WRITING CONTEST, APRIL 1 - MAY 31, 2020: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Humor, Short-Short Fiction
* Only work that's previously unpublished in any form--print or electronic, including blogs.
* Author must be 18 or older.
* Submit to one genre only and only to a link below (no email or snail mail submissions, please).
* Name in cover letter only, not file name or document.
* Double spaced, Arial 12-point font only.
* Click Editors' Blog for examples of writing we publish.
No submission fee, $300 First Prize, $100 Second Prize in each; all contributors receive a print copy of the issue, prize winners receive 3 copies.
NOTE: Please don't withdraw and resubmit to correct minor errors. We are working quickly as the end of the contest nears and may already have your work in review.
When accepting a piece we ask for the standard "first serial rights," your agreement that we will be the first to publish your submission (you never lose the rights to your work, and once in print with us you're free to publish it elsewhere).
Mary Bast: Senior Editor, Creative Nonfiction Editor
James Singer III: Associate Editor, Fiction Editor
J.N. Fishhawk: Poetry Editor
Kaye Linden: Short-Short Editor
Stephanie Seguin: Humor Editor
Bacopa Literary Review is published by Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG). To join WAG, click here ($36 membership includes copy of most recent Bacopa Literary Review).
Send us the best fiction you can write. We care about well-written stories that make us feel or think and leave us with memories that will stick with us for years to come. No matter the subject, be it genre or literary fiction, what matters is the effect your story has on us. You must be 18 years old or older.
Only one submission to fiction, and do not submit to another genre unless this submission has been declined. Your uploaded file must contain only the title and work itself, not the author's name.
- One piece, 1000-3000 words
- Double spaced, Arial 12-point font only
- One-inch margins all sides; 0.5-inch paragraph indent; left justified
- Submit the file in .doc .docx or .rtf only
The submission process includes a text entry box titled "COVER LETTER," the only place where you provide the following information:
- Name, address, email, phone, title, word count and bio of 50 words or fewer
- Where did you hear about Bacopa Literary Review?
James Singer III
Fiction Editor
Bacopa Literary Review
We publish true stories, written beautifully, and based on the author’s experiences, perceptions, and reflections in the form of personal memoir or literary essay (for example, nature, travel, medical, spiritual, food writing). You must be 18 years old or older.
Only one submission to creative nonfiction, and do not submit to another genre unless this submission has been declined. Your uploaded file must contain only the title and work itself, not the author's name.
- One piece, limit 2500 words
- Double spaced, Arial 12-point font only
- One-inch margins all sides; 0.5-inch paragraph indent; left justified
- Submit the file in .doc .docx or .rtf only
The submission process includes a text entry box titled "COVER LETTER," the only place where you provide the following information:
- Name, address, email, phone, title, word count and bio of 50 words or fewer
- Where did you hear about Bacopa Literary Review?
Mary Bast
Creative Nonfiction Editor
Bacopa Literary Review
Let us hear your particular voice. Ground your words in the world, or the body, or both. Break genres and bend boundaries, or pour your own cosmos into, and extract alternate universes from, hoary ancestral forms. You must be 18 years old or older.
Please note that acceptance does not mean the shape or font size of the poem will stay the same. All content will be configured to fit within a 6" x 9" printed page.
You can submit up to 3 poems in one file, and do not submit to another genre unless this submission has been declined. Your uploaded file must contain only the title and work itself, not the author's name.
- 1-3 poems per submission
- Limit each poem to 88 lines, including spaces between stanzas
- DO NOT DOUBLE SPACE (show the shape of your poem as it should appear in print)
- Arial 12-point font only
- Submit the file in .doc, .docx or .rtf only
The submission process includes a text entry box titled "COVER LETTER," the only place where you provide the following information:
- Name, address, email, phone, title, word count and bio of 50 words or fewer
- Where did you hear about Bacopa Literary Review?
J.N. Fishhawk
Poetry Editor
Bacopa Literary Review
Writing short is a unique skill. Short-shorts include fiction stories of 750 words or fewer with a clear story line, minimalistic tight writing and compressed story structure. There is no minimum on word count. We love 25-word hint fiction as much as 750-word stories. You must be 18 years old or older.
Only one submission to short-short, and do not submit to another genre unless this submission has been declined. Your uploaded file must contain only the title and work itself, not the author's name.
- One piece, limit 750 words
- Double spaced, Arial 12-point font only
- One-inch margins all sides; 0.5-inch paragraph indent; left justified
- Submit the file in .doc .docx or .rtf only
The submission process includes a text entry box titled "COVER LETTER," the only place where you provide the following information:
- Name, address, email, phone, title, word count and bio of 50 words or fewer
- Where did you hear about Bacopa Literary Review?
Kaye Linden
Short-Short Editor
Bacopa Literary Review
Make us laugh in any literary form up to 1,500 words intended to be humorous. This can include personal essays, satire, poetry, short fiction, grocery lists, manifestos, or modified insurance policies. You must be 18 years old or older.
Only one submission to humor, and do not submit to another genre unless this submission has been declined. Your uploaded file must contain only the title and work itself, not the author's name.
- One piece, limit 1,500 words
- Double spaced, Arial 12-point font only
- One-inch margins all sides; 0.5-inch paragraph indent; left justified
- Submit the file in .doc .docx or .rtf only
The submission process includes a text entry box titled "COVER LETTER," the only place where you provide the following information:
- Name, address, email, phone, title, word count and bio of 50 words or fewer
- Where did you hear about Bacopa Literary Review?
Stephanie Seguin
Humor Editor
Bacopa Literary Review