Submit Your Work
Now accepting art, photography, poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction
Upcoming Issues and Reading Periods
Fall Issue: September 1 - October 15, 2022
Theme: Something Spooky
Recurring annually! Send in art, photography, poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction that’s inspired by the darker side of mythology. We want to see/hear your interpretation of monsters of all sorts: from Spooky-Season classics like vampires and werewolves to the urban legends of your home town.
We prefer lore over gore (because we like to sleep at night), but don’t be afraid to get dark! We want pieces that are scary good, so don’t distract from your craft with cliches or horror tropes. Please review our guidelines for all other details.
Winter Issue: December 1 - January 15, 2023
Theme: Anthropomorphs and Shape Shifters
Anthropomorphism and shapeshifting have fascinated humans around the world for centuries. These could look like werewolves, skinwalkers, kitsunes, or other shape-altering beings that have human likenesses—but is that human appearance their true form or a devious facade?
Due to the nature of this prompt, we’re looking for character-driven work, and since so many cultures have their own versions of shapeshifting or anthropomorphic lore, we invite you to explore your personal heritage to see if any beings inspire you (this of course is optional, but could be fun)! Please review our guidelines for all other details.
Spring Issue: March 1 - April 15, 2023
Theme: Lovers
So many of our world’s stories revolve around romance—the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of it—and mythology certainly has its fair share of love stories. For this issue, we’re looking for modern stories that mirror or are inspired by famous mythological lovers, but please feel free to be creative with this interpretation. Feel free to switch up genders and sexualities, or get inspired by legendary friendships or rivalries.
We recommend focusing on strong character-driven work that dives deep into the nature of their relationship or connection. Keep in mind that we are not looking for fan fiction or erotica. Please review our guidelines for all other details.
Summer Issue: June 1 - July 15, 2023
Theme: Cryptids and Campfires
For this issue, get inspired by the types of stories you would tell while sitting around the campfire. What goes bump in the night while you’re curled up in your tent? What reaches and brushes against your foot while you’re swimming in that lake? What fearsome cryptid have you always wanted to catch a glimpse of?
Feel free to get inspired by local legends, cryptids, or your own personal encounters. Note: we love a good ghost story, but we would rather save spirit-focused works for our annual Something Spooky issue. Please review our guidelines for all other details.
Submission Guidelines
- What We Like:
--- Stories: While we will consider any genre, the magazine’s motivation is to look at mythology through a modern lens, so we particularly love magical realism and speculative fiction. Give us character-driven, sensory-rich pieces that really dive into the theme in a way that inspires you.
--- Poetry: Any form or style, so long as it makes us feel
--- Artwork: Eye-catching, experimental visual art mediums that showcase the themes in unique ways.
- The Details:
--- Please only send in edited final drafts! Pieces that require excessive editing will not be considered
--- Only submit original, unpublished work.
--- For prose: 2,500 words max. Please use a basic 12pt font and include page numbers in your .doc or .pdf.
--- For photography or photos of your artwork, please provide in 300 dpi.
--- For photos, if a Dropbox link is easier, feel free to share the link.
--- Please include a title! PS: "Untitled" doesn't count as a title.
--- We will not accept work that promotes prejudice or violence.
- Submission Fee: $5
--- Feel free to submit: a short story, a collection of up to 5 poems, up to 2 flash fiction (1,000 words or less each), or a collection of up to 10 photos. If you are submitting written work that is accompanied by photos, please submit the work as poetry or prose.
--- Multiple submissions will be an extra $3 per category.
--- Payments are preferred through Venmo (@Mythos-Mag), but PayPal is also an option. Please include the name you've provided on your application in the payment description (Ex: Mythos-Jane Smith).
--- Unpaid applicants will not be considered for publication.
*Please note that we are a non-profit magazine and that your submission fee goes directly into the prize fund as well as printing and publishing costs!
- Compensation:
--- While our goal is to eventually pay all of our contributors, we aren’t at that stage yet. But we are holding a contest!
--- Each issue, there will be a category of submissions for written work (poetry and prose) and a category for visual work (art and photography)
--- 1st in each category: $50, publication, one free copy of the printed anthology, and a PDF version of the anthology
--- 2nd in each category: $30, publication, one free copy of the printed anthology, a PDF version of the anthology
--- All other accepted contributors will be published and will receive a PDF version of the anthology
- Response Time:
--- We will do our best to respond as soon as possible! You can expect between 2-4 weeks, but if we get more submissions than normal, this may take longer. Either way, we will get back to you!