Archive of the Odd is a biannual magazine of found fiction—stories told in the style of found footage, also known epistolary, neo-epistolary, found file, or found document fiction. Essentially, stories told in the form of other documents.

All submissions must be found fiction. We realize this is oddly specific, so if you’re not sure what we’re looking for, the best way will be to look at the stories on our website, or buy an issue to see the full zine treatment (in fact, if you email us or DM us on Twitter we’ll give you a coupon code for being a savvy author… just saying). Alternately, think about all the things you read on a daily basis that aren’t fiction. Newspapers? Emails? Product support guides? …Submissions calls?

If you read all of this and still have questions, please refer to our FAQ, or query!

Alright, let’s dive in!

Writing:

Basics:

• All submissions must be found fiction. We do not accept traditional prose or poetry.
• Submissions sent before opening dates will be deleted unread. Feel free to resubmit after opening, however! Mistakes happen.
• We read blind, so please do not include personal information (name, address, email, etc.) in the document. Please include your name in your cover letter, though!
• We pay 1 cent/word USD + a share of royalties. We are currently pursuing grants and other means of additional funding.
• 500-8,000 words is preferred for the main magazine, but will consider 5,000-12,000 for a standalone chapbook publication. This is a new venture for us, so expect more details coming soon! Microfiction is also accepted, though it may be harder for us to place.
• Shunn formatting is nice, but if it doesn’t work for your story, don’t worry! As long as the fonts and stylization are readable, it’s fine. We don’t have a preference between plain text or pre-formatted pieces.
• Simultaneous submissions are wonderful, as are multiple submissions (up to 3, although at most 1 will be accepted). Reprints are also welcome, as long as you have the rights and let us know its publication history.
• Mixed media, interactive, HTML, and other boundary-breaking pieces are always welcome. If you’re able to fit things in a PDF format, that’s great, but otherwise we can make alternative arrangements (e.g. links to repositories).
• If there is related artwork, we will also pay for that! See Artists guidelines.
• We welcome stories that tackle real world issues like racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and more. However, overt racism, homophobia, etc. without a distinct purpose will not be tolerated. Essentially, if we cannot tell if the hate is from the mouth of the character or the author, we cannot in good conscience accept it.
• Cover letters won’t sway us, but in general a good format is “Dear Editors,” (or “Dear Mycelial Network,” “Dear Archivists,” “O Creatures of the Night,” etc.), your name, the title of the story, the word count, any special considerations (e.g. there being a link to a video halfway through), and a sendoff.
• Please let us know in your cover letter if you would NOT like a personal rejection. This does not promise you will get a personal rejection otherwise, but we realize that not everyone likes personal rejections, so please let us know if you’d rather just get a form!
• Want more guidance? Read our editors’ hot takes in Six Questions For!

Artwork

• For both paired and unpaired, we pay $20/page + royalties. Our pages are A4.
• Paired:
• In general, we prefer paired art. This is art where we commission a scene for a specific story.
• If you would like to be considered, please send a portfolio (artist info can remain, these aren’t judged blind!).
• If you are accepted, we will then send you stories looking for illustration. You can pick your favorite, and then we’ll get you in touch with the author!
• Unpaired:
• This is already-completed art that has no connection to any of the written pieces. This can be more difficult for us to place unless a story has an area where the piece might fit.
• If possible, please remove any obvious watermarks or signatures so we can judge blind. You will be able to add any signatures back in before publication if selected.

In need of inspiration?

When it comes to formats, think of any of the millions of ways humans communicate information. Heck, we’ll take non-human communication means. Here’s a non-exhaustive list:

• Academic papers
• Technical writing
• Medication warning sheets
• Junk mail
• Sales papers
• Newspaper articles
• Recipes
• Knitting/crochet/weaving/what-have-you guides
• Social media
• Book blurbs
• Encyclopedia entries
• Care guides (plant, animal, rock garden, etc)
• Reviews