UNDERGRAD FLASH NONFICTION CONTEST - Feb. 10 - April 1: See full guidelines below in the contest submission link.
The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose is an annual online literary journal, produced with the support of the MFA in Writing program at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. We accept submissions of original, previously unpublished work from June 1 through October 1 via Submittable (no fee). We publish fiction (short stories and flash fiction), creative nonfiction (personal essays, lyric essays, and flash nonfiction), and prose poems (paragraph format; no line breaks or stanzas). Submissions are welcome from both emerging and established writers. We are looking for fiction with believable characters and a vivid story; creative nonfiction that is well-crafted and fiercely honest; prose poems with a distinctive atmosphere and interesting use of language; and mostly, work that moves us as readers and inspires us as writers.
Guidelines:
- Work may be submitted via Submittable from June 1 through October 1 (no fee).
- Submissions must be the writer’s original work and cannot be previously published in print or online.
- Writers may submit one piece per category each year. Categories include Fiction (short story or flash fiction), Creative Nonfiction (personal essay, lyric essay, or flash nonfiction), and Prose Poems (paragraph format; no line breaks or stanzas). NOTE: Please be sure to choose the correct category when submitting your work.
- Simultaneous submissions to other journals are allowed, but we ask to be notified immediately via Submittable if a piece is accepted elsewhere.
- Maximum length for each submission is 10 pages. Minimum length is one paragraph.
- Double-space submissions. Use a standard font size and style.
- Include your name and the title of your submission on the first page of your submission document. List your name exactly as you would like it to appear in our journal if accepted for publication.
- In your Submittable entry form, include a brief third-person bio (no more than 100 words) and your email address.
- All publication decisions will be made by March 31. Please check Submittable for your submission status.
- Writers accepted for publication receive a pdf of the full book, a book-formatted pdf of their accepted work, and a link for sharing their work. The journal will be published online at www.lindenwood.edu/lindenwoodReview by the end of April.
Restrictions:
- Current students and faculty of Lindenwood University are not eligible to submit their work. (Alumni may submit.)
- Do not submit work that has been previously published elsewhere, whether online or in print.
- Do not submit multiple pieces in the same category.
- Do not submit multiple poems or poetry with stanzas/line breaks; only prose poems in paragraph format will be considered for publication.
- Submissions will not be considered for publication if they are sent via email/mail or if they do not follow the posted guidelines.
Please note that response times are extended as our journal's selection period aligns with the academic semester schedules of our editorial assistants. We appreciate your patience and ask that you please withdraw your work in Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere. Contact us with any questions at TheLindenwoodReview@lindenwood.edu and visit us on Facebook.
NOTE: The number of submissions we can receive each month is limited; during our submission period of June 1 through October 1, if our Submittable page indicates that we are not currently accepting work, that means the month's maximum has been met, so please wait until the beginning of the next month to submit your work (final submission date is October 1).
The MFA in Writing Program at Lindenwood University presents a Flash Nonfiction Contest for current undergraduate students--in any major, at any university/college/community college--with no entry fee. The winner receives $100 and publication in issue 15 of The Lindenwood Review online literary journal.
Flash Nonfiction pieces may be in any form, including traditional personal narrative essays, lyrical essays with poetic or stylistic language, or experimental creative nonfiction pieces that use a nontraditional format or structure. Send us any questions at TheLindenwoodReview@lindenwood.edu.
All contest submissions will be considered for publication. Issue 15 will be published online by the end of April 2025.
GUIDELINES:
- The Undergrad Flash Nonfiction Contest is open from February 10, 2025, through April 1, 2025.
- Undergraduate students may submit one flash nonfiction piece.
- Length may range from one paragraph to five pages, double-spaced.
- Submissions for this contest will be accepted by email or through Submittable. Students who do not have a Submittable account are welcome to email their submissions to TheLindenwoodReview@lindenwood.edu (please attach your submission as a Word document or pdf file, and please type Undergrad Contest in the subject line).
- Include your name, your email address, and the title of your submission on the first page of your submission document. List your name exactly as you would like it to appear in our journal if accepted for publication.
- Simultaneous submissions to other journals are allowed, but we ask to be notified immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere.
- All publication decisions will be made by April 10, 2025.
- Writers accepted for publication receive a book-formatted pdf of their accepted work, a pdf of the full book (issue 15), and a link for sharing their work. The journal will be published online by the end of April 2025.
To read samples of flash nonfiction pieces previously published by The Lindenwood Review, visit us at www.lindenwood.edu/LindenwoodReview.
RESTRICTIONS:
- Do not submit work that has been previously published elsewhere, whether online or in print.
- Do not submit multiple pieces in your submission; include only one flash nonfiction piece.
- Note that the number of submissions we can receive each month is limited; during our submission period of February 10 through April 1, if our Submittable page indicates that we are not currently accepting work, that means the month's maximum has been met, so please wait until the beginning of the next month to submit your work (through the final deadline of April 1).
Contact us with any questions at TheLindenwoodReview@lindenwood.edu and visit us on Facebook.
Our MFA in Writing program offers a fully online option with no residency requirement, as well as offering an optional on-campus/hybrid class each term in St. Charles MO. Visit us at www.lindenwood.edu/mfawriting.