WANTED: New Flash Essays
For upcoming editions of the weekly Short Reads email, we’re looking for original (as yet unpublished) flash nonfiction work.
We’re especially interested in work that makes us see the world through fresh eyes—whether by approaching a familiar story or situation from a new angle or by taking us somewhere unfamiliar.
Because of formatting constraints, submissions should be 1,250 words maximum.
Important notes:
- For now, we are accepting nominations from active Short Reads subscribers only.
- Not a subscriber? It’s FREE to sign up for the weekly email here. (Or, for early access, become a supporting subscriber here.)
- Thanks to our supporting subscribers, we pay $100 upon publication.
- We do not charge reading fees.
- At this time, we are unable to accept multiple submissions.
We are only able to consider 100 submissions total. Call will close when this threshold is reached or on 3/30/2026, whichever comes first.
Questions? You can email us at staff@short-reads.org.
Recent calls
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED FLASH ESSAYS
Date closed: February 23, 2026
Expected response time: Late Spring 2026
NEW FLASH ESSAYS
Date closed: October 24, 2025
Expected response time: Winter 2025-26
