SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
OUR AESTHETIC: Eleventh Hour Literary has no restrictions on subject matter, but we prefer literary prose (fiction, creative nonfiction, or essays) rather than poetry. We also accept ephemeral works, including artwork and photography, for our e-phemeros project.
Eleventh Hour Literary is the journal of perseverance. The writers we want to publish have sat with their work for a substantial length of time; they have taken their rejections into consideration and have actively worked on their narratives before sending them to us. The story they send us is not and should not be identical to the story sent to the first few places that rejected it. Nor should Eleventh Hour Literary be the last place the story is sent. We want the work of writers who have faith in what they have put on paper, and will keep revising and submitting until that work finds a home.
We invite participants to send us your highest-quality short stories, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, and art.
HOW TO SUBMIT: We are currently accepting online submissions through [email protected]. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere. Please submit a cover letter, including a short but detailed description of the 10 or more rejections you have received from other journals. This letter should include (at minimum) a list of journal names and the approximate date you received it. We do accept submissions from current Binghamton University students, faculty, staff, or alumni. We accept international submissions, but they are ineligible for any honoraria or prize.
2025 INAUGURAL PROSE CONTEST: The top ten ranked submissions will be published in the inaugural issue of Eleventh Hour Literary, and the top-ranked submission will receive a payment of $200.00. The payment can only be made to a United States resident with a social security number, and checks can only be sent to US addresses.
PROSE: Creative nonfiction, essays, or fiction submissions should be no longer than 7,000 words. One submission per reading period is allowed. Diverse voices and hybrid or experimental forms are encouraged. Accepted stories will be well-worn and well-loved. We’re looking for narrative-driven tales that engage and grab us, whether they be edgy, fanciful, or immersive. Most of all, they should be memorable. As long as it’s high-quality, genre and speculative work is always invited.
We are not, and will not, ever accept stories written by AI. Please save those for someone else!
