Roots and Words: Essays on the Creative Life
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Special Promo: Be one of the first 25 writers to submit before 3/29, and we'll respond to your submission within 2 weeks.
We are looking for nonfiction essays that explore creative life expansively conceived (broader than only literary).
We are seeking personal essays that explore creative practice, reading practice, engagement with literature, support for the literary or creative life, hopes/desires/goals for the arts and creative life, experiences with authors or creative figures, arts community involvement, etc.
We hope these essays will inspire new writing, challenge conventional ideas of creative practices, and deepen our artistic community through the written word.
Manuscripts are read year-round.
NOTE: Submissions which do not meet the following guidelines will not be considered:
- All submissions must be previously unpublished and are limited to one entry per submission period.
- Submissions should be between approximately 1200 and 1500 words.
- Work must be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and include a clear title of the work
- Submissions must be accompanied by a cover letter and a third-person biography of no more than 150 words. Work submitted without a biography will not be considered.
- In your cover letter, please mention your social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). If you have a website dedicated to your writing, please include the link in your cover letter as well.
Submissions are open year round. Submit no more than once per 6-month period.
While we offer free submissions the first week of each month (April to December), general submissions are typically $3 (to cover administrative costs).
You may also choose to receive a quick decision about your work for $10. The response time for both expedited response is approximately 2 weeks.
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As a free subscriber, get access to our free monthly newsletter and one free post each week. Annual subscribers receive exclusive original content like new weekly poems, new essays that explore creativity and the creative life, weekly generative creative writing prompts, and live conversations (craft talks, book club discussions, etc.).
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary copy of each year's spring print edition of West Trade Review.
Learn more and sign up here:
https://rootsandwords.substack.com/about
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