Submissions: Short Stories, Flash Fiction, and Poetry

Our submissions are closed until the summer. Please check back later for opening dates.

Please be sure to read and adhere to these guidelines carefully, or your submission will not be considered:

·       You must be 13+ years old to submit. 

·       Submissions can be on any topic. Our only criteria is that your submission is written for a teen and young adult audience. Please note our readers are aged 11-18 years old. 

·      Do not submit work that is not aimed at a teen audience. It will not be accepted.

·       You are welcome to make multiple submissions. (We will accept a maximum of: Two short stories. Six poems. Three flash fiction).

·       We do not accept work that has been published elsewhere.

·       We accept simultaneous submissions, but we ask you to notify us immediately if your submission has been accepted elsewhere.

·       Submissions after the deadline will not be considered.

·       Please note that we cannot offer feedback on unsuccessful submissions.

·       While we are very open to the content of the submissions, we will not accept any pieces that are prejudiced in nature. We will not accept pieces that include, but are not limited to: sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, or classist content. We also do not accept chapters from novels, full length novels, poetry pamphlets, etc.

How to Submit:

Please format your submission as follows:

  • Format: Microsoft Word document. Font size 12, in Calibri or Times New Roman, ideally. For creative writing, please use .doc or .docx file (please, no PDF).
  • Each piece must be in a separate document.
  • Please label your file with the title of your piece. Do not include your name in the document.
  • Please fill out the subject of the email: Creative Writing Poetry / Creative Writing – Short Stories / Creative Writing – Flash Fiction.
  • Please include your full name in the body of the email (feel free to include a short cover letter introducing yourself and a little bit about your work). 
  • Please send your work to: submit.paperlanterns@gmail.com.
  • You will receive an auto-reply, requesting you to fill out a Google form.
  • Each written piece should be in a separate document, labelled with the title of your piece (do not include your name on or in the document).
  • We are able to pay a fee to our contributors. The fee is €60 for poetry or flash fiction and €100 for short stories. This will be paid via PayPal. If you are under 16, you will receive a book voucher. Payments will be made within two weeks after publication date.
  • Should your submission be successful, we reserve the right to make minor edits to your work to comply with our style guide. 

Short Stories

Send up to two short stories. Maximum word count: 2000 words.

Flash Fiction

Send up to three flash fiction. Maximum word count: 500 words.

Poetry

Send up to six poems. Maximum word count: 40 lines

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please feel free to ask at paperlanternsjournal@gmail.com