Root Smoke seeks work rooted in what nourishes, yet willing to drift into what lingers, welcoming writing that reflects, unsettles, illuminates, deepens, or surprises. We value language with texture and pieces that pay attention to the small moments as much as the seismic ones. 

Send us work that feels wild, honest, embodied, and alive.

Each week, Root Smoke lifts up two distinct voices:
Tuesdays, we begin with a poet.
Thursdays, we turn the page to prose.<div>Occasionally, on Sundays, we will feature an artist.


Three creators, three offerings, gathered each week and delivered straight into our subscriber's inboxes.<br></div>

We asked, you guys answered. Here are more of the community's spring 2026 favorites for you cool kids, weird kids, very serious adults, etc.

Want to check out Parts 1-3? We've un-paywalled them for you guys, so get them before they're gone.
Part 1: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/cool_kids_3
Part 2: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/Cool_kids_2
Part 3: https://www.chillsubs.com/lists/cool_kids_pt3

Where The Cool Kids Are Submitting Their Writing: Part 4

Online publications putting forward exceptional short stories for Best of the Net.

Fiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Digital publications advancing very short fiction for Best of the Net consideration.

Flash Fiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Identifies publications that put forward outstanding online work for this respected digital anthology established in 2006.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Online journals that specifically champion poetry for Best of the Net consideration.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

root smoke

Please submit up to 3 unpublished pieces, totaling no more than 8,000 words (no PDFs) to rootsmoke.lit @ gmail dot com.

We are always open to submissions.

We seek work that lives at the intersection of the grounded and the fleeting—pieces rooted in what nourishes, yet willing to drift into what lingers. We welcome writing that reflects, unsettles, illuminates, deepens, or surprises; work that pays attention to the quiet moments as much as the seismic ones.

We are drawn to:
language with intention and texture
emotional resonance without sentimentality
clarity balanced with mystery
pieces that leave an echo after the reading ends

Send us work that feels wild, honest, embodied, and alive.

FLASH FICTION

FICTION

Submit up to 5 unpublished poems in one document (no PDFs) to rootsmoke.lit @ gmail dot com.

We are always open to submissions.

We seek work that lives at the intersection of the grounded and the fleeting—pieces rooted in what nourishes, yet willing to drift into what lingers. We welcome writing that reflects, unsettles, illuminates, deepens, or surprises; work that pays attention to the quiet moments as much as the seismic ones.

We are drawn to:
language with intention and texture
emotional resonance without sentimentality
clarity balanced with mystery
pieces that leave an echo after the reading ends

Send us work that feels wild, honest, embodied, and alive.

POETRY

Please submit up to 2 unpublished pieces, totaling no more than 6,000 words (no PDFs) to rootsmoke.lit @ gmail dot com.

We are always open to submissions.

We seek work that lives at the intersection of the grounded and the fleeting—pieces rooted in what nourishes, yet willing to drift into what lingers. We welcome writing that reflects, unsettles, illuminates, deepens, or surprises; work that pays attention to the quiet moments as much as the seismic ones.

We are drawn to:
language with intention and texture
emotional resonance without sentimentality
clarity balanced with mystery
pieces that leave an echo after the reading ends

Send us work that feels wild, honest, embodied, and alive.

Submit up to 6 images in high resolution (Please note: final publication may require additional formatting.)  to rootsmoke.lit @ gmail dot com.

We are always open to submissions.

We seek work that lives at the intersection of the grounded and the fleeting—pieces rooted in what nourishes, yet willing to drift into what lingers. We welcome writing that reflects, unsettles, illuminates, deepens, or surprises; work that pays attention to the quiet moments as much as the seismic ones.

We are drawn to:
language with intention and texture
emotional resonance without sentimentality
clarity balanced with mystery
pieces that leave an echo after the reading ends

Send us work that feels wild, honest, embodied, and alive.

root smoke

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