Submission Guidelines
Welcome to Roses and Wildflowers! Home for mythopoeic fiction, poetry & art.
This is a new project and we are really excited about it! Issues will be published 2 times per year, Spring and Autumn. Each issue is themed. Please acquaint yourself with each issue’s theme before you submit your work.
For queries concerning art or music submissions: ritualartsofficial@gmail.com
We de not accept poetry or fiction submissions via email.
Issue Themes and Publication Dates
We publish 2X per year on the following dates: Spring 2024: February 29 (March 1) and Autumn 2024: September 20
Themed issues:
Submissions open now, closing July 2024 or when full.
Spring 2025: Anarchy and Harmony Writers & Poets Challenge
Submissions open June 2024.
Submissions open February 5, 2024
Payment for 2024: We are a brand new publication, we will be able to pay 3 poems at $5 for one poem per writer. For Short stories under 7,500 words, we can accept 3-4 stories at $20 each.
We do not provide individual critiques. Submission not in Shunn Standard Manuscript Format will not be considered. To see examples of a standard manuscript, go here: https://www.shunn.net/format/
Social Media
Join Join Roses & Wildflowers for conversation and updates at:
Discord: https://discord.gg/TJ5Bwbcc
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/352305836796236
Details
- Short Fiction: 1,000-7,500 words. We will select up to 4 stories for each issue. One hard and fast rule: If it’s not mythopoeia, it’s not for us. Shunn standard manuscript format: 12pt. Times New Roman, double spaced. Put the word count in the upper right hand corner, your (legal) name and contact email in the upper left. Put you nom de plume under the title of your story.
- Poetry: Up to 40 lines, lyric or narrative poetry on a mythopoeic theme. We will select 1-3 pieces per issue. Payment:.. We will publish one poem per author in each issue. Epic pieces and “slam” works are not being considered at this time.
- Songs: We can include musical offerings on our website. Send queries.
- Artworks to accompany fiction and poetry are welcome. For information about each issue’s needs, please send a query.
Send your submission to us here using this form: https://forms.gle/tdBfHqkcF9vuQYzp9
If you don’t hear from us after waiting 4-6 weeks, send a query to: “RW SUBMISSION” at ritualartsofficial@gmail.com Put the title of your submission in the subject line.
Do not submit anything via email, dropbox or or shared doc.
Do not submit poetry or fiction blind. Put your name and contact info on your manuscript.
What we are looking for?
What is mythopoeia? Mythopoeia
Mythopoeic Literature
We define this as literature that creates a new and transformative mythology, or incorporates and transforms existing mythological material. Transformation is the key — mere static reference to mythological elements, invented or pre-existing, is not enough. The mythological elements must be of sufficient importance in the work to influence the spiritual, moral, and/or creative lives of the characters, and must reflect and support the author’s underlying themes. This type of work, at its best, should also inspire the reader to examine the importance of mythology in his or her own spiritual, moral, and creative development. – The Mythopoeic Society, https://www.mythsoc.org/about.htm
Important Stuff we need to tell you
Cover letter: Please include your contact info and whether you are writing under a pen name. Tell us if this is a simultaneous submission or a translation. You do not need to include your publication information, paypal address, or bio. We will collect that information upon acceptance.
Payment upon acceptance. For Spring 2024: $5 per poem (one per author) $20 per short fiction. MS Word .doc only. No PDFs, RTFs, ODTs, webpages, or shared doc links. Do not place your poems in the body of an email.
Art: Send a query with your contact information and a link to your portfolio to: “NashayArt” at ritualartsofficial@gmail.com
Rights: We request one-time, first electronic publishing rights. All future rights will be retained by the creator. We simply ask that when / if published elsewhere, acknowledgment is given to its first appearance in “Roses & Wildflowers”, Date, V#, and N #.
If a “Best of” or Collected Anthology is published, publication rights will be renegotiated for that publication.
Fiction Guidelines
We like:
We want to see intelligent prose with sound and logical world building and interesting character arcs. Whether character or plot-driven, give us compelling protagonists and believable antagonists. We like innovative ideas about societal structures and norms, all wrapped into great storytelling. We like new takes on ghost stories, steampunk, space operas, or the quests of heroes, heroines, and fools. And while it may sound cliché, we like really good stories that make us wonder, or laugh, or cry, or feel everything all at the same time. Your editor has a fondness for writers that aspire to poetic prose that jumps off the page and sings. NOTE: Submissions are open to everyone, everywhere in the world, but we can only edit fiction in English (British and American). Let us know if this is a translation.
We like re-imagined fairy and folk tales (new and imaginary), solarpunk, cozy spec fiction, fantasy, science fiction (including climate fiction), urban fantasy, eerie tales, and dark fantasy. If you send us magical realism be sure that you are well versed in what that is. (https://writers.com/what-is-magical-realism-in-literature)
It will be important to consider the issue theme when submitting your work.
We don’t like:
- No graphic or gratuitous violence or sexual content. NO “furry,” “kink,” or other porn, softcore or otherwise.
- Violence regarding women, vulnerable people, children or animals: while we understand that some violence scenarios are germane to a plot, gratuitous, graphic depictions, and/or extreme violence is a definite no.
- No fan-fic.
- Diatribes against any ethnic group or race, sexual preference, or gender will be automatically rejected.
- No allegories, biblical or otherwise.
- Submissions that have no relation to the issue’s theme.
- We do not publish reprints.
- No AI-generated works. Let us know if the work is AI-assisted (for example if an AI program corrected your spelling) and what percentage of the work AI assisted with. If it’s more than 1% it’s not for us. No exceptions
Hard sells:
- Horror, body mutilations, vampire/werewolf romance, teen sex, sword & sorcery, and epic fantasy (GoT or LotR-style).
- Plots that involve a deus ex machina outcome.
- Anything over 7,500 words.
- Proofread your submissions and then proofread them again.
Simultaneous submissions are OK, but please tell us up front and, if you place your work somewhere else, please let us know right away. No multiple submissions.
Payment Details
Payment: We will select up to 3 stories per issue and, because of a very generous donor, we will be able to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 per story, via PayPal or by old school check in the mail.
Art: Please send query addressed to Nashay Jones, Arts Editor, ritualartsofficial@gmailcom
Payment upon acceptance.
Non-Fiction submissions: <https://societyforritualarts.com/coreopsis/>