Submit to Futurist Letters
Essays and short fiction accepted.
Futurist Letters is open to submissions for quality essays and short fiction. We have run work from New York Times writers, high schoolers, and everyone in between. We stand behind both our status-blind reading policy and our distinct editorial touch. We are immensely proud of every author we have run in our years of operation.
Essays are particularly welcomed on the topics of civic development, infrastructure, politics viewed with a lens beyond the partisan, energy, ancient history, classical history, technology, economics, new scenes, forgotten scenes, cults, new media, high literature, low literature, and entertainment in general. We have an intelligent, broadly curious, intellectually idiosyncratic English-speaking reader base that is primarily American but global in scope. They love hearing new takes, and they love essays that respond to the discourse and the zeitgeist. Let your passion move them.
We accept submission of essays on any subject. Most of all, we are seeking essays that describe the present or past and point toward the future in an electrifying, clear way that resonates with the educated layman. Your work should not presume a reader’s familiarity with the jargon of your field.
Suggested length for essays is 400-2,000 words. Err on the shorter side when in doubt. You may also submit an essay pitch of 2-5 paragraphs along with a nonfiction writing sample. Please put your pitch in the body of your email if you go this route.
In fiction, we are seeking sparse, clear, evocative prose. We are not a science fiction journal, although we do love science fiction and run it often. Think along the lines of Hemingway (in style, not subject matter). The suggested length for fiction is 400-3,000 words.
All writers must be open to light editorial feedback designed to craft the work into its strongest possible form. Writers must also be willing to share their published article across social media as appropriate. Pseudonymous authors are welcome.
There is no submission fee. Futurist Letters pays $40 for accepted work, with no exclusivity requirement. Previously published work is also accepted, but you must list the full publication history in your initial email. We prefer to pay via Venmo, PayPal, or Amazon gift card as a last resort.
Please submit submissions as .docx attachments to the email address below. Begin your subject line with ESSAY SUBMISSION or FICTION SUBMISSION.
A note: If you would like your short story to primarily be considered for our Double Dealer label of Southern and Western tales, please follow the above guidelines but start your email subject with DOUBLE DEALER FICTION SUBMISSION. We sometimes ask guest editors with relevant experience to help us review themed submissions.
Submitting for a certain label will not help or hurt your chances, so only do it if you truly feel it’s a good fit. We may occasionally move a submitted story into or out of a certain label, depending on our needs.
Due to time constraints, we will probably only respond if we are interested in the work.
Please limit your submissions to one per month at most. Do not resubmit previously submitted work, even with revisions, unless specifically requested.
Accepted entrants will be notified within two weeks of submission. We will provide our own artwork to accompany the piece in publication.
Thank you for your interest, and we hope to hear from you soon.
Email: futuristsub@askariproductions.com
Futurist Letters is an independent publication and a labor of love. It is entirely user-supported, and any patronage you provide is greatly valued. Paid subscribers have the ability to comment and browse the article archives.
If you liked this post, please consider sharing it with some friends, or on social media. You can also follow Cairo Smith on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd.