What to Submit
Flash Fiction, Chapbooks and Full-Length Books
We are open to any style or subject (except pornography, spoken or visual). We eagerly look for new writers, but only those who have learned the craft. We are not interested in writers who consider themselves amateurs.
For individual flash fiction works, please limit your submission to three titles of no more than 1000 words each, including contact information on each manuscript. We consider simultaneous submissions, but expect to be notified immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. We consider previously published work only if it has not appeared in any printed or online publication during the past ten years.
We only accept the following document formats: HTML (.htm, .html), RTF (.rtf), plain text (.txt), Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx). We would prefer that you not send .pdf files because they do not convert well to formats we can use without having to do a lot of retyping, which could introduce errors and delay. We ask that you also please not type your titles in all caps.
The best way to handle titles is by using heading styles. For book-length manuscripts, if you do not know how to set up automatic headers, footers, and page numbering, please either learn how or do not use them at all. Use a hard page break (Control + Enter) to start a new page, not multiple repetitions of the Enter key.
For full-length book or chapbook submissions, please submit the entire collection including any front matter. There is no need to query first. Additionally, for book contest submissions, please read the submissions guidelines shown under the Contest link.
Reviews of Flash Fiction, Collections and Magazines
We consider reviews of flash fiction, no matter the source (e.g., chapbooks, magazines, individual works, etc.). A review may be any length as long as it is tightly and clearly written and follows accepted guidelines for citing copyrighted material. Please include complete publication information for books and delineate block-quoted material.
Artwork
Artwork is considered both as a companion to a flash fiction submission or as a standalone submission that we will place on our site at our discretion. We consider any kind of artwork that we deem to be in good taste and suitable for our site. Generally, however—with the exception of cover art—we do not showcase artwork, simply because we are a flash fiction publisher. In any case, you will be given full credit as the artist and will have, like the authors, a bio page (with contact info and a link to your portfolio, if desired). Art students in search of publishing projects and credits (and gratitude!) are strongly encouraged to send us examples of their work.
We are especially interested in front-cover artwork suitable for our printed books and annually printed anthologies. For cover designs, please supply a press quality .pdf file with a trim size of 6" x 9" and an extra .0125" on all four sides for bleed. Be sure to use CMYK mode for art intended for print publication. If your design includes text (as it normally will if we ask you to prepare a specific book cover from art you have previously submitted), please convert all text to outlines so we don't have to worry about installing fonts we may not have on our end. Be prepared (but only if asked) to supply us with the file you exported your .pdf from in case last-minute tweaks are needed at press time.
For all art other than cover art and photos intended for print publication, we are only interested in formats optimized for web display. Use RGB color mode and either .jpg, .gif, or .png format. A 72 dpi resolution is normally sufficient. Large files cannot be displayed quickly online and will not be considered. Try to keep any artwork under 200K, and much less than that if at all possible without sacrificing too much quality.
Audio
FutureCycle Flash does not publish music per se, except as it may be incorporated into fiction readings. MP3 is the preferred format, but we will consider other formats. The smaller the file the better, as long as the sound quality is acceptable.
Collaborations
We are always looking for new ways to showcase good flash fiction. If you have any creative ideas, please e-mail the Director. We are open to collaborations with other presses and authors. Tell us your ideas!
How to Submit
We do not accept email or snail-mail submissions. Both will be returned unread.Because our editors live in different cities and must communicate electronically, we require that all manuscripts be submitted via our online submission form. If you have suitable digital artwork or audio to accompany your work, please include it with the submission. Please be advised, however, that "all or nothing” package deals will lessen your chances of being accepted.
To make it easier, we suggest you send your titles/documents together in one file, such as a Word Document. However, if you are submitting multiple pieces, you may also send each file as a separate submission, so that you can withdraw a title later should it be accepted elsewhere (this is a feature of our online submission system). But remember: Acceptable document types are doc, docx, rtf, wpd, pdf, and plain text.
The online submission system allows you to send work for our anthology/website or for our annual contest. You will be asked to select the type of submission. We read general submissions from August 1 to March 31, and you will be able to track the status of your submissions at any time. Contest submissions are read from April 1 to July 15. Do not send to the contest without first reading its specific guidelines.
How We Decide
What are our editorial tastes in flash fiction? The best way to determine what we like is to read through the Our Authors section. As of this writing, that section is empty, but please check back often. In short, our tastes are very eclectic; publishing decisions often involve several editors with varying sensibilities, with the Editor-in-Chief making the final decision on those works that rise to the top. Although we strive to respond sooner, please allow three months before querying about the status of your submission.