Prose & Poetry Contests

Submission Guidelines

AlphaBeta is hosting its Prose and Poetry Contests, which opened January 1st, 2023. The deadline has been extended to August 15th, 2023. 

Any writer residing in the US and who identifies as marginalized, whether due to their economic status, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, incarceration or immigrant status, or other oppressed group, is eligible for this contest.  

Prose  

Please submit one previously unpublished essay or story per submission. Multiple submissions are welcome. 

Please submit an essay or story of no more than 8,000 words. 

Submissions should be anonymous. Please do not list your name or contact information in your document. You will have the opportunity to include a cover letter in the submission form. 

Manuscripts must be in English.

Please format your document in a legible 12-point font, double-spaced. Please number your pages. Family, friends, and current students or colleagues of the judges are ineligible for entry. 

While we do not dismiss the merit of genre fiction, AlphaBeta focuses on literary fiction. Work that approaches genre fiction with a literary mind is welcome, but traditional erotica will not be a good fit for us.  

Here’s an example of a Short Story

Poetry  

Please submit up to three previously unpublished poems per submission. Multiple submissions are welcome. -Submissions should be anonymous. Please do not list your name or contact information in your story document. You will have the opportunity to include a cover letter in the submission form. 

Manuscripts must be in English.

Please format your document in a legible 12-point font, single-spaced. 

Family, friends, and current students or colleagues of the judges are ineligible for entry.

We also seek book reviews, interviews, craft essays, humor writing, graphic narratives, and artwork. To submit work under these categories.

Here’s an example of a freestyle poem.

Feedback Fiction and Non-fiction

We aim to respond to all submissions within two months. 

Write ‘Feedback’ on your email subject line if you would like the detailed feedback of our editors. (Example: SUBMISSION: Name of your piece (Feedback). 

Submit under this form if you would like the detailed feedback of our editors. For $10-$15, we will provide analysis of your piece’s strengths and room for growth. Our feedback will examine how subject, style, characterization, plot, and theme operate in the story or essay. Please note that this option does not guarantee acceptance to the journal or the option to revise and resubmit.

Feedback on a piece of 4,000 words or less: $10

Feedback on a piece of 4,000 – 8,000 words: $15

Please send one previously unpublished short story, novel excerpt, or literary essay of no more than 8,000 words. Flash and micro-prose are welcome. You may send up to three pieces if they are each less than 1,000 words. Please send flash/micro in one document.

Please submit your work in Standard Manuscript Format. Double-spaced. 12-point font, and include your contact information and an approximate word count on the first page, as well as page numbers throughout. 

Simultaneous submissions are encouraged. Please notify us immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere.

We aim to respond within five months of submission. If you have not heard from us after five months, please feel free to reach out to us in a note on your submission. Submissions will be considered for both online and print publication. We are able to offer a small honorarium for published work.

Please note: We will not accept work that perpetuates hatred toward people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA community, disabled people, immigrants, the impoverished, or other marginalized groups. No graphic depictions of rape, incest, or child abuse, please. We’re not saying these subjects cannot be approached effectively, but we are not looking for these narratives at this time.

Thank you for your interest in our publication!