Keiko’s Calls

For flash fiction, poetry, visual art, and other short works.

photo of Keiko
I want to publish your work! —Keiko

Hi! I’m Keiko O’Leary from Thinking Ink Press. I design and edit Instant Books, Flashcards (flash fiction or poetry on a postcard), and other publications in non-traditional formats. I want to publish more of these specialty publications.

Here’s what I most want right now:

Poetry for postcards: poems you wish someone would send you in the mail. Poems need to fit on the front of a postcard, which means about 30 lines or fewer.

Types of pieces I’m always looking for:

  • For postcards: poems or flash stories you wish someone would send you in the mail. Story length is about 100 to 300 words. Poetry length is 30 lines or fewer.
  • For Instant Books: standalone stories 500-1,500 words in length with strong narrative arcs.
  • For a 4-page flexagon: (A flexagon is a flat piece of paper that you can fold and twist to reveal hidden surfaces.) Stories or poems that can be divided into four pages and read as a loop, with no enforced beginning or end. Perhaps time travel? Or four related poems?
  • Visual art: images that beg to have stories made about them.

My Perspective and Preferences (but send anything you think matches the formats)

  • A poem is a ceremony that changes the reader. Send me dangerous poems that will change me for the better.
  • A story is what happens, how that changes someone, and why it matters to the rest of us. Send me stories whose endings knock me down and compel me to read the whole thing again.
  • A book is a complete text that comes in its own wrapper. I see all of these formats as books, just with different wrappers than usual. Send me a piece that works as a book.

How to Submit Your Work

  • Simultaneous submissions and reprints are okay.
  • Send one story or up to five poems at a time.
  • We prefer Microsoft Word documents, but we also accept RTF, PDF, OpenOffice, or text (.txt).
  • If the meaning of your piece depends on precise formatting, please send a PDF or JPG.
  • About fonts: Except in special cases (as above), use a common, legible font. Whatever your word processor automatically selected is fine. (If you feel strongly that your piece should be published in a certain font, we can talk about that after your piece is accepted.)
  • Use standard manuscript format (Shunn is fine) or something reasonably close.
  • For images, please attach .JPG file(s) that are no larger than 5MB (unless a larger file is required to make details understandable).
  • Name each document using the following pattern: “Author Name — Title of the Piece”
  • It’s fine to send poems in separate documents, named as above. If you prefer to send them all in a single document, name it “Author Name – poems”
  • Send your submission to queries@ThinkingInkPress.com
    Use subject line: Keiko’s Calls: <your project’s title>

What If I Have Questions?

Feel free to email me at keiko@ThinkingInkPress.com. But seriously, usually “I have questions” means “I’m nervous about submitting.” Why not just send in your piece? I’m a nice person, and I’ll be glad you sent it. Even if I don’t publish it, you’ll have made a good first impression by being courageous, and then I’ll know who you are for your next submission.

I look forward to seeing your work soon!

Your friend in literature,