We are now open to fiction, essays (including Artists on Craft essays), and book reviews and will cap those subs at 50 submissions each. We will remain closed to poetry and photography for now. Stay tuned for any further updates. As for any outstanding submissions, we will contact writers/artists as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience.
If you’re interested in submitting work to The Sunlight Press, please send a completed piece to thesunlightpress@gmail.com. First, read our submission guidelines below. Please always check this page to confirm we are open and for any particular details. Thank you.
***
What work do we consider at our journal?
The Sunlight Press considers submissions within the following categories (please note word count guidelines):
- Personal Essays (Nonfiction): 750-1,000 words.
- Fiction: Includes microfiction (under 400 words); flash fiction (under 1,000 words); and short stories (under 2,000 words).
- Poetry: Up to three poems in one submission (all in one attached document, please). Note: Unusual formatting in poetry often cannot be replicated on our site.
- Reviews: Review of books (fiction & nonfiction), short story collections, and essay collections (750-1,000 words); preference for newly published books. Reviews of current films (750-1,000 words).
- Artists on Craft Series: Interviews/Reflections by artists on their process of the art of choice (accompanying photos welcome); 1,000 words and under.
- Photography: Up to three photographs in one submission (Please note: submit only unfiltered, non-AI generated images attached in jpeg format).
How do you submit work?
Email submissions to thesunlightpress@gmail.com with the subject line clearly indicating the genre — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, review, artist on craft, or photography. Submissions should be attached in a Word document (docx., doc.), without names and contact info on the document.
Please submit only one written piece at a time (in other words, do not submit written work in multiple categories at the same time). The only exception: You may submit a written piece and photography simultaneously. In written pieces, please use only one space after periods.
Do not send new work for consideration until hearing back from us on the status of a current submission. Also if a piece is not accepted, please wait three to six months after hearing from us before submitting new work. Writers whose work has been accepted, please wait three months after its publication to submit new work. Thank you.
We typically do not consider pieces beyond the word lengths above. We also do not publish how-to articles, or work that is religious or political in nature, nor about current social issues. Please do not send AI-generated fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, or reviews. (For poets submitting work, our poetry editor Clive Collins recommends the book, Singing School by Robert Pinsky, about the craft of writing and reading poetry.)
Final note: We will not acknowledge or review work that does not follow the guidelines above. Thanks for your understanding.
***
What should accompany your submission?
Please include a 3-4 sentence, third person bio (no more than 150 words) and any social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, X/Twitter, etc.), as well as a current email address and contact information. We review simultaneous submissions; please inform us of this status upon submission.
Does The Sunlight Press pay writers upon publication?
Yes, The Sunlight Press pays for original, unpublished work only, via PayPal. We occasionally accept previously published work (in print, on a personal blog, or another digital publication) but offer no payment.
Our payment rates (as of June 2024) are:
$50 for essays (including book reviews and Artists on Craft pieces)
$50 for fiction (short stories, flash fiction, and microfiction)
$35 for the first poem accepted, and $10 for each additional accepted in the same submission.
$20 for each photo accepted
When will you hear from us?
Every submission will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the submission from the editors. Writers will be informed of the status of their submission within three to four months of submission. Please query after that time period if you have received no update.
The content of The Sunlight Press is exclusively online. The Sunlight Press claims first publishing rights, which revert to the author upon publication; however, please acknowledge The Sunlight Press if your work appears later online or in print. Many thanks.
Final word: We strive to publish pieces within six months of acceptance and welcome your query if that time period has passed.
Contest News
In our most recent contest, we published the first, second, and third place winners from our 2025 Fall Flash Fiction Contest. The first place winner was Kathryn Kulpa’s Sam & Ruby on the Brink. Second place winner was Mother Said I Was Air by Dawn Miller, and third place winner was Resistance by Laura Nagle. We thank writer Kelli Short Borges for judging our contest.
In other recent contest news, we published the winner and two finalists from our 2024 Spring Photography Contest. Graham Tobin was the first place winner with his photo, “Sagebrush Rookery.” The second place winner was Viviana De Cecco with her photo, “Sardinian Crane Flower,” and the third place winner was Kat Mincz and her photo, “Grasshopper on Gourd Flower.” We thank photographer Patricia Joynes for judging our contest.
Find other contest winners on our Contests page.
Still have questions?
Additional information is published at NewsPages.com, and in an older June 2018 Q&A with editors at the “Six Questions For…” editors blog. Read more here. Further questions, email us at thesunlightpress@gmail.com. We welcome all questions and inquiries.
Many thanks for considering us for your work.