The Menu

A new home for short fiction that likes to surprise itself. Alongside open submissions, The Menu will publish new work by writers whose fiction has appeared in leading literary journals, magazines and presses.

Submissions Are Open

We’re interested in flash fiction, micro fiction, prose poetry, hybrid work, fragments, strange little monologues, and things that probably shouldn’t work but somehow do. Anything up to 1000 words.

Food is a good starting point. So is art, technology, boredom, supermarkets, labour, salamanders, super soakers, Arrakis, weird jobs, Thierry Henry, Monster Munch, grief, takeaways, Street Fighter characters, loneliness, Toilet Duck, Brahms, smelly foyers, scratchcards and writing itself. Tell us about funny things that are sad, and sad things that become funny.

How to Submit

Please send submissions directly to info@durtybeanz.com as a Word document (.doc or .docx). Double spaced, in whatever font pleases you. We’ll aim to get back to you within 4 weeks, although it may be much sooner or occasionally slightly longer. Either way, you’ll hear from us.

At present, we’re unable to pay contributors. We know this is crappy and as soon as it can change, it will. Writers selected for publication will appear on The Menu and be featured across our social media channels. Each published text will also be accompanied by a new artwork developed in response to the work.

Rights

Writers retain full copyright of their work. By accepting publication with Durty Beanz, you grant us first digital publication rights and the non-exclusive right to display, archive and promote the work on our website and social media channels. We may occasionally suggest light editorial changes prior to publication, but no substantial edits will be made without the author's approval. After publication, all rights revert to the author. We simply ask that, if the work is republished or anthologised elsewhere, Durty Beanz is acknowledged as the original publisher.

Guidelines

  • Up to 1000 words

  • Flash fiction, micro fiction, prose poetry and hybrid forms all welcome

  • Rolling submissions (send us work whenever you like)

  • Simultaneous submissions are absolutely fine. Just let us know if the piece is accepted elsewhere

  • We ask that submitted work is previously unpublished

  • Please send one piece at a time

  • Include a short bio if you like

  • Email subject line: SUBMISSION – [Title] – [Your Name]

  • We’ll get back to you within 7-days

AI Policy

Data centres. Brain rot. Digislop. AI really isn’t our favourite thing. That said, we also know lots of writers use digital tools, including AI, for research, editing or exploratory purposes, and that’s fine. What we don’t accept is prose that is in any way AI-generated or primarily produced through generative prompting.

If AI tools played a substantial role in the development of a piece, we ask contributors to be transparent about that process. Ultimately, we care about voice, intentionality and artistic risk.

Background photo courtesy of: Chao-Ying Rao from Yer Dinners Ready with Strangefield Arts, Durty Beanz and Trackie McLeod (2025).