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Open for submissions
"Orca publishes short stories, flash fiction, and nonfiction. We are a literary journal and we believe in the literary style of writing. We are open to almost any topic, as long as it’s written in a literary style."
"Orca publishes short stories, flash fiction, and nonfiction. We are a literary journal and we believe in the literary style of writing. We are open to almost any topic, as long as it’s written in a literary style."
Vibe
Send us your best but less intimidating
Response Time
Acceptance Rate
Payment
Yes: $25-$50
Fee
Yes: $3
Simultaneous submissions
Yes
Previously published
No
Expedited response
No
Available in print
Yes
Provides contributor copies
Yes: yes, one-year pdf subscription
Examples online
Yes
Active on social media
Yes
Accepted genres
4 genres
Fiction
Max words: 8000
Max pieces: 1
Flash Fiction
Max words: 1000
Max pieces: 3
Nonfiction
Max words: 8000
Max pieces: 1
Poetry
Max pieces: 3
with a total maximum word count of 1000
Fiction
Max words: 8000
Max pieces: 1
Flash Fiction
Max words: 1000
Max pieces: 3
Nonfiction
Max words: 8000
Max pieces: 1
Poetry
Max pieces: 3
with a total maximum word count of 1000
Statistics
We're able to provide them because you use our tracker!
You're the best!
44
Total submissions tracked
24 days
Average response time
Average acceptance rate
6 days
Fastest response time
45 days
Slowest response time
*Weird response times we excluded from calculations: 193 days, 582 days
How to submit
Process
We use Submittable.
Cover letters
This magazine does not list any details on their website for this section.
Eligibility
No specific eligibility requirements
Formatting
Times/Times Roman 12 point is preferred. A word count is appreciated.
Rights for published work
Upon acceptance, Orca requests first North American Serial Rights and First Digital Publication Rights. All rights revert to the author upon publication. We ask that if the work is reprinted in a collection or anthology that you indicate Orca, A Literary Journal as the original publisher in your acknowledgments.
Additional info
Pays! $50 for stories 2500 words or longer, $25 for stories under 2500 words, plus a one-year pdf subscription. Print copies are available at a discount to contributors. Available in print Orca offers 100 free submissions each month in addition to the $3 standard fee. Submit no more than once in each category at a time. Once you have received a response to a particular submission you may submit in that category again
About the Magazine
Founded in 2019 | United States
We are committed to diversity of identities, origins, and perspectives on our pages. Many of our contributors are from other countries and cultures. But the main criterion by which we judge submissions is the quality of the writing. We seek work that is high concept: imaginative, thoughtful, even speculative, and open to possibilities. We look for deep, diverse characters, and narratives that blend genres, or connect seemingly disparate ideas. We currently pay $50 for published short stories and $25 for work under 2500 words. We are also committed to the intentions of our contributors. Although we often work with writers to polish their stories, we also respect their original intent, and as much as possible retain the artist’s individual and local language, spelling, style, and vernacular. Our current publishing schedule: June, speculative issue; October, literary issue; February 2024, literary issue. Submissions will remain open year-round. Literary stories with a speculative aspect are sometimes included in the literary issues.
Masthead
We currently list only main editors, more will be added later! If you are an editor, you can edit your masthead in our admin panel :)
Joe Ponepinto
Publisher/Senior Editor
Zachary Kellian
Publisher/Senior Editor
Renee Jackson
Editor