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Lucky Jefferson accepts submissions of unpublished poetry and flash fiction on subjects relating to the current theme or collection.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*
Poetry & Prose Summer Contest
Lucky Jefferson is excited to announce its first (ever) Poetry and Prose Summer contest!
Why are we doing this? We believe writers deserve opportunities like this (and so much more) and one core part of our mission includes being the difference. Many contests charge fees to enter or make writers and artists jump through hoops with no real return. We want to change that.
- For starters, it's free to enter or submit.
- You'll have 2 months to submit any original and unpublished poetry and prose you want.
- 20 finalists will receive publication in Lucky Jefferson's digital 365 Collection.
- Two finalists from that group (one poetry and one prose) will each receive $100, publication, and a swag box.
Morgan Christie is the judge for this contest. Learn more about her and our contest here.
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When submitting:
- Send no more than 5 poems or prose pieces in a submission.
- Keep it short and sweet. Share your name, email address, mailing address, and bio (third-person, 50 words max).
- No work that has been previously published in print or online. Please no ai-generated work.
*We will not tolerate any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and perspectives including: racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, ableism.
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*Please visit https://luckyjefferson.com/poetry-prose-contest/ for important info should your work be accepted*
PLEASE REVIEW IN FULL BEFORE SUBMITTING
Writing allows us to imagine a world where oppression and trauma don’t exist. And there is a reality where we are not defined by our trauma(s), but through our power—And you’re invited to be a part of that.
Awake is a digital zine and collection of work by Black authors that explores the power we each hold. For the very first time, Awake will be in print!
Use the prompt below to complete your submission:
The West is under attack! Protect your frontier and deliver your ‘isms [alive] to collect your bounty!
While the frontier is often typecast through an old western lens, your frontier can be whatever setting or undiscovered territory you want to explore. This can be a place near to you or a place not yet imagined.
Your frontier is boundless, without boundaries or borders that limit where or how far your writing can go. Think modern westerns (Greg Neri’s adaption Concrete Cowboy), cross-genre (Jordan Peele’s Nope), or even traditional/revisionist western (Jeymes Samuel’s The Harder They Fall). Leave no ‘ism’ unturned or territory underexplored. Whether through the region, era, or genre, there are no restrictions defining what, when, or where your frontier exists. Just show us, How the West Was (or still is) Black.
How to collect your bounty:
- Choose your bounty (see below)
- Document your western encounter with an ‘ism (racism, homophobia, etc.)
- Turn in your bounty via Submittable
Bounties (money you earn):
$15 — Haiku, Short Poems (<14 lines), Micro Fiction (under 100-300 words)
SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD
$25 — Prose, Short Story, Flash fiction, Creative-Nonfiction (under 1000 words)
SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD
$50 — Hybrid, Experimental, Essays, Long-form pieces. (under 2000 words)
SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 1 PIECE PER UPLOAD
$50 — All Artwork (includes comics, paintings, etc.)
SUBMIT UP TO 3 PIECES PER UPLOAD
Poems, essays, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, and art should illustrate which bounty you wish to collect.
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, $25, or $50, each accepted submission, depending on which bounties are collected.
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We do not accept translations or work that has been previously published in print or online.
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**We encourage you to make a donation with your submission. Your contribution fuels the publication of Lucky Jefferson as we are a growing independent publication with an all-volunteer staff.
**Previously accepted poets/writers should wait 2 quarters, or two issues, from the time of acceptance, before submitting new work to any open call.**
The 365 Collection
Lucky Jefferson happily accepts unsolicited submissions of poetry year-round into its 365 Collection, a 100% digital collection of poetry and other literature. Upon acceptance, submissions will be included on our website and social media account(s).
Writers looking to be published in upcoming print issues should plan to submit their work to the appropriate form during open calls—Next upcoming print issue: TBD.
When submitting:
- Send no more than three poems in a submission. Poems should be separated by titles or page breaks.
- Flash fiction should not exceed any more than 1000 words.
- In the cover page box, highlight your name, email address, mailing address, and bio (third-person, 50 words max).
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know if we can't publish something okay?
- 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.
We love receiving donations as they help us keep our ship sailing. Your contribution supports the publication of Lucky Jefferson as we are a growing independent publisher with an all-volunteer staff.
Poets accepted into the 365 Collection will placement on our website. Previously accepted poets/writers should wait 2 quarters or seasons, from the time of acceptance, before submitting new work to any open call.
Lucky Jefferson intends to expand its print and digital collections, (365 Collection, Awake) by featuring Guest Editors eager to generate visibility for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Arab and other Middle Eastern American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander voices and increased accessibility to traditionally underrepresented literature.
You should come prepared to wield your editorial skills and creativity to attract new and emerging voices. The sky is truly the limit as you will serve up unique themes consistent with social justice issues or something more fun like a call for recipes that inspire identity.
Applicants should be BIPOC-identifying authors excited about poetry, especially new contemporary works, and our mission to reinvigorate publishing. You do not have to have an extensive publication history!
How You'll Get Down (10 hours per month)
- Review submissions and provide supportive feedback in Submittable
- Lend your copy editing and proofreading skills to prepare accepted works for publication (roughly 8-10 authors per digital issue or 20-25 authors for print)
- Submit design or creative requests for issues to ensure all artwork is supplied on time for issues
- Champion our authors through editor social media interviews
- *If applying for a Translation Editor role, you could expect to support the same tasks above in addition to translating accepted works.
Where You Should Shine:
- Flawless editing skills and creative vision
- You work well alone and with a team and should be eager to hit the ground running for your issue
- Calling all perfectionists (kidding)! But attention to detail is a must. Mistakes happen, but you should be keen on minimizing them or avoiding them altogether
- Your passion for social justice advocacy and creating equal opportunities should be clear. We don't empower, we help folks realize the power they already have
- Must be committed to highlighting new voices in poetry, flash fiction, etc. This includes underrepresented and misrepresented groups (Black voices, LGBTQIA voices, Disabled voices, etc.)
How Long We'll Need Your Help
1-2 months (depends on the volume of submissions per issue and subsequent promotion). And of course, if you love the gig, you're more than welcome to stay aboard longer.
If This Is Your DREAM
Complete this application to guest edit an upcoming issue. Interviews rolling.
Scratching Your Head?
Send all questions to editorial@luckyjefferson.com.
We're Not Rolling In Dough Yet!
This is a volunteer position.
*and yes, this role is REMOTE*