december publishes poetry, prose, and art. We invite submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid work, and visual art. We accept submissions from January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1 each year.
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Please read the general guidelines and genre guidelines carefully before submitting your work.
We read and review all submissions blindly. Please do not include your name or any identifying information in your uploaded document or in the file name. Entries that identify the submitter/author will be declined automatically in order to uphold the integrity of our blind reading process.
We do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we try to provide a response within six to eight weeks. If you have not received a response after 10 weeks, please query through Submittable. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
We accept only one submission per genre per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1. Additional submissions will be declined.
We publish only original, previously unpublished work. Self-published pieces and work that appears anywhere online are both considered published. Additionally, work must be solely produced by the author without the use of AI (artificial intelligence), algorithmic, machine-learning, or computer-generated text of any sort.
We pay our print contributors $10 per page, regardless of genre, with a $40 minimum and $200 maximum. NB: At this time, we are unable to compensate artists for work that is selected for social media or other digital spaces.
There is a Submittable transmission fee for non-subscribers. This fee only partially covers our cost to use Submittable. The fee is waived for subscribers. To subscribe, please visit our website: www.decembermag.org/subscribe.
We look forward to reading your work!
We’re honored to have the magnificent Maggie Smith as the judge of our 2025 contest.
Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books of poetry and prose, including You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, Goldenrod, Keep Moving, and My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book for children, illustrated by Leanne Hatch. Smith’s next book is Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life (Atria, April 2025). Her poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, TIME, The Nation, The Atlantic, and The Best American Poetry.
Contest Details:
We will accept contest submissions from September 1, 2024 through November 1, 2024.
1st Prize: $1,500 and publication
Honorable Mention: $500 and publication
All finalists will be published in the Spring/Summer 2025 Awards issue. Finalists will be paid at regular contributor rates ($10/page with a $40 minimum and $200 maximum.)
Contest entry fee includes a copy of the Awards issue. Entrants from out of the country will receive a digital copy of the issue.
Contest Entry Guidelines:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from your document and from the file name. Entries that identify the submitter/author will be declined without review or a refund in order to uphold the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Each entry should include no more than three poems; please include all poems in one file. You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry should include no more than three poems.
3. Submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions. We will respond as promptly as possible.
4. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Any size print run or online publication (including blogs and/or social networking) disqualifies an entry.
Please adhere to the following guidelines in the submission process:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from your document and from the file name. Submissions with identifying information will be declined automatically in order to maintain the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Limit each submission to one short story or three very short (1,000 words or fewer) stories.
3. We ask that you submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we aim to respond in six to eight weeks. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
4. Send us only one piece per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1.
To subscribe to december and waive the reading fee, please, visit our website at www.decembermag.org/subscribe.
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
***This submission portal is for those who are already subscribers. Please use the non-subscriber submission portal if you are not already a subscriber. To subscribe, visit our website at www.decembermag.org/subscribe.***
Please adhere to the following guidelines in the submission process:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from your document and from the file name. Submissions with identifying information will be declined automatically in order to maintain the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Limit each submission to one story or three very short (1,000 words or fewer) stories.
3. We ask that you submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we aim to respond in six to eight weeks. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
4. Send us only one piece per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1.
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
Please adhere to the following guidelines in the submission process:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from yyour document and the file name. Submissions with identifying information will be declined automatically in order to maintain the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Limit each submission to one essay, memoir, or other work of creative non-fiction, or three very short (1,000 words or fewer) essays.
3. We ask that you submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we aim to respond in six to eight weeks. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
4. Send us only one piece per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1.
To subscribe to december and waive the reading fee, please, visit our website at www.decembermag.org/subscribe.
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
***This submission portal is for those who are already subscribers. Please use the non-subscriber submission portal if you are not already a subscriber. To subscribe, visit our website at www.decembermag.org/subscribe.***
Please adhere to the following guidelines in the submission process:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from your document and the file name. Submissions with identifying information will be declined automatically in order to maintain the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Limit each submission to one essay, memoir, or other work of creative non-fiction, or three very short (1,000 words or fewer) essays.
3. We ask that you submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we aim to respond in six to eight weeks. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
4. Send us only one piece per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1.
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
Please adhere to the following guidelines in the submission process:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from your document and the file name. Submissions with identifying information will be declined automatically in order to maintain the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Limit each submission to no more than five poems and combine all of your poems into one document. If you are submitting haiku, you may include up to 15.
3. We ask that you submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we aim to respond in six to eight weeks. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
4. Send us only one submission packet per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1.
To subscribe to december and waive the reading fee, please, visit our website at www.decembermag.org/subscribe.
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
***This submission portal is for those who are already subscribers. Please use the non-subscriber submission portal if you are not already a subscriber. To subscribe, visit our website at www.decembermag.org/subscribe.***
Please adhere to the following guidelines in the submission process:
1. Remove your name and all identifying information from your document and the file name. Submissions with identifying information will be declined automatically in order to maintain the integrity of our blind reading process.
2. Limit each submission to no more than five poems and combine all of your poems into one document. If you are submitting haiku, you may include up to 15.
3. We ask that you submit to us exclusively; we do not accept simultaneous submissions, but we aim to respond in six to eight weeks. *NB: If you select the option to receive feedback, our decision may take longer than eight weeks.*
4. Send us only one submission packet per reading period. Our reading periods are January 1 to May 1 and September 1 to November 1.
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
Use this portal to submit visual art for december's print issues.
We are looking for collections of work that speak to the relationship between art and language for publication in portfolio form in one of our print issues. We are also interested in work that can be printed as black and white illustrations throughout the issue.
Please send pdf or jpeg images. Low-resolution is acceptable for submission purposes, but high-res images must be available upon acceptance. We do not accept images of visual art that have been previously published, either in print or online.
NB: Submit art to be considered for december's social media and website in "Visual Art - Digital"
Use this portal to submit visual art for december's website and social media pages. Please send pdf, png, or jpeg images. Low-resolution is acceptable for submission purposes, but high-res images must be available upon acceptance.
We do not accept images of visual art that have been previously published, either in print or online.
At this time, we are unable to compensate artists for artwork that appears soley on our website and/or social media.
NB: Submit art to be considered for december's print issue in "Visual Art (Print)"