What is Reader Feedback?

Writers often ask for feedback from Folly. We endeavor to support writers to develop, as well as ensure our largely volunteer team is renumerated for their time. If you choose to purchase feedback you will be provided with a page of notes our readership teams thoughts on plot, pacing, character, dialogue with specific comments from our experienced team, including:

- strengths and development opportunities identified

- specific commentary from our editors and reading team about your story.

This service is provided for a fee of $35 NZD and covers the time required for our reading team to compile the assessment and review comments from our team into an email report for you. 

When will I receive my assessment?

If the work you have selected us to provide an assessment for has been longlisted, you will be required to wait until after the short listing process for feedback. If your submission has been declined, we will endeavour to provide specific feedback as soon as possible. If your story has been shortlisted you will receive feedback at the end of the shortlisting process.

Why are you offering this service?

Folly stories often come from emerging writers, or people who are new to this craft. For this reason, many of our writers go through a thorough editing process with professional editors prior to publication. We are offering this assessment service to support other emerging writers who are looking to develop their writing, and better understand how they can better hone their stories for Folly in future submissions. 

Why are you charging a fee?

The service fee for this assessment and feedback report goes directly to the costs of administering Folly journal, which includes renumerating our mostly volunteer team of readers and editors. The fee has been set in line with other literary journals who offer this service. 

As a largely voluntary team, we simply can't provide specific feedback to all submissions.

You don't have to be a writer to be published in Folly. 

Sometimes the best content comes from simply paying attention at the right wrong moment. 

OVERHEARD is our free submission category for:

• That thing someone said while waiting for their oat milk latte
• The conversation you couldn't help overhearing in the toilet queue
• The comment your co-worker said that made you snort into your coffee
• The thing your lover did while in the throes of passion

We welcome your half baked stories, paragraph length accounts of what you overheard and snippets of conversation. 

NO WRITING EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. Because sometimes the best stories happen by accident. and sometimes the best writers are just good listeners with bad boundaries. 

Wordcount anywhere from 10 words to 500 words - but ensure you tell us which city/ town you heard this in (or made this up yourself). 

YOU GET: Bragging rights, your name published (if you want it to be) and access to the Folly Party.  

Folly is accepting submissions for nonfiction works for Issue 003, which will be published in our print only journal in November 2025

Folly is a print only anthology of high art and literature crossed with a Victorian gossip rag. Built on the radical notion that literature needs to  have more fun, our absinthe swilling editorial team have launched two sold out issues of this unique journal into the world, selling an unprecedented (according to booksellers) number of copies within one month of launch. A finalist for the 2024 CLMP Best Debut awards, Folly is now charging into Issue 003 in 2025. 

Folly's editors are seeking cultural commentary that bites, essays that expose and non fiction that doesn't apologise for existing. 

What we want: Cultural criticism and social critique that treats gossip and opinion as an art form. Folly writing is at its core entertainment, executed well. We are here to amuse, provoke thought and to make people slightly uncomfortable. Be sharp but sophisticated, witty but substantial, controversial but considered. If you are afraid to submit it, we probably want to read it (and yes, we welcome pseudonyms).

Remember, some of the best writing happens when someone thinks 'f*ck it', and picks up a pen.  

What we don't want: Anything overly academic, dry, or footnoted. 

Length: Around 1,500 - 2,500 words. However we welcome slightly longer works if the length is required for successful execution.  

We strongly suggest you read Issue 001 or 002 of Folly before submitting your work. Folly can be purchased from our website or independent bookstores throughout New Zealand. 

Fee: Successful submissions will receive a one off fee of $25 upon acceptance, a copy of Folly Issue 003 and two tickets to the Folly After Party.  

The Folly Short Story Prize is OPEN

What happens when a literary journal has a torrid love affair with a Victorian gossip rag? Folly Journal happens - documenting our cultural moment in all its messy, magnificent glory. Touted by media as the rebel child of the lit scene, and finalist for the 2024 CLMP Best Literary Debut awards, Folly is found worldwide from parliamentary desks, independent bookstores and the rooms of luxury boutique hotels. 

Our latest print only issue sold out within one month of launch, proving that print isn't dead, it just needed more absinthe and a dash of humour. 

Folly is now charging into Issue 003 in 2025, and  Folly's editors are seeking cultural commentary that bites, essays that expose and non fiction that doesn't apologise for existing. 

We are now looking for trouble of the fictional variety. Because some stories deserve more than just publication. The Folly Short Story Prize runs from 13 January - 1 May 2025 with the winner receiving:

• Publication in Folly Issue 003
• $1000 NZD cash prize
• Two copies of Folly Issue 003
• Comped membership to the Wellington Writers Studio (if Wellington based)

Note that unlike our other categories, stories submitted to this section are judged on face value. That means they are expected to be submitted to a very high standard with very little if any editing required. 

Submission guidelines:

- Submissions close on 1 May 2025. 

- Work must be in English and must be between 800 - 2500 words.  

- Work must be in Ariel or Times New Roman, in a type size of 10 or 12pt, with 1.5 spacing. Please view our submission guidelines on our website prior to submitting your work.

- Each submission must be individually submitted (one entry per submission)

- Copyright remains with the author.

- An entry fee of $10 NZD per entry helps to cover our overheads and contributes towards the cost of running and competition and the overall prize money on offer. 

What happens when a literary journal has a torrid love affair with a Victorian gossip rag? Folly Journal happens - documenting our cultural moment in all its messy, magnificent glory. Touted by media as the rebel child of the lit scene, and finalist for the 2024 CLMP Best Literary Debut awards, Folly is now found worldwide from parliamentary desks, independent bookstores and the rooms of luxury boutique hotels. 

Our latest print only issue sold out within one month of launch, proving that print isn't dead, it just needed more absinthe and a dash of humour. 

This free entry category is for short story submissions to the print edition of Folly, Issue 003 in 2025. We welcome submissions from around the world, however successful submissions will be stories that resonate with New Zealand readers. This doesn't mean they need to be New Zealand based stories at all, but stories that are accessible for our native audience. Short listed and successful published submissions have previously been from writers based in Australia, Canada, United States, and the United Kingdom. 

Published submitters will receive a complementary print copy of Folly. 

Submission guidelines:
 - Work must be in English and must be between 500 - 2000 words.  
 - Work must be in Ariel or Times New Roman, in a type size of 10 or 12pt, with 1.5 spacing. Please view the Submission Guidelines on our website. If you do not follow our submission guidelines, your work may not be read by our reading team.
 - Each submission must be individually submitted (one entry per submission)
 - Copyright remains with the author.

What happens when a literary journal has a torrid love affair with a Victorian gossip rag? Folly Journal happens - documenting our cultural moment in all its messy, magnificent glory. Touted by media as the rebel child of the lit scene, and finalist for the 2024 CLMP Best Literary Debut awards, Folly is now found worldwide from parliamentary desks, independent bookstores and the rooms of luxury boutique hotels. 

Our latest print only issue sold out within one month of launch, proving that print isn't dead, it just needed more absinthe and a dash of humour. 

Folly is now charging into Issue 003 in 2025, and  Folly's editors are seeking poetry that bites. 

Folly publishes around eight pieces of poetry in each issue. 

We are looking for work of no more than one page, that is accessible to a general audience of readers (people who wouldn't usually go out of their way to read poetry). We strongly recommend you read issue 001 or 002 (available from our website or from independent New Zealand book stores) before submitting your poetry.

 
Submission guidelines:
 - Work must be in English
 - Work must be in Ariel or Times New Roman, in a type size of 10 or 12pt, with 1.5 spacing.
 - Each submission must be individually submitted (Up to three poems per submission)
 - Copyright remains with the author.

Payment: Accepted poetry submissions receive:

•  a copy of Folly 003
• a one off payment of $25 per poem
• two tickets to the Folly After Party