Lemonwood Quarterly

Submitting your work

Writers should approach The Lemonwood Quarterly with their most polished, risk-taking short fiction. The journal favors stories with a strong sense of voice and structural intentionality over conventional plot-driven narratives. For the Fall 2026 Fiction Short Story Contest, submit only previously unpublished work, adhere strictly to the word limit (typically under 7,500 words), and avoid simultaneous submissions unless explicitly permitted. Read several back issues to gauge the editors' sensibilities; cover letters should be brief and professional, focusing on the work itself rather than credentials.

We especially seek out stories with female protagonists who are well into adulthood. There’s no minimum age requirement, but if your protagonist is not at least over thirty years old or so, it could be difficult for them to carry forward the type of stories we aim to publish. We definitely are not looking for coming-of-age stories. We are excited to showcase stories with protagonists who have already passed through those earlier milestones or hurdles and are at a different point in their life. Although The Lemonwood Quarterly is especially interested in stories with a female protagonist, that does not mean we are looking for work that focuses on the theme of “being female.”