5,000 word limit
Deadline: March 5, 2012
Submission fee: $15 per submission

First Prize: $500
Two Honorable Mentions: $150 each

Finalists will be judged by the award-winning author of Volt, Alan Heathcock. His work has appeared in Zoetrope: All-Story, VQR, and The Harvard Review, among others. He’s been critically acclaimed by the Huffington Post, Publisher’s Weekly and The New York Times, which raved, “Heathcock displays a generosity of spirit that only those writers who love their characters can summon, and Volt is galvanizing proof of his talent.”

Joy Williams had this to say, “VOLT is booming, cracking good. Heathcock’s characters are trying to make things right, whether they’re busting up a town, avenging the grief of a mother, or trying to live with the self-imposed judgment of loyalty or remorse. Guilt and grace are the pillars of this excellent collection, and there are no stronger or more mysterious pillars than those.”

Be sure to address your submissions, cover letter, and SASE as follows:

ATTN: Fiction Contest
Folio
Department of Literature,
American University
Washington, D.C. 20016-8047

Folio Congratulates Max Garland on Winning the 2011 Poetry Contest

Garland's poem "Blink" was selected by judge Naomi Shihab Nye. Honorable mentions went to Zein El-Amine for "Streamers" and Sarah Kortemeier for "The Holdout."

Thanks to everyone who submitted poems! We're planning more contests in the future, so please check back for updates.
 

General Submission Guidelines

We encourage you to look at a recent issue of Folio to determine the compatibility of the your work with the magazine. Please be aware: Submissions which do not meet the following guidelines will not be considered and will be recycled:

• Manuscripts are read between August 10 and March 5
  
• Submit up to 5 poems or a prose piece of up to 5,000 words
  
• Cover letters should be no more than one page and must contain all of the following:
  brief bio
  e-mail address
  mailing address
  phone number
  
• title(s) of work enclosed
  
• Include a SASE with postage for response (international submissions will receive e-mail responses)
  
• Send submissions, cover letter, and SASE to:
  Folio
  Department of Literature
  American University
  Washington, D.C. 20016

Art Submissions

Folio seeks artists whose work explores the potential of their medium to engage with the world around them.  We believe that art, like poetry and prose, is a form of storytelling.  When submitting, feel free to include a description of your work and the themes or motivations you are exploring.

Submissions must be received by March 5, 2012 to be considered for our double issue this spring.

Submissions can be in any medium and may be printed in color or black and white. Email to folio.arteditor@gmail.com, in high-resolution jpeg or TIFF files. Please contact us with any questions.