{out of nothing} call for submissions

Deadline: Oct. 1, 2009

Website: http://www.outofnothing.org (as a note, the website is a work of art in itself)

Type: Call for submissions

Reading Fee: n/a

Prize: n/a

Looking for:

Accepts: Electronic submissions, see http://www.outofnothing.org/809/guidelines-text.html

From their site:

call for submissions
{out of nothing}
no. 3 / that there were some ah-ness to things

Please view complete guidelines here:
http://outofnothing.org/809/

[out of nothing] (http://www.outofnothing.org) is an electronic
publication featuring new works in image, sound, text and the digital
arts, as well as works located at the inter-sections between these
media.

In general, [out of nothing] is interested in works that address, in
some manner:
* the vacuum
* salvage / remainders
* imaginary spaces possessed of imaginary dimensions
* darkness / lightlessness
* reduced or infinitesimal means
* the exponential
* self-abnegating symbols
* the blank
* obliteration
* the inconsequential
* refusal
* the contentless / general contentlessness
* the generic and / or undifferentiated and / or the contra-original
* adhesive agents in search of clients to bind
* none of the above or below

[out of nothing] is published in online installments, on an irregular but roughly quarterly seasonal basis that nevertheless remains chronically TBD. Each issue is theme-based, and is introduced by a special M.C.; or, emcee. Occasional print anthologies are also envisioned.

[out of nothing] is edited by Janice Lee, Eric Lindley & Joe Milazzo.

Prick of the Spindle Accepting Submissions ~

Prick of the Spindle is a quarterly online journal that is open to both traditional and experimental forms. They accept submissions year-round, and there is no reading fee. In their own words:

We have a special bent toward fresh and innovative voices that use language in unique ways. Editors are currently reading submissions in all categories for Vol. 2.4, forthcoming December 23, 2008. If you are interested in being considered for publication in Prick of the Spindle, please take care to read the guidelines for submitting your previously unpublished work.

They do not publish children's or young adult's fiction, and do not lean toward genre fiction "unless it is especially well-written with a contemporary flavor." There is no length requirement for fiction, and they are open to publishing novella-length pieces (traditionally defined as consisting of anywhere from 17,500 to 40,000 words). They are also seeking reviews in the realms of academic literature, fiction, and poetry. Reviews can consist of works of literary criticism, book reviews, and academic analysis or essays.

Storyscape Journal Seeks Outside the Box Submissions

Storyscape Journal, The Literary Journal of Champions is seeking submissions. According to their site:

"Storyscape, a new literary journal that is story-centered, asks for your submission. We want your:

Short story, long story, overheard story, invented story, true story, false story, poetic story, oral story, historical story, crafted story, stolen story, visual story.

Just captivate us with the strength of the story. The premise of the journal is to expand the notion of what stories are while shaking up the labels we use to define them. To this end, we've come up with 4 sections of the journal: Truth, Untruth, We Don't Know and They Won't Tell Us, and Stories without Words. You label your own piece, which means you decide what 'the truth' means to you. All we want is to lean back, relax, and listen to your story.

We now have a rolling submission policy. The next issue will be published online in winter of 2009."

We e-mailed the editor, Anne Hays, for some clarification on the kinds of stories listed above and we got a very speedy response! It turns out that they have shortened the list to invented story, true story, overheard story, visual story, poetic story, audio story, found story, and given story. Their website will reflect this change soon.

Here is her answer to exactly what kind of stories move them:

Our actual categories/genres for the pieces are simply, "Truth," "Untruth," and "We Don't Know and They Won't Tell Us." The listed suggestions above are simply meant to convey that we are looking for a wide variety of storytelling methods. It's definitely not meant to limit people's options in an any way!

Here is an example of something we loved: In our last issue, Kimiko Hahn wrote two pieces specifically for us. In one piece she rewrote the same poem three times while changing and lengthening the ending. In her other piece, she interspersed attempts at writing a poem with diary entries in which she pondered the creative process, and where her work was heading. I was happy she sent these specific pieces, rather than simply sending us one solid "traditional" poem, which, if you look at our suggestion list of categories, we do potentially publish.

Our vision for this journal seems to be so outside what people think of when they think of "stories" that we are constantly re-explaining the vision, and looking for better ways to encourage creativity. At the end of the day, as is the case with all journals, the pieces in it speak louder than we can in terms of what we'd publish. Check out Chris Haske's piece in our current issue--it's totally genius. Or look at Amber Boardman's. And we are absolutely looking for people to push the envelope harder. What does that cliche even mean? We are looking for people to rip the envelope up into shreds and create new envelopes.

See Storyscape's submissions page for further information on how to submit, and thank you to Anne Hays for her responsiveness and clarity.

Ellipsis Press is Looking for Novels that Look Normal. But Aren't.

According to their website:

Ellipsis Press is interested in novels that are structurally innovative.

We like: novels that look normal but aren’t (more than those that look weird but are actually quite normal); those that are successful at bypassing or evolving the seemingly necessary but often tired elements of character and/or plot; and those that respond in some way to the history of the novel as genre and form.

Writers who have studied the traditional elements of the novel and experimented with them to emotionally moving and/or extraordinary ends are invited to submit for publication.

Send your whole manuscripts as a .rtf attachment by email only to editors [at] ellipsispress [dot] com.

We are not interested in poetry, short story collections, or non-fiction at this time. Due to time constraints we can respond only to those submissions we wish to pursue. These responses will be made within four months time.

Narrative 30 Below Contest - No Fee!

This is the last week to enter Narrative Magazine's 30 Below Contest for writers and artists, ages 30 and under.

First Prize is $1,500
Second Prize is $750
Third Prize is $300

Ten finalists will be named, and all entries will be considered for publication.

Open to writers, visual artists, photographers, performers, and filmmakers. We are interested in narrative in the many forms it takes: the word and the image, the traditional and the innovative the true and the imaginary.

Entry deadline: October 27.
No fee to enter.

Of Unknown Authorship: The New Anonymous Accepting Submissions ~

The New Anonymous is an annual literary journal that not only publishes all works anonymously, they blindly screen and edit submissions as well. In fact, the entire process is anonymous from beginning to end, thus freeing writers from their own generative forms and creative dispositions, creating, in effect, a safehouse where writers can not only question their creative process, but, in the words of Freud, "Play." You may send as many submissions as you like, (but please: no more than 1 piece of prose/fiction or 7 poems per email) to: thenewanonmediator(at)gmail(dot)com. Do not include your name anywhere in the document. Please go to their website to see the rest of their "very unique" requirements for submission.

A Cappella Zoo Short-Story Contest ~

If you can think of a beginning, a start, a famous first step, this new magazine may be perfect for you. A Cappella Zoo is looking for short stories with the theme, "origins," to celebrate their first issue. For a mere $5 entry fee, you may submit stories between 1,000 and 10,000 words via email to contest(at)acappellazoo(dot)com, or via snail mail to A Cappella Zoo, 635 1/2 E. Benton, Pocatello, ID, 83201. The first place prize is $250 dollars, publication in their first issue, as well as a complimentary copy of said first issue. The rest of their contest guidelines may be found at this link.
They are also accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, plays, bi-lingual works, translations, photography, art, and "genre-bending" works, up to 10,000 words for prose, or up to 3 poems or visual works of art. They are currently paying $5 per printed page, up to $50. Submissions may be sent via email to submissions(at)acappellazoo(dot)com, or snail mail. For the rest of the submission guidelines, please go to their website.
They are especially looking for work that is unique and experimental in technique, form, language and thought, so if you are a "square peg," who knows better than to try to fit into "round holes," you may find your work very welcome here.

Interested in Breaking the Rules?

For those of you who appreciate that beauty lies in imperfection or in uneven intervals, the Interstitial Arts Foundation has issued it's 2nd annual call for their Second Anthology of Interstitial Writing called Interfictions II. According to their Web site, they are "a not–for–profit organization dedicated to the study, support, and promotion of interstitial art: literature, music, visual and performance art found in between categories and genres — art that crosses borders."

From their Web site:

Submission Guidelines for
Interfictions II: The Second Anthology of Interstitial Writing

What We’re Looking For
Interstitial Fiction is all about breaking rules, ignoring boundaries, cross-pollinating the fields of literature. It’s about working between, across, through, and at the edges and borders of literary genres, including fiction and non-fiction. It falls between the cracks of other movements, terms, and definitions. If you have a story idea that’s impossible to describe in a couple of sentences, it may be interstitial.

We’re looking for previously unpublished stories that engage us and make us think about literature in new ways. Rather than defining “interstitial” for you, we’d like you to show us what genre-bending fiction looks like. Surprise us; make us see that literature holds possibilities we haven’t yet imagined.

We are also open to graphic stories of about 10 pages.

Who We’re Looking For
Writers in all genres of fiction (contemporary realism, mystery, historical, fantasy, whatever) who have an idea that challenges generic tropes and expectations..

Practical Matters
Our submission period will be from October 1, 2008 to December 2, 2008.

Book Works - Experimental Prose Fiction Needed

Semina -- "where the novel has a nervous breakdown", published by Book Works in London is looking for artists and writers interested in experimental prose fiction, drawing inspiration from art as much as it does from literature. Think of the ways in which time and space died yesterday, how acceleration exceeds accumulation, the dead city and the perpetual twilight of technology: Georges Bataille, Henri Michaux, Alexander Trocchi, William Burroughs, Ann Quin, Clarence Cooper Jr, Claude Cahun etc. Above all weâ•˙re looking for artists and writers willing to take risks with their prose and who demonstrate total disregard for the conventions that structure received ideas about fiction.

Semina takes its inspiration from a series of nine loose-leaf magazines issued by Californian beat artist Wallace Berman in the 1950s and 1960s. The series is commissioned and edited by artist and writer Stewart Home. The series will publish nine books, six of which will be selected from open submission, two commissioned by the editor, with Blood Rites of the Bourgeoisie by Stewart Home the final title in the series.

The selection from open submissions will be made by Stewart Home and Book Works. The series is designed by Fraser Muggeridge studio.

Deadline for applications is 30 May 2008.

Contact gavin@bookworks.org.uk or visit our website for more information http://www.bookworks.org.uk

Forthcoming in the Semina series:

• No. 1 Index by Bridget Penney (2008)
• No. 2 One Break, A Thousand Blows! by Maxi Kim
• (2008)
• No. 3 Bubble Entendre by Mark Waugh (2009)
• No. 9 Blood Rites of the Bourgeoise by Stewart Home (2010)
  

Here Comes The Sun * * *

The Sun Magazine publishes essays, interviews, fiction and poetry. They tend to favor personal writing, but they're also open to thoughtful, well-written essays on political, cultural, and philosophical themes. In fact, they're open to just about anything except journalistic features, academic works or opinion pieces. They invite us to "surprise them:" they often don't know what they'll like until they read it. This generous attitude is matched by generosity of payment also:

• $300 to $3000 for essays and interviews
• $300 to $2000 for fiction
• $100 to $500 for poetry, the amount determined by length and quality

They may pay less for very short works. Contributors will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to The Sun. They also use 10 to 30 photographs in each issue, so if your creativity includes talent in that direction, The Sun is equally as generous on that score as well:

• $100 to $300 for one-time use of photographs inside the magazine
• $500 for those they use on the cover
• $500 to $1000 for photo essays

The give contributors four copies of the issue in which their work appears, as well as a complimentary one-year subscription. Please go to their website to check out the rest of their submission guidelines and also the snail-mail address to send your work.

Call for Submissions: Cold-Drill

cold.drill: "cold-drill is published annually by the MFA Department of Boise State University and is actively looking for fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction from the traditional to the experimental for our 38th issue. We strive to publish work that goes beyond the obvious and that provokes and stimulates us and our community of readers. We are also interested in innovative and interesting visual art. We take great pride in our design and the finished product, which includes first-time published writers side-by-side with established authors and poets, and feel that a journal should be both visually appealing and mentally stimulating. Submissions are read from September 15 through January 5."