THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF PHILADELPHIA
Photography by Michael Angelo Smith (IG: @lsfmphotography).
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Toho Publishing presents The Best Short Stories of Philadelphia, an anthology of the best short stories the Greater Philadelphia Area has to offer.
We are putting this collection together because—even with as many literary efforts as already exist—we feel there is room for a platform seeking to integrate the city's diverse voices. We acknowledge the numerous organizations already doing similar work—Blue Stoop, Kelly Writers House, Mighty Writers, Philadelphia Writers Conference, and Philadelphia Stories, to name a few—and we hope to take a seat at the same table. We hope too that this collection becomes a yearly staple in the Philadelphia literary scene.
Our main goal is to collect, in one book, the best stories we can find in this city. We want the powerful and the timid, the sacred and the profane. We want the weird and the ordinary, the hopeful and the nihilist. In short, we want the best stories Philadelphians have written.
We want to be moved.
In order to find these stories, we are reaching out to as many universities, colleges, schools, writing groups, and individual fiction writers in Philly as we can. If you know of someone who might be interested in submitting, please share this page with them!
Also, while our primary goal is to create this book, our secondary goals are no less important: we seek to amplify the many talented voices of this city (emerging and established) and to make this publication (1) equitable and (2) reflective of the city’s demographics (a more diverse city than you might realize).
If you'd like to follow the process of creating this anthology, check out our blog (created by our incredible team of interns). Or follow us on Instagram, @tohopublish, to stay up to date.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
3,000 word limit
Writers must currently live, teach, or work in the Greater Philadelphia Area (or have a really strong connection to Philly).
1 submission per writer.
Stories may have been previously published (so long as the writer retains the rights).
Submission is free and does not guarantee acceptance.
Deadline: ***Submissions have been extended until midnight (EDT), 9/30.***