Deadline: June 6th, 2021
Payment: 2 contributors copies
Theme: Current/former prisoners may submit work on any topic. Prison volunteers, family, friends, and staff should submit only work on memories, perspectives, or insights related to mass incarceration.
Note: This call is for current/former prisoners, current/former prison volunteers, family and friends of prisoners, and current/former prison staff

Call For Submissions

Submission Guidelines (Link to website)

We are currently accepting submissions of short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, one-act plays, cartoons/comics, graphic stories, and art for Issue 6.

Submission Deadline: June 06, 2021

Who Can Submit 

We welcome submissions from current/former prisoners, current/former prison volunteers, family and friends of prisoners, and current/former prison staff.

Current/former prisoners may submit work on any topic. Prison volunteers, family, friends, and staff should submit only work on memories, perspectives, or insights related to mass incarceration.

How to Submit 

To accommodate prisoners who do not have computer and/or internet access, we accept both electronic and mail-in submissions.

Additionally, we accept both typed and handwritten work. There is no submission fee. Please see the guidelines below for each category. Please use the attached coversheet and include your entire submission in a single email or envelope. Manuscripts and art will be returned only with a self-addressed and stamped envelope or mailing tube. We prefer to receive digital images (jpg, png, pdf) of the original art rather than the art itself, but we will accept either.

*In order to be considered for publication, cover letter/consent form must be completed in its entirety (Included in Submittable Electronic Form). If you do not have access to a copy of the cover sheet, please include a handwritten/typed letter with title, genre, consent to proofreading and/or structure edits, and incarceration status. 

Payment/Gift for Accepted Work 

Two contributor copies, prison policy permitting.

*Arizona State Prison policy prohibits gifting or paying prisoners with copies. Families and friends may order copies via the website. Prison magazine policies vary by state.

Guidelines for All Genres 

● We look for quality and originality. Send us your best work—writing and art that are compelling, well crafted, and attentive to detail. We do not accept previously published work.

● Work must not include names or other identifying information of any actual persons who are victims to or guilty of a crime, apart from the author. To increase Iron City Magazine‘s chances of being allowed into the prisons, please abstain from nudity, graphically depicted violence, and detailed discussion of drug use.

● Please make handwriting legible. Capital and lowercase letters, punctuation, line breaks, and paragraph/stanza spacing must be distinct. (Please DO NOT submit work in ALL CAPS.)

● We do not accept book-length works.

Guidelines for Fiction

We consider all types of fiction. Flash fiction and short stories are preferred, but stand-alone chapters from longer works are considered. Submit 1 to 3 pieces, up to 30 handwritten pages or 15 typed pages (4,000 words), total.

Guidelines for Creative Nonfiction

We consider any true story, but memoir (distinct personal episodes or memories) and personal essays are preferred. Tell a good story, but make sure it is factual. Use descriptive details (imagery), paint scenes, provide actions. We will consider brief opinion pieces, argument essays, and humor. Submit 1 to 3 pieces, up to 30 handwritten pages or 15 typed pages (4,000 words), total.

Guidelines for Poetry

We consider all types of poetry including formal, free-verse, experimental, and prose poetry. Submit 1 to 5 poems, not to exceed 10 pages, total. Poems exceeding 1 page should still be spare and evocative.

Guidelines for One-Act Plays

Submit 1 or 2 plays. Each play may be up to 30 handwritten pages or 15 typed pages.

Guidelines for Cartoons/Comics/Graphic Stories

We accept both color and black-and-white graphics and cartoons/comics, but we may be able to print only in black-and-white, depending on funding. Submit up to 2 graphic stories (maximum of 15 pages each) and/or 3 one-page cartoons/comics. Please bear in mind that our printed magazine page size is only 8.5 inches in height by 5.5 inches in width. Stories may be fiction or creative nonfiction/memoir (please specify which).

Guidelines for Art

We accept both physical and digital artwork. No portraits of celebrities. We prefer quality photographs or digital reproductions of art so as not to risk anyone’s art being lost or damaged in the mail, but we will still review original pieces and attempt to return them as feasible. Please submit 1-3 pieces. Include the title, medium, and date created for each submission.

Disclaimer Regarding Editorial Process

Minor edits to spelling, punctuation, or grammar may be needed. Because communication with prisoners is slow, these edits may be made without consulting the authors. Consent to these edits is voluntary, but not consenting may limit chances of acceptance for publication. Please state on the submission cover sheet whether you do or do not consent to such changes.

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Open Editorial Positions

Call for Applicants: Art Editor

Iron City Magazine is currently seeking an art editor for Issue 6, with the possibility for renewal of the role in future issues.

Iron City Magazine is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and journal devoted entirely to writing and art from the prison world. It is our hope that through this creative platform, incarcerated artists and writers find value in their stories, fuel for personal growth, and pride in their accomplishments. Prisoners are, first and foremost, people. They own stories worthy of telling and sharing. Iron City Magazine aims to highlight these stories in a way more permanent than a private journal.

Art Editor

Applicants with a background in art and design are preferred, though not required. Previous experience in literary journal/magazine or design role preferred, though not required. Interest or passion in the mission of Iron City Magazine is required. Proficiency in photoshop and Adobe illustrator are required. Proficiency in InDesign preferred.

Please send the following application materials to [email protected] with the subject line: “Issue 6 Art Editor Application:”

• CV/resume
• Sample of art and/or graphic design
• List 2 artists that have influenced your interest in art editing
• Cover letter that clearly states the position you are applying for:
  • Include the history of your design/art editing experience
  • Describe your familiarity with Iron City Magazine and the work it publishes

Art Editor Expectations:

-Works with co-editor to select art pieces to include in current issue

-Uses photoshop to edit pieces into usable forms for InDesign layout

-Completes live review editing with co-editor for all selected pieces

*Editors work remotely

*Must have access to a computer and internet

*Non-paid volunteer position

*Bulk of work will take place between June – July 2021

Applications will be reviewed by:

Executive Director, Corri Wells

Managing Director, Jacqueline Aguilar

Assistant Editor/Operations Director, Jess Fletcher

While considering applicants, we will be also looking to expand the representation of formerly incarcerated staff into the editorial team.

Via: Iron City Magazine’s Submittable.