Submission Guidelines
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Toyon welcomes work in Spanish and English, and in translation from any other language. All writers and artists are welcome.
Submissions are open to any theme or topic, with special consideration given to works that speak to issues of social and environmental justice. Occasionally, Toyon publishes a feature section of art and literature on a specific topic. For Volume 65, we are expecting a feature section that will focus on immigration or the movement of peoples (submission deadline September 30, 2018). Please read these guidelines carefully. We ask that writers submit in only one genre each annual cycle. |
The editorial staff accepts submissions year-round. Each issue closes on September 30. 
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HOW TO SUBMIT
Toyon uses an online submission management system that facilitates blind review. Omit all identifying information from your manuscript. You'll input your name and contact information into the online form. Please include a short publication-ready bio with your submission. The bio can be included in a cover letter. (If technical difficulties arise, please try clearing your browser history or switching to a different browser. You can email toyonliterarymagazine@gmail.com with questions.)
Multimedia / Spoken Word / Audio Submissions
Audio/video submissions are considered for online publication only. This category includes spoken word, short films, animated texts, and digital storytelling. Limit 2 pieces per artist, with each piece being 5 minutes or fewer in duration. Accepted file formats: .mp3 and .mp4. Limit 30MB. If you have trouble submitting your attachments via the submission management system, please email them to toyonliterarymagazine@gmail.com. Submissions in this category that arrive before January 15 will be considered for the Fuerza award.
Print Submissions
Issue Close Date for Print Submissions: September 30 at 11:59pm
Environmental Justice Writing: This is an ongoing feature section of the journal that includes cli-fi, ecopoetry, socially engaged and activist art, photo essays, spoken word and video texts, and many other literary and artistic forms. Please follow the guidelines below for the genre category that best matches your work. If you are submitting a piece in this category, please note this on the submission form and in your cover letter. Work submitted in this category will be reviewed with the standard submissions described below, but will also receive special consideration for the environmental justice award. Find out more about Environmental Justice Writing.
Visual Art: Any medium (including photography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, mixed-genre, visual texts, graphic storytelling, etc.), at least 300 dpi. If submitting full-color, please also include a version that can be reproducible in black and white. In your cover letter, include title and medium/materials for caption for each piece. Limit 5 pieces per artist. All visual art will be considered for the issue's cover design. Accepted file formats: tiff, jpeg, bmp, png, gif. Please submit all files in one submission on our submission manager. If you have trouble submitting your attachments via the submission manager, please email them in a single email to toyonliterarymagazine@gmail.com.
Fiction: Limit 15 pages of fiction per author, with any number of titles included. Short fiction sequences are welcome. Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins. Include page numbers. Please no tab indents or extra spacing between paragraphs. Submit all pieces as a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and titles clearly marked in bold.
Creative Nonfiction: Limit 15 pages of creative nonfiction per author, with any number of titles included. Short essay sequences are welcome. Toyon accepts lyric essays, montage, serial essays, narrative journalism, and many other sub-genres of creative nonfiction. Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins. Please no tab indents or extra spacing between paragraphs. Submit all pieces as a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and titles clearly marked in bold.
Poetry: No line limit, Times New Roman, 12-point font, single spaced. Limit 5 poems per poet. Submit all pieces as a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and title clearly marked in bold.
Original Translations: Any genre and any language. If applicable, please include the original and the translation in your submission. Indicate whether we have permission from the author to publish the original. Translations of your own work are especially welcome. Times New Roman, 12-point font, single spaced. Limit 5 translations per author. All pieces must be submitted in a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and titles clearly marked in bold.
Critical Analysis: Includes cultural criticism, literary criticism, linguistic analysis, and all other analytical essay genres, on any topic. Essays must be clear to readers who may not have read the primary texts analyzed. Limit 1 analytical essay per author, under 15 pages, Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins. Please no tab indents or extra spacing between paragraphs. Critical analysis essays are judged based on coherence of the argument, depth of analysis, and accessibility to Toyon's broad readership.
Toyon does not publish book reviews.
Environmental Justice Writing: This is an ongoing feature section of the journal that includes cli-fi, ecopoetry, socially engaged and activist art, photo essays, spoken word and video texts, and many other literary and artistic forms. Please follow the guidelines below for the genre category that best matches your work. If you are submitting a piece in this category, please note this on the submission form and in your cover letter. Work submitted in this category will be reviewed with the standard submissions described below, but will also receive special consideration for the environmental justice award. Find out more about Environmental Justice Writing.
Visual Art: Any medium (including photography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, mixed-genre, visual texts, graphic storytelling, etc.), at least 300 dpi. If submitting full-color, please also include a version that can be reproducible in black and white. In your cover letter, include title and medium/materials for caption for each piece. Limit 5 pieces per artist. All visual art will be considered for the issue's cover design. Accepted file formats: tiff, jpeg, bmp, png, gif. Please submit all files in one submission on our submission manager. If you have trouble submitting your attachments via the submission manager, please email them in a single email to toyonliterarymagazine@gmail.com.
Fiction: Limit 15 pages of fiction per author, with any number of titles included. Short fiction sequences are welcome. Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins. Include page numbers. Please no tab indents or extra spacing between paragraphs. Submit all pieces as a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and titles clearly marked in bold.
Creative Nonfiction: Limit 15 pages of creative nonfiction per author, with any number of titles included. Short essay sequences are welcome. Toyon accepts lyric essays, montage, serial essays, narrative journalism, and many other sub-genres of creative nonfiction. Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins. Please no tab indents or extra spacing between paragraphs. Submit all pieces as a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and titles clearly marked in bold.
Poetry: No line limit, Times New Roman, 12-point font, single spaced. Limit 5 poems per poet. Submit all pieces as a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and title clearly marked in bold.
Original Translations: Any genre and any language. If applicable, please include the original and the translation in your submission. Indicate whether we have permission from the author to publish the original. Translations of your own work are especially welcome. Times New Roman, 12-point font, single spaced. Limit 5 translations per author. All pieces must be submitted in a single .doc or .docx file, with page breaks in-between each piece, and titles clearly marked in bold.
Critical Analysis: Includes cultural criticism, literary criticism, linguistic analysis, and all other analytical essay genres, on any topic. Essays must be clear to readers who may not have read the primary texts analyzed. Limit 1 analytical essay per author, under 15 pages, Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, 1 inch margins. Please no tab indents or extra spacing between paragraphs. Critical analysis essays are judged based on coherence of the argument, depth of analysis, and accessibility to Toyon's broad readership.
Toyon does not publish book reviews.
Online submissions are accepted through our submission management system. We no longer accept email submissions. Create a new account, complete all parts of the submission form, and upload your work. All work should be included with a single submission form (please do not complete multiple submission forms in a given annual cycle).
Simultaneous Submissions
Simultaneous submissions are happily accepted. If your work becomes scheduled for publication elsewhere, you can withdraw it from Toyon's submission management system.
Previously Published Work / Reprints
If you wish to submit previously published work, please include full details about publication history in your submission form.
What to Expect After You Submit
The issue close date for print submissions is September 30. After that date, the Toyon staff begins the blind review and selection process. Toyon does not finalize acceptance decisions for the upcoming issue until January. Before the end of January, you may be asked to revise and resubmit your work for further consideration, but this does not guarantee acceptance. Each annual issue is released in mid-March at the annual release party, held on Humboldt State University's campus in Arcata, California.
What We Look For
Toyon publishes distinguished literary and art work, with particular interest in promoting environmental and social justice. We seek diverse voices from around the world and welcome submissions in all languages.
General Guidelines for Submitting Your Work
Find out more about how to write a cover letter and how to prepare a submission packet for a literary magazine like Toyon.
