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how to Scuzzbucket
submission guidelines…because, you know, it’s about time
what I want…
Scuzzbucket accepts poetry, prose, short fiction, and creative non-fiction. Under 2000 words preferred.
I’ll consider longer works, but they better be good.
content, theme, style…
I especially like dirty realism, experimental, speculative, postmodern, and surreal.
I’m into anything dark, gritty, real-life, raw, confessional, first-person, stream of consciousness, existential, satirical, misanthropic, conversational, sad and funny at the same time. Negative but still hopeful.
I like sci-fi and fantasy, but because I spend a lot of time writing and reading it myself, you should be extra careful not to be too cliché or tropey with your genre stuff. If you send me something that is so obviously generic, commercial, or uninspired, it could put me off.
Overall, I appreciate anything that finds the light in the dark or the beautiful in the ugly. That’s what I’m all about. If you’re not sure, just try me. I’m actually a pretty open person and usually willing to give feedback to people who want it.
Most important: don’t be afraid to be yourself.
rules…
I’m not a stickler for rules—in fact, I don’t even like that I’m making these guidelines right now—but, you know, getting things right is important. So please give artists credit for their images. If you’re quoting someone, do so properly. Don’t plagiarize or copy other people’s shit. That’s just awful, and I’ll figure it out. And if I don’t, someone else might, and then what? You’ll just look like a horrible person and no one will want to work with you again.
Don’t send me abusive content or otherwise hateful material. I don’t want graphic violence, and this isn’t the place for extreme horror. I hate to even have to say this, but please don’t send me depictions or descriptions of animals getting hurt. I know it’s a cruel world out there, filled with death and suffering, but I draw the line at glamorizing it for art’s sake. It’s just not my thing. I also don’t want political or religious ranting.
