Submission Deadline
The submission window for Issue No. 06 is February 1, 2024 – March 30, 2024. All work must be submitted by Saturday, March 30 @ 11:59 p.m. PT.
Issue No. 06 Theme: Eternity
Our theme for Issue No. 06 is Eternity. We seek works that explore the boundless landscapes of time, the immortal pulse of nature, the timeless essence of being, or however you understand and interpret the concept of infinitude.
- Poetry: Let your verses traverse the infinite, capturing the essence of eternity through the rhythm and flow of words. We welcome all forms and styles, from sonnets that echo through ages to free verse that stretches beyond temporal limits.
- Short Fiction: Craft narratives that delve into the endless depths of time, space, and existence. Whether it's a tale of timeless love, an exploration of eternal realms, or a story that transcends generations, bring us into your immortal worlds.
- Creative Nonfiction: Share your essays and reflective pieces that ponder the concept of eternity. From personal experiences with the everlasting to philosophical musings on the unending.
- Visual Art: We seek striking visual representations that embody the theme of eternity. Submit your paintings, drawings, digital art, photography, and mixed media pieces that visually narrate the timeless, the perpetual, and the everlasting.
Publication Details
The issue will be released for free online, and there will be a print version available to purchase a few days later.
Submitting Your Work
Please submit all writing in .docx files. Work submitted in PDF or other file formats will be declined without review.
What We Accept
We accept unpublished works of poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art.
For us, unpublished means the work has not appeared in an edited online or print publication—including self-published.
This does not include works shared on your personal social media accounts or personal websites. That is, if you have shared the work on Instagram or Twitter or your own portfolio website, etc., we will still consider your submission.
No Artificial Intelligence (AI) Content
We do not accept any writing or visual art that was created—entirely or partially—with AI software.
While we often consider AI and the content created with it fascinating and even impressive, Arboreal is not the venue for such things. Our publication is meant to be an outlet for human creativity only.
Simultaneous Submissions
We gladly accept simultaneous submissions. We value your success, whether that involves our publication or any others.
You do not need to inform us if you are submitting your work to other publications simultaneously. We simply ask that you notify us as soon as possible if your submission(s) will be published elsewhere.
Submission Fees
We do not require a fee to submit your work.
Expedited Response ($)
While no fee is required to submit your work for consideration, you can opt to pay a $3 fee to expedite our response. If you choose to pay this expedited response fee, we will inform you of our decision within 10 business days of submission.
Compensation
As a nascent, self-funded publication, we are unable to offer any form of payment to our contributors at this time. Nor are we able to offer free or discounted print copies.
We know…it’s not ideal.
That said, we will do everything we can to promote the hell out of your work and your personal brand on social media, email, and any other channels at our disposal.
Our contributors’ success is our success, and vice versa.
Rights
If we select your work for publication, Arboreal will retain worldwide First Serial Rights and worldwide First Electronic Rights.
That is, once your work is published in Arboreal, the copyright immediately reverts to you.
We also reserve the right to keep your work on our website and include it in promotional materials in perpetuity.
You can read the full agreements our selected contributors must eSign before publication here:
General Information
We are seeking submissions for the Arboreal Literary Magazine blog: "The Arboretum." This is an ongoing open submission call, so you can submit work whenever you want, and as often as you want.
We don't have any hard rules about what you can submit, but here's a list of the kinds of writing we have in mind:
- Critique
- Theory
- Interviews
- Social/Political Commentary
- Literary Analysis
Please note: We currently do not offer payment for accepted submissions, but we will certainly promote everything we publish on social media and through our newsletter.
Document Guidelines
- For references, please use Chicago Style.
- Word count: preferably no more than 3,500 words.
- 12pt, Times New Roman.
- Double-spaced.