You have no items in your cart. Want to get some nice things?
Go shoppingLitro Print Magazine
Flagship print edition — fiction, essays, visual culture.
Litro Online
Online publication — fiction, flash, essays, reviews and features.
Litro Represents
Partnerships — World Series, commissions, rights packaging.
General submissions are paused for summer
Litro has received over 2,800 submissions this year. We’re taking a summer pause to read carefully, clear the queue, and reopen general submissions in September with a cleaner editorial process.
General submissions reopen: September 2026
During the pause, writers who want practical editorial feedback can use Litro FastTrack.
Need editorial feedback before September?
FastTrack gives you a focused editorial report on short fiction, essays, or poetry under 2,800 words — for £45, delivered within 10 business days.
Use it to understand what’s working, what’s blocking the piece, and what to revise next. FastTrack is editorial feedback only, not a publication decision.
Working on a full manuscript?
For novels, novellas, and book-length non-fiction, Litro offers a full manuscript assessment focused on structure, pacing, and submission readiness.
“The notes gave me the fuel to move forward with a story I realised I was polishing without really improving.”
— Lucie Donahue
General submissions: paused until September | FastTrack: £45, 10 business days — editorial feedback only, not a publication decision
Support independent literary publishing
Litro remains free to read and open to new voices. If you value the work we publish, you can support our editorial programme with a one-off donation.
DonateDonations are optional and do not affect editorial decisions.
September reopening guidance
Why submissions are paused
We’ve received over 2,800 submissions this year. The pause gives our editors time to read properly, respond responsibly, and reopen in September with a clearer process for writers.
Categories & word counts
- Fiction: aim for ~3,000 words. Exceptional pieces may be considered up to 5,000.
- Essays / non-fiction: up to 2,000 words.
- Flash: up to 1,000 words.
- Poetry: up to 3 poems per submission, max ~40 lines each.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. If accepted elsewhere, withdraw your submission from Litro immediately.
Art / Photography
Up to 4 JPEGs
Max 5MB each
JPEG only
Submit photography, illustration, and visual art as a tight mini-series or a single standout image.
A clean visuals submission includes:
- Title of the work/series and your name.
- Captions and credits, if applicable.
- A short artist statement, 1–3 sentences.
Litro Lab Podcast / Audio
Litro Lab is our audio-led storytelling strand — short, atmospheric work built for listening.
- Length: ideally 3–8 minutes, max 10.
- Audio: MP3 preferred, clean audio, minimal background noise.
- Include: a written version of the piece with the submission.
Requirements
The essentials we apply to every submission.
Original work & publication status
Your submission must be your own and not previously published, in print or online. We consider original translations if you hold the necessary rights.
Simultaneous submissions
You can submit elsewhere at the same time. Withdraw from Litro immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere.
One piece per theme
Submit one piece per theme. You can submit to different themes at the same time.
Licence summary
If accepted, you grant Litro an exclusive licence to publish the English language work in print, audio and electronic form worldwide.
Read the full terms and conditions.
Read the full terms and conditions.
Formatting
Upload .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Put title and word count on page one. Use a clean filename:
Surname_Title_Category.
Response times
General submissions are paused until September. FastTrack aims for 10 business days and provides editorial feedback only. It is not a guarantee of publication or acceptance by Litro.
FAQ
Can I submit while general submissions are paused? No. General submissions reopen in September.
Can I use FastTrack during the pause? Yes. FastTrack remains open year-round for editorial feedback.
Does FastTrack improve my chance of publication? No. FastTrack is an editorial development service and does not influence acceptance decisions.
Do you accept AI-generated work? No.
By submitting, you grant Litro an exclusive licence to publish the Work in English (online, print, and audio) worldwide for 6 months from publication. During this exclusive period, the Work must not be published elsewhere in English without Litro’s written consent. After the exclusive period, the licence becomes non-exclusive and you may republish the Work, provided Litro is credited as the first publisher. You also grant Litro a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide licence to archive the Work on Litro’s platforms, to produce an audio version (including podcast use), to include the Work in future Litro print and/or digital anthologies, and to use excerpts for editorial and promotional purposes. We will notify you in advance of anthology republication where reasonably practicable and will credit you. Contributors are currently unpaid.
World Series 2026 — Digital Bundle
A curated collection from this year’s World Series. Limited early access — delivered digitally.
Buying this supports Litro’s publishing and the World Series programme.
