Seeing your own work on the page of a brand new student journal is the second best feeling of being in college (the first being lunch time). Student journals are the galleries that position the student artist at the center. They are a means to celebrate inclusivity, inspire change and bring other fellow artists together in a space where they belong.
There are many benefits to getting published in a student journal, including:
- Contribution to your field of study
- Seeing your name in print
- Gaining recognition for your creative / academic achievements
- Publications can be added to a resume
- You can represent your culture/country
Read on to learn about four journals from IU South Bend that are currently accepting student submissions until Feb. 1!
New Views on Gender
The Preface’s very own Maddie Griffin is editor of the student journal “New Views on Gender”! The design and layout editor is Christina Sparks, and the faculty adviser is Julie Feighery. This journal’s submission deadline is Feb. 1. The main themes it explores are “topics around gender and sexuality,” according to Griffin. She said they are interested in reviewing and publishing “poetry, short stories, photography, art work (including physical pieces), research-based essays and more.”
NVOG submission guidelines:
- Use your IU student-issued email to make submissions
- Submit work by emailing the Editor or Faculty Adviser
- Title the email “NVG Submission” and the submission type
- Keep submissions in PDF or JPEG/PNG format and attach submissions to the email, not the email body
- Text submissions should be in 12-point font, Times New Roman, and double-spaced
- Include Works Cited, such as in APA or MLA format
- Visual work can be submitted as scans in PDF format or in image form
For further questions and submissions, email the Editor Maddie Griffin at [email protected], or Faculty Adviser Julie Feighery at [email protected].
For more information, go to http://go.iu.edu/8wg4.
International Journal
Another fantastic student-led journal that is currently open for submissions is the International Journal. This publication’s submission deadline is also Feb. 1. Its main focus is international studies and foreign language/culture. They cite their mission statement as working to “represent our campus’s diverse student population and to connect to as many countries and cultures as possible.” This is a wonderful endeavor for students seeking higher representation with their work around the world.
This student-led journal is most interested in publishing “creative writing / personal anecdotes, study abroad / travel reflections, research papers / presentations, visual art, comic strips and more.”
International Journal submission guidelines:
- Include name, student ID number, genre
- Use MLA or Chicago Manual of Style (for research)
- Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced
- Submit works via school email as an attachment, don’t paste them into the body of the email
- Visual art/comics can be scanned or photos merged into a Word Doc or PDF
- In the subject line of the email, add “International Journal + Genre”
Genres and their requirements include:
- Original research that examines the topic (for research papers)
- Short fiction must be one full-length story or up to three flash-fiction pieces
- For theater, a one-act or excerpt of a full-length play or screenplay, maximum of 20 pages
- For poetry, one to three poems
- For comics, one to seven standalone comics or one complete comic strip/story
- For visual art, three to seven images
For questions and for submissions to this journal, contact [email protected]. For more information, go to http://go.iu.edu/8wg6.
Analecta
Analecta almost needs no introduction as a literary legacy at IU South Bend. A student-led journal that has been publishing student work for over 50 years, they are no stranger to the diversity of student talent. New issues are released every April at the English Department’s Student Writing Awards.
The Analecta submission deadline is Feb. 1, and their editor for this year is Aubren Kubicki! Due to so many years of publishing success, this journal has posted pictures of various covers from previous issues that are both innovative and atmospheric. Some of the previous Editors of Analecta include Robin Dupree (2025), Gisselle Venable (2024) and Quinn Newell (2023).
Analecta submission guidelines:
- Put the title and genre of your submission in the email subject line
- In the body of the email include information such as if you are an undergraduate or graduate student, your IU email address, your major and minor, and your graduation date
- Writing should be attached as a Word Doc. Visual art should be submitted as a JPEG or PNG file.
Submission categories include:
- Up to three poems
- For fiction, submit one story or novel excerpt or up to three flash fictions (5,000 words max)
- Creative nonfiction, personal essays, memoir, travel narratives or up to three flash nonfictions (5,000 words max)
- For visual art, photography, paintings, drawings, collages, cartoons and more: up to three submissions
- For comics, visual stories and graphic narratives: up to eight pages
- For drama, plays and screenplays: up to 60 pages
All submissions will be “automatically considered” for publication in Analecta, and also for recognition in the English Department’s Annual Student Writing Awards!
For questions or submissions, contact [email protected]. For more information, go to http://go.iu.edu/8wg8.
Undergraduate Research Journal
We would be remiss not to include the Undergraduate Research Journal of IU South Bend! The student-led journal is a “refereed journal of outstanding scholarship featuring the original work of IU South Bend undergraduates,” according to the URJ. Through this journal, the expectation through submitting work for publication is that students:
- Create innovative contributions or interpretations with “original research and novel ideas”
- Submit rich content through “various techniques, results, research data, or publishable findings . . .”
- Demonstrate topical fluency through a “salient discussion of the issues with the reading audience”
The submission deadline is Feb 1. The next edition of the URJ will be available in April. Before submitting to this journal, you must have a qualified faculty member of your choice review your submission. They must be a “class instructor, faculty adviser, or an instructor in the area of research from which your paper originates.”
A Faculty Checklist has to be filled out by your instructor, and then sent with your manuscript. The checklist can be found online.
URJ submission guidelines:
- Submitting your work through IU email
- Paper must be five to 20 pages
- Times New Roman, 12-point font
- Has a title page with author and contact information (email and phone number)
- 120 words or less in the abstract manuscript body
- Bibliography/reference list with at least three references
- Paper submissions should be made electronically
- Must be a Microsoft Word document
- Research must have been completed as an undergraduate student at IU South Bend
- Copyright agreement
For questions and submissions, contact [email protected]. For more information, go to http://go.iu.edu/8wg9.
Bonus: Maudlin House
You thought we were done, didn’t you? Well, here’s a bonus off-campus publication. Chicago-based Maudlin House does rolling submissions, which means that they accept work at any point of the year. They especially look for flash, poetry and fiction submissions by emerging and established authors, and purport to respond to all submissions within four weeks. While Maudlin House acquires first publication rights, you still own your work.
Maudlin House holds publication rights for 30 days after publication. It’s also important to acknowledge them in reprints of your work, and they do not accept previously published work. They accept simultaneous submissions, but it is up to you to let Maudlin House know if your work has been accepted for publication somewhere else.
Maudlin House submission guidelines:
- Submit one piece at a time
- Fiction stories of up to 3,500 words
- For poetry, three to five poems in a single document
- For flash fiction, up to three pieces that are 500 words
For more information on Maudlin House, go to maudlinhouse.net.
