Please join us in congratulating our Best of the Net 2026 Nominees! Good luck everyone!

If you're proficient in social media and possess a love for literary writing, get involved by volunteering for Pithead Chapel! Find application details at pitheadchapel.com/social-media-editor

Our September issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2025/09/01/v... Words: @aaronburch.bsky.social @dawnwriter.bsky.social CHARLES GROSEL @patrickobrienstrickland.com @gsmithgoodin.bsky.social ALLISON ZHANG E. FERRELL CHRISTOPHER NOTARNICOLA Cover art: AL KRATZ

Do you have a short story you're proud of and want to submit? Consider sending your piece to the Larry Brown Short Story Awards! Open now through October 31st. -First prize is $500. -Submission fee is $10 (or $5 for BIPOC writers) Full guidelines here: pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown

Our annual short story contest is open NOW through October 31st. Send us your best! Find all guidelines here: pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown

Congratulations to Siamak Vossoughi for his story “Orange” (from PC 13.1) making Best of the Net 2025! bestofthenetanthology.com

Our August issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2025/08/01/volume-14-issue-8/ Words: THOMAS MIXON @francesorrok.bsky.social ROSS FEELER @lesliepwriter.bsky.social JOSIE BRAATEN MARY BIDDINGER Cover art: ERNEST WILLIAMSON III

Our submission window for our annual short story contest opens this Friday! This year, we welcome @andrewporter01.bsky.social as our guest judge. We're excited to share our Q&A with him on craft, writing, and more!

Our annual contest opens for submissions August 1st! This year's guest judge is Andrew Porter. Keep an eye out for our Q&A with Andrew soon. Find more details about our contest here: pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown/

Our July issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-14-issue-7/ Words @mczyzniejewski.bsky.social @kimchinquee.bsky.social RENESHA DHANRAJ WYLEY FROHLICH JUNGERMAN TROY ANDERSON @danbillyc.bsky.social @theresegleason @claudiamonpere.bsky.social BRITTANY REDD TARA SHEA BURKE Art JACELYN YAP

Ohmygosh! Thrilled to see my name on the @Wigleaf.bsky.social Top 50 Longlist! Thank you to @pitheadchapel.bsky.social for publishing "Watching Home Decorating Shows In The Hospital Waiting Room." And thank you @samanito.bsky.social, @laughingyeti.bsky.social‬, & all the readers!

Congratulations to Gwen Kirby, Felicity Landa, Daniel Miller, Claudia Wair, and Addison Zeller for making the Wigleaf Top 50 Longlist!

Our June issue is live! pitheadchapel.com/volume-14-issue-6/ Words: @prissybippus.bsky.social J.D. STRUNK STELLA LEI @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social PATRICK CHILDRESS JEN HALLAMAN NAOMI DEMARINIS @seanthomasd.bsky.social @emilymgoldsmith.bsky.social TIFFANY PROMISE Cover art: TAMMY HIGGINS

Correction: Our *May* issue is live :) Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2025/05/01/volume-14-issue-5/ Words @lumchanmfa.bsky.social LAUREN WOODS @sagetyrtle.bsky.social ANNABELLE TAGHINIA SARA SCHIFF TOPAZ WINTERS BRIDGET HAYES Cover Art COURTNEY BURTON

Our April issue has arrived! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2025/04/01/volume-14-issue-4/ Words: NATALIE VILLACORTA @irrellavent.bsky.social @melissabowers.bsky.social CARLY ALAIMO ALLISON KIRKLAND @pyontek.bsky.social OLIVIA BROCHU AL ORTOLANI AUGUST REID Cover art: ALEXANDER LIMAREV

Happy release day to our EIC @kimmagowan.bsky.social and Michelle Ross! DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY is available now! eastoverpress.com/book/dont-ta...

Our March issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-14-is... Words: @aniking.bsky.social @olangela.bsky.social Ben Gibbons @olangela.bsky.social Claire Hopple Matthew Thomas Bernell Cover art: Heather D Daigh

Our February issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2025/02/01/volume-14-issue-2/ Words by @davidyourdon.bsky.social @emilyrinkema.bsky.social L. Soviero Sarah Perrin Sarah Carson Shome Dasgupta Kristina Garvin Mark DeCarteret Barbara Westwood Diehl Nora Nadjarian Cover art by Nuala McEvoy

Congratulations to Pithead Chapel contributors Sarah Freligh and JW McCollum for their inclusion in Best Microfiction 2025!

Happy New Year from Pithead Chapel! Kick off the year by reading incredible writing selected by Danielle Lazarin for the Larry Brown Short Story Award contest issue. Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2025/01/01/v... @reemarp.bsky.social @mbvalente.bsky.social

We are excited to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 2024 Larry Brown Short Story Award! Please join us in congratulating these incredible writers: @reemarp.bsky.social @mbvalente.bsky.social You can read their stories in the forthcoming January issue!

Our December issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2024/12/01/v... Words: MICHELLE ROSS JAMES KEITH SMITH ANNE LOUISE PEPPER ANDREW ROE JOSHUA VIGIL @lucywilde.bksy.social JEFFREY HERMANN @ccrussell.bsky.social @robinturnerpoet.bsky.social Cover: LAURIE HOLLMAN

Congratulations to our 2024 Pushcart nominees: Carrie Grinstead Meg Toth Carmen Leñero Tyler Gebauer Naana Eyikuma Hutchful Leslie Harrison Ace Chu Good luck everyone!

Join us in congratulating our Best Small Fictions nominees! Good luck everyone. @gwenekirby.bsky.social @glennorgias.bsky.social

Our November issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-13-issue-11/ Words: JUNE GLASS @graythebruce.bsky.social CHRISTY STILLWELL CURTIS SMITH REBECCA TIGER LESLIE HARRISON FRANCINE WITTE Cover art: DONNA VORREYER

Today is the last day to submit to the Larry Brown Short Story Awards!

Our October issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-13-is... Words: RYAN GRIFFITH STEPHANIE FRAZEE JEFF KARR CAROLYN MIKULENCAK ALLISON WEISSMAN STEVE HIMMER ACE CHU Cover art: KEITH HOOD

We’re pleased to share our nominations for Best of the Net! Many thanks to our writers and artists for sharing their incredible work. Please join us in congratulating them and wishing the best of luck!

Our September issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-13-is... Words: CAROLINE PLASKET ADAM MCOMBER CAMERON MACKENZIE MEG TOTH BRIAN BENSON MICHAEL COPPERMAN DAVID FOWLER MRITYUNJAY MOHAN JAMES KING Cover art: JULES FENNELL

Send us your best! Details here: pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown

Writers! The 2024 Larry Brown Short Story Award is open now through October 31st. This year's guest judge is Danielle Lazarin. We can't wait to read your work! Details here: pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown/

Our August issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/2024/08/01/v... Words: MICHAEL DON DIDI WOOD GLENN ORGIAS JESS GOLDEN KASEY BUTCHER SANTANA JACKIE CRAVEN CARLA PANCIERA SARAH FAWN MONTGOMERY Cover art: MIA BROECKE

Our July issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-13-issue-7/ Words: SARAH FRELIGH SKYLAR RUPRECHT CARRIE GRINSTEAD ELIZABETH BRINSFIELD ANDREW BERTAINA DYLAN FEDERICO PRITCHARD RACHEL WEAVER MICHELLE HENDRIXSON-MILLER SARAH MILLS ANASTASIOS MIHALOPOULOS Cover art: FRANCESCA LEADER

Our June issue is live! Read here: pitheadchapel.com/volume-13-issue-6/ Words: J.W. MCCOLLUM CLAUDIA MONPERE JESSIE LOVETT JAN ALLEN AUBRI KAUFMAN HANNAH RATNER AMANDA CHIADO DAVID WOJCIECHOWSKI J.B. LAWRENCE Cover art: ELIZABETH SCHOONMAKER

Our May issue is live! pitheadchapel.com/2024/05/01/volume-13-issue-5/ Words by DANIEL MILLER CALLIE G. MAULDIN GABRIEL WELSCH BRIGID SWANICK NAANA EYIKUMA HUTCHFUL GRETCH SANDO J.G.P. MACADAM PETER DEMARCO KATHERINE SCHMIDT READ COOK SETH LEEPER Cover art by JACELYN YAP and CHRISTOPHER QUEK

Our April issue is live! pitheadchapel.com/2024/04/01/volume-13-issue-4/ DIANE JOSEFOWICZ JOHN JODZIO MATT BARRETT E. NOLAN ANNE GREENAWALT MATTHEW HARKINS AMORAK HUEY CARMEN LEÑERO TYLER GEBAUER ANNE GERARD SAMODH PORAWAGAMAG SARAH ETLINGER KAREN SCHAUBER

In case you missed it, our March issue is here! [FICTION] Addison Zeller Olivia Payne Vincent James Perrone Claudia Wair @CWTellsTales.bsky.social [NONFICTION] Mollie McLean [PROSE POETRY] Joshua Zeitler Ben Kline [COVER] Travis D. Roberson

Our February issue is live! [FICTION] Meera Rohit Kumbhani Gwen E. Kirby Max Kruger-Dull Felicity Landa [NONFICTION] Olga Katsovskiy Deb Werrlein @debwerrlein.bsky.social Lisa Thornton @thorntonforreal.bsky.social Philip James Shaw [PROSE POETRY] N. Cuzzi [COVER] Anthony Carrasco

Our December issue is live! Cozy up with the latest fiction, nonfiction, prose poetry, and art: pitheadchapel.com/volume-12-is...

We are so excited to celebrate our 2023-24 Pushcart Prize nominees! Please join us in congratulating these authors. 🤩

Drum roll, please… our Best Microfiction nominees! Join us in congratulating these writers. Shoutout to our amazing contributors for making this a difficult choice because you are all incredible!

Our November issue is LIVE! Check it out here (and see our website's new look): pitheadchapel.com/volume-12-is...

It’s the last day for contest submissions! Happy Halloween 🎃

Contest submissions close this coming Tuesday! We are ready to be WOWED! 🤩

Contest submissions close this coming Tuesday! We are ready to be WOWED! 🤩

And as a friendly reminder, our annual short story contest is OPEN! 1 story per entry up to 4,000 words Reading previously unpublished work Awarding up to $500 and publication pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown/

Somehow it is almost the end of October, which means the end of the submission window for our contest! Submit until October 31—details below. 🎃👀

I picture it like a weird monster coming out of the forest with twigs and possums in its hair, moaning and stumbling, and the editor patiently combing it all out - but sure, also this best edits I've ever gotten is a super tough call but it's @pitheadchapel.bsky.social

Just TWO MORE WEEKS of being open for short story contest submissions! Get your stories in today!

Our short story contest closes at the end of this month! Don’t miss your chance to submit! 🤩