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Fiction

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There are currently five ways to submit fiction to Mslexia, from a 100-word flash in response to a visual prompt, to 2,200-word broadcast-length short story on our latest theme. 

Showcase themes

Twice a year we invite leading authors to select from submissions of short fiction and poetry on a particular theme for the Showcase section of Mslexia magazine. Our curator-judges have included Hilary Mantel, Carol Ann Duffy, Val McDermid, Kate Mosse, Jackie Kay, Pascale Petit, Linda Grant and many more.

Stories must be no longer than 2,200 words (which translates to a 15-minute radio broadcast slot) and poems up to 40 lines (the maximum that can comfortably fit onto a single page of the magazine) and we pay for every piece we publish. There is no lower word or line limit. You may send up to four poems and/or up to two stories on any one theme. Please ensure your name does not appear on the work itself.

2024 themes:

Cats: For Issue 102 we're looking for stories about fesity felines, mercurial moggies and big wild cats. Deadline: 11 March

Red: blood, roses, strawberries, ladybirds...or Taylor Swift's fourth studio album? Send us your Red themed submissions for Issue 103. Deadline: 10 June


The World’s Wife 

A 500-word fictional prose monologue in the voice of the wife, mistress, sister, daughter, mother of a famous real or fictional person. We’re inviting strong voice pieces suitable for both page or performance. Please give your piece a title that explains the relationship, e.g. ‘Ophelia, fiancée of Hamlet’; ‘Melania, wife of Donald Trump’. 

Flash Challenge (Subscriber Only)

Judged by award-winning author Meg Pokrass. Please send stories up to 250 words that tell a complete story on the theme: rationalisation

Bedtime Story 

A submission slot for short stories intended to be read aloud to a child at bedtime. They can be on any subject, but no more than 250 words in length.

Perfect Pitch (Subscriber Only)

Do you have a novel or memoir ready for submission? Are you wrestling with how to describe it to an agent or editor? Submit your draft pitch letter for possible inclusion in Mslexia, along with detailed feedback from experienced literary agent Catherine Cho.

Your letter should be no more than 300 words in length, and should include the following information:

  • two-sentence overview of the book (including its genre and one or more comparative title/s)
  • brief summary of the plot/contents
  • two sentences about you

Fiction Feedback

We have ended the ‘First Page Surgery’ series in the magazine. But if you are interested in receiving feedback on this aspect of your work, we regularly invite leading literary agents, authors and book doctors to comment on pitches and first pages at our online events in the Mslexia Salon

Unsure about eligibility, formatting, or what happens to your work after you submit? Visit our Submissions Policy page.

Deadline for inclusion in Issue 102 of Mslexia: 8 April 2024

 

How to Submit

Submitting online

To submit, complete the form below this section and upload your submission document.

Submit Online

Submitting by post

Alternatively, send your entry by post to:

Mslexia
PO Box 656
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 1PZ

Please include your address, phone number and email on a separate cover sheet, along with the title of the work you are submitting. All submissions are judged anonymously, so please ensure your name does not appear on the submitted work itself.

Submit your work

This form is for writers submitting work for Mslexia magazine. If you are submitting several pieces, please use a new form for each submission. (There is a different form for competition entries that you can access via the Competitions area of the website.)

Your message

There is no need to include a cover letter with your submission, but you are welcome to use this space if you would like to tell us something about your writing or yourself, or to comment in any way on Mslexia. If we want to publish all or some of this for the ‘What you’re saying’ section of the magazine, we promise to contact you first to seek permission.

Upload your submission

All commonly used file types are acceptable, including .doc, .docx, .pdf, .pages, .txt, .rtf, .jpeg, .jpg and .png. If we are unable to read your submission, we will get in touch.

New submission categories

Some of our submission categories change quarterly; others every six months; and we refresh the entire magazine on an annual basis. Tick the box if you’d like to be kept in touch with any changes.

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