We are looking for complex stories, poems, and essays. Our focus is literary work. We love unexpected poetic language and a bit of magic realism. We are seeking work that features well-rounded female characters. We welcome all authors and their words with one caveat — if you can sum up your female characters in one line (or worse yet: one word), our publication is probably not for you.
For quarterly publications, we are looking for work that is 1500 words or less. There is no minimum word count.
For MoonBites, we are looking for poetry or prose that is 300 words or less.
We are looking for previously unpublished work but have made exceptions. Please reach out to discuss if you have a previously published work that you think might be a good fit.
We are a small magazine with volunteer readers, yet we are committed to compensating writers for their work. We pay authors $15 per published piece in the quarterly journal. This in no way reflects the value of the author’s work but merely the amount we are able to pay from submission fees.
We partner with writers on enhancing their visibility. All published authors received custom-designed promotional images (similar to book covers) that are suitable for social media promotions and tips on promoting their work.
We Could Almost Touch It, aims to amplify the voices of women and delve into the state of women since the 2016 presidential election. Similar to our Featured Abortion Stories, this series is designed to provide a platform for women to share their experiences and stories.
Throughout this year, we will be accepting submissions and publishing essays on a rolling basis. In 2025, we plan to compile a collection of essays from this series into a book that documents our experiences, aspirations, and dreams. By submitting your work for online publication, you will also be eligible for possible publication in the printed anthology.
We are actively seeking personal essays that narrate our journeys toward genuine equality while highlighting the impact of inequality on our lives and outlining our efforts to resist and combat it.
We invite all of you to submit your essays. For this special series, we will waive all submission fees. You are also invited to join our community of writers and readers by signing up for our newsletter and following us on social media.
- Essays must cover at least one of the themes: women's rights, losses since the 2016 election, and what will turn things around.
- Essays should be up to 1500 words in length.
- We can accept previously published essays as long as the rights have reverted back to the author. Please let us know where and how to credit the first publication.
- Writers may choose to publish anonymously.
There is no fee for submission.
Do you need developmental feedback to bring your short prose to life?
Our editors will review your submission and provide feedback on your work. We assess the strengths of your work from several lenses, each with a different focus.
We read your work first as lovers of stories, getting a sense of how engaging the story is. We evaluate our emotional connection to the characters. We identify where we were fully sutured in and where we got confused or distracted. We experience the beauty and power of the voice of the piece.
In the next read-through, we begin to look at the technical aspects. In this read, we add comments, often in the form of questions, so that you have insights for your rework. Often, we provide resources and exercises that will help you refine your writing. Very occasionally, we will insert possible language to show you one approach you can use to strengthen a section.
We specialize in literary fiction and creative nonfiction.
This is intended for short prose up to 3000 words. If you have a longer work you would like us to review, please reach out to us at teresa@tangledlocksjournal.com
Please submit your work in a single document. Work should be previously unpublished.
Simultaneous submissions are welcomed but please let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Fiction and Nonfiction: Maximum word count is 1500 words. Please include the word count and title in your document.
Poetry: Please submit one poem in a single document. If special formatting is required, please send it as a pdf. Please note, that we may not be able to reproduce special formatting on the web and mobile versions of your poem but will attach a PDF.
Thank you for sharing your words with us.
Submissions are open for our May 2024 MoonBite
MoonBites are short works of fiction, poetry, or essays (300 words maximum). One work will be selected. We are looking for pieces that evoke vivid images. We will use the work as inspiration for an illustrated slide deck that combines the written word with images. Four to eight original slides will be created.
A cover image will be created and provided to the writer to use on their website and/or social media profiles. Tangled Locks Journal will also publish and promote the work on our website and social media accounts.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere!
Thank you for sharing your words with us.