SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES
We are open for submissions for two reading periods a year:
Feb. 15 to April 15
Sept. 15 to Nov. 15
WHO WE ARE
Pangyrus literary magazine is dedicated to making unexpected connections across a wide range of ideas, arts, genres, and geographies. Our name combines Pangea (the world continent) and gyrus (the folds on the cerebral cortex of the brain), with a deliberate echo of “papyrus.” We engage with political and social issues, but edit for writing that will stand the test of time.
We publish a mix of opinion pieces and reviews, poetry, comics and visual art, memoir and fiction, twice a week online, and twice a year in print.
We're looking for work with a strong point of view that takes us into surprising spaces.
CATEGORIES
For the categories, please see below. If there is a link, then that category is open for submissions.
- Fiction
- Poetry
- Nonfiction — Including our special categories of Zest! (food writing) & Generations (family).
- Comics and Art
- By Prior Arrangement (only open to use if you have permission from an editor; tell us who has referred you, please)
WHERE WE PUBLISH
This is a general call for work, with no limit as to subject, and we are proud to feature all accepted work on our website, pangyrus.com. In addition, we select some work to feature in our annual print anthology. Our 15th print issue (2027) has as its theme UNDERCURRENTS. We’re looking for fiction, nonfiction, memoir, graphic work, and poetry that cracks open the surface and gives us a glimpse of the unseen forces — emotional, historical, interpersonal, demiurgic — at work.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We accept simultaneous submissions, asking that you notify us immediately if a work is accepted elsewhere.
We pay all our authors, with a current rate of $30 per accepted piece. (We only use PayPal for payments.) All accepted work will appear online. Selected work will also appear in our print editions. Upon acceptance of your work, we send a contract.
All submitted work must be wholly original and previously unpublished. We do not accept work created with AI software. Please DO NOT send revisions of your work after you've submitted it.
All messages from Pangyrus about your submissions will come to you via Submittable. Please make sure they aren't going into your spam folder. Here's what Submittable suggests:
https://submittable.help/en/articles/3221476-how-can-i-safelist-notification-emails-from-submittable
Thank you for submitting!
We are looking for high-quality nonfiction writing that connects exciting ideas, tells a compelling story, and offers a fresh perspective. Whether it's memoir, a critical essay, a review, or a piece on the craft of writing, we look for personal work that teaches us something new and sends us in a new direction.
We favor two kinds of submissions: short, focused essays between 600 and 1500 words, and longer, more reported features of up to 7,500 words. Please send only one selection at a time.
The following are specific categories for Pangyrus. If you submit in one of these categories, please use the dropdown menu to let us know which:
Zest! (Food Writing) We want writing that’s not only in good taste, we want writing that tastes good. Wow us with memories of that perfect dish — or the perfect disaster. Tell the story of a region, a history, a family, a love, a war, through meals shared and soufflés ruined.
Generations (Family) Whether it's our birth family, our given family, our chosen family, family is the heart and often heartache in our lives. We want to read about these most significant connections and the tangled emotions that go along with them. Word limit: 7,500.
We are interested in showing the range of poetry that exists in the contemporary moment. First and foremost, we publish poetry in a wide range of styles and voices that has us see the world in a new way.
Please send a maximum of 3 poems contained within a single document. Because our volume of submissions is high, we ask that you submit only once per reading period. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Please proofread your work.
We are committed to paying all published authors. We pay $30 for each accepted piece, payment upon publication via PayPal.
We look forward to reading your work!
We are looking for well-crafted, thought-provoking fiction: stories that are original, passionate, and surprising, with strong narratives and an implicit understanding of human interaction and nature. The tastes of our editorial team are far-ranging and eclectic. We welcome any work that displays the gift of storytelling, that pulls our readers into the narrative and holds them there until the end. New and diverse voices are also a keen interest of ours.
Please proofread your work, which means no typos, grammatical errors, or incorrect uses of language. Make sure you double-space the text and include page numbers.
Consider carefully the point of view in your story and how it and the structure help the reader discover the heart of your tale. Above all, consider the reader.
Word count: Submissions should be one short story at a maximum of 5,000 words or three micro or flash fiction pieces. No previously published work. Because our submission volume is high, we ask that you send only one submission per reading period. We will respond as soon as we can. Simultaneous submissions are expected, but please withdraw your story promptly if it is accepted elsewhere.
We are committed to paying all published authors. We pay $30 for each accepted piece, payment upon publication via PayPal.
We look forward to reading your work!
This category is only for submissions that are:
-- authorized by an editor (Please share that editor's name in your cover letter.)
-- artwork
If you ignore these guidelines and submit to us anyway, we will not consider your work. Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction submissions require a submission fee.
For nonfiction prose the word limit is 3,500; for fiction, 5000. For poetry, please submit no more than three poems. Only one art submission per individual, please, but that submission can contain up to 10 images.