Call for Submissions: Volume 3, Issue 1: The Guitar Issue
“Ziggy played guitar
Jamming good with Weird and Gilly
And the Spiders from Mars”
~David Bowie, “Ziggy Stardust”
Submission Guidelines:
Please read the full posting carefully. Failure to follow the Submission Guidelines may result in your work being rejected by Syncopation Literary Journal.
Syncopation Literary Journal seeks to amalgamate the realms of music and literature. Syncopation is a free online, open-access journal. We are currently seeking poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction for Volume 3, Issue 1, to be published on the website in Winter 2024.
The theme of Volume 3, Issue 1 is THE GUITAR ISSUE. There are many theories pertaining to the modern guitar’s origins including ancient Greece’s “kithara” and the Middle Eastern oud. The guitar contributes to various genres of music including jazz, pop, rock, and folk. This instrument has also inspired countless tales, including the legend of Robert Johnson selling his soul at the crossroads in exchange for guitar virtuosity.
We want your guitar-related poetry, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and short stories.
Submission subjects may include, but are not limited to:
*Learning (or re-learning) the guitar.
*Mythical origins of the guitar.
*A favourite guitarist.
*A guitar that serves as a family heirloom.
*Yes, we welcome writing that challenges discourses positioning the guitar as a “Western” instrument. Please note that we may also consider poetry and prose pertaining to other stringed instruments such as the bass guitar, lute, banjo, or sitar.
Please note that Syncopation Literary Journal IS NOT a peer-reviewed academic publication. If your submission has been previously published, please note that you may need to seek permission from your previous publisher(s) before your work is accepted by Syncopation. Please NO SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS. While we do not pay our contributors, there is no fee to submit. Publishing your work in Syncopation is a great way to showcase your writing.
Short stories should be 7500 words or less. Flash fiction should be 1000 words or less. Creative nonfiction should be 5000 words or less. Writers may submit up to 3 poems sent as 1 document. Please submit only 1 piece to each genre per submission period.
While we always welcome submissions from non-musicians, your submission must pertain to the theme of the issue. To see examples of the writing we publish, please read our past issues, available on the website. Please no graphic violence, sexually explicit subject matter, or overuse of profanity.
Submissions must be written in English, MS Word Format, Times New Roman, Font Size 12. Please include an author bio of 100 words or less at the end of your document. If your work has been previously published, please state the name and date of publication at the beginning of your submitted piece. Please send all submissions to nwelshsyneditor@gmail.com with the genre of your piece in the subject line (i.e., “Submission: Poetry”) by DECEMBER 5, 2023. All submissions should be sent as Word Document attachments. No PDFs. No copying and pasting your work into email messages. Please DO NOT submit your work as a DM over social media. Submissions sent via DMs will NOT be read. Email submissions only!
Website link: Call for Submissions – Syncopation Literary Journal (wordpress.com)
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