Split Lip Magazine is a voice-driven literary journal with a pop culture twist. We publish online monthly and in print periodically. We accept fiction (flash and short stories), memoir, poetry, art, and photography. Please read our guidelines and submit accordingly. We appreciate you taking time to check us out and look forward to reading your work!
In an effort to promote Black voices, free submissions will be open for Black writers and artists in all genres all year (except when we are closed to all submissions in July and the second half of December).
WE ARE A PAYING MARKET! Contributors to web issues will receive $75 (paid via PayPal; note that payment cannot be made by any other method than PayPal). Print issue contributor payment is $5 per printed page, minimum of $20, plus 2 contributor copies. Please note that we are not publishing a print issue this year.
Other important details:
- We're open for FREE submissions during the months of January, March, May, August, September, and November.
- We are open for TIP JAR submissions only during the months of February, April, June, October, and the first half of December. Tip Jar submissions are not read any faster than free subs, but these donations do help us pay our contributors, Submittable fees, and printing costs! We greatly appreciate your contribution! Please note that we will be open to free submissions by Black writers and artists in these months.
- Art Submissions are only open during free submission periods.
- We are closed to submissions in July and from December 15th to 31st.
- We sometimes offer an EXPEDITED submission option, which puts your submission to the top of our reading pile. You can expect a response within two weeks. It does not guarantee acceptance. If you do not see an Expedited Review category below in a given genre, it means that it is currently closed; our staff is catching up on regular submissions.
- We often have to shut FREE SUBS early when our cap with Submittable maxes out or when we have received more submissions than our team can consider in a timely fashion. If a single genre has been closed early to free subs, it means that we have been inundated with submissions in that category! This happens almost every month in Poetry. For this reason, we recommend submitting early in the month.
- Please submit in only one genre at a time. Please submit only one piece at a time. We will not consider multiple submissions or multiple pieces in a single submission.
- Should you receive a rejection, please wait one month before submitting again.
- If you're a previous contributor, we love you, but please wait one year before submitting again, unless you are submitting to our contests. Contests are open to all contributors, regardless of when we last published you.
- Content Warnings: If your work deals with sensitive or triggering topics, please identify/note them in your cover letter.
- If you used A.I. to create the piece you are submitting, let us know. Tell us how/why you used it. We will take published work down from our website if we find out you used A.I. and didn't disclose that fact to us.
- Please double-space your prose submission.
- 100% of any submission fee goes to running the magazine (web host fees, printing costs, Submittable fees) and to paying contributors.
For a faster response, use our expedited reading option. We'll put your work at the very top of our reading pile and we'll respond within two weeks (usually sooner). This option provides no preferential treatment
Send us your best poem. Yes, 1 poem per submission. We want new, innovative works by fresh voices.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
Thank you!
For a faster response, use our expedited reading option. We'll put your work at the very top of our reading pile and we'll respond within two weeks (usually sooner). This option provides no preferential treatment.
In general, we're looking for your best fiction from 1,000-3,000 words. Please do not send us flash fiction under 1000 words in this submissions category.
- Please read at least one story from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double your line spacing and use a serif font.
We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal. Voice-driven prose also gets us fired up. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw immediately if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
In the body of the message box, please provide a short cover letter, brief bio and contact information.
Thank you!
For a faster response, use our expedited reading option. We'll put your work at the very top of our reading pile and we'll respond within two weeks (usually sooner). This option provides no preferential treatment.
We're looking for your best flash FICTION under 1,000 words. Please do NOT send flash memoir to this category. Thank you!
- Please read at least one story from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double your line spacing and use a serif font.
- Please proofread! The occasional typo won't lead to a rejection, but we can tell when you've sent us a first draft.
-Please only submit one piece at a time.
We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal. Voice-driven prose also gets us fired up. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw immediately if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
In the body of the message box, please provide a short cover letter, brief bio and contact information.
Thank you!
We are looking for your best fiction under 1000 words.
- Please read at least one piece from our archives to help discern if we're right for you
- Please double your line spacing and use a serif font.
- We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal. Voice-driven prose gets us fired up.
- Please submit only one piece a at time.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
- This submissions category is only open to Black writers. Please do not submit work to this category if you are not Black.
- Thank you!
- Please read at least one story from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double space and use either Times New Roman or Garamond.
- We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal.
- We consider stories in the 1,000-3,000 word range.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
- Please provide a short cover letter and contact information.
- Note: This submissions category is only open to Black writers. Please do not submit work to this category if you are not Black.
Thank you!
Thank you for submitting to Split Lip Magazine!
- Please read at least one piece from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double your line spacing.
- We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal.
- We take up to 2000 words for memoir.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
- In the body of the message box, please provide a short cover letter, brief bio and contact information.
- Note: This submissions category is only open to Black writers. Please do not submit work to this category if you are not Black.
Send us your best poem. Yes, 1 poem per submission. We want new, innovative works by fresh voices.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
Note: This submissions category is only open to Black writers. Please do not submit work to this category if you are not Black.
Thank you!
Send us one high-resolution image or a link to your portfolio. No multiple submissions. Please let us respond to your first submission before submitting again. Materials may have been previously published online.
We want everyday & unusual art. Art steeped in memory & awareness. Art that's subtle. Art that's loud & kinda punk. That stays out past its curfew & lives a double life. We want art that eats donuts & watches cartoons on Saturday mornings. Art that lives next door. Art whose parents are immigrants. Art that wants forgiveness. Art that's unapologetic. Art that's serious. That's cheeky. That reads the tabloids and paints its nails. Sings Johnny Cash in the shower. Is lowbrow. Pop-surreal. Hyperreal. Abstract. Art that's been hunting with its pappy and is skinning its first squirrel. Art that punched the mean kid back. Art that reminds us of our humanity.
Note: This submissions category is only open to Black artists. Please do not submit work to this category if you are not Black.
Payment for cover art is $75 USD, payable via PayPal.
We are looking for your best fiction under 1000 words.
- Please read at least one piece from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double your line spacing and use a serif font.
- We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal. Voice-driven prose also gets us fired up.
- Please submit only one piece at a time.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
- Please read at least one piece from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double your line spacing and use a standard serif font.
- We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal.
- We consider stories in the 1,000-3,000 word range.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw if the piece is picked up elsewhere. In the body of the message box, please provide a short cover letter, brief bio, and contact information.
This tipping option is an opportunity to support the literary community and the role Split Lip plays within it. A Tip Jar submission does not guarantee publication.
- Please read at least one piece from our archives to help discern if we're right for you.
- Please double or at least 1.5 your line spacing and use a serif font.
- We favor interesting, literary narratives with a modern, pop culture appeal.
- The shorter, the better though we take up to 2000 words.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us or withdraw if the piece is picked up elsewhere.
- In the body of the message box, please provide a short cover letter, brief bio and contact information.
This tipping option is an opportunity to support the literary community and the role Split Lip plays within it. Tip Jar submissions do not guarantee publication.
Send us your best poem. Yes, only 1 poem. Multiple submissions are not permitted. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us if the piece is picked up elsewhere.