WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Deadlines: We publish twice a year.

• The deadline for the Spring Issue (published in late April) is February 1st.
• The deadline for the Fall Issue (published in late October) is August 1st.

Submission Fee: There is a $5 submission fee for written work, and a separate $5 submission fee for photography and audio/visual content. You can submit work in both categories, but you’ll have to pay the fee twice.

Why We Charge A Fee: We are not a not-for-profit (and therefore are not eligible for grants), and publishing/printing is expensive. Our journal contains NO advertising (thus, no advertising revenue). We do not pay ourselves a salary, but we do pay our graphics designer / tech consultant for her time and skills. This is a labor of love, but we do not have bottomless pockets. However, we don’t want the submission fee to be a barrier; if it is please contact us privately.

Printed & Digital Publication: If your work is accepted, it will appear in both the printed and digital versions; however, for obvious reasons, audio and video submissions will only appear in the digital version of the journal.

Simultaneous Submissions: If you are submitting your work elsewhere, that’s cool, but if it is accepted elsewhere, and you choose to go with that publication, PLEASE let us know ASAP so we can withdraw your submission from our journal and give another “creative” an opportunity to be seen. Although we included previously published work in our inaugural issue, we will not be doing so in the future. If the material appeared previously on your own blog ONLY, you may submit this work.

Poetry: you may submit up to 3 poems, but no more than 3 single-spaced pages (with double-spacing between stanzas) in an 11-point font. [doc and docx files, please]

Prose (fiction, memoir, essays): you may submit 1 or several pieces, with a grand total maximum of 1,000 words. [doc and docx files, please]

You may submit 3 poems (no more than 3 pages as stated above) and one or several prose pieces (totaling no more than 1,000 words), but we will choose one category (poetry) or the other (prose) for publication.

Images: you may submit up to 2 images. Images may be photographs themselves, or they may be photographs of other visual art forms (paintings, sculptures, etc.). Minimum resolution: 300 dpi. Most modern smartphone photos will work as long as they are sent “Actual Size.” We’ll be in touch if your image needs tweaking. [jpg, tif or pdf files, please]

If your image has a “portrait” orientation (it’s taller than it is wide), it will appear on a page of its own. If your image has a “landscape” orientation (it’s wider than it is tall), it will either share the page with another landscape image, or with text (typically the last ½-page of a contributor’s written material).

Videos: no more than 5 minutes in length. You can perform a short dramatic piece, a song, an interpretive dance, and/or play a musical instrument. You must have the rights to the work – in other words, if you didn’t write it, compose it, choreograph it, if it isn’t your original creation, then we will not publish it. We cannot afford the royalties or lawsuits. The only exception is the performance of music which is in the public domain (such as classical music). The subject matter of your submissions does not have to be lesbian-centric, but material reflecting something about lesbian life will be given preference. Please note that video content will only be available to purchasers of the digital journal. [MP4 and mov files, please]

Audios: no more than 8 minutes in length. The spoken word or music is acceptable. You must have the rights to the work – in other words, if you didn’t write it or compose it, if it isn’t your original creation, then we cannot publish it. We cannot afford the royalties or lawsuits. The only exception is the performance of music which is in the public domain (such as classical music). Please note that audio content will only be available to purchasers of the digital journal. [MP3 files, please]

Model Releases: If people’s faces appear in your photo/video, and the image is not considered “newsworthy”, then signed model releases are required from your subjects. We decide what is or isn’t “newsworthy”, but a good rule of thumb is that if the television stations were present with cameras, it was probably “newsworthy.” An example: people gathered at a political protest. Public figures are exempt and do not require releases. Download and print the Model Release pdf. Get a signature(s) from your model(s) and return the signed release(s) to us. You can snail mail a hard copy, or photograph and email it to us. The release(s) must be received no later than 1 month prior to publication. We will let you know if we feel a release is required, but if you provide us with one up front, it saves everyone time.

A Word About Diversity & Inclusivity: We are committed to 50% BIPOC participation in each issue. Please let us know if you identify as a lesbian of color.

HOW TO SEND SUBMISSIONS

All submissions should be sent as attachments to our email address, justabunchoflesbians@gmail.com, AFTER you have paid your submission fee HERE.

Please include the following information in your email. If any of the information asked for is missing, your submission will be shelved. So please check and double check before hitting “SEND.”

• Your name as you wish it to appear in the journal
• The title(s) of your piece(s). This includes titles for photos, videos and audios.
• Your email address
• Your phone number – let us know if we can text you at this number. It expedites any conversations we may need to have with you.
• Your snail mail address so we can send you a complimentary print copy if your work is accepted for publication
• Please identify yourself as a lesbian of color, if applicable
• A short “bio.” This can be witty, self-deprecating, boastful, factual…the tone is up to you. Please include the url to your website and/or social media account(s) as part of your bio, so our readers can enjoy more of your creative genius. We reserve the right to edit your bio so that it fits on the page where your work appears.