Leslie Pietrzyk
@lesliepwriter.bsky.social
Writer of novels & short stories: ADMIT THIS TO NO ONE (2021), SILVER GIRL (2018), THIS ANGEL ON MY CHEST (2015), etc. Fan of classic cocktails, Carolina BBQ & almost every pie. She/her
I have a mini-chapbook of flash fiction out in Sept, part of the (adorable!) INCH series @ @bullcitypress.com! YOU'RE A GIRL is abt <young women balanced on the precarious ledge where childhood edges into adulthood.> Preorder OR subscribe to the series (4x year). bullcitypress.com/product/your...
You’re a Girl by Leslie Pietrzyk (Inch #69)
by Leslie Pietrzyk Inch #69, Fall 2026 23 pages, saddle-stapled ISSN: 1932-6149 release date: September 30, 2026*
bullcitypress.com
My ancient literary life! Ambition & being oddly ballsy as a “girl.” Hitting the Big Time with an early publication in The Iowa Review. Does every writer have a single “core story” they tell over & over? open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
Excellent interview about the power of hybrid writing.
South 85 Journal@south85journal.bsky.social · last wk.Thanks to assistant poetry editor @rkalagayanpoet.bsky.social for this interview w/ hybrid writer Beth Gilstrap: <I could not fathom working on a long project. Or even a traditional short story. But I could get 500 words down most of the time & I kept going>. south85journal.com/2026/07/fiel...
New CEO at Submittable. I'm sure that only means good things for writers & lit journals! www.globenewswire.com/news-release...
Submittable Announces Ben Chodor as New CEO
Submittable, the leading giving and grants software, announced the appointment of Ben Chodor as Chief Executive Officer....
globenewswire.com
My ancient literary life…a story set in what for legal purposes is clearly NOT Bread Loaf, about POV, about grief, about writerly ambition, about pain, told in the form of a craft lecture. And here I am—with many to-this-day friends—back at Bread Loaf in 1996! open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
The Collagist/The Rupture
In which I write about writers behaving like writers at a famous writers’ conference
open.substack.com
We'd love to read your work! Everything we publish comes from the queue, and 1 published piece gets $100. A team of enthusiastic readers means your work is read by at least 2 people.
South 85 Journal@south85journal.bsky.social · 2w agoThe poetry queue is filling up fast...one week plus change to go! Send us your P/F/CNF/flash prose by 8/1. Theme: CITY | COUNTRY (open-ended) Details: south85journal.com/submissions/ Pics:
My ancient literary life...a thrill to publish this first time in @CincinnReview, and for it to be this piece, inspired by prompt writing & Willa Cather! (Also, now I want a salted nut roll and/or Thanksgiving stuffing.) ~free to read/subscribe open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
The Cincinnati Review
In which I take Willa Cather's approach to writing
open.substack.com
Whatcha writing? Can we read it? Subs open until 8/1 ~ open-ended theme of CITY | COUNTRY ~ $100 to 1 published piece ~ at least 2 readers will see your work Photo by our artist-in-residence, Maureen Langloss. www.south85journal.com
I'm the faculty editor of this lit journal, sponsored by the Converse low-res MFA program, and I promise that your work will be read with care by our enthusiastic team of readers.
South 85 Journal@south85journal.bsky.social · 3w ago19 days to get your work in (and today's already half-over 😬) We want your fiction/poetry/CNF/flash prose with a LOOSE (or firm) connection to our theme: CITY | COUNTRY We nominate for prizes, accept only from the queue, and give 1 piece $100. www.south85journal.com/submissions/
In honor of the MLB All-Star break...why it's hard to write about sports but why I try anyway. Also, order some of these Baltimore crabcakes since I can't. And baseball fans, check out my scorebook and please agree that my system's superior to my husband's! open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw....
Interview up w/ SC short story writer Kyler Campbell: <My goal was to show that the Lowcountry is way more than just Charleston. I wanted to go into the working, blue-collar Lowcountry.> www.south85journal.com/2026/07/the-...
My ancient literary life: Maybe I don’t remember writing this story, but I remember eating this hot and sour soup. An off-kilter POV helps sell my foray into magical realism! (free to read/subscribe) open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
Got a bunch of smart readers for this issue who are ENTHUSAISTIC!!
South 85 Journal@south85journal.bsky.social · last mo.Too hot to do anything except submit your work! We're reading poetry / fiction / flash prose / CNF through 8/1. Theme = CITY | COUNTRY We nominate, award $100 to 1 published piece, take only work from the queue. www.south85journal.com/submissions/ Photos by @maureenlangloss.bsky.social
Takes one glance at Submittable from the editorial side to realize the importance of a good title.
Kathy Fish@kathyfish.bsky.social · last mo.One thing I truly believe is that some brilliant stories don't get the recognition they deserve because they have a bad title.
We've got more fiction for ACCOMPLISHMENT SUNDAY 😁 Contributor @lesliepwriter.bsky.social story was published in Shenandoah 💕 Find it here and enjoy: buff.ly/ML7dFcd
My ancient literary life: I write about retirement as a twenty-something. It’s hard to live in Phoenix without knowing how to drive. And I love semi-colons as much as anyone, BUT DON’T PUT THEM IN YOUR DIALOGUE! (this stack is free to read/subscribe) open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
North Dakota Quarterly
In which I imagine back in 1989 the life I’m living now
open.substack.com
Happy to see @south85journal.bsky.social as Duotrope's listing of the day...and our reading team is happy to read your fiction/poetry/CNF/flash prose! Theme = CITY | COUNTRY. Surely you have thoughts on that topic??? www.south85journal.com/submissions/
Submissions | South 85 Journal
south85journal.com
Duotrope@duotrope.com · last mo.Today's listing of the day is: South 85 Journal (fee-based) #WritingCommunity
We'd love to see your poetry/flash prose of all types/fiction/CNF at @south85journal.bsky.social.
South 85 Journal@south85journal.bsky.social · last mo."What's the procedure!?!" ~ Not to worry, Michael...it's right here: south85journal.com/submissions/ And remain calm: We're open for your submissions through 8/1.
New interview by @rkalagayanpoet.bsky.social w/ poet Emma Galloway Stephens: <My habit is to write poems about subjects that trouble or puzzle me. In this way, writing feels a bit like praying. It’s an inherently spiritual process to me.> south85journal.com/2026/06/godh...
My ancient literary life: why is it so hard to write a happy story? Also, why do so many cicadas populate my writing? open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
Natural Bridge
In which I "write happy"
open.substack.com
Me! I'm the enthusiastic faculty editor! Please share your work with us.....
South 85 Journal@south85journal.bsky.social · 2mo agoSend us your work!!! We've got an enthusiastic faculty editor & reading team ~ all work comes from the queue ~ we nominate for prizes ~ $100 for 1 published piece Subs open through 8/1 south85journal.com
Name a TV show you're positive no one remembers but you.
3 in a lovely line of recent fiction pubs, this one in Shenandoah, about olden days in DC working for a political group & learning how the world "really" works. Also includes 80s Chinese zodiac placemats that I later learned are sold on eBay for $50--!! www.shenandoahliterary.org/volume-75-nu...
Enlightenment Will Come to All
She whispers slowly, “You’re not hearing me. It’s a difficult job, not because of typing. Because of who you’re typing for.”
shenandoahliterary.org
We'll be open for submissions on 6/18!!!! Guidelines are here (south85journal.com/submissions/) and our theme is city | country (meant to be open-ended). CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR WORK!
My ancient literary life: a hockey/relationship story, inspired by dreaming about Mark Messier after watching way, WAY too much hockey back in the 90s! Also, I learn that every writing problem has a solution, and that's a comfort. (free to read/subscribe) open.substack.com/pub/lesliepw...
New York Stories
In which I learn that every writing problem has a solution
open.substack.com
I've got a patch of publications going on...here's a new story set in Winston-Salem (please come move here, y'all!). Many thanks to @newohioreview.bsky.social for putting together such a great issue & for including my work! newohioreview.org/2026/05/06/l...
Love Locks
By Leslie Pietrzyk “It’s a red bird,” Cassie shouts, pointing at a bush ten feet ahead as the startled bird swoops to higher tree branches. Cassie’s constantly shouting or thrashing or bouncing aro…
newohioreview.org
