Fat Coyote  is a new online literary journal featuring neurodivergent writers and artists. They are currently open for submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, artwork, photography, and comic strips for their inaugural issue until June 30, 2021. You can read more about how the journal and its name came to be on their About page.

For more information, see my interview with founding editor Catherine Dartez and a link to submission guidelines below.

HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about Fat Coyote. 

DARTEZ: The Fat Coyote is a literary arts journal that publishes neurodivergent voices. It seeks to center and amplify the lived experiences of individuals across the spectrum of neurodivergence, be it ASD, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, PTSD, and numerous other disorders or conditions that fall under the umbrella. 

HOPKINSON: Why was Fat Coyote originally started? 

DARTEZ: The Fat Coyote Literary Arts Journal is a product of rage wielded into productive action. It is a response to two problems. First, it is a response to the continued exclusion of neurodivergent voices in organizations or activities that directly impact them. Second, it is a response to stereotypes and the saturation of misleading information about various neurodivergent conditions. 

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience? 

DARTEZ:  I initially thought the target reader audience was neurotypical people – especially those who have close relationships with neurodivergent people. I wanted them to witness first-hand experiences and representations of neurodivergence that might chip away at misconceptions; however, I was taken aback by the various representations in submissions. It is one thing to digest entertainment that contains characters who code as neurodivergent without it being canon, and it is quite another thing to digest entertainment where you explicitly know the depiction is neurodivergent. The impact of that clarity was substantial enough to shift my ideas surrounding The Fat Coyote’s audience: The Fat Coyote is first and foremost a collection of works for neurodivergent readers. 

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for? 

DARTEZ: We want poetry, flash and short fiction, creative nonfiction, artwork, photography and comics. In terms of the content, we want bold, unapologetic perspectives. We want work that hones in on an aspect of existence and dismantles it piece by piece. We want the pulse of each work’s emotional charge – whether subtle or bludgeoning – to be wielded with precision.

Neurodivergence is not required to be the focus of submitted works.  

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in? 

DARTEZ: I wish we’d receive more visual art submissions and creative nonfiction. I’d love to encounter a skillful rendering of everyday life’s mundanity where neurodivergence pulses in the periphery rather than as a focused feature. I hope we receive artwork depicting coyotes. I want dyslexic poetry, celebrations of movement and sensorial comforts. I hope to cultivate a balance between depictions of difficulty, pleasure, and the space between. 

HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?

DARTEZ: Split Lip, New England Review, The Sun Magazine, Crazyhorse

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with Fat Coyote?

DARTEZ: My favorite part of being on The Fat Coyote’s staff is reading submissions. This response is related to the revelation about The Fat Coyote’s primary audience. I knew representation was important, but I did not realize the weight of that importance until I started sifting through submissions. I get glimpses into people’s lives, how they experience the world and who they are in it. I learn from the submissions, too.

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions? 

DARTEZ: Submissions can be made via Duotrope at https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/fat-coyote-literary-arts-TR7s4. There is no submission fee. A tip jar is available for donations. 

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

DARTEZ:  We can be reached at fat_coyote@outlook.com.

Click here to read submission guidelines.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 30, 2021

FORMAT: Online and in an annual print journal

SUBMISSION FEE: None

PAYMENT: There are broad payment categories. Minimum payment for any category is $30 and the maximum payment is $120. Please visit https://thefatcoyote.com/blog/submission-guidelines/ for details.

ISSUE FREQUENCY: Online publications will be ongoing. A print journal will be published in December. 

AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: There is not an average response time available as we are in the inaugural submission period. Our goal is to respond to all submissions within 120 days. 

SUBMISSION METHOD: Duosuma

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes

FORMS: Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art, photography, comics.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Twitter

DUOTROPE: https://duotrope.com/listing/32549/fat-coyote-literary-arts

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