submission guidelines
Over the last six years, storySouth has become well known for its unique look at southern writing. Stories, essays, and poetry published in storySouth have been honored by the Chronicle of Higher Education's Arts and Letters Daily and MobyLives; in addition, two other stories were selected for the first anthology of best web-published fiction of the year. storySouth has also been reviewed by the Bodega Survey on Web del Sol and is listed as a "Contributing Small Press" for the Pushcart Prize. Finally, storySouth's annual Million Writers Award has been named a Hot Site by USA Today and was the subject of a feature interview with storySouth editor Jason Sanford in the 2005 Novel and Short Stories Writers Market.
To see these honors and more, check out storySouth's best writings page.
Deadlines and publishing schedule: storySouth is published quarterly three times a year in January (winter issue), April (spring/summer issue), and October (fall issue). In addition, the storySouth blog is updated on a regular basis.
storySouth is interested in all types of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry by writers from the new south. The exact definition of "new south" varies from person to person—if you can make a case for why you consider yourself part of the new south, then submit your work. storySouth seeks works representing the entire range of southern experience—including all races, genders, and views on life. However, excellence in writing is the only criteria used in choosing works to publish on storySouth.
Works submitted to storySouth don't have to be set within the south. A writer who was raised in the south but now lives elsewhere has as valid a view of the south as someone who just moved to Alabama. Please note, though, that storySouth has no interest in writings that merely muck around in old stereotypes and cliches of the south. Bring something new to your writings about the south and we will be interested.
NOTE: All submissions are by e-mail only. Submissions sent by postal mail will be disgarded.
Fiction: E-mail all fiction submissions to editor . Please attach the story as a microsoft word or other attached document; while cutting and pasting into the e-mail is allowed, it is discouraged because of formatting problems with the stories. There are no word limits on submissions. Long stories are encouraged. Previously published stories are rarely accepted and simultaneous submissions are strongly discouraged (but if you do send one you'd better damn well tell the editor).
Poetry: E-mail all poetry submissions to editor . Please attach poetry as a microsoft word or other attached document; while cutting and pasting into the e-mail is allowed, it is discouraged because doing this causes poetry to lose its formatting. Previously published poems are discouraged, although under certain circumstances we may accept them. Simultaneous submissions are strongly discouraged, and if you do send one you'd better damn well tell the editor.
Essays and creative nonfiction: Of special interest to storySouth editors are essays on writers who have made significant contributions to recent southern literature. For essays on poets, send an e-mail query to . Send all essays on fiction and all creative nonfiction submissions by e-mail to editor .
Rights: Authors retain all rights and copyright to their works. storySouth requests one-time, non-exclusive rights to print your writings. To repeat, all other rights (including the copyright) remain with the author.
Mailing list: storySouth maintains an occasional mailing list to keep readers and contributors up-to-date on the journal (such as when new issues come out). We send no more than 10 e-mails a year. If you want to be placed on or taken off of this list, e-mail editor .
