Type Of Organization
Magazine
Mission Statement / Editorial Focus
THEMA is a theme-generated journal of short stories, poetry, art and photography, each issue a stand-alone anthology based on a unique theme. The journal is designed to provide a stimulating forum for established and emerging literary artists, to serve as source material and inspiration for teachers of creative writing, and to provide readers with a unique collection of creative work.
Social Media Platforms Used
Facebook
Is Your Group Affiliated With A University, Portal Or Other Agency?
no
Primary Editor/Contact Person
Virginia Howard
Contact Title
Editor, THEMA
Publishes
essays, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art
Representative Authors
Charlotte Hart, Kemp Pheley, Melita Schaum
Submissions Policy
We do not accept electronic submissions except from authors living outside the U.S. Submission for which no THEMA theme has been indicated will not be considered.
Accepts Unsolicited Submissions
Yes
Simultaneous Submissions Accepted
yes
Reading Period
Year round
Reporting Time
4 - 6 months
Author Payments
cash, copies
Number Of Unpaid Staff
12
Year Founded
1988
Distributors
EBSCO
Average Print Run
250
Total Circulation
180
Paid Subscriptions
220
Individual
$20
Insitution
$20
Single Copy Price
$10
Back Issues Available
yes
Unsolicited Manuscripts Accepted
yes
If Yes, What Percent Of All Unsolicited MSS Are Published
10
Format
perfect
Dimensions
5.5 - 8.5
Average Number Of Pages
110
Name
Virginia Howard
Title
Editor, THEMA
How Did You Arrive At Your Current Position?
I established the journal in 1988.
Do You Have Any Cover Letter Advice?
Be brief and be sure to specify the target theme in your cover letter
How Are Submissions Processed In Your Magazine/press?
Each manuscript is read and rated A (accept), C (consider), or R (reject), and then the choices are honed down from there.
What Do You Look For In A Submission?
An engaging story that grabs the reader's attention in the first paragraph, believable characters, surprising twists to the theme interpretation, more "show" (action and conversation) than "tell."
What Advice Do You Have For First-time Submitters?
Be SURE to have one of THEMA's target themes in mind when you submit your story. Be SURE to tell us which theme is targeted. Otherwise the manuscript will be returned unread.
Do You Have A Favorite Unsolicited Submission Discovery Or Anecdote?
One story was rated "R" for reject... but on rereading it, we found something intriguing about it. It was reclassified as "C" for consider. On the THIRD reading, we realized it was strangely brilliant! It was accepted.
Magazine
