Metro Fiction Submissions
Size limit: 900-1100 words
Thanks for submitting to Metro Fiction!
Who are we?
Metro Fiction is the fiction column at Metro Moms Network (http://www.metromoms.net). You can find us under the “Fiction” tab on the main menu bar. Our “Welcome” page tells you a bit about our mission and you can read all stories published to-date under “Fiction Selections.”
The primary audience at Metro Moms Network is mothers, many of whom have young children and are either working from home or away from home.
Metro Moms Network is run by managing editor Kathy Zucker, a writer, marketing professional and entrepreneur in Hoboken, New Jersey. Although the site is very new, we already have a base readership and our page-views are growing rapidly.
Metro Fiction had a soft-launch in December, 2011 featuring two Staff Selections and began publishing feature stories every other week on January 1, 2012.
What are we looking for?
Short fiction roughly between 900 and 1100 words that will appeal to a largely female audience.
Genres include fantasy, historical, literary, paranormal, romance, science fiction and women’s fiction.
We are not looking for non-fiction (creative or otherwise), poetry, erotica, horror stories or stories with very dark themes, children’s fiction, middle-grade fiction or young adult fiction.
At this time we do not allow simultaneous submissions.
We do not allow reprints, although stories previously published on your personal blog are eligible for submission if the piece was published more than six months ago and if you agree to remove the piece from your blog upon acceptance.
You may submit up to two pieces at a time. Wait to hear back from us before submitting additional pieces.
We are offering a payment of US $25 if your story is accepted in exchange for the following rights:
• Exclusive first electronic rights (expires in twelve months if not exercised).
• After the story is published electronically, we hold non-exclusive rights to publish and distribute the story within the Metro Moms Network family of sites in either electronic or print form.
We plan to feature stories on our network of sites and have the stories accessible for readers in an online archive. We also plan to produce e-book anthologies and print versions of the magazine featuring some or all of the fiction from the site.
How do I submit to Metro Fiction?
Please include the following in your manuscript in either .doc or .rtf format:
• Place your name, email address and other contact info in the top left of your manuscript.
• Place the word count in the top right.
• Include the title and byline as you would like it to appear on the site.
• Include a one sentence teaser for your story (this teaser may or may not be used as-is).
• Include your story (generally between 900 and 1100 words), single-spaced with double spaces between paragraphs.
• Include a bio of up to 100 words at the end, written in 3rd person. You are welcome to include links to your website and published novels.
• Please include page numbers at the bottom center of all pages of your manuscript.
• Important: Submit only via this submissions page. Submissions via email or snail mail are not accepted.
What happens if my submission is accepted by Metro Fiction?
Our editorial team may accept your submission as-is or may offer an acceptance conditioned on edits that we provide to you. If you complete the edits, you may re-submit your piece for consideration. We are eager to work with you to feature your best work.
If your submission is accepted, you will be asked to sign a W-9 form (U.S. writers) and Writer’s Agreement.
If this is a resubmission, please note this at the top of your manuscript.
If you encounter any problems using this submission page, please email us at pj@metromoms.net.
FAQ:
- Do I have to be a woman to submit to Metro Fiction? Absolutely not. We are confident that both men and women are capable of writing fiction for our Metro Moms readers.
- Do I have to be a parent to submit to Metro Fiction? Absolutely not. Some of our stories have a parenting theme to them, but many do not. We feel that mothers don't necessarily want to read about mothering during their scarce free time.