Fins Like Arms Seeks Short Story Submissions for First Issue
Overview
Fins Like Arms is a nascent publication whose title alone signals an interest in the liminal and the metamorphic. While its first issue is still taking shape, the magazine has positioned itself at the intersection of fiction and visual art, suggesting a curatorial vision that treats the short story not as a closed narrative but as a site of cross-disciplinary inquiry. For writers, this is an invitation to consider how language might operate alongside or in tension with the image—whether through ekphrasis, formal experimentation, or thematic preoccupations with the visual. The magazine's global reach, with a stated location in the US but an openness to international submissions, indicates a desire to assemble a chorus of voices rather than a single national tradition. As a first issue, this call carries the particular charge of definition. The editors are not merely filling pages; they are establishing the aesthetic and intellectual parameters of a new venture. Contributors to a debut issue often find their work read as emblematic of the magazine's ethos, and the early reception of such a project can shape its trajectory for years. While no fee or prize is specified, the absence of such details is itself a signal: this is likely a labor-of-love enterprise, one where the reward is publication and the company of like-minded practitioners rather than monetary compensation. Writers should weigh that reality carefully, but also recognize the freedom it affords—without the pressures of a prize or a theme, the editors may be more receptive to work that resists easy categorization. The lack of a stated deadline or fee status is not unusual for a first call, but it does place the onus on the submitter to seek clarification before committing time and work. The magazine's inclusion of visual art as a genre alongside fiction suggests that submissions need not be purely textual; hybrid works, illustrated stories, or collaborations between writers and artists may find a natural home here. Ultimately, Fins Like Arms appears to be seeking work that is formally adventurous and emotionally resonant, the kind of fiction that lingers in the mind like an image you cannot quite forget.