A 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

Submissions are now open for Season 2. 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 500(ish) words.

Have a butchers through Season 1 to get a feel for what' tickles our fancy. Generally speaking though, food is a good starting point. So is art, technology, boredom, supermarkets, labour, salamanders, super soakers, Arrakis, weird jobs, Posh Spice, Monster Munch, grief, takeaways, Mortal Kombat 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.

What to send

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 four weeks of your submission date, although it may be much sooner or even slightly later. 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.

Copyright

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.

Guidance

  • We tend to like around 500 words(ish) but can go up to 1000

  • Submission deadline is 01/11/2026

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

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

  • Only one submission per season

  • Please send one piece at a time

  • We ask that submitted work is previously unpublished

  • Include a short bio

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

  • We’ll aim to get back to you within 4-weeks of your submission date

  • We love momentum; works that don’t hang around to admire themselves

  • Failure to follow the criteria above may result in your submission being destroyed in a controlled explosion

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 AI-generated or primarily produced through generative prompting. If AI tools played a 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.

Please Do Not

Absolutely don’t send us any writing that promotes any kind of bigotry and/or violence.

Prizes

We’ll be looking to nominate selected works for literary prizes very soon.