Contact / Submissions

Do you have something you think will be a great fit for publication in Stark Voices?

Read below for information on the work we accept and how to submit yours!

Person with tablet on their lap

Hey, Stark State artists!

We are especially interested in creative submissions this semester! We are open to all forms of creative work – from traditional art, poetry, and stories to interactive media, music, and video!

Submission Info

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking a variety of voices, styles, topics and genres from the Stark State community, no matter how “weird” or how “traditional.” If you are unsure whether your work will fit in with Stark Voices, give us a shot!

When We’re Looking For It

We have three reading periods:

  • Spring (January – April)
  • Summer (June – July)
  • Fall (September – November)

Submissions received outside our reading periods will be reviewed the following reading period.

Where to Submit

Download our submission form above, fill it out, and attach it (along with your work) to an email addressed to starkvoices@gmail.com.

A brief cover letter is welcome but not required.

Please make no more than one submission per category, per reading period. (For example, you may submit photos, poems and an essay in the same reading period — but not two essays.)

Please do not send simultaneous submissions.

Submission Guidelines

Writing

Written work should be submitted as a Google Doc or Word file (.doc or .docx). Use either 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Arial font, and double-space your submission (except for poetry — see below).

Poetry

  • Submit up to five poems at a time, no more than 10 pages total. Use the spacing you want to see for your poem (for example, if you double-space your submission, it will be published double-spaced).
  • Please note that if your poetry requires special formatting and/or font settings, we will do our best to preserve it, but may not be able to do so perfectly in the final publication.

Fiction

  • Submit up to three pieces, no more than 12 pages (double-spaced) in total.

Essays

  • Submit up to three pieces, no more than 12 pages total. Hyperlinks are preferred for in-text citations, though APA format is acceptable. References must follow APA format.

Art / Photography / Media

Art / Photography

  • Submit up to 10 pieces of visual art as a JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) or PNG (.png) file. PNG files are preferred. We are unable to accept RAW files at this time.
  • Please set the resolution to at least 72 PPI (pixels per inch). Please do not use DPI to set the resolution, as we are not a print publication.
  • Images may be of any dimensions but should be large enough for standard web publishing (for example, at least 480 x 600 pixels).

Media

  • Creative, cross-genre, and all non-written pieces are welcome! Please send an inquiry to starkvoices@gmail.com.
  • We will make every attempt to publish multimedia projects involving any combination of video, audio, or interactive components. If there is a technical issue with accommodating your project, we will do our best to work with you and present your work in a form that is as close as possible to your original vision.

Legal Stuff

Stark Voices cannot accept previously published work.

Stark Voices retains first electronic serial rights to publication. All rights revert to the author upon publication. Please acknowledge Stark Voices if your work is published elsewhere.

Your submission may be on any topic or deal with difficult subject matter; however, Stark Voices staff may require editing of—or reject outright—submissions contravening Stark State’s Freedom of Expression and Responsibilities guidelines (Policy No. 3357:15-13-48). Final decisions concerning suitability to publish will remain with the editorial staff of Stark Voices and/or Stark State College.

Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. Please review Stark State College’s Digital Library page on plagiarism and Turnitin’s “Plagiarism Spectrum” guide.

By submitting to Stark Voices, you confirm that your submission is your own work. You agree that you have secured any and all necessary permissions (when applicable) for publication of your work, whether written, visual or multimedia, prior to submitting to Stark Voices.

Want to join our team? Have a question (or more of a comment, really) about Stark Voices? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to us at starkvoices@gmail.com, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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