Spring Call
In continued support of uplifting marginalized and historically underrepresented voices, Penumbra would like to reiterate the importance of inclusivity in the literary and art scene as well our own commitment as a publication in creating a space where artists from all communities feel welcome and eager to submit their work. The battle for a more socially just and conscious society isn’t one exclusive to those in any specific field or position. It is on all of us to ensure that we and our neighbors are able to live and express themselves in any way they see fit without the fear of being discriminated against. Penumbra and Penumbraonline.org are committed to curating anti-racist and inclusive content for our readers. We strive for each edition to exemplify the inclusivity that is at the heart of our journal. We especially welcome work by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and all communities marginalized by systems of hate and oppression to submit to our publications! We want to highlight and celebrate your work!
For our Spring 2022 issue, Penumbra Literary and Art Journal will be open to all authors and artists for the fiction, non-fiction, hybrid literature, poetry, and art genres. We will also accept reviews (book, film, tv, music, or multi-media reviews). All submissions should be submitted individually. For example: if an author wishes to submit 2 poems, they should upload one poem per submission; submissions that include multiple pieces in one submission will be rejected. Each individual may submit a maximum of two submissions across genres. Submissions are accepted through our Submittable page. Our submission window opens on December 8, 2021 and will close on February 8, 2022 OR once we have received 500 submissions, whichever comes first. Before submitting, we ask that you carefully consider our individual genre guidelines and general guidelines below.
Genre Guidelines:
- Poetry - A maximum of 500 words for each poetry submission. No limits on form or content. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit each individually.
- Fiction - A maximum of 1,200 words for each fiction submission. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit each individually.
- Non-fiction - A maximum of 1,200 words for each non-fiction submission. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit each individually.
- Hybrid Literature - A maximum of 500 words for each hybrid submission. If submitting multiple pieces, please submit each individually.
- Art - Please submit each artwork separately. Submissions should be in the highest resolution possible, minimum 200 dpi. Submissions must also include the art medium and date of production.
- Reviews - Book, film, television, and media reviews of works released in the last 12 months are welcome. Works being reviewed must be recent. Reviews should be between 600-900 words long and should be in MLA format. No works cited pages should be necessary in your review (see past examples of acceptable reviews). Please contact our reviews editor, Autumn Andersen at aandersen1@csustan.edu to inquire further about reviews or send a review proposal. A review proposal is required. Include the title of the work you wish to review, a 1-2 sentence summary, and a short author bio or CV.
- Reviews word count should be between 600 to 900 words
- Reviews must end with a sign off of the submitter’s name and academic affiliation
- Reviews must be of recent works (within the last year)
- Review proposals are required, please send proposals or questions to the reviews editor, Autumn Andersen at aandersen1@csustan.edu.
Submission Guidelines:
- Each person can submit no more than 2 submissions total (for example, 1 art and 1 fiction OR 2 fiction OR 1 hybrid and 1 poetry). Failure to comply with this guideline will result in a rejection of all pieces submitted for the issue.
- Each piece must be in a separate document/submission to be considered.
- Word count for fiction/non-fiction is 1200 words
- Poetry pieces can be no more than 500 words
- Documents need to be submitted as Word Docs: NO PDF files will be accepted
- Art pieces must be sent as jpeg images, minimum 200 dpi resolution; we will request your highest resolution if selected.
- Titles must appear the same way in all parts of the submission (submission file, doc title, etc) to prevent confusion.
- We require specific content warnings in the actual submission as well as in the published work to protect our staff as well as our readers. If selected, this warning will be included in the final print (this is necessary in our other publications as well). Warnings must accurately reflect the content in submitted work (i.e. drug use, domestic violence, etc.)
- Once accepted, submitters cannot withdraw their pieces. All submissions are evaluated AFTER the submission period has closed. If your piece is accepted in another publication after we have accepted your piece, the secondary publication must attribute Penumbra as the original publisher.
- No images depicting bodily harm, including harm of animals; it can result in a ban from both Penumbra and Penumbraonline.org
- No racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynist, islamophobic, ableist, content or language (etc.) Nothing that furthers hate or oppressive rhetoric and practices; submitting work containing these topics can result in a ban from Penumbra, Penumbra Online, Penumbra Press, and any other Penumbra programming.
How to Submit:
- Visit our submittable page. You will need to create an account if you do not already have one. This account is free to make and use.
- Select the genre of your submission. (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc.)
- Upload your submission piece with the relevant information and click submit.
If you have any questions, please contact our Editors-in-chief, Jarred White at jarredwhite93@gmail.com or Hannah Neeley at hneeley@csustan.edu.