🔥✍️ Taking Submissions ✍️🔥 Flare Magazine is running the Strength In Stories Contest. Theme: Disability as a Strength. 💰 Prizes up to $140 🗓 Deadline: March 1, 2026 🔗 horrortree.com/taking-submi... From @flarelitmag.bsky.social #WritingContest #CallForSubmissions #CreativeWriting

still open for 10 more spots! 👀 havehashad.submittable.com/submit/34839...

I am really super-duper excited to be a part of this!!!

And just like that...submissions for issue 5 are CLOSED! The issue will come out on Saturday morning PST, February 28th, 2026! See the other slides to see our final sub stats! Remember, the contest is open til March 1st but is themed (and winners and runners up get paid)!

Hey--you? Yeah, you! I'm super proud of you today. You've done so well in such hard times and I'm just so, so proud of you. Keep taking care of yourself, your family, your community and know I'm rooting for you, for all of us.

Shout out to @flarelitmag.bsky.social for their super-fast (same day!) reply to a submission for for their next issue! (And as an added bonus, it was an acceptance!)

🚨 Calling all disabled, chronically ill, mental health-related, and neurodivergent creators🚨 TODAY is the LAST DAY to submit to issue 5, which has no theme! You have until 11:59 pm PST tonight to send in last subs! See the guidelines here: flare-magazine.com/submission-g...

You can preorder an ebook version here: bookshop.org/p/books/the-... Paperback preorders hopefully coming soon! Let me know if you want an ARC!

Author copies of my debut novel just arrived in the mail, so here's an unboxing video for you all! THE GIRLS WILL BE OKAY is a queer, nerdy YA novel about a bisexual Lutheran girl coming to terms with her crush on her lesbian Jewish best friend by writing fanfiction about their favorite show.

Update! 🚨 SPOILER ALERT:🚨 We're INCREASING the monetary prizes with donations we've received for our contest! And the last slide is about issue 5's stats so far! The contest is FREE, but if you donate here: www.gofundme.com/f/help-flare..., we'll increase the monetary prizes even more!

Gotta love that #disabledrep! If you're looking for a picture book for kids that has disabled rep, we highly recommend pre-ordering @jlockettauthor1.bsky.social's new picture book!

YOU GUYS I just got a really super great email from @kellyesparza.bsky.social and @flarelitmag.bsky.social!!!

We're not mentioned in this list, but we get back to general issue subs within 24 hours! And...we're open just saying.

Over 170 publications re-opened today, including @suspendedmag.bsky.social @ploughshares.bsky.social @flashpointsf.bsky.social @dogthroat.com @flarelitmag.bsky.social @trashcatlit.bsky.social @thenewquarterly.bsky.social @wyldblood.bsky.social https://duotrope.com...

Submissions for issue 5 are OPEN through Feb. 13th end of day (PST)! Calling all chronically ill and disabled writers and artists (this also includes those who deal with mental health conditions)! Check out our submission guidelines here: flare-magazine.com/submission-g...

Our new Submission Call is now open! Poetry required!

Excited to announce that I have a prose piece about my frustrations with lupus and seeking the medical help one needs called "Push and Pull" getting published with @inkinthirds.bsky.social in spring 2026 for their tenth anniversary issue! 1 a.m. rants for the win!😆

Submissions open February 1st. We’ll have more details about the theme coming in the next couple of days!

We’re taking them until Feb 18!

#Litmags! Who’s open to subs right now? Comment below!

We warmly invite you to join us... @flarelitmag.bsky.social @penpep.bsky.social @chronicallyillart.bsky.social @francesryan.bsky.social @universityofatypical.org @dadafest.bsky.social @lucywebster.bsky.social @rokhsanafiaz.bsky.social @claresummerskill.bsky.social

Call for Artists! @flarelitmag.bsky.social @penpep.bsky.social @chronicallyillart.bsky.social @francesryan.bsky.social @universityofatypical.org @dadafest.bsky.social @jenjlibrarian.bsky.social @lucywebster.bsky.social @rokhsanafiaz.bsky.social @claresummerskill.bsky.social

Call for Artists! Reflecting Ourselves is an online exhibition of self-portraits by Disabled women, taking place in March 2026 for International Women's Month. All self-identified Disabled women are invited to submit one digital image of a self-portrait. More info: https://ow.ly/nNx050XWYsu

Yesterday, my poetry chapbook about living with my #chronicillness published by #BottlecapPress was stocked at small bookstore #OldHauntsBookshop in Granite Bay, CA! Ahhh so cool to see! 💜💜 buy my book here: kelly-esparza-merch-and-books.square.site/s/shop

Update about our contest: In order to manage the workload (I'm one person after all!), we're sending out rejections early. SO if you AREN'T hearing from us, take that as a great sign that we're still considering your work! Subs are open now through March 1st: flare-magazine.com/contests/

We just published our first newsletter! Check it out and subscribe for FREE! #litmags #chronicillnesses #disabilities #mentalhealth

Some more news! 1.Starting this year, we'll nominate for Best American Essays to honor more creative nonfiction writers! 🧵 (1/3)

Hey folks! We changed our handle from "@flaremagazine.bsky.social" to "@flarelitmag.bsky.social" so that it copies our other socials like Twitter and Instagram!

We’re delighted to spotlight this #ExpoFam member (@kellyesparza.bsky.social was Associate Editor for “Hunger and “Flux,” Fiction Co-Editor for “Lines,” and judged our “Escape” Flash 405 (tinyurl.com/ExpoIssues)). She is also the editor-in-chief of @flaremagazine.bsky.social

Here at FLARE, we've decided to start a newsletter about new issues, contest details, fundraising goals, opportunities for disabled/chronically ill/mental health-related writers and artists! FREE to subscribe!

Running my first writing contest with a monetary prize! Calling all disabled, chronically ill, and those who deal with mental health conditions! @flaremagazine.bsky.social has been around for a YEAR! Love championing marginalized voices❤️

(1/2) FLARE is a year old! Woohoo! To celebrate, we're hosting our first writing contest: Strength in Stories Writing Contest, which is FREE to enter, but winners get PAID! Subs are open NOW through March 1st! Read the guidelines here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/contests/

Happy holidays from FLARE Magazine! Whichever holidays you celebrate, we hope you have a great time and a safe holiday season! ❄️ ✨ I know it's easy to overdo & feel like you have to for the holidays, but please rest & take care of yourself when you need it! -xoxo, EIC @kellyesparza.bsky.social

I was published in @flaremagazine.bsky.social before it was rich and famous! 🎉

So honored to be featured on this list!

We didn't place, but that's okay! We still had some great votes for awesome categories, like Actually Inclusive, so that's a win for us! Congrats to friends @micromancemagazine.bsky.social, @charliefish.bsky.social, and @prosetrics.bsky.social who did place! Congrats!!!

Although it’s been almost a year of being around, we made it on the FISH List of lively independent #litmags! Woohoo! FLARE is number 1282 out of 1848 lit mags that qualified! Thank you for curating all this, @charliefish.bsky.social! See the list here: www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/p/fish-list....

Screaming! My poetry chapbook that was published by #bottlecappress is FEATURED on the @reedsy.bsky.social discovery site & will be in their newsletter that reaches hundreds of thousands of readers!! Ahhh! Not every book gets picked up so this is amazing! The link to buy my book is in my bio! ☺️

Ooh yay! We made it to 800 followers on this account, aka our second biggest social media platform. Our IG by far has the most with (1700+ followers) and it’s all thanks to YOU😌

BIG news! My adult speculative mystery is a SEMI-FINALIST for the fiction category for the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards! In my #amquerying era but in a flare so I’ve been delayed BUT this means a lot as a @uarizona.bsky.social Creative Writing & English alum! ❤️ 719 subs total!🤯

Being chronically ill is rough these days! Trying to pick up some extra editing work! I have BAs in English & Creative Writing and 5+ yrs of editing experience + I was previously agented! I have edited books, query letters, business writing, poetry, short stories, essays, etc. Flexible w/ pricing!

Ahh! A reporter at the Auburn Journal wrote an article about my new poetry chapbook about lupus & me! I’m happy to use my voice to spread awareness! 💜🥄 Read the whole article here: goldcountrymedia.com/news/338640/... Buy my book here: kelly-esparza-merch-and-books.square.site/s/shop

#FF It’s Faux Fur Friday! To celebrate, give some ❤️ and a follow to these publications in the lit community that begin with “F”! @flaremagazine.bsky.social @flashpointsf.bsky.social @floridapress.bsky.social @flowlitmag.bsky.social @foglifterpress.bsky.social @folklorereview.bsky.social Cont ⬇️

#GivingTuesday2025 I'm running a 30% off sale on Etsy & if you buy my poetry chapbook about lupus, you'll get a FREE bookmark & sticker, w/ proceeds from both places going to the Lupus Foundation of America @lupus.org! If you just donate to @lupus.org, your donation is matched! Get the links below!

Through my site, you can buy a signed copy of my poetry chapbook that’s about my life with lupus for $10 and it’s FREE shipping worldwide and through tomorrow, you can get a FREE bookmark! Buy here:

Surprise! We were (easily) convinced to nominate for the @pushcartprize.bsky.social! So, the nominees are... Rania Omar, Kelley Dundas, @christafairbrother.bsky.social, Alex Pellerin, Chloe Glass, & Olivia J. Bennett! Congrats! Read their work here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/nominations/

If you celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving from me to you! I am so incredibly thankful for the way FLARE has emerged as a community that many of us, myself included, needed this year! Your stories, your art--it all matters so much! 🧡 --EIC Kelly @kellyesparza.bsky.social

Artist Spotlight #2: Sushmita Mamillapalli and her painting, "Into the Unknown." See her art here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/into-the-unk... . . . #litmags #art #artistspotlight #healthscares

Artist Spotlight #1: Sara Jorgensen and her paintings, "Of the Barb-Wire or Verbal" and "Fusion." See her art here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/of-the-barb-... . . . #litmags #artistspotlight #healthscares #art

Author Spotlight #20: A. Riel Regan (riwritesatnight.bsky.social) and their experimental piece, “[the hospital room that i’m not in]." Read their piece here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/the-hospital... . . . #litmags #authorspotlight #healthscares #experimental