A little past the halfway mark for our spring submissions period, and we'd love to see what you've written, before we close on May 15. Celebrate spring!--as soon as the thermometer climbs above 50 degrees here. 🥶 www.vestalreview.net/guidelines

Congratulations to all those who won a spot in the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day anthology! shorturl.at/tgp64

No surprise that Vestal Review's art director is an exceedingly accomplished artist! Check out Angie Kang's latest, the illustrations for Julie Leung's Navigating Night (Penguin Random House). www.angiekang.net/navigating-n...

I love this micro by Cristina Fríes in @vestalreview.bsky.social. Sharp, straightforward language and a punch in the gut. #FlashInTheFeed www.vestalreview.net/back-at-the-...

Delighted to relay the news that one of our contributing editors, Mandira Pattnaik, snagged runner-up in Quarterly West's latest prose contest: www.quarterlywest.com/issue-116-pa...

Paradise for writers, from the latest issue of Blink-Ink.

Kate Horsley's @vestalreview.bsky.social story, “The Altar of Saint Cindy”, won first prize in our annual free-entry contest for published work begun in an SLQ workshop. You can read it here (it made the judges cry, so please do): www.vestalreview.net/the-altar-of... @katehorsleywriter.bsky.social

In the new issue of Ghost Parachute, among a wealth of worthy pieces: ghostparachute.com/issue/februa... We assume you've suffered this, too, right?

Our spring submission window is now open, 2/1 through 5/15! Let's see what you've got! vestalreview.net/guidelines

Congratulations to all those in Best Microfiction 2026, including Carolyn R. Russell (“Summertime, and the Livin’ Is Easy,” VR 66), one of our editors, Christopher Notarnicola (“Dysgeusia,” The Baltimore Review), and the many others whose previous work we’ve published.

Follow-up to "How many times have you submitted one manuscript?": What's the maximum number of places you've had a simultaneous submission?

Simultaneous submissions are fine with us (starting again on Feb. 1), but just curious: What’s the greatest number of submissions for one piece that you’ve ever sent out?

Thrilled to wake up to this Best Small Fictions nom from @vestalreview.bsky.social. Thank you @dgalef.bsky.social and the insanely wonderful editors.

Grateful for the recognition from the incredible team at @vestalreview.bsky.social 🥰🙏

Thank you, VR, for the nomination

Bright spots after a sad & difficult stretch. Warm thanks for supporting my work in 2025: @hungermtn.bsky.social @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social @natflashfictionday.bsky.social @psmokejournal.bsky.social Ghost Parachute @brettpribble.bsky.social @vestalreview.bsky.social @necessaryfiction.com

Happy new year and congratulations to our 2026 best small fictions nominations! @marioaliberto3.bsky.social Anna Schachner J.D. Strunk @francinewitte.bsky.social @eileentomarchio.bsky.social

Thanks @vestalreview.bsky.social for a terrific issue and for including my 500-word story. A longer 1,000-word edit of 'Bleeding Seamonster' will be in @neonandsmoke.bsky.social in 2026 #WritingCommunity #IndieAuthors #Fiction #flashfiction #shortstory

And here are our nominations for Best Microfiction 2025. Congratulations!

A flash collection review about women on the verge Read a review of Woman of the Hour by Claire Polders, @clairepolders.bsky.social by Lucy Zhang in issue 67. vestalreview.net/review-of-woman-of-the-hour-by-claire-polders Art by Jinghong Chen.

What unsent letters reveal. Read "The House of Unsent Letters," by Etta Wynn in issue 67. vestalreview.net/the-house-of-unsent-letters Art by Jinghong Chen.

When horsing around becomes serious Read :The Double Life of Medardo," by Manuel Moyano, translated by James Womack in issue 67. vestalreview.net/the-double-life-of-medardo Art by Jinghong Chen.

A shoe with a mind of its own. Read "When Jack Loses a Shoe," by Francine Witte @francinewitte in issue 67. vestalreview.net/when-jack-loses-a-shoe Art by Jinghong Chen.

Much gratitude for this end-of-year publication in a journal I love. Thank you, @vestalreview.bsky.social ☺️🙏

Pickpockets on parade. Read "Bleeding Seamonster," by Stan J Wild @stanjwild.bsky.social in issue 67. vestalreview.net/bleeding-seamonster Art by Jinghong Chen.

Riding the ferris wheel of life. Read "Cassandra Rides the Big Wheel," by Suzanne Warren in issue 67. vestalreview.net/cassandra-rides-the-big-wheel Art by Jinghong Chen.

A woman with a photographic memory. Read "Picture Day," by Eileen Frankel Tomarchio @eileentomarchio.bsky.social in issue 67. vestalreview.net/picture-day Art by Jinghong Chen

"The screen had not even picked an opportune moment to move skyward; nothing thematically in the film resonated with this kind of rupture." Dazzling story @mattleibel.bsky.social in @vestalreview.bsky.social www.vestalreview.net/matinee

"In the back room, out of sight of the Cindys, Marissa sticks used wax strips on our faces, and we jump about screaming at the touch of pubes there." Stunning. Moves from humor to heartbreak in a flash @katehorsleywriter.bsky.social in @vestalreview.bsky.social www.vestalreview.net/the-altar-of...

Such a surprising and beautiful story by @katehorsleywriter.bsky.social.

So flippin’ happy! If you have time, please read my latest story in the brilliant @vestalreview.bsky.social - along with all the other wonderful stories by fellow scribblers. 🫶🏻

Here’s a little story I wrote about watching movies in (and out of) a theater. Thanks to David Galef and team at @vestalreview.bsky.social

Love the imagination of this one! It has extra resonance for me too because my dad used to go off to the Antarctic when I was a kid in the early 60s

So proud of this little story! Thanks to @vestalreview.bsky.social for giving it such a wonderful home.

This story blew me away. Chills. That ending!! DON’T MISS this stunner by the very talented @marioaliberto3.bsky.social @vestalreview.bsky.social ! www.vestalreview.net/last-play-of...

A heroic act against immigration authorities. Read "From the Alleyway," by J. D. Strunk in issue 67. vestalreview.net/from-the-alleyway Art by Jinghong Chen.

Making empty conversation during a drive. Read "Our Trip to Starbucks," by Laura Shell in Issue 67. vestalreview.net/our-trip-to-starbucks Art by Jinghong Chen.

What to bring an errant lover in prison. Read "A Prison Tree, It Isn’t," by Anna Schachner in issue 67. vestalreview.net/a-prison-tree-it-isnt Art by Jinghong Chen

In the basement, freezing out family life. Read "Antarctica in the Basement," by Belinda Rowe @belindarowe.bsky.social in issue 67. vestalreview.net/antarctica-in-the-basement Art by Jinghong Chen.

A pinniped threatening your child Read "The Night the Walrus Came to Take My Baby," by Emily Rinkema @emilyrinkema.bsky.social in issue 67. vestalreview.net/the-night-the-walrus-came-to-take-my-baby Art by Jinghong Chen.

In this school, life imitates art copying life. Read "Moon Story," by Jennifer Met in issue 67. vestalreview.net/moon-story Art by Jinghong Chen.

Another great story in @vestalreview.bsky.social this week. This time by @mattleibel.bsky.social, recently nominated for @pushcartprize.bsky.social - Congratulations Matt Full issue: www.vestalreview.net/issue-67 #VestalReview #FlashFiction #LiteraryMagazine #ShortStories #WritingCommunity #Fiction

This story by @emilyrinkema.bsky.social in @vestalreview.bsky.social was nominated for a pushcart, and you will know why once you take a read. Absolutely brilliant.

This is one stunning piece of flash!!! Check out @stanjwild.bsky.social in @vestalreview.bsky.social.

Great new piece from @stanjwild.bsky.social at @vestalreview.bsky.social - love the voice in this ripper story ⭐ www.vestalreview.net/bleeding-sea...

Another brilliant story in @vestalreview.bsky.social. 'Antarctica in the Basement' by @belindarowe.bsky.social is heart breaking and emboldening to the end. Belinda is also a #SmokeLongQuarterly Emerging Writer Fellow 2025 #FlashFiction #WritingCommunity #LitMag

The smallest girl who ever lived. Read "The Smallest Girl Who Ever Lived," by Skylar Melnick @skyskkyy.bsky.social in issue 67. vestalreview.net/the-smallest-girl-who-ever-lived Art by Jinghong Chen.

A movie that’s truly a runaway hit. Read "Matinee," by Matt Leibel @mattleibel.bsky.social in issue 67. vestalreview.net/matinee Art by Jinghong Chen

A lesson in naming and mourning. Read "Instructions for Carrying the Name of Your Dead Brother," by L. F. Khouri in issue 67. vestalreview.net/instructions-for-carrying-the-name-of-your-dead-brother Art by Jinghong Chen

Total joy to be included in the latest edition of @vestalreview.bsky.social - thanks so much to EIC David Galef and editors for the publication (!) & @smokelong.bsky.social & SLF peeps! This edition includes stories by writers who I GREATLY admire - 🍃🍃🍃 www.vestalreview.net/antarctica-i...