Important note added 4/23/22: We’re not reading and won’t be reading submissions right now. (And here’s why.)
The nitty gritty: Essays should be between 1000 and 4,000 words long and have a literary quality: engaging and smart without being academic or schmaltzy. Work hard on your endings—if you’ve built up some good momentum, ending it on the right note is sometimes the difference between a contender and an acceptance. We buy first rights for original work; we consider essays that have been published in a book but have not been published online or in a print publication. (If it’s online, it’s been published.)
We offer a $50 honorarium.
Take a look around the site to see the sort of work we’re looking for!
When you’re good and ready, click on the Submittable button below to get started.
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There are a few times I’ve run essays under a pen name, so I wouldn’t rule it out, but, honestly, the bar is higher for those essays.
Hi Jennifer,
How rigid is your word-count requirement? I’ve got several personal essays that are just under 500 words.
They’re probably not for FGP—I do love the shorter works at Brevity and River Teeth’s “Beautiful Things” series.
Hi Jennifer – I submitted mine early last month and it’s timely for any time in summer…just wondering the average response time? It probably will be relevant for a few more weeks but not in September.
Greetings, I’m just curious how long it takes for submissions to be reviewed?
Thanks very much and so enjoy the writing on Full Grown People.
Jennifer,
Are selected essays printed exactly as they are written? Or is there an editing process?
Deidra
I edit—it’s a collaborative process between the writer and me.
How can I find out if an essay I submitted will be published?
You’ll get a notification via Submittable.
I’m glad to see the return of FGP and the chance to read CNF stories that draw the reader into the lives of others.