Submission Guidelines
Please note that all submissions, for print or online publication, are subject to our Terms.
Print Submissions
Astra Magazine has two month-long reading periods for each of its biannual print issues. Submissions are only accepted via Submittable.
The upcoming periods are:
Issue 3, theme: BROKE (on sale April 2023)
Submissions open September 1, 2022 to October 1, 2022
Issue 4, theme: LUST (on sale October 2023)
Submissions open January 1, 2023 to February 1, 2023
Themes can be interpreted creatively and loosely. We’re interested in great writing above all. For BROKE, we imagine an issue that examines wealth disparities and finds meaning in the ruins. For LUST we imagine an issue drenched in desire, whether sexual or otherwise. The best way to get a feel for if your work is a good fit for Astra Magazine is by reading a recent issue: you can subscribe here.
Each issue features a mix of fiction, poetry, essays and comics. We accept submissions in any genre. We publish both work originally written in English and work in translation. For fiction, short story formats are preferred, but excerpts from longer work (not yet published in English) will be considered. For non-fiction, we are looking for lyric, evergreen essays or hybrid works rather than journalism or opinion pieces — think: the kind of writing that will last for years on a shelf. And for poetry, we’re looking for both fresh and established voices, for poems that engage both the mind and heart. We consider poetry of all length, but prefer poems that don’t exceed two pages.
Translated work should be previously unpublished in English, and accompanied by the original text (the translator should also have permission from the rights holder of the original text). We will consider work previously published in English from a magazine or publisher outside the US, provided the circulation was limited. We will consider excerpts of books under contract with a US publisher provided the book publishes after our issue’s publication date. Please specify any contracts or previous publications at the top of the document.
Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please withdraw your work if it is accepted for publication elsewhere.
Please submit a maximum of two submissions per window. Prose should be under 7,000 words per submission. Poets may submit up to three poems, formatted into one document.
We will attempt to respond to all submissions 90 days after the close of each window. If you do not hear from us in that time, please forgive us (and consider the submission rejected).
Online Submissions
Submissions to Astra’s website are open year-round. We prefer full drafts to pitches. Whenever possible, provide links to up to three published works that best represent your writing style. We typically consider around 2,000 words to be ideal for online reading.
Astra’s website is largely restricted to nonfiction prose and comics. For prose, we primarily publish essays, and while open to many forms, we are often most drawn to first-person encounters with art or culture. This can mean weaving personal narrative into analysis of a cultural subject. Or the first-person element might be bringing voice and wit to one’s cultural criticism. This voice might be sardonic or sincere, purple or minimalist, so long as the sentences feel intentionally crafted. Across the board, we want the work published on our website to feel pleasurable to read, challenging but lucid.
Pitches should be sent to AMsubmissions@astra-mag.com.
Please do not follow up until at least three weeks after submission.
Book Review Submissions
Astra’s website runs one book review per week. We review the kind of books that fit with the magazine’s ethos: style-forward, international literature: novels, stories, poetry, essays originally written in English and in translation. Please familiarize yourself with Astra’s book review section for style, length and form, before pitching.
Here are some guidelines when pitching a review:
—Books must be forthcoming (not already published) in the English language, and commercially available
—A lead time of at least 3 months is preferred
—Please include a link to the book proposed for review
—Please include a brief contributor bio and up to 3 relevant bylines
—We ask that authors do not submit their own books for review
—Pitches should be sent to AMsubmissions@astra-mag.com