The Fiddleback

This project is on indefinite hiatus. Check their site to find out whether this is a submission and/or publication hiatus.

About

Founded by Jeff Simpson during the great recession of 2010, The Fiddleback is an independent, online arts & literature magazine edited by a reclusive band of poets, writers, and audiophiles from across the country. We're an amalgam of the various lit. mags, music blogs, and e-zines that came before us and also an entirely new species. Our guiding principle is cross-pollination. We believe in mixing and colliding artistic disciplines to attract a diverse readership. We're committed to both finding new talent as well as promoting established writers and artists who create exceptional work in their fields. We believe in self-promotion and social connection. We believe in punk rock ethics and the DIY movement, in promoting work that asserts itself, pushes boundaries, defies expectations. We believe in giving our contributors the spotlight and limiting ourselves to small, digestible issues. Above all, we believe in never underestimating our readers.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 6 x per year

Collapse section Fiction On Hiatus

The fiction section of The Fiddleback publishes primarily short stories. Novel excerpts are accepted, but they must be self-contained. Flash fiction is also accepted with the understanding that we believe most flash fiction falls short of the mark. That being said, we do like to be proven wrong. We are masochistic like that.

Audience:

Unknown

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: No specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words).
Short Story: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).
Novelette: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 7500 to 15000 words).
Novella: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 15000 to 40000 words).

Styles:

Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

None found.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction On Hiatus

We accept nonfiction in the form of creative nonfiction, essays, journalistic pieces, and excerpts from memoirs. Aesthetically, we're drawn to hybridity and experimentation, work that re-contextualizes both content and form so long as it exhibits purpose and control. We're equally interested in classic structures that are too good to be dismissed, work that vibrates like a divining rod, that settles in the spine.

Audience:

Unknown

Lengths:

Review: No specific word count limits known.
Essay: No specific word count limits known.
Narrative Nonfiction: No specific word count limits known.
Book Excerpt: No specific word count limits known.

Styles:

Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

None found.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry On Hiatus

We're open to poems written in any style or form---experimental, accessible, lyric, narrative, etc.---though we favor work that demonstrates intelligence, originality, attention to craft, and a connection to contemporary themes.

Audience:

Unknown

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry, Formal verse, Free verse, Lyric poetry, Narrative poetry.

Styles:

Experimental, Literary.

Topics:

None found.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

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

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The Fiddleback Submission Statistics

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.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026