African Literary Arts: One Contemporaneous Anthology Celebrating The Global Diaspora
Submission Requirements:
Please use a standard font (Cambria, Times New Roman, Garamond, etc.) in 12-point size; double space for prose when possible; must be original works of literary art; must not be previously published or anthologized work; no AI-produced text or artwork. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged, but please notify us immediately, by using Messages in Submittable (not the Notes function, as we will not be able to view it), should your writing or artwork be accepted elsewhere, alongside accepting our esteemed congratulations. Please consider not using Withdraw for your submission in entirety if solely singular pieces, as applicable, have been accepted by another publication.
Length & Number for Each Genre
A) Poetry—80 lines or fewer, maximum of five poems per submission
B) Short stories—maximum of 2,500 words, one story per submission
C) Essays—maximum of 2,000 words, one essay per submission
D) Hybrid Narratives—maximum of 2,000 words, one narrative per submission
E) Flash Fiction—200-500 words; maximum of three flashes per submission
F) Artwork & Visual Poetry: maximum of one page formatted per submission; PDF format accepted; must be original, uncopyrighted artwork; no AI-produced artwork
Entries should be submitted under the appropriate genre in Submittable; submissions are now free. Please only send your submission as a PDF or Microsoft Word Document, whichever you feel is better for our readership (or, in the case of Artwork & Visual Poetry, as a PDF) under the appropriate genre. A short biographical summary is a requirement which can be edited upon potential acceptance.
Please Note: while the Editors will honor pressing inquiries by email related to submission requirements, submissions by email & paper mail are unacceptable for this anthology & will not be received, read, or returned by the editors.
Multiple genres &/or multiple submissions per Submitter are encouraged. However, generally only one genre entry per Anthology Contributor will be accepted for publication even if more than one entry exists & would qualify for inclusion. Finally, there is no guarantee that the Editors will read entries that exceed the maximum word count or that exceed the number of creative works permitted per entry. The Editors reserve the right to leave entries with excessive word counts unread.
What We Want to See
We are looking for gut-turning, nerve-nudging, and heart-tilting writing & creative endeavors. We encourage international contributors. Please send your most thoughtful & thought-provoking work which reflects your best creatively written &/or artistic response to the global African Diaspora. Please only submit grammatically polished work that you have carefully proofread & edited for readability, succinctness, and clarity.
New Deadline for Submissions: New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2026, at 11:59 pm, Eastern Standard Time, United States
Former, as well as current, professorial, student, & professional colleagues of the Editors are eligible to contribute. However, all submissions will be fully read in concrete, equal standing & deliberation by the Editors. No preference will be given to new, emerging or established Submitters. All submissions that meet the guidelines will stand an equal chance for acceptance & inclusion in the anthology.
Given our thorough, two-person readership of submissions & the grassroots nature of our editorial process, the Editors politely request our Submitters' patience with our turnaround time for notifying Submitters of acceptance or decline. We will aim for approximately four months from the end of our newest submission deadline. If after two months from the date of your submission, Submittable doesn’t show your submissions Status as In-Progress, feel free to politely inquire about your submission by using Messages on Submittable. We will do our utmost best to update you of your entry’s progress at that juncture.
At heart, regardless of a particular submitter’s selection status, you as having a Soul and a Body, are very much a part of the “musical score” of this anthology. The editors & others involved in arranging this anthology profoundly appreciate learning from your literary endeavors as your Readers & Admirers, acceptance or respectful decline though it may be. Salute. Bo Mba! Aluta Continua! Together We Rise. Blessings & Namaste.
Upon Possible Acceptance:
Published authors agree to grant the publisher First Serial Rights to your work. Accepted Contributors will be prompted to include a professional cover letter to the Anthology Editors with a 10-line, tightened Writers Profile or Author Bio, and the welcome accompaniment of a professional headshot photo. This may be used for the anthology, but will surely be included in established and extensive online media publicity. Accepted Contributors will receive a minimum of $50 for each printed entry. Additionally, contributor copies of the printed and digital anthology will be provided upon completion of publication of the anthology by Pan Writers Caravan.
For pressing inquiries about submission status (though we prefer Submittable for this measure), as well as publication offers, publicity & promotion possibilities from official, professional avenues: please contact the Anthology Coeditors:
Mbizo Chirasha (Africa): mbizotheblackpoet@gmail.com
Anthony Ramstetter, Jr. (United States): anthonyramstetterjr@gmail.com