Submissions
Thank you for your interest in publishing with Literary Mama! Submit your work here.
General Submission Guidelines
Literary Mama seeks:
- Submissions by anyone who identifies as a mother, or with the journey of motherhood, or the act of mothering in its many forms. This includes those hoping to conceive, those who have lost a child, and those providing parental care. We are open to work by fathers if that title better describes your caretaking role.
- Fresh perspectives, thoughtful language, innovative craft, and vivid imagery. Narratives that seek to reveal or unravel moments of motherhood that lead to epiphanies.
- We encourage submissions from all writers, especially those who have been traditionally underrepresented, including those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and who live a non-normative experience of motherhood. We believe that exploring a wide array of diverse motherhood experiences benefits the quality of our journal.
Literary Mama staff are committed to learning about and implementing antiracist models for editing, staffing, and publishing. We understand that such dismantling can only be accomplished through collective, radical change. We acknowledge white power in publishing, which has excluded the global majority, and seek ways to contradict the racism that has historically affected Literary Mama’s staffing and publications.
Therefore, we strive to support parent-/mother-creators by embracing the breadth and diversity of motherhood. We aim to publish work that crosses boundaries of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, and/or economic status. We encourage contributions that build community.
Please note:
- We consider only previously unpublished work.
- Submissions must be sent using this form, which includes space for a brief cover letter and bio.
- If your work is a simultaneous submission, please check the appropriate box on the submission form. If your submission is accepted elsewhere, let us know immediately by sending an email to the appropriate department (contact information is listed in department-specific submission guidelines).
- If you do not receive a response within three months, you are welcome to inquire via email using the address noted on the department submission page.
- Authors and photographers retain rights. Please credit Literary Mama as the original place of publication if your work is republished. Let us know so we can celebrate your achievement!
- Literary Mama is not currently a paying market. Our staff consists of volunteers, many of us mothers ourselves.
- We make a concerted effort to promote the work of our contributors via Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, and our newsletter with each new issue.
Review our About Us section, our Mission Statement, and read through our archives to get a sense of what we publish.
Follow the department links below for more information about our editors’ expectations.
Department-Specific Submission Guidelines
BOOK REVIEW SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
CREATIVE NONFICTION SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
LITERARY REFLECTIONS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
General Questions
For general questions about Literary Mama, contact us at LiteraryMamainfo (at) literarymama (dot) com. Note that submissions are only accepted via this form.