Syllable takes literary submissions of all kinds. No reading will last longer than 10 minutes (about 4 prose pages), so your submission must stand alone in that time frame. Shorter submissions are very welcome.
To us, “literary” means “of the best possible writing quality in your genre.” It also means you use appropriate grammar and have proofread your piece many times. It means you love writing, you love reading, and you love words. That’s what Syllable is all about.
What sort of thing are we looking for?
– Short stories
– Short-short stories/flash fiction
– Novel excerpts (must be able to stand alone)
– Essays
– Flash nonfiction
– Poems of any length and style
– Comedic writing
– “Genre” fiction (vampires, cowboys, and aliens are all welcome if you write them well)
– Song lyrics (you would ostensibly perform the whole song)
– Short plays or excerpts from full-length plays
– Sketches, TV scripts, a scene from your movie, etc.
– Love letters
– The most literary recipe you’ve ever concocted
– Anything else that involves reading interesting words out loud
We will select 3 or more writers for each reading and fashion an evening of delights. By nature of the process, selections are subject to our tastes. We assure you that we read widely and enthusiastically, and that we plan to showcase a variety of styles. Don’t write to please us. Write the best possible piece you can and send it our way.
Also: there is no need to be cute or overly stylized if that’s not your thing. A straightforward piece of writing is a beautiful thing in this world.
To submit, please email: syllableseries@gmail.com.
Subject line: your name and the title of your piece.
Body of the email: a short explanation of who you are and why you’d like to read. You may either put your submission in the body of the email or attach it.
Last but not least: you may absolutely submit things that have been published or will soon be published. Just let me know in the paragraph all about you. We are happy to promote your work with you.
Good luck!
Syllable: A Reading Series 
Julia! So wish I could come to the writer’s workshop on Sat. but I’m gonna be in Worcester :(…I’m trying to work it out also that I can get to La Paloma tonight for light (:) but there’s so much craziness going on…I even had something I wanted to read. Oh well!- Uniel
Hi Julia,
I am working on an essay for heros night. It’s in the works, but I’d like to read if possible (fore REAL this time :). This is a really easy topic to get personal with. The essay sounds somewhat memior-ie, but only a bit. Hope it works!
Just arrived in New England area, and very much hoping to attend! Will submit something appropriate soon.
It will be lovely to see you there! Please submit for this month if you have something– still a couple of precious spots left.