Submission Guidelines

• Submissions should be 1,250 words maximum.
• We only accept submissions from active subscribers (it's free to subscribe).
• Submission calls alternate between originals and reprints.
• Thanks to our supporting subscribers, we pay a $100 upon publication for original essays and $25 for reprints.
• We never charge reading fees.
• We're only interested in reading human work. No AI.

Submissions are currently closed.

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions at this time. If you'd like to be notified of future calls, we encourage you to subscribe to the free weekly Short Reads email.

Recent calls

NEW FLASH ESSAYS
Date closed: April 30, 2026
Expected response time: Summer 2026

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED FLASH ESSAYS
Date closed: February 23, 2026
Expected response time: Late Spring 2026