Northwind literary journal seeks fiction, nonfiction & poetry, pays $150 for lead story

Northwind is an online/kindle literary quarterly, started in 2011 by editors Tom Howard and Abbe Steel. It is published quarterly in spring, summer, fall and winter, by Chain Bridge Press, LLC, in Arlington, Virginia. Pays $150 U.S. for feature story in each issue. Publishes 10 stories and 20 poems per issue.

Fiction: We want crazy beautiful prose, strange characters, unexpected plots, great opening lines, and edgy dialogue. But mostly we just want great stories. There are no restrictions other than quality, and we're always looking for unusual perspectives and original story-lines. Think Ellison, Pynchon, Helprin, Calvino, Roth, Bolaño, Marquez, Borges, Vonnegut, Delaney, Barthelme, Crowley. Surprise us. 

Our preference is for stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words, although both longer and shorter pieces are considered. We do not publish flash or micro-fiction.

Nonfiction: The criteria for fiction apply to non-fiction submissions as well. We want strong biographical or autobiographical narratives that read like fiction, with clearly defined characters and a compelling story-line. We are not looking for essays, reviews, travelogues or editorials at this time.

Poetry: We accept poetry submissions on any subject and in any style, although we tend to avoid rhyming poetry and prose poems. Read the magazine for excellent examples of what we're seeking. We want compelling ideas, unforced language, and genuine meaning over sentimentality. Up to five poems may be submitted at a time, and all pieces should be included in a single file.

We accept electronic submissions only, using our online submission form.

Full submission guidelines here.

Northwind pays $150 for the issue's featured story only. All contributors, however, will be provided with a dedicated page on the site for biographical information (including photo), any relevant web site links, and an optional feedback form for readers.

See Brian Henry's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.