Call for Submissions

NO FEE Submission call and interview – SHANTIH Journal, DEADLINE: Sept. 2, 2016

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Brennan John - Light Wash - TRISHSHANTIH Journal is a new online lit mag and seeking submissions of poetry, prose, drama, visual art, and translations for their second issue.

I wondered how and why this new lit mag came to be, so I asked founder David White and he kindly replied. See my interview with White and submission guidelines below.

HOPKINSON: How did the idea of SHANTIH first come about and evolve into the journal it is today?

WHITE: SHANTIH is the conceptual convergence of idea and situation. First, the student-devoted lit mag I'd been sponsoring since 1998, What the Thunder Said, had come about as far as it could--we'd won the NCTE PRESLM a few times, we'd funded cash prizes for student writers, and many of our students had gone on to publish in mainstream literary journals. The staff came up with the idea of opening submissions to a general audience and work with professional writers side by side with student writers. Eventually, I made the decision that my students' ambitions were outpacing the platform as it existed. I founded SHANTIH as a way to give life to that creative drive. My former students are the editors, layout artists, designers, and readers, the real creative force behind the journal. Of course, they're not students anymore, but MFA grads, professional designers, educators, writers, and artists who are committed to the expansion of the arts. As a writer myself, I believe we have a perfect platform here to honor the work that writers and artists do, and to foster a culture of art as a way of life. Shantih, the word itself, is also, of course, the last three words of Eliot's The Waste Land, the very verse of which that long ago student lit mag took its name. That's a great metaphor in that we have come full circle to begin again, the editorial staff and myself, and also in that we think it's perfect to ground our endeavor in that expression of peace, not passive peace, but as an action, the employment of peace, of art as peace.

HOPKINSON: Are you currently open for submissions and what kinds/types of work are you interested in?

WHITE: We are always open for submissions. Right now we are in the chase for work to be featured in our upcoming second edition--all submissions received before September 2nd will be considered for the second edition. Submissions received after that date will be considered for later editions.

We always take fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and photography. At the moment, our needs are for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, but if you have an amazing piece of art or photography, we'll certainly be happy to see that, as well.

While our issues are not themed, we do want our emerging voice to reflect the idea of peace as an action, a voice, a vision, a way of breathing words and images into the world. Having said that, we're wide open in terms of content and subject matter.

We do not read erotica, science fiction, mystery, or crime stories.

We encourage submissions by underrepresented voices.

HOPKINSON: As an editor/educator, what tips do you have for those writing and submitting?

WHITE: Please follow our submission guidelines. We read anonymously, so if you put your name on your manuscript, that's a problem.  We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know and contact us if your piece is accepted elsewhere. We do not accept reprints, which includes anything appearing on blogs or elsewhere on the internet, and we do check, so it's a real time saver and mood enhancer when everyone is clear from the outset.

Our favorite writers include Lydia Davis, Margaret Atwood, Russell Banks, Tim O'Brien, Raymond Carver, Toni Morrison, Amy Hempel, Sophie Cabot Black, Robert Hass, Joy Harjo, Naomi Shihab Nye, Lidia Yuknavitch, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and the list goes on and on. We really just want you to submit and let's see if we can work together to make something incredible. If you become one of our writers, we'll promote you and your work in every way we can.

HOPKINSON: Where can poets/writers send submissions?

WHITE: All written work must be submitted as a Word document (doc. or docx.) and e-mailed to shantihjournal@gmail.com. When submitting, please provide us with your name, title(s) of your work, and a brief bio including any publication history you might have in the body of your e-mail. Again, please do NOT include any identifying information on your uploaded document.

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?

WHITE: shantihjournal@gmail.com can also be used for any questions or concerns. We can also be contacted via Twitter and Facebook.

Click here to read submission guidelines.

DEADLINE: September 2, 2016 for the next issue

SUBMISSION FEE: None

PAYMENT: None

FORMS: nonfiction, fiction, flash prose, poetry, drama, art, photography, translations

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