Note: Submissions for this reading period will be open August 15-31 and September 1-15 until capacity is reached. If you're interested in submitting, please do so early!

Are you a Black woman writer passionate about crafting beautifully written, character-driven short stories?

midnight & indigo is excited to announce an open call for submissions for short stories. We’re looking for previously unpublished short stories that capture the essence of the human experience. Literary fiction delves deep into the human condition, exploring themes of identity, relationships, and the intricate nuances of everyday life. These stories should resonate emotionally, offering readers a window into the world’s complexities and the richness of personal experiences.

Subject matter and plots can run the gamut, but we want emotion, grit, soul, and writing that forges an immediate connection with the reader. We want to celebrate the artistry and depth of Black literary fiction through your work.

Need context? Check out our short story section and previous issues. 

General Guidelines

• Word count: Minimum: 1,500. Max: 7,000.
• Please submit only ONE piece (we want to read your best!). Multiple submissions are no longer allowed and will automatically be declined.
• We pay for all accepted pieces. Our rate is $0.07 per word for Short Stories. Rates and word count based upon the final, edited piece. We pay upon publication
• Submissions should be submitted in proper short story manuscript format with your name, email address, and the story’s total word count on the first page.
• All submissions will be considered for publication on midnightandindigo.com, in our print literary journal or in our upcoming long-form anthology (est. February 2027).

We accept only previously unpublished work. Responses will be provided by December 15, 2026.

Note: Submissions for this reading period will be open August 15-31 and September 1-15 until capacity is reached. If you're interested in submitting, please do so early!

Are you a Black woman writer with a story to tell that’s bursting with emotion, grit, and soul? We want to hear from you!

midnight & indigo is excited to announce an open call for submissions for personal essays. We’re looking for previously unpublished, personal, and evocative first-person essays that forge an immediate connection with readers.

Personal essays offer a window into the soul, capturing the raw, unfiltered essence of individual experiences. They provide a powerful platform for Black women to share their truths, challenges, triumphs, and everything in between. We want to celebrate and showcase writing that resonates on a deep level.

Need context? Check out our previously published essays.      

General Guidelines

• Essays must meet our minimum 1,200 word count requirement.
• Please submit only ONE piece (we want to read your best!). Multiple submissions are no longer allowed and will automatically be declined.
• We pay for all accepted pieces. Our rate is $150 for work accepted for publication. We pay upon publication.
• Submissions should be submitted in proper manuscript format with your name, email address, and the story’s total word count on the first page.
• All submissions will be considered for publication on midnightandindigo.com, in our print literary journal or in our upcoming long-form anthology (est. February 2027).

We accept only previously unpublished work. Responses will be provided by December 15, 2026.

The next deadline is September 15th at 11:59 PM ET

Are you a Black woman writer with a passion for speculative fiction and horror? 

Do you dream of worlds beyond the ordinary? Stories that defy the laws of nature, bend time, or take readers to the edge of their imagination?

If so, we want to hear from you.

We’re looking for previously unpublished, character-driven short stories that transports readers to the unknown. Whether your story delves into the eerie, explores dystopian futures, unveils supernatural wonders, or unfolds in fantastical realms, we’re here for it.

Speculative fiction is a broad genre encompassing elements that transcend the boundaries of our everyday reality. These stories have the power to captivate and provoke thought.

Check out our Speculative Section and past issues to see how m&i writers have contributed to the genre, and then make it your own.

• Word count: 2,000-7,000
• All submissions will be considered for publication on a rolling basis on midnightandidigo.com or in our Speculative fiction special issue (online and/or print).
• Please submit only ONE piece (we want to read your best!). Multiple submissions are no longer allowed and will automatically be declined.
• We offer $0.07 per word for Short Stories accepted for publication in our annual Speculative issue and on midnightandindigo.com. Rates and word count based upon the final, edited piece. We pay upon publication.
• Submissions should be submitted in proper short story manuscript format with your name, email address, and the story’s total word count on the first page.
• We accept only previously unpublished work. Responses will be provided by December 31, 2026.

Are you a Black woman writer with a story to tell that’s bursting with emotion, grit, and soul? I want to hear from you!

About me

Ravynn K. Stringfield, Ph.D. is a writer based in Virginia. Ravynn’s creative nonfiction has appeared inCatapult, Shondaland, Greatist, ZORA and midnight & indigo. She penned the column “Superhero Girlfriends Anonymous” for Catapult magazine from 2021-2022. Her debut novel, Love Requires Chocolate (Joy Revolution, August 2024), is a young adult romance following young Black American theatre nerd, Whitney Curry, as she conducts research on her idol, Josephine Baker, during a study abroad program in Paris but gets sidetracked by her French tutor. Her sophomore novel,Love in 280 Characters or Less (Feiwel & Friends), was published in April 2025. You can read more at ravynnkstringfield.com or follow her on social media @RavynnKaMia.

What I’m Looking for in a midnight & indigo Essay

I want to read essays that use the particular, the specific, the quotidian to understand larger patterns in our cultures and societies. Be curious, vulnerable and teachable in your written explorations. Essays that linger and haunt excite me; I want essays that wrap fingers around your heart and squeeze—and don’t let go. I want to still think about your words a week later.

Are you a researcher and have a research case study about Black women that’s captivating but somehow too narrative to fit in an academic journal? I want to read that, too. And these are specific, but I’m always going to want to read essays that center water, flight and ancestry. In terms of prose, I enjoy a lyrical approach, delicious sentences that are as artful as the story you’re telling.

Send me your essays written with intention and direction; even if we meander, ensure the reader is going somewhere. This is perhaps the key that separates a strong essay from a very beautiful journal entry: what does what you know or what you have experienced help you understand about the world and why does it matter?

Essayists I love: Hanif Abdurraqib, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, Morgan Jerkins

General Guidelines

• Essays must meet our minimum 1,200 word count requirement.
• We pay for all accepted pieces. Rate based upon the final, edited piece. We pay upon publication.
• Submissions should be submitted in proper manuscript format with your name, email address, and the story’s total word count on the first page. For our purposes, you do not need to include a mailing address or phone number.