Submissions

Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting (updated 1/17/09).

What We Want
Bartleby-Snopes is currently publishing fiction prose only.

We are interested in unpublished fiction of 4000 words or less (lately we prefer pieces between 500 and 2500 words, but we've published stories as short as 200 words and as long as 7000). Simultaneous submissions are okay as long as you let us know if a piece is published elsewhere. Multiple submissions are okay as well.

Things That Generally Turn Us Off
Stories over 4000 words
Stories written in present tense (especially third person present tense)
Stories with graphic dead baby scenes
Stories about writers
Stories about struggling marriages
Stories set in bars
Stories with more backstory than plot
Stories with undeveloped characters
Stories that are overly reflective
We aren't saying that we never accept these things, but they are less likely to be published. If you think your story is great, send it to us. The worst we can do is reject you. Don't take it personally. These are just our tastes.

Where and How to Send
All submisions should be sent to submissions@bartlebysnopes.com

Please attach your submission as an .rtf or .doc. Please do not send your submission as inline text. The subject of your email should be "Fiction Submission: Title"

Include your name and email address on the front page of your submission directly underneath the title. There is no need to create a cover letter for your submission.

Response Time
Please allow anywhere from two days to two months to hear a response as to whether or not we have chosen to publish your piece. If you do not hear from us within two months, assume your email was hijacked and resend it. We are currently listed as one of the Top 25 Swiftest Markets on Duotrope with an average response of about 4 days.

Payment
Currently we cannot afford to pay you, but this is a good opportunity for you to get a publishing credit. That's even better than money, isn't it?

Publication
We publish two pieces per week, and then we create a downloadable magazine with our best pieces every six months. See The Magazine page for more details.

Rights
We will acquire first time publishing rights, and all other rights will revert back to the author after the story is published on our website. We also will retain the right to publish your story in our semiannual magazine. All stories will remain on our website or archive. If you would like us to remove your story, please let us know.

Story of the Month Contest
Each month we will have a story of the month contest. The winner will receive a special page for his or her story and a guaranteed spot in the next issue of the magazine.

Submit Now: submissions@bartlebysnopes.com