Thomas Edel discovered the Florida literary canon on Santa Rosa Island in 1959, thus freeing you to write about Florida in any way you like.
2021 FLORIDA POETRY ANTHOLOGY: We are now accepting submissions for an anthology of Florida poetry, edited by Tyler Gillespie, author of Florida Man: poems. Scroll down for specific guidelines and to submit.
BURROW PRESS BOOKS: We publish only a few books in print each year, and so it is rare that we open submissions for our print program.
FANTASTIC FLORIDAS (OUR ONLINE LITERARY JOURNAL): We are accepting submissions through August 31, 2019. We will re-open submissions in 2020.
The name Fantastic Floridas is taken from a phrase in an old translation of Rimbaud’s 1871 poem, “The Drunken Boat.” Newer translations use “unbelievable” and “incredible” in place of “fantastic,” but we’re suckers for alliteration. The Spanish colony of Florida (la Florida, Pascua Florida, feast of flowers) was named by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513, so when Rimbaud references capital-F “fantastic Floridas,” it’s possible he’s speaking of this landmass… however, what to make of the pluralization?
We’re seeking poetry, prose (fictions, nonfictions), and experimental work that expands and explodes the idea of “Florida Literature.” Call it a pluralistic approach.
Think Florida: Place-based work set in Florida. Realism, yes, but we also find that this state is conducive to horror, sci-fi, speculative, crime, absurdism, fabulism, magical realism, myth, and fairy tales.
Think florida: Non-place-based work dealing in Florida themes and textures. Unique ecosystems (like the Everglades), climate change and other environmental devastations, invasive species, displacement, hidden or erased histories, a long run of shitty governors, tourism, an overabundance of comfort, ennui, stark contrasts (such as gritty/glossy; natural/manmade), an overall sense of the absurd and/or the uncanny and/or the strange… we encourage you to make your own wild connection and take a chance by submitting.
Flannery O'Connor said of the South: "An identity is not to be found on the surface." This is another way of warning against clichés, but it's limiting in its designation of a single identity. Florida is one of the most diverse and culturally pluralistic states in the nation, while also being a “red state” with a textbook American history of oppression and erasure. There are many stories to tell. We encourage submissions from writers of all ages, races, genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds.
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
All submissions must be previously unpublished.
Poetry: up to 3 poems at a time, separate files.
Flash fiction & nonfiction: up to 500 words, up to 3 pieces at a time, separate files.
Fiction & nonfiction: from 1 – 5,000 words, one at a time.
Query for longer work or visual / experimental work, video, sound, collaboration projects, etc.
Please wait until you hear from us before submitting more work. Please make sure you’re submitting to the correct category. Please do not send full manuscripts.
Simultaneous Submissions:Yes.
Response Time: 1-3 months.
Compensation & Rights: We currently do not offer payment for writing that appears on Fantastic Floridas. We ask for first serial rights, and electronic archival rights. Rights revert to you upon publication.
Crediting Burrow: If something we published of yours is published elsewhere, such as in a collection or anthology, please note that it first appeared in Burrow Press’ Fantastic Floridas.
IMAGE CREDIT: Thomas Edel poses with a cannon at Fort Pickens - Santa Rosa Island, Florida . 1959. Black & white photonegative, 4 x 5 in. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/271816>, accessed 22 June 2019.
Burst icon created by Combine Design from The Noun Project.
Poets often respond to the day’s news, and Florida does the news best (or worst, depending on your stance). A 2021 Burrow Press anthology seeks poetry submissions inspired by News from Florida. We’re loosely defining “news” as important events, topics, politics, or people, and ranges from the major headlines to lesser-known to should-be-known-but-isn't-yet. We’re ultimately looking for unexpected explorations of Florida’s mythos written by Floridians: the native, the decades-long snowbird, the transplant, the defector.
We like formalist poetry as much as experimental work. We encourage submissions from people of all ages, races, genders, abilities, publication histories, and cultural backgrounds.
- Please submit up to 4 poems written in either New Times Roman or Arial as one file.
- We pay $25 for a single poem and $50 for multiple poems accepted.
- All submissions must be previously unpublished. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
- We may publish accepted work online before its inclusion in the printed anthology.
- Approx. 3 month response time.