We publish poetry, essays, CNF, short fiction, and unpublished novel excerpts, hybrid work, & art.

Seasonal themes vary, but are always broad and open to interpretation; they exists to serve an overall cohesion for a better reading experience, but not meant to be restrictive. To read more on the current themes and gain insight into our style visit our website or Substack. 

Please read the submission guidelines carefully before sending your work. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@phillitjournal.com.

During quarterly reading periods, we accept:

• 1 work of prose: LABELED FICTION OR  NF/ESSAY (up to 2000 words)
• 1-3 poems (6 pgs max)
• 1-2 hybrid pieces (no more than 2 pgs total)
• Art submissions are always open.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Writers may submit ONCE per open reading periods; however, you may submit in all three major genres (poetry, prose, hybrid/art). 
• If you plan to submit PROSE please label FICTION or NONFICTION in your submission, and make sure it is in Standard Manuscript Format. 
• Content Warnings: Please refrain from submitting work that includes erotica, excessive gore, hate speech, or animal abuse outside the frame of activism. Such submissions will be immediately declined.
• Submissions must be in English, OR accompanied by an English translation.
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please withdraw (or notify) through submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere.
• We do not accept AI-generated writing. (yes we can tell!)
• We do not accept work that has been previously published.
• You do not need prior publication experience to submit—new and emerging writers are encouraged.
• We aim for a 2 month turn around, but please allow up to 4 months for a response. 
• There is no general submission fee. Only our contests have fees. 

FORMATING:

• Submit all poems as a single file.
• Each submission should be titled w/genre, with each piece starting a new page.
• PROSE should be single or double-spaced, in a times, 12 pt font, with standard margins and indented paragraphs, with no extra spacing between paragraphs. 
• If submitting to a contest, then no identifying information should be in/on the file.

Payment: At this time, PHIL LIT JOURNAL is a volunteer-run publication. We do not currently offer payment outside of Winter & Summer contests and the LIT Lantern Chapbook Prize. However, if published in our online issue, contributors will also be acknowledged on our associated media accounts and supporter spaces; and potentially featured in The PHIL LIT PARAGON, via Readers Choice Awards or editorial selection. As we grow, it is our goal to compensate our writers monetarily. 

Rights: Author grants PHIL LIT Journal First Serial Rights with a 90-day exclusivity from first publication. After publication & exclusivity, all rights revert to the Author; However, PHIL LIT retains a non-exclusive, perpetual license to archive and promote the work in various media outlets. During the 90-day exclusivity, THE FULL TEXT may not appear elsewhere.  However, excerpts are allowed at anytime after publication, paired with a link to the journal. 

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Patron Members (or Paid Subscribers) will receive feedback on unselected submissions, when REQUESTED on the submission form; and are listed as supporters in every issue under whatever name they choose, (I.e personal, memorial, business, alias, etc.) Patron Members also receive a copy of the PHIL LIT PARAGON, Poetry Anthology every August.*

*must be active at publication.