2024
SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED
(re-open on 1st April 2025)
For all literary submissions, please attach your work as a single Microsoft Word document, written in Times New Roman 12 point & double spaced (except poetry, which can be single spaced), and email to: submissions@belleombre.org. Please include a cover note in the body of the email (not as an attachment) telling us a little bit about yourself and briefly describing the piece you have submitted. We only accept submissions to one genre at a time, so please do not send multiple entries. On the subject line of your email, write ‘Fiction Submission’ or ‘Art Submission’ etc. We ask that writers wait at least six months before re-submitting to the magazine.
For art & photography submissions, attach your work as a series of JPEG files, each one no larger than three megabytes.
We are currently accepting work in the following categories:
Fiction
Please send no more than one short story at a time. The word limit is roughly 5000.
We also accept extracts from novels and novellas. Ideally it will be the opening chapter, or first 3000-5000 words, although this is not set in stone. The extract must, however, be able to stand on its own with no more than a short introductory synopsis.
Poetry
Send up to five poems, set out in one continuous document – unfortunately, submissions received with multiple attachments cannot be accepted. We have no restrictions on theme, style or content.
If sending translations, we ask that you tell us a little about the poet, your reasons for using their work, and most importantly the circumstances of your permission to engage with their material. We also require copies of the original poems and a note or reference to where they can be accessed.
Essays & Memoir
These should be between 500 and 5000 words, and can be on any subject.
Portraits
We are interested in publishing short biographies of artists, or groups of artists (in any field), or of a particular time or experience in an artist’s life, and would love to receive pieces of between 500 and 3000 words.
Letters to the Editor
Letters up to 1000 words are acceptable.
Collections
Artists and photographers are invited to send collections of images of their work for display as an exhibition. Please send no more than twelve images, along with a short description of the work as a whole and brief titles or descriptions for each image.
Travel Writing
Travel pieces between 500 and 3000 words can be submitted.
Journalism
For journalistic submissions, please contact us in the first instance with a description of the piece you wish to have published, along with your reasons for why it is relevant or important at this present time, along with a 300 word sample of appropriate writing. Pieces dealing with subjects not usually covered by the British or American media will be preferred, although we are open to any work which is insightful and of interest in the current climate.
Academic & Scientific Writing
We are open to pieces of academic writing: either articles or summaries of current research, so long as they are written in a manner accessible to the general reader. Feel free to contact the Editor to discuss your piece prior to submission if need be.
Proposals
We also accept proposals for projects that you feel may not fit into any of the above categories for one reason or another. Please send an outline of the piece, along with 300 words of sample writing.
Just so you know:
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, as long as we are notified upon the work being accepted elsewhere.
We are not averse to publishing the occasional piece that has appeared in print before, but we will only do this if we feel that Belle Ombre can help the work reach a new audience.
We aim to reply to all submissions within six weeks, so feel free to contact us if we have not been in touch by then. We do not enter in to discussions over rejected work; the Editor’s decision is final.
We ask that you leave at least six months before re-submitting to the magazine if your work is not accepted.
All rights remain with the author.
