submission guidelines
What kind of writing are you looking for?
Our focus has always been on strong literary writing from bereaved parents on infant loss and living with grief. We want to hear about your womanhood, your manhood, your stance. Identity and work and hopes and rebuilding and medical hoops and love and how your world view has changed and keeps changing. We seek strong writing on universal themes. We don't generally go for overtly political, religious, or 'angel' writing, and we do not publish birth stories, obituaries, or eulogies.
We seek a selection of writing by mothers and fathers across the spectrum of loss—including stillbirth, premature birth, the NICU, and neonatal loss after birth. This goal of balance across the full spectrum factors into the voices we choose.
What are your submission guidelines?
We ask original writers to submit a finished, edited post. The sweet spot is between 400-1200 words, and not exceeding 1800 words. Work should be wholly your own.
We welcome joint submissions, and posts that serve as responses or extensions to other posts here at Glow (please link). By submitting to Glow in the Woods, you are confirming that you have the rights to the works and that you grant Glow in the Woods one-time and archival publication rights. If your work is not accepted, it will not be used in any other capacity.
Do you edit work?
We do not change submitted work. However, we will spell check and edit for major grammatical errors. Occasionally, the editor may suggest publishing an excerpt of what has been submitted. This or any other adjustments would only be done in consultation with you.
Do you accept previously published pieces?
We we will not accept pieces previously published by literary magazines, on-line or in print, or published works, and we do not reprint or excerpt writing that has appeared on other blogs or websites without extensive reworking or a fresh angle. All rights and permissions should be granted before submitting to Glow in the Woods.
Can I write anonymously?
Yes. First names, nicknames, or pseudonyms are all acceptable.
When will I be notified if I am selected?
We will notify writers anywhere from two weeks to one month from submission, though it may be longer depending on the volume of submissions.
We will only contact you if your post has been selected. If you do not hear from Glow in the Woods, please know that we appreciate you submitting your piece, but it was not selected in this round—please do not be dissuaded from submitting another piece in the future.
If you have any other questions, contact us. We'd love to hear from you.