riddlebird (Gold Star Program) Gold Star

Quota Met! This call has met its submission quota. Please check back on or after Friday, December 1, 2023.

650-5000 words

Please limit two submissions per calendar year. We currently cap at 50 submissions per month. Time permitting we may occasionally open for more.

Read current and past issues at riddlebird.com for an idea of what we might like.

If we have published your work, please wait three years before submitting (we have limited funds).

Authors are paid. Tips go directly toward compensating the authors; we appreciate your support!

• Literary Fiction — Our favorite writers include authors like George Saunders, Souvankham Thammavongsa, and E.C. Osondu.
• Personal Essays — We like a memoirist’s essay that has achieved some distance and allows us to share a newfound insight. Think of Vivian Gornick’s idea of “the situation and the story.”
• Please note we do not accept poetry. No overly sexual works (you might not think that we need to say this...but trust us, we do...)
  • Please include your name, including contact information, and your title.
  • Include a very brief cover letter and a third person short bio.
  • Do not submit previously published work.

  Our goal is to celebrate your work. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @riddlebirdmag. We will share author bios and links to your work upon publication. We request North American Serial Rights which then revert to you.

Re-opening April 16 - May 7

For our summer issue, we will specifically be looking for humorous work, lighthearted pieces, or works that explore the humor woven through struggles. For the best idea of what interests us, please read the issues at https://www.riddlebird.com.

650-5000 words

Limit one submission

Authors are paid, so tips are most appreciated.

• Literary Fiction — Our favorite writers include authors like George Saunders, Souvankham Thammavongsa, and E.C. Osondu.
• Personal Essays — We like a memoirist’s essay that has achieved some distance and allows us to share a newfound insight. Think of Vivian Gornick’s idea of “the situation and the story.”
• Please note we do not accept poetry or flash fiction. No overly sexual works (you might not think that we need to say this...but trust us, we do...)
  • Please include your name, including contact information, and your title.
  • Include a very brief cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Include a short bio in third person, and do not send previously published work.

  Our goal is to celebrate your work. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @riddlebirdmag. We will share author bios and links to your work upon publication. We request North American Serial Rights which then revert to you.