Mandate

Good. Short. Writing. The Anti-Languorous Project is an online open-access creative writing hub that publishes antilang., a magazine of literary brevity; Good Short Reviews; and the On Editing blog series. Show, don’t tell; imply and implicate. Antithesize languorous language. 

What we're looking for:

• Good. Short. Writing. Read any of our previous issues (they're FREE) to get a sense of our tastes.
• Previously-unpublished work in any form, any genre, as long as it is brief (under six pages) and of exceptional quality.
• Writing that draws on, is inspired by, adds to, reinvents, or re-imagines traditions of brevity.
• We look for a diversity of styles and formats that are creative and engaging: poetry, short/flash fiction, creative non-fiction (including, but not limited to: creative essays, ficto-criticism, flash memoir, photo essays), and hybrid/multi-media such as comics, postcard fiction, and collaborations across media.
• We support diversity in both the form and content of writing, but we do not accept work that is malicious, derogatory, gratuitously violent, homophobic, sexist, racist, or otherwise seeks to dehumanise any person.

Who we're looking for:

'Canadian' writers. Due to the current grant and funding climate, we are shifting toward only publishing 'Canadian' writers. However, we acknowledge the complex and deeply colonial history regarding notions of citizenship and nationality in this region, and so will be accepting a broad definition of the term 'Canadian', including:

• Folks who hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, living within the country or abroad
• Folks who live in and write about the places and experiences occurring within the region known colonially as Canada, regardless of citizenship or identification with that citizenship
• Indigenous folks from Turtle Island, who may or may not live within the boundaries or identify as citizens of what is currently called Canada

We do ask that submitters identify in their cover letter how they fall within our mandate, but we will never disclose aspects of identity that are not in a biographical statement.

Our support for and encouragement of diverse points of view and contexts extends into all areas of our magazine, and we prioritise voices that have been systemically silenced or have otherwise gone unheard. That said, we will not place labels of minority groups on any of our contributors (it is not our place to do so), and we ask that if you feel comfortable identifying yourself as an intersectional or oppressed person, to please do so in your cover letter. Again, we will never make any personal information public and will only use personal information to help us ensure our publication is inclusive and to help us conceptualise (if not empathise) with the content of your work (if relevant) while we edit it.

As we strongly support all writers—but especially emerging writers—we welcome and encourage simultaneous submissions (because you should have the opportunity to submit your work widely).

The nuts & bolts:

• 12 point Times New Roman, one inch margins.
• Double-space all prose.
• MS Word files (.doc or .docx) only for textual pieces, please. (Please only use PDF for hybrid/multi-media pieces as we want to offer line edits and feedback on your writing.)
• Maximum SIX (6) pages total, regardless of form, genre, or number of pieces.
• ONE (1) piece per page regardless of its length.
• Provide your entire submission in ONE (1) DOCUMENT and please only submit once per reading period (short stories and poems can be submitted together); we have a limited submission cap through Submittable and want to read as many people's work as possible.
• Please note: as we strive to share work by as many voices as possible, we are limiting contributors to one appearance per anthology (i.e., once per year).
• International submitters: we are not able to accept international submissions at this time. Please read our above definition of 'Canadian' to see if you are eligible to submit work to us.
• Make sure you specify how you fit into our parameters of 'Canadian'
• In your cover letter, please provide a short (30-word max) bio for yourself. This can be done in any style, and you can see some examples of various bios at the end of antilang. no. 1