OF ZOOS ISSUE 14 – NO THANKS BUT THANKS
this is the stuff you don’t send out.
or you do, and it comes back.
or it doesn’t, but you kind of hope it will.
we’re looking for writing that doesn’t behave. the misfit, the over-sharer, the draft that spiraled, the reject-rebel, the bad bitch, the thing that was too weird / too soft / too honest / too hard to explain to your workshop group.
writing that smells a little.
that tries too hard.
or doesn’t try at all, anymore.
we’re not here for “best work.” not here for MFA darlings or prizewinners. we want what’s been sitting in your folder muttering to itself. we want that piece you love in that uncomfortable way — like a rash, or a Whatsapp you can’t delete.
send us:
--poems that mumble
--stories with inconsistent tone
--essays with no thesis, only bad decisions
--fragments with commitment issues
--stuff that would confuse an adjunct lecturer
treat us as your dustbin. we’ll find the gem in the trash. please tell us why you thought your misfit piece was a fit for us.
We now offer payment for previously unpublished work. (We are still open to accepting submissions that have already been published elsewhere if they add value to the current issue; however, we can’t offer payment for them.)
We offer USD10/SGD14 for a single poem or short prose piece; USD20/SGD27 for a long poem (or a series of short poems in sequence), a long prose piece, or visual art (including a collection or sequence). This is a modest start, and we hope to keep reviewing our payment capabilities as situations change.
For works with multiple authors, including translations, payment will be split equally between collaborators.
For genre-bending works or formats that don’t fit neatly into these categories, we’ll discuss fair compensation to the best of our abilities.
Unfortunately, our payment rates include any administrative fees. We’d love to discuss how best to minimise this, especially if you’re based outside of the US or Singapore.
Submission Guidelines
Submit your work to ofzooseditor@gmail.com for consideration by September 15, 2025. Include an updated contributor’s biography, as well as a description of why you think your misfit piece is for us.
|Previous Features|
2.1 — Riff, Steal, Collaborate
5.1 — Varieties of the English
7.1 — R O U G H M A T E R I A L
