AVCX+, a branch of the indie crossword venue AVCX, is excited to openly invite submissions for original freestyle/themeless crossword puzzles, with expected publication in late 2026. Puzzles submitted by 11:59pm ET on Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 will be considered, though we intend to evaluate puzzles on a rolling basis during the May-June window; read below for guidelines on puzzle philosophy, content, and submission.

A founding principle for our team is to showcase puzzles that emphasize the voices of our contributors, and we aim in editing to highlight as much of each constructor’s voice as possible. In other words: we like to see a puzzle whose elements feel intentionally crafted in a way that could only be done by that particular author. We also aim to respect our diverse solving audience by making each puzzle pleasant and accessible to solve. In editing, we collaborate with authors to bring their puzzles in a similar orbit to the AVCX+ archive, while doing our best to retain the overall character that makes each author’s voice unique to them.

In this open submission call, we’re seeking U.S.-style freestyle/themeless crossword puzzles that have a general vibe similar to puzzles in AVCX+’s catalog. We prefer 15x15 grids with some kind of symmetry in black squares, but we’re open to considering puzzles that don't fit those specs for a good reason. Puzzles should have a maximum word count of 72 words (for 15x15 grids) or a minimum average answer length of 5.30 letters, whichever is less restrictive.

We maintain the AVCX’s existing editorial bent toward puzzle content that is bias-challenging, progressive, timely, and highlighting of groups/cultures traditionally underrepresented in crosswords. We also welcome content that might not pass the “breakfast test” at mainstream venues, though we caution against the gratuitous inclusion of R-rated material for its own sake — a puzzle chock-full of profanities and explicit sex references, without a clear motivation besides the fact that they are allowed at AVCX+, is unlikely to be accepted.

For more guidance, here are some qualities we like to see in puzzle submissions:

• Clear intentionality — we like to see a puzzle in which every element (e.g. grid layout, short and long answers and how they cross, and clues) feels like it was carefully considered and placed there on purpose. We’re especially observant of novel short answers that feel thoughtfully included, crossed, and clued.
• Standalone appeal of long answers — we like to see answers that strike us as worth including in a grid even without considering the clues. Single dictionary words like INVOLVEMENT, even if given punchy and smart clues, are less appealing to us than snappy, in-the-language, multi-word phrases. To be clear, we still want to see fresh and interesting clues for answers that have standalone appeal.
• Very high quality of short answers — we’re unlikely to accept a puzzle that includes any clearly subpar fill: arbitrary plurals, arbitrarily prefixed or suffixed words, multi-word partials, Roman numerals, and other types of “gluey” answers. We also won’t favorably view a glut of short answers that gives an overall stale impression: words, names, and abbreviations that appear much more in crosswords than they do in real life. We have very little wiggle room on this front; we tend to uphold these standards even for puzzles that are architecturally ambitious or that are pitched at a high difficulty level.
• Distinct cluing voice that welcomes the solver — we enjoy seeing answers that are of personal relevance or importance to the author, but we prefer that those answers are clued in interesting and graspable ways for a solver who isn’t as familiar with the source material. If MASALA CHAI is important to the constructor, we’d hope to see a more captivating clue than [Spiced Indian drink]; but we’d also prefer not to see a clue like [I make it three times per day], which bears little relevance to anyone besides the author.

• Good vibes — we like puzzles that exude warmth, confidence, and a playful spirit. Not everything in the world that’s worth highlighting is positive; we value the opportunity to shed light on important issues, particularly from a progressive lens, but we prefer to do so in a way that meshes with an overall goal of making a puzzle that’s fun to solve. On the other hand, offensive/derogatory language (e.g. slurs or words that can be used as slurs), references to problematic people or things that don’t deserve the airtime (even if the intent is to “dunk” on them), and content with generally bad vibes, should be avoided.

Payment for each accepted puzzle will be $375 or greater, depending on exact subscription figures (amount is split evenly between authors in the case of a collaboration), and will be delivered by paper check near the end of the quarter in which the puzzle runs. A submitted puzzle must be original work that has never been published anywhere else, and that is not under consideration at any other market or venue. Authors retain the full rights to their puzzles after they are published by AVCX+.

This open call will close at 11:59pm ET on Tuesday, June 30th, 2026. Our goal is to reply to all submissions by the end of July. If you haven’t heard back from us by then, feel free to send a nudge. We’re looking forward to reviewing your work!