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The Molotov Cocktail

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About

The Molotov Cocktail is interested in volatile flash fiction, the kind of prose you cook up in a bathtub and handle with rubber gloves. While literary fiction is certainly welcomed, The Molotov Cocktail isn’t some erudite journal that will only accept stories with at least five layers of metaphor. We want your action, we want your rotten characters, we want viscera. While genre pieces are permissible, anything that is reliant on genre convention over story will not be looked kindly upon. It’s all about story. We encourage surrealist and experimental stuff, so hit us with your best shot, but avoid the following genres because we’ll reject them outright: romance, children’s or young adult, swords and sorcerers brand of fantasy.

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2010

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 24 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
The Molotov Cocktail's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Challenging
The Molotov Cocktail's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
Less Responsive
The Molotov Cocktail's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Fiction Open

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults. Excluding: Children, Young adults.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres (Excluding: Romance), including:
General Subgenre: Slipstream

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary, Surrealist.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

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.

The Molotov Cocktail 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 29 reports from 28 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
2 min | 140.6 mean avg | 169.0 median | 340 max days (87.4 std dev)
Responses
48.28 %
Acceptances:
3.45 % of submissions accepted (182.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 3.57 % 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.
Rejections:
44.83 % (192.9 avg. days per rejection) | 7.7 % personal, 61.5 % form, 30.8 % unspecified
Non-Responses
3.45 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
3.45 % (340.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
48.28 % (70.8 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
14 responses are pending (13 min | 98.1 mean avg | 96.5 median | 227 max days waiting | 59.4 std dev) from 14 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 27 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 16 Feb 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 04:10 UTC (5 hours, 8 minutes ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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The Molotov Cocktail Flash Contest Series  Charges fees for all submissions
Shadow Award BELIEVED DEFUNCT  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: 25 Aug 2026

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

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