Submit
brief + incorrect is an online literary magazine for work that is precise, strange, and memorable. We publish writing that creates its own logic and trusts the reader to follow.
We publish
Fiction
Flash fiction
Creative nonfiction
Hybrid work
Translations
Excerpts
We publish work that is 1,000 words or less.
What we’re looking for
We’re drawn to work that lingers after it’s over.
Surprise us. Make us laugh unexpectedly. Disturb us a little. Leave something unexplained. We prefer writing that trusts the reader over writing that explains itself.
Create a formal risk that feels intentional; an absurdity with structure; compression without loss of pressure; and work that knows what it’s doing, even when it looks like it doesn’t
We are looking for work that doesn’t behave.
If your piece feels slightly difficult to categorize, there’s a good chance we’d like to see it.
How to submit
Email your work to:
Please include:
your work in the body of the email (attachments are also fine)
a brief bio (1–2 sentences)
any links you’d like us to include if accepted (Substack, Instagram, Bluesky, website, etc.)
Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Just let us know if the work is accepted elsewhere.
Previously published work is considered if publication history is clearly noted.
Response time
Current response time is approximately one month, depending on submission volume. If the volume is low, you’ll hear back sooner.
Every submission is read by the editor.
What accepted writers receive
Every published piece includes:
a custom visual created exclusively for its publication
a carefully chosen musical accompaniment
promotion across our social channels
publication on brief + incorrect
Selected pieces may also be considered for Pushcart Prize, Wigleaf, Best of the Net, and other annual nominations.
Rights
Authors retain copyright to their work.
By publishing with brief + incorrect, you grant us First Electronic Rights and the right to archive the work as part of the magazine. After publication, all rights revert to the author.
You’re free to republish your work elsewhere after it appears in brief + incorrect. We simply ask that you credit brief + incorrect as the place where it first appeared.
One last thing
We read every submission carefully. Even when a piece isn't accepted, that isn't a judgment on the writer or their work, only whether it feels like the right fit for the magazine at this particular moment.
We don’t have a formula.
Every issue becomes a little more like itself.
If your work belongs anywhere, we hope it’s here.
FAQ
Can I submit more than one piece?
Yes. Please send one piece per email.
Can I submit again if I’m declined?
Absolutely. We encourage it.
Do you accept AI-generated writing?
No. We publish work written by people.
Support brief + incorrect
brief + incorrect is edited and operated by a single person in the hours surrounding a full-time job. If you’d like to support the publication, consider becoming a paid subscriber or leaving a compliment. Every subscription, compliment, share, and recommendation helps keep the magazine growing.
Aaron Boot is an editor with a background in visual art and a bias toward the strange. He studied at Kendall College of Art and Design and has worked as an editor with the advertising agency Our Full Attention, where clarity and compression were non-negotiable. His work has appeared in Maudlin House, Waxing & Waning, and elsewhere. His reading life leans toward the absurd, the hybrid, and the difficult-to-categorize.