THE SMOKING POET publishes flash fiction; fiction; nonfiction; poetry; feature author with novel excerpt; feature poet; book and cigar reviews. We publish work that ignites our imagination, inflames our passion, leaves us with a smoky aftertaste. The Smoking Poet also shares an extensive list of links and resources for writers and the cigar aficionado.  

Submissions open year round. Send with category in subject line: poetry to Zinta Aistars; fiction/non-fiction to J. Conrad Guest. For book reviews, please query first.

For full submission guidelines and contact information, visit:
The Smoking Poet

Spring 2009 Issue Deadline: February 28, 2009

The Smoking Poet Second Annual Short Story Contest Deadline: May 31, 2009

An entry fee of $10 per submission is required, payment to be made through PayPal. Once you have sent in your submission and we determine it meets our contest guidelines, we will send you the PayPal link for payment with an invoice for your records.

Entries must be submitted as a Word doc file, one per e-mail, in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and double-spaced. The author's name, address, and telephone number must appear in the upper right hand corner. Word count must not exceed 5,000. Please include a short bio statement, not to exceed 100 words, in the body of your e-mail.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three stories: first prize, $200; second prize, $100; third prize, $50. All of the winners will be published in the summer issue of The Smoking Poet, online in mid June, 2009.

Submission deadline for the contest is May 31, 2009. Please send your submission with the subject line stating CONTEST/Last Name to thesmokingpoet@gmail.com If the subject line does not state CONTEST, then we will assume it is a submission for the ezine. 

We look forward to reading your best work!