No Common Water Anthology

A project of the tiny journal

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions (August 2026). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

How can we indulge ourselves in the ecological? What ecological pleasures can we embrace amidst trends of inhibition and moderation? What does indulgence mean to you, and what does it mean to other creatures? What combinations of settings, styles, and subjects seem delicious? What stories do you have that are arranged like three-course meals? What is succulent, intoxicating, sexy, refreshing like sour lemonade, relaxing?
Zen Master Dōgen writes, “The ultimate realm has one thousand kinds and ten thousand ways. When we think about the meaning of this, it seems that there is water for various beings but there is no original water—there is no water common to all types of beings.” Dōgen refers to abundant lifeworlds, to the proliferation of perspectives, sensations, and delights of an anglerfish fluorescing in the dark, a pinecone breaking open to seed in the midst of burning, a fire ant biting down.
In No Common Water, we seek stories, essays, and poems that reify one thousand kinds and ten thousand ways of being. We invite writers to abandon restraint and write towards abundance in a time of ecological scarcity. We want to devour flavors, choreographies, flirtations, delicacies, flora and fauna, desire and satiation in the widest and wildest terms. We are interested in what ecological familiarities romance gray whales and house Haleakalā silverswords. Take your time, relish, and tangle with the sublime of speculation.
We welcome works that experiment with form and scale: works that luxuriate, overindulge, or dissolve. We prefer literary works, but are open to stories that are genre-connecting or -bending if it helps engage indulgence. We are not interested in works that have gratuitous violence, sex, or offensive language if it is not serving the purpose of the piece. Write toward pleasure without apology, toward ecological worlds that are imperiled, and also irresistibly alive in the face of it all. Let abundance answer catastrophe.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for fee waivers available for cases of financial need, and they do not offer monetary payment for accepted submissions. (Note: About 11% of anthologies always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $12 (above average for anthologies that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2026

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: One-time publication
Print Publication Print Publication: One-time publication

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Collapse section Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Nature/Environment: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 7,500 words; Unknown number of pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 7,500 words; Unknown number of pieces.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Nature/Environment: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Collapse section Poetry Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Nature/Environment: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Collapse section Visual Art Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 3 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Nature/Environment: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

No monetary payment Provides free copy/copies No monetary payment. Provides free copy/copies.

Submissions:

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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No Common Water Anthology Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

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Accuracy:

We have not received any complete reports within the past 12 months.

Pending

1 response is pending (124 days waiting).

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00.

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Dates

Last Updated: 25 Aug 2026