SUB FAQs
General
What kind of work does Consequence publish?
We publish in six genres—fiction, poetry, nonfiction, reviews, visual art, and translations. More specifically, however, we have two main criteria when considering work. First and foremost, the work needs to address the human consequences and realities of war or geopolitical violence. This can include focusing on the experiences of combatants, but also victims and/or witnesses since, after all, it isn’t only combatants who are affected. Second, the work needs to have literary merit, by which we simply mean the piece needs to try to be greater than the sum of its parts. Does it inspire reflection? Insight? Anger? Joy? This is what we mean by literary merit.
One piece that exemplifies our mission—of well-crafted work that explores the nuances of conflict—is Joanna Chen’s essay “Navigating a Broken World.”
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Absolutely. However, we do not consider work previously published in English. Also, if your sub is accepted elsewhere we offer you our sincerest congratulations but please let us know immediately.
Do I need to have an MFA or previous publications to submit?
No. While we do publish established authors, we also prioritize writers and artists who haven’t yet been heard. The conversations we strive to ignite and/or continue are dependent on a multitude of perspectives, experiences, and interpretations.
Do I have to be a veteran, an active military member, or a witness or victim of war/geopolitical violence to submit?
No. We are interested in addressing the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence. As long as you are doing that, we are interested in your work.
Is there any difference between what Consequence publishes online and in print?
No. We understand that in the publishing world there are vestiges of the belief that online is the dumping ground for pieces that weren’t good enough for print. However—and we can’t stress this enough—we firmly believe this practice is outdated. That is, regardless of whether we publish a piece on our website or in our journal, the piece needs to be extraordinary. The only factor in choosing where to put the piece is whether it might be better suited for online (e.g. longer work, work that uses space in innovative ways, pieces easily accompanied by audio and/or video, etc.).
How often do you publish online?
Our schedule varies depending on several factors but every month we typically publish two new, online-only features; one short-form review; and one long-form review. We also may highlight community events or previously published work during any given month, but our goal is to ensure our online pieces receive the focus we believe they deserve.
How long before I get a response?
No more than four months. For almost every sub, we’ll respond with an acceptance, a declination, or a decline + encourage (i.e., a nice rejection) within 120 days. An exception to this might occur if we need more time to assess the work. If that’s the case, we will still respond to you in four months if only to say we need a little more time. We’re writers ourselves so understand the frustration of waiting extended periods of time to hear back.
I recently published in your print journal. How soon before I can submit another piece?
We’re happy that you want to send us more work; however, because our goal is to publish a diverse and wide range of voices, we ask that you wait two reading periods before submitting to us again.
Do you have a reading fee? Also, do you pay?
No and yes, respectively. We want anyone who wants to submit to be able to do so (see note about prioritizing unheard voices). Therefore, as long as your work is on theme and has literary merit, we are interested in reading it. As for pay, we firmly believe artists should be compensated for their work (which includes us submitting contributors’ work to various prizes and promoting them on social media). We are forever searching for ways to increase our pay scale for writers and visual artists, but you can find our current one on our submissions’ page.
I’ve read through this entire FAQ and you didn’t answer my question.
Sure. Please email us at consequenceforum@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Fiction
What stories are considered for publication with Consequence?
We look for stories that have literary merit, but more importantly we’re after narratives that follow our mission statement: “to address the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence.” Stories that do not fall under this theme will not be considered for publication.
Do you only publish stories that are considered “high literature?”
Is there a word limit for submissions?
While Consequence currently does not have a word limit for fiction, we are more likely to consider stories under five thousand words (about sixteen pages). Our journal typically devotes about forty pp per issue to fiction, so anything over sixteen pages would have to blow our socks off and then some.
Do you allow flash fiction subs?
Yes, we do accept and encourage flash fiction submissions. If you are submitting multiple flash pieces that are less than a thousand words total, please group them on the same doc.
Do you accept excerpts?
Is there a limit on the number of subs per reading period?
Wait. I still have questions.
Poetry
May I submit poems that do not speak to Consequence‘s themes?
No. We welcome poems addressing our themes in original, subtle, or unusual ways, but please don’t send us off-theme poems.
If I get an encouraging rejection, should I send in a new batch of poems right away?
No, please wait until our next reading period, when we’ll be delighted to see new work from you! When you do send new work, be sure to remind us about your last submission and the invitation to re-submit.
Is there a limit on the number of subs per reading period?
There is. We ask that you send us only one submission per reading period. That sub, however, can have up to three poems in it.
Wait. I still have questions.
Nonficiton
Is there a word limit for subs?
While Consequence currently does not have a word limit for nonfiction, we are far more likely to consider essays under four thousand words (about fourteen pages). Our journal typically devotes about forty pages per issue to nonfiction, so anything over fourteen pages would have to make us spit out our Cheerios.
I wrote this well-researched biography—should I submit it?
We do consider a healthy range of nonfiction for publication, but we’re a literary journal at heart and essays that are academic or strictly journalistic usually aren’t the best fit. Furthermore, we are interested in pieces that are focused and offer a unique perspective on a specific aspect of war (as opposed to more general essays that attempt to address the full scope of war). Also, as noted in the Poetry and Fiction sections, submissions to nonfiction should have clear ties to our mission.
Is there a limit on the number of subs per reading period?
Wait. I still have questions.
No problem. Please email our Nonfiction Editor at nonfiction@consequenceforum.org.
Visual Art
What type of visual art are you after?
All visual art submissions must reflect the mission of Consequence Forum. We seek strong content that engages our readers and reflects concern for the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence.
What forms of visual art interest you?
All forms of visual art interest us, but we tend to publish in our journal and on our website paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media, multi-platform works, films, videos, photographs, dances, performances, and illustrations. Also, if we publish your work, we will request the nonexclusive right to publish/embed it on our other publishing platform (e.g. if we publish it in our journal, we may want to use it on our website too).
How much work is published in the journal? Online?
For the journal, we devote eight pp for the art spread. Sometimes we’ll have a single image cover two pages, so this doesn’t necessarily mean we need or are looking for eight unique productions. Dimensions for the journal are 6″ x 9″ and will include a one- or two-page intro by our Art Editor. Standard high res images are required for publication. For online, we’ll feature up ten images or about six minutes of video.
Is there a limit on the number of subs per reading period?
There is. We ask that you send us no more than two subs in any given reading period. However, if a sub has numerable pieces to it (i.e., a collection), then please group the pieces into a single file.
Wait. I still have questions.
No problem. Please email our Visual Art Editor at visualart@consequenceforum.org.
Translations
What do you want to see in a cover letter for a translation sub?
Please include a translator’s note about the significance of the original writer (to you and/or to CF readership) and/or about your translation process for this particular submission. As well, include your bio in third person which includes previous translation publications, as well as the bio of the original writer.
What kind of topics or original writers are you looking for in a translation sub?
We’re interested in, of course, themes dealing with the human consequences and/or realities of war or geopolitical violence. To that, we’re most interested in themed pieces that are viewed from fresh and profound perspectives. Pre-21st century writers are fine—especially those in the public domain. However, we’re especially interested in contemporary writers and collaborations between translators and writers or co-translation teams.
How many works can I put in each submission?
Follow the same guidelines for poetry and prose submissions.
What sorts of submissions are usually accepted for publication?
Accepted submissions exhibit the highest possible quality and craft. The portion of your translation submission that appears in English must be as strong, and must sing as beautifully, as the original. Surprising and unique language and presentation is a plus; archaic language and under crafted presentation (especially when unnecessary) is not appreciated.