Rules for Submission

(Note: Scrappy upstart that we are, our guidelines are subject to change with the volume of submissions we receive. Please bear with us and refer back to this page to check for any changes before submitting.)

THE COMMOTION is accepting fiction and nonfiction up to 7,500 words and poetry up to 2,500 words for publication on our site. All authors must be previously unpublished in any nationally distributed publication, print or web. (Previous locally distributed publication, such as in university literary magazines or self-made 'zines or chapbooks, is allowed and even encouraged.) Additionally, we are looking for original art and photography. 

Send all text as a .pdf attachment or in the body of an e-mail, and artwork as a .jpeg or high-res image, to submissions@thecommotion.com. Include the genre in the subject line and a short print-worthy bio in the body of the e-mail. We accept only electronic submissions. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, and newly accepted pieces are published monthly. Comments on the website will be disabled for all outsourced published work.

We will respond to all submissions within two weeks. Please allow two weeks for a response before contacting us.

All work should be original. Simultaneous submissions are discouraged, but please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere. If you choose to re-print your work elsewhere, we ask that THE COMMOTION be acknowledged upon reprint. Authors who are published on THE COMMOTION may be considered for subsequent publication. See the Terms & Conditions page for any questions regarding copyright.

For any other questions, please e-mail us at info@thecommotion.com.