Afterimages, the literary journal of Thirty West Publishing House, positions itself as a venue for writing that lingers—work that resists the ephemeral. The journal's name signals its curatorial preoccupation: the residue of experience, the image that remains after the blink. In its general submissions, Afterimages seeks crafted literary fiction, steadfast reviews (particularly of indie books), and writing that is both unique and timely. The journal also welcomes personal essays, flash fiction and nonfiction, short stories, memoirs, and book or chapbook reviews. For craft essays and semi-regular columns, a proposal and sample are required. Accepted work receives a light editorial pass from Thirty West staff, remains on Afterimages in perpetuity, and reaches over 1,000 email subscribers on the chosen publication day. The journal requests first publication rights and acknowledgment if the work is later submitted elsewhere or compiled into future manuscripts. As of 2026, Afterimages is a paying market, a significant development for contributors. There is no submission fee. The journal's aesthetic is difficult to reduce to a single school, but its language suggests a preference for precision, timeliness, and a certain tensile strength in prose—writing that can hold its own against the noise. The editors wish that readers read widely and at the speed of Afterimages, a phrase that implies both velocity and retention. This is not a venue for the merely competent; it is for work that leaves an afterimage.