Poictesme: VCU's Literary Journal

Submission Guidelines

Deadline: January 19, 2009

Submissions accepted on a rolling basis after this date.

Submit electronically to pwatem@gmail.com

Attachments:

Attach the file and the cover letter to your message: MS Word files preferred
Please do not copy and paste submissions into the body of the email.

Submit through the mail to

Poictesme
Student Media Office
P.O. Box 842010
Richmond, VA 23284

Include:

CD with submissions and your name written on the disk/CD
One printed copy of your submissions
Cover letter (See a sample)
Name, email, phone number, and address as well as category and title of each submission listed.

Please do not include your name on the manuscripts.

Submissions

Fiction

Limit of 4 fiction pieces. Each piece should be no longer than 15 pages, please double space. Send in your best. Any genre will be accepted, just keep it interesting.

Creative Nonfiction

Limit of 4 nonfiction pieces. Each piece should be no longer than 15 pages, please double space. Send in your best. All genres accepted.
Creative nonfiction is one of the hardest categories to define. Simply calling them memoirs would be an injustice. A good piece of nonfiction would take you into somebody else’s life, thoughts, pains, and persuasions without turning into a middle school essay on what they did over summer vacation. Check out Patricia Monaghan’s “Physics and Grief” which won the Pushcart Prize of 2005.

Book examples:
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Million Little Pieces by James Frey
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Hell’s Angels by Hunter S Thompson
Or check out the nonfiction on Blackbird

Funny, depressing, chilling, unbelievable, or comforting, you have a full range of possibilities. Just don’t make it boring.

Poetry

Limit of 6 poetry pieces. Any school/method/type will be accepted, including but not limited to prose/free verse, songs, odes, ballads, epics, fables, or experimental poetry. No limits on expression or subjects.

Drama

Limit of two pieces, single spaced to not exceed 15 pages each. Send in your best pieces. No limits on style or subject.

Limit of five pieces. A title is suggested, not required, Please include dimensions and media of original piece. If you have no electronic copy, we do have access to a digital camera at our office; request appointments/meeting for pictures at pwatem@gmail.com
No limits on expression.