We are open for submissions
April 1-15! Read the guidelines and submit with the link below.
2024 guidelines
please read carefully for changes we've recently made. submissions that do not comply with our guidelines will not be considered.
01
Poetry & Creative Nonfiction Submission Guidelines
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Please send us 1-3 poems (one poem per page) or one CNF piece that is no more than 2,500 words (essay, journal entry, excerpt from a memoir or lager piece).
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We read and publish work that is in English only.
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We no longer take previously published work so send us what hasn't appeared online or in print.
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Work should be 12pt text; set in Courier, Arial, Times New Roman (CNF - double spaced)
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We pay attention to craft, ease, beauty, rawness of your writing. Are we inspired, moved? Is it thought provoking, surprising, inviting?
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We only take poems within the submission window and via Duosuma through Duotrope (it's free to set up an account).
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You will be notified the month following your submission. Feel free to make simultaneous submissions but let us know ASAP if what you sent us is selected elsewhere.
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We believe a writer should have full control of their work, so all copyright and publication rights remain with the writer at all times. However, we appreciate exclusive publication rights for three months after the piece has been published by us to ensure maximum impact. And if your piece appears anywhere after that, please acknowledge that it was first published in Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing (or "Snapdragon Journal").
02
What We Value
We are a small, independent lit magazine, run by volunteers, that is open to writers and readers of all nationalities, creeds, races, genders and spectrums, sexualities, and religions.
We publish emerging and established writers and we are particularly interested in publishing historically marginalized voices and making space for belonging within publishing and storytelling.
We believe that poetry and literature can seem for the elite and be overlooked as a dynamic tool for connection to the self and others. Therefore, we are proud to be a platform that lifts voices aimed to share vulnerably and honestly knowing that speaking truth heals.
We do not tolerate, publish, or promote hate speech, racism, or bigotry.
We are not responsible for the views of others and we use our platform to shine light on all aspects of life and those within our world.
03
FAQ
1. What are the biggest changes since you last published work in 2022?
- You will notice that instead of publishing each quarter we are now publishing only twice a year.
- Also, we are no longer taking previously published pieces or photography (we will open again for photography in 2025).
- We are using Duotrope's (free) Submission Manager instead of Submittable.
Those are the major changes. What remains is our commitment and passion to finding and publishing work that stirs, highlights, inspires, reveals the complexity of the healing journey.
2. What's your theme this year?
We moved from publishing every quarter to publishing twice a year. Our first issue of 2024, due out this summer, will have "climate change" as its theme. Tell us about the plant and what's happening from your perspective. Submissions will be received April 1-15 for the summer issue due in June. The theme for our Fall/Winter issue will be "Compose." We want to know what these means to you. You can look at it in terms of how you compose something (a writing, a thought, yourself), or this being a highly political year in the US, or anything else the word conjures for you. You can read more here.
3.Can I submit both poetry and creative nonfiction at one time?
Yes, you can submit in both categories in the same period.
4. When will I be notified if my piece has been selected to be published?
We will take about a month to go through the submissions and make our selection. You will hear from us, via email, our decision within two months. Be sure you check your spam folder if you don't see an email within that timeframe.
5. Where and how will my piece be published?
We are excited to now have the poems and CNF easily accessible on our website at no cost to readers.
6. I would love to support you as a small press. How else might I do that, in addition to submitting my work?
Our core goal is spreading the beauty of how creative writing aids in emotional, mental, physical healing. We don't mean "cure" but rather what happens when we write and read honest, deeply moving, creative works. With that in mind, we would love if you share our website with others for them to read what we're publishing as well as consider submitting their own work. And if we feature your work, shout us out on social media! You can also order previous issues and follow what's happening with our hub, The Word Project.
