Winter 2025 Submission Guidelines
Submissions for Empyrean Literary Magazine Issue 16: Vol 4, No 4 are now open
What We're Looking For
The theme for this issue is Decay.
Decay serves as an evocative metaphor that captures the inevitable processes of deterioration, decline, and transformation inherent in both the natural and human worlds. It invites writers to explore the fragility of life, the passage of time, and the bittersweet beauty found in what is lost. This theme reflects a spectrum of decay, from the physical disintegration of objects and environments to the emotional and psychological decay experienced in relationships, memories, and identities. Through the lens of decay, we can probe the deeper questions of existence, examining how decay can yield not only sorrow but also rebirth, renewal, and the profound truth of impermanence.
Writers are encouraged to engage with the theme of decay in imaginative and varied ways. One might depict slow disintegration, the explore the emotional decay of a character, a reflection the decline of personal ambition or forgotten love, or examine how art itself decays over time but retains echoes of its original beauty.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of topics you can draw from (pieces don’t have to cover any of these topics as long as they relate to Decay): Biology, physiology, psychology, philosophy, sociology, religion, mythology, history, ecology, or technology.
Decay serves as an evocative metaphor that captures the inevitable processes of deterioration, decline, and transformation inherent in both the natural and human worlds. It invites writers to explore the fragility of life, the passage of time, and the bittersweet beauty found in what is lost. This theme reflects a spectrum of decay, from the physical disintegration of objects and environments to the emotional and psychological decay experienced in relationships, memories, and identities. Through the lens of decay, we can probe the deeper questions of existence, examining how decay can yield not only sorrow but also rebirth, renewal, and the profound truth of impermanence.
Writers are encouraged to engage with the theme of decay in imaginative and varied ways. One might depict slow disintegration, the explore the emotional decay of a character, a reflection the decline of personal ambition or forgotten love, or examine how art itself decays over time but retains echoes of its original beauty.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of topics you can draw from (pieces don’t have to cover any of these topics as long as they relate to Decay): Biology, physiology, psychology, philosophy, sociology, religion, mythology, history, ecology, or technology.
Formats
Fiction:
Entries must be in the form of flash fiction, short-shorts, or full-length short stories. Each story must be within 1000 – 6,000 words. Submissions should be revised and edited final drafts. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, which lists the title of the story in your submission and short summary, your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in the following formats only: .doc or .docx, and .pdf. Writers may submit up to 3 entries per issue, written in English. Please submit each entry separately.
Poetry:
Entries must be in the form of portfolios; a portfolio must contain 3 – 10 poems. Each individual poem must start on a new page, beginning with a title underlined. One or all the poems may be chosen to participate in the magazine. Submissions should be revised and edited final drafts. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, which lists the titles of the poems in your submission, your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in the following formats only: .doc or .docx, and .pdf. Poets may submit up to 2 entries per issue, written in English. Please submit each entry separately.
NonFiction:
Entries must be in the form of journals, articles, or full-length essays. Each story must be within 1000 – 6,000 words. Submissions should be revised and edited final drafts. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, which lists the title of the story in your submission and short summary, your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in the following formats only: .doc or .docx, and .pdf. Writers may submit up to 3 entries per issue, written in English. Please submit each entry separately.
Art & Photography:
Entries must be in the form of portfolios; a portfolio must contain 3 – 10 pieces. One or all the pieces may be chosen to participate in the magazine. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, including your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in .jpg or .png format, 300dpi. Landscape covers: 11in width, 8.5in height. Portrait covers: 5.5in width, 8.5in height. Artists may submit up to 2 entries per issue. Please submit each entry separately.
Mixed submissions are accepted a pick of 3 of the following per issue: 1 fiction piece, 1 nonfiction piece, 1 poetry portfolio, and/or 1 art/photography portfolio. Please submit each entry separately (meaning up to 3 mixed entries per issue).
Submissions to general entries (3), contest (3), moon entries (2), and zodiac entries (2) will all be considered separately, and could result in up to 10 entries per issue.
The entry must be the entrant’s own original creation and must not infringe upon the right or copyright of any person or entity.
*Please note* There is no financial compensation for contribution.
Entries must be in the form of flash fiction, short-shorts, or full-length short stories. Each story must be within 1000 – 6,000 words. Submissions should be revised and edited final drafts. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, which lists the title of the story in your submission and short summary, your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in the following formats only: .doc or .docx, and .pdf. Writers may submit up to 3 entries per issue, written in English. Please submit each entry separately.
Poetry:
Entries must be in the form of portfolios; a portfolio must contain 3 – 10 poems. Each individual poem must start on a new page, beginning with a title underlined. One or all the poems may be chosen to participate in the magazine. Submissions should be revised and edited final drafts. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, which lists the titles of the poems in your submission, your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in the following formats only: .doc or .docx, and .pdf. Poets may submit up to 2 entries per issue, written in English. Please submit each entry separately.
NonFiction:
Entries must be in the form of journals, articles, or full-length essays. Each story must be within 1000 – 6,000 words. Submissions should be revised and edited final drafts. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, which lists the title of the story in your submission and short summary, your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in the following formats only: .doc or .docx, and .pdf. Writers may submit up to 3 entries per issue, written in English. Please submit each entry separately.
Art & Photography:
Entries must be in the form of portfolios; a portfolio must contain 3 – 10 pieces. One or all the pieces may be chosen to participate in the magazine. Please include a cover letter on the first page of your submission, including your name, a 50-word third person bio (longer bio will be subject to editing), your mailing address, and your email address. Entries must be sent in .jpg or .png format, 300dpi. Landscape covers: 11in width, 8.5in height. Portrait covers: 5.5in width, 8.5in height. Artists may submit up to 2 entries per issue. Please submit each entry separately.
Mixed submissions are accepted a pick of 3 of the following per issue: 1 fiction piece, 1 nonfiction piece, 1 poetry portfolio, and/or 1 art/photography portfolio. Please submit each entry separately (meaning up to 3 mixed entries per issue).
Submissions to general entries (3), contest (3), moon entries (2), and zodiac entries (2) will all be considered separately, and could result in up to 10 entries per issue.
The entry must be the entrant’s own original creation and must not infringe upon the right or copyright of any person or entity.
*Please note* There is no financial compensation for contribution.
Process
Submissions are accepted from everyone 18+.
Those chosen to appear in the print edition may be featured either in print alone or in print and online. Those not chosen for the print magazine may still be selected to appear online. Shortlisted entrants will be notified by email when they have made the list on November 20th by 5:00 p.m. (MST). Unsuccessful entrants will not be contacted.
Empyrean will have the exclusive right to publish the chosen pieces for six months from first publication in The Empyrean Literary Magazine. After six months, the rights will revert to the author. Should the pieces be published elsewhere, we ask that the appropriate credit is acknowledge in print that Empyrean published it first.
Once you have read of the terms and conditions, please email your submission to [email protected] with the subject containing: Issue [#] [Genre] Submission - [Pen Name], Entry [#]
Example: Issue 4 Poetry Submission - Jane Doe, Entry 2
Those chosen to appear in the print edition may be featured either in print alone or in print and online. Those not chosen for the print magazine may still be selected to appear online. Shortlisted entrants will be notified by email when they have made the list on November 20th by 5:00 p.m. (MST). Unsuccessful entrants will not be contacted.
Empyrean will have the exclusive right to publish the chosen pieces for six months from first publication in The Empyrean Literary Magazine. After six months, the rights will revert to the author. Should the pieces be published elsewhere, we ask that the appropriate credit is acknowledge in print that Empyrean published it first.
Once you have read of the terms and conditions, please email your submission to [email protected] with the subject containing: Issue [#] [Genre] Submission - [Pen Name], Entry [#]
Example: Issue 4 Poetry Submission - Jane Doe, Entry 2
Only submissions received by 11:59 p.m. (MST) on 15 November 2025 will be considered. Entries that are incomplete, incorrect, corrupted, or submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
We look forward to reading your submissions.
We look forward to reading your submissions.