Submit

Submissions are open through June 30.

Updated 5/17/2021: We recently changed our publishing schedule and format from a digital quarterly to a print and digital annual. The first issue in this new format, Mount Island No. 8, will be released in the fall of 2021. We will announce new reading periods after that issue’s release.

General Guidelines

See our submission categories for genre- and category-specific guidelines. The following applies generally to all submissions, so please read carefully:

All submissions must be the original work of the author or artist. Excluding interviews and reviews, unsolicited submissions must be previously unpublished in English. Submissions of works translated into English must include a copy of the work in its original language and proof of translation rights.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted. If your piece is accepted for publication elsewhere, please notify us and withdraw your submission promptly.
Do not send multiple submissions at once. Please wait until we have responded with our decision before submitting again.
In your cover letter, please include your contact information and a brief bio.
We accept submissions only via Submittable (excluding art submissions; see below for details).

We aim to respond to submissions within three to six months, but with limited means there may be occasional delays. We are grateful for your patience.

To focus on our mission of supporting rural LGBTQ+ and POC voices, most of our submission categories are open only to folks who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or POC and who currently live in or hail from a rural area. We do welcome “allies” who do not identify as LGBTQ+/POC/rural to submit in certain categories, such as interviews, reviews, blog articles, etc. When such categories are open for “ally submissions”, they will be labeled clearly.

Art Submissions

Our digital magazine features one visual artist per issue, publishing their work as both cover and interior art. You may not submit artwork via Submittable; please direct art submissions to art@mountisland.com.

Submit 5 to 10 pieces at once. Please attach all files as a compressed .ZIP file or provide a link to a shared Dropbox or Google Drive folder.
We accept submissions of art in all media and disciplines, so long as it can be digitally recorded for online publication.
Please include captions for all photography and visual media. Captions should include each piece’s approximate date of creation and the materials used.

Our Submissions Manager

We accept submissions only via Submittable, a popular and easy-to-use submissions management platform. If you don’t already have a Submittable account, you can create one for free to start tracking your submissions to Mount Island and countless other publishers.

Note: we do not accept art submissions via Submittable. Click here for art submission guidelines.

Compensation and Contributor Rights

We acquire first serial rights worldwide in English and non-exclusive anthology rights. For interviews, reviews, and art, we acquire non-exclusive reprint rights. We ask all contributors to sign a standard publishing agreement detailing rights in full.
For publication in our annual print and digital magazine, all contributors receive a $50 honorarium and two print copies of their issue.
For blog content, we currently offer a $10 honorarium.