Submissions to The Drift & Dribble Miscellany

The Miscellany showcases an eclectic range of voices, each elaborating on their own unique perspective through imaginative or reflective works. Writings are authentic and worthy of a read and authored by our fellow humans who deserve our ear for a few moments for all they’ve been through.

We publish stories, poems, essays, narrative fine art/photography and dribbles, and especially those works that capture the uniqueness and beauty of inhabiting our complex human world and that leave us lingering in thought. We welcome literary and experimental work, personal accounts, ambiguous characters and surreal or witty takes from the cornucopia, and look for writing that brings clarity to the ethereal or isn’t afraid to play. Those with unusual perspectives and original thinkers are part of our tribe and encouraged to submit. Let's see what you have.

Time Sensitive Open Calls

Due by February 14, Valentine's Day, 2026

And Yet I Loved Her So: Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, Up to 3,000 words.

After all you’ve been through, tell us about the one you loved this Valentine's Day (any gender)—not the good kind of naked, but the bald truth.

Due by March 1st.

Hooked From the First Line: Fiction/Nonfiction Excerpts.

You've crafted it, worked it, and given it life. Now give us that compelling opening paragraph of your story or essay. Stop at one if you can.

Due by April 1st.

Form: Me? Unreliable Narrator?: First Person Fiction, up to 3000 words.

Dare to charm, manipulate and deceive us. Or fool yourself.

Due by May 1st.

Note to You, My Younger Self: Fiction/Nonfiction, 700 - 1000 words.

Second Person Self Address preferred. If you only knew.

Due by June 1st.

Script: short dramatic work or standalone scenes that reveal characters through their interaction without relying on exposition.

The sweet spot is 6-12 script pages.

Ongoing Open Call Genres

Fiction: Short stories, flash, novel excerpts and experimental work. Up to ~4,000 words. The sweet spot for dribbles is 50 words (our most challenging format).

Imaginative prose should be clear and thoughtful (if we can’t understand it, we can’t publish it); should elevate stakes and offer a unique perspective. Make it about something and don’t be afraid to lean into it.

Nonfiction: Essays, memoir, commentary, or hybrid pieces. Up to ~4,000 words.

Write about the real stuff—the aside you tell your friend. Use a pen name if it helps. We want to learn from your nonfiction, and prefer depth and a frank discussion over a myopic view. And yes, sometimes it can be stranger than fiction.

Dribbles (50 words or less): Up to 3 related works per submission.

This very short form is challenging: how to pack depth into a few words. We especially love rhyming and word play and clever vocabulary that is precise. We expect creative experimentation in this format.

Ongoing Open Call, Visual Genre

Narrative Sketchbooks—Art and Text Combined: Open to drawn/painted visuals that include hand-lettered notes (preferred) or accompanying text, and that tell a story or describe lived experiences (as when traveling).

These can be journalistic or imaginative, and can also be in the form of stand-alone illustration or fine art when it combines the written word. Send us your visual narratives, literary-based paintings or collaborations with writers.

Artists of all types (painters, graphic artists, multimedia artists, film-makers, photographers…) are welcome within our literary community.

Currently Closed Genres

Poetry

We've been overwhelmed with poetry submissions, sorry. Please check back at a later time if this is your genre.

Previous Calls

Form: Literary Lists: bullets or strings of words or phrases that tell a story.

(Submissions still accepted under Open Call Fiction or Nonfiction. Please label as ‘Literary List’.)

Theme: The Contents of a Room

(Submissions still accepted under Open Call Fiction or Nonfiction. Please label as ‘Contents of a Room’.)

Genres Accepted

General/Literary (preferred)

Open to Most Genres

Audience

Adult, International

Themes & Topics of Special Interest

Complexity of the human experience

Unusual takes on everyday life

Culture, tribe and society

Nature and the environment

Alternate viewpoints and inner worlds

Experimental forms and voices

We Appreciate:

The unexpected

Situations that elevates stakes

Dialogue that is character-driven

Entertaining and thought-provoking concepts

Poetic use of vocabulary and word-play (without being cryptic)

Inventive structure or perspective

Insightful observation

Plots that challenge morality or are ethically ambiguous

Literature grounded in the richness of human experience

Genres Not a Great Fit

Conventional commercial and formulaic.

We’re interested in lived experience and don’t accept submissions rooted in political or religious advocacy.

We’re interested in interior and ethical tension. Submissions that include gratuitous sexual material or violence are unlikely to be accepted.

Format

Submit in a common text format: .doc, .docx, .odt, .pdf, .txt, or .rtf.

Unpublished work only.

Simultaneous submissions allowed--but please promptly withdraw if accepted elsewhere.

Supporting Materials (once accepted)

Writers may submit accompanying art/photographs to be used as text illustration (and altered) by our graphic designers (after obtaining copyright permissions if needed).

Include a link to your author page (or preferred web page), if you have one.

How To Submit

By clicking either of the above buttons: Duosuma by Duotrope or Submittable (both with a very small fee).

One submission per category.

Resubmitting

We read all work with care. Due to limited editorial capacity please do not resubmit for 6 months.

Submission Fee

Thank you for your small reading fee at Duosoma and Submittable which helps support both their organization-optimized platforms and our administration fees/events (Not salaries: we have an all volunteer staff.)

Payment

At this time we don't offer payment (even though you absolutely deserve it) and don't feel that token amounts offer a proper validation of your work. Of course, in the future we hope to offer fair compensation if it can be managed within the economics of publishing. For now, we are all in this for art's sake.

Response time

We respond within a few weeks. Often within a week or so, sometimes slower.

Contributor's Notes

Please see our note about author biographies (once accepted).

Rights

We ask for first online publishing rights, which revert to the author upon publication. If you republish your work later, we would be honored if you credit The Drift & Dribble Miscellany as the first publisher.

Illustrators

Send us a link to your portfolio if you have a love of literature, see pictures in your head, and would like to contribute to our magazine by setting the visual tone for individual pieces. Illustrators must be able to provide high quality digital images in JPG format within a relatively short turn-around time. (See our discussion of our reverence for the power of art and design at the bottom of the Our Drift page.)