About Diagonals Literary Festival
Q: What is Diagonals Literary Festival?
A: Check out our About page.
Using the Website
Q: Is it free to read on the website?
A: Absolutely. Read as much as you want completely for free. No paywalls. No hidden fees. Find whatever you like and start reading it now.
Q: What’s the “Mature” label for?
A: Some stories depict violence, sex, strong language, drug use, etc. in more graphic ways. We let readers know in advance so that they can decide whether to read it.
Submitting
Q: What can I submit to Diagonals Literary Festival?
A: You can submit short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays and screenplays. See What We Publish.
Q: How can I submit?
A: You can submit here. Depending on the type of your work and its length, a different submission form applies. Please check our Submission Guides before you submit.
Q: How much does it cost to submit.
A: See our Submission Fees.
Q: What’s the fee for?
A: It’s a standard processing fee for your festival submission.
Q: When do you publish?
A: Diagonals Literary Festival is an all-year-round festival which means we can publish on any given date.
Q: I’ve just written my first story. Will you consider it for publication?
A: Absolutely. Diagonals Literary Festival is all about inclusivity and equality. Whether you are showing up with your first story or are a veteran writer, you get to have an equal chance of having your story on our festival.
After you submit
Q: What happens after I submit?
A: After you submit your work through one of our submission forms, it will arrive in our mailbox. After that we will notify you with an approximate amount of time we will need to process your work. Keep in mind we process works in the order they arrive in our mailbox. If there’s a large number before yours, we’ll let you know.
Q: How much time do I have to wait to get a response from you?
A: Reading takes time.
We have a strong no-skimming policy when it comes to reading our submissions.
We care about what you’ve written. We really do. That’s why we want to give it the attention and care it deserves.
To do this, we need time.
In order to be fair to everybody, we process each individual submission in the order in which it arrives in our mailbox. This means that we can’t predict how many submissions there are going to be at the time you make yours.
So, please give us at least 15 business days to process your submission. If we don’t make it until then, accept our greatest apologies for taking any additional time. We are working hard.
Rest assured, your submission has not been forgotten or sidelined and it will absolutely be processed with the care it deserves.
Q: You have published my work. Are you its owner now?
A: No. When we publish a work its original copyright owner does not change.
Q: I don’t want my work to appear on your festival anymore. Can you remove it?
A: Absolutely. You are always in charge of what happens to your work. You can simply contact us and we will remove your work completely for free.
Please note that if you want to have your work back on our festival, you will have to resubmit it.
Language, Style, Formatting and Editing
Q: In what language do you publish?
A: We publish writing only in the English language.
Q: Will you edit my writing?
A: No. We don’t provide editing services. What we publish is what we receive. We want your writing to be as you intend it to be. So, make sure it’s in its best shape before submitting.
Q: Can I edit the text of my work after it has been published on the festival?
A: Yes, but only if it’s for a minor change that doesn’t affect the overall integrity and purpose of your work (e.g., to change a few words or sentences). If it’s a bigger, more fundamental change, you will have to have the current version of your work removed and then resubmit the new version through the appropriate submission form.
Don’t rush to have your work published if you’re unsure whether you’ve reached its final form.
Q: Do I have to edit my style to match American English?
A: No. The style you use is your choice as an artist and we respect that. It can follow American, Canadian, British, Australian or whatever other English styles there are—or not. The choice is yours. The only requirement is that it’s still English.
Q: Does my work have to be edited or formatted in a specific way?
A: No. There are no specific editing or formatting requirements. The most important thing for us is that your work is as you want it to be.
Q: Can my work have pictures?
A: Yes. Though, only if it’s non-fiction.
After Publication
Q: What happens with my work after you publish it on your website?
A: After we publish your work it stays on our website indefinitely so readers from all over the world can read it anytime they like. It also qualifies for the annual Diagonals Awards.
Q: Is my work protected on your website?
A: We take intellectual property very seriously. As a result, we employ active measures to protect what is yours by ensuring that it is not possible to copy, save, download or share your work without your knowledge or consent.
Diagonals Store
Q: Why are prices shown in two currencies?
A: Prices are shown in EUR (€) and BGN (лв.) (Bulgarian Lev) because Bulgaria (member of the European Union and now the Eurozone) is where we are officially registered. Bulgaria adopted the single Euro currency on January 1, 2026. This is terrific, but… there are some government rules when it comes to price tags.
Our only currency is Euro and you are going to be charged in Euro for any payment you make, but we are required by the Bulgarian government to show every price in EUR and BGN.
Adding the equivalent in BGN acts as reference as to how much a given product would’ve cost before. It’s all made to avoid rapid price changes with the introduction of the Euro.
As ugly and off-putting as it may be, until August 8, 2026 we’re going to have to show dual pricing to everybody unless… we’d like to pay a humble sum of EUR XXX,XXX in fines. Just for the first time.
Please accept our greatest apologies if this causes you any confusion or inconvenience.
Q: I purchased two items. Why has only one arrived?
A: We use complex shipping logistics so that you can pay less for delivery and lower (or even no) import taxes. This often means that some products you order are going to be shipped separately (at no additional cost).
You’re welcome ;).
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Contact us. We’re always happy to help.