We accept a wide range of creative work, most of which should fit into one of the following categories. Please read our guidelines (below) carefully. When you submit work to us, you are giving us first-publication rights to the work for one year. We do not accept previously-published work, but simultaneous submissions are cool. If you get your work accepted somewhere else, let us know right away.
Fiction: Send us your best stories, ideally those that probe into the human condition in some way or offer a new or unexpected way of looking at things. We love character-driven fiction, populated by people that both convince and surprise. Aim to keep it under 7,500 words. Double-spaced, 12 point font, .doc or .rtf files.
Poetry: Send up to five poems of any length. Each poem must be a separate file, 12 point font, .doc or .rtf files.
Nonfiction: Send us your best essays—those that will make us laugh, cry, or glance around nervously. Keep it under 7,500 words. Double-spaced, 12 point font, .doc or .rtf please.
Visual Arts: Paintings, photographs, sculpture, comics, drawings, multimedia—it’s all welcome. In lieu of originals, please submit high-resolution digital files (JPEG, PNG). Images must be able to be published in greyscale or full color. Please include a short description of medium, size, materials, and any other relevant information.
Accepted work may be published in the print edition of Tributaries and/or on our website.
With your submission, please include a short author/artist bio (around 100 words) written in third person. This will include relevant information such as where you attend school, past publications, etc. If your work is selected, this information will be included in the journal.