Neon & Smoke Gold Star Program Gold Star

Neon & Smoke: Where genre meets literary and they fall hopelessly in love.
We're drawn to stories that grab us from the first line and don't let go.

Make us reach for the light.
Make us laugh.
Make us horny.
Make us uncomfortable.

Then take us deeper.

We want flash that breathes and bleeds. Characters who move, who choose, change, and fight.

Sometimes they are victorious.
Sometimes everything they touch falls apart.

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Soulful Things are the things we remember. They touch us, carry us, and stir us. We feel them deeply, in faces, in eyes, in the way music curls around us.
Show us where the soul lives and breathes. Show us the intimacy of life. The people, the music, object, and moments that give us life. The things that linger long after the moment has passed.

Don't make us figure it out. Make us feel it.

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We know feedback can be a mixed bag. As writers ourselves, we’ve had our share of “feedback” that felt more like a brush-off than a real response. That’s not what we’re offering here.

If you choose the feedback option, we’ll send you our honest commentary on how your piece landed with us at Neon and Smoke. What pulled us in, where we stumbled, and where we think the work could stretch further. We’ll also include a couple of actionable suggestions—concrete ideas you can take back to the page if you decide to revise.
When submitting for feedback, let us know in your cover letter if you’d like your piece considered for publication as well, or if you’re only seeking editorial notes.

This isn’t about guaranteeing publication (it doesn’t). It’s about sharing a reader’s perspective from the editorial side, with respect for the voice you’ve already built.

Our goal is simple: to give you the kind of feedback we’d actually want to receive.

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