Welcome writers!  Thank you for your interest in CLOCKHOUSE. 

The submission period for the Summer 2025 Volume 12 issue will begin on September 1, 2024, and remain open through 11:59 PM on November 15, 2024.

Volume 12 will be published in summer 2025.

We accept works of poetry, fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, and drama for stage and screen. We are also looking for artwork for the cover.

Submissions from both established and emerging writers are encouraged. All submissions must be original, unpublished work written by the author or, if you are submitting artwork for cover consideration, original artwork created by the artist.

Follow industry-standard formatting guidelines (Word docs preferred) appropriate for the genre as well as the following:

Fiction

  • Flash Fiction, up to 3 pieces, up to 750 words each, each submitted separately
  • Short stories and self-contained novel excerpts, one piece, 751 - 3,500 words
  • Double-spaced, note word count on first page
  • Genre fiction will be considered only if it sustains literary merit.

Poetry

  • All poetry up in traditional and experimental styles including prose poetry. 
  • Up to three poems of any length, each submitted separately
  • You may submit more than three poems only if they form a thematic unit (submit as one)

Memoir/Creative Nonfiction

  • All memoir/creative nonfiction in traditional and experimental styles
  • No academic or scientific essays
  • Submit one piece, up to 5,000 words
  • Double-spaced, not the word count on the first page

Dramatic Work for Stage or Screen

  • Short plays and screenplays in traditional and experimental styles. 
  • Standalone work only (not part of a longer work); no monologues. 
  • Submitted work should be written with the audience in mind
  • Submit up to 12 pages with title and character breakdown
  • Follow industry-standard formatting appropriate for plays/screenplays including paginations

Cover Artwork

  • We are seeking vibrant, dynamic artwork that uses a rich palette. The artwork should be engaging and approachable to a broad audience; we prefer representational styles but will consider abstract and surreal styles as well
  • Artwork must be in portrait orientation with a size of at least 8 x 12 inches (20.32 cm x 30.48 cm) 
  • A resolution of at least 300 DPI in either jpg or jpeg file format

Response Time

Expect to wait up to four months after the close of our submissions period for a reply. After that time, you can check on the status of your submission by e-mailing ClockhouseEditorialDirector@gmail.com. Include the title of your piece, the genre, and the original date of submission. 

Upon Acceptance

By accepting an offer of publication by CLOCKHOUSE, the author will grant the magazine first serial rights. Upon publication, rights revert back to the author, who retains all other rights to the work. Any subsequent publication will note that the work was first published in CLOCKHOUSE. 

Payment

Payment for publication in CLOCKHOUSE is one contributor's copy in which the work appears and a discount on purchases of that volume. We may choose to nominate published works for awards or other recognition as appropriate. 

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Artwork for Cover Consideration:  We are excited to invite artists to submit their work for the cover of Clockhouse Volume 12. We are looking for colorful and accessible artwork that will captivate our readers and complement the diverse literary content within. 

Specifically, your submission should be: 

  • colorful: we are seeking vibrant, dynamic artwork that uses a rich palette
  • accessible: the artwork should be engaging and approachable to a broad audience; we prefer representational styles but will consider abstract and surreal styles as well

Technical Specifications: Artwork must be in portrait orientation with a size of at least 8 x 12 inches (20.32 cm x 30.48 cm) and a resolution of at least 300 DPI.

 Images should be uploaded in either a jpg or jpeg file format.

Memoir/Creative Nonfiction: all memoir/creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words in traditional and experimental styles. No academic or scientific essays.

In addition, all submissions must:

  • be original, unpublished work written by the author
  • follow the industry-standard formatting guidelines appropriate for the genre including double-spaced and paginated; Word Doc preferred
  • word count noted on first page.
  • Include a bio of approximately 100 words or less

Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread.

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Poetry

  • All poetry in traditional and experimental styles including prose poetry 
  • Submit up to three poems of any length per reading period
  • Each must be uploaded as a separate submission


Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread.

Dramatic Work for Stage or Screen: Short plays and screenplays in traditional and experimental styles. Submitted work should be written with the audience in mind. Submit only one dramatic work for stage or screen during a single submission period. 

In addition, all submissions must:

  • be original, unpublished work written by the author
  • be standalone work only and no monologues
  • follow industry-standard formatting guidelines appropriate for the genre including pagination; Word Doc preferred
  • be up to 12 pages, including a cover page with title and character breakdown
  • Include a bio of approximately 100 words or less

Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread.

Fiction

  • Flash Fiction, 750 words or less.
  • Short stories and self-contained novel excerpts, 751 - 3,500 words. (Only genre fiction of sustained literary merit will be considered.)

In addition, all submissions must:

  • be original, unpublished work written by the author 
  • follow the industry-standard formatting guidelines appropriate for the genre including double-spaced and paginated; Word Doc preferred 
  • word count noted on first page.
  • Include a bio of approximately 100 words or less


Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded unread.


 

Clockhouse