Call for Submissions: Ninth Letter

Ninth Letter Print Edition Submissions

Ninth Letter is published semi-annually in print at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. We are interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work.

We do not accept previously published work, including self-published work on websites, blogs, etc. Simultaneous submissions are welcome! Please send a message withdrawing your poem(s) or flash piece(s) immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Please only send only one submission per genre at a time. We ask that previous contributors wait three years from your publication date before submitting again.

We accept electronic submissions via Submittable. We do not accept submissions by email attachment. Email submissions will not be read.

To see what we publish, you can purchase our current issue or a subscription via Submittable. All issues (including back issues) can be purchased here.

General Print Submission Guidelines

Submission Period:

Ninth Letter accepts submissions to our print issues between Sept. 1 - Feb. 28.

For poetry, please submit 3-5 poems (max. 8 pages) at a time.

For fiction and creative nonfiction, submit one story or essay up to 8,000 words at a time. For flash, you may submit up to 3 pieces with a total word count totaling no more than 4,000 words.

If you classify your work as "hybrid," please submit to the genre category you feel your submission most closely applies. You are welcome to leave a note in the cover letter field with any details you think our reading team would find helpful. We will make sure your submission gets to the right team and receives the attention and consideration it deserves.

Submission Fee:

We charge a $3 reading fee to pay for Submittable and to contribute to our author payments. Fees are waived from December 1-31 or until we hit our cap of 300 submissions per genre.

Fee Waivers:

A limited number of fee waivers are available for writers for whom the submission fee would present undue financial hardship. Please send a short email to:

 

ninthletter9@gmail.com 

 

to request a fee waiver. No proof of income or other sensitive information is required.

Publication Terms & Payment:

Ninth Letter pays $25 per poem and $100 for prose upon publication and two complementary copies of the issue in which the work appears. Contributors also receive an exclusive subscription discount offer at the time of acceptance. Ninth Letter acquires First North American Serial Rights (FNASR). We ask that you acknowledge Ninth Letter upon reprint of your work.

Response Time:

We strive to respond to your submission within six months. Please wait until that time has elapsed before querying about the status of your submission.

Web Edition Submissions

Ninth Letter will be accepting submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for our winter web issue to be published at ninthletter.com. Submissions will be open from September 1 to November 1.

Theme-"de/composition":

The theme for this issue is “de/composition.” A bit biased, no? To think of decomposition as the dead opposite of the thing that used to be—its breaking down, its decay, its withering. Decomposition as merely putrefaction, a lesser of the former, a corpse, a husk. Let’s question this, then.

Send us your work that sees, in decay, something new. Send us work that, in content, in form, in spirit, decomposes as a way to recompose. Let us see your flies gather, the ants lick the wet bones bare. Send us your compost heaps as new seeds crack inside. Send us your landfills where night dogs strafe like dreams through plastic. Send us your taxidermy studded with jewels. Send us your shards, rearranged into a face. Send us your dead, your ash mixed with glitter.

General Guidelines:

You may submit up to three poems, or one piece of short prose (fiction or nonfiction) of up to 3500 words; please also include a cover letter that briefly explains how you see your work connecting to the theme. Note: work submitted without this information may be withdrawn. Acceptable file formats are .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .pdf.

Submit your work for this special feature at:

 

ninthletteronline.submittable.com 

 

Submissions sent via snail mail will not be considered for this issue. Email submissions are not accepted and will not be read.

Unless otherwise requested, please submit only once per reading period. We do not accept submissions of previously published work (including work published on personal blogs or social media sites). Please do not send multiple submissions within the same genre.

Publication Terms and Payment:

Authors whose work is selected for this special feature will be offered payment of $25 per poem or $75 per piece of prose, plus an exclusive discount for a one-year print subscription.

Response Time:

We strive to respond to your submission to our web issues within four months. Please wait until that time has elapsed before querying about the status of your submission.

 

Thank you for your interest in publishing with Ninth Letter. We look forward to reading your work!

Call for Submissions: Electric Literature

Essays - Personal Narrative — Personal Narrative will open for submissions on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. The portal will close at 11:59 PM PST on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 or when we reach a cap of 750 submissions.

 Members of Electric Literature can submit year-round. Join today! 

• Submissions must be full drafts of personal essays submitted via Submittable

• While there are no restrictions on form or subject matter, submissions should center narrative and consider what it means to essay; in other words, write to interrogate, investigate, adventure, and introspect

• Submissions must be between 2,000 and 6,500 words in length

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if a submission is accepted elsewhere

• Previously published work will not be considered

• Response time is approximately six to eight months

• Writers may submit once per submission period, but writers can have active submissions across other EL categories. (This does not apply to year-round submitting members. For more information on member submissions, please refer to the welcome email you received when you signed up as member, or email wynter@electricliterature.com.)

• Upon acceptance, we can offer authors $100 for publishing rights, with 90-day exclusivity

For more information on what we’re looking for, please watch our salon on EL’s General Nonfiction Program

More information and submission portal here.

Call for Poetry Submissions: The Rising Phoenix Review

We love visceral poetry with stunning concrete imagery. Our editors want to be transported to new landscapes. Let us walk the streets of your cities, explore your abandoned buildings, and meet your “angelheaded hipsters.” In addition, we want readers to be able to visualize and experience the world from fresh perspectives. Overall, we love imagery that punches like Muhammad Ali. However, we also adore the variety of meditative imagery written by talented haiku writers.

Our editors love poets who are gifted storytellers. Take a look at our award nominees and you will find how important strong narratives are to us. The idea of the poet as a Bard is extremely important to our poetic philosophy. We agree with Joy Harjo when she writes “the word poet is synonymous with truth teller,” in her note after the poem “A Postcolonial Tale.” If your poetry contains compelling narratives, shares the stories of specific regions, and engages the lives of specific peoples, your poetry is probably for our publication.

Generally, our editors are looking for modern poetry written in free verse. However, we love writers who craft compelling poetry written in closed forms. Our current favorites include the Ghazal, villanelle, and American Sonnet. We welcome all varieties of alt lit, as well as microforms. Modern Haiku and Senryū are two of our favorites. Overall, we operate under a form follows function philosophy. We want the content of your poetry to harmonize with the form you choose. Innovative forms and ideas always capture our attention. A great example from a past issue is Calculus Notes on Turmeric By Palak Parikh.

Bold figurative language is also important to our staff. We love poets who craft innovative similes and metaphors. If you can captivate us with your figurative language, we will read your poetry on numerous occasions. Tomas Tranströmer’s similes in the poem “April and Silence” are some of our favorites.

Empathy is one of the most important qualities we are looking for in the poets we publish. Think of these lines from Anis Mojgani’s poem “Shake the Dust” when you submit your writing:

“This is for the hard men who want to love but know it won’t come
For the ones who are forgotten
The ones the amendments don’t stand up for”

Our mission is to spread peace and understanding one poem at a time. Our goal is to build communities, support historically marginalized creators, and promote the creation of new relationships. We want your vast Grand Canyon heart, your earthquake voice, and your open bird nest palms. Bring yourself as you are where you are in the world. Bring your whole neighborhood to the block party. This is your house poet.
Our mission is to spread peace and understanding one poem at a time. Our goal is to support historically marginalized creators. Join us.

Our editors review submissions on a rolling basis. Please submit 1-5 of your best pieces for consideration. Our editors will consider work from established and emerging poets alike.

Our team is deeply committed to curating a diverse publication. We encourage writers from historically marginalized communities to submit to Rising Phoenix Review. Our publication is open to all poets, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, or religious affiliation. We strive to make our platform a safe space.

Please send your poetry in a Microsoft Word Document. Format your text in 12 point Times New Roman font. In addition, please include a brief bio of 100 words or less. We love to help promote and support the writers we feature, so please feel free to send us links to your social media accounts.Please make all of your submissions through our Submittable account.

More information and submission link here.

Writing Competition: The Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest

The Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest was first held in 2002. Since then, three times a year Jerry Jazz Musician has awarded a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of short fiction.

The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Our newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.

Winning stories are announced on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician, and it will reside on the website permanently. Jerry Jazz Musician also nominates writers for the Pushcart Prize. In addition to publishing the winning story, with the consent of the author, we frequently publish short-listed stories.

Contest details

No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.

The contest is open to entrants from anywhere in the world (English language only please)

A prize of $150 will be awarded for the winning story.

In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author’s acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that could appear in book or magazine form. All other ownership rights are retained by the author. If story appears subsequently in other publications, we ask authors to note that the story was originally published on Jerry Jazz Musician.

Submission deadline for the next contest — our 67th — is September 30, 2024. Publishing date will be on or about December 10, 2024. Ideally, stories will not exceed 3,000 words but stories of up to 4,000 words are considered.

Please submit your story by September 30, 2024 via Word (preferred) or PDF attachment to:

jerryjazzmusician@gmail.com

and be sure to include your name, address and phone number with your submission, as well as a brief 50 – 100 word story synopsis. Please include “Short Fiction Contest Submission” in the subject heading of the email.

We accept human created entries only…

NO SUBMISSIONS GENERATED OR ASSISTED BY A.I. ARE CONSIDERED.

Good luck!

Click here to read full publishing terms and conditions

Click here to read “Not From Around Here” by Jeff Dingler, the winning story in the 66th edition of the Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest

Click here to view the six writers nominated by Jerry Jazz Musician for the 2023 Pushcart Prize

Call for Submissions: Tahoma Literary Review

We are open to submissions through October 15. We are reading poetry, flash, fiction, and creative nonfiction. See details below.

(Also, there's a new issue up on our website. Check it out, too.)

We pay $55 for poetry, $55 for flash, and $0.05/word for prose over 1100 words. See below for details.

To get a sense of what we are looking for, you can read any and all issues on our website. Or listen to contributors reading their work on our Soundcloud channel. We started publishing exclusively online in 2024, without a paywall. Print copies of back issues are available for sale on our website. .

Here are our guidelines:

• One submission per writer per reading period.

• Payment: $55 for flash prose, $55 for poetry; $0.05/word for longer prose and poems. For us flash is up to 1100 words, longer prose is 1,101 to 6,000 words. We pay on publication.

• Complimentary Submissions: We offer free submissions to authors and poets from historically marginalized groups. There's a limited number of these submissions available each reading period so plan to submit early. If the category does not appear below, we have reached our cap.

• Submission fees: Standard submission fees for poetry and flash prose are $4; for longer prose the fee is $5.

A Transparency Index for each issue shows how submission fees help us pay our contributors and support team.

Submission expectations: 

• Our standard response time is up to twelve weeks from submission. Previous contributors to Tahoma Literary Review should wait one full reading period before submitting again.Word or PDF files only. If we accept a file in PDF, we will need a Word (or compatible) version.

• Prose submissions should be in standard manuscript format (Double-spaced, Times New Roman font, 12-point type, one-inch margins, author name and contact information on the first page).

• Poetry submissions may include up to six poems in one manuscript.

• Submit via Submittable. If this presents an accessibility issue, please contact the editors for alternatives.

• We do not accept previously published material. This includes publication in any public venue, including print, web, and personal blogs.

• We are not currently reading plays, screenplays, translations, reviews, works that include images, novel excerpts, or children’s/young adult literature.

Expedited Response: For an extra $3, we will respond within two weeks of submission (our standard response is twelve weeks). Expedited submissions do not guarantee acceptance.

Critiques and Feedback: Feedback, i.e., a concise paragraph-or two response to your submission, is available for nonfiction submissions. See the Nonfiction submission category for information.

Separately, our critique service provides longer, detailed comments on your work. An experienced reader from our staff will read your work in depth and comment on it. See the submission category for critiques for pricing. Critiques are available year-round.

Rights: We ask for first North American serial rights and will post accepted work online as part of a complete issue. We intend to leave accepted works online indefinitely; otherwise all rights revert to the author upon publication.

Please do not resubmit revised work unless we have requested it specifically.

Simultaneous submissions Please inform us if a work is accepted elsewhere. You can use Submittable’s Withdraw feature to withdraw a submission fully. For flash prose or poetry use Submittable's Message feature to withdraw one of the selections and leave any others for our consideration.

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions: The Common

 

Inspired by the mission and role of the town common, an egalitarian gathering place, The Common aims to foster the global exchange of diverse ideas and experiences. As such, we welcome and encourage submissions from writers who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, LGBTQIA+-identifying, immigrant, international, and/or otherwise from communities underrepresented in U.S. literary magazines and journals. In an effort to remove barriers to access, The Common will waive submission fees for two weeks every summer.

For those who cannot access Submittable due to disability, or who require a fee waiver due to financial difficulty, please call 413-542-5453 or email:

info@thecommononline.org

Reading periods for fiction, nonfiction, translations, and poetry: 

March 1 – June 1
September 1 – December 1

Submissions from current print/digital subscribers to the magazine are accepted free year-round. [subscribe here starting at $16]

Dispatches are accepted year-round.

Please do...

• Send up to five poems, or one prose piece, or three flash pieces per submission.

• Send previously unpublished works in English, and translations for which the translator has secured the rights.*

• Include title, word count, and contact details in your cover letter.

• Send simultaneous submissions, as long as you withdraw them immediately if they are accepted elsewhere. Poets may use Submittable's message feature to withdraw individual poems.

• Read The Common Online to get a feel for what we look for. Or check out these interviews with Editor in Chief Jennifer Acker.

• Be patient with us while we carefully consider your work. Our typical reading time is 8 months, but this varies widely. At least three readers review your work before an editor makes a final decision, so it takes time. You can always check your piece's status in Submittable.

Please don't...

• List any identifying information on your submission.

• Submit more than one submission per genre at a time. Wait for a response before submitting again. We will not read or consider multiple submissions, and Submittable cannot refund submission fees.

• Submit a piece over 10,000 words. Pieces over the word count will be withdrawn.

• Query about the status of your piece. Your Submittable account allows you to check the status yourself; if it does not show a decision, we are still considering it. Our typical reading time is around 12 months for fiction and essay, and about 8 months for other genres. Three readers review your work before an editor makes a decision, so we appreciate your patience while we consider carefully. Your piece isn't lost or being ignored, and querying will not expedite its consideration.

• Let financial hardship stop you from submitting. Email info@thecommononline.org if the submission fee presents a difficulty for you.

• Submit as a subscriber if you aren't a current subscriber. The submission will be withdrawn.

Payment & Publication

The Common charges a processing fee of $3 for essays, fiction, and poetry submissions, and $2 for dispatches. Want to skip the fee? Subscribers submit for free year-round. Subscriptions start at only $12, and you can either subscribe here or or add-on a subscription through Submittable!

If you have a subscription or choose the add-on, make sure to submit to the Subscriber Submission category below, or you'll still be charged the $3 fee.

Fiction, nonfiction, translations, and poetry will be considered for print and online publication. $200 honorarium per prose piece, and $40 per poem.

Dispatches are notes, news, and impressions from around the world. Both prose and verse accepted, but must be nonfiction. Length: up to 800 words. They are accepted year-round and are published online only. $100 honorarium per dispatch.

About The Common

The Common seeks stories, essays, poems, and dispatches that embody a strong sense of place: pieces in which the setting is crucial to character, narrative, mood, and language. We receive many submissions about traveling in foreign countries and discourage writers from submitting conventional travelogues in which narrators report on experiences abroad without reflecting on larger themes.

These interviews with Editor in Chief Jennifer Acker discuss The Common's editorial vision. Read more at www.thecommononline.org

* We wish to read only translations for which U.S. English-language rights are available. Please confirm that these rights are available before submitting your work. For more information on translation rights, please read Susan Bernofsky's primer here.

Submit your work here.

Call for Submissions on the American South: Salvation South

Salvation South accepts stories, in all mediums, that reckon with the history and celebrate the culture of the American South. We invite journalists, essayists, poets, fiction writers, photographers, and filmmakers to tell their stories on our platform. Sending simultaneous separate submissions is fine, but please do not submit pieces that have been published elsewhere.

For poets, we ask that you submit at least three and no more than five poems in every submission.

We do our best to respond to all submissions within three months. Your patience is appreciated. Our crew is small. You will hear back from our editor-in-chief, Chuck Reece, or our poetry editor, Andy Fogle.

In each of our submissions calls, you will see a "Tip Jar" option. While we do not charge a submission fee, we do appreciate tips, because the income helps us keep Salvation South alive.

Quick Links to Open Calls: 

Essays
Fiction
Journalism
Photography
Poetry
Video/film: short docs
Video/film: short narratives

More information and submission links here.