Like small presses, micropresses have a special place in the literary world. Micropresses might be operating on a smaller scale (usually with one or two writers), but that doesn’t mean they don’t hold value. They actually have roots in the small press, but the medium allows for new and experimental directions that publishers can take and artists and writers can express. You can learn more about the history here.
Several of these places accept both chapbooks and microchapbooks, while some are purely dedicated to this very short form (with equally dedicated people running them). Genres and word count vary between each one, but here are a few micropresses to give you a feel for what they’re looking for.
Origami Poems
Like some of the places on this list, their guidelines are extensive because they work with specific formatting. They look for poetry, up to six poems or one long poem that fits their formatting.
You can find their full guidelines here.
Ghost City
This press has been running their microchap summer series for a few years now, working to establish emerging writers. Their submission period lasts from February 1st to March 1st. (Their books also are free to download but they encourage donations to the authors!).
You can find their submission guidelines here.
Porkbelly
Porkbelly also has different submission periods for chapbooks, anthologies, and more, but their microchap submission period is in July 1st to the 31st. They describe what they’re looking for in their guidelines, saying, “Our catalog favors lit & poetry leaning heavily toward fabulism, folklore, & magic—often confessional or intimate poems or personal lyric essay. All work should be tightly linked.”
You can find their submission guidelines here.
Rinky Dink Press
This micropress definitely lives up to its name. They accept what they call “micro-manuscripts” only one month out of the year, usually May or June. Their guidelines are also short. They explain, “When we’re open for submissions, please submit one micro-manuscript containing 5-6 thematically related micropoems (i.e. poems consisting of no more than 40 words each).” This is also a pretty hard and fast rule!
You can find their full guidelines here.
Yavanika
This press publishes both new and established writers in two different periods: one for chapbooks and the other for “mini-chapbooks” for poems under ten lines. The mini-chapbook submission period is for the entire month of July. During their chapbook period, they also look for Japanese short forms, short prose, and other genres.
You can find their guidelines here.
Kissing Dynamite
They have a submission period every October, with a fifty dollar honorarium and ten complimentary copies given to those who are published. They look for poetry in varying styles. Each of the books published are made locally as well.
You can find their full guidelines and formatting here.
Want to know more? Click the LEARN MORE button at home. You’ll find some helpful links to my work in journals, which I have started posting here too. You can find me in Ariel Chart, The Cedarville Review, Nailpolish Stories, Bluepepper, 50 Word Stories, The Aurora Journal, Writing in a Woman’s Voice, The Drabble, and Anti-heroin Chic, Art of Autism, Your Daily Poem, and Sledgehammer Lit. You can now also find my FREE microchap at Origami Poems Project, which I am also offering here.
Need help proofreading a story? You can find me on Fiverr!
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