Madelyn Postman is currently writing a short story collection that links memoir with her family’s intergenerational tale: the tragedies and triumphs of Chinese and Jewish European immigrants to California. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts and Art History from Brown University and lives near London, working as the Joint Managing Director of a sustainability consultancy.

This would be her first published story.

SS submissions

Madelyn Postman is writing a short story collection that links memoir with her family’s intergenerational tale: Chinese and Jewish European immigrants to California. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts and Art History from Brown University and lives in London, working as a sustainability consultant.

45 words

I heard about The Letter Review though Chill Subs and @ShortStoryComps on X/Twitter.

Madelyn Postman is currently writing a short story collection that links memoir with her family’s intergenerational tale: the tragedies and triumphs of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts and Art History from Brown University and lives near London, working as a sustainability consultant.

This is her first published story.

Letter Prize

Madelyn Postman is writing a short story collection based on her family history of Chinese and European Jewish immigrants to California. Her stories have been longlisted in Flash 500 Short Stories 2024 and her work has been featured on The Failing Writers' Podcast. She lives in the Chilterns outside London.

50 words longlist

Dear Fiction Editor,
I would like to submit my 1500-word story, “The Table,” to The
Southampton Review. This would be my first published story.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Jenny Writerface

Example letter 1

Dear Fiction Editor and Readers,
I would like to submit my 5,000-word story, “The Sleeping Dog,” for your
consideration at Washington Square Review.

The previous story I submitted received a positive note from your editors.
Thank you for that. I hope this is a better fit.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Best regards,
Dani McCreditcard

Example letter 2 (repeat submission)

Dear Fiction Editors,
I would like to submit my story “My Old Eyeglasses” for your
consideration at Smokelong Quarterly. My stories appear in New England
Review and Cream City Review.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Best Regards,
Alicia Earbudsman

Example letter 3 (publications)

Dear Matt Bell and Readers,
I would like to submit my 2,100-word story, “Data Double,” for your consideration for the Cinematic Short Story Contest.

This would be my first published work, after having two stories longlisted in Flash 500 Short Stories 2024.

Thank you very much for your time.

Best regards,
Madelyn Postman

Cinematic DD

Dear Prose Readers and Editors,
I would like to submit my 6.6k-word creative nonfiction piece, “An Upright Man,” for your consideration at Passengers Journal. This story is based on the rivalry and friendship of my two Chinese American great-grandfathers. 

It is part of a short story collection I am writing that links memoir with my family's intergenerational tale. The first story in the collection will be included in The Hope Prize anthology, to be published by Simon & Schuster Australia this December.

I'm currently reading Yaa Gyasi's HOMEGOING which, together with Tommy Orange's THERE THERE, is a wonderful comp for my collection.

I heard about Passengers Journal through Chill Subs. Thank you for your consideration.

Warm Regards,
Madelyn Postman

Passengers cover letter

Madelyn Postman is writing a short story collection that links memoir with her family's intergenerational tale of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. The first story in the collection, "Things My Dad Told Me," will be published in The Hope Prize anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia in December 2024. Her stories have been longlisted in Flash 500 Short Stories 2024 and her work has been featured on The Failing Writers' Podcast. She is American and lives outside London with her husband and two teenage children. You can find her on Instagram @the16stories.

Bio Hope Prize

Dear Q.M. Zhang,
I would like to submit my hybrid story “An Upright Man” for your consideration at The Massachusetts Review. One of my stories will be included in The Hope Prize anthology, published by Simon & Schuster Australia this December. 

Thank you very much for your consideration and for the opportunity to submit year-round as a BIPOC author.

Kind regards,
Madelyn Postman

Massachusetts cover letter

Dear editors,
I would like to submit my story “An Upright Man” for your consideration for the Robert Watson Literary Prize.

I am writing a short story collection that links memoir with historical fiction based on my family's intergenerational tale of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. The first story in the collection, "Things My Dad Told Me," will be published in The Hope Prize anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia this December. I am American and live near London with my husband and two teenage children.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
Madelyn Postman

Greensboro letter

Dear Creative Nonfiction Editors,
I would like to submit my story 5,500-word story, “The East Wind,” for your consideration at the West Trade Review.

I am writing a short story collection that links memoir with historical fiction based on my family's intergenerational tale of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. The first story in the collection, "Things My Dad Told Me," will be published in The Hope Prize anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia this December. I am American and live near London with my husband and two teenage children.

You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @the16stories.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
Madelyn Postman

West Trade Review letter

Dear Creative Nonfiction Editors,
I would like to submit my story 5,100-word story, “Hearts on Fire,” for your consideration for the West Trade Review's mental health anthology.

Madelyn Postman is writing a short story collection that links memoir with historical fiction based on her family's intergenerational tale of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. The first story in the collection, "Things My Dad Told Me," will be published in The Hope Prize anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia in December 2024. She is American and lives near London with her husband and two teenage children. She is on Instagram and X as @the16stories and publishes a monthly newsletter, The Spark.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
Madelyn Postman

West Trade Review 3rd person

Madelyn Postman is writing a short story collection that links memoir with historical fiction, based on her family of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. The first story, "Things My Dad Told Me," will be published in The Hope Prize anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia in December 2024. She is American and lives near London. You can find her on Instagram and X as @the16stories.


3rd person bio - 68 words

Madelyn Postman is writing a short story collection that links memoir with her family's intergenerational tale: the tragedies and triumphs of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants who converged in California. Her stories have been shortlisted in The Hope Prize (and included in an anthology to be published by Simon & Schuster Australia in December 2024) and longlisted in the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize and Flash 500 Short Stories. She is American and lives near London. You can find her on Instagram and X as @the16stories.

Lascaux bio

Madelyn Postman writes short stories that link memoir with the intergenerational tales of her family: Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. Her work features in the inaugural Hope Prize anthology, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, as well as in the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize anthology and in Livina Press. She is American and lives near London with her husband and two teenage children. You can find her on Instagram and X as @the16stories and at madelynpostman.com.

Writers Workout

Dear Editors,
I would like to submit my flash piece, “When Eve Drank Too Much Warhol,” for your consideration for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2024.

I am writing a short story collection that links memoir with historical fiction based on my family's intergenerational tale of Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. The first story in the collection, "Things My Dad Told Me," features in The Hope Prize anthology, published by Simon & Schuster Australia. My work is also in the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize anthology and in Livina Press.

I am American and live near London with my husband and two teenage children. You can find me at madelynpostman.com and on Instagram as @the16stories.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
Madelyn Postman

SmokeLong

Madelyn Postman (she/her) writes short stories that link memoir with the tales of her family: Chinese and Eastern European Jewish immigrants to California. Her work features in the inaugural Hope Prize anthology, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, as well as in the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize anthology and in Livina Press. She creates a podcast and newsletter, The Spark. She is American and lives near London. You can find her on Instagram (the16stories) and at madelynpostman.com.