We’re always on the hunt for the best new creative fiction and non-fiction in, from and connected to Wales. We accept previously unpublished work by writers at any stage and age, and we pay for every piece we publish – the same rate for seasoned authors and first-time sharers alike.
If you would like to submit your work for our consideration, please read the below guidelines very carefully first.
Folding Rock‘s focus is on the bold, the innovative and the exciting, and our taste is more literary-leaning than genre-based. This doesn’t mean we don’t want your horror, sci-fi or romance – we just want them to be doing something new and ambitious with their forms. And if you have something that bends or blends, or defies easy labelling, do send it our way.
In fiction, we’re seeking short stories, or sections of longer projects that stand alone effectively for a reader. Unfortunately, we’re not currently accepting flash or micro-fiction, nor do we accept children’s or YA fiction.
In non-fiction, we’re keen on personal or narrative essays, nature or place writing, reportage and memoir. Again, anything extracted from a longer piece must work by itself.
We also commission occasional review essays for print. If you have an idea for a piece that critically explores three new books from Wales, and that fits with our themes (however loosely), then send a pitch to kathryn@foldingrock.com. You can see an example of our review essays here.
We’re also keen to hear from translators of any language, particularly small-nation and minority languages. In this instance, work can be previously published in in its original tongue, but the English translation must first appear in Folding Rock. You can submit translated work via our submissions form, or get in touch with a sample or proposal.
Everything we publish – be it short story or essay – will exhibit brilliant storytelling, great use of language and a strong, consistent voice.
Unfortunately, this magazine doesn’t currently take poetry submissions. But if you have something that’s a bit outside the box (like an illustrated project or photo essay) or are unsure about where it fits, send us an email at info@foldingrock.com and we’ll see if we can help.
Our recommended submission length is between 2,000 and 4,000 words, and we can’t accept any submissions below 1,000.
Anyone! But it’s worth noting that, at it’s core, Folding Rock is a magazine dedicated to the best new writing in, from and connected to Wales. This can be interpreted in a number of ways, and by no means determines what our writers write about. See our FAQs for more.
Folding Rock strongly encourages submissions from writers who are under-represented in the arts as a result of their socio-economic background, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability.
In the submissions form, you will be asked which issue you would like your piece to be considered for. Our upcoming themes, as well as the dates you will need to submit by to be considered for them, are listed below.
We keep an open mind when reading, so if you have a piece you’re really proud of but you’re not sure where it fits, you can still submit. If we love a piece but it isn’t right for an certain issue, we may keep it on file for future consideration.
NEXT ISSUE
Issue 003 – Music (title TBC)
For our autumn issue, we’re keeping an ear out for all kinds of music, sound and melody. Whether you’re an expert in whale song or a storyteller inspired by rhythm, whether you want to explore the poetics of 90s rap or to reminisce about nursery rhymes, we want to hear it. Think outside the music box: send us your best words.
Submit by 18 August 2025 to be considered for Issue 003.
UPCOMING THEMES
Issue 004 – Folklore
Submit by 15 December 2025 to be considered for Issue 004.
Issue 005 – Food
Submit by 13 April 2026 to be considered for Issue 005.
These themes are not a limitation, but a springboard. We encourage you to be creative in how you choose to engage with them.
The best way to see how our themes relate to the work we publish is to read an issue.
We only accept work digitally via the submissions form on our website, and can’t accept or return any physical copies of work sent to our office address. You are welcome to email us with questions at info@foldingrock.com, but please don’t send your writing to this inbox.
Work should be uploaded through the form as one double-spaced .doc, .docx or .pdf file, set in a neutral font and type size (e.g. 12-point Times New Roman).
We read all submitted work anonymously first, so it’s important that there is no author name on the document you share with us. Any information you choose to include in your bio will not influence our longlisting and shortlisting decisions.
We will only consider one piece of writing at a time, and only one per issue, so please wait for a response before submitting anything else to the magazine. If you’re a writer who has been published by us before, please wait three issues (one year) before submitting again.
For any work accepted or commissioned for print publication in our magazine, we pay a universal rate of £360 per piece. This applies to all our writers, regardless of experience. We will also supply contributors with a gratis copy of the issue they appear in, and a discount for further copies.
We only accept previously unpublished and unsigned work for our print magazine. In all cases, copyright for a work remains the property of its author. However, if your piece goes on to bigger things in future, don’t forget us! We’d ask you to credit us with it’s first appearance.
We will respond to every submission, though bear in mind that our team is small and at busy times this may take a while. We tend to read all submissions together ahead of each issue, so if you submit early on for a specific theme,you might be waiting a little longer. If your piece is accepted elsewhere in the meantime, please let us know.
While we can’t always provide feedback, we will let you know if your piece was longlisted or shortlisted for an issue. In some instances, such as when we love a piece but know it isn’t right for a certain theme, we might ask to keep in touch about future opportunities.
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