Submissions are currently CLOSED for Spring 2024.

They will open in IUP’s Fall 2024-25 Semester.

Like last year, we have selected a theme for our Spring ’24 issue. Regular submissions (i.e. they do not fit the theme) are still allowed and encouraged! We will have a section in the magazine for both.

The theme we have selected this year is “Fairy Tales & Myths.”

We invite you to approach this theme from any angle you’d like. Is there a fairy tale or myth that you feel connected to? A story, hero, or monster that you want to bring to life in some new way? A piece inspired by the style of those works? Maybe you draw inspiration from specific stories, like “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Vasilisa the Fair,” or “Cupid and Psyche.” Maybe you want to draw on broader topics, like happily ever afters, saving damsels from dragons, or gods cursing mortals. Wherever this prompt takes you, be it fairy castle or creepy forest, we encourage you to follow.

Types of Submissions

Short Stories

Poems

Essays

Scripts

Artwork

Photos

General Guidelines

  1. We only accept submissions from students currently enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This includes undergraduate and graduate students. We are not accepting submissions from IUP alumni at this time.
  2. If possible, do not include your name in the file for your piece (particularly written works) so that editors can remain unbiased.
  3. We cannot accept pieces based on other people’s work (i.e. fanart, fanfiction, etc.) due to copyright.
    • This should go without saying, but any submission must be created by you. We will not accept plagiarized work or work created by AI.
  4. Due to page size constraints, formatting of poems, experimental prose, and/or scripts may end up needing to be adjusted. We will do our best to maintain the integrity of the piece and discuss these edits with you before any are finalized.
  5. As stated above, our theme is optional. We still allow and encourage regular submissions!
  6. Due to the varying sizes of pieces, we do not currently have a set maximum amount that you can submit. However, we do have a limited amount of space, so we will let you know if we have accepted the maximum amount of submissions from you that we can.
  7. Similarly, while submissions do not close till February 1st, we encourage you to submit early. The earlier you submit, the more room time we have to work with you on your piece.

Writing Guidelines

  1. 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, double-spaced
  2. Wordcount
    • For short stories and essays: 1500 words max
    • For poem and scripts: 150 lines max
  3. Submit as .docx.
  4. While not required, we appreciate if you name the file(s) the title of your piece.
  5. Regarding essays: The content should be applicable to a literary and arts magazine. When in doubt, we encourage you to submit and let us be the judge of if it fits.
    • If you use any outside sources, please make sure to properly credit them.
  6. Regarding scripts: This is a format we have not previously accepted, so we are still figuring out how exactly formatting them within the magazine will work. Each new line of text counts toward the 150 lines max. We are open to including excerpts of larger pieces, but the script you submit should feel like a complete scene.

Art/Photography Guidelines

  1. Submit as .png and/or .jpeg.
  2. While not required, we appreciate if you name the file(s) the title of your piece.
  3. Any images submitted need to be at 300 DPI or higher to ensure that they ill print properly. If you aren’t sure how to find the DPI, this article offers a few different ways to check.
  4. Similarly, if the image quality is too low (e.g. blurry, out-of-focused, etc.), we may have to ask for a different version. Unfortunately, this does mean that if you are for one reason or another unable to take a new one, we will have to reject it.
    • If you are concerned about image quality for photos of physical works, please reach out to us at iupngar@gmail.com and we can discuss the possibility of a staff member coming to help take photos.
  5. Regarding cover art: This is the only category that is required to follow our theme. You may make as many cover art submissions as you like, but there will only be one “winner” (who will not be chosen till after submissions have closed).

How to Submit

All pieces should be submitted through our Google Form.

If you are having issues with the Google form or any other questions about submitting, please reach out to us at iupngar@gmail.com.