Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Winter 2021

Our Winter 2021 reading period is open from December 1st to January 31st. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories:

Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms.

Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words.

Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less.

Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen.

Baring the Device: essays about literary defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about craft, storytelling, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column; click here to learn more.

The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A majority of submissions are read during the months of February, May, August, and November, so you can expect to hear back from us then—for updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. We only accept previously unpublished work, and although simultaneous submissions are welcome, you must notify us if your piece is accepted elsewhere. Please submit only once per reading period, and visit our Baring the Device column to learn about the kinds of submissions we accept. You can also click here to learn about our selection process, or click here for manuscript consultations from our editors.

[See The Gravity of the Thing’s Website for More Details]