Rooted Literary Magazine is looking for work that makes us question our convictions, provides us with a fresh perspective, or pushes the boundaries of genre and narrative. We are accepting submissions for our Fall Monthly Features, the Home Issue. Submissions close December 01, 2025.
Home
Home is where the heart is; it’s where people get their first pets, cry themselves to sleep, eat their favorite meals, and experience loneliness. It’s where we unwind after a long day, and the place we avoid when we get off work. It’s drenched in silence and raucous laughter. It’s where we can be ourselves and where we have to hide ourselves. Some of us never leave, while others hate to stay.
Home means a lot of things, whether it’s a physical place, a person, a hobby, or a sense of being we’ve all felt at home. And a home can provide comfort just as easily as it can cause pain. For November, we are seeking pieces that offer a glimpse into home. Show us what it means to you—love it or hate it, take us home.
We are especially drawn to speculative fiction and pieces that challenge conventions or reimagine reality. Our goal is to platform emerging voices that quietly demand to be heard.
Have something that doesn’t fit our current theme? Go ahead and submit! We will consider it for a future theme.
We accept pieces from each category:
- Poetry
- Fiction (Flash/Short Stories)
- Creative Nonfiction (Personal Essays, Book Reviews)
- Visual Art (Photography/Illustration/Graphics)
- Audio (Spoken Word Poetry/Music)
- Video (Animation/Short Film/Visualizers)
Formatting Guidelines
- Flash Fiction: 1000 words or less
- Short Stories: 5000 words or less
- Poetry: Up to 3 poems (2 pages max)
- Nonfiction: 2000 words or less
- All written work should be submitted as a PDF, Word, .docx
- Visual Art: Up to 3 pieces
- Visual Art should be submitted as JPEG or PNG
- Audio: Up to 4 Minutes
- Audio should be submitted as MP3 files
- Video: Up to 5 Minutes
- Video should be submitted as MP4 files
- 12 Pt. Times New Roman Double-Spaced. *Poetry can be single-spaced
- All submissions must be original and unpublished.
Other Restrictions
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know if it is accepted elsewhere by emailing [email protected]
- Any work created entirely, in part by, or with the assistance of AI will be rejected.
- All submitters must be 18 years or older at the time of submission.
Publication Rights
First Electronic Publication Rights: You grant Rooted Literary Magazine exclusive rights to publish your work online for the first time, whether in text, image, video, or audio form.
Archival Rights: After publication, we may keep your work archived on our platform indefinitely.
Non-Exclusive Rights: Following the initial publication, you are free to submit the work elsewhere or republish it.
Promotional Rights: We may use your work for promotional purposes (e.g., social media, newsletters, and website promotions) during and after publication, with proper credit given.
Compensation: Accepted contributors for digital anthologies will be paid a one-time stipend of $10. Accepted contributors for print anthologies will receive a free physical copy of the print Anthologies upon release.*
Anthology/Compilation Rights: If Rooted Literary Magazine decides to create an anthology or print collection, you grant Rooted the right to include your work, with proper compensation to be discussed at that time.
*There is no financial compensation for accepted monthly features
- Amendment (09/15/2025): There is no financial compensation for accepted monthly features submitted before September 15th.
All are welcome here. Tell us your truths. Show us what it means to be rooted.
