submission guidelines

Submission guidelines

O’Brien’s Literary Speculator (OLS) is accepting for consideration of publication, writing: prose, fiction or creative non fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews. The word count minimum is 750 words maximum 7,000 words for prose. A minimum of eight selected prose pieces will be paid $25.00 each. Poetry over 24 lines will be paid a minimum of $10.00 each. Flash fiction and short-short fiction, under 750, short poetry, sketches, may be published if there is room but will not receive monetary compensation.

What OLS is buying is the right to publish your original work in one issue of the OLS and exclusivity for one year. You agree after that one year period, when you republish the work in a substantially similar form you will state that it was originally published in O’Brien’s Literary Speculator and identify the volume and issue. OLS also has the right to anthologize the writing in the form first published, if that is done, that will be done with the author’s name, first publication date and without substantial editing but with payment of an additional honorarium, OLS will retain the right to excerpt from accepted and published stories, again including the author’s name and original publication date, but limited to what is considered “fair use,” and OLS will make reasonable effort to notify the author when the decision to publish excerpts, or anthologies is made. All submissions should be by e-mail; you will be notified of receipt so that you know we have received your work. You will receive notice of acceptance within 45 days of submission. Follow normal manuscript formatting.

Double space,

Indented paragraphs,

Fonts: Courier, Arial or Times New Roman 12 pt.

Please proofread prose text, carefully.

Please proofread poetry text, carefully.

If you use unconventional spellings for any purpose, point that out.

If you use unconventional punctuation, capitalization, or words, as a matter of style, point that out.

Submit the manuscript as a word document and as an attachment, not in the body of the email.

Include a brief biography and if possible a photo. Always with each piece of correspondence or submission, include all of your contact information.

Send your work to Neartothekitchen@aol.com, operators are standing by to down load and get your work to an appropriate editor.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Jerry O’Brien, Publisher O’Brien’s Literary Speculator