pay for reprints.

Writers may submit up to 1 micro series in the same document. Please wait 1 month after our initial reply before submitting again.

Cover letters are optional, but it's nice to know who is submitting to us. Please refrain from describing your stories. The work needs to speak for itself. Including the title and word count of each story is helpful for more efficient consideration of your work. Please include a brief third-person biography statement. 

Please allow us up to two months to inform you if we have accepted your work for publication. You will usually hear from us much sooner.

We consider submissions sent via Submittable. We are not open to email submissions and are not open to submissions sent via post.

Fractured Lit holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. Authors agree not to publish, nor authorize or permit the publication of, any part of the material for three months following Fractured Lit’s first publication. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of its publication in Fractured Lit first.

OPTIONAL EDITORIAL FEEDBACK:

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Fractured Lit.

 
Fractured Lit would love the chance to help your formerly published stories reach a larger audience! We know how heartbreaking it can be to publish a story and then find out that the journal is no longer in existence. We also know that having a story placed in a print journal is exciting, but these stories often have smaller readerships. We're now accepting formerly published stories that if published online are at least 2 years old or from any time frame from those published in print. While we don't offer payment for reprinted stories, we can promise a larger reading audience and our full promotion of these stories through our website and through our social media channels! Come join the Fractured lit publishing family!

Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.
Flash fiction is 401-1,000 words.

Writers may submit up to two stories in the same document. Please wait 1 month after our initial reply before submitting again.
Cover letters are optional, but it's nice to know who is submitting to us. Please refrain from describing your stories. The work needs to speak for itself. Including the title and word count of each story is helpful for more efficient consideration of your work. Please include a brief third-person biography statement. You must give credit to the journals(s) that previously published these pieces for our consideration.

Please allow us up to two months to inform you if we have accepted your work for publication. You will usually hear from us much sooner.
We consider submissions sent via Submittable. We are not open to email submissions and are not open to submissions sent via post.
Fractured Lit holds first serial publication rights for three months after publication. Authors agree not to publish, nor authorize or permit the publication of, any part of the material for three months following Fractured Lit’s first publication. For reprints, we ask for acknowledgment of its publication in Fractured Lit first.

OPTIONAL EDITORIAL FEEDBACK:
You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Fractured Lit.

Fractured Lit is looking for flash fiction submission Readers! If you enjoy literary flash fiction with emotional resonance, characters we care about, that investigate the mysteries of being human, the sorrow, and the joy of connecting to the diverse population around us we encourage you to apply!  We encourage readers who can commit to reading three to four hours each week working remotely and at your own pace. We are particularly interested in bringing on readers who are familiar with the flash fiction form and come from diverse backgrounds and experiences!

This position begins on a rolling basis and involves a commitment of six months. PLEASE NOTE: this is an unpaid, volunteer opportunity. If interested, please send a cover letter, resume/CV, and at least one writing sample. This is a rolling call and will be open until we fill the available positions. Fractured Lit is a flash fiction centered place for all writers of any background and experience. Help us find the stories we knew we’ve needed all along. We look forward to hearing from you!