Website
Type Of Organization
Online
Mission Statement / Editorial Focus
A literary magazine that lives on Instagram, The Keepthings publishes micro-memoirs of the dead occasioned by the objects they left behind—aka keepthings. The dead include the old, the young, parents, siblings, chatty landladies, eccentric neighbors, lovers and best friends. Keepthings have included everything from diamond brooches to replacement hips. Contributors range from acclaimed novelists to non-writers who happen to have a fabulous story to share. To read a story, you swipe through the screens of the Instagram post as though you’re paging through a tiny, beautiful book. Readers respond to the stories in a way that writers don't often experience—commenting generously and intelligently and not infrequently sharing memories of their own. At heart, The Keepthings is a community where all manner of people come together at the nexus of literature, grief, death positivity and the simple love of an unforgettable read.
Social Media Platforms Used
Instagram: @thekeepthings
Is Your Group Affiliated With A University, Portal Or Other Agency?
no
Primary Editor/Contact Person
Deborah Way
Contact Title
Editor & Publisher
Contact Email
Publishes
essays, nonfiction
Representative Authors
Alice Elliott Dark, Ann Napolitano, Hannah Tinti
Submissions Policy
Potential contributors submit their story AND a photograph of their keepthing per the guidelines at thekeepthings.com. Please read the complete story AND photo guidelines before submitting, and scroll through the Instagram account to see if the object you have in mind has already been written about (we strive to avoid duplication). Previously published material is not accepted.
A new story is published every 1-2 weeks.
Accepts Unsolicited Submissions
Yes
Submission Guidelines URL
Simultaneous Submissions Accepted
no
Reading Period
Year round
Reporting Time
1 - 2 weeks
Author Payments
none
Number Of Unpaid Staff
1
Year Founded
2021
Number Of Issues Per Year
46
Ads?
no
Average Page Views Per Month
5286
Average Unique Visitors Per Month
3600
Publish Print Anthology?
no
Essays
100
Name
Deborah Way
Title
Editor/Publisher
How Did You Arrive At Your Current Position?
Founder
Do You Have Any Cover Letter Advice?
No cover letter required.
What Do You Look For In A Submission?
Straightforward, conversational prose—as though you’re telling your story over coffee or cocktails. Details that make the dead come to life.
What Advice Do You Have For First-time Submitters?
Read other Keepthings stories before you sit down to write. There’s no better way to get a feel for the kind of work we love.
Who Is Your Ideal Reader?
Any human with a heart.
Online
