WRITING A NEW WORLD
Sunspot Literary Journal welcomes prose from flash fiction and poetry to stories and essays, including scripts and screenplays, up to 49,000 words. Genre categories are accepted along with literary works. Poetry can be up to 1,250 lines. Translations welcome. Please note the word count in your cover letter.
Artwork accepted for publication is considered for use on the front cover. Please note that open calls for longer works of prose and poetry close earlier. Submit early to avoid missing a deadline. Visit SunspotLit.com to download digital editions for free.
One piece per submission (except flash, poetry, or art). Use the correct form according to the length of your prose and poetry. Works longer than allowed by the form you select will be declined unread.
The Fast Flux options offer a one- to two- week turnaround. Most responses are sent within one week.
All submissions must be unpublished (except on a personal blog). Simultaneous submissions welcome. Submit as many times as you like.
AI policy: AI generation can be utilized to help the artist achieve a vision, clean up video/audio, basic editorial or grammatical feedback, and perform other assistance that does not substitute generated ideas, initial creation of the work, or modifications for human creativity. If AI assistance has been used, the specific form that assistant took must be noted in the cover letter for any submission. Works that have been found to be enhanced with AI without the creator's noting that fact will be rejected and/or pulled from publication. Works that are wholly or substantially AI generated are not accepted.
Scroll to the bottom to receive feedback on a genre story or novel excerpt, or to leave a tip.
Need to hear back quickly? Use this form to receive a response in one week for prose or art, or two weeks or less for poetry. Submit any category or type of work here.
The lowest fee allows you to submit artwork (a total of two images) or very short prose and poetry. Longer prose and poetry submissions, up to novella form, can also be submitted by selecting the appropriate fee from the dropdown menu.
Be sure to select the correct fee option based on length. Incorrect fee selection will result in rejection without consideration.
Single works of fiction or nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 29,001 to 49,000 words should be submitted using this form.
Graphic novels should run between 51 and 100 pages.
A single poem between 86 and 105 pages is also accepted.
Story, essay, and poetry collections are not accepted in this category.
Submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be declined without review.
Single works of fiction or nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 17,501 to 29,000 words should be submitted using this form.
Graphic novels should run 41 to 85 pages.
A single poem between 16 and 20 pages is also accepted.
Story, essay, and poetry collections are not accepted in this category.
Submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be declined without review.
Single works of fiction or nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 7,501 words up to 17,500 words should be submitted using this form.
Graphic novels should be 26 to 40 pages.
A single poem between 11 and 15 pages is also accepted.
Collections are not accepted for this open call.
Submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be declined without review.
Single works of fiction or nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, between 3,501 and 7,500 words can be submitted here.
Graphic novels should run 11 to 25 pages.
A single poem of 4 to 10 single-spaced pages (30 lines per page) is accepted here.
Please do not mix formats (for example, submitting a graphic novel and a poem in the same file). Also note that collections are not accepted in this open call.
Submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be declined without review.
We accept all types of fiction and nonfiction including essays, memoir, travel, teleplays, film and stage scripts. Using this form, submit a single work of fiction or nonfiction up to 3,500 words. Graphic novels should run 5 to 10 pages. In your cover letter, please indicate length and whether the piece is fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Note that submissions that do not meet the guidelines will be declined without review.
Do feel free to submit in separate categories by using the same form any number of times.
This call accepts submissions from digital artists, animators, documentary filmmakers, readings by authors and poets, and the performing arts, including but not limited to original music, short film, short play, and dance. Videos that explore or highlight traditional arts, culture, and history from around the world are included in this call. Works that explore different art programs (residencies, workshops, etc.) are welcome.
If accepted, the work will be uploaded on Sunspot Lit’s YouTube channel, which launces in early 2027.
Include a short cover letter noting the title of the work submitted, run time, and your reason for creating this video. Be sure to include a third-person bio, inclusive of personal pronouns, of up to 50 words.
The work can have been recorded by any type of camera, including smartphones, as long as the audio and visuals are clear. Works with English voices or voiceovers do not require subtitles. Works with voices or voiceovers in other languages are accepted as long as subtitles are provided in English.
AI generation can be utilized for these works to help the artist achieve a vision, translate to English, clean up video/audio, and perform other assistance that does not substitute generated ideas or modification for human creativity. Please indicate the specific types of AI assistance used for any submission. Works that are wholly or substantially AI generated are not accepted.
If you include footage or content from a third party, you will be responsible for gaining their permission. A written version of this permission must be received after publication is offered and before publication occurs.
Credit and title slides can be added as long as they do not seek to make sales, ask for donations, or include other options for viewers to spend or send money.
Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
Submit one video (maximum run time of 12 minutes). Maximum file size for Submittable upload is 400 MB. To submit files that are larger, please upload a PDF with a link to a file sharing site.
Acceptable file types: .avi, mov, .mp4, .wmv. Preference is for MP4 with H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec.
We accept all types of prose including essays, memoir, travel, teleplays, film and stage scripts. Using this form, submit:
One or two pieces of flash fiction or nonfiction; total length of submission not to exceed 1,000 words
OR
Up to three poems, each poem starting on a new single-spaced page; max 30 lines per page; total submission not to exceed three pages
OR
A graphic novel of 1 to 4 pages
OR
Artwork; total of two images
In your cover letter, please indicate length and whether the piece is fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Please do not mix submission formats (for example, provide one poem and one flash piece as a single entry). Mixed submissions will be rejected without review.
Note that submissions that do not meet the guidelines will be declined without review.
Do feel free to submit in separate categories by using the same form any number of times.
We accept all types of artwork including, but not limited to, collage, multimedia, miniatures, digital images, and video stills. Using this form, submit between three to five images total. Please note that a single file with multiple images will be considered a single artwork and will be reviewed as such. So, a file with multiple photographs will be reviewed as if it is a single image where all the photos are to be taken as a whole rather than judged individually.
Feel free to submit multiple times during the same open call period.
Sunspot Lit's Angel Leya is now offering feedback on genre fiction, with a particular emphasis on novel excerpts. She specializes in fantasy and paranormal, with experience in light sci-fi, contemporary romance, and YA.
For works up to 5,000 words, you will receive a few paragraphs (about half a single-spaced page) of comments intended to strengthen your work. For works up to 12,500 words, you'll receive around a full single-spaced page of comments. NOTE: Please do not request advice on where or how to submit work for publication, as this type of guidance is beyond the scope of the feedback on offer.
Submissions are capped each month, and the form will shut off once the cap is reached.
Angel Leya is the coauthor of the USA Today bestselling book, Shifted (Siren Prophecy series), with over 12 additional novels, novellas, and short stories to her name. She’s been published in several anthologies, including Fiddlehead Press and The Alliance of YA Authors.
She reads avidly (and writes) in the fantasy and paranormal genres, but she also has a soft spot for a good light sci fi or contemporary romance. Angel specializes in giving practical advice, with a bent toward characterization and dialog, as well as word flow, breaks in logic, and hooks.
Using this form, submit one story or excerpt. Submit as many times as you like using a new submission form for each story or excerpt.
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