Guidelines

This bi-annual local publication signals the changing seasons. Each themed issue will be available exclusively on our website. We plan to publish ten pieces per issue, though this may vary based on submission quality and quantity.

Who We Seek

  • Artists 18 years or older and a current resident of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, or British Columbia.
  • Any and all identities. Every human-experience is welcome at HamLit. We are LGBTQIA+ inclusive. With HamLit you retain the right to feel safe and be seen.

What We Seek

  • High-caliber, unpublished short fiction and poetry
  • Evocative exploration of issue theme
  • Original genre fiction (fantasy, spec, mystery, horror, etc.) is welcome; fan fiction and novel excerpts are (unfortunately) not
  • 5000 word maximum, per fiction submission; 2 page maximum, per poem
  • If your submission(s) include(s) descriptions of rape, incest, self-mutilation, and/or ideations of suicide or other-harm please include a trigger warning. Graphic descriptions of child- and/or animal-harm will not be published.
  • Two submission limit. Preferred formats: .doc or .docx.

The Fine Print

  • HamLit requires no general submission fee, though we do welcome donations.
  • For published works, we offer honorariums of $5.
  • Upon publication, you grant us First North American Serial Rights, Archival Rights to archive online, as well as the non-exclusive right to reprint in anthologies/compendiums. All rights revert back to the author after publication.
  • If your work is republished, we kindly request you credit HamLit as the initial publisher.
  • HamLit does not accept previously published work. “Published work” means published in print in North America or published on the Internet in electronic journals, e-zines, academic websites, and other “public” or “official” websites. Works posted on personal blogs/websites will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We ask that authors be honest about web postings. If a work is discovered to have been posted or published elsewhere—and not openly acknowledged by the author in advance—we will remove it from consideration.
  • We do not accept physical mail submissions.

Like what you see here? Head to our Submit page for document specifications.