If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

la luna. by of unreadwords [Free Verse]
one morning (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Come With Me to the Desert by of Foxglove & Flame [Literary Fiction]
“I’m not afraid to die,” he said. “Come with me.” (Any Line)

Mercy's Accomplice by of firesidewhispers [Thriller]
Following his tracks, she found Abel prancing and growling at a man half-buried. (Any Line)

A Lunch to Remember by of Exploring the Eyrie [Cozy]
You can’t have too much of a good thing… (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

Slug Spider Gecko Dog by of Foolish Words [Cozy]
If you had—which one—if you had one to pick, if you had to pick one, which one would you pick? (Any Line)

The Kind of Boy They Watch by of The Midnight Quill [Thriller]
My therapist, Dr Harper, asked whether I ever think about hurting people. (First Line)

Passport by of Anton Anderson [Speculative Fiction]
Two lines to the boarding gate moved slowly past me. (First Line)

Cutting Corners by of After Dusk [Horror]
The sky was orange. (First line)

SHORT SERIAL

The Red Line -- Part Three by of Forge City Noir [Thriller]
He could turn Doyle’s dirty money into the hope and healing that Forge so desperately needed, but it had come with entangling strings and secrets that needed keeping. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Diary of a Madman: Entries of Confusion (The Beginning) by of Ink & Shadows [Horror]
“Let the madness BEGIN!” (Any Line)

Hey ya’ll,

Quick Note: Starting now, TiF Around Town announcements of upcoming events and important date-specific information has now been moved to The TiF Library. This will leave the email open for briefer and shorter and more personal messages, like the one you are about to read as I share my personal thoughts on the latest Substack “update.” TiF Around Town can now be found on the Issues page in a drop-down as shown below:

The Heatwave event just past and you can read those amazing stories here. If you’re looking for other major events that are coming up, reminder to visit The TiF Library where TiF Around Town has moved.

Have you heard about TiF Originals? Top in Fiction is finally going to start paying writers for exclusive short-short stories and our patrons (aka paying subscribers) will get access to these stories early. After a period of 2 weeks the story will then be made available to everyone. It’s 100% because of the paid subscribers we have that we are able to do this. And if we get more paying subscribers we can offer exclusive fiction more often next year.

Quarterly Reviews are a hit and I’m so happy to be able to say that! The next issue will come in October. Till then, keep reading and liking and commenting on the great work that’s out there. If you’re a writer, keep writing. These many ways of highlighting and promoting fiction is only possible because of each and every one of you!

AN UPDATE ON TIF STUDIO…

Moving forward the updates about TiF Studio will be made here but only if I have a lot to share. If you want to learn more about the reason for TiF Studio’s existence and what exactly it’s meant to accomplish or maybe you want to help me do some alpha and beta testing of this new platform that I hope to have ready by 2027, I suggest joining our Discord Server as that is where I’m most likely to drop information and ask questions from potential users.

For now, the URL is up and in “Maintenance Mode” which means it’s just a placeholder page until I think it’s ready to open the doors for users.

Whether or not this becomes a collosal mistake or an absolute success story will be up to you. But if you’re not hanging out on Substack Notes, here are the screenshots I’ve shared there to give you just a taste of what TiF Studio is and hopes to be some day.

BE A PAID SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Paying for exclusive fiction short stories is coming. All made 100% possible by your continued support.

Upgrade to Paid

Paid Subscribers will get early access to TiF Short Stories, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

What Friends Are For by of The Faraday Room [Science Fiction]
”Oh my god, stop,” Alicia said. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

The Hide and Seek Champion of North America by of From the Files of Joe Cooper, P.I. [Mystery]
Just when I think, “Can this get any worse?” the truck I’m being hauled in stops, and a group of hands yanks me out of the bed like a bale of hay. (Any Line)

Familiar Boogeyman by of Love and Other Fictions [Literary Fiction]
It was always the second Friday when the boogeyman lurked. (Any Line)

Madge by of Ravings from the High Chaparral [Literary Fiction]
Some of the less generous people in town delight in saying that in her younger years she played goalie for the dart team. (Any Line)

Sorry, Princess by of Behind the Grin [Horror]
Pop I was right about what I told you about the thing that chased the cows, then us, then Jess. (Any Line)

The Mathematrix by of The Why & the Why Not [Horror]
“In two hours and fourteen minutes you will feel the urge to shit and the shit will weigh exactly two hundred and ten grams." (Any Line)

The Barn by of The Butchered Writers [Horror]
It was a muggy evening. (First Line)

Darryl the Magnificent by of SILVER CORD STORIES [Literary Fiction]
Vincent and Georgia Davis hated magic. (First line)

SERIAL

Those Who Knew Earth: Revolution, Part 1 by of Echoes of Earth [Science Fiction]
While the passengers of the first interplanetary ship slept, an AI copy of a young woman flitted about in their heads. (First Line)

Those Who Fight Monsters [Ch. 1] by of NN Reade [Speculative Fiction]
I cannot allow that… mistake, I suppose one could call it, to cast a dark cloud over the rest of my life. (Any Line)

Hey ya’ll,

Quick Note: Starting now, TiF Around Town announcements of upcoming events and important date-specific information has now been moved to The TiF Library. This will leave the email open for briefer and shorter and more personal messages, like the one you are about to read as I share my personal thoughts on the latest Substack “update.” TiF Around Town can now be found on the Issues page in a drop-down as shown below:

It’s been an interesting past week, to say the least. It all started when Substack decided to make an announcement about a partnership they are very excited about. If you’re unsure of what I’m talking about, you can read their announcement here:

The Substack Post

Against Claudefishing

It’s getting harder to tell what’s real on the internet…

Read more

15 days ago · 5430 likes · 1061 comments · Chris Best

Long story short, and a pile-up of other reasons, I’ve decided to move my personal newsletter, Ink After Dark, to another home. You can read my rather lengthy Substack Note here:

As I stated, Top in Fiction is currently staying where it is. There is a core community here that cannot be denied and I see no reason why that should change (for now).

But I want to make a few things clear because on the surface their announcement should’ve been a welcome thing for me. I’ve been complaining how difficult I find sharing these Weekly recommendation emails with everyone because it’s getting harder and harder to discern whether or not AI has been used to write the fiction I promote. And I’ve already seen countless Notes from people I don’t know who are complaining that this new “feature” is marking their human-written work as 100% AI. Now, I’m not here to debate the efficacy of this program. But I’m also NOT, I repeat, NOT going to use it to “confirm” if AI has been used when deciding what stories will be featured in Top in Fiction.

There is this little thing called the honor system that I’m choosing (however naively) to stand behind and hope that anyone who submits their fiction for consideration hasn’t used AI. I simply cannot let a soulless thing dictate or direct my choices.

Now, if through other means it is determined that AI was used, the usual policy will apply that it will be taken down.

I just want those of you out there to know that I guarantee I will never use whatever tool comes up or is offered to validate you are who you say you are or that you’ve written what you say you’ve written.

Any program that is wrong even 1% of the time, especially when it comes to AI, is not a program I’m willing to use. But when it seems to be wrong 50% or more times? I mean…what are we doing here?

These are my two cents on the subject and I hope I don’t have to take up anymore of your valuable time in the future making statements like this again.

EXCLUSIVE FICTION COMING TO TOP IN FICTION THIS FALL

I’m currently working on getting everything underway to finally bring short-short fiction to the subscribers of Top in Fiction. For the past 3 years we’ve a sort of catalog of fiction. We present current fiction from various categories and across different genres. But now I want to share a short-short story that you can only read here on Top in Fiction and pay the writer for their work!

The Open Call email will go out on August 1st, just 11 days away and will be open for just two weeks. Keep in mind the rules and guidelines before submitting a story. There are two main and most important ones: The story cannot be previously posted elsewhere. That includes your own Substack, blog, other publication, or printed material. And the word count cap is 1,500. I will be using Google Docs to check the word count. This title is never included in the word count.

Hopefully any questions you might have will be answered in the August 1st email. Just make sure you have the TiF Notifications Section turned on in order to receive this email.

Do you want to help me increase the number of fiction I can release exclusively on TiF from 4 a year to 6 a year? All we need is 3 more Yearly or 6 Monthly paid subscribers.

Upgrade to Paid

One more thing: The official name for this (cause everything needs a name in order to be real) will be announced on August 1st as well.

BE A PAID SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Paying for exclusive fiction short stories is coming. All made 100% possible by your continued support.

Upgrade to Paid

Paid Subscribers will get early access to TiF Short Stories, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

Car Communion by of The Writer’s Journey [Free Verse]
I didn’t know the divine (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Bugsplat by by of The Strangeness Kit [Speculative Fiction]
Freddie knew that Harriet wasn’t truly distracted by the bugsplat callouts. (Any Line)

The Ride by of LEAVES [Horror]
"You ever been on a motorcycle, Ma'am?" (Any Line)

Through the Fold of the Prophet by of Robert Garron’s Substack [Science Fiction]
The atmospheric content seemed promising, strikingly similar to the climate of Earth. But there was a difference. (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

Buick in the Driveway by of Jason Beech Messy Business [Thriller]
“If you want it, take it.” (First Line)

Diendra by of The Radical Individualist [Literary Fiction]
Her eyes shifted to the left, and there was Kevin, looking back at her with a knowing smile. (Any Line)

The Curious and Extraordinary Case of the Reclusive Clockmaker by of J.M. Gooding [Mystery]
There exists, among otherwise sensible people, a curious conviction that remarkable inventors ought to be immediately recognizable. (First Line)

The Darkness In The Doorway by of J.’s Substack [Horror]
The only sign was the damage to the chicken wire wall next to the hutch door, which seemed chewed out from the inside, leaving David almost as confused as he was worried. (Any Line)

Nutbush City Limits by of The Môrdreigiau Chronicles [Fantasy]
I must provide the draig môr with a satisfying plot. (Any Line)

SERIAL

A Crow's Nest (The Errant Apprentice Book 2, Chapter 15) by of Everywhen [Fantasy]
Terry turned his back on the horrible thing. (Any Line)

Hey ya’ll,

Some teeny-tiny tweaks have been done to the TiF Library. I love it because it creates this amazing trifecta that Top in Fiction has now morphed into and, for now, I think we’re good:

Top in Fiction is the main hub and where we celebrate fiction that is being written and shared on a regular basis. So regular, in fact, that we release Weekly Issues, Monthly Recaps, and newly added Quarterly Reviews.

TiF Press is an opportunity for those who are writing and sharing fiction regularly to take their passion one step further, into publication. The mission for TiF Press is to publish at least 2 anthologies per calendar year and feature as many new voices in the writing scene as possible.

The TiF Library is just an easily searchable archive of previously featured and promoted fiction work since the inception of Top in Fiction back in the Summer of 2024. Aside from being the place where you can finally easily search through every Weekly Issue and Monthly Recap, it now includes the newly added Quarterly Reviews and our Annual Recap as well. So, when I say there is something for every reader no matter what you’re looking for, I mean it. There are thousands to choose from. Oh, and it also conveniently is where recommendations and self-promoted submissions can be done every single weekend from Friday to Sunday.

EXCLUSIVE FICTION COMING TO TOP IN FICTION THIS FALL

I’m currently working on getting everything underway to finally bring short-short fiction to the subscribers of Top in Fiction. For the past 3 years we’ve a sort of catalog of fiction. We present current fiction from various categories and across different genres. But now I want to share a short-short story that you can only read here on Top in Fiction and pay the writer for their work!

The Open Call email will go out on August 1st, just 11 days away and will be open for just two weeks. Keep in mind the rules and guidelines before submitting a story. There are two main and most important ones: The story cannot be previously posted elsewhere. That includes your own Substack, blog, other publication, or printed material. And the word count cap is 1,500. I will be using Google Docs to check the word count. This title is never included in the word count.

Hopefully any questions you might have will be answered in the August 1st email. Just make sure you have the TiF Notifications Section turned on in order to receive this email.

Do you want to help me increase the number of fiction I can release exclusively on TiF from 4 a year to 6 a year? All we need is 3 more Yearly or 6 Monthly paid subscribers.

Upgrade to Paid

One more thing: The official name for this (cause everything needs a name in order to exist and be real) will be announced on August 1st as well.

JOIN THE HEATWAVE

We are just 5 days away from the submissions email going out. So, if you’re participating and NOT subscribed to Top in Fiction, get yourself subscribed ASAP! Just a reminder that while the submission form is open, you do still have time to fill it out and share your post URL. I will be collecting URLs until July 30th at 12pm EST. The reason I’m doing it this way is to give me enough time to include everyone in the email that will go out the following morning, July 31st at 10am EST. In order to in that email that will go to 2k+ on our email list, you MUST fill out the form. I won’t add someone to the post after it’s gone out. Click the image below to learn more!

BE A PAID SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Paying for exclusive fiction short stories is coming. All made 100% possible by your continued support.

Upgrade to Paid

Paid Subscribers will get early access to TiF Short Stories, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

Mounted by Johannah Simon of Velvet Grey [Free Verse]
made pretty by your attention (any line)

COMIC/CARTOON

Unreality by of Finding Dee Fish [Comedy]
Drawing a comic where you're the main character can be... really WEIRD sometimes. (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Dive Bar by of LEAVES [Literary Fiction]
"You remember what trouble is, don't you?" (Any Line)

On the Wrong Side of the Line by of Wild Verbs [Horror]
The sound rolled through her head, her brain worn smooth by the thousandth repetition of it, smooth like a river rock tossed in an unrelenting current. (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

The Life and Mostly Death of Sandy Jacobs by of The Jokes on You [Comedy]
The crossover from earthly mortal to a heavenly soul wasn’t hard for Sandy Jacobs. (First Line)

The First Law of Mars by of Snark Floats [Science Fiction]
When we heard the nations of Earth had lost the plot and resorted to nukes, none of us believed it. (First Line)

Desert Rats by of Autumn Lives Here [Horror]
"Are they chasing you?" the white-haired old woman angrily demanded. (Any Line)

Gálvez’s Mermaids by of Copper Frog Press [Fantasy]
The empires send their ships, but the sea washes the old world away. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Shackled Destiny [The Forest of Illusion, Chapter 25] by of Shackled Destiny [Fantasy]
Ancient oaks stood guard at its edge, their gnarled branches grasping skyward. (First Line)

Hey ya’ll,

A few updates to The TiF Library have happened this week. Some long overdue things, a few tiny tweaks, and then a major addition. Let’s get into it:

• Dark Mode has finally come to the library! And because there is now Dark Mode it has forced me to change a few tiny things about the color choices so that they didn’t get lost when switching. The Default view when you first visit the site will be whatever your system setting is at the time but you can click it on and off as you wish.

• I removed “The TiF Library” from the Submit a Story page as it seemed redundant and now just says Submission Form.

• I added TWO new social media icons at the bottom of the pages: Reddit & Patreon (Yes, we now have both of those. No, I haven’t actually added any content or done anything with them, but that will be coming soon.)

• Buy Me a Coffee is there now as well. I think I’m going to create a Top in Fiction account so one-time donations point there instead of going to my personal page.

The last update is the addition of The TiF Quarterly Review! Like most things, it has been a long time coming but I wanted to roll it out rather than wait “for the right time” since it seems the right time was always yesterday! Okay, so the Quarterly Review will be comprised of 5 stories that will be accompanied by a short 2 - 3 sentence review by the Guest Curator. The selection process will come exclusively from stories that have been Featured in either a Weekly or Monthly issue. That involves going through at least 100 stories and selected 1 each from the Poetry, Micro/Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Serial categories.

As it’s a Quarterly Review that means, you guessed it, there will only be 4 per year. This coming Wednesday, July 15th I’m releasing the Q1 selections in an official email but you can go look at the page right now, read the stories (if you haven’t already), subscribe to the writers, and most importantly, spread the word to your fellow readers and writers of fiction.

Quarterly Review

The only way any of this works (Top in Fiction, TiF Press, The TiF Library) is by everyone sharing the stories they written/read and sharing that this place exists. It’s difficult to keep up with the number of new people who show up to Substack looking for stories to read and places to share their work and then directing them to the play that is designed to solve their problems. But imagine if everyone of you reading this email right now were to take a 5 minutes out of your day to send out a post on Substack or include a small blurb about Top in Fiction in your newsletter, how many eyeballs we’d get just doing it one time. I’ll be we could reach tens of thousands.

That’s my pitch for this week in the middle of a damn hot Summer as I try to keep cool, sitting in the dark with my AC blasting. Share about the work happening here. Share it loud. Share it proud.

Oh, and if you wanna help me keep this going far beyond the walled gardens of Substack, shoot me a DM. Let’s chat. There’s so much that I know you can do, with your particular set of skills, to help.

EXCLUSIVE FICTION COMING TO TOP IN FICTION THIS FALL

One of my biggest goals for Top in Fiction has always been to pay writers for their fiction, and thanks to the incredible support of our current paid subscribers, we’re finally ready to take that first step. This Fall I’ll be sharing two separate posts:

• An official announcement explaining how the program works.

• Our first call for exclusive fiction submissions.

Until then, here’s a quick preview of what you can expect:

• 💰 Paid Fiction: Accepted stories will receive a cash payout (the exact amount will be confirmed in each call for submissions as it may change over time).

• ✍️ Short-Short Stories: We’re looking for original stories up to 1,500 words, making this an opportunity that’s accessible whether you’re an experienced writer or just getting started.

• 📖 Exclusive Publication: Stories must be unpublished and remain exclusive to Top in Fiction for a 3-month period before authors are free to publish them elsewhere.

• 📚Nearly Every Genre Welcome: Horror, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and more are all encouraged, provided the content is appropriate for a broad readership. If it requires a trigger warning it likely will not be accepted.

• 🚫Human-Created Fiction Only: Top in Fiction celebrates human creativity. AI-generated or AI-assisted submissions will not be accepted.

This is only a preview. The official announcement and submissions post will include a complete breakdown of payment, publication schedule, rights, content guidelines, submission requirements, timelines, and everything else you’ll need to know before submitting.

I’m incredibly excited to finally reach this milestone, and I can’t wait to start paying members of our community for their fiction.

Do you want to help me increase the number of fiction I can release exclusively on TiF from 4 a year to 6 a year? All we need is 3 more Yearly or 6 Monthly paid subscribers. Scroll down to upgrade your subscription today.

JOIN THE HEATWAVE

Are you beating the heat? Staying cool? It’s been a cool 90+ degrees where I am. It’s just not safe to be outside for more than a few minutes at a time. Fry your brains and pretty soon insanity sets right in… What’s your heatwave story? The official collection of the important information will open up on July 25th. You don’t have to have your story ready at that time but if you’ve got it scheduled then let me know. I’m going to stop collecting links on July 30th at 9pm EST cause I gotta sleep and I wanna make sure the email goes out to everyone the next morning! Click the image below to learn more!

BE A PAID SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Paying for exclusive fiction short stories is coming. All made 100% possible by your continued support.

Upgrade to Paid

Paid Subscribers will get early access to TiF Short Stories, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

Our Final Pilgrimage by of The Threshold [Free Verse]
We make our final pilgrimage in a time of storms and churning sea, of weeping rock, of drowning rains, of lupine winds and hidden things. (First Line)

COMIC/CARTOON

Holiday with friends by of Margreet’s Comics [Comedy]
"Lets keep a bit of a low profile on our er, identities..." (First Line)

SHORT STORY

Version History by of Null Point [Literary Fiction]
I slipped the tablets into my satchel beside the notebook and walked home through the rain. (Any Line)

Back From The Brink by of Gravity of Darkness, and other writings [Climate Fiction]
Why is it that when you think you’ve finally got it made, the Great Spirit or whatever goes and throws a polar bear at you? (First Line)

I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor… by of Phillip’s Substack [Literary Fiction]
In the end the baby just didn't fancy being born in a hospital. (Any Line)

A Dream of Dragon Fire by of Hawk & Heron [Speculative Fiction]
At eight-stories up he straddled the edge of the map, balanced along the edge of the known world to peer at an overlay of fantasy and reality. (Any Line)

Breaking Free by of LBaal [Horror]
God never gave his opinion to the Vid-Priests. (First Line)

Wasted Time by of Spill Your Dreams [Speculative Fiction]
“I wish… I wish I could pause time.” (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Story #629: the Have-Nauts [Pt. 1] by of The FRICTION SECTION: microFRICTION (free) and macroFRICTION [Science Fiction]
The International Space Station now sported elbows and wings and warts of nearly twenty nations, afloat a gravity wave that kept it falling forward on that thin line between smashing into or forever escaping its planet. (First Line)

SERIAL

The Celebration [Chapter 1] by of Chapter One Again [Speculative Fiction]
Mary’s expression softened, like she was about to tell a child their parents had died. (Any Line)

Hey ya’ll,

I’m looking upon this issue fondly as it’s the 2nd half of the year and right around the time when I set out to create Top in Fiction 3 years ago. It’s not been an easy road and so for this issue I’m going to do something I don’t normally do; ask for your financial support. How does your monthly contribution help Top in Fiction?

• Overhead costs such as hosting, keeping our URL, etc.

• We’d love to be able to pay for exclusive stories outright and a large portion of your support would go towards paying writers.

• Hiring digital artists to help us with our covers for anthologies, promotion of our events, and more!

As I said, asking you to upgrade from being a free subscriber other a monthly paid one isn’t something I ever thought I would do, so much like a pledge drive on PBS or your local radio station, I’m going to spend the next 4 weeks of July making an impassioned plea for your financial support.

In the meantime and as always, everything we do here on Top in Fiction is free to read. We do not put our weekly issues or monthly recaps behind a paywall nor do we ever intend to. And should we ever get enough paid subscribers to move forward with paying for exclusive fiction content, it would be put behind a paywall for paid subscribers first but then revert to being for everyone after a short period.

Upgrade to Paid

JOIN THE HEATWAVE

No matter where you are in the world, there’s a heatwave approaching. It’s reaching 100+ degrees and the time is now for letting your delirious mind guide you towards your best work. July 31st is the deadline that you don’t want to miss!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th to August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The link to express interest and gain access to The (new and improved) Scheduler can be found here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

Cottonwood by of Of Potatoes and Poets [Literary Fiction]
When the moon beams high (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

The Happy News by of LEAVES [Literary Fiction]
"To hell with him, she thinks … who needs him anyway?" (Any Line)

Mobius Me by of Gregory Blair - Scribbling Entertainment [Horror]
I slipped in the mushy, muddy muck of the forest floor and scrambled to keep myself upright and moving forward. (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

Slipping by of Snark Floats [Speculative Fiction]
The stranger sitting at Rosie’s counter looked like he’d wandered in from the wrong century. (First Line)

Only Death by of The Sudden Walk [Speculative Fiction]
Many men go down to the cross roads, none leave with what they wanted. (Any Line)

The Crypts of Lieberkühn by of The Vermilion Border [Speculative Fiction]
"When you turn on the Nature channel and see a lion eat a gazelle, you don’t call it a psychopath, do you?" (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

The Ashnavian Recipes of War [Part 3 Enemy Cloaked] by and of The Ashnavian Recipes of War [Science Fiction]
The King had pressed his hand to her cheek and told her that her gift was a powerful and untapped resource. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Off to College [Daedalia, Ch. 25] by of Catch & Release [Literary Fiction]
I ate lunch on the campus of the University of Virginia today. (Any Line)

Eisenmauer [Ashes of an Empire, Ch. 2] by of Ashes of an Empire Official [Fantasy]
“Now,” he drew his dagger. (Any Line)

Ink [Ch. 1] by of In Between the Lines [Speculative Fiction]
Los Angeles. (First Line)

Hey ya’ll,

There has been a lot going on just in the past week. In many ways I feel like Substack with all my updates/features I’ve just been pushing out! If you haven’t checked it out yet, The TiF Library now has its own dedicated website. It’s been a long time coming. I strongly felt that using Google Forms and Notion was simply not viable or clean and what was needed to make the whole process simple and clean and professional for the future was a centralized location.

But before you head on over to our new site (and share it with your own subscriber list in your next newsletter) I want to tell you what’s new and improved as of today:

• ISSUES Page - I’m Beta Testing a “Like” feature exclusive to this page. What this will be is an opportunity for readers who have come to use and rely on Top in Fiction to let me know how I’m doing with the selections being made every week by clicking the Heart Icon whenever you read a story that you like. I realize this might be counter-productive as the writers of the stories you like would also appreciate receiving a Like on their own story on their page. Hence why it’s very much in Beta and might go away if my idea doesn’t pan out. What will happen over time is that the default view for visitors will be the stories with the most “Likes” at the top but also any visitor can choose their own “Sort” view that has been added. So, visitors can just see Featured Stories or Most Liked. I would love to be able to pull in the Likes that a story already receives from their own story on their own Substack, but in order to build and sustain something like that I would need a few permissions, not to mention money.

• NEW Annual Recap Page - This is totally brand new to the site! It is a listing of what Featured writers from 2024 and 2025 felt were the best of the best of their work that they’ve written during those respective years! These should require very little to get you to read their story, beside searching for Category (Short Story, Serial, Poetry, etc.) or Genre (Mystery, Comedy, Speculative Fiction, etc.). Whatever you choose should not be behind any paywall nor should the link be broken. Should you come across an issue, please let me know ASAP so I can try to fix it or remove the story. In the interest of fairness and providing smooth reading I strive not to include anything behind a paywall. And for any writers who are listed here, please do check your name as it is the one and only place where clicking it will take you to your Substack Profile. If it’s not right, let me know ASAP and I’ll fix it.

• Submissions Page - Only one fix was made here to make sure the Week dropdown adhered to our wonky demands of Saturday to Friday dates. And for those wondering why this page doesn’t include stories that were submitted in 2024 and the first 2 months of 2025, that’s because submissions were done via the Comments section of the posts calling for submissions using a Template. If you were around during the early days you’ll remember that process. And I think it was who suggested we even use a Template which was a game changer! It meant that I could pull the information into a spreadsheet, which I did. But there were a lot of inconsistencies and link issues and believe me when I say, before I feel comfortable pulling in anything I still need to go over it all with a fine-toothed comb. I do hope to do so soon.

• Submit a Story Page - This is a FUTURE update (meaning it’s coming NEXT weekend when the form opens again on Friday, July 3rd). I’m really excited to announce that we are adding TWO NEW GENRE’S: Thriller and Cozy! I know, they could not be more different from each other but I feel they are strong contenders to be added. With Thriller I hope it will give the writers of Mystery and Horror a new home who have been forced into one or the other. And Cozy is not being pinned down to any specific genre but being separated out for one simple rule that any “cozy” read follows: It doesn’t contain any extremes. What does that mean? Well, a Cozy Mystery can have a murder but the description won’t be graphic. A Cozy Romance can have love of any kind but won’t have any sex scenes, light kissing, think “Hallmark Movie” vibes. Or how about a Cozy Fantasy? It takes place in a fantastical place with swords and sorcery, but the reader can expect less blood and guts and violence. Doesn’t have to be exclusive to Young Adult either. I think you get the point? The one caveat with selecting Cozy is that the pressure is on you to let potential readers know which genre of Cozy your story is! One suggestion I have is to take better care to share your genre either in an intro at the beginning of your work or in the Sub-Title.

VISIT THE TIF LIBRARY NOW

As of June 23rd the Heatwave has officially started! I’m sure many of us are contending with the extremely high temperatures the best way we can. But now it’s time to put your storytelling skills to the test! Write your best heatwave story!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th to August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The link to express interest and gain access to The (new and improved) Scheduler can be found here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

Dinner Party by of In A Different Place [Free Verse]
We were drenched in the white wine and the lurch to the left (Any Line)

Digging by of The Threshold [Free Verse]
Below there is a head, and in that head a mind, and in that mind is contained all things that was and were and had once been. (Any Line)

Don't Be Me by of Pieces of Silence [Literary Fiction]
He didn’t say anything. (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Lucy's Regal Blue Dress by of West Virginia Fur and Root [Literary Fiction]
The gleaming dress would celebrate her betrothal or mark the end of a relationship stealing her youth. (Any Line)

Mile Marker Zero by of Son of Ugly [Mystery]
Jeff left South Beach just after morning rush. (First Line)

Leaves by of LEAVES [Literary Fiction]
"She can see the entire landscape of her troubled childhood." (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

The Mourning Thing by of E.B-Lacey | Australian Author [Horror]
"You know babe, contrary to popular belief, merely staring at a problem doesn’t solve it." (Any Line)

It Wouldn't Take Much by of From the Interstices [Literary Fiction]
The cockatoo does not survive this story. (First Line)

SERIAL

The Crick [Ripples in the Cove: A Judith Temple Mystery, Ep. I] by of Naptime Novelist [Mystery]
She couldn’t say that she minded watching Tim capably handle machinery while wearing a swimsuit, even if the view was obstructed by a life jacket. (Any Line)

Ascendancy, Book I by of Lesley Sue [Mystery]
You killed your father, you killed him and you know why. (Any Line)

Hey ya’ll,

Summer is officially here and I don’t know about you but I’m feeling this urge to write something hot and sticky! Who’s with me?

I bring to you a very Summer-themed 🥁🥁🥁

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th to August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The link to express interest and gain access to The (new and improved) Scheduler can be found here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

When Will Cascadia Speak? by of Of Potatoes and Poets [Free Verse]
Consistently, over each year, after each small tremble, a single thought lines my fears: Is it finally happening? (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

HOMESTEAD by of Whitfield Fahrenheit [Speculative Fiction]
His calloused hands feel the texture of the soil through the spade’s wooden handle. (Any Line)

The Fox and the Spider by of Iridescent Ink [Fantasy]
The fox glanced back to make sure the strange spider-monstrosity was still following them. (Any Line)

Chance by of The Second Sentence [Historical Fiction]
We faced each other by the railroad tracks outside town, each with a knapsack on his shoulder and each as stubborn as the other. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

A Dove Looks for Food in the World We Left Behind by of J.’s Substack [Speculative Fiction]
Flying fast, and flying low, a dove dressed in her brilliant white would dive and flutter, eyes touching everything they could, for any food at all. (First Line)

The Confession by of They Don't All Have To Be Good [Horror]
Pain was always so important to understanding Beethoven. (Any Line)

Game Street by of Anastasiia Shafran Writing [Speculative Fiction]
“Two bandits and a priest walk into Game Street,” Ryot said as he pushed the metal door open and held it for his two associates. (First Line)

Curated Lives by of Rini Sinha [Literary Fiction]
Usually, memories of weekend chance meetings faded by Wednesday. (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Prologue [Ashes of an Empire, Prologue] by of Ashes of an Empire [Fantasy]
The kingdoms of old had fallen into silence, and from their ashes he could sow the seeds of empire anew. (Any Line)

Hey ya’ll,

Today is a VERY big day. HUGE! Top in Fiction has been going strong since 2024 with weekly issues and monthly recaps all along the way. One of the things I knew Top in Fiction needed was a system and a website that was much better than a Google Form and a Notion page. One that was automated, that you could search through, and would have Live updates of submitted fiction by up-and-coming writers. Well, the wait was long but the time is now!

Allow me to introduce The (BETA) TiF Library!

The site is very much still a work in progress, but I couldn’t wait to share it with you and I think it can hold up to what it’s meant to do. Here are just some of the benefits of having the library on its own site:

• All featured stories, going back to the beginning from 2024 to today are now finally searchable by Type, Genre, Year, and Issue #. Know a Substack writers name (or want to search your own name) to see if they’ve been featured? You can do that too!

• Now if you want to submit a story you won’t be directed to a Google Form. It asks the same questions and works exactly the same way as the Google Form did, just way better.

• The Submit a Story form will now automatically open for submissions and close every single weekend. Which means you no longer have to wait for me on those days I forget to unlock the Google Form. And a new “Eligible Story Dates” will also auto-update to the right dates without my having to do anything manually anymore!

• Updated Submissions view in real time! That means the moment you submit a story you should see it in the Submissions page.

• At the moment, only 2026 submissions are available to search and filter in the same way that the main Issues page can. I’m working on adding all of the submissions from 2024 and 2025.

What WON’T change is the Weekly and Monthly emails. In fact, I’m hoping that this new streamlined workflow will help me get things done faster. I understand the importance of receiving a ping that your story has been featured in a Top in Fiction Weekly Issue. And to all the readers who open the emails to easily find stories to read from the previous week. That kind of community wasn’t built overnight and the communication will never go away.

Think of The TiF Library as that fantasy place I (and perhaps you) have always dreamed of or expected and now it’s real!

But I’m just getting started. Here are just a few updated features I’m looking to add to improve The TiF Library experience:

• Clickable links for the Story Writer that points to their Substack Profile.

• Adding 2024 and 2025 Submissions.

If you have any concerns, comments, praise, or maybe even some feature ideas I may have missed. Please do leave them in the comments. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th to August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The link to express interest and gain access to The (new and improved) Scheduler can be found here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Love At First Cassette by of NICK AFTER NORMAL [Comedy]
There was no need for small talk. I opened, and she entered. (Any Line)

Untitled by Winona Morris of The Butchered Writers [Horror]
They weren’t wrong about the witching though, it was what she was there for. (Any Line)

The Saint by of A Fictionalized Account [Literary Fiction]
Legally, Jose couldn’t come within a hundred feet of the shore… (First Line)

The Gifted by of Tales of the Zeitgeist [Fantasy]
"We were somewhere off the coast of Cornwall, no more than an hour into our patrol, when it happened..." (First Line)

SHORT STORY

Mani by of betweenintentions [Literary Fiction]
In most Indian families, there is someone like Mani, on whom the rhythm of the home depends on…even before she’s had her first sip of tea. (Any Lines)

SHORT SERIAL

Millennium Falcon Business Class [Ch. 1] by of Majeris Reads & Writes [Literary Fiction]
Of all the hundreds of days available to it, the universe had the audacity to pick the worst one — my wedding day. (Any Line)

Fury on Keelan [Ch.1] by of Grim Acres [Science Fiction]
All the colours of the rainbow, here on Rainbow Ridge - and we were just waiting to add our own black flag to the mix. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Star House UK (Part One) [Keeping Up With The Joneses, Ep. 11] by of Amanda's Substack [Speculative Fiction]
"Welcome, to the latest series of Star House UK!" (First Line)

DIRECTORY OF SERIALS

Directory of Serials

Hey ya’ll,

Next week Monday, June 15th will be a day for TWO emails to be sent, that is, if you’re opted in to received our TiF Notifications emails as well. For those who are not in our Discord Server or did not participate in our TiF Summit 2026, this is your opportunity to get access to let me know you’re interest in joining our TiF Summit 2027! I’ll also share how many spots I have open as well. Filling out the form does not guarantee participation but it’s the only way to get access to the next steps. I am especially looking for people in other parts of the globe (Australia, Japan, UK, etc.) because I want to fill slots during my sleeping hours. Can we have storytelling happening 24 hours a day for 3 days straight? We can, but only with your help, your stories, and your time!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th to August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins next week but if you’d like to let me know now, join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

SHORT STORY

How Boys See Things by of The Radical Individualist [Literary Fiction]
I challenge anyone to remember any more than just small fractions of the life they’ve lived over the years. (Any Line)

Past Lives and Loaves by of Tea and Tales [Fantasy]
When vampires weren’t skulking, they were sweeping their cloaks. (Any Line)

Helen's World by of Wright Stories: Funny, Dark, Suspenseful Tales [Literary Fiction]
Helen’s world between home and the schoolhouse teemed with threats, strange men who might simply be going the same way as she, or they might be following her. (Any Line)

We are not friendly. by of The Ambassadors: Planet Earth [Speculative Fiction]
We believe in the power of weaponized bureaucratic incompetence. (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Ordinary night out in the city [The Romance Novel, Pt. 1] by of The Studio Rulam [Romance]
They found themselves on the dance floor, strangers just an hour ago but something little more now. (Any Line)

Rearview Horizon [Part 3] by of Space Between [Literary Fiction]
Regardless of where she was in the room, Will felt a spotlight on her, as though she was the star of his movie. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Bastion of Rome [Chapter XX] by of Tom Morrison [Fantasy]
The smell of today’s breakfast, horsemeat stewed with some type of roots and dumplings, mostly displaced the lingering stink of the last dozen or so large amphoras of pickled fish, which would be consumed for lunch. (Any Line)

DIRECTORY OF SERIALS

Directory of Serials

Hey ya’ll,

I have to admit, sending these “late” every week is beginning to bug me. So, I am making the difficult, yet very internal, decision to just screw it and release as I wish. Stop cowering in fear over AI which is, yesterday today and tomorrow, everywhere. I can only move forward with my plans and let whatever happens, happens. Take on those issues at those times.

With that said, I am continuing with my futile mission to incorporate social media and our Top in Fiction accounts more. At least from a Threads standpoint. I want to spend a couple weeks working on one before I incorporate another. In July I want to upgrade us to using Bluesky alongside Threads. But, until then, if you can follow the 4 accounts below and if you’re on Youtube as often as I am, make sure to Subscribe to our channel! Might there be more regular content coming there soon? A gurl can dream, can’t she!

And now… a bit of TiF Press news!

Work on our 2nd anthology is coming along fairly well! Inanimate Objects is on track for an October release. In time for our Halloween event! I’m deep into one of my favorite stages in this process; the formatting. I’m working on the epub file first this time and then I’ll get to work on the print files. I’m also working on getting the cover design finalized and showing the authors before I show it off to the world! All very exciting stuff!

BUT I have some other bit of news that I have been keeping under my hat but I can’t hold it back any longer. Wait, have I shared this already? I honestly can’t remember! lol Anyway, last year’s Secret Santa Plot Swap collection of 24 stories is going to be released this holiday season as an ebook only, directly on our TiF Press shop! If you have visited there at all in the last month or so you will have seen a placeholder there already! :hint hint:

I was asked by multiple people who participated last year why it wasn’t being published as a collection. I honestly didn’t have an answer and so…WHY THE HELL NOT?! I hope you will support our efforts and the writers who are featured in this collection. Volume 1 will release on the same day as this year’s SSPS (Secret Santa Plot Swap), December 22nd. Look for pre-orders to begin the first week of November, right before the sign-up begins for Volume 2. Yes, that means these SSPS will now be another opportunity to get your work published. For now, the theme of “what’s inside the box?” remains the same.

I’m excited to expand the plans of TiF Press to publish three books a year instead of what I thought would be just two! This expands the opportunities for so many authors to see their work out there and for you, dear reader, to show your support by buying their work.

All authors who are published in our anthologies receive royalty payments.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know now, join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

COMIC/CARTOON

Audrey Under the Tree [Audrey, The Unicorn Girl, Ch. 8] by of Hatching Stories [Literary Fiction]
"Can you believe some people actually find the oni cute?" (Any Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Wearing Your Heart On Your Back by of Writing From Weird [Horror]
Cathy wasn’t surprised that her brother Carl ignored her calls for weeks. (First Line)

Nashoba: A Native Version of the Tale of the Wolf & the Hare by of BoomerSpeak [Fantasy]
The rabbit thought for a moment, then said to the wolf, “Brother. If I loose you from the trap, you’ll only attack me, for the wolf and the rabbit are not friends.” (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

Where Are They? by of Saz’s Little Fictions [Horror]
He started noticing marks on some of them, silver scars that reflected in the moonlight. (Any Line)

Spectrophobia by of Cobwebs and Candles [Horror]
There were no mirrors in Ciarán Hyde’s house. (First Line)

The Mango trees call to him by of The Indian Story [Literary Fiction]
He didn’t exactly know what he was looking for, but it was not in the hundreds of places he had visited. (Any Line)

Tiny Furry Gods by of J.M. Gooding [Comedy]
The human shuffles into the hallway while I pace ahead of him like an executioner escorting a condemned man. (Any Line)

Perfectitude by of The Vermilion Border [Literary Fiction]
What Kimberly Anne Clay wanted more than anything, more than the promotion that she deserved or a man capable of monogamy or a bra that fit well, was to finally, for once in her life, just get everything done. (First Line)

May Day Mayday Mayhem by of Daily Delirium [Literary Fiction]
Squirming, the protester twisted his face upward, and Bemis could see bits of gravel stuck to his chin. (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

A Dialogue & A Solo [Substantive Change, Ch. 8] by of The Literary Ledger [Literary Fiction]
The sky was painted a deep violet and pink from the reflections of the sun, as if the day were refusing to die without a final, satisfying denouement. (Any Line)

DIRECTORY OF SERIALS

Directory of Serials

Hey ya’ll,

on Monday, June 1st, I’m giving everyone who is in the Top in Fiction Discord Server official early access to the TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up form. If you want just a hint on how important it will be to get that early access, all 50 who participated this past January were already invited and everyone said, YES! At the moment I’m hoping to add an additional 25 spots and start a waitlist after that in case anyone from the original 50 are unable to attend next year.

I anticipate those 25 spots will go quickly. Possibly even before the sign-up is shared to everyone on 6/15.

A NOTE TO THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN TIF SUMMIT 2026: You will still need to fill out the sign-up form for 2027. Look for my EMAIL for the sign-up. Unlike everyone else, you will get access to THE SCHEDULER on 6/15, but only as long as you sign up ASAP!

In OTHER news: I’ve renamed our Threads / Instagram / X accounts to Top in Fiction. Not only that but as of last week I started sharing links to the featured stories specifically on Threads which lends itself to creating a main Post with “threads” for each story. If you have any of the below accounts I recommend Following Top in Fiction. I will make sure to follow you back, and next time your story is featured I’ll try to remember to mention you in the post. Also, resharing our posts when you see them would be helpful as well. I’m dipping ONE toe back into social media, being very careful who I follow and checking settings to try and minimize how toxic we all know social media can be. Will this work to bring more eyes to the stories? Only one way to find out…

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know earlier (June 1st) join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

The Crown I See by of Hatching Stories [Free Verse]
The crown I see, (1st Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

The Devil is in the Detail by of Just Write, Right [Literary Fiction]
… slump into a whiskey-sodden, post-fornication coma and the awakening is ruder than the bedroom antics that preceded it. (Any Line)

Brock Sticks The Landing by of Aaron Martinez [Comedy]
Down the aisle, past the weed whackers and hedge trimmers and rototillers, idling in front of the lawn mowers, stands a gently swaying Brachiosaurus. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

Yudit by of Naptime Novelist [Historical Fiction]
The general might slaughter a widow, but he would never turn away a whore. (First Line)

Svanhvit by of Corey’s Story Stack [Fantasy]
But as fast as he was for his age, he was no match for the speed of a Valkyrie. (Any line)

Friday After Eleven by of All Day Long [Literary Fiction]
Her hair tickles my nose and she says fun, flirty things that I’ll never remember. (Any Line)

Beneath Ashen Skies by of Ink & Shadows [Horror]
One more set before the fire dies,
Beneath these ashen skies. (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Karma [State of Grace, chapter 10] by of CJ Palmisano's Roads Taken [Literary Fiction]
Right about the same time the principal handed Grace her diploma., Lorraine learned about her daughter’s graduation. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Beasts of the Bastille [Part 1] by of The Strangeness Kit and of Honeygloom [Historical Fiction]
When you were taken away from us, I lived a while alone with father but he wearied me with his eternal complaining by day and his unwanted attentions at night, and so I soon left that place never to return. (First Line)

DIRECTORY OF SERIALS

Directory of Serials

Hey ya’ll,

The Summer is almost upon us and I’m excited because it’s always the second half of the year that seems to fly by what with all the events happening at Top in Fiction. And this year we have 3 major ones that will all be published in 2027! Not to mention the 2nd TiF Press anthology coming this Fall!

In other news, I’ve been toiling away on a super secret project. I wish I could say more but until it’s in Beta and some select few people are testing it properly, I can’t even tell you the code name it’s going by! But if it all does according to plan, all will be revealed during the TiF Summit 2027! Till then…

I just want to remind everyone that in about 3 weeks the summit sign-up begins. And shortly after that the first of three writing events! “11” is all I’m willing to tell you about this next event but once all is revealed I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Especially, those who enjoy writing mystery or historical fiction.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know earlier (June 1st) join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Flesh Offered To Divine Fire by of Writing from Weird [Fantasy]
Caroline must’ve climbed this windy mountain path hundreds of times, and she swore each trip it got a little longer. (First Line)

She Said, He Said by of Son of Ugly [Mystery]
She read her note again, start to finish. (First Line)

Claudia at the Bookshop by of LEAVES [Science Fiction]
Martin is a smart man, funny … even a little handsome, in a way, but he is shy and can be a bit slow when it comes to women. (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

Untitled 5 by of Spill Your Dreams [Literary Fiction]
Duke Corbel was surprised to receive an invitation to the opening of a new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. (First Line)

Second Blood by of Anton Anderson [Horror]
After finally succeeding, I tie him down with a steel wire using the best shibari techniques and gag the man using a proper tool. (Any Line)

Skating Away by of The Jones Reader [Literary Fiction]
We didn’t call it ‘going postal’ until the 1990’s, and back in the seventies, there was no euphemistic slang for this kind of rage-borne spectacle. (Any Line)

Taxi by of The Radical Individualist [Literary Fiction]
I suppose if you look at just the facts, Sue wasn’t so different from many of us. (Any Line)

The Secret by of Tales at Twilight [Speculative Fiction]
Lucy felt it as soon as she entered the room: a strange familiarity, as if she’d been there before. (First Line)

Death Takes a Vacation by of Existential Dread and Other Hobbies [Speculative Fiction]
Death had not intended to take a vacation. (First Line)

SHORT SERIAL

The last circus and its dragon [Ch. 1] by of The Circus Dragon [Fantasy]
Our story begins in the heart of a circus, and for this, dear Reader of mine, you must know a little history. (First Line)

DIRECTORY OF SERIALS

Directory of Serials

Hey ya’ll,

In just four weeks from now the sign-up sheet will open for all those who want to be a part of our TiF Summit 2027 happening in January. Now, June might seem a bit early to get the ball rolling on this event but when you consider last year I didn’t start this early and had to wrangle organizing 50 people, trust me, I’m glad to be giving myself the extra time.

One of the things a few participants and viewers have asked me about, when it comes to the next TiF Summit is the question of panels and if we’ll be hosting any? My knee-jerk answer is, no. But I want to try and explain why for anyone who may not have heard my explanation I’ve given in the past:

While I appreciate what panels and workshops can offer to writers starting out I’m also well aware of the audience something like TiF Summit is trying to attract. It’s not like your typical writers convention. Yes, we require writers for it to be successful, but the summit is 100% for readers of fiction. And it’s because of this desire to attract readers that I’m not trying to offer something that most readers may not be as interested in.

Now, that’s not to say that writers aren’t readers (of course we are) or that readers don’t have an innermost desire to write their own fiction some day (of course they do). But I hope taking this firm stance on not including workshops and panels will be what makes this annual event unique and different and attractive to readers everywhere.

Also, a small point I’d like to make to the writers out there who have and will participate, in many ways this event is also for you. A chance for you to share your stories in a way that might inspire others. I’m truly not aware of any other event that is so dedicated and devoted to reading stories from all walks of life and genres on a global scale one after another. Whenever I think about it, I get even more excited at the possibilities.

So, while I champion those who have workshops and panels, attending or running their own, Top in Fiction is dedicated to lifting every voice through storytelling!

If you are a writer of fiction, here there and everywhere, then I hope you will consider signing up. And if you’re a reader of fiction, I hope you will take some time to show up for what will be at least 3-days of amazing fiction next January 2027.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? You can rewatch many of those Voices here. The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know earlier (June 1st) join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach our goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Laura by of The Radical Individualist [Science Fiction]
Laura brought the drink over to him, handed it to him and sat on the companion stuffed chair beside him. (Any Line)

A Great Performance by of In Search of Lost Time [Horror]
Many years ago, way before our falling out, my best friend faked his own death—just to spare me the work of having to kill his grandma. (First Line)

The Outhouse Agreement by Raven Tomes of The Butchered Writers [Horror]
They always think we’re stupid. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

It's Been Zero Days Since A Plane Crash by of Nick After Normal [Speculative Fiction]
The commercial jet whips and twists in the 90-mph wind like an abandoned hair weave discarded from a moving vehicle. (First Line)

THE GRAVEDIGGER'S WALTZ by of Whitfield Fahrenheit [Speculative Fiction]
Stab. Step. Pull. Lift. Toss. Breathe. (Any Line)

To Rise by of from our ashes [Science Fiction]
The blitz drone seemed to be staring at him from the shadows. (First Line)

Puzzled by of Just Write, Right [Literary Fiction]
The nervous chatter of fellow students did little to puncture the claustrophobic atmosphere of learnedness. (First Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Selene’s Vow [Ch. 2] by of The Môrdreigiau Chronicles [Romance]
“To the beautiful and kind Lady Selene, may we never find her chaperone.” (Any Line)

SERIAL

Neon Black: Dispatch #1 by of A Little Night Breeze [Speculative Fiction]
Let me show you this world in broad strokes first before we go into the meat. (Any Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:

Visit the Wall

Hey ya’ll,

As it’s Mother’s Day Weekend here in the states, I say Happy Mother’s Day to the moms, the caregivers, and all who take up the role.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

Rather than give you the long list of what’s coming in the second half of 2026, here is the most important one that you need to mark your calendars for, especially if you’d like to participate in any way.

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? This past January we had 50 different readers across a 3-day Voices event who took turns reading their work one after the other! You can rewatch many of those Voices here. And come January 2027 you could join us as we attempt to do it all over again, only this time bigger and better than ever! The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know earlier (June 1st) join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Our very first anthology featuring 18 writers is out but we’re not stopping there. We have one more anthology coming in 2026 and plenty more planned for the future! But we need your help and support to make it all happen and pay the writers what they deserve. Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach out goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

Silent Kiss of the Angel by of Oli Trollgora [Free Verse]
Finally, after hours (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

The Quay by of Anjay Dee [Literary Fiction]
He had left the event and began the walk home. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

Mermaid in the Bathtub by of Existential Dread and Other Hobbies [Speculative Fiction]
“Chad you motherfucker.” (First Line)

Nerissa by of Tales From a Wilted Rose [Fantasy]
The words struck Nerissa’s heart like a thunderous spell. (First Line)

The Talisman by of Poor Translations [Literary Fiction]
The talisman was, in a way, purchased to restore divine balance. (First Line)

The Vermilion Border by of The Vermilion Border [Horror]
Somewhere, a breach in the foundation of the house had allowed a thin stream of wildness to invade. (Any Line)

Dolokov, Dolokov by of Oscar Ruto [Literary Fiction]
Joseph was a teacher although he’d never plainly reveal this fact to anyone who’d ask. (First Line)

Mommy Blogger: Back-To-School Edition by of Machine Poet [Speculative Fiction]
Okay parents, real talk time. (First Line)

SERIAL

The Call [Where the Blood Calls, Ch. 1] by of Worlds of Kummer Wolfe [Historical Fiction]
I’ve heard it said a cry for help at sea is the loneliest sound in the world. (First Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:

Visit the Wall

Hey ya’ll,

Yesterday we celebrated the release of our first publication under TiF Press. For those who may not know, TiF Press was created out of necessity and a personal desire to help fellow fiction writers achieve what many of us feel is unattainable; having our work published! The mission statement of TiF Press is a simple one: Publish at least 2 Anthologies a year that feature dozens of up and coming fiction writers, making their dreams come true, while paying them for their work.

This is only the beginning…

Eye See You | A Horror Anthology is OUT NOW!
Tell your family, friends, and neighbors!

Click the book or the button below to pre-order the ebook for $4.99! And if you’re having any issues, please send a DM, leave a comment, or reply to this email.

PRE-ORDER EBOOK

Looking for the Print version? Well, you’re in luck because it is currently available for purchase on Amazon (US) and Barnes & Noble! It will be available in other retailers in other countries like UK, Australia, Canada, and the Middle East but it can take a while for that metadata to reach those sites. I’m checking and refreshing my pages throughout the day and soon we’ll have a UBL (universal book link) landing page where all the links around the world are listed!

AMAZON (US) PAPERBACK

AMAZON (UK) PAPERBACK

BARNES & NOBLE PAPERBACK

BOOKSHOP.ORG PAPERBACK

ADD ON GOODREADS

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

Rather than give you the long list of what’s coming in the second half of 2026, here is the most important one that you need to mark your calendars for, especially if you’d like to participate in any way.

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? This past January we had 50 different readers across a 3-day Voices event who took turns reading their work one after the other! You can rewatch many of those Voices here. And come January 2027 you could join us as we attempt to do it all over again, only this time bigger and better than ever! The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know earlier (June 1st) join our Discord here.

Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Our very first anthology featuring 18 writers is out but we’re not stopping there. We have one more anthology coming in 2026 and plenty more planned for the future! But we need your help and support to make it all happen and pay the writers what they deserve. Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach out goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

The Fool on the Heath by of The Strangeness Kit [Free Verse]
Don’t be unwrapping no word-present (Any Line)

heart-nose mother by of Bruce Dobbins [Free Verse]
Twist my intestines around the rail of a scenic point of view. (First line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Exchange by of Robert Garron's Substack [Science Fiction]
One of the merchants raised his hand and struck the newly purchased thrall, knocking him to the ground like dead weight. (Any Line)

Marina Grande by of Anjay Dee [Literary Fiction]
The storm had passed in the night. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

Pink Wafers by of The Midnight Quill [Fantasy]
Mr Townsend even joked he was watching his weight; no one needed to ask if that were true because his torso was mostly just ribcage at this point, but the observation felt light. (Any Line)

The Spirits' Gift by of Anton Anderson [Fantasy]
The nothingness has only you, the way you truly are, and this acceptance (or the lack of care) feels truly inviting, making me breathe deeply and easily. (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

La Bella Morte, Part One: Dr. Simmons by of Tales of Calamity and Triumph [Speculative Fiction]
My name is Thomas Edwards, and I remember the first time I met Dr. Victor Simmons. (First Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:

Visit the Wall

Hey ya’ll,

After sitting alone in a Zoom chat for 40min last week Monday, April 13th, I realize that perhaps Meet-ups may just be a thing of the past…and that’s okay. There may have been many factors as to why no one showed up. I set-up the Zoom incorrectly. I picked the worst time for anyone. Everyone was busy. And the one I know I’m most responsible for, I did a piss poor job of promoting and sharing that it was even happening!

In any event, perhaps I will try again in a few months. Till then, we do have some other rather important bit of news to share! 🥁 🥁 🥁

Eye See You | A Horror Anthology pre-orders are available!! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors!

This is the very first (of many) TiF Press anthologies that is finally happening this year. A few months late but well worth it! I will have a more proper celebration over the next 6 days leading up to the actual release date of 4/28!

Click the book or the button below to pre-order the ebook for $4.99! And if you’re having any issues, please send a DM, leave a comment, or reply to this email.

PRE-ORDER EBOOK

Looking for the Print version? Well, you’re in luck because it is currently available for purchase on Amazon (US) and Barnes & Noble! It will be available in other retailers in other countries like UK, Australia, Canada, and the Middle East but it can take a while for that metadata to reach those sites. I’m checking and refreshing my pages throughout the day and soon we’ll have a UBL (universal book link) landing page where all the links around the world are listed!

AMAZON (US) PAPERBACK

BARNES & NOBLE PAPERBACK

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

Don’t be overwhelmed by this long list I’m sharing. Turns out the latter half of the year is the busiest time for events! This is just to keep certain future dates in the forefront of your mind. As long as you stick right here and receive our emails you’ll never miss an important date or event.

TiF Summit 2027 Sign-Up (June 15th - August 15th) - Would you like to join us and read your fiction on a Substack Live? This past January we had 50 different readers across a 3-day Voices event who took turns reading their work one after the other! You can rewatch many of those Voices here. And come January 2027 you could join us as we attempt to do it all over again, only this time bigger and better than ever! The quick and easy sign-up to let me know you’re interested begins mid-June but if you’d like to let me know earlier (June 1st) join our Discord here. Right now I’m looking to fill 75 spots (a 50% increase). Don’t miss out!

“11” (September) - I wish I could share more about this special event but it’s much too soon. More information will be shared in August.

Pentober 2026 (October 1st - October 31st) - It’s that time of year again to grab your pens/pencils and paper and step away from technology to write a short story! The word prompts will be shared on September 1st.

A Deadly Game | A Horror Anthology (September 28th - October 28th) - The third anthology that will be published by TiF Press in 2027 and our second collaboration with who will be sponsoring this event. The winning story will receive a free entry in their 8th Season Prose category. More information to come this Summer.

A Secret Santa Plot-Swap Sign-Up (November) - This was a run-away hit from last year that I didn’t think would go off so well but we’re back! Are you up for the challenge? We might keep the same theme as it’s so versatile of “What’s inside the box?” I’ll make my final decision by October. But the rules remain the same: You’ll write a brief synopsis for a short story. I’ll take yours and, using a randomizer (ie a rather complicated formula I’ve devised just for this), will swap it with another. You’ll then have a little over one month to write a short story based on someone else’s synopsis! Last year we had 24 brave souls take up the challenge. Will you join us? More information to come in October.

TiF Summit 2027 (Thursday, January 14th - Monday, January 18th) - The dates are tentative at the moment. Day 1 will be the TiF Annual Recap where we look back at how we did in 2026. Days 2 through 4 will be the Voices event where we will be adding hours to accommodate participants and viewers in other parts of the world so everyone can read and listen to stories when it suits them best. Day 5, the final day, will be the TiF State of the Union where we look forward to the Top in Fiction and TiF Press plans for 2027.

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Our very first anthology featuring 18 writers is out but we’re not stopping there. We have one more anthology coming in 2026 and plenty more planned for the future! But we need your help and support to make it all happen and pay the writers what they deserve. Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach out goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Rubberneckers by of Son of Ugly [Mystery]
Tex and Jimbo had a foolproof heist. Candy from a baby. (First Line)

First Date by of LEAVES [Romance]
"If she wants to excite this young man, she only has to do one thing." (Any Line)

SHORT STORY

Lucy & the Cosmic Comet Ride by of Writing & Selling Stories [Science Fiction]
Sunday night, Bron and his followers were jumping on a comet to outer space. (Any Line)

Origin of the trouble by of The Strangeness Kit [Fantasy]
I trust not the wiles of scaly speechifiers, but I can see no way else, other than to crack this blatherer’s skull for impudent sassiness. (Any Line)

It's In The Kitchen by of Autumn Lives Here [Horror]
With watery eyes, Trudy looked at Zahra, who said, "Call that company and have them take it away. It's their demon." (Any Line)

Deterrence: Against Terence by of One More Draft [Comedy]
On my first day, a kid’s finger comes off on the raft slide. (Any Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Forsaken [Forsaken, Pt. 12] by of J.S. Ceballos [Science Fiction]
The squad remained huddled. (First Line)

The Sour Wines of Westmost [Ch. 1] by of Latter-Day Wood Pulps [Fantasy]

Anonymity (Attempt One) [Blood Soup and Other Love Languages, Ch. 1] by of E. Pearce [Fantasy]
‘So this is the part of the holiday,’ said a voice that was unmistakably, catastrophically his own, ‘where I realised my dads forgot I can’t eat squirrels.’ (Any Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:

Visit the Wall

Hey ya’ll,

After sitting alone in a Zoom chat for 40min this past Monday, April 13th, I realize that perhaps Meet-ups may just be a thing of the past…and that’s okay. There may have been many factors as to why no one showed up. I set-up the Zoom incorrectly. I picked the worst time for anyone. Everyone was busy. And the one I know I’m most responsible for, I did a piss poor job of promoting and sharing that it was even happening leading up to Monday!

In any event, perhaps I will try again in a few months. Till then, we do have some other rather important bit of news to share! 🥁 🥁 🥁

Eye See You | A Horror Anthology Ebook pre-orders are available over on the TiF Press website!! Tell your family, friends, and neighbors!

This is the very first (of many) TiF Press anthologies that is finally happening this year. A few months late but well worth it! I will have a more proper celebration over several days in the lead-up to the actual release date of 4/28!

And if you’re asking, where is the print version? Don’t worry, it’s coming! It’s working its way through IngramSpark so it can eventually end up on all major online retailers for purchase.

Click the book or the button below to pre-order the ebook for $4.99 starting today! And if you’re having any issues, please send a DM, leave a comment, or reply to this email.

PRE-ORDER EBOOK

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Our very first anthology featuring 18 writers is out but we’re not stopping there. We have one more anthology coming in 2026 and plenty more planned for the future! But we need your help and support to make it all happen and pay the writers what they deserve. Consider becoming a MONTHLY subscriber and you’ll help us reach out goal of paying for exclusive short stories right here on Top in Fiction that you can read early before it is made available to everyone else.

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

COMIC/CARTOON

Audrey, The Unicorn Girl [Audrey, The Unicorn Girl, Ch. 1] by of Hatching Stories [Literary Fiction]
Audrey, your ears are so cute! (Any Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Stigmata by of Mediterranean Gothic [Horror]
It started on a Tuesday. (First Line)

Invisible Fences by of Meadoe's Mythology Corner [Literary Fiction]
The squirrels are getting bold. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

Spark Broker by of Spill Your Dreams [Speculative Fiction]
It’s difficult to appear as a true artist when your inspiration comes in a little glass jar, with a cork and a price tag. (Any Line)

Scene Queen by of Tales from the Labyrinth [Horror]
I learned magic the way any teenage girl does. (Any Line)

I’ll Wait for You on the Roof by of Adrian Fares [Horror]
All the things that happen to people when they discover something they cannot believe they are discovering happened to him. (Any Line)

Low Tide by of Wright Stories: Funny, Dark, Suspenseful Tales [Literary Fiction]
When a man rode out of town in the trunk of a car, he wasn’t coming back. (First line)

SERIAL

The Quiet Places He Missed [The Age of the Plainborn, Ch. 4] by of Every Root, Every Thorn [Horror]
I learned a long time ago that men's brutality is always an opening. (Any Line)

The Prince [Destiny, as Told by An Apprentice, Ch. 5] by of Reflecting on Aspects of Writing [Fantasy]
To whatever gods that exist out there, please let this not be a momentary dream. (Any Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:

Visit the Wall

TiF Meet-Up Today! - 3pm EST / 12pm PST

Meeting Invite:

Topic: TiF Meet-Up: Substack Features for Fiction Writers
Time: Apr 13, 2026 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

MEETING HAS CONCLUDED

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Help us reach the goal of paying fiction writers for their work to appear exclusively on Top in Fiction by becoming a MONTHLY subscriber! Upgrade today!

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share

If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

POETRY

A Light Still Dreaming by of Beyond the Therapy Room [Free Verse]
Hope— (First Line)

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

Hunger by of Leaves [Horror]
"A woman’s got to eat, right?" (Any Line)

He Shows Up by of Notes from the Hill [Speculative Fiction]
When I started writing my book, really writing it and not just skirting around it, I realized something. (First Line)

SHORT STORY

The Cracker Hats by of The Maple Moon [Literary Fiction]
Mother clears the table; sweeping the crumbs of our year into her cupped palm. (Any Line)

Coverage by of The Faraday Room [Speculative Fiction]
The intake nurse had told him that ideation scores of six to seven played best, and he'd gone straight to a ten. (Any Line)

tonal contrast by of Oscar Ruto [Literary Fiction]
“…she was meant for this sorta place..." (First Line)

A City, a House, a Ship by of One More Draft [Speculative Fiction]
On the corner of your street stands a thin man in a tuxedo, leaning against the postbox, his dress shirt unbuttoned to his navel, wearing a top hat, turning a thin black cane by its silver gargoyle. (First Line)

Hook, Line, and Sinker by of After Dusk [Horror]
Fishing. (First Line)

SHORT SERIAL

The Fate of a Prince by of Lee’s Library [Fantasy]
Alongside his skill, he had something that no one else had—he had a way to finally kill Arzlag hidden safely away in the pouch on his hip. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Gangs of Vegas: The Butcher [Episode 1] by of The Notorious Narrator [Mystery]
"Never outshine your master." (Last Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

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The Ultimate Serialized Fiction Discussion!

The date and time is officially set! Mark your calendars for TODAY Monday, March 30th @ 3:30pm EST / 12:30am PST / 8:30pm GMT where I’ll be joined by none other than and ! Some of the leading leaders and voices when it comes to serialized fiction here on Substack.

A few weeks ago I reached out to the fiction community of serial fiction writers and asked them to answer 5 questions. Well, I’ve got the results and now the three of us will discuss them as well as other things all related to serialized fiction and hopefully help those who are in the weeds or on the fence to make the experience for readers even better!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Help us reach the goal of paying fiction writers for their work to appear exclusively on Top in Fiction by becoming a MONTHLY subscriber! Upgrade today!

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

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If you’re reading this on the Substack website or Substack App and you’re not yet subscribed, please consider doing so. It turns out that nearly 45% of our unique visitors aren’t subscribed! Crazy, right! That could be you! Don’t just be a unique visitor. Be a unique subscriber!

MICRO/FLASH FICTION

What Happened with the Firework Was a Total Accident (Closing Statements to the Jury) by of Hannah S. [Literary Fiction]
A gas-station regular started telling me about her latest kills, and at first I thought she was some sort of gamer, but no, she meant *literal* kills—stabbings, explosions, attacks by carnivorous animals. (Any Line)

Pups for Sale by of Along the Hudson [Literary Fiction]
I’d heard about the “Pups for Sale” in an ad in the paper and figured my life could use a bit of light. (Any Line.)

SHORT STORY

Sojourn by of Keep On Keeping On [Horror]
What think thee, Coyote, is thy thirst for coffee great? (Last Line)

Murder and Over Again by of Tony's Special Word Sauce [Mystery]
Trent looks up to the Punjabi man, softly bowed, twice removed from his native land by now, mustachioed with a smile bright enough for any of the famous ollywoods. (Any Line)

INDIA'S TOES by of DUSTSCEAWUNG [Literary Fiction]
You can feel how the restaurant under a sea is being shadow-grilled this morning with the 3D signpost maps of grey shallot blooms and the bad-word slurp of fauna cooks with goat hearts and sauna rash. (First Line)

Is That Checkmate? by of One More Draft [Speculative Fiction]
The first night, Juliet throws a whiskey tumbler, and Karl calls it their Kristallnacht. (First Line)

SHORT SERIAL

Two Feet Short of a Grave by of DeWitt's End [Literary Fiction]
I thought Momma and the mule were going to die before we made it to the Savannah River, but what do I know? I’m just the bastard child of a dead man. (Any Line)

SERIAL

Urd's Well [Ash & Oak, Ch.1] by of Notes from the Edge [Fantasy]
This is Urd’s Well, and it is where all mortal destinies are decided. (Any Line)

WALL OF SERIALS

Check out our Wall of Serials where we have a dedicated page showing you ACTIVE stories:

Visit the Wall

We are now officially at 2,000+ subscribers! YAY!

It was a long time coming but I knew we’d get here in time. I don’t like to set goals that I have no control over, so, while I want us to all take a moment to be proud of this accomplishment, I much rather look forward to things that Top in Fiction can control; such as promoting as much fiction as humanly possible!

So, please do make sure you’re letting Top in Fiction know about any great fiction you’re reading (or writing) week-over-week as we are constantly looking for new and fresh stories to share! Every Friday the form opens up for new work and closes Sunday evenings. Plenty of time to let me know! I’d love for us to get back to the early days when we received upwards of 60+ (sometimes 75+!!) submissions every week! Make my job of finding the best of the best that much harder!

The Ultimate Serialized Fiction Discussion!

The date and time is officially set! Mark your calendars for Monday, March 30th @ 2:30pm EST / 11:30am PST / 7:30pm GMT where I’ll be joined by none other than and ! Some of the leading leaders and voices when it comes to serialized fiction here on Substack.

A few weeks ago I reached out to the fiction community of serial fiction writers and asked them to answer 5 questions. Well, I’ve got the results and now the three of us will discuss them as well as other things all related to serialized fiction and hopefully help those who are in the weeds or on the fence to make the experience for readers even better!

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

Help us reach the goal of paying fiction writers for their work to appear exclusively on Top in Fiction by becoming a MONTHLY subscriber! Upgrade today!

Update to Paid

Paid Monthly Subscribers will get early access to the TiF Story Story of the Month, for a period of two weeks, after which time the story will then be made available to all subscribers. Writers will be paid from the monthly subscribers.

- , Editor-in-Chief 😈

If you enjoyed any of these stories, please consider sharing this post everywhere:

Share