Our Mission
Arkana seeks and fosters a sense of shared wonder by publishing inclusive art that asks questions, explores mystery, and works to make visible the marginalized, the overlooked, and those whose voices have been silenced.
What Our Genre Editors Would Like to See
Fiction: We love stories that share a new perspective, keep us awake at night, or otherwise pluck at our heartstrings. Send us a story that only you can tell, writing that evokes visceral reactions, and, perhaps most of all, seeks a deeper emotional truth.
Poetry: We are moved more by an aesthetic than by any particular trend or fashion in the world of contemporary poetry. We like beauty, music, and a personal interpretation of poetic forms. Your poetry submission should tell us an emotional story with something at stake. Great art is inherently unsafe.
Creative Nonfiction: Submit your personal essays, your investigations and counternarratives. We want to hear a strong voice full of local color. Ultimately, we want nonfiction that moves from an individual’s unique experience to greater universal resonance.
Scripts: We’re committed to publishing genres not often featured in literary journals. Whether it’s a 10-minute play or a scene from a screenplay, we’re looking for polished scripts with compelling character motivation and innovative use of dialogue.
Illustrated Narrative: We consider anything that combines words with visuals in a way that pushes the boundaries of form and storytelling. This includes works of fiction, nonfiction, comic strips, poetry comics, or otherwise. We like pieces that give us a new way to think about the relationship between words and images.
Translation: We are most interested in authors who have not previously appeared in translation, new approaches to translation, and languages that are currently underrepresented. We accept all forms of work in translation, although we prefer poetry.
Artwork: Our art is published alongside literary work, and as such, we want images that speak to Arkana’s mission and aesthetic. Painting, sculpture, photography, needlepoint, or any type of visual art is welcome.
For more on what our Arkana editors are looking for and reading, check out our interview with Selfish Poet’s Trish Hopkinson.
We accept submissions all year, but please be aware that our active reading period is August through March, taking a short break during April, May, June, and July.
We're looking for polished scripts that illuminate truths and push boundaries. We accept ten-minute plays and scripts that are 20-pages or under.
We consider anything that combines words with visuals in a way that pushes the boundaries of form and storytelling. We accept works of fiction, nonfiction, comic strips or otherwise, as long as it fits our aesthetic and our mission. Work that is part of a larger novel or collection is allowed, as long as it has not been published anywhere else and the narrative works as a standalone piece. We are looking for short works no more than 5 pages in length. You can send multiple works at a time, but we ask that you do not exceed 20 pages per submission.
We accept all forms of work in translation, although we prefer poetry. Submissions should be 3 pages of poetry and 4,000 words of prose. Your submission should be in a DOC, DOCX, or PDF file format and your name and a short bio (300 words or less) should be included in the cover letter.
Please also include the information of the original publisher and attach information showing that publication rights are available. If yours is a piece in the public domain, please note that.