Submissions
Basic Rules and How-To’s
Make it clear and easy to read
Use Shunn Modern Manuscript Format. If that’s a problem, just make it neat and readable. A basic serif or sans-serif 12 point font will do. Submit work in .doc, .docx, or .rtf only. No .pdf or Pages. Attach your work as a document in an email to the requested address in the submission request.
We will not accept any document that uses AI.
Statement of inclusion
Our approach to diversity and inclusion is simple. Cultivate an environment where everyone puts their best self forward without fear of reprisal based on race, gender, age, religion, identity, or experience.
No Nazis. No bots.
Helping words take flight
If possible, our editors will work with you to improve your piece. It’s possible you will send us a piece we feel we cannot help you improve on. But we feel the writer/editor relationship exists to bring out the very best a poem or prose piece can be.
Projects Open for Submissions
Call for Short Story Submissions
Cicada Song Press is now open for submissions for our Spring 2025 Anthology: Breaking Through the Penumbra. Submissions are open September 1, 2024 – November 30, 2024.
We are soliciting flash fiction and short stories from 100 – 5,000 words, based on the theme: Rebirth, Renewal and Reemergence. We encourage stories from all fiction genres and creative non-fiction.
Keeping with our mission statement, we encourage both unpublished and published writers from diverse backgrounds.
There is no entry fee for submissions, and we do accept multiple submissions, up to 3 per author. Your story may not have been previously curated in a magazine, journal, anthology, etc. (but if you published it yourself on a webpage that is ok), and we do not accept AI generated stories. All story decisions will be made by the end of December, 2024.
Selected stories will be printed in our Breaking Through the Penumbra anthology, expected in Spring 2025. Authors of selected stories will receive a free e-copy of the book, along with the opportunity to purchase print copies at the publisher’s cost. We will also include one social media/website link printed alongside your story so your fans can find you. Story rights revert to the author immediately following publication.
Be especially careful to include an accurate email address, as this will be our sole means of contacting you.
We are not particularly choosy about manuscript format, but a double spaced, 12-point, legible font is nice. If you’d like more guidance, we suggest William Shunn’s guide to Proper Manuscript Format. We request .doc, docx, or .rtf format.
If you have more questions, please contact us at submissions@cicadasongpress.com. Do NOT use this email for your submission, only for questions. Submissions should be made using our form.
Submit your story through the form found here:
Novella or collection of shorter prose
Cicada Song Press is currently open to novellas (10K-40K words) or pairs of novelettes or sets of shorter prose writings (equaling 10K-40K words) by one or more people. If you have some short work that you believe is of high quality, but you’ve been facing barriers to publication, query us. Send Johanna a query letter and the first 5 pages (or a representative 5 pages) of your work to: johanna@cicadasongpress.com.
What are we looking for? Work from any genre or none, Johanna is partial to stories that have some element of adventure in them. Characters that stick out catch her attention, as will strong author and character voice. A bit of surrealism or the unexpected never hurt.
Submissions will close on December 31, 2024.
(Don’t worry, they will open again next year.)