Skip to Content

The Coil An Independent Literary Magazine 8

A project of Alternating Current Press (see other related projects).

About

THE COIL is a weekday literary magazine that features essays, book reviews, interviews, shelfies, columns, articles, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, artwork, historical writing, literary recipes, booklists, soundbites, and more. Helmed by indie press Alternating Current and named after the Tesla coil, this online journal always has something new and electric in the literary vein. We are a paying market, and have about 87,000 readers. We welcome diverse and underrepresented voices and are an LGBTQUIA+ safe-space.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees, except for some periods and some demographics.
Important: Submission requirements vary. As always, check full guidelines for current details.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 260 x per year.

Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:
Open to fee-based fiction submissions through 30 April 2024* (approx. 33 days from now). 1
Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Genres:
GenreSubgenres
General GeneralOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Historical.
Action-Adventure Action-AdventureSubgenre: Historical.
Horror HorrorOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Alternate History.
Western WesternSubgenre: Alternate History.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Dark, Literary, Minimalist, Surrealist.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics, including: History, Visual Arts (Ekphrasis), Other (May vary).
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Flash Fiction Flash FictionNo specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words); Up to 4 pieces.
Short Story Short StoryNo specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words); Up to 4 pieces.
Novel Excerpt Novel ExcerptMore than 600 words.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK No OK OKText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Nonfiction Open

Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Critical, Experimental, Literary, Mainstream, Personal.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics, including: Visual Arts (Ekphrasis), Other (May vary).
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Interview InterviewNo specific word count limits known.
Review ReviewNo specific word count limits known.
Essay EssayNo specific word count limits known.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative NonfictionNo specific word count limits known.
Book Excerpt Book ExcerptMore than 600 words.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK No Unknown UnknownText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:
Open to fee-based poetry submissions through 31 March 2024* (approx. 3 days from now). 0
Audience:
Open to a broad Audience.
Genres:
GenreSubgenres
General GeneralOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Historical.
Action-Adventure Action-AdventureSubgenre: Historical.
Horror HorrorOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres, including: Alternate History.
Western WesternSubgenre: Alternate History.
Poetry Forms:
Open to all/most Forms.
Styles:
Open to all/most Styles, including: Dark, Literary, Minimalist, Surrealist.
Topics:
Open to all/most Topics, including: History, Visual Arts (Ekphrasis), Other (May vary).
Types/Lengths:
TypeLength Details
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.
Payscale:
We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.
Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem).
Submissions:
ElectronicPostalReprintsSimultaneousMedia
OK No OK OKText format submissions
Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

The Coil Submission Statistics

More Information is Available to Subscribers: Only the basic information for this listing is currently visible. If you want to learn more about this listing, including submission statistics (average response time, rejection percentage, acceptance percentage, etc.), you need to subscribe. See a sample of what you're missing.

Dates

Last Updated: 19 Mar 2024
Last Audited: 09 Nov 2023 We audit each active listing twice a year.
Date Added: 19 Mar 2019

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.