Folly welcomes submissions from around the world.

We open for submissions on 13 January 2025, closing 1 June, via Submittable. This can be accessed directly from our website on the button below, or via the Submittable platform.

We look for works with blunt, provocative humour, satirical takes on the social scene, and starkly honest accounts of ordinary life.

Inside our submission portal below you can view the categories open for submission.

  • We take pitches from professional writers all year round, and welcome enquiries directly to our Editor.

Submission guidelines

Public Submissions

We accept flash fiction, short stories, essays, nonfiction 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.

We will endeavour to respond to all submissions within two weeks, and all shortlisted submitters within four weeks. However, as we run this publication with a mix of paid contractors and volunteer readers, there are times that due to the influx of submissions our response times may vary.

Pitches and Commissions

We accept up to four works each year by professional writers. These works receive a flat fee upon acceptance. Pitches are ideally nonfiction, narrative essay or interviews.

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

Payment Policy

Folly is an independent publication that does not pursue or receive public grants or funding. Like other international literary publications, we endeavour to create a viable publication with longevity for the writing community. At this current time, our fundraising efforts, sales and small reading charge enables us to:

  • Ensure our contracted production team, excluding our founders, receive fair payment for their work.

  • Provide a $1000 prize to the best short story received through our public submission portal.

  • Provide a small professional payment to professional writers who pitch directly to us or are referred to us for a written piece of work.

  • Provide contributor copies to all contributors who submit through the public portal, and submission readers, no matter where in the world they live.

  • Offer complementary membership to the Wellington Writers’ Studio, to all contributors who are Wellington based.

 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.