Current

Submissions

We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis for our online writer-in-residence program, Dialogues, a virtual forum created for sharing ideas, fostering engagement with a broader audience, and supporting emerging writers in their professional development. We are currently interested in developing essays, conversations, podcast series, and creative nonfiction reflecting on lived experiences of queer, trans, Black, and Indigenous people. Please send us a proposal or work-in-progress and a short biography to info@lungsproject.org with the subject title “Dialogues Submission.” Alternatively, you can submit previously created but not published works to expand and improve upon. We accept long essays (3,000-5,000 words), short essays (1,000-3,000 words), photo/video essays, and illustrated interviews. All submitted work must be nonfiction and original to the author. We do not consider previously published work.

Manuscript submissions for poetry are on hiatus! Since 2020, we have suspended print production and distribution. The guidelines below are for reference only.

We are currently accepting full-length poetry manuscripts for consideration to be published through Lungs Poetry. Lungs Poetry is by and for QTBIPOC artists and writers/poets. We are particularly keen on up-and-coming names who explore reflexive lyrical poetry with themes relating to the evolution of self and community, belonging, resilience, spirituality, and mysticism. We also enjoy experimental styles and concrete poetry. We love everything nontraditional! Nuanced and delicate works imbued with a sense of curiosity move us tremendously. The intellectualized emotionality prevalent in Lorde’s work often leaves us in awe.

Book-length poetry manuscripts only. As a general guideline, your book should consist of a minimum of 45 poems and a maximum of 85 poems. This is not a concrete number; however, we are willing to publish slightly shorter or longer manuscripts. Unfortunately, we cannot accept submissions for chapbooks at this time. We will provide all design and distribution services. We will hype up your work everywhere on our website and social media. What’s more wonderful is that you will join the Lungs family—an ever-growing grass-roots, anti-hierarchical community of artists and writers who like to uplift and support one another.

Please make sure your manuscript is complete before submitting it. Once submitted, corrections and new versions will not be accepted. That said, all selected work will need to go through a process of proofreading and small editorial interventions to ensure the quality in print. During this time, you will have direct access to our editor, who will guide your manuscript around your vision. You will be able to work collaboratively and bounce off ideas when producing your book.

Interested? Please send a finished manuscript and brief synopsis to Sheyda at info@lungsproject.org. Please include your final proof in both a PDF form and a Word doc via attachments. An easy-to-read font is preferred, but you’re welcome to include different formatting if it’s vital to the structure of your poems. We expect that the majority of the work in your manuscript has not been previously published. However, individual poems that have appeared in other publications should be credited as such. Simultaneous manuscript submissions are accepted and encouraged but don't hesitate to get in touch with us to withdraw your work if it is accepted elsewhere. We require no submission fees, but we encourage a small donation within the limits of affordability.

Submissions for our annual Contemporary Art and Literature magazine are currently closed. The guidelines below are for reference only.

• Who is eligible for submissions?

  Early-career artists, poets, and writers from historically marginalized backgrounds. We especially welcome with open arms submissions from members of our LGBTQIA+ community. We like using the term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) to redress the invisibility of Indigenous peoples and to uproot anti-Black narratives in certain POC communities. We know, however, that there is no one-size-fits-all term and that decoloniality and anti-racism work require constant learning/unlearning. Contact us if you’re confused if you’d be eligible.

• What do you accept?

  Poetry: Up to 6 poems sent in one file.

  Fiction: 500-3000 words

  Micro/flash fiction: Up to 2 pieces. 500 words or less.

  Creative nonfiction of literary quality: 3000 words or less.

  Essays in academic style: 3000-4000 words.

  Contemporary visual arts: photography, new media, moving image, drawings, print, painting, sculpture.

  We accept doc, docx, pdf, png, and jpeg files. Please name your attached files with your Name, Surname, Title of Work, Year (if relevant).

• Can I submit work in more than one category?

  Of course! Please send us all your work in one email.

• What do I need to include in my submission?

  We'd like to encourage you to attach a short biography that includes your educational background, location, and themes. You may also send links to your social media accounts to help us find your previous works more easily.

• How much does it cost to apply?

  Submissions are free, and you are never required to pay any contribution fee if selected. We welcome donations if you enjoy what we do and feel like supporting us.

• Are there payments to contributors?

  Payment to contributors is contingent upon our funding resources, which vary every year. Sadly, we’re not always in a position to offer payments; we do indicate any possible payments in individual open call pages. Nevertheless, we always strive to send all contributors a free print copy of the magazine, and we widely promote your excellent work on our social media.

• Do you accept previously published works of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction?

  We’d love to read works that haven’t been published elsewhere, although we occasionally accept previously published work. As long as you let us know in your submission when and where your work has appeared, we will happily review it.

• Do you accept simultaneous submissions?

  Yes. Please let us know as soon as a piece is accepted elsewhere.

• When will I be notified of the result of my submission?

  We generally aim to complete reviewing all work within five weeks of the submission deadline. However, sometimes, this may take longer due to a large number of submissions. Please feel free to get in touch if you don’t hear from us within this time frame—remember to check your spam as email can be erratic. Thank you for being patient.

• Do you provide feedback/critique?

  It isn’t always possible for us to provide individual feedback. We often, however, include our comments and words of encouragement if we enjoyed reviewing your work but couldn’t include it in the magazine for various other reasons. We are artists and writers ourselves who had their fair share of rejection emails, so we try to be as encouraging as possible when we need to reject work. Also, we rarely turn down a request for feedback. So feel free to reach out if you want us to give you feedback on your submission.

• Are previous contributors eligible to submit again?

  Yes. All past contributors are welcome to apply as long as they fulfill the eligibility criteria.

• Do you provide other opportunities for artists and writers?

  We announce open calls every year for our print magazine and often create other short-term projects, so we encourage you to apply again if your work hasn’t been selected this time around. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter to be kept in the loop about our open calls.