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We publish personal essays, short stories, and poems by established and emerging writers from all over the world.
We encourage submissions from writers whose perspectives are underrepresented in or missing from The Sun. We are particularly looking for work by writers of color, queer and trans writers, writers with disabilities, incarcerated writers, and others who are marginalized on the basis of their circumstances or identity.
Writing from The Sun has won the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.
Our contributors’ work has also been selected for many of the Best American anthology series, including Best American Essays, Poetry, Short Stories, Spiritual Writing, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Sports Writing.
$200 and up, based on page length
Send us your essay that’s too personal for any other journal—the one where you’re so unguarded you need editors you can trust and compassionate readers who will honor your vulnerability.
Share a clear-eyed reflection on your big mistakes, a joyful celebration of your hard-won victories, or a testament that makes a newsworthy event feel intimate instead of faceless.
We’re looking for essays that seek to understand the world from a fresh perspective and that wrestle with questions that resist easy answers.
Read sample essays$200 and up, based on page length
Send us your emotionally honest story—the one that helps us learn what it feels like to be someone else.
Share satire that hits close to home, tragedy that’s cathartic without being manipulative, or a parable that lingers long after we finish reading.
We’re looking for stories in any genre of fiction that take risks to tell us something true about ourselves.
Read sample stories$200 and up, based on page length
Send us your poem that basks in the mysteries of the universe—the one where the smallest detail tells us about our place in the world.
Share reflections on your relationships, questions for God, or an elegy for something you’ve lost.
We’re looking for poems—usually narrative but always accessible—that invite us into your confidence and lead us to revelation.
Read sample PoemsWe consider English-language submissions from anywhere in the world.
We have no formal word limits, but we tend not to publish work longer than 7,000 words.
We will consider up to 5 poems at once—please save them together in a single submission file.
We prefer manuscripts in any legible 12-point font with double-spaced paragraphs, page numbers in the footer, and 1-inch margins.
On page 1 please include the author’s name, submission title, and genre.
While we appreciate careful proofreading, we don’t disqualify submissions for formatting inconsistencies or typos. Please don’t withdraw and resubmit just because you spot a mistake.
We do not respond to queries prior to submission. Send us your complete manuscript, as it is difficult to judge a piece based solely on a description of it.
We consider submissions online via Submittable.
A $2.50 submission fee for online submissions helps defray our expenses related to receiving and evaluating more than 2,000 unsolicited submissions per month.
We do not consider unsolicited submissions via email.
To submit by mail, send your printed manuscript and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
We cannot respond unless a return envelope is provided, and your manuscript will not be returned without sufficient postage. No fee is required for submissions sent by mail.
We are happy to consider manuscripts that have also been submitted elsewhere. Please notify us immediately if your work is accepted by another journal.
We try to respond to each submission within three months. Our backlog of manuscripts is often substantial, however, so don’t let a longer wait surprise you.
You can check the status of an online submission by logging in to Submittable, where you can track your submission and see the most recent status.
We are unable to track mailed submissions. If you haven’t heard from us within six months about something you mailed, we recommend submitting your manuscript again, preferably online.
You can withdraw your online submission from consideration via Submittable.
To withdraw just one poem from a submission of multiple poems, please send us a message through Submittable with the title of the poem you'd like to withdraw.
We offer payment upon publication of accepted work. We pay via PayPal or direct deposit.
We purchase one-time print and online publishing rights. Click here to view a sample contract.
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