Blood Tree is dedicated to showcasing evocative writing that takes linguistic risks to push the boundaries of conventional language and genre. We favor lyrical pieces that do not withhold depth or resonance. With that in mind, submit to us your best, the box under your bed marked UNSHARABLE, the orphan poem or black sheep fiction. Send us your experimentals; be vulnerable, be calculated.
- No theme for this issue.
Maximum word count per piece: 2500. We like to keep it flash-y.
Maximum fiction or nonfiction pieces per submission: 1
Maximum amount of poems or hybrid writing per submission: 3
Mixed-media submissions or pieces that include images/audiovisual elements must be fully owned by the submitting author; pieces utilizing unlicensed images/audiovisual elements will be rejected for copyright liability.
Submission fee: $3 USD.
We now offer a free submission period during the first week of open calls, with a cap of 30 collective hybrid, fiction, and creative nonfiction submissions and 20 poetry submissions.
If the free submission period has closed and our fee is a barrier to submitting your work, please email us at [email protected] for a no-questions-asked link to our fee-waived submission form.
With a $15 USD submission fee, we will provide detailed feedback and constructive notes on your submission.
- Abusive or derogatory submissions are not allowed — not now, not ever. BTL is a pro-choice, trans-inclusive, anti-racist publication. AI-generated works are strictly prohibited. You will be asked to include any relevant trigger warnings in the cover letter of your submission.
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed under the condition that you withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere. We read reprints only if the piece(s) were previously published in a now-defunct publication — please indicate in your submission if that is the case and attribute the publication of first appearance. We do not read full-length manuscripts or translations at this time, and currently only read works written in English. Please do not submit more than once per genre until you’ve heard back on your pending submission.
- Submissions are processed through Submittable. If this is not an accessible tool for you, please email us at [email protected] to discuss an alternative.
Per piece accepted, we pay $10 for poetry, $15 for fiction and nonfiction, and $20 for hybrid pieces; all are in USD and processed through PayPal. Published work is also eligible to be nominated for annual awards like Best of the Net, Pushcart Prize, and more.
For full information on Submission Guidelines, Rights & Compensation, and Contributor Book Reviews Guidelines, please visit our Subsmissions webpage or our Submittable.
