Submissions

Submit work that encourages us to see the world from new perspectives and different angles, ones that we may not have previously considered or imagined. 

We are accepting submissions in all genres from September 5, 2023 through October 5th, 2023. We will consider Nonfiction submissions from September 5, 2023 through December 5, 2023 and Visual Art submissions from September 5, 2023 through January 5, 2024.

Please acquaint yourself with our guidelines below. We are now a paying market and can offer our writers, poets, and artists a $20 honorarium per accepted work.

General Guidelines

1. We only consider previously unpublished works. No exceptions. Thank you.
2. We do not accept submissions via email or postal service. You can submit your work to us through our submission manager. If you run into any technical difficulties in uploading your submission, please contact us at invisiblecity@usfca.edu.
3. We do accept simultaneous submissions. However, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible if your work is accepted elsewhere.
4. We read prose pieces up to 5,000 words. Flash is welcome; for regular issue submissions you may submit up to three flash pieces (less than 1,000 words each) in a single document.
5. If you’re submitting poetry, please submit to us no more than three poems. The best things come in threes: Olympic medals, wishes, Cerberus heads.
6. At this time we do not accept novel excerpts, unless they function as standalone stories.
7. We ask that if your work is accepted to please wait three reading cycles before submitting again. For example, if your work is accepted in the Spring 2020 cycle, you will be eligible for Spring 2022 submissions. This waiting period allows us to best honor our mission of giving space to new voices.
8. For visual art: at the moment, there is no waiting period for visual art. We will consider submissions from artists who were published in recent issues. Please submit your art in either a .pdf or .jpg file format. If you would like to submit multiple pieces for consideration, you may upload a .zip file or include a link to a portfolio.
9. We do not accept work (other than visual art) from current students at the University of San Francisco. Alumni may submit work.
10. All honorariums associated with an international address will be made by wire transfer. If you are an international resident, to be paid an honorarium, you must have a bank account in your own name. The bank account cannot be in a family member’s, friend’s, or in any other person’s or entity’s name. Otherwise, the honorarium will not be processed. Also include the SWIFT or IBAN code associated with your country on the paperwork we require to complete the honorarium request. 
11. Please include content warnings when applicable.

Photo credit: Ian Simmonds on Unsplash