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Submitting for Issue 9
Alphabet Box is an international literary journal that features the best writers of original poetry, personal essays, flash fiction and short prose. All voices are heard. Hate is not.
We award the Anaïs Nin Prize in memory of her inspired life, literary contributions and commitment to writing. We award a minimum $100 USD honorarium to the selected winner, upon publication acceptance. There is a $9 administrative and reading fee. We intend to award more in the future through self-funding and the “tips” you make here on our website that go directly to writers we feature.
Submission guidelines
Alphabet Box does not accept previously published work. We feature ONLY original writing.
We accept entries up to 900 combined words for poems, essays, prose, flash fiction and nonfiction entered together as one submission.
You may mix entries in the same submission. For example, you may submit flash fiction along with an essay and a poem — as long as you do not exceed the combined limit of 900 words. Entries over the limit may be rejected.
When you submit, please include a maximum 100-word bio or self-introduction.
Upon selection as the Featured Writer, you give Alphabet Box first rights to exclusively publish your submitted work both online and in print.
If we publish your work and you later learn it will be published elsewhere, we ask that you please mention it was originally published by Alphabet Box.
Previous submissions to Issues 1 through 8 that we haven’t selected, may be re-submitted for Issue 9 consideration.
Once this issue’s submission window closes, our choice of the Anaïs Nin Prize winner can take weeks, depending on the number of entries received. Our goal is to announce the winning Featured Writer here, and on Bluesky and Twitter as soon as possible.
The conditions, submission guidelines and judging process for Issue 9 may change without notice.
If you’d like to help us continue to pay talented independent writers, and remain free of advertising, please consider a one-time or sustaining tip. Thank you.
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