Submitting work

Bridge Eight Press is an independent boutique press in Jacksonville FL publishing a small catalog of book titles and the online (formerly print) Bridge Eight Literary Magazine. We consider every submission we receive, but look for bold pieces that serve the literary community and community-at-large by delivering a sense of lyrical urgency and authorial authenticity.

Submissions

Stories

Bridge Eight is open for free short fiction submissions twice a year: April and October. Throughout the year, we will open expedited short fiction responses for a $5.00 fee.

We tend to accept stories between 1,000 & 2500 words in length, though something outside of that occasionally convinces us otherwise.

Beyond that, we’re seeking well-developed characters and fascinating voices we can’t stop thinking about. We do not publish genre fiction, but we are open to experimental styles and allegorical approaches. If your work is a tad bit absurd, even better!

From the editors:

Riley: “I like a story that eats its young.”

Grace: “I like a story that makes me forget I’m sitting on the toilet while I read it.”

The question we find ourselves asking a lot of the time is, “Is it enough?” Meaning, this story was fun, or interesting, or for the most part, pretty good, but is it going to stay with us after we publish it?

In a sea of submissions, leaving an impression is the most important.

SUBMIT

NOTE: Submissions open and close depending on the number received. Please check back if you find them closed. 

Poetry

Indefinitely Closed

Send us 2-5 poems that communicate with one another but can also stand alone. We encourage poem submissions in all forms, especially if you see an opportunity to add something unique to our selection.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us right away if a poem finds a home elsewhere. Thank you for your patience as we carefully consider each piece.

Poems should be single spaced with one poem per page.

SUBMIT

NOTE: Submissions open and close depending on the number received. Please check back if you find them closed. 

Novella-Length Fiction

Got a novella-length fiction project? We want to hear about it.  

Closed

Annual Fiction Prize

Closed

The prize includes $1,000 and publication as Bridge Eight’s featured title in Spring the following year. Read more and submit your manuscript here.

Details

Response time

We respond to submissions for the website within 90 days after of our submission deadline. We read all submissions carefully and use our time to make sure your work is considered for its merits.

Author Rights

By submitting to Bridge Eight literary magazine, you grant it the right to be the first to publish the piece in the US (also known as First North American Serial Rights). After publication, the right to publish elsewhere reverts back to you.