CrayfishMag: Issue Number Four : C R E A T U R E S Furnace Run Press Free Tip Jar Option

Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026 11:59 PM EST (in 86 days).

There are few things that bring humans together as well as our love for weird critters. Living in the age of Jimothy & Punch has taught us more about ourselves than sociobiology or raccoon anatomy. Something about the abandoned infant or the misshapen trash panda taps into our otherwise highly guarded reserve of empathy; it opens a mirror within a world we usually keep at a distance. Thus, CrayfishMag has selected “CREATURES” as the theme for our fourth issue.

We’re searching for stories of life: life with leaves, life with fur, life as earthly and fantastical as it gets. We want to laugh, to cringe, to cry. To be driven to bizarre internet searches. To be reminded that, at the end of the day, we have creaturehood, too.

Here’s what we’re most excited about:

Folktales & fables (spiritual or otherwise)
Cryptids, critters, & imaginary friends
Ghosts & spooky stories
Beloved pets & animal encounters
Stories that call on strangeness & the uncanny
Writing that cultivates empathy
Your own creature-y take on the heart of this call

Categories: Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Art/Multimedia
File types: .docx, .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg, .png
Number of Pieces:
1 piece per fiction submission.
1 piece per multimedia submission.
1 piece per nonfiction submission.
Up to 5 pieces per poetry submission.
Up to 5 pieces per art submission.
Single File: Required. All pieces must be submitted in a single file (except for multimedia and visual art submissions).

Anonymous submissions are not required.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Reprints are not allowed.
Multiple entries are allowed.
AI-assisted works are not allowed.

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