Submission Guidelines

​Open Reading Period: August 15 - December 15

Glassworks accepts submissions in artwork, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, flash, and hybrid forms.

​There is no fee to submit through November 30 OR for the first 1,000 submissions, whatever comes first. After that, a $2 submission fee will be required.
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**NOTE**​ Our Submittable account will only allow each submitter one submission per genre. Please take your time when preparing your submission. If you submit and withdraw, you will not be able to submit in the same genre again until our next Open Reading Period.
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​*For more insight on the kind of work we
​seek ​click here to read our current staff bios.

General Guidelines

  • ​Make all submissions through Submittable. We do not accept submissions via email.
  • We do not accept previously published work, including work self-published or work published online via blog or social media.
  • We do not accept submissions from current Rowan University students, staff, or faculty.
  • Simultaneous submissions are accepted if noted and withdrawn upon acceptance elsewhere.
  • Please submit just once per genre, per reading period.
  • Include all works of the same genre (i.e. all five poems or all three flash) as one file and send as one submission.
  • You may submit in more than one genre with no penalty. Please do not submit the same work in multiple categories.
  • We are currently able to provide one print copy as payment to authors and are pleased to provide a print on demand option for additional copies of each issue.​

FILE FORMAT
  • Textual submissions will be accepted as Word .doc or .docx or PDF files (Word files preferred). Please see Artwork Guidelines for instructions on submitting media files. Do not use characters in your file name such as: !@#$%^*/
  • Include the genre and your last name as the name of the file.
  • All prose submissions should be typed, double-spaced; poetry submissions should be typed, single-spaced
  • All textual submissions should use a standard font with the author’s name and contact information on each submission.

RESPONSE
  • Our average response time is 6 months. Thank you for your patience.
  • Though we cannot take every piece sent to us, we will, at times, be compelled to provide feedback - in these cases, it will take a little longer to get back to you.

Artwork Guidelines

Glassworks publishes still artwork (i.e. photography, paintings, collages, etc.) bi-annually in our print issues. We prefer to publish several images by each artist selected and may include additional images in our online galleries. We especially seek to promote work by artists from marginalized communities.
  • Five high-quality images (300 dpi or higher). Must be print-ready.
  • Artwork submissions will be accepted as JPG or PNG files.
  • Query for other forms: GlassworksMagazine@rowan.edu

Fiction Guidelines

Considering that craft is not genre specific, we welcome prose with a range of forms, subjects and aesthetics. We are open to hybrid prose - i.e. lyrical fiction, lyrical essays, braided essays, etc. However, we will not publish pure "genre" pieces that do not re-imagine their position as works of literature, nor are we interested in highly experimental or “literary” work that is not honest, accessible, or relatable. We especially seek to promote work by authors from marginalized communities.
  • Fiction submissions are limited to 5500 words.
  • Please read our general submission guidelines for information on formatting and file type.​

NonFiction Guidelines

Considering that craft is not genre specific, we welcome prose with a range of forms, subjects and aesthetics. We are open to personal essays, craft essays, memoir, or hybrid forms such as braided essays or hermit crab essays. We are not interested in purely scholarly work or editorial nonfiction, nor are we interested in highly experimental work that is not honest, accessible, or relatable. We especially seek to promote work by authors from marginalized communities.
  • Nonfiction submissions are limited to 3500 words.
  • Please read our general submission guidelines for information on formatting and file type.

Poetry Guidelines

All topics are considered, though Glassworks strives for nuanced complexity and seeks work with insight, depth, and emotion. We invite submissions that employ deliberate craft of creation and format, but we discourage overworked experimental forms. We encourage hybrid forms, such as prose poems. We especially seek to promote work by authors from marginalized communities.
  • Poetry submissions are limited to five poems.
  • Individual poems should not exceed two pages.
  • Please single-space all poetry submissions.
  • Please indicate in brackets whether a page break is also a stanza break.
  • Please read our general submission guidelines for information on formatting and file type.

Flash Guidelines

Glassworks publishes short works monthly in our online feature: flashglass. Flash is often defined by what it isn't: it isn't a fragment of plot or a character sketch or just a poem without line breaks. Flash, however, is an opportunity:

For the reader: to rotate a whole in the mind, to encounter language pruned and curated, a candy quick to dissolve that lingers on the tongue.

For the writer: to flex and bend, produce fresh expression within limitation, to discover the essential. And in the end, speak through the unsaid and arrive at something unexpected.
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  • Flash submissions are limited to two shorts under 750 words each.
  • We accept flash fiction, micro essays, or prose poetry in this submission category.
  • We seek short work that is fully developed - not just a summary, work-in-progress, or the start of something longer.
  • We especially seek to promote work by authors from marginalized communities.
  • Please read our general submission guidelines for information on formatting and file type.
submit