Print Submission Guidelines

Straylight Literary Arts Magazineaccepts dynamic pieces of fiction, poetry, and art. We strongly urge you to purchase and review a copy of the magazine before you submit, or, at the very least, browse the online content. Not only will this help a small press stay afloat, but you can see what style of work we accept in each issue. Please also include a cover letter with a brief bio of 50 words or less.  As a general rule, we do not accept simultaneous submissions. For written works, reporting time is about 2 months.

Fiction

We publish high quality, character-based fiction of almost any style. We often do not publish strict genre pieces, though we may query them for future special issues. We do not publish erotica. Please submit one work for publication at a time. We will consider work between 1500-5000 words. We will not consider novels, novellas, or partial manuscripts for our print issues. Manuscripts should be typed and double spaced with the author’s name and contact information in the upper left corner of the first page. Pagination should be included thereafter. Include a cover letter and a brief bio of 50 words or less with your submission as well as an approximate word count.

Poetry

We will consider poems of any style and almost any length for publication. Include 3-6 poems in a single submission. Poems can be single spaced, but each new poem should have its own page with the author’s name.

Art

We consider art of any style or medium for the cover of the magazine and the art in each issue. You may submit up to three pieces, but make sure that all work for print is at least 300dpi and is formatted as a jpeg or png file. Please include a title and the medium for each one. Works without titles will not be considered.

Rights and Payment.

We buy First North American Rights, and we pay in contributor copies, although we hope to be able to offer more substantial payment soon.

To submit your work, please click the link below to be directed to our online submission manager.

Online Submission Guidelines

Straylight’s online publication is not a replication of the content in the print edition. This publication is dedicated to exploring narrative of all fashion. We still look for stories and poems with a strong sense of place and moments that are character-centered, rather than those that rely on plot twists and literary tricks. However, we welcome submissions that cross genre boundaries as well as those that explore the way that visual art, music, and literature combine to produce new manifestations of story and verse, such as our art process pieces. With your submission, please include a brief, 25-word bio written in the third person to be published with your work. As a general rule, we will not accept simultaneous submissions. For questions about online submissions, email submissions@straylightmag.com.

Flash Fiction

Flash fiction is a short piece of fiction—under 1000 words—that is less concerned with genre than it is with characters, plot, and setting. If you have work that you would like to see featured on our site, please submit your story below. Response time is about 8 weeks.

Novellas

Novellas are published exclusively on Straylight'swebsite, which can be any genre except for erotica and fan-fiction. We will consider work between 17,500–45,000 words. We will publish novellas in installments, which usually occurs in chapters. With your submission, please include a brief, 25-word bio to be published with your work. Manuscripts should be typed and double spaced, with the author’s name and contact information in the upper left hand corner of the first page. Please submit only one manuscript at a time. We will not consider entire novels or partial manuscripts. Response time is 3 months on full manuscripts and 3 weeks on queries.

Poetry

We welcome the following poetry submissions: (1) Prose Poetry. Any subject is acceptable. (2) Poetry-Visual Art. The visual work must be original, creative commons, or public domain.

If you have work that you would like to see featured on our site, please submit your poem(s) as a Word document (.doc or .docx) below. We will consider 1-6 poems per submission. Poems should be single spaced, and the author information should appear on each poem.

Art Process

Straylight is interested in publishing monthly art process pieces. We will consider all forms of art, and we will work with artists to produce weekly posts, including images and explanations of their process and craft, along the various stages and up through completion.

If you are interested in having your work considered, please submit a few sample images along with a cover letter containing a short explanation of your medium and process.

To submit your work, please click the link below to be directed to our online submission manager.