Submission Guidelines for Apparition Lit

We will only accept previously unpublished, complete stories between 1000-5000 words. If the story is complete with an extra hundred words, then it will still be considered. Any stories over 5,100 words, excerpted from a larger work, or incorrectly formatted, will automatically be rejected. Writers can include up to five (5) poems per submission and there is no minimum length required for submissions. We do ask that each poem be no longer than 2-pages in length.

Stories and poems must be speculative fiction and based on the current quarterly theme.

We do not accept multiple or simultaneous submissions. Please send only one submission per category during each reading period. (See Equity Initiative for exceptions). If a story is withdrawn and a separate story is sent during the same themed submission period, it is considered a multiple submission and will be rejected. Multiple submissions are not accepted, including withdrawn stories.

At this time, we do not accept nonfiction, reprints or resubmissions, excerpts from other works, or unsolicited interviews or reviews. We do not accept stories that have been published, whether in paper or on the internet. Do not send us stories we have rejected in the past. We currently do not accept translations. 

Please note that we will not accept AI-generated content submissions. This includes stories or poetry that are written or co-written by AI.

Guidelines

1. Format the story using the Shunn manuscript (but you don't need to include your home address or phone #)
2. Please only use Times New Roman or Arial font in your document.
3. Name the file using the story title and your last name.
4. In your cover letter, please add content warnings for sexual assualt, animal abuse, or graphic violence. These stories will be read however these helps protect our Readers.

Hard Passes

• While we love dark stories with macabre elements, we will not accept stories with gratuitous and graphic violence or rape, this includes any type of child abuse including sexual abuse.
• We will not consider stories that have extreme, purposeless violence toward animals.
• We do not publish erotica or thinly-veiled fan fiction.
• Stories sent outside of the reading periods will be deleted unread.
• Stories or poems with attached/embedded images or graphics files will be deleted unread.
• AI generated stories, poems, or art.

Equity Initiative

As Apparition Lit works to create a more equitable publishing community, we recognize that our open submission period is concurrent with some other really great literary magazines where marginalized writers also like to submit. Voices should be heard and we want to help increase that opportunity.

Our submission window will remain open for an additional week each quarter for writers who identify as BIPOC and self-identify in their cover letter. 

We will also accept simultaneous submissions from writers who identify as Disabled, BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+. Please just note how you identify in your cover letter, that it is a simultaneous submission, and see further details in the menu below on how to submit for each category.