Folly welcomes submissions from around the world.

We open for submissions around late January of each year, closing around 1 May. The submission portal is via the Submittable platform, accessible directly from our website or via Submittable.

We look for works with blunt, provocative humour, satirical takes on the social scene, and starkly honest accounts of ordinary life. We are particularly seeking content that is provocative, a bit sexy and is starkly honest.

Inside our submission portal below you can view the categories open for submission, and further details about each:

  • Fiction, nonfiction and personal essays

  • Poetry, or lyrics, or anything that isn’t quite sure what it is

  • Overheard, and short nonfiction pieces for those who are dipping their toes into writing

Our 2024 reading period is now closed.

Submissions for 2025 will be available via the button below.

We take pitches for commissioned works all year round, and welcome enquiries directly to our Editor.

Submission guidelines

We accept flash fiction, short stories and poetry. Individual entries mustn’t exceed 2500 words. Don’t take this as a target, we love short and snappy prose of around 500 words too and even better if you can wow us on just one page.

Submitted work must be in English, with 1.5 spacing and in a standard font.

For consideration and inclusion in our 2025 print publication, submissions must be received prior to 30 May 2025.

We will endeavor to respond to all submissions within two weeks, and all shortlisted submitters within four weeks.

Any queries can be directed to: editor@follyjournal.com

We are looking for:

Poetry

Short stories

Flash fiction

Creative nonfiction and essays

Nonfiction

Interviews

Comics and quotes.

 FAQs

  • Submissions open in mid January each year, closing around the end of May. Please keep an eye on our socials and our submission dates in Submittable - which are always up to date.

  • If you have been longlisted for Folly Issue 3, you will be notified as soon as possible and usually within a few weeks of submitting. Those selected for publication will be notified within a week of submissions closing. If you work has not been longlisted, you will usually hear back from us within two weeks of submitting.

  • We encourage you to purchase a copy of Folly to familiarise yourself with the tone and content we enjoy. You can also read the winning story from Issue one on the Folly Prize page of this website.

  • For 2025, the Folly Prize will be set to $500, to enable us to make contributor payments to everyone published in Folly. The amount paid will depend on the total number of submissions accepted but will be between $25 - $50 per entry.

  • We appreciate that frankness and honesty in writing requires courage.

    For this reason we happily accept stories and poems from writers who wish to use a pseudonym.

    We will endeavor to ensure your anonymity is maintained during any marketing coverage resulting from your writing and publication within our journal. However, please note that in the event that a submission entered under a pseudonym is a finalist in our Short Story Prize, the prize money will be reallocated amongst all participants.