We seek to showcase work that will invite the audience to a deeper understanding of our corner of the State of Virginia; whether it be fiction, nonfiction, poetry or artwork. We want to produce, and promote, redemptive literature with a Hampton Roads flavor. 

​Our definition of Redemptive: Serving to redeem or save. Stories that value a higher cause than ourselves or serve to point in that direction. Stories that do not glorify depravity. 

• What we want:
  Virginia is home to mountains, lakes, beaches, farmlands, cities, and much more. Here at the Penultimate Peanut, we're interested in stories from Virginians or stories about Virginia, specifically the Hampton Roads area. We hate to play favorites, but this is where we live and these are the stories we want to see. This doesn't mean we won't look at stories from or about other places, but any such stories will come second.

• What we don't want:
  We don't enjoy stories that glorify violence and evil. That doesn't mean your story can't have anything bad happen in it or that it must have a happy ending, but violence and evil have consequences and we don't want stories that make it seem like there are none. Also, please no stories with gratuitous swearing or sex. If it serves a purpose for the story, that's fine, but we don't want stories dominated by it.

• Things to consider:
  Are you a hundred-year-old ham? Do you have a story about one? There's some pretty cool history about this area. The Penultimate Peanut is happy to look over historical or creative non-fiction essays about this strange and interesting place we live in. Just remember to keep it redemptive (for more ideas about what we find redemptive, see our mission statement above.)

  We are a quarterly journal that accepts fiction/flash/poetry/ submissions on a rolling basis; meaning, we read for the month of August for the fall issue published in September, we read for the month of November for the winter issue published in December, and so on. Reading period dates are subject to change based on the amount of submissions we receive. 
  

  Art Submissions and Creative Non-fiction Essays about the Hampton Roads area: 

  these categories are open to submissions year-round. Send us what you got.

  Payment: 

  there is none. We work for peanuts, and we expect our writers to do the same. There may come a day when we are able to pay our writers, but until then, all you will receive is the glory of having your work published. 
  

  Reprints:

  we are not interested in reprints at this time. Perhaps this will change in the future, but as of right now, we want first publication rights. That means that we are not interested in any stories that have been published anywhere else, including your blog, word press, website, or print in any form. If your work is published with us, we receive the first publishing rights and also the right to archive your work on our website. Afterward, the rights revert to you, the writer, and you're free to publish your work somewhere else so long as we are acknowledged.

  Simultaneous submissions:

  we are perfectly fine with you submitting your work other places too. In fact, we encourage it. We only ask that you withdraw your submission through our Submittable site as soon as possible if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We will be happy to congratulate you.

  ​Multiple submissions:

  do not send us more than one story at a time. We do accept up to three poems in one attachment or five pieces of art in one attachment, but that's our limit. Feel free to submit something else during our next reading period. Also, do not send us work that we have previously turned down unless expressly told to by our editors.