West Goes South Basics:
West Goes South is an independent journal of flash fiction, poetry, and nonfiction launched in July 2008 and based in “the elbow of Los Angeles and the hip of Charlotte, North Carolina.” With four online issues and one print issue each year, West Goes South features a mix of the modern and the surreal. They have a circulation of about 2,000 readers.
West Goes South Writing Style:
Alice Munro and Anne Enright are at the top of the West Goes South wishlist, so if your work shows their influence, definitely send them something!
Number One Thing Most Likely to Spark Their Interest:
Fresh words and a clean voice.
Number One Thing Most Likely to Put Them Off:
Vagueness and the usual thoughts about the moon, love, cats, and food.
How to Submit Work to West Goes South:
They publish 15-30 stories each year and accept submissions year-round. Send work to Fiction Editor Gwen M. Cassidy at wgsfiction @ gmail.com and poetry editor Amanda McQuade at wgspoetry @ gmail.com. See their site for upcoming themes. No simultaneous submissions.
Additional Advice on Submitting Work:
Creative Director Amanda McQuade writes, “Make sure your first few lines draw your reader in because we are reading many submissions, and at a first pass-though your submission needs to stand out.”
