Submission Guidelines

Submissions are currently CLOSED.

Last updated: 03/04/2025

Flash Fiction  

We're looking for submissions 300 to 1,000 words in length, from new or experienced authors. We may, on occasion, run “themes” per submission period, and submitted stories must conform to that theme.  

We accept submissions for speculative and literary fiction. Unless precluded by any thematic limitations, let your imagination run wild. 

We welcome submissions from writers of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race or nationality, sex or gender, religion, disability, neurodiversity, or other social identity. 

We pay $30 a story. 

What We Don’t Want 

No excessive profanity, violence / gore, sexual content, or stories promoting prejudice / hatred. Avoid ugly tropes such as “women in refrigerators.”

Do not use characters and settings from IPs you do not own. No AI / ChatGPT generated stories.

What We Discourage

While not prohibited, we discourage the following:

  • Stories revolving around AI in general. We totally get it, it's a hot button topic right now.
  • Stories in a script or "list" format. We've recently commissioned similar stories so we are heavily leaning towards something different.
  • "Re-inventions" of classic fairy tales. These are very tricky to pull off, and while we have seen some we like, we'd prefer you focus on your own settings and characters.

Unless you have a really novel or fresh take, just know it's going to be a hard sell for these items.

Submissions 

Please send submissions attached as Word document (.doc, .docx) format.  Please include your email address at the top of the document.

Please do not send Google Drive or OneDrive links, these submissions will be deleted.

Use 12pt font, double-spaced, in a common font (such as Courier New, Calibri, Times New Roman, Aptos. But not Wingdings... because if you do, we’ll ask ourselves, “Who hurt you?”).  

No simultaneous submissions, please. 

Only one story per submission period. Multiple submissions will be deleted and may lead to having all your stories removed from consideration.

Email your stories to submissions@dreamtheory.media. Please add “SUBMISSION:” to the subject of the email when submitting. 

As much as we would love to, we’re a small staff and will be unable to provide feedback on every rejected story.  

Thank you for your consideration.