Do you accept unsolicited submissions?
Yes, we accept unsolicited submissions. Please see our submission guidelines here.

What about simultaneous submissions?
Why not? We publish only one story a month and we cannot hope to publish all the great stories we receive, so we have to let some of them go. We don’t want to make you wait for us, so simultaneous submissions make sense. Just let us know that you’ve sent your work elsewhere and, if another publication accepts it before we do, we’d appreciate it if you’d tell us as soon as possible.

What are you looking for?
We are looking for high quality short fiction. We don’t care if you’ve ever published before or if this is the first story you’ve finished. What we care about is publishing work that has meaning and substance.

For more of a sense of who we are and what we’re looking for: “Six Questions For Susan Alexander, Co-Founder and Julie McArthur, Editor, Agnes and True.

What kinds of stories are you looking for, specifically?
We love workplace stories, travel stories (but not travelogues), insightful stories about friendships and family, and stories that highlight the political side of the personal. Speculative fiction? Sure. Magical realism? Except for hating the term, yes. Sexy stories? Not so much.

What do you mean by “high quality?”
By “high quality,” we mean that short fiction submissions should be well-written and insightful. We are looking for work that demonstrates the fact that the author has something to say or that the author has seen something that others should know about.

What do you mean by “well-written?”
We have a saying: “Make it sing, but you don’t necessarily have to be the one singing it.”

“Make it sing” is an old newspaper saying. It means respect your narrative and take it to the next level. Make it as beautiful as a ballad (or, at least, try to).

But don’t be afraid that, when the times comes, you’ll have to “sing” it, i.e., read it. While Agnes and True does plan to hold readings, we would never think of forcing our writers to read their work. Some people are comfortable performing and some are not. The quality of the written work is what matters to us. We can always get someone to read it.

What do you mean by “Canadian sensibility?”
What we mean is the particular knowledge, insight, or reaction that people have because they are Canadian, grew up in Canada, or live in Canada. Let’s face it: we see things differently here because of our geography and climate, and because of our proximity to the United States. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, we think it’s something to celebrate. So, let’s get to it.

Do you accept work from non-Canadians?
Yes, we do. We have accepted and published work written by non-Canadians and we will continue to do so. While our goal is to encourage Canadians to share their unique experience with the world, we also believe that art should have no geographical boundaries. We should all try to understand each other, and fiction is a great way to begin.

Do you publish in print form?
We do not publish in print form at the moment. We do, however, intend to publish a collection of our best stories within a few years.

How often do you publish?
Our goal is to publish the best short stories that we can find. While we would like to publish one story per month—or even more frequently—we will not compromise on quality, especially not for the sake of publishing more frequently.

Does Agnes and True pay for published stories?
Yes, we do. We pay $75.00 (CAD) per story upon publication.

Who holds the story’s copyright?
All authors retain copyright to their stories.

If you published one of my stories, will you publish another? If so, how long should I wait to submit?
Good question! And the short answer—as of this year—is, yes.

We’re a relatively new publication, so we’ve only recently established this policy. If we published one of your stories, we will publish one other after three or more years have passed. Please feel free to submit your second story three years after we published your first.

How do I submit my work?
If you have a story that you think is suitable for Agnes and True, please send it to us either as a Word or PDF document by clicking on the “Submit Your Story” button at the top of this page.

Before you submit, however, please take the time to read our submission guidelines here.

Still have questions?
Feel free to ask them by using our Contact Form here.