Guidelines 

1. Individuals submitting their work to Three Decker must live, work, or attend school in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
2. Only unpublished work will be accepted. Unpublished work refers to work that has never been placed in print, online, or performed. Work that has appeared online for any reason, including social media posts,  is considered previously published and should not be submitted. Work scheduled to appear in print or online publications or spaces should not be submitted to Three Decker.
3. Individuals agree to transfer all rights to Three Decker upon submission. All rights will revert to the author once the work is published by Three Decker.
4. Accepted work will appear in the print version and may appear on Three Decker’s website and in the online archives associated with the Worcester County Poetry Association.
5. Submissions must not include the author’s name; only the title of the work and the work itself should be included. The author’s name must be placed on the accompanying demographic form.
6. Individuals selected for publication will be sent a copy of Three Decker, which can be picked up or mailed.
7. Please send only one submission at a time per genre. We are eager to provide ample time and space for everyone’s voices to be considered, so additional submissions will be archived unread and will receive no response.
8. Please include a short biography with your submission.
9. Submissions close at midnight Eastern Time on the deadline date established by Three Decker for each submission window.
10. To ensure you receive our response, set your spam filter to allow emails from editors@threedecker.org. 
11. Three Decker is open to simultaneous submissions. However, let us know immediately if work is accepted elsewhere by updating your submission with an email to editors@threedecker.org stating that the work is no longer available.
12. We accept submissions via email at editors@threedecker.org and by postal mail. To send work via postal mail, please send your submission to Worcester County Poetry Association, PO Box 804, Worcester, MA 01613. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope, if possible.
13. We welcome poems in all languages. For poems not primarily in English, please include a translation of the non-English portion(s) of the poem. This is an accessibility consideration for our editorial staff, not an attempt to privilege the English language.
14. Because we strive to provide a careful review for every submission, our response time may take up to four weeks. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
15. It is our hope that all poets will be compensated for their published work; however, we are currently unable to do so.
16. Submissions do not attract a fee. However, donations towards the operations and publication of Three Decker are always welcome. Please contact editors@threedecker.org for more information. Make checks payable to Worcester County Poetry Association and send them to PO Box 804, Worcester, MA 01613.

Submission Categories

Poetry 

Three Decker welcomes personal poetry of any style and genre. We appreciate experimental forms, as well as playfulness and a sense of humor. These pieces should demonstrate poetry’s role in the broader culture and its manifestations in the writer’s lived experience.

Individuals can submit up to 3 poems (up to 4 pages total) for consideration. Please begin each poem on a new page. Please note that Three Decker also prints each publication, and some specialized formatting may not be compatible.

Microfiction

Short fiction up to 1,000 words. Literary, experimental, or magical realism fiction accepted. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, or romance are not accepted.  

How to Submit

Please submit up to three poems or two stories for consideration, following these guidelines:

1. Save your poems as a single document without your name or contact information.
2. Complete the submission form with your information and attach/upload your poems.
3. Please submit everything typed and in a consistent font.
4. Email to editors@threedecker.org or mail to Worcester County Poetry Association, PO Box 804, Worcester, MA 01613, and include a self-addressed return envelope.
5. You’ll receive an email confirming that we received your submission.