Send Us Your Short Fiction! (Literary Upstart Has Returned)
Dear Writer Types, (and those of you who know and/or love writer types)
With an elemental regularity not dissimilar to the annual flooding of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, our beloved short fiction contest, Literary Upstart, is happening once again this spring, for the ninth year in a row, in Brooklyn, New York. Specifically, at the most wonderful PowerHouse Arena, in DUMBO (go there now and buy books, you jerks).
In order for the contest to be its usual highbrow/lowbrow fun-time spectacular, we need your submissions of short fiction NOW. If we like yours, you’ll end up reading it in front of the fanciest NYC literary people who ever lived, all for a chance at fame and riches. For more details, see below.
Writers are encouraged to submit their previously unpublished short fiction (a maximum of 1,300 words). THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE FIRST READING IS APRIL 12TH, AT NOON.
Semi-finalists, fifteen in total, will be invited to participate in one of three readings, in front of a live, lively audience, and a panel of judges comprised of members of the local literati.
The three semi-final winners will advance to our final reading, where they’ll vie for a cash prize, and publication in The L Magazine‘s annual Summer Fiction Issue.
Submission guidelines:
Entries (please limit yourself to two submissions) should be polished little labors of love of no more than 1,300 previously unpublished words. Content, style, subject, et cetera is at the discretion of the writer.
Kindly email submissions as an attached Word document in a standard, 12-point font to:
literaryupstart [at] thelmagazine [dot] com and put the words “LITERARY UPSTART” in the subject line.
While curlicues and bubble fonts make us blush, they also make our poor eyes bleed, so please keep it simple and please double space. Please include your name, the title of your story, and your email address, at least on the first page your story and perhaps even on subsequent pages.
Last, but not least, please remember that the live readings are a major component of this competition, so if you’re not living in the NYC area or cannot arrange to be here for a reading or two in spring and summer, you may wish to reconsider submitting your work.
Happy Writing,
The L Magazine
literaryupstart@thelmagazine.com
