Submissions
Call for Submissions
**Submissions currently paused until March 21. We thank you for your patience; happy writing!**
We accept submissions from youth authors ages 12-22 from anywhere in the world! We accept submissions on a rolling basis, and update the online magazine with new works daily to weekly.
Submission Guidelines
This is an open space to express yourself, be creative, deal with emotion, and be read! We are looking for unique works for a young adult audience, with an emphasis on mental health - any writing used as catharsis or reflection, or used to draw attention to societal issues, is particularly welcomed. We are also open to stories about the teenage experience, mental health articles, and more. If in doubt, send it in; we are very open to any types of writing.
Simultaneous submissions are welcomed, though we do not accept previously published work. Anyone from middle school through college age, from anywhere in the world, can submit. Every submission will also receive free feedback from our editors.
What to submit:
Please limit yourself to up to three pieces at a time.
There is no deadline. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and are always open!
Simultaneous submissions are welcomed, though we do not accept previously published work. Anyone from middle school through college age, from anywhere in the world, can submit. Every submission will also receive free feedback from our editors.
What to submit:
- poetry (prose or verse)
- flash fiction
- short stories
- creative nonfiction
- vignettes
- any creative writing - really this is a space for any ramblings or strokes of genius!
- explicit sexual or violent content
- hate speech or discrimination
- previously published work (Instagram/personal blogs are fine!)
- writing over 3000 words (may be published in some instances, but we prefer shorter works)
Please limit yourself to up to three pieces at a time.
There is no deadline. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and are always open!
How to Submit
- Please email a .pdf, .docx, or .doc* file of your writing to catharticlitmagazine@gmail.com. If you are submitting multiple works, please send them as separate emails, one attachment per email. *Please do not send us Google Docs or Pages files! These are difficult for us to work with and forward to editors.
- In the subject line, put the title of your piece, a dash, and then its genre (poetry, fiction, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, mental health article, or other). For example, a subject could read "Story Title - Fiction."
- In the body of the email, please include a short (3-4 sentence) biography in the third person, including name, age, where you're from, and any prior writing experience. If you wish to submit anonymously, please still put your age and where you're from.
- If this is a simultaneous submission, please mention so here.
- If your submission contains sensitive content (e.g. self-harm, abuse, eating disorders, racial violence, etc.) please include a trigger warning for our editors.
- If you are under 13, please have a parent send an email with their permission to publish your name, bio, and work.
- If you prefer not to receive feedback, please let us know. Otherwise, our editors provide free commentary on all submissions.
- Within about 3-4 weeks, you'll receive an emailed response and feedback!***
*** We are currently experiencing a large influx of submissions, so we thank you for your patience! Please feel free to query about your submission if you have not received a response in one month.
Authors' Rights
The author owns the rights to content they submit and publish. You can resubmit your work elsewhere after it has been published in our magazine provided that you mention this publication. We ask for First Electronic Rights; we do not publish previously published works. By submitting your work to Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine, you do give us the nonexclusive rights to publish it on the online magazine and archive it indefinitely, including anything reasonably related to publishing it (like storing, displaying, and reformatting it). We may use your writing to promote the magazine, such as posting highlights on our Instagram, but never for monetary purposes. We will never sell your content to third parties.
FAQ's
- How many pieces can I submit?
- What does it mean to be published?
- Do you accept previously published work?
- Is there any reading fee?
- How old do I have to be to submit?
- Do I have to be in school, or live in a certain area?
- Is the magazine open to the public?
