Doric Literary

@doricliterary

An online journal publishing classically inspired short stories. Now open for submissions, 1000-8000 words. Edited by @CourtlandAvenue (Dave Gregory)

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Doric Literary@doricliterary· 28d

Congratulations to our BOTN nominees: @danielmiller.bsky.social & @lpandell.bsky.social We publish short fiction inspired by classic writers. If alive, you know Carver & O'Connor would be writing about glory holes & armpit hair. doric-literary.com/2026/03/01/b... doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...

Doric Literary@doricliterary· 28d

Doric Literary@doricliterary· 29d

Hype machine! Big announcement tomorrow!

A blue background shows the Doric & Best of the Net logos next to the white words: "Tomorrow-July 15 Doric Literary will announce our nominees for the 2027 Best of the Net Anthology. Tune in here or at doric-literary.com for the results."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· 29d

I'm look for sound advice but would settle for a smart-alecky answer to make me laugh.

Image is simply white text on a blue background. It reads as follows:

"Question for editors:

How do you respond to a writer, whose work you've just rejected, who writes back & asks for guidance on what you are looking for?

Our website is online, 100% free to read & we've even got a guideline section with a list of likes & dislikes, plus a 3 sentence summary of exactly what we're looking for.

We get this question a lot & don't know how to reply without sounding mocking or snippy."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jul 8

Awards season is a cool time to be a LitMag editor - and it lasts 6 or 7 months, starting with Best of the Net! BOTN nominations are now open & Doric Literary will announce our 2027 BOTN nominations on July 15. In the meantime, here’s a look back at the two pieces we nominated last year:

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jul 1

Happy Canada Day (to those who celebrate)! That means it's time for our quarterly stats report: Submissions are⬆️slightly but acceptance rate is⬇️ (that means were due to send another acceptance any moment). We're 2nd fastest @duotrope.com & still getting faster.

Image shows a spreadsheet entitled "Doric Literary Submission Statistics: 2nd Quarter 2026"

submissions 254
accepted 6
withdrawn 0
upper tier decline 33
standard decline 209
lowest tier decline (work contrary to guidelines) 6

acceptance rate 2.36%
longest response time (in days) - acceptance 2
longest response time (in days) - decline 1
average response time (in days) 0.1023

Current Submission tracker stats:
Chill Subs: 0% acceptance rate, average response time: 2 days (23 reports since January 1, 2025)
Duotrope: 3.31% acceptance rate, average response time: 0.4 days (121 reports in last 12 months)*
Submission Grinder: 0% acceptance rate, average response time: 0.5 days (72 reports in the last 12 months)

*Doric Literary's response time is the 2nd fastest in Duotrope's fiction database!

Note: Doric Literary has not accepted any solicited work since going live on January 1, 2025.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jun 28

"I negotiated a severance package. Six weeks. The weeks are ending. The holidays are coming." "Floaters" by Jeremy T. Wilson. This one resonated with us on so many levels. We can't wait to bring it to you on July 1st!

Image shows two Doric columns framing a quote from Jeremy T. Wilson's short story, "Floaters."

"I am a naked white man sprawled on his bathroom floor, and it’s as if time has stopped, and I am awash with a sense of shame, like I’ve been caught masturbating by a team of coworkers with robust social media followings. I scramble to grab the phone from the counter. The phone screen does not respond. I try to flush the toilet. The water does not swirl. I wonder if the time has arrived for an apocalypse, a cataclysmic event, like the poles have swapped and here I am suffering the end of the world."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jun 28

Coming June 30! The below isn’t a random sentence, specifically extracted to trick you into thinking this story will be about something it isn’t. “In the Pits,” by @lpandell.bsky.social, is entirely about armpit hair: shaving it . . . and NOT shaving it. You’re gonna love it.

Two Doric Columns frame a quote from the story "In the Pits" by Lexi Pandell.
"However we entered the world of hair removal, we perfected our techniques over time. We washed our flesh with soap, pressed pink foam into our palms, shaved our pits smooth, and then deodorized them until they smelled like dreams rather than body parts."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jun 18

And just like that . . . it’s awards season again! Who else has been thinking of Best of the Net? (Nominations open July 1)

The text of the Sundress Publications website page for Best of the Net nominations appears on a bright red background.
For more details: https://bestofthenetanthology.com/submissions/

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jun 16

Submissions are open (fiction 1000-8000 words) & we've added a list of likes & dislikes to our guidelines. 👀 Paying market. We nominate for major awards. Link is in our profile.

A screenshot of the Doric Literary website showing a Doric temple lit up at night and a list of likes and dislikes:

Likes:

Compelling openings.
Tension, especially tension that is introduced very early in the story.
Stories with depth, layers of meaning, and symbolism.
Realism, effective details, and visual writing.
Satisfying conclusions.
Fiction that feels like it was inspired by any of the classic short story writers.

Dislikes:

AI generated or AI assisted work.
Experimental stories.
Genre fiction: science fiction, vampires, mysteries, police/detective, or romance.
Gun violence.
Excessive drug use.
Post-apocalyptic settings.
Re-imagined fairy tales.
Punch line endings.
References to American Presidents.
COVID stories.
Office stories.
Meandering plotlines.
Directly quoting song lyrics. (Music industry lawyers are fierce and effective. Titles are safe to use but anything else might lead to a lawsuit. For example: You can say “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” but you can’t say “It’s a gas, gas, gas.”)
Stories of the ancient world. (Note that we use the Doric temple as a metaphor for the classic short story form. We’re not looking for stories about Pericles, Aphrodite, Isis, or Neptune, but stories that feel like they were inspired by any of the classic short story writers.)

There is also a website address: doric-literary.com

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Jun 1

"Overdue," by Lucy Zhang @dango-ramen.bsky.social, won the Doyle Short Story Award from the Nassau Review but . . . it was never published. Tomorrow, Doric Literary will rectify that by bringing you this terrific story!

Two Doric columns frame a blue field, upon which the following is written in white text: Doric Literary. "And truth be told, I thought if breast cells had the potential to escalate to terminal illness, then I might as well let them do as they please—one less distraction for Kiran, one less destiny for me to overthink." Overdue by Lucy Zhang.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· May 20

Just look at this beautiful book & stellar line up!

Doric Literary@doricliterary· May 7

Have you ever read a great story by O'Connor, Carver, Baldwin, Chekhov, Malamud, or any classic short story writer, then been inspired to write your next story under their influence? That's what we want. Send us that!

A black and white image of a Doric column with the words “Doric Literary” on top. The image is headed by the words “Submissions Open” and there is a text box with the following fine print: Short stories 1000 to 8000 words. No submission fee. No cover letter required. We pay $15.00 USD / $20.00 CAD / £10.00 GBP for new work. Reprints (of work not currently available online) are also okay. Sim subs are okay. We nominate for major literary awards. Email one story at a time to: doric.literary@gmail.com We respond quickly. Please query if you do not get a response after two weeks. Visit: doric-literary.com for more details.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Apr 28

Coming May 1: The DEBUT fiction publication by Evelyn Cooper! In this story, an abused woman makes an escape. It is about helping, healing, and human connection. Find your comfort zone at Doric Literary.

Image shows two Doric columns on a blue background with the following text in white:
"When you’re absolutely convinced you’ve gone too far and you’re in the wrong place, and it looks like a bad neighborhood in Tijuana, don’t be afraid, you’re almost there."
"Comfort Zone" by Evelyn Cooper.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Apr 28

"Golden" coming May 1 to Doric Literary. This new story, by @annemarieneary.bsky.social, is about a woman, walking, alone, at night, in a strange place. It will leave you breathless!

Image shows two Doric columns on a blue background with the following text in white:
"Twenty-seven was the age for an iconic death. Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain. Natalie had no wish to be iconic. All she could think about was reaching twenty-eight."
"Golden" by Annemarie Neary

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Apr 21

At Doric Literary, we've made a bit of money through an editing gig, on the side - so we've raised our payment rate! It is still a very meagre honorarium but we hope this is the start of a trend.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Apr 7

Insider tip: Statistically speaking, Doric Literary is due to send an acceptance any minute now. Our last acceptance went out on February 12, so we’ve exceeded our longest dry spell by 3 days.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Apr 5

Doric Literary has risen . . . . . . to number 2 on the @duotrope.com Fastest Fiction Response Times chart!

Image shows a screenshot of the Duotrope website's list of fiction journals with the fastest response times.
Doric Literary is highlighted in the number two position with an average response to time of 0.6 days.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Apr 2

Doric Literary Accountability Post: 1st quarter 2026. We have a 3% acceptance rate & 9 out of 10 submissions are responded to on the day they're sent. We publish fiction: 1000-8000 words. No fee to submit. We pay a tiny honorarium. See link in our profile for submission details.

Image shows an Excel spreadsheet entitled:
Doric Literary Submission Statistics: 2026 - First Quarter

Submissions: 232
Accepted: 7
Withdrawn: 0
Upper tier decline: 25
Standard decline: 190
Lowest tier decline (work contrary to guidelines): 10
Acceptance rate: 3.01%
Longest response time (in days) - acceptance: 2
Longest response time (in days) - decline: 2
Average response time (in days): 0.10

Current Submission tracker stats:
Chill Subs: 0% acceptance rate, average response time: 2 days (16 reports since January 1, 2025)
Duotrope: 4.13% acceptance rate, average response time: 0.7 days (121 reports in last 12 months)*
Submission Grinder: 0% acceptance rate, average response time: 0.55 days (60 reports in the last 12 months)
*Doric Literary's response time is the 3rd fastest in Duotrope's fiction database!
Note: Doric Literary has not accepted any solicited work since going live on January 1, 2025.

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 31

Tomorrow, Doric Literary will proudly present "The Bear Who Loved Me" by Tracie Adams. @tracieadams.bsky.social! It's the beautifully written story of a grieving widow whose husband, she believes, has taken the form of a bear. As winter draws near, she fears losing him yet again!

Doric Literary is written in white text on a blue background. Framed by Doric columns is a quote from, "The Bear Who Loved Me by Tracie Adams.
"It takes exactly nine minutes for his padded paws to lumber from the pines at the edge of our property to our bedroom window. He taps three times."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 31

On April 1, Doric Literary eagerly presents new fiction by Chloe N. Clark. @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social Fans of Chloe's work will happily find a tale of astronauts & a mission to Mars. Readers of Doric Literary will find a classic story of a grieving mother, searching for peace in a cold galaxy.

Doric Literary is written in white text on a deep blue background. Framed by twin Doric columns is a quote from the story, "Apogee," by Chloe N. Clark.
"Finally, another manned mission to Mars. How he'd glowed with excitement."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 31

Huge Congratulations to Doric Literary contributor, Exodus Oktavia Brownlow! @coocoo4afropuffs.bsky.social She is a 2026 Best of the Net Finalist with this creative nonfiction piece: craftliterary.com/2025/05/14/b... Read her Doric Literary short story here: doric-literary.com/2025/01/01/b...

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 30

We are absolutely not joking! On April 1, we'll publish two great new short stories, exploring grief and loss, as two very different women find their own ways of coping. @tracieadams.bsky.social @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social

Two separate blurbs in white text on a blue background, framed by Doric columns.

From: "The Bear Who Loved Me by Tracie Adams: "It takes exactly nine minutes for his padded paws to lumber from the pines at the edge of our property to our bedroom window. He taps three times."

From "Apogee" by Chloe N. Clark: "Finally, another manned mission to Mars. How he'd glowed with excitement."

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 24

The more submissions we read, the faster we get! Send your short story to Doric Literary today. You'll probably get a response before tomorrow. 1000-8000 words. No fee to submit. We pay a tiny honorarium & nominate for major lit awards! Our acceptance rate is 2.8%. See the link in our profile.

Black and white image of a spreadsheet showing the number of fiction submissions read at Doric Literary compared to our average response time.

For our first 1-200 submissions, it took 2.5 days to respond.
For the next 201-400 submissions, it took 2.6 days.
While for the next 401-600 submissions, the average response time fell to 1.9 days.
Then, for 601-800 submissions, the response time plummeted to only 1.3 days.
Then things got even faster. For submissions 801-1000, our response time shrank to 0.25 days.
For submissions 1001-1200, we averaged a response in only 0.115 days.
We have just surpassed 1400 submissions since founding the journal and we are now responding to the average submission in 0.11 days.
That means that out of roughly every ten submissions sent, nine are responded to on the same day!

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 15

While you're waiting for the Oscars, why not read some excellent short fiction? We've published many award-worthy stories. Just saying. doric-literary.com/nominations/

Screenshot of the Doric Literary website, Nominations page, showing a picture of a ruined Greek temple and including the following text:

Nominations

We publish great fiction and we promote our writers by nominating their work for major literary awards. Although every story we publish is award-worthy, rules and guidelines force us to limit our selections to just a few esteemed pieces. These are our choices so far:

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 5

We are not at #AWP this week. We are open for submissions & are offering the same fast response time as always. #AWP26

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Mar 1

It's a brand new month. Doric Literary is (always) open for submissions & we have brilliant new fiction! There's a new story by @danielmiller.bsky.social set in an adult video store that boasts the last active Glory Hole in the county & a reprint of a magical story by @mattjakubowski.bsky.social

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Feb 26

Coming March 1, 2026: "Basking in Glory" by Daniel Miller @danielmiller.bsky.social We are excited to present this dark yet hilarious story set in an adult video emporium which boosts the last active glory hole in Howard County! There's also some risky online gambling at Insect Sport World.

Two sunlit Doric columns frame a deep blue panel where the following words are written in white text:
Doric Literary
"At the booths, I’m unable to decide whether to enter II or III. I wonder if there is an expectation as to which side of a glory hole belongs to the giver and which to the receiver. I wonder if it was something like right and left-handedness."
Basking in Glory
Daniel Miller

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Feb 26

Coming March 1, 2026: "The Designer" by Matt Jakubowski. @mattjakubowski.bsky.social We are excited to present this magical & ethereal story of love & hope. It's about American expats at house parties in Berlin, classical music, mirrors, & an astonishing party trick that might control everything.

Two sunlit Doric columns frame a deep blue panel where the following words are written in white text:
Doric Literary
"I told him silently that the voice always comes back. It tells me I will keep losing, that love is a trick life plays before people disappear."
The Designer
Matthew Jakubowski

Doric Literary@doricliterary· Feb 1

New fiction now online at Doric Literary! 👀 Two short stories by David Waters & @bmerklee.bsky.social #Ukraine #UkraineRussiaWar #cardiologist #Vinnytsia #Vinnitsa #family #ClimateCrisis #CliFi #Vonnegut #WWII #BattleOfGuadalcanal #Soldiers #Sailors #USNavy Link in profile.