sneaker wave magazine is turning two!
To celebrate our birthday, we are waiving all General Submission fees from September 15th through October 15th, 2026.
Since our launch in September 2024, our true stories have been featured in Memoir Land’s weekly curation of the best personal essays from around the web thirty-seven times, we have nominated twelve essays for the Pushcart Prize, and ten for the esteemed Best American Essays with our essay Bleeding recognized as a Notable Mention in the 2025 edition of Best American Essays edited by Jia Tolentino.
Sneaker wave magazine presents real stories from real life, written by authors who take themselves to their limits to recreate what they have experienced or seen, be it the heartbreak, the tragedy, the humor, the joy, the unknown.
We also now pay writers $75 per published essay.
Our free submission window will only be open September 15th-October 15th.
Spread the word, and we hope to read your true stories soon!
