SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions may be sent to us at any time, year-round.

Click on the headings below to submit

Village Square is interested in a variety of forms; we accept submissions in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and photography and photo essays. We impose no restrictions on category or type of submission for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome. We want writers to have every possible opportunity for success, so we only ask that you alert us if your work is accepted elsewhere. In that case, we’ll be sorry to lose the piece but happy for the writer. You do not have to withdraw your entire submission should you wish for us to consider unpublished pieces. Please send only unpublished work. We cannot consider anything that has been previously published or accepted for publication in any form, (this does not include items posted in the WVU forums, on blogs, on Facebook, etc.) 

Publication Rights If your work is accepted by Village Square, you agree to grant non-exclusive First North American publishing rights to Village Square, we also ask for archival rights, and the rights to reprint in any future anthologies, should we explore that territory. Upon publication, all rights revert to the author.  The author fully retains the copyright to his or her submission. We ask that you give due credit to Village Square if your work subsequently appears elsewhere (in print or online)

If you would like to submit to multiple categories: Each category should be sent as a single Word document. Please include a cover letter with a bio (all bios are subject to editing). You may also include a URL to your blog or website, if applicable.

Though we try to respond as soon as possible, please allow up to four weeks for consideration. 

We reserve the right to hold some pieces back each quarter and place them in the most appropriate upcoming issue.  

Cover Letters  

What we want from you

Include a brief bio (50 words or fewer) written in the third person. If you do not include a bio and we accept your work, we will make something up. It will be complimentary, but likely not factual. Include your full cover letter as the first page of the file.

We want you to proofread. We want you to use spellcheck. 

We want your work to make us think AND feel. 

We want to hear about any major publications and awards 

Tell us about any past publication in Village Square   

What we do not want from you 

Previously published material, (unless otherwise stated)

Overly religious material 

Erotica

Any work that is racist, sexist, gratuitously violent, homophobic, xenophobic, hateful, etc.

Include your full cover letter as the first page of the file. 

Fiction Submission Form

Fiction - Village Square is open to all narrative styles and forms, and are always on the lookout for something we haven’t seen before. Send a story we won’t be able to forget.

• We accept one story or up to three flash fiction pieces per submission.
• Please format prose double-spaced, preferably in a 12 point Calibri or Times New Roman font.
• Stories should typically be no less than 500 and no more than 3,000 words. Flash fiction should be between 250 & 1,000 words.*

*Note: If you send us a fiction submission that’s over 2,000 words, and we’re interested in publishing it online, we may request to publish it in serial form.

Nonfiction Submission Form

Nonfiction - Village Square is interested in nonfiction in any form. We welcome memoir, personal essay, lyric and experimental work, hybrid forms, new journalism and non-academic cultural criticism. And while we are open to all aesthetic and stylistic approaches, we especially value writing that is fresh, honest, self-aware, and well expressed.

• We accept one essay or up to three vignettes/brevities per submission.
• Please format prose double-spaced, preferably in a 12 point Calibri or Times New Roman font.
• Essays should typically be no longer than 3,000 words. Vignettes and brevities may be up to 750 words.*

*Note: If you send us a nonfiction submission that’s over 2,000 words, and we’re interested in publishing it online, we may request to publish it in serial form.

Poetry Submission Form

Poetry - There are true things in the world only observed by a single set of eyes, perceived by a unique touch, borne on the beat of a lone heart. Poetry is the heart singing those truths. We are looking for work that moves beyond the ordinary, that uncovers what’s hidden, that reaches into the depths of our hearts and reveals what’s true in all of us.  

• We accept up to five poems per submission.
• Please submit poems formatted as you would like to see them in print, preferably in a 12 point Calibri or Times New Roman font.
• Individual Poems should typically be no more than three pages long. Each poem should start on a new page. Your submission should give a strong sense of your style and range. We accept submissions of all poetic forms and genres but do not accept translations. 

Photography Submission Form

Photo Essays - Village Square publishes photo essays in our online issues.

• Please send a collection of photos that shows curatorial intent and direction along with an introduction of up to 250 words contextualizing the work.

Visual Arts Submissions - Village Square would like to see photography on a variety of subjects.

• Up to six visual arts submissions are accepted at once and can either be thumbnails or full-size images.
  • You can also include a document (in .doc or .rtf format) with a write-up of your work.