Box is a literary space for spaces. The blank versus the filled, the roar versus the silence, the unknown and the identified; the empty void and what, and who, fills it. We're drawn to philosophical inquiry, moral and universal quandaries, human and emotional problems that remain unsolved or don't yet exist, and artwork that illuminates or twists areas that have never been illuminated or bent before.
Like Kafka's Metamorphosis, Jorge Luis Borges' The Library of Babel, or Samanta Schweblin's Mouthful of Birds, humanity and the stories we create contain unfathomable and ambiguous puzzles, dilemmas, illusions, and dimensions. Send us yours.
We accept all genres, styles, concepts, ideas, and forms, except those that contain homophobic, racist, and other objectively negative messages, themes, and content.
Our Current Response/Publication Schedule is Below. Please refrain from querying until these dates have passed for each project.
- HUMAN CONDITION CONTEST: Project Close June 1st 2022, Responses by June 30th 2022, Issue Release July 2022
- 'OBJECTS' ANTHOLOGY: Project Close November 1st 2022, Responses by November 30th 2022, Issue Release December 2022
- ISSUE #3: Project Close January 2023, Responses by January 31st 2023, Issue Release February 2023
Please note that we have rolling deadlines on Submittable, but the true deadlines are the monthly ones above.
For each project, if you'd like, you can submit to our other opportunities with the same fiction or poetry. Please refrain from submitting the same story, poem, or artwork to the same project, but we're happy to consider the same submission for different projects—sometimes, something that doesn't fit for our issue may fit perfectly with our anthology, or vice versa.
Thank you! We're very excited to consider your work.
We accept all genres, styles, concepts, ideas, and forms, except those that contain homophobic, racist, and other objectively harmful messages, themes, and content. For each project, if you'd like, you can submit to our other opportunities with the same fiction or poetry. Please refrain from submitting the same story, poem, or artwork to the same project, but we're happy to consider the same submission for different projects—sometimes, something that doesn't fit for our issue may fit perfectly with our anthology, or vice versa.
Specifics: Rules and Limitations
You may send us up to 50 pages of a play, screenplay, or script. This piece can be a complete work or an excerpt. You can format however you see fit. Selected pieces will be showcased in our next issue. If you are looking for inspiration, some of our favorite screenplays are written by David Lynch, Jordan Peele, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, Paul Thomas Anderson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Greta Gerwig, and Sofia Coppola.
Our theme for this contest is "Hope." The world, to say the least, has been difficult lately, but writing has the power, at least for a moment, to make us forget the pain and tribulations of this existence. On top of that, stories and poetry about hope can shield us and our difficult days and nights. Make us hope for a better future. For your characters, your settings, and your worlds.
Ultimately, we want deep stories that both confirm and question the human experience. Like Schrödinger's cat puzzle or the Ship of Theseus, humanity and the spaces we inhabit and inhibit contain unfathomable and ambiguous dilemmas, illusions, and dimensions. Send us yours.
We'll review submissions on a rolling basis each month, and advance those that fit to the next round. In December 2022, we'll make final decisions. If your submission is still in progress, it means it advanced and we're still considering it as a potential contest winner.
If you have any questions, please contact us at: boxliteraryreview@gmail.com.
1st Place Contest Payment is $200 for fiction and $200 for poetry, and one print issue of our quarterly journal, seen here for Winter 2021.
The contest results will be announced November 30th, and included in Box's third issue in December.
Specifics: Rules and Limitations
Fiction and Nonfiction
-We are looking for stories, flash fiction, and essays under 4,500 words. We find ourselves drawn specifically to literary fiction, experimental works, surrealism, magical realism, and minimalist works, however all genres are welcome here. We are also also interested in writing that deals with posthumanist elements.
-We welcome you to use whatever formatting you think is best for your writing. We only ask that you please remove all identifying information from your document.
-Simultaneous submissions are fine for the contest, however we ask that if we choose and notify you as a finalist, you withdraw your work from consideration elsewhere.
-Please use a .doc or .docx file type.
-We really prefer works that are previously unpublished. However, if you have a published piece you really think will vibe with us, go ahead and send it our way.
Poetry
-Please send us 1-4 poems in a single document.
-We welcome you to use whatever formatting you think is best for your writing. We only ask that you please remove all identifying information from your document.
-Simultaneous submissions are fine for the contest, however we ask that if we choose and notify you as a finalist, you withdraw your work from consideration elsewhere.
-Please use a .doc or .docx file type.
-We really prefer works that are previously unpublished. However, if you have a published piece that you really think will vibe with us, go ahead and send it our way.
We would be thrilled to experience your writing.
We accept all genres, styles, concepts, ideas, and forms, except those that contain homophobic, racist, and other objectively harmful messages, themes, and content.
For each project, if you'd like, you can submit to our other opportunities with the same fiction or poetry. Please refrain from submitting the same story, poem, or artwork to the same project, but we're happy to consider the same submission for different projects—sometimes, something that doesn't fit for our issue may fit perfectly with our anthology, or vice versa.
Specifics: Rules and Limitations
Fiction and Nonfiction
-We are looking for stories, flash fiction, and essays under 4,500 words. We find ourselves drawn specifically to literary fiction, experimental works, surrealism, magical realism, and minimalist works, however all genres are welcome here. We are also also interested in writing that deals with posthumanist elements.
-We welcome you to use whatever formatting you think is best for your writing. We only ask that you please remove all identifying
information from your document.
-Simultaneous submissions are fine with us. Just let us know if it has been accepted elsewhere.
-Please use a .doc or .docx file type.
-We really prefer works that are previously unpublished. However, if you have a published piece you really think will vibe with us, go ahead and send it our way.
Poetry
-Please send us 1-4 poems in a single document.
We welcome you to use whatever formatting you think is best for your writing. We only ask that you please remove all identifying information from your document.
-Simultaneous submissions are fine with us. Just let us know if it has been accepted elsewhere.
-Please use a .doc or .docx file type.
-We really prefer works that are previously unpublished. However, if you have a published piece that you really think will vibe with us, go ahead and send it our way.
Box accepts visual art on a rolling basis. Currently, we're looking for art for the below. Keep in mind this list may change quickly.
- Our Website banner
- Issue #2 & #3 Covers
- Minimalism Anthology
- Objects Anthology
Specifics: Rules and Limitations
Cover Art
-Please send us up to five images for consideration. We are especially interested in art that subverts the norm or deals with minimalism, surrealism, or generally plays with space and objects and things in interesting ways.
-Send us whichever size and file type you think is best. If we need something different, we will email you.
Like Schrödinger’s cat or the Ship of Theseus, humanity and the spaces we inhabit and inhibit contain unfathomable and ambiguous puzzles, dilemmas, illusions, and dimensions. For this project, send us yours in the form of an essay. We're interested in anything that attempts to tackle or analyze a philosophical, moral, ethical, artistic, human, or literary quandary. Or, any novel or unusual subject that isn't often explored or discussed. We want you to shine a flashlight for us into a room we've never seen or even knew existed.
We're typically interested in minimalism, surrealism, post-humanist, modernist, and objective-oriented ontology related works, however, that is by no means the entire list, and we're happy to read nearly any essay as long as it loosely relates to what we've mentioned here.
Specific Guidelines:
-Use a standard manuscript format as much as possible
-12pt font, double spaced.
-Length isn't too much of an issue, but we'd prefer something under 20 pages.
-Simultaneous submissions are accepted, as are previously published works.