3 Places to Submit Your Flash Fiction Online

Are you a flash fiction writer looking to get your work published?

At Online Fiction Review, we adore flash fiction. You can read it while sitting in a parking lot or standing in line. You can read it while on hold with the bank or your credit card company. 

“Hopper, Reading” by Gary Todd, Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

If you're going to be staring at your phone anyway, it's good to engage your brain creatively rather than depressing yourself with social media or the news.

Here are three online publications we like that accept flash fiction submissions.

1. Every Day Fiction

Every Day Fiction accepts multiple genres of flash fiction, and according to their submission guidelines, there is "no such thing as too short." They pay 3 Canadian dollars per accepted story. Check out their submission guidelines here.

Every Day Fiction offers a unique star rating system. Each story published is rated by readers with a maximum of five stars. This allows magazine staff and published authors to see what the public thinks of their work. Yeah, as a writer, that can be a little daunting. But if your story is good enough to be accepted by Every Day Fiction, it's safe to say that some important people have already given it their seal of approval.

We enjoyed "Grey Power," the Every Day Fiction story by Anne Wilkins that we reviewed this summer. At the time of this writing, Every Day Fiction readers had awarded it 4.4 stars.

2. Flash Fiction Magazine

Flash Fiction Magazine publishes one story per day, every day of the year. They accept stories between 300 and 1,000 words. You can read their submission guidelines here.

One of the coolest things about Flash Fiction Magazine is that they're upfront about their selection process. Your story gets read by three editors. If it gets at least one yes, the whole team reviews it. Later, when you receive your acceptance or rejection, they tell you how many votes you got. Sometimes, they include feedback on your story as well.

A while back, Online Fiction Review covered a story from this Flash Fiction Mazatine called "Wife's New Slow Cooker," by author Christian Weir. It's a funny little domestic tale that you can read about on this page.

3. SmokeLong Quarterly

SmokeLong Quarterly publishes short stories of 1,000 words and under. Publication months are March, June, September, and December. The idea is that each story takes about as long to read as you need to smoke a cigarette. Not that you should do that.

If you're a writer who appreciates getting feedback, you can get it from this publisher, which is awesome. But it's not free; you may spend $30 to get feedback statements from three editors. However, if you're looking to improve your writing and don't mind contributing to a good cause, it's a win-win. Read about the various methods of submission to SmokeLong Quarterly here.

Online Fiction Review provided a review of a SmokeLong Quarterly story called Ms. Pac-Man in the Maze in this post. Check it out to see if you agree with our assessment!

Review of Short Story "Middle Kids" by Temim Fruchter

I found this short story on Midnight Breakfast, an online literary magazine.

Length: About 25 minutes

Genre: Coming of Age

“Empty Theater” by Andrew Jackson, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

General Impressions

Q. How's the hook?

The main character, Daniela, just moved to a new school and auditioned for the Purim play.

She is emboldened by her new-kid status to try out for the lead, and she nabs it.

As a kid, I devoured Judy Blume's coming-of-age stories about school kids written in her frank, matter-of-fact voice.

This story gives Judy Blume vibes.

Q. What made me want to keep reading this short story?

The author, Temim Fruchter, expertly builds suspense by creating must-answer questions in the reader's mind.

Daniela was expelled from her previous school. Why?

The Purim play will be performed in a monster theme. Why?

Daniela is oddly fascinated by Mrs. Lubin, a dowdy English teacher and the faculty advisor for the Purim play. Why? (Perhaps it's because Mrs. Lubin has a strange physical quirk that students only speak of in hushed tones.)

Q. What did I think of the plot?

The plot follows a relatable timeline of play rehearsals and performance.

Along the way, Daniela deals with the natural obstacles faced by a kid who has changed schools as well as her own unique obstacles, such as life with her parents in the aftermath of an expulsion and the journey of preparing for the role of headstrong Vashti.

It's fun to watch Daniela grapple with these obstacles while also learning about Vashti and the Purim story.

It's also fun to speculate about the symbolism the author has chosen: A struggling female lead plays the part of Vashti. She is misunderstood by many but ultimately realizes what she must do to be fulfilled.

Q. Did I enjoy the main character?

Daniela is an absolute delight.

Like a Judy Blume character, her narrative is honest and witty. You find yourself rooting for her to succeed even though she's not perfect ... in fact, her imperfections are precisely why you care.

Q. How was the writing style?

At nearly 8,000 words, this story is too short to have chapters, but it's long enough to have demarcated scenes separated by hash marks. The scenes move quickly, advancing the plot at a pleasing pace.

“Queen Vashti: Quarrelsome and Quirky.”
by Wes Dickinson, CC BY-NC 2.0

It's admittedly longer than, say, a flash fiction piece. But the pacing is excellent, and it leads to a satisfying conclusion.

Q. Is the ending satisfying?

It's still technically a short story, but the higher word count translates to greater character development and a more suspenseful plot.

This story is worth the extra few minutes it takes to read.

Want to read "Middle Kids" by Temim Fruchter in Midnight Breakfast? Here is the link one more time!

Review of Short Story "I Would Like a Moustache" by Niall Kaye

I read this short story on 3:AM Magazine, an extremely entertaining e-zine I recently discovered and am excited to share. It's a hilarious story by Niall Kaye that I think you'll love. 

I'm looking forward to reading more of Kaye's work -- and more stories at 3:AM Magazine.

Length: 10 to 12 minutes

Genre: Humor

Stick around to read my review of "I Would Like a Moustache" by Niall Kaye. Or, go here to read the story at 3:AM Magazine, and then come back to see if we agree!

General Impressions

Q. How's the hook?

The hook is simply, "I would like a moustache..." The main character goes on to describe the absurd actions he took to gain said moustache. I adore this type of eccentric simplicity, and the question of whether he gets a moustache kept me reading until the end.

       “Mustache Envy” by 

     Hey Paul Studios, CC BY 2.0

Q. What made me want to keep reading this short story? 

It's the voice for me.

You might find yourself reading this story in a deadpan inner voice -- perhaps something like comedian Steven Wright. You might hear a jocular Rodney Dangerfield in your mind's ear. However your brain manufactures this story's voice, it's definitely catchy.

That's what kept me reading: The unique and hilarious voice (including the word choices) of the main character.

For one thing, he refers repeatedly to the other main character (whom you might consider the "antagonist") as the "newly-appointed Secretary of State for Business and Trade." 

Every. Single. Time.

"Newly-appointed Secretary of State for Business and Trade" is a mouthful, but Niall Kaye inserts the phrase 20 times, and it gets funnier each time.

Other quirky wordings abound. For example, Kaye refers to the "Global Network of Computers, Servers, and Smart Appliances" in an everyday tone -- as if anyone calls the internet that. 

"Krav Maga." 

“rowntree's randoms sweets”
by Clyde Darra, CC BY-SA 2.0

"Rowntrees Randoms." 

"Defenestration." 

If you love words, unusual ones, I think you'll love this story.

Q. What did I think of the plot?

In a story like this, plot is secondary to style. (Some say the same of Wes Anderson movies.) 

I think that's okay.

I read this story when I was feeling kinda down. I needed a pick-up, and "I Would Like a Moustache" did the job. For a blissful 10 to 12 minutes, I stopped thinking about my problems.

The plot itself is silly, but then, so is the entire story. And yet, it's magic in approximately 1,500 words. 

Q. Did I enjoy the main character?

The (nameless) main character is a caricature driven only by one desire: to get a moustache.

He might not hold my interest through an entire novel. But he'd probably hold my attention as a character on a sitcom from week to week. Rerun of Monk, anyone?

Q. How was the writing style?

The writing is smart, sometimes wordy, and always funny. 

If you're a writer who reads about writing, you will find sources on the internet that encourage you to write concisely and discourage wordiness. Generally, I agree with that. 

But in this case, wordiness builds character and comedy.

Q. Is the ending satisfying?

The ending is satisfying mostly because the writer manages to wedge in the word "defenestration." 

It's actually just one of many ways Kaye could have chosen to end the story. It's a bit more violent than I would have expected from such a dweeby character, but I'm not complaining.

Want to read "I Would Like a Moustache" by Niall Kaye in 3:AM Magazine? Here is the link one more time!

Review of Short Story "Big Girls Don't Cry * Fergie" by Adam Shaw

I found this short story on a delightful online fiction website I'd never heard of before called Major 7th Magazine. For lovers of music and online fiction, it's a fun little adventure.

This story is by Adam Shaw. Like most stories in Major 7th Magazine, Shaw's story is based on a song of the writer's choosing. In this case, the writer chose "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie.

Length: Short (3 minutes or less)

Genre: Somewhere between flash fiction and memoir, in my opinion

Stick around to read my review of "Big Girls Don't Cry * Fergie". Or, go here to read the story, and then come back to see if we agree!

General Impressions

Q. How's the hook?

Anyone who's ever been young and in love will appreciate the first sentence of this story, which basically asserts that the main character's college girlfriend broke up with him using a recording of the song "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie.

I was immediately intrigued by the promise of the backstory leading to this juvenile behavior. 

Plus, the story teleported me back to a time when I, too, gleaned extreme personal meaning from pop music. Many of us had a phase in which we framed our life experiences with music, equating various popular songs with significant social and emotional life events.

Q. What made me want to keep reading this short story?

I wanted to know why the main character's girlfriend felt the need to play this song as a backdrop for the breakup. Call me nosy, but I really wanted to know. 

I was also curious to see how the writer would incorporate the lyrics from "Big Girls Don't Cry" into the story. He did a great job of it.

And that's the beauty of Major 7th Magazine. Writers select a song on which to base their short story. Readers choose which stories to read based on the curated "song" (story) list.

Q. Did I enjoy the characters?

I enjoyed the main character who got dumped, the ex-girlfriend who orchestrated the dumping, and the wife who, for years to come, chided him whenever Fergie's song popped up. 

Of those three, I loved the wife the most, probably because of the "full-bellied" laugh she issued when she first learned about the Fergie break-up incident. It depicted her confidence in herself and her relationship as well as her playful relationship with her husband.

Q. Did I like the writing style?

The matter-of-fact college recollections are refreshing. The main character reveals what his college love relationship really was to him: a "tangle of limbs," "cheap booze," and "shitty movies." 

In one paragraph, he's crying over the end of the relationship. In the next paragraph, he and his wife (especially his wife) are highly entertained by it.

In short, I love the light sentimentality and the big humor this story delivers in four short paragraphs.

Q. Was the ending satisfying?

Toward the end of the story, the main character alludes to his wife having an oncology appointment. No further details are supplied. But the implication that the wife has (or had) cancer draws a stark contrast between the nature of his relationships before and after college.

Some readers may be disappointed that the main character does not share more information about his wife's condition. But I think there's simplicity and beauty in keeping that part a mystery.

The story ends with the main character's daughter calling him "silly" for getting lost in an old memory. 

It's not dramatic, but it's a neat way to tie things up. 

Want to read "Big Girls Don't Cry * Fergie" by Adam Shaw in Major 7th Magazine? Here is the link one more time!

Review of Short Story "Wife's New Slow Cooker" by Christian Weir

 I found this short story at the e-zine flashfictionmagazine.com.

The author of this funny piece is Christian Weir.

Length: Short (a 5-minute read)

Genre: Humor

Stick around to read my review. Or, go here to read the story (and then come back to see if we agree!).

General Impressions

This story had me wondering for a hot second whose side the author was on: Phil (husband) or Wife (she apparently doesn't have a name). In the end, I realized the author and I were on the same team, and I loved the story!

Review of Short Story "Schrӧdinger Can’t Save My Grandmother" by Michelle Koubek

 Welcome to my first short story review at Online Fiction Review! I found this story on the e-zine Allegory.

The author of this fun online fiction piece is Michelle Koubek. 

Length: Short (a 5-minute read)

Genre: Speculative fiction

Stick around to read my review. Or, go here to read the story (and then come back to read my review to see if you agree!).

General Impressions 

This imaginative story held my interest throughout. The author created suspense while showcasing the backstory and developing an interesting main character.