Our Guidelines
Iris online accepts high quality submissions of poetry, fiction, personal essays, articles, interviews, or Fresh List topics. As an online complement to our magazine for thinking young women, Iris seeks fresh, thoughtful content on issues and ideas that affect women today. Viewpoints should be humorous, poignant, or unique. We do not accept submissions that are generalized, pedantic, or preachy. We accept only one submission at a time; please wait to hear back from us before submitting again. Accepted submissions, except for Fresh List items, are sorted into one of the 3 following categories: your work, your world, or your self.
Email submissions to irissubmissions@gmail.com with subject line containing the genre of your submission, i.e. Submission-Fiction, Submission-Poetry, Submission-Fresh List, etc. Please both paste your submission in the body of the email and attach a copy. Include contact information and a short bio with each.
We normally respond to online submissions within several months. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere. We are unable to offer payment for online submissions at this time.
Copyright information: Iris acquires one-time rights to the printed work we publish. If you subsequently sell the piece to a reprint publication, remind the editors to forward a standard permission form to us and to acknowledge that the piece first appeared on our website.
WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE PRINT MAGAZINE AT THIS TIME.
Poetry:
Iris is looking for poetry of excellent quality that exhibits unique and memorable imagery, detectable meter or well-crafted rhythm and careful attention to details such as syntax, word choice, and literary techniques. Poetry needn’t be scholarly. Often simple, precise images are best. You may submit 1 poem at a time.
Fiction:
Fiction should demonstrate command of the craft of writing. Excellent pieces feature characters who have meaningful or humorous experiences with the world around them. We are not interested in genre fiction. You may submit 1 story at a time, no more than 1500 words.
Personal Essays:
We seek lightness and wit in personal essays. You may submit 1 essay at a time, no more than 1500 words.
Articles/Interviews:
Please pitch article/interview ideas in 100 words or less. Attach 1-2 previously published clips and a short bio. Your ideas should fall within one of our three topical categories: Your Self, Your Work, or Your World.
Fresh List
Idea proposals for the Fresh List Online should be 100 words or less, and contain the suggested topic along with a brief description of why it is fresh and interesting to Iris readers. Topics can be anything from an upcoming movie, a new nail polish brand, a website, a new superfood, etc. Your imagination is the limit, as long as the topic is novel or a fresh take on something old.
