Call for Submissions: phoebe: a journal of literature and art

 

The editors of phoebe are pleased to announce that for Issue 56.1, phoebe will be a paying market! See our guidelines below for pay rates and more details on how to send us your work!

phoebe is a journal of literature and art which publishes twice each year: one print issue each winter, and a contest issue each spring, made up of the winners, runners up, and honorable mentions from submissions to our annual contests in poetry, fiction and nonfiction.

Winter Print Issue:

Open for submissions from August 15th to October 15th.

Submission Guidelines

• We only accept submissions via our online submission portal, Submittable.

• We do not consider previously published work.

• We welcome multiple submissions, but each should follow the guidelines below:We do not have a strict word limit for prose; however, work over 4,000 words will need to be extraordinary.

• Regarding flash prose, we are happy to accept up to three pieces of less than 1,000 words each. Please paste these together in a single document and submit them via the standard fiction or nonfiction portal.

• Poetry submissions should contain 3-5 poems, totaling no more than ten pages. Please include all poems in one document.

• Writers, we prefer that you submit your work as a Word Document. Visual Artists may use PDFs to submit multiple works of art, but should be prepared with a high-resolution version of their files upon their work’s acceptance to the journal.

• We allow and encourage simultaneous submissions. If your submission is no longer available for publication, please use our online submission portal to withdraw it as soon as possible. If you need to withdraw a single poem or piece of flash prose, please add a note to your submission and email us at:

 phoebeliterature@gmail.com

We strive to respond to submissions 30 days after the submissions period closes. If you have not heard from us 60 days after the submissions period closes, feel free to inquire about the status of your submission.

If you’ve submitted to phoebe in the past, or if you’ve been published in our journal before, you are welcome to submit your work again.

phoebe does not accept submissions from current or former students of George Mason University’s creative writing program or any other affiliates of George Mason University. If you have a question regarding your eligibility, please send us an email at:

phoebeliterature@gmail.com

Payment

phoebe is overjoyed to be able to pay its writers and artists $30 per accepted poem, essay, story or piece of visual art. All contributors to the print issue also receive one copy of the journal upon publication.

The payment of monetary prizes and contributor honorariums are subject to U.S. laws and regulations, including those that prohibit payments to persons from or who reside in countries subject to U.S. sanctions. Questions about these regulations and payment methods can be directed to:

phoebeliterature@gmail.com  

Publication Rights

phoebe retains First North American serial rights for all work that we publish. All other rights are the authors, and they revert immediately upon the work’s publication. The work may be republished along with an acknowledgement of its original publication in phoebe.

Due to the risk of copyright infringement (and a plethora of other ethical reasons) phoebe does not accept AI-generated writing or visual art at this time. Digital manipulations and digital art are welcome.

Upon publication of your work in phoebe, we ask for the following:

1) First American rights for print publication of the Work in a future issue of Phoebe.

2) Indefinite non-exclusive rights for electronic publication of the Work at www.phoebejournal.com, as well as through Phoebe’s social media websites and newsletters.

3) Possible inclusion of the Work in a future anthology published by Phoebe Press.

All other rights remain the author’s

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: Rind & Root

 

General Information

• Submissions are free

• There is no payment for contributors

• We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your piece is accepted elsewhere

• Previously published work is accepted

• Response time within 10 days

• Absolutely no AI

Deadlines
Our general submissions are always open, the only thing changing is the issue number you're submitting to!

We Publish

Poetry

Free verse, prose poems, erasure, blackout poetry. Any experimental genres that can be expressed on paper.

Prose

Shortform non-fiction, creative or otherwise. Opinion pieces, interviews, personal essays, anecdotes. Explorations of writing, literature, and poetry.

Visual Work

Collage, photography, art. Please consider that most visual work displayed in our journal is chosen to complement literary pieces.

We Do Not Publish

Poetry

Formal verse, rhyme schemes, nature lyric (unless nature is doing metaphorical work), love poems, epic poetry, ballads, and sonnets.

Prose

Long form pieces (above 500 words), fiction, plays, screenplays.

Visual Work

Art, photography, or collages featuring nature.

Themes

We are interested in cross-cultural, identity-transforming, direct, experimental works with risk to them. We do not shy away from politics and stand for what we believe in.

What to Submit

Please submit only once per issue unless instructed otherwise.Poems — up to 5 poems, up to 8 pages.
Creative non-fiction, personal anecdotes — 300–500 words (slightly less or more is acceptable).
Art, collages, photography — up to 5 pieces.Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions and Pitches: GraveSite

GraveSite is preparing for launch and is looking for journalism, personal essays, cultural criticism, commentary, and other nonfiction writing exploring death and its many intersections with life.

The publication primarily focuses on the United States, but it is open to stories from elsewhere when they have relevance for an American audience. Writers can pitch from anywhere in the world, provided they can accept payment through BILL.com or ACH.

GraveSite is particularly interested in stories that are surprising and specific, ambitious but approachable, and useful without becoming didactic. The editorial team values vulnerable writing when appropriate, humor where possible, and prose that is beautiful or spare without becoming overly precious.

 

What GraveSite Is Looking For

 

Life

GraveSite wants service-focused reporting about planning for death, dying, grief, death logistics, supporting grieving people, and related health and wellness subjects.

Personal narratives are also welcome, particularly stories from deathcare workers and everyday people. The publication describes the desired approach as similar to the personal storytelling of The New York Times‘ “Modern Love,” but centered on death.

 

Power

The publication is interested in deeply reported, investigative, and data-driven journalism examining the politics and policies surrounding death.

Potential subjects include bereavement leave, medical assistance in dying, movements and justice work, corporate greed, and corporate overreach in deathcare and adjacent industries.

 

Futures

 

GraveSite is seeking news, explainers, analysis, deep dives, and investigative pieces about research and emerging developments related to death and grief.

Ideas could explore death technology, longevity research, changing attitudes toward death, evolving practices, or the changing roles of people and institutions involved in deathcare.

 

Belief

Writers can explore religious and spiritual beliefs, philosophies, traditions, and practices surrounding death and grief.

GraveSite is interested in intellectually ambitious perspectives and features that examine how people understand mortality, similar in spirit to the expansive philosophical explorations found in publications such as Aeon and Psyche.

 

Culture

The publication also wants perspectives, criticism, analysis, reviews, and commentary about death’s relationship with popular culture.

Potential subjects include film, television, music, sports, gaming, fashion, celebrity culture, the internet, and other aspects of contemporary culture.\

 

How Much Does GraveSite Pay?

GraveSite offers different rates depending on the type and depth of contribution.

Journalism: Professional journalists can earn $400 USD for quicker-turn news and trend pieces under 800 words, provided the article includes at least one original source.

More deeply reported features of approximately 900–1,300 words, with three or more sources, pay $1,000 USD.

The publication is also interested in ambitious, reporting-intensive investigations and narrative features, which will be compensated accordingly.

For journalism pitches, do not submit a completed draft. GraveSite wants to work with writers to shape the story before reporting and writing are finalized.

Personal essays, cultural criticism and opinions:

 

GraveSite pays a $200 USD honorarium for personal essays, criticism and analysis, commentary, and related opinion writing under 1,000 words.

Interviews are not required for these pieces, although they are welcomed. The publication accepts contributions from emerging and established writers, as well as non-writers, death scholars, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, lawyers, and other professionals.

For this category, GraveSite accepts both pitches and complete, previously unpublished drafts, with a slight preference for finished drafts.

 

Art and Other Creative Work

GraveSite occasionally commissions illustrations, graphics, photography, video, data visualizations, and other artwork to accompany its reporting.

Artists and designers interested in collaborating should use the GraveSite submission form to provide their information and portfolio.

The publication is also interested in original games, including crosswords and other word-focused projects, interactive experiences, co-publications, reprints, guest editorships, partnerships, and other collaborations.

For miscellaneous ideas and collaborations, writers and creators can contact GraveSite by email.
What to Include in Your Pitch

GraveSite asks writers to submit pitches through its dedicated submission form. Email story pitches will be deleted.

Your pitch should include:

• A clear, compelling headline and optional dek.

• One or two concise paragraphs explaining the story angle rather than simply identifying the topic.

• An explanation of how the idea fits into or expands GraveSite’s five core coverage areas.

• Relevant news pegs, data, credentials, or other information demonstrating why the story matters.

• An explanation of why you are the right person to tell the story.

• A reason the story needs to be told now, or why an evergreen idea will remain relevant.

• Any specific or unexpected audiences who could be interested in the story.

• Your reporting plan, including the proposed format, sources or types of sources, and original reporting you expect to conduct.

The strongest pitches should demonstrate both a compelling idea and a clear understanding of how the proposed story would work editorially.

Instead of pitching a broad topic such as “the future of death technology,” identify the specific question, development, person, conflict, trend, or phenomenon your story will investigate.
Submission Rules

GraveSite primarily covers the United States, although international stories and locally or regionally grounded stories are welcome when they are relevant to an American audience.

You can write for GraveSite from anywhere in the world as long as you can receive payment through BILL.com or ACH.

Most importantly, use the dedicated submission form. GraveSite specifically asks writers not to email story pitches because email pitches will be deleted.

Deadline: Rolling submissions

Submit Via: Dedicated GraveSite submission form

Call for Submissions: iExile Literary & Art Platform

Poetry·Fiction·Essays·Creative Nonfiction·Plays·Screenplays·Satire·Fragments·Hybrid/Other·Translations

One piece per submission. PDF preferred; DOCX accepted.Max 20 pages or up to 6 poems.Response within 30 days.

Translations require a signed approval from the original author or rights holder. Include a third-person bio of around 50 words for both author and translator.

Previously published work is fine — just let us know where and when.

Simultaneous submissions are fine — tell us if it gets accepted elsewhere.

Painting·Drawing·Printmaking·Illustration·Photography·Sculpture·Mixed Media·Collage·Digital art·Video·Comics / graphic narrative·Book art / zine·Installation·Other

Up to 5 images — PNG, JPG or SVG, 25 MB each.For video or mixed media, add up to 5 public links (Vimeo, YouTube, Drive, Dropbox).We respond within 30 days.

Previously exhibited work is fine — just let us know where and when.

Simultaneous submissions are fine — tell us if it gets accepted elsewhere.

Rights: you must own or hold rights to publish every image or video you submit.

Submit your work here.

Call for Nonfiction: Off Assignment

Off Assignment is a non-profit literary magazine with a penchant for journeys and a fascination with strangers. We’re looking for writers who travel, poets who wander, essayists with a sense of place, reporters with swollen notebooks, and gourmands with street cart taste. We’re not here to guide vacations. We don’t cover spas or centennials. We have a taste for offbeat places. We care about voice and story. We want the writer on the page—sweating, tripping, and telling a tale.

We accept simultaneous submissions, as long as you immediately notify us that your piece has been accepted elsewhere. We are interested only in original essays; your work must not have been published elsewhere prior to submitting.

Please note that we will not accept any essays written or generated in part by AI.

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES

"Letter to a Stranger"

Who haunts you?

We all harbor thoughts about the strangers at the edges of our lives. Write a letter to an unshakeable stranger you’ve met along the way, whether traveling across the world, the country, or down the street.

A great “Letter to a Stranger” has some magic to it, and often speaks to more than just what it's directly about. It's never colonialist or judgmental. It is a highly personal narrative that stirs up universal themes.

Include a title in the “To___” format (for example, “To the Lady at the Subway Turnstile”).

Word count: 800–2000.

 "No Equivalent"

Teju Cole writes: “The English word translation...descends from the Latin translatus: trans, across or over, and latus, which is the past participle of ferre, to carry, related to the English word ‘ferry.’ The translator, then, is the ferry operator, carrying meaning from words on that shore to words on this shore.”

What is one word you have come across that resists being ferried over in translation? Write about one of these untranslatable words, and the role it has played in your personal geography or voyages.

Word count: 800–2000.

"Under the Influence"

The art we surround ourselves with affects our reality. What happens when we use authors or artists as guides to our travels, near and far? Which artist’s presence accompanies you down a street or rests with you on a park bench? Tell us about the interplay between art and reality, and how the lens of each showed you something interesting about the other. Title your submission along the lines of “Reading [author] in [place]”/ “Listening to [artist] in [place],” etc.

Word Count: 800–2000.

"What I Didn’t Say"

Any writer knows that, often, the most interesting part of the assignment doesn’t make it into the story. Revisit the experiences that have stuck with you, the happenings that didn’t bend into the margins of the assignment, but that persist in your memory. This isn’t a behind-the-scenes travel diary—this is the story behind the story.

Word Count: 1500–3000.

"Goodbye to That Place”

For this column expanding from Didion’s canonical “Goodbye to All That,” we invite you to pen a narrative farewell to a place that has held significance in your life. It could be a breakup letter to your apartment (like Nancy Franklin's "How Did I Get Here?"), a revisit of a bygone version of your hometown (think “The Hard Crowd” by Rachel Kushner), an au revoir to that layover city you saw too briefly and left too fast, but where your life might have taken a different turn. We ask only that the essay be about your personal relationship to a place no longer yours.

Word count: 1000-2500.

"Witching Hour"

In this new series, we want to feature lyrical portraits of places at a distinct time of day or night. In contrast to the whirlwind nature of 36-hour travel, we want to indulge in a scene locked in the grasp of one specific time and place. Jean Valentine writes about 3 am in New York and Georges Perec writes about 10:30 in Paris. What’s the portrait of a time and place that bewitches you? To get started, use this sentence construction: “X a.m./p.m. in Y place is ____,” and write from there.

Word count: 300–800.

Payment

We consider full drafts only, and pay $500 per essay ($100 for “Witching Hour”).

More information and submission links here. 

Call for Submissions: INDIGO

OPEN CALL: We are accepting work for our inaugural issue from July 1st to September 30th. Send us your work!

INDIGO is a newly established, independent literary journal. We are looking for non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and other text-focused experiences. Experimental, hybrid, cross-genre and medium-bending submissions are greatly encouraged.

We're looking for projects that occupy in-between spaces, hovering in the moments 'before.' Show us the jagged pink edge of twilight just before moon rise, when the sky goes from blue to indigo-black. Take us off the beaten trail. We want to see things through new eyes, hear things through new ears. Make us think. Make us feel. Now is your moment; show us a new world.

Some Suggestions

We encourage the submitter to review these guidelines. We also encourage you to ignore them, if you feel your work is good enough to get away with it.There’s no word limit for fiction or creative non-fiction, but generally we find pieces below 3k land well with readers.

• Anchor your cnf essays in your own experiences. We want personal narratives with a fierce, tangible relationship to their subjects.

• Fiction submissions should lean into the surreal, the uncanny, the absurd, and the deeply introspective. Pieces with a strong sense of place have the best chance of selection.

• Submit up to 3 poems. We love stark imagery and tactile, emotional experiences on the edge of the unsaid.

• Color outside the lines. If your work fits a quiet, twilight environment, we want to see it, no matter how weird it gets.

How to Submit

We do not charge for submissions.

Simultaneous submissions are encouraged. Please notify us as soon as possible if your work has been accepted elsewhere. We do not accept previously published material for consideration.

Submitting your work denotes your understanding that, upon acceptance, INDIGO acquires First North American Serial Rights and non-exclusive electronic archival rights to host your piece on our site. All rights immediately revert back to the author upon publication.

Submit your work here. 

Writing Competition: The Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing

The Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing celebrate works in three genres—fiction, nonfiction and poetry. A national panel of judges reviews hundreds of nominated books and poems looking for works that ask readers to engage with the complexities of the U.S. South.

Submissions will be accepted July 1, 2026 - September 30, 2026.

Fiction and nonfiction winners receive a cash prize of $12,000. The winner of the poetry category receives $3,000.

Winners also receive an expenses-paid trip to Oxford, Miss., where we celebrate the winning writers as part of the Oxford Conference for the Book (March 31, 2027 - April 2, 2027). During their trip, winners have the chance to read from their work during the conference and meet and learn from other writers. They also enjoy an intimate celebration dinner with judges and other special guests at one of the town’s famed restaurants or a memorable location like Faulkner’s Rowan Oak, the University of Mississippi Museum or the Lyceum.

Eligibility

Books must be published during the submission year (2026) and cannot be self-published. Advanced reader copies or proofs for books that will be published in October, November or December of 2026 are eligible.

You can get a sense of the quality and content of winning books by reading the previous winners listed on our website.

Please note that current University of Mississippi students and employees are not eligible for any of the Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing.

More information and submission portals here. 

Fellowship: Cave Canem Fellowship

About the Cave Canem Fellowship

Deadline: Oct. 6, 2026  

Cave Canem supports the work of Black poets through a suite of core programs, namely an annual retreat consisting of intensive poetry workshops and readings, hosted at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg.

The retreat offers an unparalleled opportunity for Cave Canem Fellows to study with esteemed faculty and to join an expansive community of peers. Fellows write from a range of poetic traditions: blues; confessional; experimental; dramatic; lyric; narrative; performance; political; etc.

Due to our generous community of institutional funders and individual donors, there is no submission fee for the Fellowship application, and the retreat is free to all Fellows.

Application Guidelines

Applicants must submit a Cover Letter and a writing sample via Submittable. Attachments that do not follow these guidelines will be disqualified: 

• A PDF of six (6) pages of poems, written in English

• The poet's name should not be included on any page of the poetry attachment.

• Page breaks should be used to separate poems. Each poem should start on a new page and its title formatted in bold.

• The document should be paginated. Place page numbers in the footers of each page (Example: Page 2 of 6)

• Legible, 12-point font, serif should be used.

• One application per candidate.

For any questions on formatting or other queries, please reach out to our Programs team at:

programs@ccpoets.org

Considerations & Exclusions

Applicants must confirm that they will be 21 years or older at the time of the 2027 Cave Canem Retreat, which will take place June 6-13, 2027.

The Cave Canem Fellowship includes:

• Invitation to the Annual Retreat

• Access to Fellows & Faculty Fund

• Access to exclusive scholarships for select writing residences

• Archival training

• Inclusion in public programming (readings, panels, multi-genre collaborations, etc.)

• Subscription to a bimonthly Cave Canem resource containing community news and exclusive offers

Submit your application here.