Lucky Jefferson is the literary journal that talks back—generating constructive and interactive conversations around poetry, art, and publishing; redefining publication page by page. We live for poets/writers who have never been published, especially those who sought to pursue poetry and writing later in life. We represent the people and firmly believe that marginalized voices deserve a better platform.
Submission Guidelines:
Lucky Jefferson accepts submissions of unpublished poetry and flash fiction on subjects relating to the current theme or collection.
When submitting:
- Send three poems per submission. Poems should be separated by titles or page breaks.
- Flash fiction should not exceed any more than 1000 words (Microfiction is what's up).
- Include a cover page highlighting your name, email address, mailing address, and bio (third-person, 50 words max). Get creative, don't bore us with the same bio you share with everyone else.
- No submissions via e-mail (unless you're a student—all students submit for free).
- We do not accept translations or work that has been previously published in print or online.
We will not tolerate any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and perspectives including: racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, ableism.
*Please visit https://luckyjefferson.com/submit for important info should your work be accepted*
Upcoming Digital Issue, Foráneo
What do you do with the unknown when you can't ignore it anymore? What do you do with the questions about the universe, the lands and oceans to be explored, the future to be lived? What do you do when familiar things become alien? What do you do with the foreign?
You create something about it!
We cannot always describe the weird and unknown, but we can certainly try. For this Lucky Jefferson's first Halloween issue, we are inviting Latin American writers, artists, and poets to send us their poetry, prose, and art that reflect the eerie, the frightening, and the mysterious unknowns in life. What is foreign and scary for you? The future? The unknown parts of the sea? The pains and horrors of the human body?
We want to know about it!
We will be accepting bilingual submissions! Spanish, Portuguese, and other Latin American languages are welcome (although we can only translate Spanish to English and vice versa if you want your work to be translated).
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¿Que haces cuando ya no puedes ignorar lo desconocido? ¿Que haces con las dudas sobre el universo, las tierras y océanos aún por explorar, el futuro por venir? ¿Que haces con lo foráneo?
Crear!
No siempre somos capaces de describir lo raro y desconocido, pero siempre podemos intentar.
Para la edición de Halloween de Lucky Jefferson de este año estamos invitando a escritores, artistas y poetas Latino Americanos a que nos envíen sus poemas, prosa o arte que refleje lo inquietante, alarmante y misterioso de la vida. ¿Que es foráneo y aterrador para ti? ¿El futuro? ¿Las partes desconocidas del mar? ¿Las dolencias y horrores del cuerpo humano? Queremos saberlo todo!
Y para hacerlo más divertido vamos a aceptar trabajos bilingües! Español, portugués y otras lenguas latino americanas son bienvenidas (aunque sólo podemos traducir del español al inglés y viceversa si es que quieres que tu trabajo sea traducido)
Examples of what we're looking for: "The Tunnel”, Ernesto Sábato / "The Eyes of Judas" by Abraham Valdelomar
**Submissions that are not in English should include a translated version of the work.**
PAYMENT (UPON ACCEPTANCE):
$15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines), Micro Fiction (under 100-300 words)
SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD
$20 — Prose, Short Story, Flash fiction, Creative-Nonfiction, Hybrid/Experimental (under 1000 words)
SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD
$25 — All Artwork (includes comics, paintings, etc.)
SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD
Upon acceptance, submissions will be included on our website, in print, and will be eligible to be publicized on social media.
Accepted authors will receive a payout of $15, $20, or $25, each accepted submission.
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We encourage you to donate with your submission. Your contribution fuels the publication of Lucky Jefferson as we are a growing independent publication with an all-volunteer staff.
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*Please visit https://luckyjefferson.com/submit for important info should your work be accepted*
Little Jefferson
Calling all kiddos and teens aspiring to become writers or pursue the arts when they grow up!
Little Jefferson is Lucky Jefferson's way of creating spaces and opportunities for youth ages 9-13 to explore and deepen their joy of writing and grow as young artists.
Upon acceptance, submissions will be included on our website.
When submitting:
• Send no more than three poems or one story in a submission. Poems should poems separated by titles or page breaks.
• Include a short cover page highlighting the young poet’s name, email address (if applicable), bio, and mailing address. Biographical statements should be 2-3 sentences or 50-75 words—have fun with this and tell us something we'd never know!
Parents/Guardians/Teachers/Youth Organizations are allowed to submit on their child's behalf.
**We do not accept translations or work that has been previously published in print or online.**
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We encourage you to donate with your submission to help us keep this ship sailing. Your contribution fuels the publication of Lucky Jefferson as we are a budding independent journal with an all-volunteer staff.
To keep things fair, previously accepted poets may only submit once each calendar year.
PLEASE REVIEW IN FULL BEFORE SUBMITTING
76% of all representation in publishing is through the lens of non-BIPOC writers, editors, and artists. And it's through this lens that historically underrepresented cultures, narratives, and a sense of belonging are throttled.
Our Solution:
Lucky Jefferson's research began with support from Illinois Humanities in 2023. We surveyed Black, African, and African-American-identifying writers and artists residing in Chicago's North Side, West Side, and South Side neighborhoods to better evaluate the needs and interests of local creatives. We are now expanding our research to Black, African, and African-American-identifying writers and artists located across the United States.
How You Can Help:
This self-guided survey will deepen our understanding of the national literary community as we plan to cultivate storytelling and interactive experiences, between neighborhoods and artists.
Earn $5 when you complete this digital survey. By taking 5-10 minutes to support our research, you'll be helping shape the literary landscape throughout the country.
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Don't forget to also complete this form in Submittable!
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**For questions or other requests, please email research@luckyjefferson.com.**