Love is a universal theme in music, literature, pop culture, philosophy, biology, politics, and government. Romantic love is but one tiny piece of that puzzle. A child's love for their stuffed animal, an immigrant's love for their new home, or the nostalgic love for a childhood best friend: each a form of love.

The ancient Greeks divided love into many types in order to better understand the concept. Ancient Greek philosophy focused on

  • Agape: charity or universal love
  • Eros: romantic, passionate love
  • Philia: affectionate regard or friendship
  • Philautia: compassionate self-love
  • Storge: instinctual familial love
  • Xenia: hospitality, "guest-friendship"

Love, in all its forms, can be both inclusive and divisive. It can build consensus or tear away the fabric of a community. Love conjures images of joy, happiness, and satiety… but also loss, despair, and indifference. Love can be freeing, constraining, or punishing. 

Whatever your experience of love, it is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Submit your short fiction, narrative nonfiction, and poetry exploring love as it resonates with you in any of its many forms.


Note: This anthology is intended for general readers. Erotica, rape scenes, or gratuitous violence are prohibited. Limited sex, violence, and profanity are permissible as long as it suits the story. It cannot feel gratuitous or be included for shock value. Submissions intended for children or middle grade readers will not be accepted.

Submission Guidelines

Blind Submissions: Because we judge all submissions blindly, submitted files MUST NOT contain any identifying information about the author. Including your name, address, email or any other personal information in the file will result in immediate disqualification.

Length: Short fiction and creative nonfiction/memoir submissions should be a maximum of 5000 words. Poetry submissions can be up to 3 poems contained in a single file with a maximum of 10 pages.

File Format: Submit all files as a Word .doc or .docx file. The file name should contain the title of the piece (or first poem) only. All pieces should be in Times New Roman, 12 point font. Contact the anthology coordinator at anthology@writingheights.com for exemptions. Poets may also submit, via email, a .pdf of their poems to indicate preferred formatting. Bear in mind that the final printed page in the book will not match an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.

Editing: While accepted pieces will undergo an editing process, all submissions should be edited and proofread prior to submission.

Multiple Submissions: Multiple submissions accepted, but only two submissions per writer.

Simultaneous Submissions: Please no simultaneous submissions.

Original Work: We are looking for original, unpublished work only. Previously published work will not be accepted.

Submission Fee: $15/entry

Payment: Accepted pieces will receive a $50 payment


Greek definitions taken generally from “Greek Words for Love,” Wikipedia, February 19, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love and its subarticles

Writing Heights Anthology Submissions - Splendor: An Anthology of Love in All Its Forms (click Register Now to submit)

  • May 6 - September 13, 2024