See below for submission information for both Overcom: Celebrate and print issues.
SUBMISSIONS FOR PRINT ISSUES
Overcom publishes work by queer writers and artists. It is published twice a year, in February and August. You can send in submissions any time; submissions close on 5 December for the February issue and 5 June for the August issue. Issues are not themed, and a diverse range of works are published in each issue.
SUBMISSIONS FOR PRINT ISSUES
Overcom publishes work by queer writers and artists. It is published twice a year, in February and August. You can send in submissions any time; submissions close on 5 December for the February issue and 5 June for the August issue. Issues are not themed, and a diverse range of works are published in each issue.
The best way to get a feel for what we publish is to purchase and read the latest issue. If you find the price prohibitive, you can request a free copy.
If you have any questions about submitting, please send an email (overcommag@gmail.com) or a message on Instagram (@overcommag).
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- You may submit work which has been published elsewhere. Please include in your email where the piece was published.
- You may submit up to three pieces.
- Include in the body of your email: your name (and the name you publish under, if different), pronouns, the titles of the pieces you are submitting, a bio of 30 words or less, your social media handle if you would like to be tagged in posts, and your location (especially if you are outside Aotearoa). If you have never written a bio before, you can read our bio tips here.
- Email submissions to overcommag@gmail.com with 'Submission for Issue __' in the subject line (fill in with the issue number).
- Generally, only one piece per writer/artist is published per issue.
- Regrettably, we are unable to pay for contributions. Each contributor receives a free copy of the issue.
- Accepted writing includes poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, personal essays, etc.
- Poetry should be under 80 lines. Most of the poetry selected is under 40 lines, to fit on one page.
- Prose should be under 1000 words. Most of the prose selected is under 550 words, to fit on one page.
- Please send written submissions in one .docx file. Please use your name and the number of pieces as the file name, e.g. "Jane Bloggs - Three poems.docx" or "Jo Bloggs - Two short stories and a poem.docx". Ensure your name is on each page.
- If you don't have the ability to send a .docx file, please send it as a Google Doc, not a PDF.
- Accepted artworks include illustrations, drawings, paintings, photography, comics, etc.
- Please send visual submissions as .jpg/.jpeg, .png or .pdf, and ensure the quality is high enough that the artwork will not be pixelated when printed on an A5 page.
- Save the files with with your name (or the name you publish under) and the title of the piece as the file name, e.g. "Jane Bloggs - Untitled.pdf".
SUBMISSIONS FOR OVERCOM: CELEBRATE DIGITAL ISSUE
Overcom: Celebrate is a digital issue of Overcom which commemorates important milestones in Aotearoa's queer history. It lives at www.overcomcelebrate.com. On each date, we're publishing a poem by a queer Aotearoa writer. This is a paid opportunity, with each successful writer being paid $75. We're seeking poems for the following dates:
- The first ‘OurMarch’ (2019) – 09 February (two spaces available)
- International Asexuality Day – 06 April (two spaces available)
- ‘Gay Day’, the first action of the Gay Liberation Front (1972) – 11 April (two spaces available)
- Marriage Amendment Act passed in NZ Parliament (2013) – 17 April (one space available)
- First issue of ‘Pink Triangle’ gay newspaper published (1979) – 14 May (two spaces available)
- Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day – 24 May (two spaces available)
- NZ Homosexual Law Reform Act Passed (1986) – 09 July (one space available)
- Non-Binary People’s Day – 14 July (two spaces available)
Method 1: Submit a poem — If you have a poem you would like to submit, email it to overcommag@gmail.com. Include which date you are submitting for, and a short bio.
Method 2: Reserve a date — If you have an affinity with a particular date, but would like to write something for it, you can apply to reserve the date. Email overcommag@gmail.com with the date you’d like to reserve. Include in your email two examples of your poetry, either published or unpublished, and a short bio.
Please consider the milestones you might not have heard of before! The aim of this project is to bring attention to important moments in our queer history, including those which aren’t so well-known. Extra resources are available for some of the less-familiar dates — just get in touch and ask for more info.
‘Overcom: Celebrate’, and the $75 payment to each poet, is possible thanks to a generous grant from the Mātātuhi Foundation.