the ihlr long story

Every fall, for eleven years, Iron Horse has accepted submissions for our annual Long Story, an issue for which we publish those marathon-long manuscripts most journals won't consider. While we originally published three long pieces every year--one long poem, one long essay, and one long story, today, we select only one long prose piece--either an essay or a story.

 

guidelines

Every fall, writers can submit prose manuscripts that run between 20 and 40 pages. The entry fee is $18, which includes a year's subscription of IHLR's print issues. The winner--either one essay or one story--will receive $1,000 and be published in an e-single, in full-color, available to all readers via ISSUU--for free!

 

The winner will receive a lot of PR on our website, but also on our social media outlets. Anyone can read and share the link to the e-single when released.

 

NOTE: Iron Horse does not read long manuscripts outside of the LONG STORY submission period. So don't miss the opportunity to have our editors look at your longer prose works every fall. Gates are open from Aug 15 through Oct 15. 

 

free submission day

Our free submission day for the Long Story is Oct 1. On that day, at 8 a.m., we will open a special gate, revealed only on our social media pages and here on our website. We will accept only one free submission per person (automatically disqualifying subsequent free submission attempts by the same writer), and we will only accept 25. Once we hit 25 submissions, we will close the free gate. Free submissions will not receive a subscription or feedback. We offer this opportunity in the hopes of targeting writers who cannot afford to enter otherwise. If you can afford to enter, please do not take one of the 25 available free slots.

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submit

August 15 to October 15, Long Story 2025 General Gate: Submissions now closed for 2025.

October 1, Long Story 2025 Free Submit: Submissions now closed for 2025.

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results

We'll announce semi-finalists, finalists, and the winner here in December. The winner will be published in a full-color, electronic issue in early June!