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Orca A Literary Journal

A project of 55 Fathoms Publishing (see other related projects).

About

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Orca publishes short stories, flash fiction, and nonfiction. We are a literary journal and we believe in the literary style of writing. We are open to almost any topic, as long as it’s written in a literary style. We are committed to diversity of identities, origins, and perspectives on our pages. Many of our contributors are from other countries and cultures. But the main criterion by which we judge submissions is the quality of the writing. We seek work that is high concept: imaginative, thoughtful, even speculative, and open to possibilities. We look for deep, diverse characters, and narratives that blend genres, or connect seemingly disparate ideas.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. They charge fees for feedback and post-quota submissions. The fee range is USD $3 to $29.
Submission Caps: They may close to free submissions if they reach their quota. Check before submitting.
Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 2019

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 3 x per year.
Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 3 x per year.

Fiction Open

Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 15 August 2024* (approx. 50 days from now). 6

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
General General
Fantasy FantasyOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Horror HorrorOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Open to all/most Genres Open to all/most Genres
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionUp to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Short Story Short Story1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette Novelette7,500 - 8,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including: Other (May vary).

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) (Provides free copy/copies) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $50 for stories 2,500 words or longer, $25 for stories under 2,500 words.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Nonfiction Open

Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 15 August 2024* (approx. 50 days from now). 1

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative NonfictionUp to 1,000 words; Up to 3 pieces.
Narrative Nonfiction Narrative Nonfiction1,000 - 8,000 words.
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) (Provides free copy/copies) Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $50 for stories 2,500 words or longer, $25 for stories under 2,500 words.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Poetry Open

Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 15 August 2024* (approx. 50 days from now). 3

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
GenreSubgenres
General General
Fantasy FantasyOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Horror HorrorOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Science Fiction Science FictionOpen to all/most Subgenres.
Open to all/most Genres Open to all/most Genres
Lengths:
Poem PoemNo line limits known; Up to 3 pieces.
Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics, including: Other (May vary).

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (US$5-49 per poem) (Provides free copy/copies) Semi-pro payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $25.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.


Visual Art Closed

This project has permanently closed to submissions in this category.

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

Orca Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

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.
AccuracyWe have received 227 reports from 173 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported3 min | 29.6 mean avg | 17.0 median | 377 max days (42.7 std dev)
Responses96.47 %
Acceptances0.88 % of submissions accepted (67.5 avg. days per acceptance) | 1.16 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections95.59 % (29.2 avg. days per rejection) | 18.0 % personal, 64.1 % form, 18.0 % unspecified | 0.9 % rewrite requests | 4.0 % shortlisted
Non-Responses3.52 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded-
Withdrawals3.52 % (30.1 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending35 responses are pending (2 min | 57.5 mean avg | 23.0 median | 328 max days waiting | 73.6 std dev) from 32 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00. (54.6 % of reports specified whether they paid a fee; of those, 83.3 % paid fees.)
Most submissions are acknowledged within one day.
Most recent response reported was received on 20 Jun 2024.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 02 Jun 2024.

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Your Submissions

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Orca Cover Letter Contest CLOSED Charges fees for all submissions

Dates

Last Updated: 05 Jun 2024
Last Audited: 05 Jun 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 01 Feb 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.