SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Fiction – The Black Boot is now accepting only Flash Fiction submissions, i.e., stories of 1000 words or less (perhaps many less).  The parameters are loose.  The process is unavoidably and extremely subjective.  Humor is good.  Smug and glib are not.  Experiments in language, as well as straight-ahead, earnest narratives, are welcome.  The deciding factor is and always will be the strength of your voice.

Poetry – The Black Boot’s bent is for poetry exploring one or more areas within the following territory (but is always open to elements that are convincing and enticing outside of this terrain): personal, satirical, ironic, absurd, quixotic, dryly humorous with perhaps an emphasis on the darker tones (dark humor, tragicomedy), intense or its opposite, deep yet accessible, something between sense and non-sense (but not strong on either side), insightful, repetitions with imperfection, fresh/unexpected use of language, and with a sense of rhythm/meter and rhyme that is elastic yet cleverly identifiable. Please send at least 3 poems and put them ALL in the same document.  Thank you!

Photographs and Art – Always welcome!  Comics and graphic fiction also welcome.

Nuts and Bolts – Nothing published before, anywhere, anyhow—please.  Word attachments are best.  We like to hear a bit about you, either in a formal cover letter approach or an informal and engaging introduction.  Listing previous publications is unnecessary; but, we admit, sometimes we are impressed, in awe even, when we verify that you’ve done what you say you’ve done.

Writers, sincerely, thank you for the interest in The Black Boot.  The world would be an insufferably dismal place without you. 

Please email your submissions to blackboot@mail.com.