Brown Hound Press

05/30/2026

Have you read our story of the week yet?

05/28/2026

Story of the Week - I occasionally get emails asking what we mean by offbeat fiction. It’s kind of like that Supreme Court case about po*******hy: I know it when I see it. Aurora Bodenhamer’s “The Heckler” is it. Weird humor, a story that goes in multiple directions but somehow stays cohesive, odd characters saying and doing odd things. Rod’s voice itself is offbeat. He speaks in breathless non sequiturs–you never know what he’s going to do next. Which, in a way, makes him perfect for his role as an audience plant at a comedy club. I love this story for all its quirkiness and dark humor. From now on, when someone asks me to define offbeat, I will just send a link to this piece.

Josh Boldt, Editor

Abby believes it's funny to pratfall while pregnant. Holding a glass of Coke in maternity jeans, she moves into the living room. She walks only a few steps before she yells, “GRENADE!” and hurls herself onto the floor. She thinks it's funny to do this, and I grit my teeth every time. The couch p...

05/26/2026

We pair every story with a song and call it the Story Track. Here is this week’s:

Okay, bear with me on this one. As I read Shelly Jones’s “Bloom” I realized the plot reminded me of the song “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks–right down to the method of disposal. As a teenager growing up in the South during the nineties, I heard The Chicks first albums a lot. Around here, there was even a bumper sticker about this song. Leave a comment if you remember what that bumper sticker said. Anyway, I loved the song back then, and I had just as much fun pulling it back out twenty-five years later. Oh, and Earl, those black-eyed peas tasted alright to me!

05/25/2026

One Week Left!

Submissions close on May 31st.

Brown Hound Press is growing fast. This month, we've been recommended by Chillsubs, Authors Publish, New Pages, London Writers' Salon, Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Scribophile.

Submit at brownhoundpress.com

05/23/2026

Have you read our Story of the Week yet?

05/21/2026

Story of the Week - No spoilers, but I bet you will be fooled by the way Shelly Jones opens their story “Bloom.” An innocent birdwatching expedition, eh? I don’t think so. Jones uses the classic mystery trope of misdirection to make us think one thing about a character, and then turns that preconception on its head by revealing a completely different side of that same character. Because a good mystery tale needs characters that are, ahem, mysterious.

Josh Boldt, Editor

Irene hadn’t heard the lifeguard shouting from the shore. She liked to turn her hearing aids off when she could, reveling in the artificial silence of the lake in summer. If she were alone, the way she’d be in the off-season, without all the tourists shouting and guffawing, scaring away the wild...

05/19/2026

Meet the Editor

Josh Boldt is the founder and editor of Brown Hound Press.

As an author who is no stranger to the trenches of the submission process, Boldt treats writers the way he wants to be treated. Brown Hound Press pays authors for their work, does not charge submission fees, and responds to every submission within two weeks. When possible, Boldt offers editorial advice to submitters and loves to help develop stories. He personally edits every piece he accepts in collaboration with the author.

Boldt’s writing leans southern gothic, mystery, or crime with elements of dark humor—think the television show Fargo. Some of his favorite authors include Flannery O’Connor, Charles Portis, Toni Morrison, Elmore Leonard, Percival Everett, and Denis Johnson.

Josh Boldt lives in Lexington, Kentucky where he serves on the board of the Lexington Writer's Room, a nonprofit organization with 100+ active writers. He spends his free time with his lady Gwenda Bond and all of the many animals.

05/18/2026

We pair every story with a song and call it the Story Track. Here is this week’s:

This was a week where the Story Track came to me easily while I was reading. The quirky lyrics and catchy beat of “Girlfriend is Better” by Talking Heads fits with Ronald Coleman’s story. And, besides, Tom should be humming this song because he’s clearly hit the jackpot with his date, Maggie the jewel thief. Here’s hoping they “never get caught.”

05/16/2026

Have you read our Story of the Week yet?

05/14/2026

Story of the Week: Here’s a lesson in not knowing what you want until you see it. I did not expect to publish a fantasy romantic comedy at Brown Hound Press. Now, to be fair, Ronald Coleman described his story “Cappuccinos & Crime” as a quirky rom-com, and it is certainly that. I instantly loved the concept of a “Villains Only” dating app, and the characters drew me right in. Great backstories and banter. Aspiring comedy writers take note: this is how you incorporate light-hearted humor and character development into a story that keeps pages turning. I’d watch this TV show!

Josh Boldt, Editor

As Tom walked into the coffee shop that the “Villains Only” dating app suggested, he spotted the hammer-striking-the-globe symbol of the International Villains League by the door. The front waiting area was small, cramped, and as uninviting as possible. Tom knew this helped to keep the civilians...