Submissions for Issue 4: Mending are now closed.
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We publish three online issues a year. Please check this page or our social media (or subscribe to our newsletter) for updates about reading periods and submission dates.
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. Prose submissions can be up to 3,500 words. Poetry submissions can include up to three poems that equal no more than six pages in total length (please submit all poems in one document). PDFs are preferred. Visual art submissions can include up to three pieces of 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. Do not submit work created using AI. Do not submit work that has been published previously. Also – this should go without saying, but we want to be clear – we at Jelly Squid do not tolerate transphobia, racism, homophobia, misogyny, ableism, zionism, or any bigotry of any sort. 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, but we hope this can change at some point in the future. Submissions are always free. All rights revert to authors upon publication.
Continue reading for more detailed genre-specific submission guidelines.
POETRY:
We accept any form of poetry, but especially appreciate free verse and prose poetry. We like to see poems that are raw and honest – poems that surprise us, make us shiver, make us think.
Please submit no more than three poems at a time. We ask that you submit your poems together in one document (please do not include any information about yourself in said document).
Please limit your work to 6 pages or less total. Do not submit more than one packet of poems at a time.
When submitting, please include your name, the title of your piece(s), and what type of work you are submitting (e.g. Jane Doe – Poem 1, Poem 2, and Poem 3 – Poetry Submission) in the subject of your email.
FICTION:
We like flash fiction, micros, autofiction, character studies, weird fiction, and much more... any kind of work that has something to say without trying to limit itself to the confines of traditional storytelling models. We like stories that care more about expressing something unique and noteworthy than following a linear plot or a clear narrative. We do not accept science fiction or high fantasy, but we are happy to accept pieces with sci-fi or fantasy elements.
For flash fiction and short stories, please limit your submission length to 3,500 words or less. Do not submit more than one piece at a time.
If you're submitting micro fiction (400 words or less), you may submit up to three micros so long as they do not exceed six pages in total. Please submit all micro pieces in one document.
We ask that you submit in the form of a pdf or docx document that does not contain your name or any other identifying information within it.
When submitting, please include your name, the title of your piece, and what type of work you are submitting (e.g. Jane Doe – My Story – Fiction Submission) in the subject of your email.
NONFICTION:
We like creative nonfiction, but we may accept other forms of nonfiction if they feel engaging and personal. We want to hear the stories you're not sure how to tell – the things you lie about, the things you hide, the things you can't seem to get away from. We do not accept academic writing or formal criticism.
Please limit your submission length to 3,500 words or less. Please do not submit more than one piece at a time. We ask that you submit in the form of a pdf or docx document that does not contain your name or any other identifying information within it.
If you're submitting micro nonfiction (400 words or less), you may submit up to three micros so long as they do not exceed six pages in total. Please submit all micro pieces in one document.
When submitting, please include your name, the title of your piece, and what type of work you are submitting (e.g. Jane Doe – My Story – Nonfiction Submission) in the subject of your email.
VISUAL ART:
We currently accept paintings, photography, illustrations, sketchbook pages, collages, sculptures, and anything else you can capture in a still image. We hope to accept film and audio work in the future, so if that's your thing, check back in with us in a bit or follow our social media for updates.
Please do not submit more than three pieces per reading period. Please send us clear, well-cropped images in the largest size and highest resolution possible (we prefer pngs, but jpeg and pdf files are also accepted). Send all of your images together in one email submission. Please label each image clearly with its title and any other information you want displayed (material, date of completion, etc.).
When submitting, please include your name, the title of your piece(s), and what type of work you are submitting (e.g. Jane Doe – Painting 1, Painting 2, Painting 3 – Visual Art Submission) in the subject of your email.
HYBRID WORK:
We love to see hybrid work – please don't hesitate to send things our way that you're not sure how to define. Finding pieces that blossom in the spaces between genres is one of the most exciting things to us about the work we get to read.
For hybrid work, please limit your submission to six pages or less. You may submit up to three hybrid pieces as long as your work does not exceed six pages total. We ask that you submit in the form of a pdf or docx document that does not contain your name or any other identifying information within it.
When submitting, please include your name, the title of your piece(s), and what type of work you are submitting (e.g. Jane Doe – My Story – Hybrid Submission) in the subject of your email.
We're looking forward to seeing your work!
If you're looking for the submission guidelines MINI SQUID, you're in the wrong place! You can find them here.
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