wildscape. literary journal (Gold Star Program) Gold Star

General Guidelines (please read these AND the genre-specific guidelines below before submitting any work)

COST:
-To submit work: free! We do not charge for general submissions.
-Expedited Response in <48 hours: $5
-Expedited Response in <24 hours: $8

If you want either expedited response option, you may leave a tip when you get to the "tip jar" page, or by tipping us via Venmo (username: @wildscapelit) or via PayPal. A tip does NOT affect our decision regarding any submission. We read submissions blind (i.e. not knowing who the author is) so that we may make our decisions without bias. Tips will not be refunded for any reason.

-For poetry, we highly prefer if you put all of your pieces in one document. We understand though that Duosuma is kind of complicated when it comes to this part, so if it's too much of a hassle, then feel free to separate each into its own document. If you put all of your work into one document, title the document as the number of pieces and the genre (for example, if you are submitting four poems, title the document "4 Poems"). For fiction and nonfiction, please put each piece in its own document.

-Please include a bio <70 words. Short and sweet is best; tell us your name, where you're from, what you do (whether that be a job or something that generally brings you joy), and a few previous publications, if you'd like. Please do not list more than 4-5 prior publications.

-We ask that contributors of the most recent issue skip one submission period before submitting work again, but this does not apply to art contributors. For example, if you had work accepted for issue 1, please skip issue 2 submissions and then you can submit again for issue 3.

-We ask that you do not submit work more than two times in any submission period (this goes for across genres as well). Please wait on a response to your first submission before making a second submission.

-A cover letter is NOT required and will not affect our decision, as we will not read it until after seeing your work. However, we don't mind learning a little about you, and welcome any information you'd like to share with us about your and/or your work.

-Simultaneous submissions are more than welcome (and expected). In fact, we encourage them! All we ask is that you notify us ASAP if a piece has been accepted for publication elsewhere. You can withdraw the specific piece from your submission, leave us a note/message in Duosuma, or email us directly ([email protected]) if you need to withdraw a submission.

-We do not accept previously published work (we do NOT count social media posts as previously published, so send those in!). We will make exceptions for works that were published in print-only publications, or in publications that no longer exist (but please let us know in your cover letter if this is the case)

-We do nominate for both the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, and are looking into other literary & art awards to nominate for, as well. We also do our best to promote our contributors on our social media platforms, and celebrate your wins alongside you.

-We do our best to get back to you with a decision within a week or two, but depending on how busy we are, it may take up to a month.

***If Duosuma is not accessible to you for any reason, or if it's giving you trouble, feel free to submit to us via email instead (with a short third-person bio <70 words, and a short cover letter, both in the body of the email), at [email protected]. This method of submitting will not affect when we get back to you, nor will it affect our decision regarding your work. We understand that email is much easier for some people, and respect your choice to submit work via email, no matter the reason. If you want to submit via email and also want an expedited response, you may Venmo us at @wildscapelit ($5 for a <48 hour response or $8 for a <24 hour response. In the note of your Venmo, please type the email address used for emailing your submission, so we know for certain who sent it.)

Poetry Guidelines:

-Up to 5 poems

-12pt font, times new roman

-Upload only as .doc/.docx (NOT a PDF)

-Each poem must be two pages or shorter (therefore 10 pages or less total for the entire submission). We tend to prefer shorter pieces (1 page or less) that pack a punch. Powerful meaning in as few words as possible.

-Please start each poem on a new page

-Please be sure that the titles for each poem are clearly marked (in italics, bold, underlined, whatever works best)

-Please leave all identifying information (name, etc.) off of your submission document and document title. We prefer to read blind.

-Please do not double space your poems unless it is how they were intended to be. Only fiction/nonfiction pieces need to be double spaced.

-Hard sells: rhyming poetry, overly-sexual poetry for the sake of being overly-sexual, horror, vulgarity for the sake of being vulgar (i.e. it must have a purpose or add something to the poem)

Fiction/CNF Guidelines:

-Up to 2 pieces

-12pt font, times new roman, double spaced

-Please keep each piece under 1,500 words (2,000 at the very most)

-Upload only as .doc/.docx (NOT a PDF)

-Please leave all identifying information (name, etc.) off of your submission document and document title. We prefer to read blind.

Art Guidelines:

Please send up to five pieces of art. We prefer the whimsical and the beautiful, the ethereal and the wild. We love abstract as well as any and all mediums/techniques. Genre does not matter, but we tend to lean away from horror and nude photography. PNG, JPG, GIF, or PDF are preferred, but please reach out to us if another format is desired to preserve your art, and we will figure something out. You are also welcome to submit your work to us via email at [email protected] if that is easiest for you.

If you want to see what we're specifically looking for vs not looking for, as well as examples of what we like, please check out the bottom portion of our submission page here.