​Welcome writers! Thank you for your interest in CLOCKHOUSE. We’re looking for work that beckons us to listen, share, and engage. We encourage submissions from both established and emerging writers.
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We accept works of poetry, fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, ​drama for stage and screen, and cover art. 

Translations into English are accepted as long as the translator has the written permission and right to publish the original author’s work.

To see what we previously published, read selections from Volume 13 or order a past volume.
Submission period
Submissions to CLOCKHOUSE Volume 14 opened on September 1, 2026, and close at 11:59 PM on November 15, 2026. The print version of Volume 14 will be published in summer 2027, with selections also posted online. ​

​Please note: For specific genres, we may close submissions when we have the work we need.
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General guidelines
  • All submissions must be original, unpublished work written by the author or, if you are submitting artwork for cover consideration, original artwork created by the artist. We do not accept work generated in whole or in part by AI.
  • Follow industry-standard formatting guidelines (Word docs preferred) plus the genre-specific ones below.​
  • Include a bio of approximately 100 words or less
  • Simultaneous submissions are welcome as long as you withdraw them if accepted elsewhere.
  • Submit only through Submittable. No email or mailed submissions will be accepted.
  • If your work has been published in CLOCKHOUSE, please skip one issue before submitting again.

Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread.  

Genre-specific guidelines
Fiction
  • All flash and short fiction in traditional and experimental literary styles; genre fiction will be considered only if it sustains literary merit.
  • Flash fiction, micro fiction, etc.: up to 3 pieces, up to 750 words each. Upload each piece as a separate submission.
  • Short stories and self-contained novel excerpts: one piece, 751 - 3,500 words.
  • Double-spaced. Note the word count on the first page.
  • If submitting more than one piece, each must be submitted separately.

Poetry
  • All poetry in traditional and experimental styles including prose poetry.
  • Submit up to three poems of any length.
  • ​Each poem must be uploaded as a separate submission.
  • You may submit more than three poems only if they form a thematic unit (submit as one).

Memoir and Creative Nonfiction
  • All memoir and creative nonfiction in traditional and experimental literary 
  • No academic or scientific essays.
  • Submit one piece, up to 5,000 words.
  • Double-spaced. Note the word count on the first page.

Drama
  • Short plays and screenplays in traditional and experimental styles.
  • Standalone work only (not part of a longer work); no monologues.
  • Submitted work should be written with the audience in mind.
  • Submit up to 10 pages plus cover page with title and character breakdown.
  • Follow the industry-standard formatting guidelines appropriate for the plays/screenplays including paginations.

Cover art
We're looking for colorful and accessible artwork that will captivate our readers and complement the diverse literary content within. Specifically, your submission should be:
  • Colorful: we are seeking vibrant, dynamic artwork that uses a rich palette.
  • Accessible: the artwork should be engaging and approachable to a broad audience; we prefer representational styles but will consider abstract and surreal styles as well.
  • Artwork must be in portrait orientation with a size of at least 8 x 12 inches (20.32 cm x 30.48 cm).
  • A resolution of at least 300 DPI in either jpg or jpeg file format.
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Response time
Expect to wait up to four months after the close of our submissions period for a reply. After that time, you can check on the status of your submission by emailing [email protected]. Include the title of your piece, the genre, and the original date of submission.

Upon acceptance
By accepting any offer of publication by CLOCKHOUSE, the author will grant the magazine first serial rights. Upon publication, rights to the work revert back to the author. The author retains all other rights to the work. Any subsequent publication will note that the work was first published in CLOCKHOUSE.

Payment & publicity
Payment for publication in CLOCKHOUSE ​is one contributor’s copy in which the work appears and a discount on purchases of that volume.

We may nominate published work for awards or other recognition such as the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. The author may also choose to give CLOCKHOUSE permission to post their work on clockhouse.net and/or promote their name and work on social media.

Questions?
Email [email protected]. Submissions are not accepted at this address.
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