Submission Guidelines

Deadlines

Fall 2008 Issue: July 1, 2008, for poetry and fiction
July 15, 2008, for creative nonfiction and photography
Spring 2009 Issue: January 1, 2009, for all categories

Submissions received after these dates will be considered for the following issue.

We accept electronic submissions year-round in the categories of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and black-and-white photography. All submissions to Fifth Wednesday Journal must be original, unpublished work in English. We welcome simultaneous submissions with the understanding that you will inform us if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Formatting
Manuscripts must be sent as Microsoft Word .doc files or in Rich Text Format. They should be double-spaced, paginated, in 12-point type, and with at least a one-inch margin on all sides. They may be accompanied by a cover letter with the following contact information: author's name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. The e-mail address is important because we will let you know within 48 hours that your manuscript has arrived. If you do not include a cover letter, please place the contact information on the title page of the manuscript.

Submitting

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically via the form below, or on a CD sent by surface mail to:

Fifth Wednesday Journal
P. O. Box 4033
Lisle, IL 60532-9033

We will attempt to accommodate writers and photographers with special circumstances preventing them from using our electronic form or a CD.Click here to send us an e-mail or mail us a postal letter explaining the need to submit a manuscript in print form, and we will respond promptly. DO NOT SEND PRINT MANUSCRIPTS WITHOUT FIRST NOTIFYING US. THESE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACKNOWLEDGED OR RETURNED.

Fiction
FWJ publishes short stories and excerpts from novels, as long as the excerpt stands on its own as a literary work. We do not publish children’s literature, flash fiction, pornography, or nonliterary works. There are no set limits on length of a work, but manuscripts of less than 1,000 or more than 12,000 words are less likely to make it into the journal. There are exceptions to every rule, so surprise us with your exception. Please limit your submission to a single story until you have heard from us.

Poetry
FWJ publishes poems of any length, in traditional or experimental styles. However, poems longer than four pages are less likely to make it into the journal. Please limit your submission to one set of up to six poems until you have heard from us. Put all poems in one Word document with page breaks.

Creative Nonfiction
FWJ publishes creative nonfiction, book excerpts and essays, as long as they stand complete as a literary work. In our view, creative nonfiction is work that uses the techniques of fiction, such as characterization, setting, dialogue, and narration, to write about factual subjects. We do not publish nonliterary material (self-help, inspirational, philosophy, op-ed, general humor, etc.). Please follow the submission guidelines for fiction.

Photography
FWJ publishes black-and-white photography on our cover (12" x 9" wrapped from front to back) and inside each issue on single pages (6" x 9") as well as across spreads (12" x 9"). We determine placement. All tasteful subject matter will be considered. We do not match photography to the literature, but you may include a one-sentence caption with each photo. Please upload no more than 10 high-resolution JPEG files through our Web site per submission period. Prints, negatives, and slides received via surface mail or e-mail will not be acknowledged or returned. Files must be uploaded individually. Fill out the submission form completely for the first file. For each subsequent file, please provide your name, e-mail address, and title of the photograph. In the bio field, please provide the caption (optional) and the number of your submission (1 of 10, 2 of 10, etc.).

Post our call-for-photography announcement at your library, school, or photography club. Download a PDF of the flyer now

Response Time
We will inform you within four months whether we will accept your work for publication. If you have not heard from us within this time, e-mail us. Include your name, the title of your work, the date you sent it and whether you used our online submission form or sent a CD. DO NOT SEND E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS. THEY WILL NOT BE OPENED OR ACKNOWLEDGED.

Rights
By submitting your work to FWJ, you indicate your consent for us to publish your work in our print journal. FWJ acquires first North American serial rights. After publication, all rights revert to the author. If we’d like to use your work in any other manner, we will contact you for permission.

Compensation & Awards
Each contributor receives two copies of the issue in which the work appears, plus all the exposure we can generate. We also award an annual Editor’s Fiction Prize, Editor’s Poetry Prize, and Editor’s Photography Prize in the amount of $35 each. All accepted submissions in these categories are eligible to win.

Submit your work now by clicking on the submission page button below.