New Lit on the Block :: The Washington Pastime

The Washington Pastime is an online journal edited by founder Paul Karaffa and Laura Bolt. Karaffa’s motivation for starting the journal was a 2010 study from Central Connecticut State University in which Washington DC Metropolitan area was found to be the most well read urban area in the United States. “But Washington, DC.” Karaffa writes, “did not have a professional literary magazine representing its stake in contemporary American literature. The Washington Pastime was founded as an electronic and print publication based in Washington, DC committed to publishing the best in literary and genre fiction.”

The first issue, available on The Washington Pastime website and also as a PDF download, includes literary fiction by Matthew Ward, science fiction by Michael Anthony, horror fiction by Matt Walker, crime/mystery fiction by Jeanette Samuels, and experimental fiction by Keith Laufenberg.

The Washington Pastime website also includes a section called “Author’s Resource,” offering a developing library of information on publishing, writing fiction, the future of publishing, and “words of caution” for writers entering publishing.

The Washington Pastime is open for submissions for its next issue. Writers may submit adventure, fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery, romance, thriller, western, and general literary fiction. Submissions for articles about the writing industry are also considered for the “Author’s Resource” page as well as topics of interest and controversy for an upcoming feature called “Expanding Scope.” The Washington Pastime offers a nominal payment for works published.

The Washington Pastime is also holding a contest for fiction and a Promising Young Author Prize for Fiction. See website for contest guidelines. The deadline for both contests is December 31.

Additionally, The Washington Pastime has an editor position open. If you are interested, see the “About” page on the site for more information.