SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Issue 7 submissions are open from October 15th - October 31st at 11:59pm EST

 

SICK publishes work from folks who are sick/chronically ill/mentally ill/disabled. We are looking for writing & artwork that thinks through the experience of illness and disability in new ways, or explores a topic that is framed by this experience. We do not have themes for our issues. 

While contributions are only accepted from chronically ill and disabled people, your work does not have to explicitly be about illness or disability, but informed by it in some way.

Please read through our guidelines below to learn what we are looking for and how to submit. All pitches and submissions will receive a response by November 30th.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Personal essays, creative and experimental nonfiction, lyric essays (800 - 2,200 words)

• Poetry (submit a minimum of two and a maximum of five poems)

• Reported features (1,500 - 2,000 words)

• Op-eds (900 - 1,700 words)

• Book, film, & art reviews (800 - 1,300 words)

• Interviews with writers, artists, creatives, activists (we can help you contact the interviewee if needed)

• Visual art (submit a minimum of three and a maximum of eight images. We publish three - seven images per artist, please do not submit a single image)
• Cover artwork (artists are typically chosen from submissions; however, if you do not want to submit but would like to express interest in creating cover artwork, please email your portfolio and any relevant sketches)

WHAT WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR:

• Short stories
• Rhyming poems
• ‘Letters to self’
• Listicles
• Screenplays
• Academic writing
• Personal or nature photography
• Religious material

SICK does not publish work that includes medical advice, reviews of treatments or diets, ‘wellness’ tips, ‘warrior’ narratives, or stories of ‘overcoming’ disability. We do not consider work that is made with the use of AI.

If possible, please read a copy of SICK before submitting to familiarize yourself with the kind of work we publish. We have both print and PDF copies available in our shop. You can also see selected work from past issues on our excerpts page.

PAYMENT

PROSE: 12 cents per word 
POETRY & ARTWORK: Flat rate of $90 

Contributors are paid upon completion or acceptance of work. All payments are made in USD via PayPal. Our contributor rates are dependent on sales from the previous issue, in addition to merch sales, donations, and grant funding. Read more about our finances here.

HOW TO SUBMIT

• All submissions should be sent via email to submit (@) sickmagazine.org. Please also fill out our required EO form here. All pitches and submissions will receive a response by November 30th.

• For written submissions, include a title, word count, and short bio (5-30 words) in the body of your email. Please attach your submission as a Word doc or PDF. Full or partial draft submissions are preferred, but pitches (see below) from writers who have relevant examples of their work are equally considered.

• For pitches, tell us in 2-3 paragraphs what you want to write about and why. Include the main topic(s) you will cover, why it’s important, a suggested title, and 2-3 relevant examples of recent work alongside a short bio (5-30 words). If you do not have any recent relevant work, please submit a full or partial draft instead. Pitches without relevant work samples are unlikely to be commissioned.

• For poetry, include the number of poems you are submitting alongside a short bio (5-30 words) in the body of your email. Please attach your submission as a Word doc or PDF and include all poems in one document. Please submit a minimum of two and a maximum of five poems.

• For visual art, include a short statement about the work you are submitting (15-50 words), a bio (5-30 words), and send images as JPEG or PNG attachments and not in the body of the email. We publish a minimum of three works per artist; please submit a minimum of three and a maximum of eight images.

FAQ + TIPS

Do you accept previously published work?
We are happy to consider previously published work on a case-by-case basis with permission from the original publisher. Please clearly state if your submission has been previously published and if so, where, when, and the link if applicable. We also welcome submissions that are excerpts from soon-to-be or recently published books.

Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Yes, as long as you clearly state this in your submission and notify us immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.

Can I send multiple pitches/submissions?
You are welcome to pitch up to three ideas or submit three pieces of written work per submission period. You can also pitch or submit across three different categories. For example: a visual art submission, poetry submission, and an essay submission would be ok. Please include multiple pitches/submissions in the same email if possible.

Can I submit if I am not based in the US or UK?
Yes! We encourage submissions from outside these areas. Please note that all contributors will be paid in USD via PayPal (exceptions can be made when necessary).

Can I submit if I have been published in a previous issue?
In an effort to share as many voices as possible, please do not submit if your work was published in issue 6. Contributors from issues 01 - 5 are welcome to submit, but new voices may be prioritized.

How do you choose a cover artist?
Cover artists are typically selected from our visual art submissions. All art submissions are generally considered for cover artwork and inside illustrations. However, if you do not want to submit to issue 7 but would like to express interest in creating cover artwork, please email your portfolio and any relevant sketches.

What kinds of features do you publish?
Features we have previously published cover topics such as accessibility in higher education, the intersection of mental and physical health, why outdated diagnostic methods are being used in the NHS, and more. Read an example from issue 6 here and from 2 here. We are interested in publishing more political-leaning features - pitch us on policy failures, climate catastrophe, and late stage capitalism from a disabled perspective.

What type of artwork do you publish?
We have published a range of mediums from drawings and paintings to collage, digital, and textile work. Please be sure to have high resolution images available.
 
We receive many submissions that are photographs of work on display in galleries, and while we welcome these types of work, please consider how it will translate to print. Sometimes we receive photographs of work that is intriguing and of interest, but would struggle to come across in the magazine the way it might in person. Click here to see an example of this kind of submission that was published in issue 5. 

What happens if my work is accepted?
You will be notified via email and asked to provide a bio for publication and an invoice once work is completed (if not already); artists will be asked for a finalized artist statement. If you are submitting an essay, feature, or other written work, we will work on edits together before publication. Our editing process consists of hard and soft deadlines to allow for flexibility. Once the issue is published, your work will be shared on our social media platforms and may be used on merch or other materials with your permission. (In the past, these have been posters, bookmarks, prints, and stickers.) 

Why has my work not been accepted?
As a chronically ill person working through hundreds of submissions, I am not able to provide individual feedback. We receive far more submissions than we are able to print and have to be very selective.

Should I include a content note in my submission?
No. If your work is accepted, content notes will be considered during editing.

Does mental illness/autism/OCD/other count as a chronic illness/disability? Can I still submit if I’ve recovered/am in remission?
Yes! Under the 2010 Equality Act, you are considered disabled ‘if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal activities.’ You do not have to have a diagnosis or explain your disability to me. This also applies if you’ve recovered from an illness – for example, if you no longer have cancer but your work is informed by this experience, you are welcome to submit. If you’re still unsure, please feel free to submit anyway.

Please message @asickmagazine on Instagram or email hello@sickmagazine.org with any questions not answered above. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to make the submission process more accessible for you. We can provide submission templates and examples of pitches on request.