Submissions

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FOR A SHORT TIME, X-R-A-Y IS DOING THEMED CALLS.
 
On November 1, we will open flash (300-2,000 words) and short story (2,000-7,500 words) submissions for this theme: SAD CHRISTMAS.
 
This is what our editors Josh and Alice have to say about the SAD CHRISTMAS short story call:
 
“We are less interested in stories that treat the conventions of the occasion, and we’re uninterested in stories that treat those conventionally. We would like to see work taking the weirder approach to the subject matter, with unexpected distortions, turns, exchanges, and personalities.
 
In particular, Alice wants shorts like Dennis Quaid destroying a crab leg in The Substance. Josh wants shorts like Somewhere by Sofia Coppola.”
 
This is what Chris said about the SAD CHRISTMAS flash fiction call:
 

“You don’t have to be alone to be lonesome / It’s easy to forget / The sadness comes crashing like a brick through the window / And it’s Christmas so no one can fix it

The Dead by Joyce and The Junky’s Christmas. And Cassie by Jordie Devlin McMorrow. Thank you.”


GENERAL GUIDELINES

 

X-R-A-Y’S SWEET SPOTS

While we will look at any Fiction or Creative Nonfiction submission up to 7,500 words, these words counts are our sweet spots. 

500-1,200
3,000-5,000

If you poke at our sweet spots, we will love your bones forever.

SUBMISSION PERIODS AS FOLLOWS 
  • SHORT STORIES (2,000 to 7,500 words): We open these submissions on the 1st of every month. Submissions close when we reach our cap. Every other month we limit these short story submissions to folk who have not submitted short stories to us in the past. 
  • MICROS (up to 300 words): We open these submissions on the 7th of each month. Submissions close when we reach our cap.
  • CREATIVE NONFICTION (300 to 7,500 words): We open these submissions on the 14th of each month. Submissions close when we reach our cap.
  • FLASH FICTION: (300 to 2,000 words): We open these submissions on the 21st of each month. Submissions close when we reach our cap.
MISCELLANEOUS
  • We want prose only. No poetry, please.
  • Wait until you hear from us before you submit again.
  • You may submit your work elsewhere, no problem.
  • We shoot for a response time of 3-8 weeks.
  • We’re kind about it, but genre fiction might find a better home elsewhere.
  • We’d love for you to look around before submitting. Have at it.
GRITTY BITS & BOBS
  • By submitting to us, if accepted, you grant us first electronic rights and non-exclusive archival rights.
  • All submissions remain the intellectual property of the artist. Rights revert to author upon publication.
  • We’d love if you’d credit us if your work first appeared here.
  • Work previously published in print only welcome if in no violation of original rights.
  • You’ll feel really good if you check out these kick-ass authors.
  • Exposure to the website carries a small risk of radiation poisoning. We suggest wearing a lead apron while submitting. 
 

REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS

Our interviews/reviews editor is Rebecca Gransden, who is very nice; pitch her at rebecca@xraylitmag.com. We don’t take reviews as often as interviews, and we rarely assign our reviews. But go on, shoot your shot