Middle West Press LLC is a Johnston, Iowa-based editor and publisher of non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and journalism. We are a veteran-owned business. We publish from 1 to 4 titles annually. 

For more about our mission, submissions practices, and business model, click here.

Our projects are often inspired by the people, places, and history of the American Midwest. To view a round-up of our previously published books, click here.

We are also managers of The Aiming Circle, a Patreon-based community of military-writing practitioners. If you write on themes and topics related to military experiences, please check-in with us there!

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Submit to Anthology: Call for Poems & Micro-Prose about Technology and Humans

Middle West Press LLC, an independent micro-publisher of genre-bending literary projects, has issued a call for human-generated poems and 450-word micro-fictions engaging with “Giant Robot” technology themes. 

This is explicitly a "speculative poetry and prose" market. We welcome participation from all writers, including those both emerging and established in science-fiction, fantasy, horror, military SF, "veterans-lit," Fictional Intelligence/"FICINT," and other genres.

For examples of past Middle West Press anthologies, please check out these titles:

Reviews that also help capture our mission and vibe as a micro-press include:

WHAT IS A "GIANT ROBOT" THEME?

We are looking for works that explore themes of human-electro-mechanical-cyber interaction, connection, and competition. Think "how humans shape technology; how technology shapes humans."

Ideally, works submitted will engage questions such as:

  • How does technology potentially change human behavior / culture / society?
  • How does technology potentially change human behavior ethics / values?
  • How does technology potentially change the ways humans fight / love / think / feel?

Editors of the project write:

Our intent with this project is to have fun, but also to illuminate, interrogate, and challenge the ways people think about emerging and future technologies such as robots and drones, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybernetic enhancements, etc. We are looking for terrain-shifting, mind's-eye-bending, firmament-rending expressions of new and future realities. Be provocative. Be poignant. Be human.

NOTABLE UPGRADES FROM VOLUME 1

The working title of this second volume is Giant Robot Poems: Poetry & Micro-stories on Techno-Human Dynamics. The subtitle of Volume 1 was "On Mecha-Human Science, Culture & War." Despite the new subtitle, the editorial scope and intent remains unchanged.

We have added micro-flash stories to the editorial mix, calling for short, illuminating fictions of 450 words or fewer. We anticipate that the majority of this second volume will remain poetry.

Similar to other Middle West Press anthologies, we will be including with this volume a bonus section of "writing and discussion prompts" that will be based on poems and stories found in the book.

This is now a paid market. In consideration for publication, we are paying $10 U.S. (via PayPal) for each accepted item, plus a complimentary digital contributor's copy.

EXAMPLES & SOURCES OF "GIANT-ROBOT-NESS"

Many examples of "Giant Robot-ness" exist in today's news and culture. As a starting point or prompt, our editors offer a list of examples and inspirations. In creating and crafting their own, original concepts and works, poets might consider various modes of commenting, observing, or even inhabiting technologies, mythologies, or stories depicted in these and other venues ...

Giant Robots in Modern News & Modern War. Examples & inspirations include:

Giant Robots in Literature. Examples & inspirations include:

Giant Robots in TV, Toys, Movies & Animation. Examples & inspirations include:

Giant Robots in Comics. Examples & inspirations include:

Giant Robots in Video & War Games. Examples & inspirations include:

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

  • Deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2026. Notifications will be sent not later than Feb. 1, 2027. Target publication date for this project is July 2027.
  • Poetry: Submit from 1 to 3 poems in the same file (.DOC, .DOCX, .PDF). Please use PDF only if your work requires non-standard line-spaces, tabs, typography, etc.
  • Micro-stories: Submit 1 to 3 stories in the same file (.DOC or .DOCX).
  • Work generated using "generative AI" and other computer-assisted tools will NOT be accepted. Human-generated works only, please.
  • New and original work is preferred, but reprints are acceptable. Please note in cover letter whether specific works have previously been published elsewhere.
  • Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Submittable if one of more works becomes unavailable during the consideration period.
  • Publisher requests non-exclusive, worldwide, English-language print and e-book anthology rights.
  • Contributors will receive a flat-fee of $10 U.S. per accepted item, as well as one complimentary digital contributor's copy. 
Middle West Press