gates open: calling all lengthy literary works for the ihlr trifecta!

Though only 30 days long, November can be a productive month for writers. First there are the NaNoWriMo enthusiasts, fingers flying to meet the lofty goal of 50,000 words toward a new novel by the month’s end. Then there are those inspired by fall’s firm grip on the weather to hunker over the gentle glow of a laptop, spinning verse and prose while the wind whistles in the eaves. It’s the month when we gear up for holidays and breaks from school; the month we gather with family and friends, or remember gatherings of the near and distant past; the month we start to take stock of the year, and think about goals for the new one. A time for contemplation, nostalgia, and dreams. A time, too, to write.

November is the time we invite submissions for Iron Horse’s annual Trifecta issue, which is your chance to publish the lengthy manuscripts that run over most journals’ maximum word counts. We’re looking for single poems from 10-20 pages long, and prose between 25-40 pages. For an entry fee of $10, writers who submit to this issue will receive a year’s subscription, and the winners in each category (poetry, fiction, and nonfiction) will each receive $250 as well as an attractive e-single featuring their work for everyone to read for FREE on our website. You can download them, link them to your own site, and distribute them to friends, family, and contacts as you wish. The e-singles are released in the summer, just in time for lazy days on the beach or lengthy airplane rides en route to your hard-earned vacation.

Keep in mind that outside of our annual chapbook issue, Iron Horse only reads long works during the Trifecta reading period. You have from now until December 1st to submit your work for consideration, and we sincerely hope to read your work. In the meantime, read our past Trifecta stories, essays, and poems right here, for FREE, to see what made the cut last time. Then, send us your best! And, of course, keep writing!