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Stephen Graham Jones will be our 2017 Innovative Short Fiction Contest judge!

Stephen Graham Jones headshotWe’re pleased to announce our next Innovative Short Fiction Contest judge: Stephen Graham Jones. This guy is a writing machine. He’s published over twenty books, including Demon TheoryThe Last Final GirlGrowing Up Dead in TexasAfter the People Lights Have Gone Off, and others. His most recent book is the novel Mongrels. He teaches at the University of Colorado.

The winner receives $500, publication in The Conium Review, five contributor copies, and a copy of the judge’s latest book.

The Conium Review 2017 Innovative Short Fiction Contest opens for submissions on February 1st, 2017. The deadline is May 1st, 2017. Full guidelines are available here.

“The Conium Review: Vol. 5” cover

The Conium Review: Vol. 5 is slated for release on December 15th. Here’s a mock-up of the new issue’s cover. Like the last couple issues, the front is rather minimal while a larger image wraps around the back. Any guesses what those scraggly lines are? Answer: broken chain-link fence. Pre-orders for The Conium Review: Vol. 5 will go on sale this weekend!

"The Conium Review: Vol. 5" cover

“The Conium Review: Vol. 5” cover

Themed Call for Submissions: “Fragmented”

DSCN1923We’re holding another themed call for submissions from July 1st to July 15th: “Fragmented.”

This special call for submissions is guest edited by Melissa Reddish. Melissa’s forthcoming Conium Press title, Girl & Flame: A Novella, is full of fragments. Reddish’s sentences are sharp; her chapters read like flashes of fire and smoke; and her characters often find themselves splintered, raw, and emotionally fragmented.

The “Fragmented” theme can be interpreted broadly. Yes, sentence fragments count, but don’t limit yourself to that. Your theme should deal with some form of fragmentation, but the exact context is up to you. Have fun with the concept. Take risks with your story and see how things turn out.

Submissions should be 2,000 words or fewer. Melissa will select one piece for publication as a limited-run micro-chapbook. This micro-chap will be shipped as a free pre-order bonus with Girl & Flame (release date is August 15th). This is a great opportunity to see your short work as a standalone piece, distributed to Conium Press readers. Full guidelines are already available here.

Advance Review Copies of “Girl & Flame”

Melissa Reddish’s Girl & Flame is about three months from it’s release date (August 15th, 2016).  We’ve got some ARCs printed up, and we’ve already started sending ’em out to reviewers. If you review for a lit mag or blog, contact us to request a copy of Girl & Flame.