Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines

 

About

The Violet Index is a digital publishing studio producing quarterly themed zines that bring visual artists and writers into genuine creative collaboration. Each 16-page issue is built around a single theme, explored through a curated selection of writing and visual work. We are interested in work that investigates, experiments, and resists easy resolution.

Winter 2026 Theme: STRANGE

We're looking for work that explores the unusual, the uncanny, the overlooked, and the beautifully inexplicable.

What We Accept

Writing

  • We accept poetry, fiction, essays, and creative nonfiction. Each accepted piece is given one page of the zine. Prose should be approximately 250-1500 words. Poetry should fit on a single page. We accept only previously unpublished work, including work that has not appeared in print, online, or on personal websites, blogs, or social media.

Visual Art

  • We accept photography, illustration, painting, mixed media, and digital work. Each accepted contributor is given one page of the zine. We accept only previously unpublished work. 

Submission Limit

Contributors may submit one piece per category per issue. If you work across both writing and visual art, you are welcome to submit one of each.

Terms

Rights

  • The Violet Index requests first publication rights only. You retain full copyright and may republish your work freely after it appears in the issue.

AI Policy

  • We do not accept work created by or with the assistance of generative AI tools. This applies to all writing and visual art submissions without exception.

Simultaneous Submissions

  • We accept simultaneous submissions. Please notify us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere so we may consider another piece for the issue.

File Specifications

Writing Submissions

  • Submit as a .doc or .docx file in standard manuscript format (12pt serif font, double-spaced). Include your name, contact email, the title of the piece, and a short bio of no more than 75 words.

Visual Art Submissions

  • Submit as a JPEG or PNG file at a minimum of 300 DPI with the longest dimension at least 3000 pixels. Include your name, contact email, the title of the work, the medium, and a short bio of no more than 75 words.

File Naming

Name your file using the following convention, with underscores and no spaces:

LASTNAME_TitleOfPiece

LASTNAME_TitleOfWork

If the title is long, abbreviate to the first three or four words.

Compensation

All accepted contributors receive the following:

  • A digital copy of the issue in which their work appears
  • A dedicated feature across The Violet Index's social media platforms
  • A one-year complimentary Index membership to The Violet Index Patreon, beginning on the publication date of their issue

The Violet Index does not currently offer monetary compensation. We are committed to building toward paid contributions as the publication grows.

Timeline 

We respond to all submissions within 45 days of the deadline. You will hear from us regardless of the outcome.

How to Submit

Submissions are currently closed.