Skip to Content

An Important Announcement
We are excited to announce the long-awaited Duotrope community! Create your profile, high five your fellow creators, and journey along Rejection Road.

The Fifth Corner

A project of The Fifth Corner Literary Society (see other related projects).

About

Each issue of The Fifth Corner features bespoke artwork commissioned specifically for each short story. A single artist is commissioned per issue to create original illustrations for all published stories, with a different artist selected for each issue, allowing for cohesive visual curation while highlighting diverse artistic voices.

The Fifth Corner champions work that challenges convention and resists easy categorization. We are drawn to fiction that privileges voice, mood, and emotional resonance over formula—writing that is thoughtful, daring, and artistically ambitious. We proudly publish both emerging and established writers whose work pushes against the familiar.

As a literary society, The Fifth Corner is committed to accessibility, careful editorial curation, and the ethical support of artists. We are a member of CLMP and CARFAC BC and strive to foster a thoughtful, inclusive space where unusual, unsettling, and resonant stories can find both rigorous editorial attention and an engaged readership.

Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota.

Country of Publication & Year Established

Canada
Established in 2026

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 4 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication
Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
The Fifth Corner's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.

Fiction Temp Closed

We seek fiction that is:

  • Dark, unsettling, or psychologically driven
  • Atmosphere-forward rather than plot-driven
  • Thoughtful, daring, and artistically ambitious
  • Grounded in emotional or psychological truth

We are open to a range of approaches, including speculative, realist, and genre-adjacent work, provided the focus remains literary in intent.

Dates:

Opens to submissions on 01 November 2026* (approx. 46 days from now)

2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Psychological
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Dark, Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: CAD $150 per story.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
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.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

The Fifth Corner 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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 3 reports from 3 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
69 min | 111.3 mean avg | 131.0 median | 134 max days (36.7 std dev)
Pending
11 responses are pending (44 min | 95.6 mean avg | 135.0 median | 211 max days waiting | 58.3 std dev) from 10 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 90 days. (66.7 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 90 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 90 days have passed.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 04:10 UTC (5 hours, 5 minutes ago).

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!

Members accepted here also had work accepted by...

This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today!

Your Submissions

This section is available to subscribers only. Join today!

Coda Poet Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
The Fifth Corner Dark Fiction Prize  FLEDGLING  Charges fees for all submissions
The Fifth Corner Press  FLEDGLING  NEW!  Charges fees for all submissions

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.

Dates

Last Updated: 15 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy.