Get inspired with The First Line Literary Journal challenge: write a short story starting with the sentence “Edwin spotted them the moment he stepped off the train.”

Before you make a face and click off this page, think about it practically.  The chances of a huge number of writers deciding to spend the time thinking up, writing, and editing a short story that is specifically for this single publication and contest is highly unlikely.  Therefore, your competition is slimmer and your story has a better chance at winning.

Submitting to The First Line Literary Journal is a smart idea.  What have you really got to loose?

Type of literary journal:  print

What submissions they want:  any genre, word count 300-3,000.  Check out further submission guidelines.

How they want the submissions:  email sent to submission (@) thefirstline (dot) com

Submission fee?  No.  Never!

Accept international submissions?  Yes.

When they want the submissions: August 1st, 2011

Official Submission Response Time: usually 2-3 weeks after the submission close date.

My personal submission response time:  none, sorry!  I haven’t submitted here before.  But let me know when you hear back!

Contest winnings:  Technically this isn’t really a contest, more like a submissions call, but you do get paid!  $20 for fiction and $10 for non-fiction along with a copy of the journal you’re published in.

While you’re waiting, listen to the audio of this one story published in the journal.  Hope you feel inspired and enjoy!!

Good luck!