Frequently Asked Questions

How many pieces can I submit at a time?

You may submit up to three poems, three short stories, and three photographs or pieces of artwork every reading period (about three months). For more details, go to the “Submit” tab at the top of the menu.

If I submit a piece for one issue and don’t get accepted, can I submit it again for the next issue?

Yes, for poetry and prose you may submit as many times as you like, as long as the piece you are submitting has been edited beyond just grammatical errors. That stated, we strongly encourage you to submit different pieces each time.

Do you accept screenplays and playwriting scripts?

No, unfortunately, we do not at this time, but we will update the website as soon as possible if the rules do change in the future.

What kind of artwork/poetry/prose will get me accepted?

Anything that you love! Submit your best writing and as long as you love it, that’s good enough for us. To sum it up, we like any piece of work that makes us think about the piece long after we’ve first read it so give us your all! To look at pieces we’ve admitted in the past, go to the “Issues” tab at the top of the menu.

What personal information of mine will show up if my work is published?

When your work is published as poetry or prose, your name and hometown will show up under the title of your work near the top of the page. If you submit for art, that same information, as well as the title of your work, will be shown in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

How soon will I be able to see my work published after I submit it?

After the last submission date passes, we will work as hard and fast as we can to display the most upcoming full issue on our website in PDF format. We will also send out an email to you if your work was selected after we post it online so you don’t miss a thing!

What if I want to make one last edit to my work or pull out of submissions even though I’ve submitted my work already?

We’re sorry to inform you that all submissions are final. We look forward to reading all of your work after you submit it! However, we’d also like to caution you not to resubmit the same works that you sent us the first time, even if they are edited.

Can I submit my work to The Stirling Spoon even if it’s already been published somewhere else?

We do allow multiple submissions; however, if your work has been published elsewhere, please let us know, and we will withdraw it from the issue.