Lore

People are a body of knowledge. To exist in this world is to create the lore of your memories. What does it mean to be in this current time and place?

Lore welcomes your submissions of short stories, flash fiction, and short graphic novels that are inspired by these themes.

1) Submit as a Word Doc in standard manuscript format* by emailing your piece to literary@commonfolk.org. Do not include your name in the Word document or email subject. The subject line of the email should be “Lore_Your Title_Submission Type.” 

Ex. “Lore_Folktale_Graphic Novel.”

Submissions should be polished and contain little to no spelling or grammar issues.

2) The word count for short stories is between 1,000 and 2,000 words. The word count for flash fiction is between 100 and 250 words. *Graphic novels are not required to be formatted like a manuscript. They should take up a maximum of eight 8-1/2” x 11” pages

3) Pieces should be submitted by April 30, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. EST to be considered for publication.

4) Please only send us one submission per issue.

5) We will not consider pieces that have already been published in other journals. Pieces created by you that have been previously self-published through blogs, social media, and message boards acceptable. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but let us know immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere. 

6) We do not accept pieces that contain hate speech or themes that are racist, anti-LGTBQ+, sexist, against any religious groups, ableist, etc. 

7) We do not accept pieces that use AI in any phase of the creation process.

8) We ask that you do not submit any piece that has been read by any of the editors of Lore previously. We wish to publish work based on the merit and strength of the piece, not out of any sense of personal obligation. 

You will be notified if you have been chosen for publication in the summer!

If you have questions about these guidelines, please don’t hesitate to email us (literary@commonfolk.org)!

Rime

Rime will welcome your poetry, hybrid poetry, and experimental/mixed visual art pieces. Our submission guidelines for Rime are currently a work in progress and will be published at a later date.

Meet the Team

Jacqueline Gamache (“Jacqui”) is a "Jacq" of all trades when it comes to writing, doing everything but mostly working in speculative fiction. She serves as the Literary Team Leader of Common Folk and co-leader of the Writer’s Jam. You can follow her adventures at @jacquiwriting on Instagram and @jacqui-writing on Bluesky.

Alex is a Gothic horror writer currently pursuing an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. Her literary interests also include historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction. She is the artist behind our wonderful logo!

Leo Skoble can be found working on his debut fantasy novel, planning several others, and doing misc. administrative duties for Common Folk. He is the Program Coordinator at Common Folk and co-leader of the Writer’s Jam. You can find updates on his writing/other endeavors at Leorskoble.com or @leorskoble on Instagram.

*If you find there to be a typo or inaccurate information somewhere on this page or website, please email him (programs@commonfolk.org) so he can fix it!

Lindsey is a graduate of MCLA and has spent her life appreciating the heart and perspectives storytelling brings to light. Through her love of lived experience, Lindsey has spent the past few years working at a Restorative Justice center where shared stories and perspective help to repair harm. Lindsey is excited to again find community in the arts, where she feels most at home.

Ashley DelRatez is a writer based in Western Massachusetts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

R. Ruhl has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and is a member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Horror Writers Association. Ruhl lives with a neurological condition, and their work is centered on disability representation and advocacy.