OPEN CALL: A Coup of Owls Autumn 2026 Issue

A COUP OF OWLS AUTUMN ISSUE:

Seeking drabbles, flash fiction, and short stories from writers from underrepresented and marginalized communities. The quarterly online anthology welcomes bold, emotional, and original fiction across all genres.

SUBMISSION WINDOW:

June 1st -- June 7th

WORDCOUNT:

100 -- 8,000

PAYMENT:

Drabbles & Flash: £5

Short Stories 1,001–4,000 words: £10

Short Stories 4,001–8,000 words: £15

LINK TO ORIGINAL CALL

---

WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR:

We’re looking for stories you’ve poured your soul into but haven’t been able to find the right home for. We’re looking for stories that make us feel something.

Warmth, love, melancholy, rage. We want it all.

All genres, styles and themes will be considered and we especially love stories that are outside the box in their telling. Ambiguous endings? Non-linear storytelling? Antagonist’s point-of-view? A story told in just one scene? We love it all.

PLEASE DON'T SEND

• The work must be original. If retelling an existing story please ensure this is wholly your own work and that the source material is out of copyright (for example, fairy tales or The Great Gatsby)

• We welcome scrubbed fanfiction, however it must work as an original piece and not infringe on copyright (see our FAQs)

• Complete works only, no excerpts or serials

• We only accept stories aimed at an adult readership. By this we mean that we do not accept children’s stories or YA, not that the work must be explicit

• If we have published you recently, please leave a space of one issue before submitting again – we won’t publish authors in back-to-back issues (but we love your enthusiasm!!)

• We do not accept translations

• We do not accept and will not publish non-fiction, poetry or creative non-fiction submissions

• We do not accept and will not publish submissions of AI created content

​Rating: We accept all ratings, including and up to R/18+. However, we do not publish plotless erotica. Strong sexual content is acceptable as long as it fits within the story and is not gratuitous.

We do accept strong violence and dark themes, depending on the context within the story. These will be considered on a case by case basis. Please feel free to query us before submitting.

Restrictions on bigotry and hate speech:

We do not accept bigotry in any form. Please do not send us stories that are, or glorify, discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or disability.

We may consider stories that feature these things but do not glorify them. For example, we may accept a story that features a character experiencing racism or homophobia, depending on the context within the story and its resolution. This will be considered on a case by case basis, please feel free to query us before submitting.

REPRINTS?

No

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS?

Yes. Please submit no more than three works during the submission period. This can be, for example, three short stories, or one flash, and two short stories, etc. Please submit a separate form for each piece.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS?

No simultaneous submissions. Please do not submit to us something that is currently under consideration elsewhere. Please do not submit the same piece you have sent us anywhere else while we are considering it.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Only Submit if:

• you are aged 18 or over

• you belong to an underrepresented or marginalised community.

• 
  

These include, but are not limited to: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and disabled people.

Whilst we also love stories about diverse characters, it is not necessary that your story feature them.

Please note: this Press is pro-Palestine and against all genocidal actions. If this doesn’t align with your own views then we may not be a comfortable fit for your work.

FORMATTING GUIDELINES:

• We encourage you to submit your work in a classic manuscript format, such as the Shunn format.

• Upload your file as either a doc or docx, with the file name [story title] by

  
  

RIGHTS REQUESTED

Payments will be made subject to a signed contract which states that A Coup of Owls Press is purchasing the rights to publish your work on its website and to archive that work in its Issues archive. We ask for six months exclusivity on your work and do not accept reprints.