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Our Mission

Arkana seeks and fosters a sense of shared wonder by privileging art that asks questions, explores mystery, and works to discover and uncover the overlooked, the misunderstood, and the silent.

 

The Particulars

Single submissions can include up to three poems or 4,000 words of prose. Include a brief biographical statement in the submission form and feel free to discuss how our mission statement does or does not resonate with you as an artist.

 

Simultaneous submissions are completely acceptable–just withdraw your submission should you find an opportunity elsewhere.

 

We welcome submissions by established and emerging artists unaffiliated with the University of Central Arkansas.

 

Additional Thoughts

The Arkana staff is not a sectarian body. We do not discard submissions, unread, based on a set of unwritten rules regarding ampersands, punctuation, or any one of the innumerable, trivial matters that do, at times, inflame the passions of our craft. We also recognize that genre distinctions sometimes defy easy categorization, and hope that you will join us in embracing the ambiguity! If in doubt about categories, just take your best guess. We simply wish to be moved by great art, and we hope to pass that experience on to our readers.

Translation
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Arkana is 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. 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. 
Fiction
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We're looking for polished fiction of any form. Speak in voices no one has heard. Give us lies so well told they turn into truth. Submit as many stories as you like, but please keep your total word count 4,000 words or fewer. 
Poetry
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The poetry staff for Arkana encourages you to submit up to three poems in a single document, with no additional information. In Submittable, please include a brief biographical statement or other information you feel provides a necessary context to your work. To get a sense of what we’re looking for, we suggest you take a look at our mission statement. We are moved more by an aesthetic than by any particular trend or fashion in the world of contemporary poetry. As our mission statement indicates, we like art by outsiders. We like art about outsiders. We like beauty and music. We dislike art in which nothing is at stake—great art is inherently unsafe. Come live dangerously with us!
Creative Nonfiction
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Send us your essays, your memoirs, your investigations. Give us your perspectives, your questions, your answers (tentative or firm). Let us hear your voice as you tell your reality as you know it. We accept all musings of 4,000 words or less, double spaced, no fancy fonts. Just plain truth.
Scriptwriting
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Illustrated Narrative
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Book Review
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Artwork
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Submit photographs or images to be published alongside literary work. Photographs and images should speak to Arkana's mission and aesthetic.