SF Flash Fiction Submission Portal

*****Subs Closed*****

Please be sure to read the About and Submission Guidelines sections found in the dropdown menu of The Space Cadet Science Fiction Review for complete information regarding this journal and SF flash fiction submissions.


Science Fiction Flash Fiction

This category is for any work of science fiction that is 1,000 words or less. As you well know, the various and overlapping word limits, interchangeability of definitions and names and the submission guidelines unique to each publication for work in this category creates a positively fluid and bewildering literary landscape to negotiate. Call it flash fiction, sudden fiction, short-short story, immediate fiction, microfiction, microstory, microflash, nanotale, postcard fiction, napkin fiction, dribble, drabble, minisaga, the 280-character story, twitterature, the six-word story or any other name that fevered minds might ferment; call it six words, 50 words, 280-characters (supposedly about 55 words if using average length words), 100 words, 300 words, 400 words, 500 words, 750 words and 1,000 words (with some definitions and publications ranging up to 1,500 words and even 2,000 words in the extreme) — it is all flash fiction to us and is 1,000 words or less for this publication. All of this to say that we are striving for simplicity.


Science Fiction Flash Fiction Submission Guidelines


Submission of Unpublished Work

We accept submission of your original, unpublished work. We are not accepting work that has previously appeared in publication or that has already been selected by another publisher to appear in publication. Note: Self-published work is fine to submit.


Word Limit

1,000 or less.


Batch Limit

You may submit two works of flash fiction. These should be submitted in one batch.


Manuscript & File Format Guidelines

Adhering to the industry standard manuscript format is the default, of course, and so it will always suffice. Remember, the idea behind such formatting is to improve the readability of your manuscript by editors, simple as that, it’s not designed to be oppressive. That said, the following guidelines are important to this publishing house, for all work submitted, including short forms. You’ll notice that our guidelines adhere to the standard manuscript format for the most part, but not entirely, as is the case with most publishers — we know what we like, and we’re going for a certain aesthetic.

Adhering to our specific guidelines facilitates ease of digital transferability of your work in addition to the aforementioned readability and aesthetic.

  • Left-aligned title (for short form work)
  • Byline (skip it, we look at name placement from a whole-page aesthetic)
  • Left-aligned text
  • One-inch margins all around
  • 12-pt font
  • Times New Roman
  • Black ‘ink’
  • Double spaced for long form (not necessary for short form)
  • One space after a period, not two
  • File must be submitted in an editable format, specifically, a Word Document (.doc).
  • ATTENTION: Do not try to submit a Word .docx file (that’s .docX), our web hosting service will not allow a .docx file to be uploaded and so we have blocked that file type in the submission form. This issue has absolutely given us the bivering shitz but there is no working around it. Simply save your .docx file as a .doc file, it’s very quick and easy to do: Open the document > File > Save As > This PC > Location > Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) > Save (you don’t need to rename it, it creates a new file).

Although not required, please include a short writer/author bio.


We look forward to reviewing your work!