We are The Lichening, and we have a special interest in writing that explores the infinite entanglements of human and non-human lives, styles, and worlds. BUT you needn’t limit your submission to pieces that are explicitly “environmental.” We desire work that approaches our more-than-human relationships subtly, sideways, snakelike, slant. We probably aren’t the right venue for pieces that leave out the non-human world entirely, but other than that, feel free to try us and see what we think!
We also harbor a passion for signal boosting new voices, own voices, underrepresented voices, and so forth, in substantive and meaningful ways. White supremacist, colonialist, patriarchal, cis-normative, and classist culture has done its very best to exploit and dominate the planet. The work we want to publish will flow from (and through) other streams.
Basic Guidelines
- please send only previously unpublished material (including social media)
- we pay every contributor a nominal sum of money — hopefully one day it will be non-nominal!
- our reading period is X —– X
More Details
- translations are welcome if you have permission from the copyright owner
- collaborative creations are welcome
- we don’t like the norm that literary magazines take months and months to respond to submissions, but we’re also (unfortunately) human, so… we try to be quick, and we sometimes fail — feel free to query if it’s been over two months
- simultaneous submissions are good — please notify us immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere, by withdrawing the submission or leaving a note on Submittable
Contest Guidelines
- generally the same as above, BUT:
- make sure document does NOT include your name or identifying information, including in the file name
- winner receives non-nominal $1,000!
- more details at the contest page
Poetry
- 3-5 poems
- in a single document
Fiction
- short story or novel excerpt
- probably under 10,000 words
- double-spaced
Essay / “CNF”
- essay in any form or mode
- probably under 10,000 words
- double-spaced
Visual Art
- professional quality images
- up to 10
- include brief artist statement
Other Stuff
- got something else you think we’d like? try us!
- some ideas: book reviews, interviews, spotlighting an organization or community project, comics
- feel free to pitch or query, or send a completed piece