Submissions for Issue 04 are open from 8/1 - 10/3.
Submissions for our inaugural Jennifer A. Lurie Memorial Poetry Prize are open from 8/1 - 11/14.
Who We Are:
Outskirts (n) — The fringes of a place, existing with and pushing against imposed boundaries.
Outskirts publishes poetry, short stories, essays, hybrid works, and visual art. We seek to amplify a wide range of voices from emerging and established artists. In fact, we'd love to be your first publication!
We want to read work that, like rural spaces, challenges the constructs of what’s interesting, valuable, or sacred. While we’re interested in place-based writing, we have a broad understanding of what “place” can be — a body, a mind, a cookie jar, a mountain range — and care more about a piece’s connection to the world than anything else. For a better sense of our aesthetic and mission, please read our first issue.
We charge a $3 reading fee for general submissions to support the costs of running a literary journal. We also offer a 2-week expedited response for an additional $7.
If the reading fee is a barrier, we don't want this to deter you from submitting your work. Please reach out to outskirtslit@gmail.com to request a fee waiver.
We pay $50 for cover art, otherwise we don't have the capacity to pay contributors at this time, but we hope to in the future. What we can offer is a home for your work, publicity on socials, and a personalized editorial experience.
Submission Guidelines
We accept simultaneous submissions, but we ask that you notify us immediately via Submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere. We only consider unpublished work. We do not accept anything generated using AI, nor anything discriminatory.
Our goal is to respond to your submission within three months. We accept work on a rolling basis, so it benefits you to submit early during our open period. If you haven't heard from us after three months, please send us an email at outskirtslit@gmail.com to check the status of your submission.
If we've published your work in the past, wait until two submission periods have passed before submitting again. However, we do love sharing our previous contributors’ new publications on Instagram, so please DM or email us with good news!
Outskirts acquires first serial publishing rights, including electronic rights and the right to promote on socials. All ownership reverts back to the author upon publication. Please credit Outskirts Literary Journal with first publication if published or reprinted elsewhere.
We offer 50 free submissions for BIPOC individuals in both poetry and prose. This option will close after the submission cap has been met.
Click on each tab for instructions regarding genre-specific submission guidelines.
Note: please don't submit the same work/packet to the JAL contest and our general submissions.
Our inaugural poetry prize honors and remembers Jennifer A. Lurie, a vibrant artist, mother, and vital community member who passed away in 2023. While we aren’t defining a theme for this prize, we’re looking for poetry that celebrates the natural world, creates pockets of joy, and brings us together through language.
Judge to be announced. First place wins $750, second $150, third $50. all other submissions will be considered for publication.
Our submission fee is $15, and we’re open from 8/1 - 11/14. The winning poems will be published in Outskirts Issue 05, Spring 2027. All other submissions will be considered for publication.
Please review our full guidelines and adherence to CLMP's Code of Ethics
Guidelines: Submit 1-5 poems (for a maximum of 10 pages) in a single Word Document. Your name shouldn’t appear in your manuscript or file title. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere via Submittable message. Don’t withdraw your entire submission unless all of your work has been accepted. We only consider unpublished work. We aren't interested in any submissions generated, informed, or edited by AI.
Multiple entries are allowed, but you will need to pay an additional $15 per submission. We cannot accept revisions for any poems while they’re under consideration. If your work is accepted, you’ll have an opportunity to revise as needed.
Submit 3-5 unpublished poems (maximum 10 pages) in a single (Word) .docx file. Please use a standard, 12-point font, single-spacing (unless your formatting requires otherwise), and page numbers.
Submit up to 12 pages of prose in a single (Word) .docx file. Please use a standard, 12-point font, and double-spacing, unless your formatting requires otherwise. Make sure page numbers are included in the header of your document.
Multiple flash fiction/creative nonfiction pieces are welcome so long as they don't exceed 12 pages!
Submit up to 10 pieces of visual art. We're open to all mediums and designs, but have an affinity for photography and collage. Please upload your files in the highest quality possible.
We aren't interested in anything AI has touched or generated.
We pay $50 if your artwork is chosen as the cover art for the issue.
This submission portal is specifically for BIPOC writers. Otherwise, please use the general submission portals.
For poetry: Submit 3-5 poems (maximum 10 pages) in a single (Word) .docx file. Please use a standard, 12-point font, and single-spacing, unless your formatting requires otherwise. Make sure page numbers are included in the header of your document.
For prose: Submit up to 12 pages of prose in a single (Word) .docx file. Please use a standard, 12-point font, and double-spacing, unless your formatting requires otherwise. Make sure page numbers are included in the header of your document. Multiple flash fiction/creative nonfiction pieces are welcome so long as they don't exceed 12 pages!