Onyx Publications

a nano-publishing house based in Nashville, Tennessee, and created by two aspiring writers for the purpose of helping others gain experience in the business of publication through a collaborative and shared-learning approach.

Our assertion is that writing is a process. A process that requires continuous investment of time, effort, and experience.  We propose to share our experience, and invest some of our time, with you, in the hopes that both you and we, shall become better writers through this endeavor.

Etched Onyx Magazine & Story Discovery Podcast

We are taking submissions for our 2026 editions of Etched Onyx Magazine and the Story Discovery Podcast. Each edition will have a close date that's indicated on our Submissions page. If you miss the current deadline your work will automatically be considered for the next edition. 
Payment rates for works that are accepted for publication are as follows: 

  Stories/Poetry up to 2500 words - $25
  Stories up to 5000 words - $50

        
Details:   

  Submitted works must be previously unpublished fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, or poetry.
  We do not require that you put the story's life on hold while applying to us, therefore simultaneous submissions are fine, but please do let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
  If you are submitting poetry, please include at least three (3) and no more than five (5) poems per submission document. We do not publish single poems unless they are 1000 words or more.  
  No cover letter is necessary. If your submission gains consideration we will contact you for more information.
  We try to respond to all entries about two weeks out from the magazine publish date.
  We are open to all styles and types of writing as long as the work is engaging.  While we are not opposed to experimental or speculative types of fiction, it has to be interesting and understandable. 
  All works must be under 5,000 words.

Etched Onyx Mag & Story Discovery Podcast - Open Call - 2026

We are taking submissions for the 20th Edition (Spring/Summer) of Etched Onyx Magazine and the Story Discovery Podcast.  If you miss the current deadline please submit to our Open Call. Your work will automatically be considered for the next edition.
 
         Payment rates for works that are accepted for publication are as follows:
         Stories/Poetry up to 2500 words - $25
         Stories up to 5000 words - $50
 
         Details:
 

  Submitted works must be previously unpublished fiction, nonfiction, poetry or flash fiction. 
  Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please do let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere and at what publication.
  A cover letter is not required. If your submission gains consideration we will contact you for more information.
  We try to respond to all entries about two weeks out from the magazine publish date.
  We are open to all styles, genres, and types of writing as long as the story or poem is engaging.
  We require a minimum of three (3) poems but prefer five (5). Five (5) poems is the maximum you may submit in one document/submission.
  All works must be under 5,000 words.
  Previously published with us?  Please wait 12 months before submitting additional works for consideration. 
  A note about using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your creative process: We understand that some writers utilize AI to ideate, check grammar, and build upon the quality of their work. While we feel this is a reasonable and acceptable use of AI, we do not approve of any AI generated content. This is due to the myriad copyright infringement challenges as well as the overall concern with how AI has ‘learned’ to write. Our requirement is that any use of AI has been solely in support of your writing process, and that no portion of the total word count has been generated by AI.

20th Edition Spring/Summer 2026

Welcome to Onyx Publications Prose and Poetry Winter Contest Edition!

  The contest awards are:
$500 - First Place (1 award for Prose, 1 award for Poetry)
$100 - Second Place (1 award for Prose, 1 award for Poetry)
$50 - Third Place (1 award for Prose, 1 award for Poetry)
Details and judging information can be found on the Contest page of our website. Submitted works must be previously unpublished fiction, nonfiction, flash fiction, or poetry.
Due to the longer read time for our contest editions, we do not allow simultaneous submissions. Please consider this before entering the contest. We respectful request that once you have submitted to the contest that you wait to hear from us before submitting your work elsewhere.
If you are submitting poetry, please include at least three (3) and no more than five (5) poems per submission document.
Do not include a cover letter or any identifying information on your submission. This allows our judges to measure your work based on the quality of the piece alone.
We know waiting for responses can be a nail-biting experience (and may even include some cuticles) so we try to respond to all entries about two weeks out from the magazine publish date. For contest editions, we will try to let you know as soon as possible whether your work is advancing to the judges for review.
We are open to all styles, genres, and types of writing as long as the story is engaging.
All works must be under 5,000 words.

Etched Onyx Magazine & Story Discovery Podcast

Highlights

About

Featured Call

Contest Edition