Submissions
Publication and Reading Schedule
Submissions are currently OPEN!
January 1-March 31: reading for our Spring issue (April publication date)
April 1-June 30: reading for our Summer issue (July publication date)
July 1-September 30: reading for our Fall issue (October publication date)
October 1-December 31: reading for our Winter issue (January publication date)
We aim to respond to submissions within 2-4 months. If you haven’t heard from us after four months, we’ve likely made a mistake, so please email us to let us know!
What We’re Looking For
The Garlic Press publishes poetry and prose pieces that are “extra pungent.” We are looking for writing with the character of garlic: fresh, raw, sticky, wild, and/or strong to the senses. Please look at our “About” page for a more detailed description.
We highly encourage under-represented and marginalized voices to submit and are open to local, national, and international writers. We love both established and budding writers. Please send us your work!
Submission guidelines
To submit to The Garlic Press, send your work via an attachment to our email: garlicpresslit@gmail.com. Please remove your name and contact information from your submission attachment. In the subject line of your email, please include your name and submission category (e.g. First name Last name – Submission Category). In the body of the email, include a cover letter and a brief third-person bio.
POETRY: Submit up to three poems and no more than ten pages total. Please send all poems in a single document (.doc/.docx or .pdf), with each poem beginning on a new page.
PROSE: Submit up to 2 short pieces or one longer piece up to ten pages double-spaced in a single document (.doc/.docx or .pdf). Our prose category is open to any genre, including but not limited to short fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, and hybrid forms.
Please send only one submission per genre per reading period.
Simultaneous Submissions: We welcome simultaneous submissions. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please email us ASAP to let us know.
Previously Published Works: Please only send us work that has previously been unpublished.
Revisions: We prefer that submitted works are proofread and final before they are sent to us. However, we understand that mistakes happen or things change. If you need to make a small edit, please send an email requesting the change(s). If you have made many changes or a large change to your submission, please email us to withdraw and resubmit during the next reading period.
AI-Generated Work: We do not accept work generated by AI.
Ethics: We strive to publish a diverse array of writers. We will not accept any works that exhibit or promote racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any other forms of bigotry.
Publication Rights: If your work is accepted for publication, we ask only for the right to publish it for the first time online. All rights revert to the author immediately after publication. If your work appears elsewhere later, please acknowledge The Garlic Press as the first place of publication.
Fees & Payment: All submissions are FREE. Unfortunately, this magazine is a labor of love, and we cannot offer payment for publication at this time. However, we will do our best to promote our contributors on social media and will include bios with relevant social media and website links to help readers find you with each published piece.
We can’t wait to read your work!
Do you have a question not answered here? Please send any queries to garlicpresslit@gmail.com