Submission Guidelines
Pearl S. Buck Online Literary Journal – Volume 5 Issue No. 2, Winter 2020-21
Pearl S. Buck Online Literary Journal is a publication of The Writing Center. The journal is part of our ongoing mission to spread the literary legacy of Pearl S. Buck by aiding writers in their development and by giving them opportunities to be published. This call for submissions goes out to past and present PSB Writers Guild members, Writing Center workshop attendees & presenters and PSBVA volunteers.
Make sure your subject matter and language are suitable to be published by this Center.
Theme – The theme of each issue will be chosen from those found in Pearl S. Buck’s own writing.
Our Winter 2020-21 issue’s theme is from the Emily Dickenson poem Tell it Slant.
Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —
This theme is a prime example, in this era of social distancing, of emotional distancing. Your editors think this theme will spark examples in all writing genres – memoir, essay, short story, poetry, flash fiction, mystery and even dystopian worlds. We welcome your submissions!
Review your entry to be sure it fits within the stated theme.
Deadline / Number of Entries / Length Limits
Deadline is February 15th, 2021 for the Winter 2020-21 issue.
Email the editors listed below by filling in the Submission Details (as shown below) on page 1 of your story/poem entry. Begin page 2 with your title, but do not repeat your name .
Submissions limited to five (5) poems or flash fiction (300 word limit each), or two (2) pieces of fiction, essay or memoir (5,000 word limit each); or short story (limit 3,000 words). When selecting the contents of the Journal, editors will try to limit entries to only two per author, preferably from different genres. Please accompany each separate submission with your Submission Details cover page.
Submission Details (print these four items only on Page 1 of all your submissions)
Title
Author
Genre
Word Count
(Begin Page 2 of your story/poem entry with the title only and don’t repeat your name.)
Submission Format
1) Format work in Times New Roman 12pt. with 1” left & right margins, singlespaced.
2) Editors will use the Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA Style Sheet to keep the Literary Journal uniform..
3) Submissions accepted online only. No hard copy submissions will be accepted.
4) Attach copy in an editable Word .doc file to your email.
5) Email to the appropriate editor shown below. Submissions will be acknowledged within 48 hours via email.
6) Keep a record of each submission, to whom sent, the acknowledgement of receipt, any subsequent edited and revised versions, and the final editors’ decision.
Editors
Dr. Anne K. Kaler – Fiction and Nonfiction at akkaler@verizon.net
Susan E. Wagner – Poetry at swagner001@gmail.com
Linda Donaldson – Memoirs and Essays at lindadonaldson@verizon.net
Judges
The following four editors will decide on the entries for each issue: Dr. Anne K. Kaler, Susan E. Wagner, Linda K. Donaldson, and Cynthia L. Louden. Acceptance notifications will be made by December 15th.
