Submissions Guidelines
We publish fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction, from any author including as yet unpublished writers or writers with only a few publications under their belt. See below, but also check out the editor's interview on Six Questions For and on Duotrope.
PREFERRED CONTENT
Any genre, including hard science fiction, though PLEASE no fantasy, erotica, or sappy romance. Humor is good.
Flash Fiction (around 800 words or less).
Short stories (around 5000 words or less).
Poetry that is lyrical, where you've paid as much attention to the sound of the words as to their meaning.
Free verse is okay as long as it doesn't read the same with or without line breaks. Same goes with poetry submissions in general.
Concrete or Shape poetry definitely encouraged.
Please no excerpts from larger works, for example a chapter from a memoir.
NEW: Creative non-fiction: Same word limit as short stories. All types except biography, and Content Notes below apply.
Regardless, we prefer works that cut to the chase, that are pithy, and have a sense of importance (without overdoing it). And by that we mean, you wrote something you feel needed to be written and put out there in the world.
CONTENT NOTES
Please DO NOT SUBMIT anything erotic, sexual, pornographic, or portraying gratuitous violence. Think PG-13, maybe PG-18. Also do not submit political or religious screeds disguised as fiction or poetry. Sensitive thought-provoking actual fiction that makes a general religious or political point, like something utopian or dystopian is okay, just no preaching. It won't even be considered. Same goes with anything erotic, sexual, pornographic, or violent.
Anything you submit must be your own original creation. It must never have been published on any website or print publication that you do not personally own. If it has appeared only on your own blog or website or your own self-published printed material it is considered self-published. In this case, as long as you are the sole copyright owner, we will accept your work for consideration for reprint.
Carpwork Gallery ARTWORK and PHOTOS
I'm looking for images and photos that depict Carp and Koi in artistic and natural settings and have a strong artistic element. See the Carpwork Gallery for examples. A one sentence credit will appear with your image or photo and a caption that you should provide. Submission process, compensation, and terms are the same as for written work.
NOTE: When submitting images, please include a creative caption.
SUBMISSION PROCESS - PLEASE NOTE
All stories must be submitted via email. We will respond as quickly as possible. Turnaround time is approximately 60 days.
NOTE: By submitting your work you agree to the Terms and Agreements below.
Please submit one short story, one flash, or up to three poems at a time. Simultaneous submissions are fine but please inform us if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere.
Please no resubmissions.
Please include:
- In the subject please include the type of piece you are submitting, for example: Submission - Poetry
- In the body of your email: Your name,
- A two sentence max description of your work,
- How you heard of SPANK the CARP (optional).
- Attach a docx, doc, or rtf formatted document (no PDFs please). For visual poetry, png or jpg only.
- Do not send a formal bio. If your work is accepted we will contact you for a formal bio. DO however tell us whether you have been published before.
Email to: the_carp (at) spankthecarp.com with the word Submission as the subject.
NEW - Voluntary TIP JAR Submissions: For $4 you will be guaranteed a response within 2 weeks, with feedback. This is totally voluntary and does not affect the editor's decision. Details and signup are here.
Compensation
No compensation can be offered at this time. If accepted, your work will appear prominently on the home page, with a link to its own page. This can easily be linked to from a personal or other website. Also, since we seek quality over quantity, in the issue in which your work appears, you will appear with only a few other authors and not buried in a sea of screen clutter.
Terms and Agreements
SUMMARY: If we accept your work, we ask for First Serial Rights until publication. After publication all rights revert back to the author. Also your work will remain in our past issues archives unless you ask us to remove it. Exceptions to these terms can be granted on a case by case basis, just ask.
DETAILS:
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT between SPANK the CARP's editor (hereinafter called “StC”) and the Author. The “Work” refers to the content submitted for review and possible publication.
WHEREBY IT IS MUTUALLY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
EDITS:
Both StC and the Author have the right to request reasonable correction, revisions, replacements, and rewrites of the Work before publication in consultation with each other. StC has the right to edit the Author's bio for length considerations.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS:
Author hereby grants to StC first publication rights of the Work, it being understood and agreed that Author shall not permit any other party to reproduce, publish, or use the Work in any form or media until first publication by StC. Thereafter all rights and copyrights revert to the Author. (Commonly referred to as First Serial Rights).
Author hereby grants to StC the right to include the Work in an online archive of past issues for any duration or until the Author requests removal.
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Author agrees to acknowledge StC as the original publisher of the Work in all future publications of the Work.
Author further warrants and represents that, as of the date hereof, Author has not granted or transferred any rights in or to the Work to any third party.
The terms and provisions of this Agreement constitute the entire Agreement between the parties and supersedes all previous communication and agreements, either oral or written.
PREFERRED CONTENT
Any genre, including hard science fiction, though PLEASE no fantasy, erotica, or sappy romance. Humor is good.
Flash Fiction (around 800 words or less).
Short stories (around 5000 words or less).
Poetry that is lyrical, where you've paid as much attention to the sound of the words as to their meaning.
Free verse is okay as long as it doesn't read the same with or without line breaks. Same goes with poetry submissions in general.
Concrete or Shape poetry definitely encouraged.
Please no excerpts from larger works, for example a chapter from a memoir.
NEW: Creative non-fiction: Same word limit as short stories. All types except biography, and Content Notes below apply.
Regardless, we prefer works that cut to the chase, that are pithy, and have a sense of importance (without overdoing it). And by that we mean, you wrote something you feel needed to be written and put out there in the world.
CONTENT NOTES
Please DO NOT SUBMIT anything erotic, sexual, pornographic, or portraying gratuitous violence. Think PG-13, maybe PG-18. Also do not submit political or religious screeds disguised as fiction or poetry. Sensitive thought-provoking actual fiction that makes a general religious or political point, like something utopian or dystopian is okay, just no preaching. It won't even be considered. Same goes with anything erotic, sexual, pornographic, or violent.
Anything you submit must be your own original creation. It must never have been published on any website or print publication that you do not personally own. If it has appeared only on your own blog or website or your own self-published printed material it is considered self-published. In this case, as long as you are the sole copyright owner, we will accept your work for consideration for reprint.
Carpwork Gallery ARTWORK and PHOTOS
I'm looking for images and photos that depict Carp and Koi in artistic and natural settings and have a strong artistic element. See the Carpwork Gallery for examples. A one sentence credit will appear with your image or photo and a caption that you should provide. Submission process, compensation, and terms are the same as for written work.
NOTE: When submitting images, please include a creative caption.
SUBMISSION PROCESS - PLEASE NOTE
All stories must be submitted via email. We will respond as quickly as possible. Turnaround time is approximately 60 days.
NOTE: By submitting your work you agree to the Terms and Agreements below.
Please submit one short story, one flash, or up to three poems at a time. Simultaneous submissions are fine but please inform us if your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere.
Please no resubmissions.
Please include:
- In the subject please include the type of piece you are submitting, for example: Submission - Poetry
- In the body of your email: Your name,
- A two sentence max description of your work,
- How you heard of SPANK the CARP (optional).
- Attach a docx, doc, or rtf formatted document (no PDFs please). For visual poetry, png or jpg only.
- Do not send a formal bio. If your work is accepted we will contact you for a formal bio. DO however tell us whether you have been published before.
Email to: the_carp (at) spankthecarp.com with the word Submission as the subject.
NEW - Voluntary TIP JAR Submissions: For $4 you will be guaranteed a response within 2 weeks, with feedback. This is totally voluntary and does not affect the editor's decision. Details and signup are here.
Compensation
No compensation can be offered at this time. If accepted, your work will appear prominently on the home page, with a link to its own page. This can easily be linked to from a personal or other website. Also, since we seek quality over quantity, in the issue in which your work appears, you will appear with only a few other authors and not buried in a sea of screen clutter.
Terms and Agreements
SUMMARY: If we accept your work, we ask for First Serial Rights until publication. After publication all rights revert back to the author. Also your work will remain in our past issues archives unless you ask us to remove it. Exceptions to these terms can be granted on a case by case basis, just ask.
DETAILS:
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT between SPANK the CARP's editor (hereinafter called “StC”) and the Author. The “Work” refers to the content submitted for review and possible publication.
WHEREBY IT IS MUTUALLY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
EDITS:
Both StC and the Author have the right to request reasonable correction, revisions, replacements, and rewrites of the Work before publication in consultation with each other. StC has the right to edit the Author's bio for length considerations.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS:
Author hereby grants to StC first publication rights of the Work, it being understood and agreed that Author shall not permit any other party to reproduce, publish, or use the Work in any form or media until first publication by StC. Thereafter all rights and copyrights revert to the Author. (Commonly referred to as First Serial Rights).
Author hereby grants to StC the right to include the Work in an online archive of past issues for any duration or until the Author requests removal.
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Author agrees to acknowledge StC as the original publisher of the Work in all future publications of the Work.
Author further warrants and represents that, as of the date hereof, Author has not granted or transferred any rights in or to the Work to any third party.
The terms and provisions of this Agreement constitute the entire Agreement between the parties and supersedes all previous communication and agreements, either oral or written.