Of Rust and Glass Submissions
Submit to coordinator@ofrustandglass.com
Of Rust and Glass is open year round for general submission and specific blocks of time for the themed releases. We accept all sorts of creative material from folks with their roots in the Midwestern United States including but not limited to the following:
ORIGINAL FICTION/NONFICTION AND POETRY
We are looking for your best writing. Is there an assignment you are exceptionally proud of? A short musing you have not known what to do with until now but love? Send it our way. I bet we will love it, too.
ARTWORK/PHOTOGRAPHY
To supplement the zine’s written pieces, we accept original artwork to feature in each addition and to grace the cover of each issue. Art is subjective and we will never stifle an artist’s creativity, but please be aware all age groups are represented within our wonderful community.
MUSIC/FILM
While audio and video pieces are difficult to incorporate in e-zine and print formats, send us your inquiries about how we strive to support local and regional audio-visual artists.
2024 Themes and Submission Periods
Of Rust and Glass is running “life stages” themed quarterlies for 2024. Show us artwork, photography, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that tells your story about what it’s like living in the Midwest as you change through time. As always, our single-worded themes are open for your artistic creativity, and we are looking forward to whatever concepts you send our way.
January 2024: Awakenings
For most of history, we don’t exist. Then, one day, we open our eyes and a whole big world of endless possibility awakens to us.
Submissions Close 12/30/2023 – Releases 1/31/2024
April 2024: Passages
Rites of passage are a long-standing theme in fiction. What did these look like for you, in the Midwest? What stands out as your passage into each new stage of life?
Submissions Close 3/15/2024 – Releases 4/30/20234
July 2024: Sacrifices
As we grow up, we sacrifice: Our time, our bodies, our passions. We do it for good reasons, of course, but we still leave part of ourselves behind in the process.
Submissions Close 6/15/2024 – Releases 7/31/2024
October 2024: Discoveries
For a rare few, the purpose of life is clear early on. But for most of us, we have to work to discover what’s important, what’s right versus wrong, what’s possible.
Submissions Close 9/15/2024 – Releases 10/30/2024
Additional Submission Opportunities
Speculative Fiction/Poetry – Dream of Rust and Glass, Volume II
We are accepting poetry, short fiction (up to 10,000 words), nonfiction, artwork, and photography. This is a royalty sharing project for anyone who wishes to delve into the (im)possible. Show us new words, wonderful technologies, new spins on old myths. If you put a Midwestern twist on it, all the better.
Submissions Re-Opened – Close 5/15/2024
Literary Fiction Anthology – Made of Rust and Glass, Volume IV
Same general guidelines as the Speculative Anthology, but this one is for the literary masterpieces. Tell us your Midwest experience, whether it is a real or imagined one. Add your unique voice to our ongoing love letter to the region’s thriving arts and literature scene.
Submissions Close 9/15/2024 – Release Date TBD
Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry
- Email all work to Coordinator@OfRustandGlass.com
- Please include your full name, the name of the piece, and its genre (i.e. Amelia Carter - Of Rust and Glass - Nonfiction) as the subject of the email
- If the piece is for one of the quarterly themed editions, include the theme in the email's subject
- Attach finished, polished piece as a Microsoft Word document (or something similar). While we will work with you on editing a piece, NEVER send rough drafts. Editors will discard anything with too many grammar/spelling issues if it seems like the author did not even bother to proofread. Let us know if grammar/spelling, or English, is difficult for you. You have a community behind you, after all.
- Format the piece using one of the industry accepted formats (links in resources). While it should go without saying, publishers often overlook excellent writing because it is not formatted professionally. It is a vital skill to master for anyone looking to get published.
- In the text of the email, provide both a brief synopsis of the piece and a brief biography
- Submit 1 piece of fiction/nonfiction or up to 4 poems at a time
- And let us know how you heard about us!
Artwork/Photography/Other
- Email all work to Coordinator@OfRustandGlass.com
- Please include your full name, the name of the piece, and its original medium (i.e. Amelia Carter - Of Rust and Glass - Oil on canvas) as the subject of the email
- If the piece is for one of the quarterly themed editions, include the theme in the email's subject
- Attach as a JPEG or similar file type.
- For audio/video pieces, please inquire first. If you have a link to a site such as SoundCloud or YouTube, you may provide it in the body of the email.
- In the text of the email, provide both a brief description of the piece and a brief biography
- And let us know how you heard about us!
For a more personal look at what Of Rust and Glass looks for in submissions, take a look at this “Six Questions For . . .” blog post by Jim Harrington: