Life and Legends: Call for Interviews and Essays River Paw Press Fee: usd $5.00

Interviews and Essays

We welcome interviews and essays that spotlight contemporary poets, writers, and literary translators whose work contributes meaningfully to global literature and cross-cultural dialogue. Submissions must demonstrate literary insight and originality.

Please note that we do not accept interviews of self-published authors or individuals whose primary practice is outside of writing, where writing is not their principal body of work. As Life and Legends is primarily a poetry magazine, the featured author must have published at least one full-length poetry collection, in addition to any other publications.

You may submit your interview or essay directly; however, we do not guarantee that all direct submissions will be considered for publication. Alternatively, you may pitch your interview or essays to us via email, prior to submission. We require a brief summary of the proposed piece (150–250 words) and encourage pitches that demonstrate literary insight, originality, and diverse global perspectives.

Submissions must also include a bio (75–100 words), official website, and social media links of the author to be interviewed or featured, along with a bio of the interviewer or the author of the article.

Requirements:

• Submit your interview or essay in a single PDF file (Times New Roman, 12-point font), not exceeding 3,500 words, including the author’s and interviewer’s bios. Interviews or essays exceeding this word limit will not be considered for publication.
• The interview must begin with a creative introduction of the author (do not begin by copying and pasting the author’s bio). The introduction should thoughtfully contextualize the author’s work and literary contribution.
• Include a brief bio of both the interviewer and the author (75–100 words, third person).
• Ensure the interview and article are well-structured, fully proofread, within the specified word limit, and publication-ready.
• Acceptable format and file type: Submit your work as a PDF file, formatted in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and name it as: LastName_Interview or Essay (e.g., Smith_Interview).
• You may upload up to two files: one submission file and one optional cover letter as a separate PDF file. Do not include a cover letter within the submission file.
• If selected, contributors may be asked to provide a high-resolution author photo (and other photos, if applicable) in JPEG or PNG format. Please do not include any images in the submission file.
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us promptly if the work is accepted elsewhere.
• We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and AI-generated content.

Rights and Compensation

• Life and Legends acquires First Serial Rights, including First North American Serial Rights, upon publication. All rights revert to the author immediately thereafter. Authors agree to credit Life and Legends as the first publisher of the work in any subsequent publication.
• By submitting, you confirm that the work is original, that you hold the necessary rights to submit it, and that no rights of third parties are infringed.
• At this time, Life and Legends does not offer monetary compensation for published work.

*Creative Introduction Example

(You may adapt this example to suit your own language and tone, as long as the introduction remains creative and thoughtfully contextualizes the author’s work.)

In a world increasingly fragmented by noise, poet and writer (Author’s Name) listens for silence—the kind that lingers between languages, across borders, and beneath trauma. Her latest collection, (Book Title), is less a book than a terrain: a lyrical mapping of exile, ecological grief, and linguistic longing. Winner of the (Name of Prize) and shortlisted for (Optional Prize Name), she has emerged as a voice at once urgent and elemental. Her work resists ornament and leans instead into precision, into fracture, into what she calls “the unsayable, scraped clean."

In this conversation, we explore her journey through (describe the nature and canvas of the work—e.g., themes of language, belonging, memory, or resistance).