FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • SUBMISSIONS

    Questions about the submissions process.

    1. What do you accept?

      • Anything that can be printed, my friend! Paintings, poems, rants, short stories, photos, collages, comics, fabulous one-liners, and so on, and on, and on.

    2. How do I submit written pieces?

    3. How do I submit artistic renderings?

    4. What if I have a very large file?

      • Send us a Google Drive link with the proper sharing permissions! See our How to Submit page for more information.

    5. Can I submit multiple pieces?

      • Yes! We will review up to 5 written submissions per author and 7 image submissions per artist per submission cycle. Due to the volume of submissions, we cannot review entire portfolios. We recommend you only send in your best! See our How to Submit page for more information.

    6. Is there a length limit for written submissions?

      • Submissions must not exceed 16-pages double-spaced in length. Please do not use weirdly formatted margins or minuscule text sizes. If it's smaller than 12 point, then we won't read it.

    7. How often can I submit?

      • You can submit as often as you like, provided you stay under the submission limits of 5 written pieces and 7 image submissions. See our How to Submit page for more information.

    8. What kind of work are you looking for?

      • We are looking for anything that is fresh. Our most successful contributors manage to find a way to tell a story in an original fashion that strikes a personal chord within our staff. A little competitive? Hell yeah. We accept less than 25% of all submissions. Impossible? No. Should you be intimidated? NEVER. Do you need a special background in anything? Uh-uh. We're an eclectic bunch of reviewers, moved by the capricious winds.

        The bottom line: JUST SUBMIT.  The worst answer you will get is a "no," accompanied by ways to improve the piece.

  • REVIEWING PROCESS

    Questions about the reviewing process and critiques.

    1. How do you review my submissions?

    2. Do I get critiques in return?

      • We provide one-on-one workshop for any pieces selected for workshop. We usually try to provide feedback on declined pieces as well. Accepted pieces usually do not receive critiques, though we may make small grammatical and spelling edits for publication.

    3. When will you notify me about the status of my submission?

      • We have a high volume of submissions that we review on a rolling basis, usually coming in waves. It can take anywhere from four weeks to an entire quarter to hear back about your piece. We appreciate your patience and encourage you to submit more work in the meantime, if the anticipation is killing you! Find more information at our Review Process page.

  • COPYRIGHT + PUBLICATION POLICIES

    Questions about copyright and publication.

    1. Can I submit a piece even if it has been accepted elsewhere or published before?

      • Yes! We don't mind. We would prefer that you notify us where the piece has been accepted or previously published to help us coordinate our layout design process.

    2. Who ultimately owns the copyright to the piece?

      • You do. We will not publish your work without your acknowledgement. You may withdraw a piece from the review process at any time. You can copyright your work at Creative Commons.

    3. What is your plagiarism policy?

      • Simple: don't do it! We recognize that in literature it is sometimes difficult to draw the line. We do know plagiarism when we see it, however. If you use someone else's work, please cite it. We will provide all citations in the printing of the magazine. If you are caught plagiarizing and you are affiliated with the University of Chicago, we will notify all other publications and the University.

  • OTHER

    1. How do I join staff?

      • We accept staff applications about once a year from the student body of the University of Chicago. In the beginning of Autumn Quarter, you can find our application at our application page.