Looking for the perfect way to celebrate the season of love? Micromance Magazine is the only online literary magazine devoted exclusively to sweet romance, heartfelt women’s fiction, and romantic poetry—and they’re open for submissions year-round! Founded by G. Lynn Brown, Micromance publishes six days a week via Substack, delivering stories and poems that brighten nearly 900 inboxes daily.

HOPKINSON: How/why was Micromance originally started?

BROWN: I always enjoyed writing both romance and flash fiction, but when it came to, what I call, Flash Romance, it was difficult to get it placed anywhere. Even in magazines that declared “all themes and genres allowed.” Thing is, most lit mags are just that – literary. And when it comes to genre magazines, there are a small handful that are love themed, but they are not romance themed. They accept stories on all kinds of love – familial, platonic, love of pets, and, yes, romance. But it was still difficult to have genre romance pieces accepted. It became frustrating. And I knew if I was having this issue, there had to be other Flash Romance writers suffering the same frustrations. Even flash fiction writers who happened to write a romance or love story might be having difficulties getting it placed. And to me, this just wasn’t acceptable. There are other genre magazines out there – sci-fi, horror, fantasy, etc. – but why no romance? After all, romance is the best selling book genre. There’s an entire industry built around it. Yet, it was clearly absent, dare I say snubbed, in the indie literary/writing community. So, in the spring of 2024, I made the decision to create an online platform to give voice to authors of romance, love stories, women’s fiction (with an emphasis on matters of the heart) and, of course, romantic poetry, also difficult to get placed in most poetry and literary journals. In June ‘24, the call for submissions went out, and I was so flooded with stories and poems that I had to move the first publication date up from early August to mid July. And it’s just kept growing ever since.

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?

BROWN: Honestly, anyone and everyone who enjoys reading pieces that move them – move them to smiles, to laughter, and, at times, to tears. I receive comments and emails all the time from readers telling me how much they look forward to starting their day with Micromance, that the stories and poems brighten their day, cheer them up if they’ve had a bad day, and even inspire them to write their own meet cute.

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for in submissions?

BROWN: Micromance has 4 categories – Sweet Nothings (100 word stories, Quickies (101-500 words), Short & Sweet (501-1,200 words), and Poetry. I am looking for sweet genre romance from all subgenres – meet cutes, sports, hometown heroes, second chance love, starting over, love later in life, etc., with happy endings; women’s fiction with emphasis on matters of the heart – not necessarily happily ever after, but definitely has to make the reader feel something; and romantic poetry – preferably upbeat and celebrating love. Literary love stories are okay, but again, they must follow the same rules as women’s fiction – love must be integral to the plot. I am not looking for stories about dying or death, or poems about death or heartbreak. And please, no erotica.

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in?

BROWN: Honestly, the writers who submit to Micromance are extremely talented and the work they contribute is fantastic. Just when I think I’ve read every possible meet cute or trope or predicament, here comes a submission that tells a completely new story or puts a delightful spin on an old plot. The writers who submit to and contribute to Micromance are by far the best of the best at what they do when it comes to both flash fiction and romance/love stories.

HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?

BROWN: Prosetrics Literary Magazine – they produce beautiful print magazines and feature incredible poets, writers and artists; Spillwords Press – they are huge champions of writers and poets of all backgrounds and experience levels; La Rotonde Review is a new but very all-inclusive poetry journal that, in just their first couple of weeks, has published some very impressive names; Bunker Squirrel Magazine is a fabulous platform for some quirky micro fiction; and, of course, I can’t leave out Paragraph Planet – stories in exactly 75 words. All the above have incredible editorial staffs and are extreme pleasures to work with.

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with the Micromance?

BROWN: There isn’t just one favorite part – I love it all. Getting to read all the fantastic submissions, meeting new people, building an incredible community of contributors and readers, being able to champion Flash Romance and its writers, and, best of all, giving writers their first publication credit, whether their first credit ever, or their first romance credit, or their first flash fiction or drabble, etc. As much as I love to write, I honestly enjoy being an editor and being on this side of the submit button so much more.

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions?

BROWN: micromancesubmissions@gmail.com

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?

BROWN: micromancemagazine@gmail.com

HOPKINSON: Is there anything exciting coming up you’d like to mention?

BROWN: Oh, boy, is there ever! Beginning February 20th, we start The Frantic Romantic Weekend Writing Challenge. If you subscribe to Micromance (always free), you’ll receive a newsletter on Friday the 20th with a prompt (or prompts) and a word limit (either 350 or 500) and you’ll have 48 hours to write a romance story, edit it, and submit it. A winner will be chosen and published in a newsletter in March. The challenge will take place every other month through November, with the winners of each challenge being put in a drawing for a special prize awarded in December. Micromance will also be publishing some anthologies (besides KissMet Quarterly), including Hometown Hearts (sweet romances set in small towns) and “Love At First Sight” – an anthology featuring and celebrating the writers who Micromance gave first publication credits to, among some others, so stay tuned for special submission calls. There are other exciting things planned as well, such as the 24-hour drabble drop for our second anniversary in June, so if you haven’t subscribed to our newsletter, please do – don’t miss out on any of our updates, sub calls, or any of our fantastic romantic content.

Click here to read submission guidelines.

• SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Open Year Round
  • Scheduling is 4 to 5 months out, so if you have any seasonal pieces keep that in mind – for instance, now is the time to send in a Fourth of July piece…Come July/August, the call will come out for holiday pieces… but if you don’t mind when your story or poem publishes, send them on in.
• THEME(S): Romance, Love Stories
• FORMAT: Online with some print anthologies
• SUBMISSION FEE: None
• PAYMENT: No Payment at this time
• ISSUE FREQUENCY: We publish a story or poem 6 days a week
• AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: I strive for 30 days or sooner, but at most 45 days
• SUBMISSION METHOD: Email
• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: NO
• FORMS: Flash Fiction, Drabble, Poetry
• LISTINGS: Chill Subs, Duotrope, CLMP
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter)

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