The Sylvan Echo

The Sylvan Echo accepts original writing of the highest quality in the categories of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, book reviews, critical writing, and editorials from new and established writers. We are also interested in original artwork and photography. Submissions may be previously published as long as you own the rights or can obtain permission to reprint the work. We accept - nay, encourage - simultaneous submissions. (We do ask, however, that you notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.) All vivid, well-written work will be considered.

Please, no gratuitous or graphic sex or violence. If you’re considering submitting the same piece to both The Sylvan Echo and Penthouse, we’re probably not your market.

Authors and artists retain all rights.

Generalities.

• With the exception of poetry, artwork, and photography, you may submit 1 piece per genre. Should you submit more than one piece per genre, we will ignore your second and subsequent submissions (and will look less than favorably on your first submission, as well). See The Particulars, below, for more information on what we’re looking for.
• Submit your work by email to editor at sylvanecho dot net (replace at with @ and dot with .).
• All work should be sent as an attachment in the following formats: Poetry and prose as 12pt doc or rtf attachments; artwork and photography as the highest resolution bmp, tif, or jpg.
• List the genre in your subject line, e.g. Submission: poetry. (We’re not kidding about this; submissions that don’t follow this format risk being overlooked.)
• Each submission must be accompanied by a brief (50-150 word) bio, written in the third person. (We are not kidding about this, either. Don’t make us come looking for a bio.)
• Response time is 7-9 weeks.

The Particulars.

• Poetry: 3-5 poems any style.
• Fiction: up to 5000 words of literary fiction. In general, we are not interested in genre work, but if you can demonstrate strong literary merit without being didactic or polemical, please send us your work.
• Nonfiction: up to 5000 words of personal essay, memoir, humor. We will consider journalism but are more interested in journalism with a literary or narrative bent.
• Book Reviews: up to 500 words. Please don’t tell us you did not like a book. We are interested in well crafted, thoughtful reviews from which readers can make informed choices about their limited reading resources.
• Critical/academic work: up to 8000 words. Texts must focus on the craft of writing or literature. Please use MLA or Chicago citations.
• Editorials: up to 1000 words that consider a political, social or moral issue. Please be aware that editorials will be published in a blog format and open to response.
• Artwork and Photography up to five (5) pieces.

At this time we are unable to pay our contributors (or our staff), except with heartfelt gratitude and the chance to say you were published in The Sylvan Echo.