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.

The Particulars

Single submissions can include up to three poems or 4,000 words of prose. Please include a brief biographical statement in your cover letter.

Simultaneous submissions are completely acceptable–just withdraw your submission as soon as it's accepted 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.

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.  

Submitto Translation
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. 
Submitto Fiction
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. 
Submitto Poetry
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!
Submitto Creative Nonfiction
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.
Submitto Scriptwriting

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. 

Submitto Illustrated Narrative

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.

Submitto Artwork
Submit photographs or images to be published alongside literary work. Photographs and images should speak to Arkana's mission and aesthetic.
Arkana