The Foofs is Foofaraw's annual awards and anthology for the Best Strange Fiction of the Year.
You can nominate your own stories that were published elsewhere throughout 2026.
Stories must have been published at a litmag or in an anthology (or similar type publication) for the first time in 2026 and cannot be self-published.
Writers can have three nominations open at any given time as long as they are in different categories. You will receive a rejection if we decide it’s not the right fit. At that point, you can nominate something new, as long as you don’t exceed three open nominations.
Editors can have two nominations per category open at any given time. Again, the same rules apply. If we decide it's not the right fit, we will send a rejection, which reopens that spot for a new nomination.
There are seven categories in which stories can be nominated:
- Wisp: 100-word Drabble
- Glimmer: Up to 500 words (Microfiction)
- Fragment: 501–1,000 words (Flash fiction)
- Foofaraw: 1,001–2,500 words (Short story)
- Phantasm: 2,501–5,000 words (Medium-length short story)
- Chronicle: 5,001–7,500 words (Longer short story)
- Magnum: 7,501–15,000 words (Novelette)
There will be an additional $25 award plus publication) for the story with the best title.
The winner of each category will be awarded $50, published in The Foofs anthology, and the option to receive a "pillow trophy." A select few runner-ups will be selected and offered $25 to be included.
Winners will be announced in 2027, with publication of the anthology to follow.
The anthology is an annual anthology (released in print and ebook) based on the definition of “foofaraw.” Every piece must align to one of these two definitions:
- a great fuss or disturbance about something very insignificant.
- an excessive amount of decoration or ornamentation, as on a piece of clothing, a building, etc.
Response Time
We aim to respond to all submissions within 60 days, but all decisions will be made and writers will be notified by April 30th at the latest.
Word Limit:
- 500-5000 words
Pay Rate:
- Fiction: $0.01 per word
- Poetry: $5.00
Language:
- English
Rights:
We request first serial rights, non-exclusive, indefinite archival rights, and the right to publish in print and ebook. Any rights not used by the publisher within twelve months will return to the author.
Requirements:
- We do not accept multiple submissions from a single person at a time
- We do not accept previously published works
- We do not accept work created or assisted by AI
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed
Fiction
The general areas/genres of interest for fiction in foofaraw are:
- Surreal
- Speculative
- Slipstream
- Strange
- Magical Realism
- Sci-Fi
- Fantasy
- Literary
- LGBTQIA+
- Horror
- Mystery
- Noir
- Absurdist
- Experimental
This is our combined, year-round call for Satire/Humor, Short Fiction Reviews, and Cartoons.
Satire/Humor:
We are looking for humor or satire pieces related to politics, tech, culture, entertainment, or sports.
Think McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Onion, and The New Yorker’s Shouts & Murmurs.
Word count: 500-1000
Pay: $0.03/word
Short Fiction Reviews:
We are looking for reviews of short fiction from other small litmags and indie presses.
Word count: 500-1250
Pay: $0.01/word
Cartoons:
We are looking for humurous or political cartoons in the style of The New Yorker, Economist, or The Weekly Humorist
Submit up to three at a time.
Pay: $15/each
Info
Quotidian Bagatelle is an experimental micro imprint from Foofaraw Press looking to publish 365 micro stories, poems, creative non-fiction, or art pieces in 2026 (and maybe beyond...). Art pieces should be small; poems should be short, under 20 lines; prose should be under 250 words.
Fiction
We are looking for short stories under 250 words in the following genres:
- Speculative
- Magical Realism
- Slipstream
- Horror
- Humor
- SciFi
- Fantasy
- Surreal
- Absurdist
- Experimental
- and anything else that fits the vibe
Creative non-fiction
We are looking for short explanatory essays, personal essays, memoirs, columns, articles, etc., under 250 words.
Poetry
We are looking for poems under 20 lines or 5 stanzas. We are not looking for typical ABAB or ABCB or AABB rhyme schemes.
- Free verse
- Concrete
- Found poetry
- Prose poetry
- Elegy
- Zuihitsu
- Haiku/Senryu
- Haibun
- Tanka
- Villanelle
- Epigram
- Glosa
- Ghazal
- Triolet
Art
Minimal, small, and weird
Guidelines
Response time
You can expect to hear back within 21 days—feel free to reach out or check the status of your submission at any time.
Word Limit:
- 50-250 words for prose
- 20 lines or 5 stanzas for poetry
Pay Rate:
- Flat rate of $1.00
Language:
- English
Rights:
We request first serial rights, non-exclusive, indefinite archival rights, and the right to publish in a limited biannual print collection. Any rights not used by the publisher within twelve months will return to the author.
Requirements:
- We do not accept work created or assisted by AI.
- We do accept simultaneous submissions for this call (please withdraw immediately if accepted elsewhere.)
- You can have three active submissions at a time.
- We do accept reprints, but are unable to pay for them at this time, and they must have been published over two years ago.