Lit Shark’s Submission Schedule:
Submissions are considered on a rolling basis at Lit Shark; our doors are always open. And submissions are always free! We’re publishing FOUR issues this year, PLUS a BONUS issue and a Best Of 2024 Anthology.
That said, if there is a particular issue you’d like your work to appear in, or a specific contest you want to submit to, here is our 2024 timeline:
You also can submit your work EARLY (i.e., if you had something ready for our Spooky issue right now); just make sure to note in your submission WHICH issue you’re applying for so we can properly consider it!
Issue 1 (Winter 2024) of Lit Shark Magazine: Due March 15th
Submissions will be considered from January 1st through March
15th, and the issue will come out at the end of April. General
submissions; all welcome!
Issue 2 (Spring 2024) of Lit Shark Magazine: Due May 31st
Submissions will be considered from April 1st to May 31st (or EARLY; see note on 3rd line), and the
issue will appear at the end of June. General submissions; all
welcome!
Issue 3 (Summer/SHARK WEEK 2024) of Lit Shark Magazine: Due August 15th
Submissions will be considered from June 1st through August
15th (or EARLY; see note on 3rd line). For this issue, we’re looking for nature pieces, marine life,
reactions to Shark Week and other documentaries, etc. Put your
spin on it, but make it fishy and sharktastic! The issue will come
out at the end of August.
Issue 4 (Spooky Season 2024) of Lit Shark Magazine: Due October 15th
Spooky submissions, dark retellings, and campy horror and shark
tales and poems will be considered from August 15th through
October 15th (or EARLY; see note on 3rd line) to be released just in time for Halloween 2024! Yay!
BONUS/Special Edition Issue of Lit Shark Magazine: Due ASAP
In response to XL Bully Ban in the UK and Wales, Lit Shark is releasing a special edition issue
to help. We believe that the people and dogs impacted by this ban should be heard and their
stories should be told. We are seeking:
– poetry, fiction, and other creative reactions to this ban, as well as depictions of
XL bullies and other challenged breeds;
– critical essays, memoirs, and personal connection pieces to XL bully dogs, other
challenged breeds, and this ban;
– Artwork and photos;
– Lit Shark will also write tribute poems for any dogs who were sacrificed or rehomed
because of this ban. Their family only needs to submit a photo of them and a little
information about them that we could use to help us write the poem. We’ll send the
family a copy in the form of a lovely digital broadside, along with including it in the issue.
This is a free-to-submit opportunity. It’s unfortunately also unpaid, but Lit Shark will donate
50% of their proceeds to rescues supporting these dogs, and Lit Shark also plans to compensate
their writers as they grow in the future.
To Submit to Lit Shark Magazine:
Thank you for submitting to Lit Shark! To submit, please include your name and email in the fields below. The message box should contain your author bio, the issue you are interested in submitting to (or if this is a Poem of the Month submission), and anything else you’d like us to know (if this work is a reprint and where it was previously featured, etc.).
Your attached document should not include your name or other identifying information, so we can ensure a blind, unbiased reading of your work. Written works should be attached as PDFs or Word docs.
Poetry: Up to 5 poems or 10 pages
Fiction, Short Nonfiction, and Novel Excerpts: Up to 15 pages or 4500 words
Plays: 10-minute plays or up to 10 pages
General submissions are ALWAYS welcome, but some of our issues are themed, so please be mindful of what our themes are for the year, so you can submit your work to the most fitting issue possible.
To Submit to Lit Shark’s Poem of the Month:
Submissions for our Poem of the Month contest are now being accepted through a separate form to help streamline our process. Please see our designated Poem of the Month page for more information, and thank you so much for your interest!
To Submit to Lit Pup Magazine:
Lit Pup Magazine is also actively seeking submissions from children, teens, parents, teachers, and professional writers of children’s books, middle-grade, and YA. Please see our designated page for Lit Pup Magazine submissions for more info. We can’t wait to read your work!
Technical Difficulties?
If you’re unable to submit or upload a document using our form, please contact our EIC directly at mckenzie @ litshark [dot] com.
In the BODY of the email, please include your name, your email address, your author bio, the issue you are interested in submitting to (or if this is a Poem of the Month submission), and anything else you’d like us to know (if this work is a reprint and where it was previously featured, etc.).
Your submission should be attached as a PDF or Word doc. Do not include any identifying information. McKenzie will ensure that your submission is randomly mixed into the submission pile to ensure it receives the same blind and fair reading as those submitted through the portal.
Thank you all for your support and for trusting us with your work!