Porkbelly Press is an independent chapbook press based in Cincinnati, Ohio (where pigs fly). We print chapbooks, micro chapbooks, anthologies, zines (such as the body image zine Love Me, Love My Belly), and literary magazine Sugared Water.
We welcome works from writers all along the identity spectrum; we're queer-friendly & feminist. No hate speech.
Our catalog favors lit & poetry leaning heavily toward fabulism, folklore, & magic—often confessional or intimate poems or personal lyric essay. All work should be tightly linked.
Full guidelines: porkbellypress.com or click the market you're interested in under subs:
SUBMISSION PERIODS
- chapbooks : January 1 – 31
- micro chapbooks : July 1 – July 31
- sugared water : October 1 - 31
- love me, love my belly : May 1 - May 31
- anthologies : varies
- broadsides : varies
- reviews : varies
NOTES
Sugared Water is transitioning to an online magazine with occasional mini-print issues. Issues 001 - 007 are print. Issue 008 on will be digital-only. See porkbellypress.com for more information & updates.
Simultaneous Submissions are fine by us, but do let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere and needs to be withdrawn in part (please use submittable's messages feature). Submittable's "withdraw" button will take the entire packet out of consideration. Need to make an edit? Please request an edit rather than withdrawing.
POETRY MICRO CHAPBOOKS
Porkbelly Press seeks tiny manuscripts of poems, micro creative nonfiction, micro fictions, or hybrid texts from poets & writers around the world. We're reading offerings of 8 to 10 pages in manuscript format (multiple pieces or a one or two longer works), or 8 to 10 pages of micro-prose (no more than about 150 words each).
Submit no more than 1 chapbook per genre until you receive a reply. Simultaneous submissions considered. Reading submissions in courier typeface makes us very sad—it's difficult for our eyes. Please use Garamond or Times New Roman 12 point if you have either of those.
Pieces should be tightly linked in some way (theme, voice, image, place, etc), or some kind of exploratory arc. It should feel like a stand-alone cluster of work, even if it's part of a larger body.
OPEN READING PERIOD
Submission period: July 1 - July 31.
We prefer free verse poems or prose poems, and will consider both lyric and narrative. We have a fondness for all kinds of work including confessional-style poetry. Each chapbook in our catalog (porkbellypress.com/poetry) features an excerpt on its catalog page. Browsing these is a great way to see what we like!
If you're writing work set inside of a specific culture, please let us know whether or not you are a member of that culture.
Chapbook Editions
We'll produce each chapbook in an open or small edition—the exact format will be determined at press time. For samples of our work, please see the current catalog: porkbellypress.com.
In addition to our regular size chaps, we'd like to offer these small works to introduce readers to a variety of poets and writers—a little something to give folks a taste of your voice. We prefer that a piece or two be unpublished, but do not require it. The micro chap should not have already appeared in its entirety in a longer work. (Please don't send us a micro chap composed entirely of work from your already-published full length collection.)
Requirements for Submission
- 8-10 pages of poetry, prose poetry, micro fiction, or micro creative nonfiction. .doc, .docx, .rtf formats accepted.
- Short bio including blog or website link (if applicable) and links to any books or chaps currently available (so we can promote you).
- Dedication & acknowledgements do not count against page total. Table of contents is not necessary.
Payment for Accepted Works
10 copies of your micro chapbook (paper covers) or 3 if we do a sculptural cover. (We've got bookbinders & artists on staff, and we like to leave ourselves open to inspiration.) Discount on author/poet copies (about 30% depending on production method/costs).
Very Important Note
If you find you've made a mistake with your submission, please request an edit rather than withdrawing & resubmitting. Our queue is limited & every submission takes up a space.
HYBRID MICRO CHAPBOOKS
Porkbelly Press seeks tiny manuscripts of poems, micro creative nonfiction, and micro fictions from poets & writers around the world. We're reading offerings of about 8 to 10 pages in manuscript format (multiple pieces or a one or two longer works), or 8 to 10 pages of micro-prose (no more than about 150 words each).
Submit no more than 1 chapbook per genre until you receive a reply. Simultaneous submissions considered. Reading submissions in courier typeface makes us very sad—it's difficult for our eyes.
Please use Garamond or Times New Roman 12 point if you have either of those.
Pieces should be tightly linked in some way (theme, voice, image, place, etc), or some kind of exploratory arc. It should feel like a stand-alone cluster of work, even if it's part of a larger body.
OPEN READING PERIOD
Submission period: July 1 - July 31.
We welcome hybrid texts, incorporating elements of various genres: poetry, art, fiction, essay.
If you're writing work set inside of a specific culture, please let us know whether or not you are a member of that culture.
Chapbook Editions
We'll produce each chapbook in an open or small edition edition—the exact format will be determined at press time. For samples of our work, please see the current catalog: porkbellypress.com. In addition to our regular size chaps, we'd like to offer these small works to introduce readers to a variety of poets and writers—a little something to give folks a taste of your voice. We prefer that a piece or two be unpublished, but do not require it.
The micro chap should not have already appeared in its entirety in a longer work. (Please don't send us a micro chap composed of work in your already-published full length collection.)
Requirements for Submission
- 8-10 pages of poetry, prose poetry, micro fiction, or micro creative nonfiction. .doc, .docx, .rtf formats accepted.
- Short bio including blog or website link (if applicable) and links to any books or chaps currently available (so we can promote you).
- Dedication & acknowledgements do not count against page total. Table of contents is not necessary.
Payment for Accepted Works
10 copies of your micro chapbook (paper covers) or 3 if we do a sculptural cover. (We've got bookbinders & artists on staff, and we like to leave ourselves open to inspiration.) Discount on author/poet copies (about 30% depending on production method/costs).
Very Important Note
If you find you've made a mistake with your submission, please request an edit rather than withdrawing & resubmitting. Our queue is limited & every submission takes up a space.
FICTION MICRO CHAPBOOKS
Porkbelly Press seeks tiny manuscripts of poems, micro creative nonfiction, and micro fictions from poets & writers around the world. We're reading offerings of about 8 to 10 pages in manuscript format (multiple pieces or a one or two longer works), or 8 to 10 pages of micro-prose (no more than about 150 words each). Submit no more than 1 chapbook per genre until you receive a reply.
Simultaneous submissions considered.
Reading submissions in courier typeface makes us very sad—it's difficult for our eyes. Please use Garamond or Times New Roman 12 point if you have either of those.
Pieces should be tightly linked in some way (theme, voice, image, place, etc), or some kind of exploratory arc. It should feel like a stand-alone cluster of work, even if it's part of a larger body.
OPEN READING PERIOD
Submission period: July 1 - July 31.
While we will consider micro, flash, and short fiction, we prefer multiple micro or flash pieces to one short story. We're seeking, in particular, micro fictions of about 150 words (or fewer) per piece.
Chapbook Editions
We'll produce each chapbook in an open or small edition—the exact format will be determined at press time. For samples of our work, please see the current catalog: porkbellypress.com. In addition to our regular size chaps, we'd like to offer these small works to introduce readers to a variety of poets and writers—a little something to give folks a taste of your voice. We prefer that a piece or two be unpublished, but do not require it. The micro chap should not have already appeared in its entirety in a longer work. (Please don't send us a micro chap composed of work in your already-published full length collection.)
Requirements for Submission
- 8-10 pages of poetry, prose poetry, micro fiction, or micro creative nonfiction. .doc, .docx, .rtf formats accepted.
- Short bio including blog or website link (if applicable) and links to any books or chaps currently available (so we can promote you).
- Dedication & acknowledgements do not count against page total. Table of contents is not necessary.
Payment for Accepted Works
10 copies of your micro chapbook (paper covers) or 3 if we do a sculptural cover. (We've got bookbinders & artists on staff, and we like to leave ourselves open to inspiration.) Discount on author/poet copies (about 30% depending on production method/costs).
Very Important Note
If you find you've made a mistake with your submission, please reques an edit rather than withdrawing & resubmitting. Our queue is limited & every submission takes up a space.
MICRO CHAPBOOKS
Porkbelly Press seeks tiny manuscripts of poems, micro creative nonfiction, and micro fictions from poets & writers around the world. We're reading offerings of about 8 to 10 pages in manuscript format (multiple pieces or a one or two longer works), or 8 to 10 pages of micro-prose (no more than about 150 words each). Submit no more than 1 chapbook per genre until you receive a reply. Simultaneous submissions considered.
Reading submissions in courier typeface makes us very sad—it's difficult for our eyes. Please use Garamond or Times New Roman 12 point if you have either of those.
Pieces should be tightly linked in some way (theme, voice, image, place, etc), or some kind of exploratory arc. It should feel like a stand-alone cluster of work, even if it's part of a larger body.
OPEN READING PERIOD
Submission period: July 1 - July 31.
We'd love to see your image-rich essays, your micro essays or flash essays, or one 7 page essay on something you're passionate about.
Chapbook Editions
We'll produce each chapbook in an open or small edition—the exact format will be determined at press time. For samples of our work, please see the current catalog: porkbellypress.com. In addition to our regular size chaps, we'd like to offer these small works to introduce readers to a variety of poets and writers—a little something to give folks a taste of your voice. We prefer that a piece or two be unpublished, but do not require it.
The micro chap should not have already appeared in its entirety in a longer work. (Please don't send us a micro chap composed of work in your already-published full length collection.)
Requirements for Submission
- 8-10 pages of poetry, prose poetry, micro fiction, or micro creative nonfiction. .doc, .docx, .rtf formats accepted.
- Short bio including blog or website link (if applicable) and links to any books or chaps currently available (so we can promote you).
- Dedication & acknowledgements do not count against page total. Table of contents is not necessary.
Payment for Accepted Works
10 copies of your micro chapbook (paper covers) or 3 if we do a sculptural cover. (We've got bookbinders & artists on staff, and we like to leave ourselves open to inspiration.) Discount on author/poet copies (about 30% depending on production method/costs).
Very Important Note
If you find you've made a mistake with your submission, please request an edit rather than withdrawing & resubmitting. Our queue is limited & every submission takes up a space.
We sometimes leave the jar open between regular reading periods, allowing for submissions slipped under our doors whilst we're huddled at the proofing table.
Though tipping doesn't mean we'll treat your submission differently than others during the selection process, it does garner our good thoughts, thanks, and some good vibes sent out into the universe in your name.
Please be sure to make a note of your genre when submitting via the jar!