Contest
Many issues of our magazines have a themed contest. We give you the prompt, and you have two months to be inspired, write, and submit.
The deadline for every contest is one month before publication. Runners up are also published, alongside stories from our general submissions pile.
Current theme: Freedom
Word count: 1,000 – 2,500
Prize: £100, publication, and a published comment about why the story won.
Published where? In our special bumper issue (a crossover of Tangled Web Magazine and Mirk Fantasy Magazine.
Entry fee: £5
Deadline: 31st July 2024
General submissions
We are always open to general submissions, and these will be considered for the next issue of the relevant magazine.
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We are looking for speculative fiction, crime, and thriller short stories. Interpret this however you’d like, and as most lit mags say, have a read of our magazine to get an idea of what we publish.
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If it’s dark, twisty, and has a satisfying end, then we want to read your work.
We offer a fast pass submission which guarantees you a response within seven days. This costs £5.
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Word count: maximum 6,000
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Mirk is dedicated to clean, secondary-world fantasy fiction. If your story includes magic, myth, and a bit of escapism, then we want to read what you’ve got.
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We love Patrick Rothfuss, Jeff Wheeler, Charlie N. Holmberg, and Sue Lynn Tan.
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We offer a fast pass submission which guarantees you a response within seven days. This costs £5.
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Word count: maximum 6,000
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General Guidelines
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please inform us if your story is accepted elsewhere by emailing editor@tangledwebmagazine.com. And congratulations if it is!
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Multiple submissions to the contest are allowed and an entry fee must be paid for each story. For free general submissions, please only submit one story at a time.
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Format: Submissions should be double spaced and in Times New Roman 12pt.
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Please do not include any identifying information in the document, but you should save it as STORY TITLE.
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Payment: We cannot pay general submissions, but the winner of each contest is awarded £100.
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Bios and Headshots: Don't worry about a cover letter, we just need a third-person bio up to 100 words.
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If you would like your photo printed beside your story, then please include a headshot with your submission.
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Response times: We respond to all submissions within one month following the deadline for the next relevant issue. We may respond faster if you have just missed a deadline for the relevant magazine.
Contract: We ask for exclusive first publication rights and archival rights. On publication, rights revert to you. That means you can publish your story elsewhere immediately. All we ask is you credit the relevant magazine (Tangled Web Magazine or Mirk) as the first home for your story.
This also means you can ask us to remove your story from our website at any point if it helps you sell it elsewhere.