Please read before submitting

Submission Guidelines

Theme: Be/Longing

“A generous heart is always open, always ready to receive our going and coming. In the midst of such love we need never fear abandonment. This is the most precious gift true love offers - the experience of knowing we always belong.” - Bell Hooks, “All About Love: New Visions”

For our first edition we could not help but start by deconstructing the word belonging. A word so intrinsic to our sense of identity, love, and place in the world - it made sense to us that this is the first conversation we wanted to have with you. We invite you to reflect with us on belonging (or the lack thereof) but also on what it means to be and what it means to be longing. 

Main Requirements

• 18+ years old

• Open to everyone linked to a diaspora worldwide, and have multifaceted identities

• Unpublished pieces (personal blogs are an exception)

• Can submit multiple pieces at once

• Simultaneous submissions to other magazines are welcome, but inform us as soon as possible if accepted elsewhere

• Submissions should be English (Other languages are welcome if translation is provided)

What We Accept

• Fiction – short stories or standalone novel excerpts (no longer than 5000 words)

• Creative/Narrative nonfiction – essays, memoirs, travel literature and interviews (no longer than 5000 words)

• Poetry (up to three poems) per person

• Flash Fiction (no longer than 750 words)

• Art including photography, comics and illustrations: At least two and accompanied with text (please explain your work in one to three sentences or provide a brief teaser)

Submission Requirements

1. Online written submissions must be in a single file in .doc, .docx, or PDF format. (except in cases of images/illustration)

2. For images and illustrations, please attach high resolution jpeg files with an ideal max file size of 10MB but no more than 100MB

3. Your submission title must be in the following format: YourSurname_SubmissionTitle 

4. You must include a cover letter with your submission on the first page with the title of the piece, its category, word count, your name, contact details, website/social media links, and a 50-word bio

5. Fiction must be double-spaced. Indicate stanza breaks in poetry.  If submitting more than one poem, begin each poem on a new page. 

6. Include page numbers on prose or multi-page poems. 

Review process

We consider all submissions and we aim to respond within four weeks. We are not in the position to give individual feedback but please bear in mind that some stories may be well written, yet still unsuitable for WAYF Journal or may not fit with the theme of the current issue. We hope this does not deter you from submitting to future editions. We always look forward to receiving your work. 

Compensation

We currently do not offer any compensation for submission as we are currently self-funded, but we hope to bring you the fortune of readership. We plan to pay contributors for subsequent editions in the future.

Fine Print

Writers retain full rights to their work post-publication. If you would like to republish your story elsewhere, please make sure that WAYF Journal is credited and linked to as the original publisher. 

Questions?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us here. If you don’t have any questions, what are you waiting for? Submit below!