Call for Submissions: Jelly Squid Magazine

 

Jelly Squid Magazine

MINI SQUID GUIDELINES

Introducing our fourth issue, MINI SQUID!

MINI SQUID will be a mini-issue showcasing mini-work and published IN PRINT. Starting June 6th, we'll be accepting submissions of tiny, mini, compressed work – short poems, microfiction, tiny drawings, etcetera. Here's everything you need to know:

POETRY
6 lines maximum per poem (and one word minimum – these works can be as short as you like). Send us no more than three poems total. Please try to avoid excessive use of spacing; we’d like to see poems that approach a small amount of space as an opportunity rather than a limitation.

FICTION & NONFICTION
500 words maximum per piece. Send us no more than three pieces. Guidelines are the same for both fiction and nonfiction, but please identify the genre of your work in your submission email.

VISUAL ART
Three pieces maximum. We’re in search of anything and everything mini – doodles and tiny drawings, micro-crochet and mini fiber art projects, very small sculptures and tiny objects, mini paintings, etc. Work with very simple compositions. Work that makes use of a small amount of space. We’d like artists submitting to interpret mini as a theme and let it inspire them to simplify, deconstruct, look closely. We accept all mediums that can be captured in a still image.

OTHER/HYBRID
Three pieces maximum. We’ll leave it to you to read the guidelines from our other genres and apply them to your work.

We know this is a lot of new information to take in, so please don't hesitate to email:

 jellysquidmag@gmail.com 

or message us on our socials with any questions!

Please continue reading below for our general guidelines – this will tell you more about what we do and don't accept, how to format your work, and more.

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Jelly Squid was created out of a desire to seek out and uplift voices that feel innovative and new. We accept prose, poetry, and visual art, as well as work that falls into several of those categories (we love hybrid work!). Though we are based in the PNW and aim to use our platform to uplift underrepresented voices from our local community, we accept English-language submissions from anywhere in the world.

Please send all submissions by email to:

jellysquidmag@gmail.com 

If your submission includes multiple pieces, please submit all of them in one document (does not apply to art). PDFs are preferred for writing and PNGs are preferred for art. Please only send us one submission in one category per reading period. We also ask that you send us a short third-person bio along with your submission. Do not include your name anywhere in the document you are submitting.

Jelly Squid accepts work from writers of all backgrounds, but we are especially interested in publishing work from writers who have been published six times or less (or not at all). This is not a requirement, but if this is you, please let us know! We want to give your work the time and attention it deserves. We love to see work from young writers, but please do not submit if you are under 18. Also do not submit work created using AI. Also – this should go without saying, but we want to be clear – we at Jelly Squid do not stand for transphobia, racism, homophobia, misogyny, zionism, ableism, anti-semitism, xenophobia, or any bigotry of any sort. Black lives matter, trans lives matter, free Palestine – if you disagree, don't submit. If you send us work that expresses bigoted views, we will automatically reject it and will not consider any future work you might send our way.

We accept simultaneous submissions, but make sure to let us know. If you have to withdraw a piece (or pieces), please let us know immediately via email. We do not accept previously published work (work that has been posted on personal websites or social media is ok). If you've had your work published by us before, please wait to submit again until a full issue cycle has passed since the issue you were published in (for example, if you had your work published in Issue 1, you can submit to us again for Issue 3).

We do not currently offer payment upon publication as we are small and independently run, but we hope this can change at some point in the future. Submissions are always free. All rights revert to authors upon publication.

Call for Submissions on Theme of "Currents": Notch Magazine

 

Notch Magazine

For this issue we’d like to invite you to consider currents. Please share your musings on the transfer of electrical charge, direct and alternating; poems that capture the scope of variable voltage; stories whose characters bristle with static; and music scores that translate the rhythm and pulse of electrical surges.

Currents in rivers are shaped by the depth of the water and the obstacles it meets in its path. Currents, vertical and horizontal, are also present in oceans; influenced by planetary rotations and variable water density. Wind itself is an air current—jet streams and breezes sweep along as temperature changes and pressure recalibrates.

Consider submitting paintings that drift like tides; textiles that hum with the quiet pull of a longshore current, tugging unknowingly along the edge of the coast; or photography that traces the wind's passage through a landscape. We would also like to see works that seize the bioelectric microamperes that fuel our spinal chords, hearts and brains—and make them dance.

We are less interested in personal essays. Essays exploring philosophical currents of thought from eras past are most welcome.

We accept all mediums–from operatic scores to tattoos to sonnets.

For writing: Pieces up to 1500 words are preferred. Longer work is considered on occasion.Works in translation are welcome.

For the visual & sonic: Please send a high resolution image, audio file, or link to your art. Artist statement optional.

Submissions close July 7, 2025.
Contributors will be compensated. 

To submit, email your work and a brief bio to:

submissions@notch.ink

Call for Submissions: Edge City 2

 

Edge City 2: Our print and online literary magazine.

Prose: up to 6,000 words

Poetry: up to six poems

Art: up to eight pieces

We are looking for fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid works in any style. We want pieces that fit into the HAYS code. The more off-putting, the better.

For accepted submissions, we can offer a payment of $25, as well as an author copy of the printed magazine. The author retains all rights to the work.

Please email:

submissions@nocobo.co 

with the subject line in this form:

“EC2 [Author Name] [Work Title]”

Submissions close July 1, 2025.

Call for Submissions from Canadian Writers: The Ampersand Review

 

The Ampersand Review is a literary magazine published by Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Creative Writing & Publishing program.

The Ampersand Review accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays. We seek to publish literary works of the highest quality. To us, this means work that engages thoughtfully with its subject matter and displays formal excellence and innovation. We are now seeking review pitches for Issue No. 9.

We welcome literary works in any genre or form, and from writers of all backgrounds and identities. We’d love to hear from voices who haven’t been heard before and we are committed to providing a platform that meaningfully publishes stories, ideas, and opinions yet to be shared.

In keeping with our mandate to foster literary culture in communities within Canada, we only accept submissions from writers who reside in Canada.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Our reading period for Issue #9 runs from June 1st-July 31st. If your work is still under consideration, please do not submit again until you’ve received a response. We will not be able to consider multiple submissions from one author; please only submit one submission in a single genre per reading period. If you send multiple submissions in multiple genres, only the first submission we receive will be considered.

The following submissions will not be read:

Submissions sent while a previous submission is still being considered.

· Mail submissions.

· Submissions sent outside of our reading period.

· Submissions that blatantly disregard our guidelines.

· Submissions generated (wholly, or in part) by AI.

We accept only previously unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted but we kindly ask that you notify us immediately if any part of your submission has been accepted elsewhere.

Please note that we do not consider or publish work written by current students, staff, and faculty at Sheridan College.

Poetry 

• Poetry submissions should not exceed five poems.

• Please submit a PDF in addition to your word document if your poem makes use of atypical formatting. Use the space bar, not Word tabs, to space your poems.

Fiction

• For short fiction, submit only one piece up to a maximum of 3000 words.

Non-Fiction

• We accept polished drafts of essays and memoir as well as standalone excerpts. 

• Submit only one piece at a time up to a maximum of 4000 words.

Reviews 

• We accept review pitches for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction books written by Canadian authors and published by Canadian publishers within the last 12 months, or that are forthcoming.

• Review pitches will be considered on a rolling basis by the Reviews Editor.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We aim to respond to all submissions within four months. If you haven’t heard from us by then, please query via email.

The Ampersand Review buys first North American serial and limited, non-exclusive digital rights for all accepted submissions. All rights revert to the author at the time of publication.

Payment rates are as follows:

Poetry: $50 per poem/page to a maximum of $100. 

Fiction: $100 per story. 

Non-fiction: $100 per piece. 

Reviews: $100 per review.

Thank you for reading our guidelines. Please query at:

ampersandreview@sheridancollege.ca

More information and submission link here. 

Writing Competitions on Theme of "Fragility": The Nomad Review

The NOMAD Review considers and curates fresh voices in arts and literature.

Categories:

1. Fiction, Personal Essay & Poetry: For general prose and poetry submissions, please note that while we welcome writing of any length, we are more likely to publish pieces under 5,000 words. Please limit your submissions to one per reading cycle.

2. Industry Specials: We also seek innovative voices to discuss or demonstrate tools to help creatives grow their personal goals and careers. Emerging and working creatives regularly face challenges in time, funding, work value, work-life balance, and more. We're looking to publish articles that address these concerns from personal experience or collective wisdom.

3. Criticism, Interviews, & Reviews: for works of an analytical nature, we’re looking for observers to share their understandings about creative works/bodies of work, practices or locations of creation/display, and more. While the focus is not limited to emerging creatives, projects, and businesses, we especially love attention paid to creative newcomers.

4. Visual Art: please limit submissions to 5 pieces per reading cycle, prepared in .jpg or .png format. The resolution for images should be greater than 70 dpi. Please include your artist statement in the cover letter area, linking your submission to themes of the magazine.

General Submission Guidelines:

• We will be reading submissions again from June 1-August 1, 2025. Please email submissions directly to: 

info@nomadreview.org

• We read work on any theme, but our current contest seeks submissions on the theme of "fragility." One winner in each of these six categories will be selected for a $75 prize: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual art, industry specials, and criticism/reviews/interviews.

• We cannot accept paper submissions at this time, unless you are an incarcerated writer or artist. In that case, please mail work to: 

NOMADartx

809 S. Mann Ave 

Tucson, AZ 85710

• While we welcome writing submissions of any length, we are more likely to publish prose under 5,000 words.

• Please prepare writing submissions in one letter-sized document, using a standard typeface (e.g., Times, Helvetica, Arial) and font size (12 point). All files must be uploaded in PDF or Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) formats. Please do not include your name anywhere on your manuscript (rather, include it in the cover letter). Please DO include page numbers.

• For visual art: please limit submissions to 5 pieces per reading cycle, and prepare your files in .jpg or .png formats. The resolution for images should be greater than 70 dpi.

• We reserve the right to pair accepted visual works alongside written pieces or other artworks, and curate multiple works into groups for features. Additionally, we may select certain works to feature, in part or whole, in banner areas of the NOMADartx site.

• We are open to simultaneous submissions, but please email us to let us know as soon as your work is accepted elsewhere.

• We may occasionally republish previously published work, as long as this does not conflict with previous contracts. However, you must indicate previously published work when you submit.

• Responses will be provided as promptly as we, with a small staff, are able to provide them. Please do not email us about the status of your work until at least six months after submission.

• Although NOMADartx Review does not request exclusive rights to accepted work, we do request the right to preserve your work online in our archives for the lifespan of the magazine. If the work we publish is later republished, we request that you note its initial publication in NOMADartx.

NOMADartx Review is currently an all-volunteer publication and we're unable to provide payment at this time. However, we are passionate about promoting great art, and will submit contributor work for appropriate literary and art prizes!

Call for Submissions from Black writers on Theme of "Homecoming": Lucky Jefferson

 

Writing allows us to imagine a world where oppression and trauma don’t exist. And there is a reality where we are not defined by our trauma(s), but through our power—And you’re invited to be a part of that.

Awake is a digital zine and collection of work by Black writers and artists that explores the power we each hold. For a third time, Awake, [Issue 7], will be in print!

Deadline: Aug. 1, 2025 

Use the prompt below to complete your submission:

"Home" is elusive for many folks in the Black diaspora. We seek to find home in our communities, in our culture, in our bodies, and in each other.

Homecoming invites Black writers to reflect lovingly on the spaces, places, and people that have made them feel at home—like they belong. Whether it's a barber shop in your neighborhood, your auntie's kitchen table, or your favorite sweater, share a poem expressing your love and devotion.

Your work does not need to follow any specific structure, but should celebrate and pay homage to your subject.

*All poetic and creative expressions are welcome (poetry, creative non-fiction, photography, art, etc.)*

PAYMENT (UPON ACCEPTANCE):

$15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines), Micro Fiction (under 100-300 words)
SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD

$25 — Prose, Short Story, Flash fiction, Creative-Nonfiction (under 1000 words)
SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD

$50 — Hybrid, Experimental, Essays, Long-form pieces. (under 2000 words)
SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD

 $50 — All Artwork (includes comics, paintings, etc.)
SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD

Upon acceptance, submissions will be included on our website, in print, and will be eligible to be publicized on social media.

Accepted authors will receive a payout of $15, $25, or $50, each accepted submission. 

We do not accept translations or work that has been previously published in print or online.

**We encourage you to donate with your submission. Your contribution fuels the publication of Lucky Jefferson as we are a growing independent publication with an all-volunteer staff.​

**Previously accepted poets/writers should wait 2 quarters, or two issues, from the time of acceptance, before submitting new work to any open call.** 

Submit your work here. 

Call for Submissions: If There's Anyone Left

 

 If There's Anyone Left

GENERAL (i.e. non micro-fiction) GUIDELINES

Barring unforeseen circumstances (for which we will update this page), we are open to general flash submissions each year from June 1 to July 15. Submissions outside this window won’t be considered, unless otherwise posted on this page.

We want science fiction and speculative fiction. So long as it falls into one of these categories, we will happily read it. If other elements are present, that is fine, but it must include science or speculative fiction.

NOW ACCEPTING TRANSLATIONS (MORE INFO BELOW)

No more than 1000 words. This is a firm limit. Please no queries about longer pieces.

NO AI-GENERATED/ASSISTED STORIES

Pay rate is professional - $0.08 US/word 

This is for marginalized members of the sci-fi/spec community—this includes people of color, the LGBTQ2S+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled and neurodiverse people. If you are not a person of color, LGBTQ2S+, neurodiverse, disabled, or of a marginalized gender, please DO NOT send us your work. Authors of all accepted pieces will have the option to include a short bio in the anthology. We understand the sensitive nature of gender identity and sexual orientation, so if you wish this status to remain unwritten and/or if you prefer to be anonymous, we will print only what you wish to be printed. If you would like your piece published under a pseudonym, please indicate this on your submission. If you would like your pronouns included, please indicate those as well.

DO NOT send us anything hateful. No gratuitous violence, torture, rape, or any work that promotes an ideology unbecoming of an inclusive society – no stories supporting racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, or any other of the many forms of hate.

Minutiae

Please prepare your submission according to standard guidelines, which you can find here. No mailed subscriptions. DOC or DOCX formats only. Please don’t include your address or telephone number—if we need those, we’ll ask for them upon acceptance.

You may send up to three submissions per window. This can be all at once or one at a time if you like.

Cover letters (must include cover letter): please include a short bio and PayPal email address. Please don’t summarize your piece. If you’re a member of SFWA, HWA, Codex, or other writerly groups, please let us know here.

Please include all contact information (physical address not required unless your piece is accepted, at which time we’ll only use it to send your print copy) in your file, including your PayPal associated e-mail address.

If PayPal won’t work for authors, we will find an alternative.

E-mail all stories to:

iftheresanyoneleft at gmail dot com (Change at to @ and dot to .) 

with the following subject line: SUBMISSION: [story title here] AUTHOR [your name here]. Any submissions without this subject heading may not be read.

Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere so that we can remove it from consideration.

All stories will be published as an eBook and in print in a single volume. 

Sample contract can be found here.

Future submission windows will be provided when there are additional anthologies. 

Submission Grinder is an excellent tool and please feel free to log submissions there.

Though we may be able to offer feedback sometimes, we regret that we will not be able to provide individualized feedback on all stories. Please understand that choosing stories is a highly subjective process and just because we do not accept your story does not mean it is not excellent. If you DO NOT want to receive feedback, please state that in your e-mail.

We are trying out automated response confirmation emails, but the way gmail works, you’ll likely only get an automated response to your first submission if you send all three pretty close together in time.

No reprints.

We buy the following rights:

worldwide electronic for 6 months from the date of purchase, non-exclusive for the life of the magazine.

non-exclusive print and electronic

TRANSLATIONS

We will only accept stories newly translated into English (i.e. they’ve never been published in any form in English before). We will pay $0.08 US/word to the author and $0.08 US/word to the translator based on the English language version (still a maximum of 1000 words).

We will be buying first-printing world exclusive English-language and non-exclusive original language rights for six months.

In your email, please tell us the story’s original language, place of publication, and include the original language version. We will make every effort to publish the original-text version alongside the English translation. Therefore, the rights to the original story must be available. Please also tell us if you are the author or translator. We will have both the translator and original author sign the contracts. Please make sure you have permission from the original author (and/or publisher) to translate the work before sending it to us.